Business Support Assistant

Adoption West is a regional adoption agency and registered voluntary adoption agency that provides adoption services for Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Councils. Adoption West operates out of 3 hubs across the region, with offices based in Bristol, Gloucester and Trowbridge.

This is an exciting time for you to join Adoption West as you will help us build on our achievements and will play a central role in the administration of grant funding for families to access therapy. You may also assist the adopter assessment process, monitoring and recording progress. We are looking to recruit a business support assistant to support with funding applications, liaise with social workers and providers, process invoices and maintain financial / service information. The role may also receive initial adopter enquiries, communicate with prospective adopters, process checks, references and monitor progress of assessments. Key responsibilities are to:

• Assist the service area in providing an effective and efficient administrative support function 
• Input data as required, entering and maintaining timely data to ensure the efficient processing of service / finance transactions
• Support business functions including enquiry handling, checks/reference processing, grant funding applications, provider set up and communication, payment processing.
• Answer routine enquiries from service users, and internal and external customers, and ensure that enquiries are responded to professionally and relayed accurately
• Assist with the response to all customer enquiries and requests for data in accordance with corporate standards and agreed guidelines
• Ensure confidentiality is maintained at all times within the service area
• Maintaining systems / spreadsheets as appropriate to aid monitoring processes and enable the production of accurate records.

Please note we use generic role profiles which cover a wide range of functions some of which may not be relevant to this specific position but give an overall sense of the possible requirements of the role.

The post will report to the Business Support Officer.

You will need:

• GCSEs/ NVQ Level 2 in Administration or equivalent – including English at Grade C or above
• WP qualification at RSA 1 or 2 level, or equivalent IT qualifications
• Previous general office experience, within a large and complex organisation
• Ability to communicate with and relate to members of the public and professional staff, either face-to-face or via the telephone.
• Able to deal with distressed people in a calm manner.
• Able to work as a member of a team and to contribute to the effectiveness of the service.
• Able to be flexible and fully responsive to competing demands on a daily basis, prioritising own workload accordingly
• Able to adapt to the changing needs of the service
• Ability to operate within financial procedures.
• Able to offer high levels of accuracy, attention to detail and to produce work of a high standard.
• Able to gain knowledge and impart information to others.
• Able to demonstrate high levels of professionalism, maintaining absolute confidentiality, whilst working with sensitive information and operating within Data Protection guidelines.
• Committed to own personal development and to demonstrating continued learning.
• Able to demonstrate understanding and knowledge of equalities issues and anti-discriminatory practice and a willingness to promote equalities
• Able to produce a good standard of written English

Adoption West:

• is an organisation with a wealth of experience and has a learning culture, committed to enabling the post holder to grow and develop in their role. 
• provides support through supervision and training. 
• offers flexible working arrangements, including job shares
• provides a Local Government Pension Scheme

If you have the experience, skills, knowledge and enthusiasm we are seeking and are looking for a new challenge then we look forward to hearing from you.

Additional Information

This role will require a Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) check.

Confidentiality: Employees are expected to maintain the required level of confidentiality at all times in relation to their work. 

For an informal discussion please contact: 

Stuart Babbage, Business Manager on 01225 256126.