About this role
JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE: Executive Officer - Education Welfare Service
REPORTS TO: Regional Support Manager
RESPONSIBLE FOR:
(a) Providing administrative, clerical and secretarial support to Assistant Head of Education Welfare Service for area and assigned staff on all matters relating to the organisation and work of the department and the service it provides on behalf of the EA
(b) To manage EWS administrative staff in local office area, ensuring a regional co-ordinated approach, in line with EA policy and procedures
(c) Assisting the local Assistant Head of Education Welfare Service and Regional Support Manager, with collation, analysis and management of information, to support the service in planning and delivery of support and provision for children and young people
JOB PURPOSE:
The postholder will organise, manage and supervise staff, within teams, in the provision of administrative, clerical and secretarial support to officers of the EA’s Education Welfare Service and support management in all areas of the Education Welfare Service.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Staff Management
1.1 Supervise staff including the allocation of tasks, checking output, quality and quantity of work, rotation and reallocation of duties or workload;
1.2 Ensure that new staff, as assigned, are trained in all procedures and practice within the team/department and are kept updated in line with developments with respect to the MRI Education system for the Education Welfare Service
1.3 Co-ordinate team members to ensure cover for each team during periods of absence, leave, etc;
1.4 Ensure staff are appraised in line with the EA's Staff Performance Management Procedures and assist in compiling a staff development plan for the team in accordance with the EA's Staff Development Policy to maximise the potential of staff.
2. General Administrative Processes and Records
2.1 Provide administrative, clerical and secretarial support to officers of the EA's Education Welfare Service in dealing with correspondence, minute taking etc;
2.2 Develop, maintain and operate manual and computerised information systems to support the EWS, including MRI Education in order to provide appropriate statutory returns.
2.3 Arrange meetings, appointments, attendance at conferences and general co-ordination of diaries, calendar and tasks lists for officers within the Education Welfare Service as required;
2.4 Manage and review data including contributing to quality assurance processes to improve data quality for the service and co-ordinating data responses as required by Regional Support Manager and Assistant Head of Education Welfare Service.
2.5 Word process correspondence, reports, court papers, agendas and minutes, and design leaflets, booklets, presentations etc using a variety of software packages
3. Education Welfare Service
3.1 Act as Personal Assistant to Assistant Head of Education Welfare Service in area and provide a confidential and sensitive secretarial service to a team of Education Welfare staff, which includes drafting correspondence, screening mail and telephone calls, receiving visitors, providing statistical returns and maintaining diaries for officers.
3.2 Create and design databases, spreadsheets, forms, presentations, leaflets, booklets etc for the Education Welfare Service using a variety of software packages.
3.3 Prepare and distribute correspondence for staff meetings.
3.4 Arrange attendance for EWS staff at relevant courses as directed by the Assistant Head of Education Welfare Service and maintain a staff development record for all Education Welfare staff.
3.5 Deal with queries and provide general advice and guidance to colleagues, other Departments, parents, school staff, professional staff and outside agencies, and engage in follow up action where appropriate.
3.6 Arrange meetings as required and taking and drafting minutes.
3.7 Manage, monitor and advise officers on budget areas within the Education Welfare budget including project/initiatives;
3.8 Ensure a confidential service is provided to officers when dealing with information of a sensitive nature;
3.9 Assist in the establishment of policies, procedures and guidelines to ensure that the quality of administrative support delivered within teams is maintained at a consistently high level;
3.10 Ensure that individual administrative assistance carried out by the team to officers is of the highest quality standard.
3.11 Complete timesheets on Oracle for EWS staff in area.
4. Invoicing Systems
4.1 Receive, receipt and account for all purchases and payments.
4.2 Prepare and process requisitions, invoices/vouchers for Assistant Head of Education Welfare Service’s approval and payment.
5. Reception, Secretarial and Secretariat
5.1 Provide ICT administration, voicemail, filing and photocopying in support of administrative processes including the use of E-mail, intranet and internet facilities;
5.2 Research, collate and prepare information in order to brief officers prior to meetings;
5.3 Sort, screen and distribute all mail;
5.4 Maintain and update manual and computerised filing systems and ensure archiving is carried out on a regular basis.
6. Other Duties
6.1 Other duties which may be commensurate with the grade of the post.
This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.
To view the summary of terms and conditions for this post, click here.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
| NOTES TO JOB APPLICANTS |
1. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
2. You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
3. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
4. Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
5. Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
6. In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form on how you meet any desirable criteria. |
Section 1 - Essential Criteria
The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
| Factor | Essential Criteria | Method of Assessment |
| Qualifications/ Experience | Hold an NVQ Level 3, BTEC National or 2 'A' levels or equivalent or higher examination qualifications and have two year’s demonstrable administrative/clerical experience in an office environment including word processing and the practical use of computers (which includes spreadsheets, databases etc). OR Have five years’ demonstrable administrative/clerical experience in an office environment including word processing and the practical use of computers (which includes spreadsheets, databases etc). |
Shortlisting by Application Form
|
Section 2 - Essential Criteria
The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage in line with EA’s Game Changing People Model.
| Factor | Essential Criteria | Method of Assessment |
| Skills/ Abilities | In line with EA’s Game Changing People Model we will look for evidence of: Good organisational skills and ability to organise a busy workload to deliver effective results on time Flexible and adaptable approach to work Ability to communicate and work effectively with others as part of a team Ability to use own initiative to solve problems and respond to others Ability to work to a high level of accuracy and attention to detail Excellent ICT skills Ability to research, digest, analyse and present information clearly |
Interview
|
| Knowledge | Evidence of knowledge of: The functions of the Education Authority EA policies and procedures |
Interview
|
| Values Orientation | Evidence of how your experience and approach to work reflect EA’s ethos and values. You will find information about our Values here. |
Interview
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Section 3 - Desirable Criteria
Some or all of the desirable criteria may be applied by the Selection Panel in order to determine a manageable pool of candidates. Desirable criteria will be applied in the order listed. You should make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet the desirable criteria, as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
| Factor | Desirable Criteria | Method of Assessment |
| Experience | Demonstrable experience in managing correspondence. Demonstrable experience of taking notes at meetings and creating minutes or action logs. Demonstrable experience in the use of MRI Education (Capita). |
Shortlisting by Application Form
|
Our Values
Through the selection process we will also seek evidence that the personal values of candidates align with those of the EA. This will include evidence of commitment to equality and excellence in service delivery. These reflect our aim which is to meet the needs of all our children and young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.
DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.
In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.
Further information can be accessed at NI Direct or the Department of Justice.
To view the applicant guidance notes, please click here.
To learn about the many great benefits of joining the Education Authority, click here
The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.
Other facts
About Education Authority Northern Ireland
The Education Authority (EA) was created on 01 April 2015 as a new organisation responsible to the Department of Education (DE) for the delivery of education services to schools and youth centres across Northern Ireland.
The work we do impacts the lives of tens of thousands of children, young people and their families every day. The services we provide are essential in supporting, encouraging and facilitating learning within our communities to develop generations of young people who are equipped to succeed in life and work in the modern world.
As a public sector organisation, we must continue to deliver these vital services in a challenging environment of increasing financial pressure and under intense public scrutiny.
EA is at the beginning of an exciting journey of organisational transformation and modernisation. Emerging from the five Education and Library Boards (ELBs) our aim is to build a new organisation which is focused on meeting the needs of all our young people equally, removing barriers to learning and ensuring equality of access to excellent education services so that every child can develop to his or her full potential.
What you'll do
- The Executive Officer will provide administrative, clerical, and secretarial support to the Education Welfare Service, managing staff and ensuring effective service delivery. Responsibilities include supervising staff, managing data, and coordinating meetings and correspondence.
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