Improvement Officer

Job Title: Improvement Officer
Starting Salary: £33,366 progressing to £36,124 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Location: Stevenage
Contract Type: Fixed Term End Date/Secondment
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

We are actively recruiting for an Improvement Officer within the Children's Services Improvement Team. The post holder will support a range of projects delivering efficiency, innovation, improved performance and good practice across children's social care.

About the role

• To provide support to various projects within the Improvement team by helping to prepare project documentation and monitor and report progress against key dates and milestones.
• Undertake research and analyse information and data to produce reports.
• Provide logistics support during Inspections.
• Work closely with services & the L&D team to plan, prepare and implement the annual onboarding of frontline practitioner cohorts.
• Plan, prepare and present information at workshops and briefings to a variety of audiences both internal and external. Support and assist with managing change aspects of projects.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure issues are regularly monitored and resolved and provide solutions or escalations where necessary.
• Ensure that key dates and milestones are achieved.

About you

Essential:

• Ability to communicate effectively with both internal staff and partners demonstrating excellent interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrates effective organisational skills and prioritises activities to meet tight deadlines.
• Demonstrates clear and concise communication skills, proven to meet differing audience's needs.
• Positive approach to solving problems creatively.
• Ability to challenge and suggest innovative solutions.
• An ability to develop good working relationships with internal colleagues as well as external partners and stakeholders is vital to ensure that project work is delivered on time and to specification.
• There are no specific qualifications required for this job although

Desirable:

• Experience in project work and an understanding of Children's Services would be beneficial.

We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

This job role is within the Corporate Services, level CORP9 job profile. Please locate this via: Job profiles - Corporate services

This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to develop into project work or management.

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Joanna.Hunt1@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 21.05.2025

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

Secondment
This position is open to secondments. If you work for HCC or any other Local Authority and would like to be considered as a Secondment contract, please ensure you complete the Secondment Form as part of your application. If you do not, your application will be considered as a Fixed Term Contract only.

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.