Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Student Services Officer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children’s Services |
Service |
Student Services |
Business unit |
Student Services |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Senior Officer, Schools Services |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Senior Officer, Schools Services |
Salary grade |
E |
JE ref |
CS59 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To deliver a range of student services which include assessing eligibility for services against published guidelines, the financial aspects of transport provision such as the raising of orders and payment of invoices and supporting the school admissions and school transport processes.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- To ensure that pupils are correctly assessed for eligibility for free school meals, early years pupil premium and school travel assistance on grounds for distance or extended rights.
- To make appropriate transport arrangements for children and young people requiring door-to-door transport and to respond to immediate needs and incidents.
- To effectively support admission officers in the timely and accurate delivery of all aspects of the admission processes for reception, secondary transfer and in year applications.
- To ensure prompt raising of orders and payment of invoices.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
- To provide advice and support to colleagues, schools, external agencies and members of the public.
- To assess eligibility for early years pupil premium, process applications for free school meals including universal Key Stage 1 meals and eligibility through qualifying benefits.
- To assess eligibility for school transport on distance, unsafe walking routes and extended rights working with transport officers to put door to door transport in place and issue bus passes.
- To assist in the preparation of information to senior officers as part of the appeal processes.
- To process DBS checks.
- To find escort cover, communicate directly with escorts and operators and provide immediate responses to daily transport issues on a rota basis.
- To distribute any necessary equipment to operators e.g. harnesses and car seats whilst following the audit process for any equipment handed out
- To assist in the preparation of letters, leaflets etc. to be mailed to parents, carers and others.
- To be responsible for the recording of home to school contracts on the contracts & finance spreadsheet, reporting to the Transport Manager when routes are due to expire.
- To raise orders, ensure prompt payment of invoices raised on FIMS (Torbay Council Finance System) and set up any new suppliers on the system.
- To set up fuel allowances for parents and obtain student attendance figures to calculate termly payments.
- To process single payments vouchers and assist with other financial aspects of transport provision including end of year process for transport provision.
- To receive admission applications, enter data on to the council’s electronic system and to send them to schools for consideration.
- To assist admission officers with enquiries regarding the progress of applications e.g. contacting schools for responses and start dates, issuing offer letters.
- To process applications for reception and entry to Year 7 (‘main round’ applications) in accordance with Torbay Council’s co-ordinated schemes.
- To undertake initial stages of the address verification process for admission applications.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
- Ensuring the prompt and correct payment to operators.
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- Normal working environment.
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
- Capita One System.
- MapInfo.
- FIMS.
- Liquid Logic (read only).
9. Key contacts and relationships
External
- Parents, carers, members of the public and other service users.
- Staff in schools and colleges.
Internal
- Colleagues in Children’s Services and other directorates.
10. Other duties
- All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
- The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Childrens Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
- This post is office based at Electric House but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
- As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
- If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
- If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
- If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
Other Information
N/A
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Student Services Officer |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children’s Services |
Service |
Student Services |
Business unit |
Student Services |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – ability to convey information accurately, tact, diplomacy and the ability to deal with a range of customers with differing needs and abilities.
- Ability to cope with a wide range of tasks within a short time scale and work to deadlines.
- Effective numeracy skills.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as a team member.
- Thorough, organised and methodical approach to work.
- Effective organisational skills.
- Well developed ICT skills.
- Enthusiasm and resilience.
- Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
- Understanding of the functions and services provided by the Local Authority, in particular the admissions processes for primary and secondary schools and the entitlement to and provision of home to school travel assistance
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Basic knowledge of schools/types and functions.
Desirable knowledge
- Knowledge of software such as Capita ONE.
- Working knowledge/understanding of the admission process.
- Working knowledge/understanding of home to school transport processes.
- Knowledge of Council financial systems such as FIMS.
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Experience of working within a team.
- Experience of working in a busy office using a range of administration procedures.
- Experience of dealing with a range of enquiries both on the telephone and face to face.
- Experience of working with a range of IT software including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Internet Explorer.
- Experience in the manipulation of electronic databases.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Experience of school systems and procedures.
- Experience of using Capita One and FIMS.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- 4 GCSEs grades 5-9 including Maths and English or equivalent.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
- European Computer Driving Licence or equivalent.
- Customer Care Qualification.
- 2 A levels or equivalent.
- Qualification in Finance / Accounting.
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.