Policy Support Officer - Expiring soon!
Posted 12/07/2024 by Greater London Authority (GLA)
Communities and Social Policy Unit
We are a collaborative, motivated and friendly Unit of around sixty people. We have four teams within the Unit: Community Engagement, Equalities, Financial Hardship and Migration.
Together, we are responsible for:
• Helping ensure all Londoners can thrive irrespective of their background and immigration status.
• Helping Londoners to access the support they need to avoid or escape financial hardship.
• Helping increase civic participation, especially among underrepresented groups, so that Londoners have the voice, power, and influence that they need to thrive.
• Delivering the Mayor’s statutory equalities duties and helping to address structural inequalities.
• Tackling labour market inequalities and increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups in the labour market.
We are recruiting for multiple roles, you’ll either be working within the Migration Team or working across the Migration and Financial Hardship teams to provide support. You will be a key team member, acting as a first point of contact for Mayoral correspondence, coordinating events, drafting policy briefings, supporting project management and ensuring robust reporting to help ensure that both teams are able to deliver positive results for Londoners.
The Migration team’s work includes overseeing the most senior Board on Migration in London – the London Strategic Migration Partnership – and delivering on a business plan that ensures the success of refugee resettlement in London and provides strategic oversight and guidance for the operation of accommodation and support contracts for people seeking asylum. The team also delivers a programme of welcome and integration for new arrivals from Hong Kong, work has including support to London’s local authorities, grant funding to Hong Kong voluntary sector organisations and mental health support. The team also oversee the Migrant Londoners Hub and deliver on a range of policy and projects that support migrants in London to thrive.
The Financial Hardship team works to ensure that Londoners have access to the support they need to avoid or escape financial hardship. Over the past two years the team’s work has had real impact for Londoners, forging and overseeing partnerships that have helped Londoners to access support worth more than £30 million, whilst also delivering more than 10 million meals to households on low-incomes. The team also maintains and promotes the Mayor’s Cost of Living Hub, to help Londoners across the city to understand the support available to them.
Principal accountabilities
1. Provide comprehensive administrative and project support to the initiatives of the Migration and Financial Hardship teams.
2. Co-ordinate activities and events including supporting the team with administration, delivery and reporting.
3. Act as first point of contact for Mayoral correspondence that is allocated to the team, draft responses, ensure that letters are replied to within the GLA's timeframe, and keep records.
4. Manage the planning and organisation of events, meetings, seminars, conferences and workshops for the team, including co-ordinating and drafting relevant briefings for the mayor, deputy mayor or senior managers.
5. Support the team in its project work, including co-ordinating decision documents, updating web pages, managing the process for awarding grants and maintaining data spreadsheets for project-related work.
6. Develop and maintain systems and procedures for the provision of accurate records, including championing office 365, supporting new starters, filing and disseminating information on behalf of the team.
7. Co-ordinate responses to requests for information including for mayoral reports and briefings
8. Realise the benefits of London's diversity by promoting and enabling equality of opportunities and promoting the diverse needs and aspirations of London's communities.
9. Manage staff and resources allocated to the job in accordance with the Authority's policies and Code of Ethics and Standard.
10. Realise the benefits of a flexible approach to work in undertaking the duties and responsibilities of this job, and participating in multi-disciplinary, cross-department and cross-organisational groups and project teams
Person specification
Technical requirements/experience/qualifications
1. Experience of successfully managing and delivering an administrative support function and undertaking a range of tasks related to this function, including proactively managing and delivering a personal administrative/support function to a manager and maintaining confidentiality.
2. Ability to represent the manager and team to others in an effective and high-quality manner.
3. A good level of expertise in the operation of standard office information and communication technology applications, including e-mail, internet, word processing and spreadsheets.
4. Understanding of (and commitment to) how the GLA's aims to take a strategic lead in combating discrimination and promoting the equality of opportunities can be supported in this role.
Behavioural Competencies
Stakeholder Focus
... is consulting with, listening to and understanding the needs of those our work impacts and using this knowledge to shape what we do and manage others' expectations.
Level 1 indicators of effective performance
• Listens to understand requirements without making assumptions
• Demonstrates an enthusiastic and 'can do attitude' to all requests
• Provides timely, accurate and personalised responses
• Provides a polite and helpful first point of contact for stakeholders
• Learns from feedback to improve personal service to others
Managing and Developing Performance
... is setting high standards for oneself and others, guiding, motivating and developing them, to achieve high performance and meet the GLA's objectives and statutory obligations.
Level 1 indicators of effective performance
• Keeps up to date with new processes and information in own role
• Seeks opportunities to develop, taking responsibility for own personal development plan
• Takes a methodical and consistent approach to completing work in line with personal objectives
• Seeks clarity on objectives, ensuring a good understanding of expectations
• Openly shares constructive feedback, supporting the delivery of own and others' work
Planning and Organising
... is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard.
Level 2 indicators of effective performance
• Prioritises work in line with key team or project deliverables
• Makes contingency plans to account for changing work priorities, deadlines and milestones
• Identifies and consults with sponsors or stakeholders in planning work
• Pays close attention to detail, ensuring team's work is delivered to a high standard
• Negotiates realistic timescales for work delivery, ensuring team deliverables can be met
Problem Solving
... is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions.
Level 1 indicators of effective performance
• Breaks down work issues, seeking further information if necessary
• Provides workable solutions to solve immediate work problems
• Makes suggestions and implements improvements to personal work processes
• Actively supports new initiatives and tries different ways of doing things
• Learns from others' experiences
Responding to Pressure and Change
...... is being flexible and adapting positively, to sustain performance when the situation changes, workload increases, tensions rise or priorities shift.
Level 1 indicators of effective performance
• Stays calm in pressurised and demanding situations
• Responds flexibly to changing circumstances
• Recognises when unable to cope and asks others for help
• Demonstrates openness to changing work priorities and deadlines
• Maintains personal well-being and achieves a balance between work and home life
The GLA Competency Framework Guidelines further detailing each competency and the different level indicators can be found here: GLA competency framework.
This role is based at London Fire Brigade’s Head Office (Union Street SE1 0LL)
GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.
Application Process & Additional Information
Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role.
If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:
• Up to date CV
• Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria outlined above in the advert.
Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement have a maximum file size of 1.5MB each and upload your Personal Statement to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form, ensuring you address the technical requirements and competencies in your Personal Statement.
Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. Please ensure your CV and Personal Statement are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g. “CV – applicant name - (phone number removed)).
Applications submitted without a Personal Statement will not be considered.
London's diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.
We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share.
In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.
On this recruitment campaign, as part of GLA’s continuing commitment to be an inclusive and equal opportunity employer we will be removing personal identifiable information from CVs and Personal Statements that could cause discrimination.
Reasonable adjustment will be made to working arrangements to accommodate a person with a disability who otherwise would be prevented from undertaking the work.
- Type:
- Permanent
- Contract Length:
- N/A
- Contact Name:
- Login or register to view
- Job Reference:
- 046265
- Job ID:
- 221995825
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