Project Support Officer - Social Care - 12 month FTC

Fixed Term - 12 months duration, Full Time - 37 Hours Per Week. £25,388 to £29,869 Per Annum. Location: Chelmsford. Closing Date: Sunday 16th March 2025 at 11.59pm. A supporting statement/information, when prompted in the application process, is essential. All applications without a supporting statement/information will be declined. Please note that this is a Fixed Term Contract/Secondment opportunity for a period of 12 months. Interview date: 27th March 2025.

This role is based in the Essex Social Care Academy Children & Families team. It provides an opportunity to support events, coordinate communications and marketing, engage with the workforce and support the leads on workstream areas. It is a varied role in a stable team known for high quality support. The position requires the successful candidates to be able to attend the office in Chelmsford, or any other office or venue as required, 3 days per week, with the remainder of your time being remote/home based if desired.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us having received our 2nd Outstanding Ofsted rating in a row. Essex County Council (ECC) is achieving transformational change across Adult Social Care and Children and Families Services, underpinned by delivery of high-quality practice and a culture of collaboration, integrity, and compassion.

Development of a professional, knowledgeable, and skilled workforce is central to achieving practice improvement and driving change; delivered by a joint Essex Social Care Academy (ESCA) service which meets the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) needs of both professional areas. The ESCA Workforce Development Officer covers a diverse range of activities to support the delivery of a project or programme's objectives. The role is key to the effective and efficient operation of all projects/programmes, supporting the Team Manager or Workforce Development Lead with day-to-day project management and/or commissioning of a high quality CPD offer to both workforces.

The ESCA Workforce Development Officer will be able to engage with, negotiate and influence a diverse group of individuals at all levels. This role will offer development, by building knowledge of the project management function and evidencing an innovative approach. The role requires a good understanding of adult learning theories and evidence of delivery and development of workforce projects and initiatives that support workforce strategies.

• Support the development and commission a range of blended learning and training opportunities, tailored to the individual needs of staff groups in line with Continuing Professional Development programmes.
• Implement processes to ensure the commissioning of training providers support excellence in practice, represent value for money, work to agreed standards and include safeguarding practices.
• Work collaboratively with external operational partner/stakeholders to deliver projects/programmes.
• Contribute to and measure the impact of training and training transfer, on improving outcomes and developments in practice across social care; regularly monitoring, reflecting, and reviewing to ensure continued progress.
• Produce project/programme reports to update on progress.
• Undertake financial monitoring and budgetary review of programmes/projects of work on behalf of the ESCA Development Manager.
• Responsible for monitoring project spend and contributing to the compilation of budget updates.
• Responsible for providing all project management support including file management, organising boards and meetings, responses to external requests for information and engaging with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Responsible for managing the projects' risk and issue logs, helping to identify ongoing risks/issues, escalating and tracking progress to ensure resolution.
• Contribute to the further development of the Social Care Academy to support the improvement of performance and service delivery, promoting best practice.
• Support the ESCA Management/ESCA Workforce Development Leads by developing and maintaining appropriate systems to ensure effective planning and scheduling of projects.

Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

• Educated to RQF Level 3 (A Level) or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Experience and evidence of working in a project/programme coordination role in a large, complex organisation.
• Curious and inspired to work in an agile environment where you can learn and develop.

• Experience of engaging with others to build good working relationships and communicating effectively in order to achieve the right outcomes/progress for the project(s) and/or programmes.
• Experience of working with a broad range of individuals at different levels within an organisation, with strong team working skills and ability to engage/persuade to maintain project/programmes progress.
• Experience of working within a large, complex political environment with knowledge of a public sector setting.
• Evidence of adopting a structured and planned approach.

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.