Foster Parent Pay Officer - Part Time

Location: Office Based - Bromsgrove Head Office

Salary: £14,547.90 Pro Rata Per Annum (£22,630 FTE)

Contract: Part-time permanent, 22.5 hours per week

Benefits: 30 days Annual Leave (rising to 35 days with length of service) pro rata + Bank Holidays, Company Pension, Life Assurance x2, Employee Discount Scheme & Free Parking

About Us

We are Polaris, one of the UK's largest leading communities of children's service providers. Within the community, we have independent fostering and adoption agencies who have been passionately improving the lives of young people for over 30 years, as well as Leaving Care services, Education and bespoke children's services contracts. Our nurturing community works collectively to support the very best outcomes for each and every child in our care. We're ambitious for our children and young people, families and staff, and believe in their futures.

Role Details

The role reports to the Foster Parent Pay Manager and will be required to provide assistance to all foster parents by delivering an efficient, courteous and professional service when processing foster parent expenses and variable payments as well as reviewing foster parent payments against existing protocols and Local Authority frameworks. The scope of the role includes:

• Processing and updating expense and variable pay claims to ensure a smooth foster parent pay process
• To review all types of foster parent payments against existing protocols and Local Authority frameworks
• Ensuring incoming claims are correctly authorised for payment
• Query claims with colleagues where required
• Identifying rechargeable payments in line with company procedures
• Ensuring all rechargeable expense claims have the appropriate authorisation from the Local Authority
• Raising all credit slips for rechargeable expenses for the Credit Control Team
• Collating any incidents of incorrect / inaccurate recordings
• Providing feedback on foster parent payments to regions
• Dealing with enquiries from foster parents and regional offices in a polite and professional manner, in both verbal and written form, as required
• Support maintenance of good business relationships with Local Authorities
• To support and maintain good relationships with other Polaris colleagues nationally
• To assist in preparation, and checking of annual foster parent statements
• To undertake such tasks as may from time to time be assigned by the foster parent Pay Manager and/or Finance Director
• To continually strive for improvement and increased efficiency
• To, at all times, uphold the positive professional image of Polaris
• Maintain strict confidentiality in relation to the work undertaken
• To attend and participate in team meetings, briefings, training courses, supervision sessions, punctually and well prepared, as appropriate and when required

Additional Duties

• To undertake such other duties as may from time to time be required to ensure the effective and efficient operation of Polaris
• The post holder will be expected to undertake training and development deemed necessary for the pursuance of the post
• The post holder will be expected to ensure that Health and Safety is observed in the course of employment
• The post holder will be expected to ensure to comply with Equal Opportunities Policy and Procedure in all employment practices
• The post holder will be expected to comply with the no smoking policy in place
• The post holder will be expected to demonstrate that the Company Values are at the centre of all they do
• The post holder will be expected to reach a minimum basic standard of I.T. competence to be able to use Company electronic systems effectively
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding procedures, throughout all work within the Company, keeping the relevant Senior Manager informed of work in progress and inform the relevant Senior Manager immediately of any child protection matter or serious complaint

For more information about the role, please contact Rachael Jenkins, Foster Parent Pay Manager on 01527 556480. To be considered for this position, please do apply. We are a family of independent fostering agencies, all with our own individual areas of expertise, but with one shared vision. We want to give children across the country who have had a difficult start in life, the support they need to build themselves a stronger and happier future. For our Foster Parents, we provide a close network of support that becomes like a second family. No agencies please. Polaris is an equal opportunities employer and has been awarded the disability confident employer by the jobcentre plus. The successful applicant will be subject to a DBS check at enhanced level if successful for the position.