Business Support Officer

Communications & Finance, Governance and Communications support

Reports to: Operations Manager

Contract Hours: 25 hours (5 hours per day, Monday to Friday). Occasional additional hours may be required outside of office hours and weekends to meet the needs.

About Gloucestershire Nightstop: Gloucestershire Nightstop provides emergency accommodation and support for young people aged 16–25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness across Gloucestershire. Young people are placed on a night‑by‑night basis in the homes of trained and vetted volunteer hosts.

Our vision: To see the end of youth homelessness in Gloucestershire and to work towards a future where all young people can live fulfilled and independent lives.

Our mission: To champion young people aged 16–25 who are homeless or at risk of homelessness by providing safe, supportive, and stable accommodation alongside early intervention to prevent homelessness.

Job Purpose: The Business Support Officer – Finance, Governance & Communications support plays a vital role in ensuring the charity operates safely, compliantly, and sustainably. The postholder will provide essential finance and governance support to protect the organisation’s statutory, regulatory, and funding obligations. In addition, the role will support organisational visibility and sustainability through coordination of events, awareness raising activity, and delivery of planned communications and social media content aligned to strategic priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Finance & Governance Support (Primary Responsibility)

• Finance Support: Support accurate recording and reconciliation of income including grants, donations, fundraising income, and statutory funding. Assist with correct allocation of income and expenditure to restricted and unrestricted funds. Support grant‑funded project monitoring, including maintaining clear audit trails and assisting with financial claims and reports. Assist with processing invoices, staff and volunteer expenses, and payment runs in line with financial policies and authorisation procedures. Maintain orderly digital and physical financial records to support audits, funder monitoring, and year‑end processes. Support Gift Aid administration and record‑keeping as required.
• Governance Support: Maintain the organisation’s governance calendar, including Board meetings, policy review schedules, and compliance deadlines. Prepare, collate, and circulate Board and committee papers in a timely manner. Attend Board and committee meetings as requested, taking accurate minutes and maintaining action logs. Maintain a complete and up‑to‑date policy register, supporting policy review and approval processes. Support trustee recruitment, onboarding, declarations, and compliance documentation. Maintain secure and well‑organised governance records including minutes, policies, and statutory documents as requested. Assist with organisational governance tasks such as annual returns, risk register updates, and compliance reporting.

• Respond to incoming enquiries from stakeholders and the public in a professional and timely manner. Maintain organised administrative systems and filing structures to support effective service delivery. Support management team with coordination of operational and organisational leadership tasks. Liaise with internal teams and external stakeholders to support agreed activities and deadlines. Provide general administrative support across the organisation as requested by management team.

• Communications & Social Media: Deliver planned social media activity in line with organisational priorities and agreed communications plans. Create and schedule basic branded content using templates and tools such as Canva. Share service updates, impact stories, key campaigns, and partnership activity. Monitor engagement and provide headline metrics to support learning and improvement. Ensure all communications comply with organisational policies, safeguarding requirements, and data protection legislation.
• Events & Awareness Raising: Provide administrative and coordination support for agreed fundraising, awareness, and engagement events. Work alongside volunteers as requested and required. Manage event listings and updates on the website and relevant platforms. Support logistics, bookings, materials, and follow‑up activity for events. Assist with awareness‑raising activities linked to funding, partnerships, and volunteer recruitment.

General Responsibilities:

• Policy & Administration: Maintain accurate records required for the safe and effective running of the organisation. Comply with data protection legislation and organisational policies.
• Health & Safety: Follow Health & Safety, lone working, and quality assurance procedures. Report any concerns in line with organisational policy.
• Safeguarding: Comply with Gloucestershire Nightstop’s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults policy. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility; concerns must be reported promptly in line with procedures.
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of work.

Additional Duties: The work of Gloucestershire Nightstop is varied and may change in response to service needs. The postholder is expected to be flexible and undertake reasonable additional duties aligned with the nature of the role. If additional duties become a regular part of the role, the job description will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder. Attendance at outreach events and providing transport to young people may be required on an occasional basis. Training and support will be provided.

Person Specification:

• Essential Experience & Skills: Experience providing finance, governance, or compliance‑related administrative support. Strong organisational skills with excellent attention to detail. Ability to manage confidential information appropriately. Experience supporting meetings, preparing papers, or taking minutes. Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines. Competent IT skills including Microsoft Office and digital systems. Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. Experience working in a charity or nonprofit organisation. Experience supporting grant‑funded projects or audits. Familiarity with accounting or finance systems. Experience supporting events or social media activity.
• Personal Attributes: Trustworthy with high ethical standards. Calm, reliable, and flexible in a changing environment. Proactive and solution‑focused.
• Other Requirements: Access to a car with a full driving licence and business insurance. Willingness to work flexibly, including occasional additional hours.