Hybrid Senior Business Support Lead – Safeguarding

Are you an organised and proactive leader with a passion for supporting vital services? We are looking for a Business Support Lead to join our Children’s Safeguarding Team, providing high-quality support that makes a real difference. The Safeguarding, Professional Standards, Quality Assurance Unit (SGPSQA) plays a vital role in ensuring that children and young people in Kent receive safe, high-quality care and support. Its core purpose is to drive best practice, uphold professional standards, and provide a robust quality assurance framework across the Children, Young People and Education directorate.

The service:

• Safeguards children and young people by promoting welfare and protecting them from harm, ensuring compliance with national statutory requirements.
• Oversees quality assurance activities, including audits, performance reviews, and thematic analysis, to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
• Leads on policy, guidance, and practice development, fostering a learning culture that values equality, diversity, and dignity.
• Coordinates specialist functions such as Child Protection, Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO), Principal Social Worker, LADO Education Safeguarding Advisory Service (LESAS) and Practice Improvement Teams.
• Supports inspection readiness and continuous improvement, ensuring services remain responsive, effective, and aligned with the Families First model.

Through collaboration with practitioners, managers, and multi-agency partners, the SGPSQA Service ensures that safeguarding practice is consistent, transparent, and focused on achieving the best outcomes for children and families.

About the Role

As a Business Support Lead, you will:

• Supervise a team of Business Support Officers across various services within the unit, ensuring tasks are allocated effectively and performance is monitored.
• Manage day-to-day administrative functions, including scheduling, minute-taking for critical meetings, and maintaining accurate records.
• Oversee data handling processes, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations and supporting audit and quality assurance activities.
• Serve as a central point of contact for internal teams and external partners, facilitating clear and timely communication.
• Consistently evaluate team activities and system procedures to identify areas where enhancements can be made.
• Consider suitable changes and implement process improvements as needed, ensuring employees are appropriately trained and equipped with the required skills.
• Provide direct assistance to practitioners, team managers and the service manager, helping with workload management and operational priorities.

This is a varied and rewarding role that requires excellent organisational and communication skills, a calm and methodical approach, and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in supervision of staff and a strong administrative background.
• Excellent attention to detail and a sound understanding of data protection guidelines.
• Confident in minute taking and proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Power BI.
• Willingness to learn and use bespoke databases.
• The ability to work flexibly, travel when required, and maintain a positive, professional manner under pressure is essential.

This is a hybrid role, with opportunity to work remotely, and an expectation to attend KCC offices to support practitioners where required.

Our Offer

• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing after 5 years’ service).
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance.
• Access to Kent Rewards, offering discounts and benefits.
• Ongoing training and development, including technology updates.
• Regular supervision and support from your line manager.

This post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service. This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements.

Ready to make a positive impact? Apply now and help us deliver exceptional support to a service that safeguards children and upholds professional standards.

This application may close early should several suitably qualified candidates apply.

About the Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.