Senior Independence and Wellbeing Advisor in Ipswich

Suffolk County Council is offering a Senior Independence and Wellbeing Advisor position in the Customer First team, located at Endeavour House, Ipswich, Suffolk, Russell Road, IP1 2BX (onsite). The role is permanent with 37 hours per week and a salary of £28,598 per annum (pro rata for part time).

When you join the Customer First team as a Senior Independence and Wellbeing Advisor, you'll support your development from the start, build an influential and impactful career, and play a key role in the day‑to‑day operation of the contact centre. You will provide expert guidance to colleagues and ensure an efficient, customer‑focused service.

Key responsibilities:

• Act as an expert point of contact within the team, supporting colleagues with complex enquiries and providing accurate, timely advice.
• Take daily operational responsibility for the contact centre, ensuring adequate coverage across calls, webchat, portals and administrative tasks.
• Coach and mentor new and existing colleagues on relevant policies, processes and best practice, and support the identification of development needs.
• Provide regular, proactive floor walking and feedback to Independence and Wellbeing Advisors to ensure high standards of customer service and quality.
• Act as duty floor worker when required, responding swiftly to minute‑by‑minute operational demands, proactively managing call and workflow volumes and escalating issues to the Team Manager where necessary.
• Resolve complex or escalated customer enquiries, identifying solutions that are effective and mutually beneficial.
• Manage incoming work within the Customer First inbox, triage and allocate tasks appropriately to ensure timely responses.
• Contribute creative and innovative ideas to manage periods of high demand and improve service delivery.

There is a supervisory element to the role, with responsibility for coaching and mentoring colleagues, overseeing specific areas of work, acting as an escalation point for customer enquiries and supporting staff to manage challenges when handling complex or sensitive contacts. You will work closely with colleagues across Children and Young People Services (CYP) and Adult Social Care (ASC) to ensure that customer service activity aligns with organisational priorities, business objectives and cultural values.

What you will need:

• The ability to communicate clearly, confidently and tactfully with managers, colleagues and customers.
• Strong listening and questioning skills to gather accurate information and resolve enquiries effectively.
• An open and collaborative communication style.
• Flexibility and adaptability, with a positive approach to change and new ways of working.
• Resilience and the ability to remain calm when dealing with challenging or confrontational situations.
• Excellent organisational and time‑management skills, with the ability to prioritise a varied workload.
• A clear commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 20 May 2026. This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

Benefits:

• Up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days.
• Membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits.
• Performance‑related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost‑of‑living pay increase.
• Training and encouragement to expand your knowledge.
• A variety of career development opportunities across the organisation.
• Diverse and active staff networks.
• Flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day.