Childcare Sufficiency & Business Support Officer

In Tower Hamlets we are committed to building relationships and strengthening families by working with people in a compassionate and understanding way. We are ambitious for Tower Hamlets children and families and endeavour for every child and young person to be healthy, safe, and successful. Tower Hamlets is a progressive, ambitious, and diverse place to work. We place children and families at the heart of everything that we do and are relentless in our pursuit of positive outcomes for all.

Our Better Together Practice Framework is based on the ideas and concepts which underpin Restorative Practice and draws from other strength-based approaches, such as Systemic and Trauma Informed Practice. Our C-Change approach: Connect, Curious, Community, Co-Produce, Collaborate, Check, sets out “6 Cs” for our work with children, young people their parents and carers, and each other.

Over the last two years we have seen over 3000 asylum seekers and refugees move into the borough. The team created to support these sanctuary seekers is called the Resettlement & Migration team (RMT), we are looking to recruit a Childcare Sufficiency & Business Support Officer (CSBSO) to join the team on a fixed term contract for one year. The team offer wrap around support to all sanctuary seekers in Tower Hamlets including Ukrainian and Afghan refugees and asylum seekers and receive government grants to do so. The Resettlement & Migration Team lead by example, challenging discrimination, racism and inequality through an inclusive, informed and empowering approach for all residents.

This role will require you to deliver high level customer care when dealing with reception and telephone calls from Sanctuary Seekers to the Centre/Family Hub. The CSBS Officer will be required:

• Carrying out daily administrative duties enabling the smooth running of the services to families
• Undertake reception duties and act as a first point of contact for Sanctuary Seekers in the Centre/Family Hub
• To manage the room booking system, liaising with internal and external partners
• Be the nominated first aider and fire marshal
• To assist in the monitoring of expenditure against budget headings and report any variances across all cost centres
• Supporting the Resettlement & Migration team to achieve their integration objectives.
• Work with the RMT to facilitate events and workshops for sanctuary seekers.
• Work with the RMT to produce information sheets and guidance document that can be shared with the community.

This role is in-person every day at Children and Family Centres - hybrid working is not available. This role is not based at the Town Hall.

Ideally a relevant Level 2 qualification or relevant professional experience. Experience of face-to-face interaction with sanctuary seekers or service users. You will have well-developed ICT skills, specifically with regards to Microsoft Word & Excel, and some design-based packages. Have the ability to develop effective partnerships within the Council, with private sector and other external agencies - both statutory and voluntary. The ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing to an excellent standard, giving advice and information sensitively and persuasively.

Our Benefits:

• Competitive salary £39,807 - £41,637, Grade G
• Local Government Pension Scheme membership.
• Generous annual leave: 29 days, rising to 33 with 5+ years’ service, plus bank holidays and 3 additional days at Christmas.
• Staff money-saving schemes (e.g., rent deposit loans, season ticket loans).
• Learning and development opportunities through our Learning Academy, with clear career development and leadership pathways.

Tower Hamlets vision for our borough is that: people are aspirational, independent and have equal access to opportunities; we are a borough that our residents are proud of and love to live in; and we are a dynamic, outcomes-based council using digital innovation and partnership working to respond to the changing needs of our borough. We want people who aspire to our TOWER values: Together; Open; Willing; Excellent; Respect.

Tower Hamlets has a zero-tolerance approach to, and works to eradicate, all forms of discrimination on the basis of race, sex, disability, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital status, status as a civil partner, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and maternity and looks to employ a diverse workforce representative of those groups. We recognise that people can also be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class.

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the post are guaranteed an interview. Care experience has also been adopted by the Council as an additional protected characteristic.

Tower Hamlets is a truly unique borough at the heart of London – a place where history and innovation sit side by side. From the docks and markets that shaped the East End to the global business hub of Canary Wharf, we are proud to be one of the most dynamic, diverse, and ambitious communities in the UK. We are also one of the fastest growing and youngest boroughs in the country, offering unrivalled opportunities to make a real difference to people’s lives. Our residents are energetic, creative, and resilient, and our council is committed to delivering the best possible services and opportunities for them.

Our award-winning new Town Hall in Whitechapel provides a modern, flexible workplace for our staff, right at the heart of the borough and directly opposite Whitechapel Tube and Elizabeth line station. It is more than just a workplace – it’s a hub for collaboration, innovation and community, designed to bring out the best in our people. As an employer, we put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of everything we do. Our active Employee Network Groups celebrate and champion our workforce, helping to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging. Guided by our TOWER values – Together, Open, Willing, Excellent and Respect – we are building a positive, inclusive culture where colleagues can thrive. At Tower Hamlets Council, you’ll find exciting challenges, supportive colleagues, and the chance to shape one of London’s most important and vibrant places. If you’re looking for a role where you can see the impact of your work every day, then Tower Hamlets is the place for you.