Our aim is for everyone in the National Church Institutions (NCIs) to feel that they belong and are valued for who they are and what they contribute. Together, our people contribute in different ways towards our common purpose, whichever NCI they work in and whatever their background.
The National Safeguarding Team (NST) provides professional advice to the Church of England on matters of national policy as part of its wider transformation plan, which includes the development and implementation of national training, quality assurance and audit, and work with survivors. The NST also leads complex casework and supports dioceses in their safeguarding of children and adults.
This is a demanding role within a busy and pressurised environment to lead on the provision of high-quality business and office management support to the Safeguarding Director and National Safeguarding Team. The role is a key part of the NST Leadership Team, contributing to information sharing, future planning and problem solving. This post provides strong leadership and a role model for others within the team. The role ensures delivery of key business priorities, including effective line management and prioritisation of key projects within the administration team. This post also has responsibility for ensuring project management business support is available for high profile projects including Safe Spaces, National Casework management system, and the implementation of IICSA recommendations. This post has pivotal importance in providing high level admin support that enables and gives capacity to the safeguarding specialists within the team to carry out their roles. The post is also required to oversee induction of all staff into the team, refining business processes, responsible officer for correct financial authorisation processes and public facing response for safeguarding across the national Church and the NCI’s.
The main responsibilities for this role are:
- Direct leadership, review and management of the administration team including development of the team to the required standard.
- To lead on the coordination of NST leadership team meetings and to attend to report on key information and contribute to team planning.
- To oversee and manage a coherent administrative service to support the rapid growth of the NST and its projects and workstreams, including effective deployment of priorities and responsibilities of the team.
- Responsibility for the management of non-salary financial processes on behalf of the Director, liaising with key colleagues regarding office expenditure, informing the senior team of any issues, maintaining all budget documentation, and monitoring and reporting on expenditure periodically. Review, develop and streamline administrative processes such as invoice payment arrangements, as well as creating new processes to ensure efficient and accurate protocols including procurement are in place.
- To lead on reviewing and developing business systems, including creating new systems to support the needs of the whole of the NST, for example office systems and case work management systems.
- To have oversight of and manage the on-boarding of new team members including desk risk assessments as well as the appropriate processes for leavers, in liaison with the HRBP and senior management, to establish and maintain induction materials.
- Oversight of key NST meetings to ensure they are organised and facilitated appropriately, including communications with key stakeholders and any offsite visits or travel. Ensuring the admin team are creating minutes up to the required standard and papers are appropriately collated and distributed. Including internal team meetings and team-building events.
- To have oversight of the planning and co-ordination of national events led by the National Safeguarding Team e.g. diocesan safeguarding advisor days and the annual national Safeguarding conference.
- To work with other NCI departments, such as HR, IT Services, Office Services and Finance teams to ensure the NST is up to date with current NCI processes.
- To lead on the maintenance of the National Safeguarding webpage and portal, in liaison with the Communications Officer.
- To lead on ensuring the NST is GDPR compliant and managing processes in relation to data breaches.
- To hold responsibility for reviewing and sending out communications to the national church, governing bodies and other external parties as required on behalf of the Director and NST, in liaison with the Deputy Director of Communications.
- To effectively oversee the casework inboxes and duty telephone calls and quality assure the responses given by the administrative team as well as ensuring that the team are trained and well-equipped to receive disclosures of abuse.
- To lead on recruitment processes for the NST in liaison with the recruitment Business Partner and HR Business Partner and to be the point of contact for survivors who are part of an interview panel.
- To lead on the coordination and organisation of safeguarding governance groups such as the National Safeguarding Steering Group and National Safeguarding Panel in liaison with the Lead and Deputy Bishops of Safeguarding and the Independent Chair of the Panel.
- To manage and review the physical environment in which the NST works in, in liaison with Office Services, to ensure the appropriate space and equipment is made available for the needs of the team.
Personal Assistant
- To provide high level executive support to the Safeguarding Director as required, including file, mailbox and diary management, writing and reviewing documents, and sending key communications to internal and external stakeholders.
- To have oversight of travel and hotel arrangements in liaison with the Team PA and other support team members.
GENERAL
- To ensure that there is a good quality customer service response to a range of different stakeholders including senior clergy, survivors and safeguarding professionals.
- To work positively and inclusively as part of the team and take a proactive approach to personal development.
- Identify areas for improvement and change. Continuously seek to make processes and team operations more efficient. Work with other members of the whole team.
The ideal must have:
Essential
Skills/Aptitudes:
- Management skills – oversee and lead administration function and ability to develop the team
- Proven track record in managing complex travel arrangements
- Experience of managing budgets and experience of financial systems such as SAP
- Influencing and negotiating skills
- Proven track record in delivering with a high degree of accuracy
- Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
- Enthusiastic, organised, flexible and able to prioritise
- High resilience with the ability to work under pressure, often to changing and competing demands
- Ability to work autonomously, use own initiative and make decisions
- Evidence of a high level of administrative and organisational ability including document management skills and complete understanding of the full Microsoft Office suite (e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Knowledge/Experience:
- Proven track record in providing executive support to senior management including experience of minute taking and drafting correspondence.
- Policy work including research and drafting
- Experience of dealing with enquiries from members of the public
- Evidence of dealing with confidential and sensitive material
Personal Attributes:
- Self-motivated, proactive and committed to achieving results.
- Leadership qualities and the ability to command the respect of others.
- Collaborative and collegiate in approach.
- Flexible in order to meet the demands of the post
- Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to establish positive working relationships with senior stakeholders and to represent the Safeguarding Director to external partners.
- Operates with discretion and integrity – ability to be trusted with confidential information and a sound ambassador for the NST.
- Ability to deal sensitively and professionally with survivors and other vulnerable groups
- An understanding and empathy with the structure and culture of the Church of England.
Education:
- A-level or equivalent
Desirable
- A broad understanding of the work of the National Church Institutions.
- Project management qualification
- Experience of working in a similar, public or third sector environment
In the National Church Institutions (NCIs), we support the mission and ministries of the Church of England. We work with parishes, dioceses, schools, chaplaincies and other ministries, and with national and international partners including mission agencies, and other denominations and faith groups.-.
Find out more about working for the National Church Institutions at Careers | The Church of England
Our emerging values
- We strive for excellence
- We collaborate
- We act with integrity
- We show compassion
- We respect others
We welcome everyone and we accept and value people for who they are and what they contribute, treating others in the way we would wish to be treated ourselves. We actively listen to and include others, encouraging and enabling everyone’s voice to be heard in discussions and decisions. When we disagree, we aim to disagree well with respect and kindness.
We want to encourage applications from a diverse group of people. Even if you have never thought about working for us before, if you have the skills and experience we’re looking for then we would like to hear from you. If there is anything we can do to support you in your application please get in touch via email to hr.recruitment@churchofengland.org.
- As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively look to attract, recruit and retain those of you who are disabled.
- We are a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and welcome applications from those of you who have served in our Armed Forces and their families.
Source:Business Support Manager (National Safeguarding Team) – Pathways | Pathways (churchofengland.org)
