Administration Assistant

Role Responsibility

Fairlawn offers overnight short breaks for children in Kent from the age of 5 to 18 years old, who have learning disabilities and/or Autism, and will have some additional support needs. These may include health related needs, behaviours of concern, and help with everyday tasks. We always support children to have fun with their friends and peers, to learn skills, make choices, and to be supported in a safe and nurturing environment, so that they, and their families, can have a break.

We are looking for someone with excellent communication skills, be able to work as part of a high performing, busy team, providing an excellent standard of administration support in this environment. The successful applicant must have good IT and office skills and have the ability to organise work and work to deadlines. 

To succeed in this role, we are looking for someone who has:

• Excellent organisational skills, ability to prioritise workloads and work well under pressure.
• Brilliant interpersonal skills and experience of working as the first point of contact in a busy short break unit. 
• Knowledge and understanding of a wide range of administration tasks. 
• Some knowledge and understanding of finance tasks.
• Knowledge and understanding of Word, Excel and Outlook  
• Willingness to learn and put in to practice.
•  Proactive approach to their own development

In return we can offer you:

• A detailed induction and training programme, with an ongoing plan for development
• 27 days annual leave + bank holiday entitlement
• Generous contributory pension scheme

Interviews will be conducted under the ‘Choosing with Care’ assessment process. 

The Choosing with Care Process 

The Choosing with Care process was established following an enquiry into staff management and selection in children’s homes after serious offenses were uncovered. It aims to ensure safer recruitment practices in children’s services by thoroughly assessing candidates’ suitability to work with vulnerable groups.

• Origins of Choosing with Care: The process was developed after the 1991 enquiry led by Norman Warner into staff conduct in children’s homes, resulting in recommendations for improved recruitment methods.
• Pre-visit Candidates visit the unit to understand the service prior to the interview day.
• Personal Profile: All candidates complete a personal profile that explores their motivations, emotional awareness, professional boundaries, and safeguarding abilities, helping to screen out unsuitable applicants.
• Written Exercise and Group Discussion: Applicants complete two timed written exercises on work-related scenarios and participate in group discussions to demonstrate knowledge, communication skills, and teamwork, which are scored by the panel.
• Formal Interview: A panel conducts structured interviews with set questions to evaluate each candidate’s knowledge, experience, and capability to fulfil the role.

This post is subject to an Enhanced 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/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Contact Details

For further information, please contact:

Alice Scott - alice.scott@kent.gov.uk , 01233621803

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

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.

Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.