Business Support Officer

Birmingham City Council is seeking to appoint a Business Support Officer within the Adult Social Care & Health Directorate, supporting the Shared Lives service. This is an important role providing high-quality, efficient administrative support to ensure the effective delivery of services. You will contribute to positive outcomes for Birmingham citizens by supporting frontline teams to deliver person-centred care. About Shared Lives Shared Lives in Birmingham allows individuals to offer support in their own homes, either for a few days a week, overnight stays, or long-term placements. People who benefit from the scheme may include those with learning or physical disabilities, mental health needs, older adults with frailty or dementia, or those who have been in foster care. The program is designed to provide a safe, supportive, and enriching environment for both carers and those they support. Shared Lives is a person-centred service that supports individuals to develop independence, build confidence, and improve their quality of life. Through tailored one-to-one support, individuals are empowered to achieve their personal goals and develop life skills. Key Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive and flexible administrative support to internal teams and external stakeholders
• Undertake financial administration, including processing payments, raising purchase orders, and monitoring budgets in accordance with council procedures
• Support colleagues in the effective use of systems and processes, including providing guidance and troubleshooting
• Assist with the induction and support of apprentices and new starters, contributing to the coordination of workloads where appropriate
• Arrange and support meetings, including scheduling, minute-taking, and preparation of documentation
• Maintain accurate records, update systems, and assist with data analysis to support service delivery
• Ensure compliance with GDPR, confidentiality requirements, and council policies
• Support the management of equipment and assist with basic IT queries in liaison with relevant teams
• Work collaboratively across business support teams to ensure consistency and continuity of service delivery
  
  The successful candidate will demonstrate
• Strong organisational and administrative skills
• Experience of financial processes, including purchase orders, payments, and budget monitoring
• Ability to accurately input, manage, and analyse data
• Confidence in using IT systems and supporting others with processes
• Experience of servicing meetings, including minute-taking
• Good communication and customer service skills
• Ability to prioritise workloads and work flexibly in a dynamic environment
• A proactive and collaborative approach to team working
  
  We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data tells us that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are underrepresented and therefore we will use positive action to support us to achieve diverse shortlists. This may mean that recruitment times are a little longer, but we think this is worth it to achieve our aim.
Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people. We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application. For any informal enquires please contact the Resourcing Team Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed., Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city., The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence. There is a clear vision which is ensuring that the Council is working for communities today and building for tomorrow, we focus our resources on five key priorities:
• A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
• An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.
• A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
• A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
• A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.
We see the Council's role as providing strategic leadership - that's being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision. We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision-making. We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision. We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long-term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.

In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well-being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.