Programme Support Officer

The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local authorities. We work on behalf of our member councils to support, promote and improve local government. We are a politically led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils to help them deliver local solutions to national problems. We also provide councils with the tools and resources to respond to challenges present and emerging, and support improvement across the sector. We value diversity and encourage applications from all sections of the community to this high-profile role. About PCH Partners in Care and Health (PCH) helps councils to improve the way they deliver adult social care and public health services and helps Government understand the challenges faced by the sector. The programme is a trusted network for developing and sharing best practice, developing tools and techniques, providing support and building connections. Our work is entirely funded by grants and contracts currently awarded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Our support is offered to councils and systems without charge. https://www.local.gov.uk/partners-care-and-health., We are looking for a Programme Support Officer to join the Partners in Care and Health team (PCH) Programme Management Office (PMO). You will be involved in delivering our range of social care programmes to help councils and local systems support their local communities. These include: sustainable and personalised care, health and wellbeing, adult safeguarding, learning disabilities and autism, leadership, finance, digital care technology and service innovation, implementation of social care reform proposals, social care workforce planning. In this role, you will provide project and programme management support across the DHSC funded Continuous Improvement Programme. You will often be first point of contact for advice and guidance and play a significant part in the delivery of the PMO objectives and outcomes. Strong candidates will demonstrate experience of:

• Programme and project management
• Co-ordination of activities across a team and Programme
• Risk Management
• Benefit Realisation
In our current situation, you should be aware that: The position is required to support immediate delivery needs The organisation is consulting on its operating model The grade and responsibilities are subject to confirmation Priority consideration may be given to employees at risk where they have the required qualifications and experience, We use anonymous recruitment, which is the practice of hiding candidates' identities. This process involves removing any identifying information from candidates' applications which includes names. At the LGA we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Our recruitment decisions are based on fair, open competition, with appointment on merit.
• The LGA are proud to be awarded a "Disability Confident Leader". Please contact us via Recruitment@local.gov.ukif you require a reasonable adjustment, which is a change to the format or conditions of the recruitment process to accommodate any disability-related needs you may have.
Our benefits LGA annual leave entitlement is 29 days, rising to 31 days after three years' service and to 33 days after five years' service, plus all UK public holidays (pro rata for fixed term and part time contracts).
• Flexible & agile working - office-based staff are required to work in the LGA's London office two days per week as a minimum, subject to business need and this may vary significantly between different roles and from week to week. Future development - face-to-face and virtual courses are scheduled in line with developmental goals The LGA offers 24/7 access to a free, confidential employee assistance programme managed by Health Assured. This service is also available for Dependants. Family friendly policies For more of LGA's benefits and working with us, please view our webpage https://www.local.gov.uk/benefits-and-working-lga Our values & behaviours Our Values and Behaviours are there to give us an understanding of who we are as an organisation and who we want to be. They are a framework to help us understand: how we work with each other how we work with our members and stakeholders our expectations for ourselves and each other Our values are: Collaboration -We value collaboration, to pursue shared goals by encouraging and utilising diverse perspectives and working with internal and external colleagues across the organisation. Inclusion -We value inclusion, where everyone feels valued, understood, and supported to contribute meaningfully. Ambition -We value ambition, reflecting our desire to achieve best possible outcomes for local government, communities, and individuals. Respect -We value respect, to ensure fairness, recognition, and shared accountability.
  
  You will be able to work independently across multiple projects at any one time. Your work will include a range of support services all to corporate guidelines and standards including: routinely keeping project and programme documentation and records up to date, analysing spreadsheets and producing reports, taking minutes and following up on actions. Successful applicants will demonstrate the following attributes:
• a team player who is flexible and capable of working with minimal supervision
• well organised with the ability to plan and deliver a varied workload
• ability to prioritise work, multi-tasking to deliver to deadlines
• someone who can identify and resolve problems
• strong communicator able to work clearly and confidently with colleagues, senior officers and stakeholders
• excellent attention to detail; and
• highly capable and well-motivated., Programme and project management experience.
• Previous administrative experience and knowledge of office systems, software packages and processes, ideally gained in a programme/project-based environment
• Strong organisational skills, and the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines with excellent attention to detail.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to track and monitor budgets, analysing income and expenditure activity, identifying and escalating issues
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to deal with colleagues, members, and suppliers with courtesy, tact and sensitivity
• Excellent written and oral skills, with the ability to accurately summarise and convey complex information and give clear advice on procedural issues.
• Ability to work as part of a team and to support others demonstrating a collaborative and flexible approach, with a "can-do" attitude