Business Support Officer - Fostering

We are looking for a committed Business Support Officer to join our Fostering Team, providing high‑quality administrative support that keeps the service running smoothly and professionally.

This is a great opportunity if you thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy variety, and want to play a meaningful role in supporting foster carers, social workers and the wider service.

The Role

As a Business Support Officer, you will provide high-quality administrative support to the Fostering Team and play an important part in ensuring the smooth and effective running of the service. You will initially be office-based while completing your training, with the opportunity to move to hybrid working following successful completion of your six-month probation period.

This is a varied and busy role where you will communicate with a wide range of people, maintain accurate and professional records and handle sensitive and confidential information. You will need to be comfortable managing competing priorities and delivering excellent customer service, even when working under pressure.

Your responsibilities will include taking detailed minutes at workshops, partnership meetings and Fostering Panel meetings; maintaining service and caseload systems; collating performance information; responding to telephone, email and face-to-face enquiries; arranging appointments and meetings; processing orders and invoices; maintaining files and documentation; and providing administrative support for training courses, events and conferences.

You will also support the Service Manager with preparation for Ofsted inspections and provide cover for the Fostering Panel Administrator, including collating, checking and distributing Panel documentation and supporting Panel members in line with statutory requirements

The ideal candidate

We are looking for an organised, confident and customer-focused administrator who can provide a professional and reliable service in a busy environment.

You will have strong administrative experience and excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills. You will be able to take detailed and complex minutes, organise and prioritise your workload effectively and maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Experience within Children and Families Services would be desirable.

You will be confident using Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, as well as databases and information systems. You should also be comfortable sourcing and collating information, maintaining statistical records and managing diaries and meetings.

Just as importantly, you will be a good listener with empathy and sensitivity when dealing with people who may be experiencing difficult or upsetting situations. You will understand the importance of confidentiality, Data Protection, Information Governance and safeguarding, and be able to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team

Please ensure that you download and read the full job profile attached for the details and expectations of this role, paying particular attention the section 'Who is the person' as you will need to refer to this when completing your Personal statement on your application.

Additional Information

Hybrid working arrangements: Working from Civic Offices during probation period, once competent, may progress to hybrid. working.

Interview date:Tuesday 8th December 2026

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals. Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Our Recruitment process

We anonymise applications during application & shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered.

We strongly encourage candidates to add all Career and Education History to their application, as CVs are not reviewed as part of the shortlisting process.

As part of your application, we ask that you complete a personal statement, this statement is crucial and is where you must demonstrate how you meet the requirements of the job against each of the points described in the'Who is the Person'points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience. If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

We are a disability confident employer and have an Armed Forces Covenant. We are committed to offering an interview to all those candidates that qualify under one of our commitments and meet the minimum criteria, however, for roles that receive a large number of applications, this is not always possible, and we will select the candidates that best meet the minimum criteria. More information can be found at Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it

Should you require any support in completing the application form please contact recruit@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call the recruitment team on 023 92 616 800.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage: Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Safeguarding

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Standard/Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS privacy notice before submitting any information.