Tackling Poverty Officer
Service: Communications and Strategy Services
Grade scale: Grade 3 level 2-4
Reports to: Community Engagement Manager
Purpose of the job
To carry out a wide range of duties that coordinate and support delivery on behalf of the council and for the Community Planning Partnership’s Tackling Poverty and Inequalities work programmes. Programmes include the Marmot Place Programme, Child Poverty Commitment and Good Food Nation planning.
This will include collaborative working across council services, with partners and people with lived experience of poverty on a variety of projects, coordinating meetings and networks, developing and monitoring shared performance frameworks and writing papers and policy briefings. The post will line manage a Tackling Poverty Assistant.
Key tasks and responsibilities
Undertake research and identify new and emerging needs that the council should consider as part of its tackling poverty and inequality agenda.
Maintain an overview of national policy areas affecting people’s income and living standards, seeking examples of best practice and making recommendations for change within the council/partnership as appropriate.
Ensure the effective involvement of key stakeholders, service providers, partners and people with lived experience of poverty in the in the delivery of all poverty and social inequality programmes.
Support the development South Lanarkshire’s Marmot Place Programme including its partners and its work.
Lead in coordinating, developing and drafting the council’s Good Food Nation Plan as a cross-council project.
Coordinate the development and management of tackling poverty and inequalities related partnerships including strategic plans/strategies, subgroups and sub-plans including influencing partners to deliver improved outcomes.
Support the development and implementation of projects that will improve the council’s approach to tackling poverty including “in work” poverty to deliver improved outcomes.
Ensure the council works collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to jointly identify ways to improve the lives of residents living with inequality or at risk of poverty.
Drive the development of good practice, including identifying and researching examples, and providing support, advice and guidance to officers, senior managers, and partners on implementation.
Annually review, monitor and report progress in the delivery of inequalities and tackling poverty and prepare committee/partnership reports and respond to enquiries from elected members and other stakeholders.
Oversee funding awards and monitoring of poverty related funding agreements on behalf of South Lanarkshire Council.
Line manage Assistant Officers supporting the programmes.
Person specification
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Criteria |
Essential |
Desirable |
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Education, qualification and training |
SCQF level 7/8/9 or above/or equivalent in a related field or discipline. |
Ongoing Professional development in related areas of work. |
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Skills, knowledge and experience |
Knowledge of current policy and legislative issues relevant to Tackling Poverty Knowledge of the ways that different policy areas interlink with and impact on poverty in a whole system approach. Experience of undertaking information gathering and research activities and producing analytical reports and social policy. Experience of working to tight timescales using own initiative and with minimal supervision whilst recognising when matters need referred to other officers. Experience of representing and promoting an organisation with external bodies and stakeholders. Uses initiative to solve problems and raise potential issues A skilled collaborator, communicator and sharer of information. |
Experience of outcomes based strategic planning and monitoring. Experience managing information. |
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Personal qualities |
Collaborative and facilitative approaches to working with and leading others. Contributes appropriately in team and other meetings and discussions Actively and respectfully listens to people in order to understand them and their views. Presents words and views clearly in a way that other people find meaningful. Seeks feedback on your performance to learn and improve. Willing to be flexible in your approach to work to meet changing service delivery needs, deadlines and urgent priorities Displays and enables leadership through sharing knowledge and skills, seeking guidance and providing support to your colleagues, team and the wider community |
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Other |
Meet deadlines and targets in your day-to-day work |
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Safer recruitment checks
As part of our approach to good practice and safer recruitment we carry out a number of pre-employment checks:
- Asylum and Immigration right to work in the UK.
- Reference check: external candidates require 2 references, one of which must be from present or most recent employer; Internal candidates require 1 reference from current line manager.
- Candidate Disclosure Scotland check, where applicable.
Behaviour framework
The council’s behaviour framework is a set of core behaviours that defines how employees approach work to enable the delivery of key tasks for the role. The expected behaviours for this role are:
Efficient
- Use initiative and drive to improve and develop systems and processes to increase efficiency achieving better outcomes in service delivery.
- Suggests ways to improve how others organise their own work.
- As a manager or professional/expert you actively seek solutions to deliver improvements and involves others in the development of solutions and improvements.
- Agrees SMART objectives for both team and individual employees reviewing progress to achieve successful outcomes.
- Manage budgets with no overspends and applying the council’s financial policies and procedures.
- Ensures sustainability and environmental awareness practices are being implemented and that they inform the development of new projects/initiatives.
Flexible
- Anticipates and responds flexibly to changing priorities and modifies practice to meet changing environment.
- Identifies and implements new ways of working.
- Supports individuals and team at times of both organisational and personal change making appropriate adjustments to accommodate individual needs where required.
- Expresses a positive approach to change and promotes the benefits of change to team and colleagues.
- Actively listens to customer feedback and takes action to improve customer experience.
Performing
- Use professional expertise and knowledge to ensure the council is leading best practice to improve outcomes.
- Ensure that the council is meeting it’s legislative and statutory requirements by keeping abreast of new initiatives and legislation.
- Evaluates and reviews the impact of service improvements from the customers perspective.
- Identifies trends and creates solutions.
- Ensuring that health and safety practices, policies and procedures are applied keeping employees and customers safe and minimising workplace accidents and injuries.
- Implements the council’s maximising attendance policy and procedure ensuring action is taken and recorded on people connect.
- Considers risk in the context of service development and delivery.
Working with others
- Promotes a positive team environment with good morale.
- Works with other teams and colleagues internally and externally, developing relationships and sharing knowledge, ideas and expertise to achieve outcomes.
- Provide objective and constructive advice and support if tensions arise.
- Shares knowledge with internal and external colleagues to achieve common objectives.
- Giving praise and recognition for good work.
- Use professional identity and expert knowledge to work across disciplines breaking down professional barriers to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.
- Encourages colleagues to consider different perspectives in their work.
- Adapts communication to encourage desired behaviour.
Leading
- Understands what needs to be achieved and ensures that this is communicated to team members.
- Expresses positive expectations of others to support their development.
- Recognise individual and team achievements thanking and praising others.
- Maintain a positive approach and motivate team when things go wrong, or demands are high.
- You identify talent and provide opportunities for those individuals who wish to progress or learn new skills.
- Takes responsibility for personal and team development needs taking account of learning styles and available learning/training methods of delivery.
- Uses professional judgement/expert knowledge to make informed decisions.