Coroners' Service Support Assistant Fixed Term, Full Time £23,344 to £26,011 per annum Location: Chelmsford Working Style: Anywhere worker Please note that this is a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for a period of 18 months. You will be required to work from Seax House, Chelmsford 2 to 3 days per week. The Opportunity The Coroners' Service Support Assistant works as part of a busy team providing administrative support to the Coroners Officers and the HM Coroner within the Coroners Service. The role acts on behalf of the Coroners Officers and is responsible for gathering information and responding to telephone calls from next of kin and professionals, inquest file administration and managing jury appointment and selection for Coroner's inquests. Dealing with bereaved families, the role requires excellent customer care skills and is responsible for promoting a customer focused image to all customers by direct contact, telephone, and email. Accountabilities Responsible for using specialist, procedural and organisational knowledge to filter incoming telephone calls/emails/post; dealing with the communication directly or referring it to the appropriate person in a timely manner and ensuring senior staff are informed of urgent/important developments. Responsible for using initiative and taking independent actions in order to deal with queries/complaints. Responsible for providing high quality, accurate and efficient support to a team of coroner officers, much of which will be of a confidential nature, and to organise and quality check own work. Responsible for carrying out file administration and arranging and managing juries for Coroners inquests as instructed. Responsible for demonstrating effective communication and engagement with all service users and customers (internal and external). Responsible for maintaining and developing accurate confidential records and filing, both manual and electronic to ensure efficient and effective storage and retrieval of information. Responsible for undertaking research and collation and analysis of information as required and agreed with Coroners' officers. Working collaboratively with the wider Coroners Service team to support the development of high professional standards and a commitment to excellence and continuous development. Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework. The Experience You Will Bring Educated to GCSE level (including Maths and English)/NVQ Administration Level 2 or equivalent by experience. Well-developed working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access. Excellent IT and Keyboard Skills. Experience of effective working as a team member and ability to liaise with a wide variety of people. Experience of dealing with telephone enquiries. Proven effective communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to prioritise effectively. Ability to present information in an accurate, orderly, and disciplined manner. To read more about us please visit: Climate, Environment and Customer Services Why Essex? As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you. Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying. As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.teamessex.gov.uk Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Further details can be found on our careers page. Downloads Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working | About Us | Organisation Behaviours