Customer and Safeguarding Officer

About the role

Customer and Safeguarding Officer

Fixed Term, Part Time

£28,363 up to 33,368 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 17th April 2026

Please note that this is a Secondment / Fixed Term Contract opportunity for a period of 18 months and is a part time role, offering 28.5 hours per week (0.77 Full Time Equivalent), across a 5-day week, Monday to Friday.

Interview Date: 15th & 17th April 2026

The Opportunity

Customer and Safeguarding Officers work to deliver exemplary service to address operational issues in a proactive manner working as the first point of contact between the IPTU and customers to ensure a seamless customer experience.

This role is critical in ensuring that the IPTU is able to effectively deliver the Councils portfolio of transport services. This role is responsible for undertaking stakeholder interactions with regard to transport services including leading consultations on service changes and new initiatives, drafting communications by analysing and/or responding to feedback. In addition, they will have responsibility for delivering the IPTU’s work on digital interaction and service delivery, taking the lead from relevant managers in the service.

This role will play a key role in the safeguarding processes, working with internal and external partners to manage the training of specialist staff and monitor safeguarding requirements.

Accountabilities

Work collaboratively as a customer focused team to ensure complex situations are dealt with in a timely manner, working with partners and stakeholders to resolve operational issues in a proactive manner.
Contributes to overseeing operational delivery of passenger transport contracts and suppliers to ensure performance and improvements are monitored with any issues highlighted to relevant managers to agree actions.
Contribute to activity which ensures service levels and costs are applied to ECC‘s service provision that maximise the benefit to local residents and ensure local solutions to manage ECC financial risks including support for area reviews.
Support implementation of integration projects to ensure outcomes are met, working with cross boundary colleagues when necessary and provide recommendations and feedback to managers on potential improvements.
Work collaboratively with partners to ensure the best overall outcome for the people of Essex, whilst protecting ECC’s interests ensuring compliance with all external and internal regulations.
Contributes to the development of suitable processes and safeguarding practices to ensure adequate assessment of risk and implementing actions to minimise such risks for ECC. Manage the training of approved staff and monitor safeguarding requirements.
Support partners and colleagues to manage and deliver exemplary customer service and ensure all actions and changes meet compliant vetting requirements.
Contributes to monitoring of supplier contracts ensuing potential risk areas for ECC are minimised.
Provides updates and reporting on customer feedback to ensure managers are kept up to date on issues raised by clients.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to A level or the equivalent by experience.
Evidence of continuing professional development.
Experience and evidence of effective customer skills.
Knowledge of procurement, contract management processes and compliance.
Excellent negotiation and influencing skills with ability to persuade stakeholders.
Evidence of successfully delivering outcomes in in a complex, customer facing environment.
Experience of delivering public services in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
Evidence of working collaboratively across an organisation including experience of working in a political environment.

To read more about our business area, 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.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

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.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

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 Jamielea.wallis@Essex.gov.uk

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