FSM Team Leader at Suffolk County Council

Ipswich, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

05 Jan, 26

Salary

28598.0

Posted On

07 Oct, 25

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Team Leadership, Customer Service, Data Analysis, Microsoft Office, Organizational Skills, Communication Skills, Performance Management, Safeguarding, Problem Solving, Collaboration, Continuous Improvement, Flexibility, Motivation, Planning, Proactivity

Industry

Government Administration

Description

Suffolk County Council Address: Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, IP1 2BX (Hybrid working options available) Salary: £28,598 per annum (Grade 4, with performance-related pay progression) Hours: 37 hours per week, flexible working options available Contract: Permanent At Suffolk County Council, every role is a chance to create positive change. As a Free School Meals Team Leader in the School Admissions Team, you’ll see the direct impact of your work on the people and places that make Suffolk special. Join us and turn your passion for progress into action. Reimagine the possibilities. Your role and responsibilities As our Free School Meals Team Leader, you’ll play a vital part in supporting children and families across Suffolk. On a typical day, you will: Oversee free school meal applications and be responsible for the distribution of workload, ensuring accuracy and compliance with policies and deadlines. Supervise and support the Team, encouraging a positive team ethos and carrying out day-to-day performance management and appraisals. Be involved in the processing of school applications and preparation of appeal documentation to ensure statutory deadlines are met. Deliver high standards of customer service to families, schools, and other services, offering accurate advice and resolving complex queries. Collaborate with colleagues and partners, building strong relationships and networks. Contribute to the development of procedures and continuous improvement of our services. We’re excited to welcome someone who is passionate about making a difference and ready to thrive in a collaborative, supportive environment. You will need We hope you’ll bring: A suitable qualification at Level 4 or equivalent experience in a relevant area. Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and the ability to maintain accurate records and databases. Strong organisational, planning, and communication skills. Experience working with large data sets and analysing information to draw conclusions. The ability to supervise, motivate, and develop a team. A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. A positive, proactive approach and willingness to learn and grow. If you don’t meet every requirement but share our values and motivation, we’d still love to hear from you. You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word) . If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application. The team You’ll join a friendly, dedicated team responsible for ensuring Suffolk’s children and young people have access to education and support. We’re proud of our collaborative spirit and our commitment to making a real difference for families across the county. Hybrid working is supported, and our office base is at Endeavour House in Ipswich. Empowering Everyone We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report. For more information Please contact Lucy Nicholas (she/her) for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01473 264486 or emailing lucy.nicholas@suffolk.gov.uk. How to apply Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (JPP) (Word). Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application. Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement indicating how you meet each of the criteria in the ‘Person Profile’ section of the JPP. You should use the Supporting Statement template. Please use Arial font size 11 and keep your statement to a maximum of two sides of A4. We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the application process before the next selection stage, please contact our Recruitment Team by emailing recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or calling 03456 014412. If you are invited to the next stage of selection, you will have another opportunity to request adjustments for the next stages of the process. Closing date: 11.30pm, Wednesday 22 October 2025 Interview date: Thursday 6 November 2025 This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid

Responsibilities

As the Free School Meals Team Leader, you will oversee free school meal applications, ensuring accuracy and compliance with policies. You will also supervise the team, deliver high standards of customer service, and contribute to service improvement.