Service Development Officer - #1758125

Job title: Service Development Officer

Salary: SO2 £36,124 - £37,938

Hours: 37

Contract: Permanent

Location: 225 York Road Leeds/ Hybrid working

Would you like to be part of something bigger and join us in our ambition to become the Best City, working together as a Team for Leeds? Do your values match ours, and do you have something to offer?

Leeds City Council delivers over 500 different services to residents and is dedicated to bringing the benefits of a prosperous, vibrant, and attractive city to the people of Leeds. This is a fantastic time to join us.

Introduction to the role of the team

Leeds is a vibrant and progressive city with many people making daily use of thousands of taxi and private hire vehicles, particularly in our thriving night time economy. The council has a duty to ensure that people can use these services safely, and be confident that all vehicles are inspected, and drivers checked in accordance with our driver and vehicle licensing regulations.

The Taxi & Private Hire Licensing service is a regulatory service, licensing over 6000 drivers and 5000 Hackney Carriage (taxi) / Private Hire vehicles in Leeds. The aim of the service is to develop a professional service which works in partnership with service stakeholders to meet the cities diverse service needs and support the delivery of the Best Council Plan, ensuring the efficient use of resources, capacity, and technology.

As a Service Development Officer, you will work closely with the team, other agencies, partners, and stakeholders to maintain passenger safety and public confidence by ensuring our policies, standards, and procedures are relevant and fit for purpose.

What you will bring to the role

Key Skills

• Able to work with a wide range of people including face-to-face, telephone and written communication skills – including the processes for dealing with and sharing confidential and complex information.
• Able to work with high levels of accuracy with a good attention to detail.
• Able to express ideas clearly to diverse audiences with well-developed interpersonal and communication skills.
  
  
  

What We Offer You

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
  
  
  

How To Apply

Please complete the online application form.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the roles, please contact Phil Arnett on 0113 378 1570 or email [email protected]

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children’s or Adults’ barred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy .

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £38,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

To review and improve Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Service, working in partnership with all stakeholders, representative groups, agencies and departments within the council and contribute to the development of new policies and procedures.

Regularly report to the Quality and Standards Manager on projects for the service, monitor and evaluate service performance.

Prepare and deliver consistent, effective training and assessments to new driver applicants and current drivers.

Responsibilities

• Delivering consistent, effective and efficient driver training, conducting assessments, issuing accurate assessment results in a timely manner.
• Developing, sharing and maintaining knowledge of the relevant legislation and to be familiar with the other licensing and enforcement activities carried out by TPHL.
• Supporting the development, monitoring, reviewing, promoting and implementation of corporate, department and section policies and to make recommendations as to how the effectiveness, efficiency and quality of services can be improved.
• Working in partnership with a variety of agencies and representative groups, internal and external to the council, for the purpose of developing and implementing policies and associated services.
• Producing regular reports and providing briefings to the Quality and Standards Manager.
• Taking a lead and or supporting projects and consultation exercises carried out by TPHL in accordance with the legislation and/or local policies, practices and procedures.
• Monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of the driver training and assessment, evaluating delivery in line with the contracts and reporting back to the Quality and Standards Manager.
• Analysing and presenting information to a variety of audiences, including representative groups of licence holders, community groups, etc, and to action any feedback as appropriate.
• Contributing to the delivery of electronic services, including the development and monitoring of TPHL’s homepage on the council website and other methods of communication (such as email, text, social media).
• Responding to delegate correspondence and enquiries as required.
• Supporting the Quality and Standards Manager and other officers in the delivery of the TPHL systems, policies and procedures.
• Ensuring that all systems and procedures are documented in compliance with the Section’s quality assurance approach. All processes are to be periodically reviewed to ensure that they are working effectively and efficiently, with requests for change being submitted to the Quality and Standards Manager for consultation and approval.
• Representing Taxi and Private Hire Licensing at a range of meetings and forums.
• Assisting Quality and Standards Manager to actively promote corporate and department initiatives within TPHL by ensuring they are known to staff and by assisting at the regular team briefing meetings.
• Contributing to initiatives that affect TPHL and representing TPHL at a range of council and department meetings.
• To carry out such other duties as from time to time may be reasonably required which are commensurate with the postholder’s grade, experience training and general level of responsibility within the council at your initial place of work or at or from any of the council’s establishments.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
• Improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.
• To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.
• Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding and promoting the values, standards and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.
• The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
  
  
  

Qualifications

• NALEO/BTEC Advanced Award in Interpersonal Aspects of Licensing- (must obtain within 6 months)
  
  
  

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Skills Required

• Ability to prioritise and organise workload within time constraints.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision and to own initiative.
• Ability to research, collate and evaluate information on diverse issues.
• Ability to review, develop and deliver consistent and effective training and assessment to new driver applicants and current drivers.
• Ability to grasp and assimilate new information quickly.
• Ability to devise and review policies and similar documents on the basis of researched information.
• To professionally represent TPHL at a range of meetings, presentations and focus groups, plus dealing with a diverse range of people.
• Ability to relate effectively to people at all different levels inside and outside the council.
• Ability to recognise and effectively respond to sensitive or contentious situations.
• Ability to take a proactive and innovative approach to various tasks.
• Possess good ICT skills, in particular MS Office products.
• Ability to prepare and present clear and concise documents, reports and memoranda.
• Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.
  
  
  

Knowledge Required

• NALEO / BTEC Advanced Award in Interpersonal Aspects of Licensing- (must obtain within 6 months)
• Knowledge of the existing Taxi and Private Hire Licensing regime.
• Knowledge of the organisation and functions of local government
  
  
  

Experience Required

• Experience of delivering training and assessments to a wide range of audiences.
• Experience of providing information on specialist subjects.
• Experience of working in liaison with other services, and representative groups.
• Experience of co-ordinating and managing consultation exercises.
• Experience of collecting and presenting researched information in a specified format.
• Experience of working to own initiative.
• Experience of co-ordinating work with set deadlines.
• Experience of producing letters, briefing notes and reports.
• Experience of developing policies and similar documents on the basis of researched information.
• Experience of using ICT resources, including Microsoft Office, and the web.
• Experience of web publishing.
  
  
  

Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.
  
  
  

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