Service Development Officer - Req24357

As a Service Development Officer, you’ll thrive on providing a professional service to our customers, deliver quality driver training and assessment sessions and have a can do attitude.

Delivering training is not standing in a room and pointing at slides or reading out notes, its ensuring our customers are engaged and have a pleasant experience through their learning journey. it’s being able to research information, consulting and reaching out to user groups and promoting what we offer. Can you write clear concise reports, provide support across a whole team to ensure the job / task is delivered to a high standard.   

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As a Service Development Officer, you will bring to the role:

• Ability to devise and review policies and similar documents on the basis of researched information.
• Experience of delivering training and assessments to a wide range of audiences
• Ability to devise and review policies and similar documents on the basis of researched information.
• Experience of co-ordinating and managing consultation exercises.
• Experience of developing policies and similar documents on the basis of researched information.

About the role 

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, 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 vehicles in Leeds. The Service Development Officer role is key to supporting the service’s communication with licence holders and stakeholders and improving the service’s change capacity. 

The team is regulatory and investigative, our Enforcement Officers investigate complaints about drivers, vehicles and operators, Vehicle Examiners check the compliance of licensed vehicles, and determine their safety, and Licensing & Compliance Officers check applications from first time candidates and renewals of existing licence holders. 

As our next Service Development Officer you will work closely with the whole team, other agencies, partners and stakeholders to maintain passenger safety and public confidence.

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 upload your CV and a personal statement of no more than 500 words. 

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

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contactPhilip Arnett, Quality and Standards Manager Call 0113 3781570 or email philip.arnett@leeds.gov.uk

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
 
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - 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 and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

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 postholders 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)

Essentialrequirements 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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