Job Description

Post:

Sparkle Administrative Assistant

Accountable to:

Sparkle Business Support Manager

Location:

Serennu Children's Centre, Newport

Salary:

10,183.68 per annum

Hours:

16 hours per week. Monday to Thursday 10.00am - 2.00pm

Contract:

Permanent

Holidays:

25 days per year pro rata, not including bank holidays

Pension:

Automatic enrolment pension scheme. Sparkle matches members' 5% contribution.

About Sparkle

Sparkle is the official charity supporting Serennu Children's Centre, Nevill Hall Children's Centre and Caerphilly Children's Centre.

Sparkle's principles are to ensure that children with a disability or developmental difficulty, and their families, are fully supported to participate in valued childhood experiences and have access to the same range of opportunities, activities, services and facilities as other children.

Several hundred children visit the centres each week. Sparkle has to raise more than 700,000 every year to fund the vital services we deliver, including specialist leisure activities, family activities, and holistic family support services.

Job Purpose

The post holder will undertake a range of administrative duties to support the efficient and effective delivery of Sparkle's services. While the role will primarily support the Family Liaison Service, it will also contribute to the wider Sparkle team as needed.

The post holder will be responsible for providing high-quality clerical and administrative support, including the coordination and implementation of office procedures. This role requires strong organisational skills, attention to detail, and a sound working knowledge of administrative systems. The post holder will also act as a key point of contact for families and professionals, handling confidential and time-sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

Key responsibilities

To use a variety of software packages such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Powerpoint, Excel, etc. to produce correspondence and maintain records, spreadsheets and databases.

To compile generic mailing lists as required and to assist with the administration of bulk correspondence, including the preparation, updating and despatch of standard documentation and written correspondence.

Develop and maintain efficient administrative systems including referral and appointment processes, payments and room bookings.

To undertake reliable data entry and to prepare regular, scheduled reports from designated databases, spreadsheets and registers.

Preparing agendas, attending and providing minutes of team and internal meetings.

Maintaining individual records both computer based and paper based, filing systems and archiving functions.

Provide efficient customer care service, responding sensitively and effectively to any persons who contact the service.

To liaise will all relevant professionals and develop good working relationships both internally and externally.

To manage own workload and act independently using own initiative, seeking advice where necessary from the Sparkle office manager

Oversee and supervise the work administrative volunteers.

Adhere to Sparkle's policies and procedures.

To undertake any other duties, commensurate with the role.

Confidentiality

In the course of your duties you may have access to confidential material about children, young people and their families. On no account must information be divulged to anyone other than authorised persons, for example, other professional staff as appropriate. If you are in any doubt whatsoever as to the authority of a person or body asking for information of this nature, you must seek advice from your manager.

Similarly, no information of a personal confidential nature concerning individual members of staff should be divulged to anyone without the proper authority having first been given. Failure to observe these rules will be regarded by your employers as serious gross misconduct, which could result in disciplinary action being taken against you. Individuals will be responsible for any records they create, use or handle. This responsibility is established at, and defined by law.

All employees who record, handle, store or otherwise come across information, have a personal common-law duty of confidence. The Data Protection Act 2018, places statutory restrictions on the use of personal information, including health information. All staff need to acknowledge the importance of personal records and their responsibilities.

It's security is of prime importance and serious consequences can result should a record go missing. Any disclosure of such information without permission is a disciplinary offence and may result in dismissal.

Special Conditions

Working Hours

The post holder will be required to work extremely flexibly and the post will require evening and weekend working as required by the needs of Sparkle.

The rate of pay is a consolidated one, which includes any enhanced payments for evening and weekend working.

Disclosure and Barring Service

This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check with a children barred list check.

This post is subject to an exception order under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This stipulates that all previous convictions, including those that are 'spent' must be declared.

Previous convictions will not necessarily preclude an individual from employment but must be declared in writing at the appropriate stage during the recruitment process.

General Responsibilities

Health & Safety

It is the responsibility of all employees to work to achieve a healthy and safe environment, and to take reasonable care of themselves and others.

Equality & Diversity

It is the responsibility of all employees to support Sparkle's vision of promoting a positive approach to diversity and equality of opportunity, to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage in service delivery and employment, and to manage, support or comply through the implementation of Equality & Diversity Strategies and Policies.

This job description sets out the main duties of the post at the date when it was drawn up. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot of themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of the post.

Sparkle is committed to Safeguarding and Promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Pay: 10,183.68 per year

Expected hours: 16 per week

Benefits:

On-site parking
Language:

English (preferred)
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 23/07/2025