Public Service Operational Delivery Officer - Apprentice Position for Care Leavers Service

Kent County Council

Dover, West Malling

Closes in 25 days (Friday 12 September 2025)

Posted on 18 August 2025

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Summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen to undertake a Public Services Delivery Officer Apprenticeship Level 3 working for our Care Leavers 18+ Service within Integrated Children’s Services.

• Wage:

  £19,216 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Starting salary of £19,216 per annum which is equivalent to £9.96 per hour. Upon successful completion of the probation period, your salary will increase to £24,513 per annum.

• Training course: Public service operational delivery officer (level 3)
• Hours: You will work from the main office bases for the Leaving Care service in West Malling and Dover. Hours and working pattern to be discussed at interview stage.

  37 hours a week

• Start date:

  Monday 6 October 2025

• Duration:

  2 years

• Positions available:

  2

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

The 18+ Leaving Care Service provides support for Care Leavers aged 18-25 years old, supporting them with their education, training, employment; accessing accommodation and having financial stability and emotional well-being as they move into adulthood. 

As part of the 18+ Team you would work with staff members within the team, as well as external providers, to support and develop projects and initiatives with accommodation, education, employment and training, social media whilst promoting the voice of the care leaver. 

We are looking for:

• A caring individual with good communication skills
• Someone who enjoys interacting with young people whilst being a good role model
• Someone who is motivated and keen to learn 

Where you'll work

You can select which locations you want to apply for in your application on Find an apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship is available in these locations:

• Dover District Council, White Cliffs Business Park, Dover, CT16 3PJ
• 8 Abbey Wood Road, Kings Hill, West Malling, ME19 4YT

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

TENDRING DISTRICT COUNCIL

Training course

Public service operational delivery officer (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Customer Service: Delivering services to a wide range of customers, including those most in need and vulnerable, recognising that some customers will need extra support to access and use services. You will be providing a professional service at the right time and in a non- judgmental way. This includes carrying out calculations based on information received and giving accurate advice and guidance to help citizens understand what they need to do
• Working together: Working well with your team, colleagues and others and developing productive working relationships to achieve individual, team and business results
• Gathering and managing information: Complying with data protection principles. Accurately reviewing, validating, processing and storing information from a range of sources and accurately using it to meet customers’ needs in a way they find clear and easy to understand. You may be analysing information for discrepancies, potential fraud or non-compliance. This could also support interviews and investigations
• Negotiation and influencing: Using tact and diplomacy to negotiate with individuals or businesses to ensure they comply with the rules, and reaching solutions that suit all parties and are right for the business
• Problem solving and decision making: Identifying problems quickly and using a range of techniques to solve them and stop them happening again. This includes preventing a customer having to contact us a number of times
• Tools and Equipment: Using IT systems to manage, share and store information. This includes using office equipment appropriately and reporting poor performance of services you use to do your job
• Professionalism, self management and awareness: Taking responsibility for your own actions. This includes being self-motivated, and planning work to make sure that tasks are completed and deadlines met
• Communciation Effectively: Understanding the importance of effective communication in the workplace and communicating effectively in different situations and communicating the best way to meet the needs of different audiences. This includes questioning and listening when carrying out interviews or investigations, and communicating in a clear and concise way using letters, e-mails or social media, over the phone or face-to-face.

Training schedule

Public Service Operational Delivery Officer Level 3.

We will be holding an open day session for you to come along and find out more before applying on 21st August 11:00 until 13:00 at Kings hill and 15:00 till 17:00 at Dover Civic Centre. Please contact 18pluseet@kent.gov.uk to book a space. 

Requirements

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Customer care skills
• Team working
• Initiative

Other requirements

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification. This post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

About this employer

Kent County Council is a county council that governs most of the county of Kent in England. It is the upper tier of elected local government. Below are 12 district councils and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council has 81 elected councillors. The chief executive and chief officers are responsible for the day-to-day running of the council.

Company benefits

Option to enrol in the Pension scheme 28 days paid annual leave per year Flexible working Access to Kent Rewards A bursary for Care Leavers aged under 25 years old accessing an apprenticeship (post would need to meet eligibility criteria)

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

As part of the 18+ Team you would work with staff members within the team, as well as external providers, to support and develop projects and initiatives with accommodation, education, employment and training, social media whilst promoting the voice of the care leaver. 

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

TENDRING DISTRICT COUNCIL

18PLUSEET@KENT.GOV.UK

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000337599.

Apply now

Closes in 25 days (Friday 12 September 2025)

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