Local Welfare Business Support Officer

The following content displays a map of the jobs location - Civic Offices, Portsmouth

Band 6 - £28,239 - £32,061 p.a. (£16,943 - £19,236 pro rata for 22.2 hours per week)

Working Hours:

22.2

Location:

Civic Offices, Portsmouth

Closing Date:

13/09/2026

Job Category:

Administration

Region / Division:

UK Region

Directorate:

Housing, Neighbourhood & Building Services

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a small team delivering an important new project that will make a difference to people in Portsmouth affected by the cost of living crisis. This role is a Fixed Term Contract/Secondment until 31st March 2029, and is based at the Civic Offices in Portsmouth. The role is 22.2 hours per week with days & times to be discussed.

Your new role

The council’s Tackling Poverty Strategic Co-ordinator is responsible for Portsmouth's Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF), using grant funding from the Department for Work and Pensions to provide additional financial support with the costs of essentials to residents in crisis and to fund organisations to provide resilience services. The new fund commenced on the 1st April 2026 replacing the former Household Support Fund.

The Business Support Officer will play a vital role in the CRF team and will have the opportunity to help shape the council's response to the cost of living crisis.

Please see the full job profile attached at the bottom of this page for full details of this role and what it will involve!

Who is the person?

You will be able to clearly demonstrate that you:

• Have an understanding of the impact of poverty on people’s lives, what poverty looks like for people who experience it, and how it affects people's life chances.
• Have a real passion for making a difference to people in financial hardship in the city.
• Have experience of developing relationships with staff of all levels and external stakeholders.
• Are organised and methodical when managing demands.
• Have an understanding of Data Protection regulations and keeping data secure.
• Can work well in a small team, and manage your time and prioritise effectively in a busy environment.
• Have the ability to work autonomously and as part of a team to resolve problems and find appropriate and effective solutions.
• Be able to liaise and communicate with both internal and external contacts when managing demands and responding to queries.
• Effective communication and customer service skills.
• Have enthusiasm for innovating and trying new things, and the ability to problem solve.
• Proficient in all Microsoft applications including Outlook and Excel.
• Experience of working to tight deadlines and using own initiative to problem solve.
• Ability to think ahead and plan workload.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity and being people-focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.

Learn more about our values and behaviours .

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

As part of Local Government Reorganisation, current plans will see Portsmouth City Council combine with the district and borough councils of Fareham, Gosport and Havant and parts of East Hampshire and Winchester district councils to form a new, larger unitary authority for south east Hampshire.

We are working towards an implementation date of 1st April 2028, known as vesting day, subject to Parliamentary approval. Until then, we remain focused on maintaining continuity, supporting our workforce, and continuing to deliver excellent services to our residents…