Democratic Services Officer

Company Description

Are you organised and good with words?

We are looking for an enthusiastic person with a range of skills, including the ability to interpret and summarise complex discussions in a clear and coherent manner. This is a vaired post with the opportunity to learn about various aspects of the Council’s work.

Gwynedd Council offers an attractive employment package, for more information please click on this Information Pack

Gwynedd Council operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted as one of the essential skills in the Person Specification.

We encourage everyone who applies for a job with Gwynedd Council to submit job applications in Welsh or bilingually.

(Applications submitted in English only or Welsh only will always be treated equally, but we ask applicants to consider carefully what the linguistic requirements of the job in question is and if it would be more appropriate to submit an application in Welsh.)

For further information about this post please contact Vera Jones ar 01286 679267

Interview date to be confirmed.

Application forms and further details available from Support Service, Gwynedd Council, Council Offices, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH

Tel: 01286 679076

E-Mail: Swyddi@gwynedd.llyw.cymru

CLOSING DATE: 29/04/2025

If you are successful to be short listed for an interview you will be contacted by E-MAIL using the address provided on your application form. You need to ensure that you check your email regularly.

Purpose of the post

• Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
• Contribute as part of the team which provides professional support to all Councillors in the Council through the committees arrangements and any other professional support in order for the Councillors to fulfil their role and responsibilities.

Responsibility for functions

Main duties

Support to Members

• Arrange various Council and joint committees (including informal meetings i.e. Informal Cabinet and Management Team / Group) through dialogue with the relevant officers, committee Chair and other Members as required.
• Draft forward plans, programmes and reports as required in consultation with relevant officers. Arrange translation and publish (through Modern.Gov) and distribute to all members and relevant officers.
• Provide clear and concise agendas and minutes, and publish on the Council’s website using Modern.gov
• Attend meetings and prepare accurate, clear and concise minutes of the discussions and decisions/recommendations ensuring prompt action on any decisions.
• Contact point for various committee work programmes (varies per officer).
• Deal with any correspondence arising from the committees.
• Deal with any enquiries from elected members and / or members of the public with regards to the work of any of the committees, and in the absence of a legal officer, deal with constitutional and procedural matters with regards to committees.
• Prepare Cabinet notice decisions for Cabinet decisions and/or Individual Cabinet Members Decision notices.
• Prepare and collate all minutes from the committees.
• Provide assistance to the council’s scrutiny work by supporting the scrutiny committees, including committee administration, scrutiny investigations which will scrutinise particular matters and advise on matters during preparatory meetings.
• Lead, as required, on scrutiny investigations, with elected members, advising on the way forward in investigations ensuring clear recommendations based on evidence, for the benefit of Gwynedd residents.
• Provide general support to elected members to enable them to undertake their general duties in their role as elected members e.g. assisting with IT matters etc.
• Undertake any relevant duties in assisting elected members in their roles (i.e.. Members remuneration, training, political balance)
• Provide assistance with any developments with technology i.e. Modern Gov, webcasting, remote attendance, voting system in the Chambers, dealing with any technical issues required for the smooth running of the committee.
• Sustain and develop the system which provides information for the internal website and the Council’s website, ensuring that information is current.
• Be aware of developments and changes within the democratic field, and bring these to the Manager’s attention, advising the Manager on the way forward to develop the service. .
• Assist in the process of collating and analysing relevant data to the service, producing a short report.

Specific Support

• Responsibility for a specific field with regards to member support (will vary per officer) i.e. outside bodies, remuneration, political balance, member attendance etc

Self-development

• Responsibility for self-development.
• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
• Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
• Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
• Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
• Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
• Responsibility to report any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.

Special circumstances

• Some evening work required, and in various locations with requirements to travel.
• All officers within the department are expected to be flexible in their work.

Personal attributes

Essential

Enthusiastic, confident and energetic

Able to plan and manage work efficiently within tight timescales

Organised person, able to prioritise

Able to work independently without supervision

Able to see what needs to be done, and do it

Able to be imaginative and overcome problems

Able to be diplomatic whilst dealing with people, whilst also being assertive and firm

Flexible person, able to adapt to various situations

Dependable, with endurance and perseverance

Self-motivated

Team worker

Desirable

Qualifications and relevant training

Essential

Degree or a Senior Administrative Qualification and experience

Desirable

Administrative or secretarial qualification

Relevant experience

Essential

Secretarial or administrative experience

Experience of committee administration

Experience of creating and administrating work programmes

Desirable

Experience of working within local government or the public sector, in particular corporate governance

Experience of working with elected members

Skills and specialist knowledge

Essential

Interpersonal, communication and persuasion skills of the highest level, including the ability to persuade officers and members at different levels.

An understand of the political scene

The ability to produce minutes of the highest standard

Excellent language skills

Excellent organisational skills

The ability to solve problems

High standard of IT skills

An understanding of local government

Holder of a driving licence

Desirable

Language requirements

Listening and Speaking – Higher

Able to follow a conversation or discussion through the medium of Welsh and English on a professional level and discuss general day to day topics in the field in order to present information and express opinions.Able to give a pre-prepared presentation and respond to any comments and questions on it in Welsh or English.

Reading and Understanding – Higher

Able to understand standard written Welsh and English; both formal and informal. Able to gather information from various sources such as letters, reports, articles through the medium of Welsh and English in order to fulfil the post.

Writing – Higher

Present written information confidently by letter, more detailed and technical report formats, and respond to written requests conveying information, ideas and opinion in Welsh and English (help is available to check the work).