Business Support Officer

The Business Support Officer provides essential administrative, compliance, and operational support across Connected Stars' supported accommodation and supported living services. The role ensures that compliance documentation, staff rotas and hours, recruitment records, financial administration, and organisational data are accurately maintained and audit-ready at all times, supporting the organisation's ability to evidence high-quality, well-governed services to Ofsted and CQC.

The post-holder acts as a central point of contact for administrative queries from managers, staff, and external stakeholders, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of business support functions across all properties and services.

Key Responsibilities 1. Compliance Support

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date compliance files and registers for Ofsted and CQC across all services, including policies, certificates, and statutory documentation.
• Track renewal dates for certifications, risk assessments, DBS checks, training, and other compliance requirements, flagging expiries in good time.
• Support managers in preparing audit ready evidence packs and inspection files, ensuring documentation is organised and readily accessible.
• Assist with internal compliance audits and spot checks, recording findings and following up on outstanding actions.
• Support the maintenance of near miss logs, incident records, and prevention action logs, ensuring these are logged accurately and consistently.
• Help ensure property files, health and safety records, and maintenance logs meet regulatory standards.
• Support the Registered Manager in keeping the Statement of Purpose (and, where applicable, the Service User Guide) up to date and in line with CQC and Ofsted requirements.
• Support the Registered Manager in submitting statutory and notifiable events to CQC and Ofsted within required timescales, including safeguarding incidents, deaths, DoLS authorisations, serious injuries, missing episodes, and allegations against staff.
• Schedule and file independent visitor reports and internal quality assurance visits, tracking outstanding actions through to completion.
• Maintain MCA/DoLS documentation and best interest decision records for administrative completeness.
• Maintain the complaints and compliments log, ensuring responses are recorded and progressed within policy timescales.
• Support medicines management audits, including MAR chart spot checks and stock reconciliation records.
• Maintain missing-from-home logs and follow up documentation, and track LADO referrals and safeguarding referral records.

2. Rota and Hours Management Support

• Support the coordination and administration of staff rotas across services, ensuring safe staffing levels and shift coverage.
• Monitor and record staff hours, annual leave, sickness absence, and overtime, escalating discrepancies to line managers.
• Assist with processing timesheets and liaising with payroll to ensure accurate and timely submission of hours worked.
• Maintain up-to-date rota records and support managers in planning for shift changes, leave requests, and cover arrangements.
• Help ensure rota practices comply with working time regulations and organisational policy.

3. Recruitment and Staff Records Administration

• Support the recruitment process, including advertising vacancies, coordinating interviews, and communicating with candidates.
• Maintain the Single Central Record (SCR), ensuring DBS checks, references, right-to-work verification, and qualifications are complete, accurate, and audit-ready for CQC and Ofsted inspection.
• Process pre-employment checks, including DBS applications, references, and right-to-work verification, maintaining accurate records.
• Maintain up-to-date staff personnel files, ensuring all mandatory documentation is complete and compliant with regulatory requirements.
• Support onboarding administration for new starters, including induction paperwork and system access.
• Maintain training records and support the tracking of mandatory and refresher training compliance.

4. Finance and Invoicing

• Process purchase orders, invoices, and expense claims in line with organisational finance procedures.
• Support budget monitoring by maintaining accurate spend records and assisting managers with financial administration.
• Liaise with suppliers and finance colleagues to resolve invoice queries and ensure timely payments.

5. Office and Communications Support

• Manage meeting arrangements and correspondence for managers as required.
• Maintain office systems, filing, and supplies for services.
• Support the production of internal communications, notices, and staff-facing materials.

6. Data and Reporting

• Maintain accurate organisational data across spreadsheets and systems, including compliance trackers, KPI dashboards, and audit logs.
• Produce regular reports and management information for senior managers, highlighting compliance status, staffing data, and outstanding actions.
• Track review dates for pathway plans, EHCP/PEP education reviews, and support plans, flagging overdue reviews to managers.
• Support the production of quality assurance reports and service user/family feedback surveys.
• Support the analysis of data to identify trends, gaps, and areas for improvement, contributing to a culture of continuous improvement.
• Ensure data is recorded and stored in line with data protection and information governance requirements.

7. General Responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with Registered Managers, Deputy Managers, and central support functions across services.
• Maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information in line with GDPR and organisational policy.
• Promote and uphold Connected Stars' values, safeguarding practice, and commitment to person-centred, high-quality care.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required to support the effective business.