Please note this role is for 24 hours per week (3 days per week) and is fixed term until 31st May 2022. Working pattern to be discussed at interview.

The Customer Specialist will support the delivery of a prison library service within the unique environment of HMP/YOI Chelmsford.

Working as part of a dynamic team to deliver library, administrative and support activities, they will proactively be managing workload, taking initiative, and using personal judgement to resolve internal and external customer issues.

The successful candidate will demonstrate an enthusiastic approach in encouraging prisoners to enjoy reading, show empathy, have strong personal integrity and diligence, be committed to providing great customer service and be keen to make a difference.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide effective, high quality support, advice, and guidance to Prisoner Orderlies on basic library procedures and L2 Customer Specialists, in respect of unusual or complex customer work requests.
• Responsible for dealing with complex and broader subject knowledge-based queries and activities.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues, to drive the delivery of productivity and continuous improvement across customer processes.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to understand customer needs, resolving them promptly and providing them with a service they value.
• Contribute to continual service improvements, using statistics or other data to determine the level of customer service provided and recommend changes.
• Collate relevant information from a variety of sources to ensure that complex enquiries or customer complaints can be resolved in a timely fashion.
• Responsible for delivering against team objectives to meet deadlines and targets, in support of the wider customer vision.
• Support the Prison Library Supervisor to deliver a library service to HMP/YOI as laid out in the Service Level Agreement, together with added value activities such as Storybook Dads, Reading Ahead and Family Library Times, which support improved literacy, health and wellbeing and family cohesion.

Knowledge, skills, and experience

• Educated to RQF Level 3 (A level) in Administration, or equivalent by experience.
• Ability to develop skills and knowledge in role.
• Demonstrable experience and competence of MS Office and their practical application, with the ability to use computerised systems with a high level of speed and accuracy.Previous experience of operating electronic or hard copy filing systems.
• Experience of delivering workplace based, procedural training to staff.
• Good communication skills with the ability to de-escalate concerns.
• Ability to be flexible to respond to a rapidly changing environment, tenacious and with a determination to find solutions to problems.
• Confident, assertive, and emotionally resilient, whilst maintaining empathy for the library customers who may have complex needs including poor mental health, low levels of literacy and challenging behaviour.
• Library experience is desirable although not essential as full training will be given.
• Experience of working with offenders is desirable.

As part of employment with Essex County Council should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please visit: https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. For more information please use the following link: https://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/pay-reward/

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity is key to our success.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email or call us on 0333 013 5888 Lines are open Monday to Friday between 08:30 - 16:30.