Snr Democractic Services Officer

Grade 4C - Senior Democratic Services Officer
(Interim Roles – Governance & Health Governance)
Purpose
Salford City Council is seeking experienced Senior Democratic Services Officers (Grade 4A) to provide interim capacity across its Governance functions during a period of significant improvement and service redesign. These roles will support statutory and non-statutory committees, scrutiny, decision-making, and member development, while contributing to the wider Governance 360 improvement programme.
Appointments will be made on a generalist basis. Depending on skills and experience, one role may be allocated a stronger focus on Health & Adult Social Care governance, funded by Public Health (see details overleaf).
Engagement term:
Interim assignment – initial term expected to be 12 months, with likelihood of extension

Key Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of formal and informal meetings, including Scrutiny Panels, Executive decision-making cycles, and wider committee activity.
• Lead on forward planning, agenda management, report assurance, publication of papers and decision-making workflows.
• Provide governance and procedural advice to senior officers and elected members, ensuring high standards of transparency, compliance and good decision-making.
• Contribute to key aspects of the Governance 360 programme, including improvements to processes, constitutional arrangements, corporate governance practices, member support and democratic workflows.
• Support scrutiny activity, including work programming, evidence gathering, research, drafting of reports, and tracking recommendations.
• Produce high-quality minutes, reports and governance documentation.
• Use ModGov effectively to support end-to-end governance processes.
• Provide flexible capacity across Committee Services and Member Services where needed (e.g. briefings, civic functions, member learning and development).
• Work collaboratively across the wider Governance team to support cultural and procedural improvement.

PTO
Role With a Health & Adult Social Care Focus (Public Health funded)
In addition to the responsibilities above, one post may include:

• Support for Health & Wellbeing Board governance.
• Governance support to Health Scrutiny functions.
• Contribution to governance oversight relating to Adult Social Care transformation, where this intersects with policy, scrutiny and assurance activity.

Desirable background:
Experience in health or social care policy, scrutiny, committee governance, or wider public-sector governance.
Candidate Profile
We are seeking candidates who can demonstrate:

• Strong experience in democratic services, ideally at a senior level.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills, with political awareness.
• Ability to manage competing deadlines and work at pace in a complex environment.
• Confidence working with senior officers, elected members and external partners.
• High-quality minute-taking, report writing and document production.
• Experience with ModGov or similar committee management systems.
• A proactive, flexible and professional approach.
• Desirable: Experience of contributing to governance, scrutiny or committee-based improvement work — for example:
• supporting new or improved governance processes;
• helping embed new frameworks, policies or workflows;
• participating in service improvement or transformation activity;
• contributing to the modernisation, redesign or strengthening of democratic arrangements (aligned with the principles of Governance 360).

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