Business Allocator
| Posting date: | 10 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £25,815 per year, pro rata |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 01 March 2026 |
| Location: | Ipswich, IP1 5PB |
| Company: | Suffolk County Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 22048 |
Summary
- Suffolk County Council
- Address: Beacon House, Ipswich, IP1 5PB - Hybrid
- Salary: £25,185 per annum (pro rata)
- Hours: 18.5 hours per week, fixed days Monday and Friday plus half day either Tuesday or Thursday.
- Contract: Permanent
At Suffolk County Council, we believe that when our people grow, our communities thrive. As a Business Allocator in Home First, you’ll find opportunities to develop your skills, make a meaningful impact, and shape the future of Suffolk.
Reimagine the possibilities.
Your role and responsibilities
- Acting as the first point of contact for our customers in a time‑sensitive, deadline‑driven environment, working calmly under pressure to ensure everyone receives high‑quality care and support
- Assisting with the allocation and monitoring of customer visits for front‑line Home First staff
- Fully utilising the Allocations System to ensure work is assigned effectively across all front‑line team members
- Reviewing capacity and staff workloads regularly (with guidance), making necessary adjustments to maximise the service’s overall capacity
- Working with a range of referral sources to ensure all requests for Home First services are accurately recorded, actioned, allocated and monitored in a timely and efficient manner.
You will:
- provide a first‑line telephone response to incoming calls via the triage duty system, resolving requests where possible and escalating complex or urgent calls to area team leaders
- monitor Reablement Support Workers’ capacity and working hours, highlighting any issues to the Allocations Co‑ordinator to ensure staff time is used effectively and downtime is kept to a minimum
- oversee the Allocations System, reporting any concerns promptly to the Allocations Team Leader to reduce workflow blockages and maximise Home First practitioner capacity
- ensure customers are allocated as quickly as possible to minimise waiting times for assessment, reablement or domiciliary care.
You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
The team
Home First provides a short-term period of ongoing assessment, care, and support to people living in their own homes. The focus of this is to enable our customers to achieve as much independence as possible. This may be following a stay in hospital, an illness or crisis at home or help to avoid an admission into hospital.
As part of this team, you will work towards the Suffolk County Council’s vision and Adult Social Care’s priorities to promote better outcomes for residents of Suffolk.
Empowering Everyone
We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
For more information
Please contact Fiona Rivers for a casual conversation. You can reach her by calling 07856927128 or emailing fiona.rivers@suffolk.gov.uk.
How to apply
Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).
Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template.
1. Tell us about a time you worked in a fast‑paced, time‑sensitive environment. How did you prioritise tasks and ensure accuracy under pressure?
2. Tell us about a time you had to deal with a challenging or complex customer query over the phone. What was the situation, and how did you ensure a positive outcome
3. Describe a time when you had to work collaboratively as part of a team to prevent errors or resolve workflow issues. What was your contribution, and what was the result?
4. Give an example of when you showed initiative to improve a process or make work more efficient. What did you do, and what was the outcome?
Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.
We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.
Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412.
You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages. If you're invited to the next stage, you’ll have another chance to request adjustments.
Closing date: 11.30pm, 1 March 2026.
Interview date: Monday 9 March 2026.
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you’ll enjoy:
up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
diverse and active staff networks
flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
Plus lots more!
If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).
- Address: Beacon House, Ipswich, IP1 5PB - Hybrid
- Salary: £25,185 per annum (pro rata)
- Hours: 18.5 hours per week, fixed days Monday and Friday plus half day either Tuesday or Thursday.
- Contract: Permanent
At Suffolk County Council, we believe that when our people grow, our communities thrive. As a Business Allocator in Home First, you’ll find opportunities to develop your skills, make a meaningful impact, and shape the future of Suffolk.
Reimagine the possibilities.
Your role and responsibilities
- Acting as the first point of contact for our customers in a time‑sensitive, deadline‑driven environment, working calmly under pressure to ensure everyone receives high‑quality care and support
- Assisting with the allocation and monitoring of customer visits for front‑line Home First staff
- Fully utilising the Allocations System to ensure work is assigned effectively across all front‑line team members
- Reviewing capacity and staff workloads regularly (with guidance), making necessary adjustments to maximise the service’s overall capacity
- Working with a range of referral sources to ensure all requests for Home First services are accurately recorded, actioned, allocated and monitored in a timely and efficient manner.
You will:
- provide a first‑line telephone response to incoming calls via the triage duty system, resolving requests where possible and escalating complex or urgent calls to area team leaders
- monitor Reablement Support Workers’ capacity and working hours, highlighting any issues to the Allocations Co‑ordinator to ensure staff time is used effectively and downtime is kept to a minimum
- oversee the Allocations System, reporting any concerns promptly to the Allocations Team Leader to reduce workflow blockages and maximise Home First practitioner capacity
- ensure customers are allocated as quickly as possible to minimise waiting times for assessment, reablement or domiciliary care.
You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (Word). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.
The team
Home First provides a short-term period of ongoing assessment, care, and support to people living in their own homes. The focus of this is to enable our customers to achieve as much independence as possible. This may be following a stay in hospital, an illness or crisis at home or help to avoid an admission into hospital.
As part of this team, you will work towards the Suffolk County Council’s vision and Adult Social Care’s priorities to promote better outcomes for residents of Suffolk.
Empowering Everyone
We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report.
For more information
Please contact Fiona Rivers for a casual conversation. You can reach her by calling 07856927128 or emailing fiona.rivers@suffolk.gov.uk.
How to apply
Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (Word).
Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application.
Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template.
1. Tell us about a time you worked in a fast‑paced, time‑sensitive environment. How did you prioritise tasks and ensure accuracy under pressure?
2. Tell us about a time you had to deal with a challenging or complex customer query over the phone. What was the situation, and how did you ensure a positive outcome
3. Describe a time when you had to work collaboratively as part of a team to prevent errors or resolve workflow issues. What was your contribution, and what was the result?
4. Give an example of when you showed initiative to improve a process or make work more efficient. What did you do, and what was the outcome?
Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format.
We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process.
Do you need any reasonable adjustments to help you to apply? If you are disabled and/or have additional support needs, you can request reasonable adjustments. You can do this by contacting our Recruitment Team at recruitment@suffolk.gov.uk or 03456 014412.
You can find examples of possible adjustments on our Reasonable Adjustment pages. If you're invited to the next stage, you’ll have another chance to request adjustments.
Closing date: 11.30pm, 1 March 2026.
Interview date: Monday 9 March 2026.
This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. #LI-Hybrid
As a modern and effective council, we offer a wide variety of careers to suit people with a range of skills, abilities and ambitions. We offer working options that flex to reflect the way people work today and take the time to understand and support your individual needs. We’re driven to make a positive difference to the world around us and encourage everyone with drive and focus to join us and build an influential and impactful career. Reimagine the possibilities.
In return, you’ll enjoy:
up to 29 days annual leave entitlement (pro rata), plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
membership of a competitive Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
travel, lifestyle, health and wellbeing benefits
performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
training and encouragement to expand your knowledge
a variety of career development opportunities across our organisation
diverse and active staff networks
flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
Plus lots more!
If you want to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Suffolk County Council careers website (careers.Suffolk.gov.uk).