Junior Product Owner
This is a {Advertised Permanent / Temporary}, {Advertised Full Time / Part Time} vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.
The Vacancy
Predominantly known for the role Cafcass has in supporting 140,000 + and their families every year and ensuring their voice is heard in family proceedings, what may be less well known is our targeted use of technology is a key factor in ensuring we are at the forefront of our sector.
A digital organisation rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted in 2024, we continually invest to drive performance and efficiency; we have wholly cloud-based technology stack that is essential in supporting and enabling a diverse, flexible and highly mobile workforce.
Central to this role are our Cafcass case management applications and related products. These IT applications are fundamental to our work with children and families, capturing all related data and documents, and are at the forefront of developments in practice and practice improvements with system updates and releases taking place at least quarterly.
If you join us as Junior Product Owner (although internally this role is known as Product Assistant) you will work closely with external partners, be line managed by the Test and Release Manager and work with colleagues right across IT, including the Senior Product Owner, and the wider organisation to:
- Provide full administrative support for the management and documentation of iterations, stories and the backlog.
- Support with the planning, testing and implementation of product releases, including the creation of test scripts and rigorous user acceptance testing (UAT), communications and change management.
- Capture and track lessons learned, known issues and improvement actions.
- Oversee enquiries coming into relevant mailboxes facilitating timely responses to application queries and issues.
- Liaise with internal teams and external providers to identify root causes of issues.
- Support the Senior Product Owner in the management of the product backlog day-to-day and support the effective capture and documentation of functional and non-functional requirements as use cases/user stories.
- Engage with all stakeholders to ensure high-quality, multi-channel training materials are available.
The above is just a flavour and we encourage you to read the job description, to ensure you have a greater appreciation of what the role will entail.
In terms of what we’re looking for in you, you will have:
- Foundation level IT qualification or equivalent is desirable.
- Demonstrable experience of working with enterprise-level case management solutions.
- Demonstrable experience of providing administrative support, including the effective capture, documentation and management of detailed information.
- Experience of providing advice and guidance.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
Let’s make a difference. Together.
Whether you’re one of our social workers or work in our corporate teams, like IT, then everyone has a critical role to play. And so, if you join us as Junior Product Owner you’ll see further references to ‘Together’ as this is the name of our relationship-based framework that underpins how we work around here.
Benefits that really benefit you.
On top of a competitive salary, you’ll have an excellent holiday allowance (28 days + Bank Holidays), a Local Government pension with, Health and Wellbeing cash plan and the potential to bring your continuous service with you - which could mean you have 33 days holiday from day one - and a wide range of other benefits that collectively makes for a great package with a highly supportive employer.
Further evidence of how our commitment to supporting our colleagues’ wellbeing is the four dedicated days per year when they are encouraged to spend time doing things that directly benefit their wellbeing.
Location, location, location
Our IT team is based all across England and so we are genuinely flexible on your location. However, there may be some very occasional requirements to travel, and we know many colleagues welcome the chance to work in a truly hybrid way that offers the best of working from home and in the office. Therefore, it may be helpful if you are located close to locations such as London and Leeds where many of our IT team are technically based.
We represent children and families from diverse backgrounds. We want our staff to mirror this.
We particularly welcome applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds as we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the children and families we work with. We are also a Disability Confident Employer which further underlines our commitment to employ, train, retain and develop the careers of colleagues with disabilities.
Still interested?
Our application process is short and simple to complete. But before you apply, please make sure your CV really amplifies the experience, skills and behaviours we’ve asked for above and in the job description.
We are looking to move forward with this recruitment process quickly and so will review applications and be in touch as soon as we can. Similarly, the recruitment process we follow may in part be influenced by the quality and quantity of applications we receive, but it is likely to include two interview stages as well as relevant assessments.
It is our intention to complete recruitment for this post no later than w/c 16th June but if we can move quicker then we will look to do so. We also reserve the right to extend the deadline to apply if, in our assessment, this will allow us to potentially attract additional applicants. Should we do this, it will not automatically mean anyone who has already applied has been discounted, only that we want to expand the range of candidates we can select from.
We look forward to receiving your application.
Be Their Voice
We are Cafcass – the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service – and we represent children in family court cases in England.
Independently advising the family courts about what is safe for children and in their best interests, we speak up for over 140,0000 children every year when the family court makes critical decisions about their futures, ensuring their needs, wishes and feelings are heard.
Watch our video to find out we don’t just listen to children’s voices but we can be their voice.
If our purpose resonates with you, and you share our ambitions for children - exceptional experiences, for every child, everywhere and every time - then if you join us, you will work alongside like-minded people in a diverse, inclusive and supportive organisation.
You will be trusted to work flexibly and independently using outstanding technology (e.g. touchscreen laptops, iPhone, all with first class support, including IT Trainers) with access to substantial resources (e.g. Cafcass Library has over 27,000 resources on social work, child protection and related topics). You will also have opportunities to develop, whatever team you join, wherever you are in the country and at whatever stage you are at in your career.
Whether you join us in one of our social work roles that work directly with children and families or our corporate and business services teams who provide technology, support and expertise, you will have the chance to make a difference for children and families. You can also find out more at www.cafcass.gov.uk/careers.
Wellbeing
The wellbeing of our colleagues is something we are truly passionate about, as demonstrated by everyone having four dedicated, additional days per year when they are encouraged to spend time focusing on their health and wellbeing.
Colleagues can also have a health and wellbeing cash plan, for which Cafcass pays the basic premium (you can upgrade to include family members), which allows them to claim back some costs of routine health expenses, including dental check-ups, eye tests, physiotherapy sessions and more.
Overall, we foster a holistic approach to supporting our colleagues, benefitting physical, mental and financial health. This is led by a dedicated in-house team, the benefits of which include meaning support is targeted and specific to what colleagues need. Our team can also offer support and guidance when it comes to specific health conditions, such as neuro-diverse conditions, cancer and the menopause.
Our wellbeing offer is further strengthened by an external Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) which provides a free confidential support service 24 hours a day. This means access to clinical and professional expertise which gives you a chance to talk about all kinds of work and personal issues.
If this wasn’t enough, we are especially proud that over 125 colleagues have completed training and receive ongoing support to act as Health and Wellbeing Champions. Furthermore, we have nearly 100 people that have trained to be Mental Health Allies.
Diversity
We represent children and families from diverse backgrounds and having a diverse workforce helps us to fulfil this responsibility authentically.
It also helps us to grow, evolve and innovate, so we particularly welcome applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds as we strive to ensure our workforce reflects the diversity of the children and families we work with.
We are also a Disability Confident Leader, which further underlines our commitment to employ, train, retain and develop the careers of colleagues with disabilities.
Our Diversity Networks provide a safe space for colleagues with shared aspects of identity and lived experience – supported by allies across the organisation. The networks help ensure we provide an inclusive working environment and a service which promotes the diversity and uniqueness of children and families from all backgrounds.
For more information watch our video here.
Our current networks include:
Kaleidoscope Network
Colleagues from Black Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
Mental Health Network
Colleagues who experience, or have an interest in, Mental Health issues.
Pride
Network
Colleagues who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans – LGBT+.
Neurodiversity Network
Colleagues who are neurodivergent, or support someone who is
Together
‘Together with Children and Families’ (which we just call ‘Together’) is the name of our relationship-based practice framework. It applies to the work of every individual in Cafcass, from Social Workers to Leaders and includes our Corporate and Business Support teams.
It is at the heart of what we do and is made up of our values, how these values work in practice, the tools to use to incorporate these values in our work and the impact this will have on the children and families we serve.
This framework encourages us to be pro-active and to look for the strengths in ourselves and others. It also enables us to build positive relationships with our colleagues, our partners and most importantly, with the children and families with whom we work.
We look forward to telling helping you learn more about Together should you join us.
Benefits
We know if you join us you want to be rewarded in a variety of ways, including time away from work to spend time with those important to you, manage your financial present and future, whilst also be trusted to manage your work/life balance.
Therefore, in addition to our unique, holistic approach to supporting your health and wellbeing we also provide:
Generous holidays
28 days holiday (including three for Christmas) rising to 33 days with five years continuous service, which could include your current employment. You can also sell any you do not need.
This list is just a selection of main benefits and we have a range of policies and processes that allow us to support our colleagues - and their families – and we look forward to providing you with further information about these in due course.
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