Deborah Ward Email and Phone Number

Working in a role that requires my strong organisation, communication, interpersonal and data-analytical skills. Also requires me to be data-protection savvy and diversity aware.

I am responsible for the administration and return of voting papers arising from national and local election polling stations. I quickly build rapport with new teams each time, oversee and assist with processes and guide the general public. This post requires my calm manner, my listening, communication and interpersonal skills together with my eye for detail as there is no room for mistakes, especially when completing the ballot papers late at night. I enjoy working always with great people who, like me, enjoy contributing to our community.

• Leadership: I stepped in to lead the Branch when the post unexpectedly became vacant.• Management: I managed 8 staff members (delegating work, monitoring progress, holding one-to-ones or collaborative meetings and conducting appraisals). I was also involved in recruitment from drawing up the job specification, advertising the post, interviewing and decision-making.• Strategic: I contributed to policy writing/reviews/updates (eg. Shared Parental Leave), formed part of HAY grade job evaluation panels, and was consulted on restructures (inc. TUPE) and redundancies.• Welfare Committee member: I attended meetings, threw fund-raising ideas into the ring and provided reports when required. I also promoted the Welfare fund through publicity. • Customer-focused: a trained Welfare Officer, I listened patiently to people’s financial difficulties and used financial acumen, assessment and discernment. If they met the assistance criterion, I steered them through their application, prompting them for proof of income/debt and other private information. My support was valued and I was regularly told that I was a good listener. • Report writing: including Branch, finance, case work and Welfare reports.• Communication/interpersonal skills: using assertive communication to negotiate issues, mediate conflicts, and affect compromise and positive outcomes with senior managers and County Councillors around matters including disciplinary, grievance, ill-health and capability.• Advisory work: answering Helpdesk queries in a timely manner by email, phone or in person on a wide range of matters including retirement, flexible working, parental leave, unequal pay, discrimination. Some I could answer straight away, others I needed to research so would let the person know how soon they could expect a response from me.