Connection Support Jobs

Our Activity Service

The Activity Service is an important part of our organisation, delivering high quality activities to the older people of Merton. Our Activity team create and deliver a wide range of activities including a daily lunch club, crafting, poetry, singing and exercises at our centre in Mitcham and other locations across the borough of Merton.

The Activity service is busy and vibrant where no two days are the same, the service has over 10,000 attendees a year, taking part in over 700 activities and exercise classes. The service enables our community to live more healthily, happily and independently in later life.

About the Role

We are recruiting an Activity Coordinator to support the Activity Service Manager in the delivery and development of the Activity service.

The Activities Coordinator will be a hands-on role, working with the team who deliver a wide range of activities both existing and new at our centre and across the borough of Merton.

The role will deputise for the Activities Service manager and has line manager responsibilities overseeing both the team and the delivery of activities. This role will work closely with the volunteers who support the service, building on the current volunteer programme to develop the volunteer role and experience.

The role will play a key part in organising the delivery of existing activities, ensuring they are delivered to an exceptional standard with the service users at the heart of the service.

About You

You are an enthusiastic, motivated and organised person who has experience of supervising a team of staff or volunteers, you have excellent people skills and are looking for a role where real impact is made. Your approach to problems is with a positive outlook and a can-do attitude, you are ready to get involved in the delivery of the service, leading by example and spending time connecting and supporting the clients who attend the activities.

Experience of supporting older people in a health and social care function is not essential but desirable. What is important is your ability to lead and work as part of a team, using your initiative, being flexible and collaborative across the team at Age UK Merton. All our employees demonstrate our values of Quality, Integrity, Kindness, Inclusivity and Collaboration, and you will see this reflected throughout the people who make Age UK a wonderful place to work.

Job Description

 We are an equal opportunities employer, aspiring to reflect the communities that we serve, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. We value diversity and believe our differences enrich the services we provide to local older adults. They also help us as colleagues by encouraging us to challenge ourselves, learn, innovate, and adapt.

 Job title: Activity Coordinator

Salary: £28,000 - £31,500 per year

Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week

Responsible to: Activity Service Manager

Based at: Elmwood Centre in Mitcham and various locations across Merton. This role requires the delivery of activities in person at our centre.

Contract: Permanent

Age UK Merton supports over 3,000 older people a year, our mission is to provide quality advice and services that meet the needs of older adults in Merton.

We have a comprehensive package of employee support, including a holistic approach to our employees’ health and wellbeing.

We offer:

25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays. In recognition of long service, this annual leave entitlement will increase to 27 days after 5 years’ continuous service, and to 30 days after 10 years’ continuous service.

Age UK Merton gifts an additional three days leave between Christmas and New Year.

Admittance to our employee benefit scheme Medicash- a suite of health and wellbeing support.

Enrolment into our pension scheme.

Key Result areas

· Innovate, develop, and deliver a wide range of new and existing activities for service users.

· Encourage clients to attend and participate in a range of activities

· Welcome all clients who attend the activity centre and enable them to engage in activities.

· Deputizing for the Activity Centre Manager.

· Create and collate feedback from service users.

· Identify and develop existing volunteer roles within the Activity Service.

· Work collaboratively with other Age UK Merton Services and teams to provide help and advice to clients who are identified as needing additional support.

· Building strong collaborative relationships with external partners who deliver exercise classes.

Organisation and Coordination of Activities

· To organise the delivery of all activities and exercise classes in the centre.

· To be actively involved in the ongoing development and design new activities held across the borough.

· To support the planning and development of Age UK Merton’s quarterly activity guide to include all events at Age UK Merton.

· To plan and coordinate the distribution of the activity guide across the borough with out team of volunteers.

· To encourage the attendance of activities to new and existing clients.

Volunteers

· Working with the Volunteer Service develop the volunteer programme to deliver an impactful and supportive experience for all the volunteers who support the Activity team.

· Coordinate and organise the team of volunteers who support the Activity service.

Administrative Duties

· Introduce new ways to pay for activities such as online bookings.

· Take bookings for all activities and input details on to the CRM.

· Answer telephone enquiries for the Activity centre.

· Greet all clients and volunteers attending the Activity centre.

Data Capture, Evaluation and Reporting.

· Respond to feedback and suggestions from clients to develop activities.

· Keep records up to date on the CRM for attendees of all activities.

· Working with the Activity Service Manager to expand the delivery of activities into areas of the borough not currently served.

· Working with the Activity Manager to develop client feedback opportunities.

· Support the Activity Manager to identify and write up case studies for funding applications.

· Use the CRM to run reports to support funding bids and reporting.

General

· Establish good working relationships with all relevant stakeholders and liaise as required Comply at all times with the policies and procedures of Age UK Merton.

· Ensure that Age UK Merton’s Equal Opportunities policies, principles and practices are observed and implemented throughout service delivery.

· Carry out any other relevant tasks as required, to ensure the effective development of the organisation and the delivery of its services, this may include supporting weekend and out of hours events for time off in lieu.

· Attend staff meetings and personal supervision and appraisal meetings.

· Be aware of own training needs and participate in training/education to improve performance considered relevant to the post and to achieve agreed targets.

· Act as a representative of the values, beliefs and principles of AUKM at all times

· Undertake any other duties that are requested and commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

 To Apply

Please outline your skills and experience in relation to the person specifcation in the Job Pack and include in your cover letter.

If you don’t meet all the person specifications and you are interested in the role, we would encourage you to apply and include other skills and experiences you have which you feel would transfer to this role.

Alternatively, please call us and have an informal chat.

Please inform us of any reasonable adjustments we can make to support you through our recruitment process.

The last date for applications is 17th of November

Interviews will take place in our offices in Mitcham the week of the 25th of November. If you have not heard from us by this date, you can assume that you have not been shortlisted.

General information about Age UK Merton

Age UK Merton is an independent charity operating within the national Age UK network to provide services for older adults in the London Borough of Merton. Our role is to ensure that older adults can easily access the support, services and care they need as they get older.

Our Priorities

We are passionate about making a difference to the lives of older people in Merton. Our Strategic Plan outlines our three key priorities to improve health and wellbeing by:

1. Providing high quality advice and practical support

2. Building social connection

3. Creating opportunities for lifelong active ageing

Our Vision

Supporting our community with opportunities to love later life

Our Mission

To provide quality advice and services that meet the needs of older adults in Merton

Our Values

We want to be known for:

Inclusivity – A safe, inclusive place to be for all clients, volunteers and staff

Collaboration – Working with partners across sectors to get the best outcomes for Merton’s older adults

Integrity – Robust privacy and confidentiality procedures - trusted staff and volunteers

Kindness – A supportive, empathic place to work, volunteer or receive support

Quality – Providing accredited, person-centred services, respected throughout the borough

CSW is a dedicated team of people working to advance the right of freedom and justice in countries across the world. We are confident in our identity as a Christian human rights organisation that works for freedom of religion or belief for all people, regardless of religion, belief, or non-belief.

The latest internal pulse survey illustrated that CSW is a great place to work: 97% are proud to work for CSW; 97% of staff feel CSW really allows them to make a positive difference, and whilst there is always room for improvement, we couldn’t be prouder of our efforts to curate a healthy culture where every individual is valued and championed.

The Role

This role is all about people – connecting with church leaders and other individuals within church communities, sharing your passion for freedom of religion or belief through sermons, presentations and conversations to inspire others to take action. You’ll be a natural networker and someone entrepreneurial who takes initiative and comes up with your own ideas for how best to reach busy church leaders and congregations. You will be self-motivated and able to work collaboratively.

Key responsibilities (full responsibilities listed in the application pack):

• Proactively source speaking engagements in churches across the UK and fulfil these engagements, both by deploying a network of staff and volunteer speakers and by speaking yourself.
• Develop a plan to reach new and lapsed churches for CSW
• Use the CRM, as well as your own connections, to identify key church stakeholders to approach about partnering with CSW
• Build meaningful relationships with new and existing church partners, with the view to supporting churches in learning about justice and religious freedom issues and establishing or renewing support through prayer, campaigning and giving

Essential criteria (full criteria listed in the application pack):

• Proven experience of church engagement for a charity with demonstrable outcomes
• Experience of public speaking, preferably in churches
• A minimum of two years’ experience of account management or managing relationships with customers/ supporters

Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.

Community Connectors (Mental Health Resilience Worker) 
Post no: 610 
Working base: Leighton Buzzard 
Contract type: Permanent 
Salary: £24,720 per annum 
Hours: 37.0 hours per week, Monday to Friday

About the Role

Community Connectors work as part of an integrated, blended mental health offer to support people with emotional, social and practical needs to access a range of local, non-medical and non-clinical services, to improve confidence, social inclusion and independence.

This role will involve working as part of a multi-disciplinary team with statutory, third sector and NHS colleagues to support clients who are suffering from moderate to severe mental health difficulties. You will need to have experience working with those suffering with mental health illness as well as being able to demonstrate in depth knowledge of the services, support networks and local resources that may assist in improved outcomes for those dealing with complex and enduring mental health issues. The ability to be adaptable, work independently and the resilience to work in some challenging environments are key attributes for this role.

Service Delivery

• Assess suitability for community connection support as part of a blended team approach and support individuals to access the service by utilising in depth knowledge of local voluntary and community services and networks in your respective area
• To work with individuals to coproduce a plan to address their mental health and wellbeing goals. Am enable people to achieve these goals through facilitating access and connecting with appropriate resources
• Enable people to access community resources which may include accompanying them.
• Offer support, guidance and help where possible to people to gain confidence, overcome initial fears and seek solutions to any barriers inhibiting attendance.
• Take a holistic approach, based on the individuals’ priorities and wider determinants of health that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
• To work as part of an integrated team to ensure the best outcomes for each person accessing the service.
• Identify and build good working relationships with the community groups, relevant services and activities for partnership work and signposting as well as keep updated information about them.
• Competently work as part of a blended team, under direction from Mind BLMK and ELFT, working with independence and in an agile way to support people with complex mental health challenges.

Entitlements/benefits:

• 25 days (pro rata) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Auto-enrolment NEST pension scheme (employer contributes 3%, employee contributes 5%)
• Health Plan with a wide variety of benefits
• Discounts available through Blue Light Card & Tickets for Good
• In-house and external Learning and Development as appropriate for the role.
• Flexible Working On request (in line with Mind BLMK policy on Right to Request Flexible Working)

If you have a passion for working in mental health and possess the required skills, we would love to hear from you.

Closedown: 5pm on Friday 25th October 2024
Interview date: TBC
Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if enough suitable applicants apply
Start date: ASAP

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Mind BLMK has been committed to the Mindful Employer charter and the Disability Confident Employer Scheme since 2008.

Please note: Mind BLMK follows Safer Recruitment practices and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Therefore all our roles are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

No agencies please.

In this role you will connect people, ideas and resources to empower the community of Roehampton to thrive. Every day will be a chance to listen, to understand and to make a difference where it matters most as Roehampton is a place where there is a great need to build the ability, knowledge and potential of our community. This work will aid people in the community to collaborate in tackling inequalities which are deep and entrenched. You will be a confident self-starter who is unafraid of taking the initiative but understands the importance of democratic processes, openness and accountability. 

We are seeking an energetic, empathetic and resourceful community lead who has the skills, experience and tenacity to engage widely and support effectively. You will be our person on the ground - getting to know residents and organisations, making things happen, not just with the existing community groups and leaders in the Roehampton area, but also forging new connections with residents, activists and across the wider community and voluntary sector. 

Your day-to-day work will be varied and we expect this to include tasks such as:

• supporting local community organisations on a one-to-one basis, as well as creating and delivering high quality resources and support for them 

• delivering meaningful engagement with residents, empowering them to develop their own networks and co-design projects and programmes which support them effectively 

• managing a local grants programme which pilots and develops effective responses to community needs 

• co-producing and developing our Community Weeks programme as a platform for community support and engagement 

• gathering feedback and carrying out evaluation of our projects and of those we fund. 

Please send a CV and a cover letter of no more than two sides of A4, explaining why you want the job and how your experience relates to the person specification.  We’ll use your cover letter to assess your application alongside your CV. Please ensure that your cover letter explains how you meet the essential criteria that are assessed at application stage i.e. criteria numbers 1-9 on the person specification.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Do you want to work with a leading advocacy charity organisation supporting those in need?

Do you have experience of working or volunteering in welfare, support or health and social care and are looking for a new challenge?

Are you keen to make a difference to people who want to be heard?

Then come and join us here at VoiceAbility.

We are looking for a new Advocate to join our team in South Gloucestershire. We are seeking applicants who have transferable skills, a willingness to learn and a desire to help those in need of support.

About us

VoiceAbility is an independent charity and one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. We deliver a wide range of service contracts funded by local authorities, health trusts and other voluntary and private sector organisations.

We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions about their health, care, and wellbeing for over 40 years. We make sure people are heard when it matters most.  For more information on what Advocacy is and the services offered then please visit our website.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for an Advocate to join our team covering South Gloucestershire. Your role will require you to travel to locations such as hospitals and care homes across the area to meet with clients and professionals and be home based for administration; therefore, access to your own transportation and a suitable home internet connection is essential. 

About you

Desirably you will have some experience of working, providing welfare, supporting, or caring for Adults or young people who have support needs, ideally for those with a variety of communication needs, mental ill health, physical health issues, or barriers to accessing education and support.

You should have worked or volunteered in health, social care, welfare, support services, education or young person’s services, or advice and guidance.

How will you make a difference?

You will be responsible for ensuring the individual’s wishes, feelings, beliefs, needs, and values are met to create positive outcomes for the people you support.

You will support people to speak up for themselves and grow in confidence, equip them to understand and exercise their rights and options, and will assist them in the decision-making process relating to their care, treatment, and support.

You will work resourcefully and collaboratively with the individuals you support.  You’ll be creative in your approach to empower our clients by ensuring you meaningfully explain people’s options and rights to them.  You’ll support individuals to fully participate in decisions affecting them and will make sure they have their voices heard. 

Professional Development?

You will have plenty of opportunities to enhance your professional abilities and you will make a real difference every day.

Benefits:

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• 5% employer pension & 3% employee contribution
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Separate Life Assurance Cover
• Staff discount scheme including retail discounts, entertainment, holidays etc
• Discounted Gym Membership; Employee Assistance programme
• Supportive working environment fostering a good work/life balance
• Support with continuous professional development

Equality and Diversity

VoiceAbility believes in fostering an inclusive workplace which welcomes, values and celebrates the diversity of its staff and partners, treats all on a basis of equality and encourages all to meet their maximum potential.

VoiceAbility are a Disability Confident employer, any applicant that identifies themselves as having a disability and can demonstrate that they meet all the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. If you need to apply in a different way, please contact HR for further options.

How to apply

To apply for this role please sign up for a recruitment account by clicking the apply button on this page. Follow the instructions to create your account, upload your CV, and complete our short application form.

Important Dates:

Closing date for applications; 09:00 on Monday 18th November, however, VoiceAbility reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy before this date.

Don’t forget to read the person specification so you can tell us about yourself and how your skills, abilities and experiences match the criteria outlined in the person specification.

Hint: you can use work, personal and/or voluntary experiences and examples to tell us why you should be our next Advocate.

We look forward to hearing from you.

NB:

If you don't already hold the Independent Advocacy Qualification, and you are successful in your application, it is a requirement that you complete this within 12 months of commencing the training.  VoiceAbility will fund this training.

Senior Peer Support Development Officer – North West

About Kinship:

Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We offer kinship carers financial, legal, practical and emotional support and understanding from the moment they need it, for as long as they need it. Our expert advice, information and guidance helps with complicated and stressful decisions that so many kinship families have to make. We are always there to support them through challenging times and celebrate the good. 

Kinship carers are strong and determined. Together, they are powerful. We help them build communities of support and action by connecting families locally and across England and Wales. 

We are at the heart of kinship networks, partnering with and influencing service providers, local and national government and other organisations. We give everything we have to fight for each family and their rights, changing society until every kinship family is recognised, valued and supported. 

Kinship care often begins in crisis. A child has parents who are unable to care for them, for whatever reason. It can be frightening, confusing and heart-breaking.

Instinctively, a loved one steps in – a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or family friend. They are now a kinship carer, bringing up the children they love. There is often no chance to prepare. Plans may be pushed aside. Relationships, jobs and savings are frequently sacrificed.

It is life changing and challenging raising children who have been hurt or neglected, but kinship carers do it anyway because they put the children first. We know how hard life can be for kinship carers, but we have seen the amazing things they are capable of, with someone by their side. With the right support, children raised in kinship families can flourish. 

That is why we support, connect and campaign – to keep kinship families stronger by keeping them together.

About the Team

The Peer Support and Community team at Kinship is dedicated to enhancing the lives of kinship carers across England and Wales by delivering the first national peer support service. With a focus on building and sustaining networks of peer support groups, the team aims to empower kinship carers through access to resources, training, and development opportunities.

By fostering connections within local, regional, and national ecosystems, the team plays a vital role in ensuring that every kinship carer has access to a supportive community.

As part of our commitment to growth and impact, the team develops innovative approaches to peer support, creating an inclusive environment where kinship carers can share experiences and access essential services. We prioritize collaboration across various departments, ensuring that support group leaders receive high-quality advice and training, facilitating their sustainability and effectiveness. This integrated approach also includes alignment with national and local campaigning efforts to further engage and support the kinship carer community.

In line with our strategic focus on cultivating a vibrant Kinship Community of over 10,000 carers, the team leads initiatives aimed at enhancing community connection and empowering kinship families. By developing a robust model of community engagement that encompasses both in-person and digital services, the team aims to amplify the voices of kinship carers, enabling them to effect meaningful change in their lives and communities.

 About the role

This role is community-based and focuses on engaging kinship carers, bringing them together to form Peer Support Groups, and supporting them to achieve independence at which point they will receive ongoing support from our national Hub. You will do this by working with local authorities, schools, other charities and community groups. Arranging information events such as coffee mornings to engage kinship carers. You’ll create a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive community for kinship carers, building belonging, resilience, and empowerment. Funded by the Department of Education, the National Peer Support Service is a game-changing service that creates a sustainable and life-changing legacy. It builds on Kinship’s 10 years of experience in developing peer support groups and two years of delivering a national service that has set up 145 new groups.

Who we are looking for:

We are seeking an individual located in or around Greater Manchester, and willing to travel across the North West of England who possesses the drive, passion, and skills to:

· Establish new Peer Support Groups across a diverse range of communities

· Supervise a small team of Peer Support Development Officers

· Demonstrate the energy and enthusiasm required to inspire yourself and your team to achieve key targets and objectives

· Work collaboratively within the Peer Support and Community Team, as well as throughout the broader organisation, to ensure the delivery of safe and effective support services for the kinship community.

· Maintain current Peer Support Groups, taking the lead from the national Hub.

· Maintain accurate records that are used to populate reports, identify learning and share key insights across Kinship that allow the organisation to continuously improve our services and products.

In the role of Senior Peer Support Officer, you will be instrumental in ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, consistent, and sustainable peer support service that has a significant impact on the lives of kinship carers.

You should have experience in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with various community-based stakeholders such as local authorities, health services, schools, charities, and kinship carers. You will need to understand the key success factors involved in establishing and developing new in-person groups in areas of high need, as well as how to support existing groups in their journey towards sustainability.

As a practical thinker, you will work creatively to identify stakeholders and assets in areas of high need. You will build local connections and bring together kinship carers across the region, empowering them to build resilient and robust peer support communities.

You will be confident in building relationships that generate referrals from external stakeholders and in contacting kinship carers directly to secure engagement with local coffee mornings, community, and training events that will help kick start a thriving peer support group.

As you establish new groups, you will provide training to help them lead their groups effectively, and develop their group culture, resilience, and skills to function independently while offering reassurance and support to empower them.

You will be an inspirational and energetic team leader with experience in providing day-to-day line management and operational support for a small team.

We are ideally looking for candidates based in or around Greater Manchester but willing to work initially across the whole of the North West. This role may involve working to establish groups in West Yorkshire and into North Staffordshire.

A valid driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes are essential, as this role may require travel across London and its periphery to reach areas in need of dedicated support.

Key responsibilities: 

Service delivery:

• In person (face-to-face) strategic outreach into local and regional communities including setting up and attending local engagement events.
• Work creatively to set up and develop new sustainable in peer support groups, attending up to six sessions in person (if needed) before transition to self-sufficiency.  Existing groups that are at risk, closed or need support will need replacing or rejuvenating to maintain DfE service level agreements across the team, in addition to new groups. 
• Recruit and retain support group leaders to develop their peer support groups.
• Deliver training to support group leaders (group roles and responsibilities, safeguarding, setting up, running and promoting a group).
• Develop strong boundaries and positive relationships with support group leaders – building resilience, empowerment and community.
• Support established groups in your area to access support group leader networks and training (this includes visiting groups in person) to build a peer community. 
• Help develop and deliver a service blueprint for sustainable peer support groups, thinking strategically about how to develop groups.
• You'll collaborate closely with the ‘Hub’ team to provide a joined up and positive user experience for kinship carers. This collaborative approach is key to our success and ensures that kinship carers receive the best possible support.
• Manage special interest groups and regional online groups as required, transitioning to ‘Hub’ team for sustainability and work with partners. 

Service quality, development and data management:

• Accurately record all recruitment, contact information and volunteer case management in Salesforce in line with service framework and data protection requirements.
• Ensure accurate data entry in Salesforce to support service performance, evaluation and learning.
• Provide regular reports to ensure targets and SLA are met for the service.
• Support continuous development and improvement of the service (new systems and processes) as required.

Management and supervision: 

• Inspire, motivate and be responsible for day-to-day line management and supervising up to 4 staff members
• Oversee tactical development of new sustainable groups in your area and your team.
• Help set clear objectives to achieve targets and outcomes.
• Actively encourage personal development and learning.
• Increase efficiencies and impact across the team.
• Ensure good team induction processes and systems are in place.
• Role model Kinship values. 

Team culture:

• Act in the best interest of Kinship and the families we support.
• Maintain and contribute up to date understanding of kinship care.
• Deliver effective administration with attention to detail and keeping to deadlines.
• Identify and contribute to appropriate case studies to demonstrate the impact of Kinship services and contribute to policy and campaigns work.
• Actively contribute to delivering and evidencing a high performing service.
• Take responsibility for your ongoing continued professional development.
• Work in line with the Kinship values.

 Knowledge, abilities, skills and experience (person spec):

 Essential: 

• Experience of team leadership or line management and supervision of a small team and managing performance to deliver targets effectively.
• Proven experience in reaching and establishing strong relationships with hidden or underserved communities in person.
•  Experience developing peer support communities.
• Proven experience of recruiting, managing, training and supporting volunteers in community settings with an emphasis on understanding and working with vulnerable volunteers. 
• Proven experience of ensuring outcomes and impacts of services is evidenced through high-quality data collection. 
• Evidence of delivering training/support to volunteers,
• Strong facilitation skills and essential experience of peer support or user led groups with charity beneficiaries. 
• Understanding of safeguarding particularly around vulnerable families. 
• Excellent communication and engagement skills, with good attention to detail.
• Full driving licence and use of a car for work purposes.

 Desirable:

· Lived experience of kinship care.

· Understanding of children’s social care.

· Digital community building (Facebook / WhatsApp etc).

· Full, clean driving licence/own car.

 General characteristics and attributes:

· Flexible and willing to travel for work across England and Wales.

· Drive and have access to a vehicle.

· Commitment to the values, aims and objectives of Kinship.

· A real commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion within your role and a respectful approach to working with people from a range of backgrounds.

· Good standard of written and spoken English.

· Permission to work in the UK.

· Able to remain focused on the primary task of establishing new peer support groups, ensuring that more kinship carers have access to high-quality peer support.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion 

Kinship is committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.  We believe our work is greatly enhanced by the varied backgrounds, experiences and views represented within our teams.  We aim to create inclusive teams, celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be their true self at work. We therefore encourage applications from anyone who fits our values, whatever their religion or belief, sex, gender identity, race, age, sexuality or disability and are actively seeking candidates that can bring real innovation and commitment to us. 

Candidate Application Information

Please refer to the Job Description for this role to check that you meet the criteria necessary for the job. Closing date and interview details:

Closing date: 1 November 2024 12:00 pm

Interviews:  1st Interview Week Commencing 4 November

2nd Interview Week Commencing 11 November

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the stated deadline.

We will guarantee interviews to any candidates with experience of kinship care (either of being in kinship care or of being a kinship carer) who demonstrate they meet the essential skills and experience outlined.

Please tell us if there are any reasonable adjustments, we can make to assist you in your application. If you have a disability, which you would like us to consider, please tell us about this when you apply.  Please let us know if we can help and remember that you can request information in large print or in a different format. 

Hours: 40 hours per week
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Start Date: As soon as possible
Application Deadline: 8th November 2024

About The Anti-Slavery Collective (TASC)

Founded in 2017, The Anti-Slavery Collective (TASC) is a connector and convener of people, groups, and ideas. Our mission is to create linkages between decision-makers, corporates, and civil society allies to disrupt modern slavery and human trafficking.

We have built partnerships with business pioneers, civil society allies, and leaders, hosted high-level events, brought the issue of modern slavery back to the World Economic Forum, and amplified survivor leaders' voices.

TASC's mission is twofold:

1. Shifting societal consciousness: We seek to transform public awareness so society rejects the trafficking and exploitation of people and demands ethical products and services.
2. Supporting businesses: We provide businesses with tools, information, and connections to eliminate modern slavery from their supply chains, promoting global business practices that prioritise human welfare.

About the Role

The Director of Partnerships will lead TASC’s partnership efforts, responsible for cultivating and securing new partnerships, and delivering on partnership strategies. You will manage relationships with key strategic partners, donors, civil society allies, and academic stakeholders. The Director of Partnerships will work closely with the CEO, contributing to the charity’s broader external relations activities, while operating with independence and professionalism.

Key Responsibilities

• Partnership Strategy and Relationship Management:

  • Contribute to developing new partnership strategies.
  • Manage deliverables and track impact milestones as outlined in partnership strategies.
  • Oversee day-to-day correspondence with donors and strategic partners.
  • Facilitate meetings and visits with key stakeholders.
  • Support the CEO and team members in engaging with strategic partners.
  • Lead or contribute to relevant research projects.

• Internal Coordination:

  • Build strong relationships with colleagues to ensure effective information sharing.
  • Coordinate joint inputs for briefs, communication materials, and applications.
  • Collaborate with the team in producing and disseminating deliverables, updates, and communication materials.
  • Regularly contribute to TASC's internal Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system.

• Operational Support:

  • Support the organisation’s broader projects or events as required.
  • Maintain relationships with NGOs, research institutions, and stakeholders to stay informed about trends, collaborations, and funding opportunities.

• Grant Management:

  • Manage all aspects of grant servicing, ensuring deadlines are met and donor requirements are fulfilled.
  • Draft and collate reports and grant applications, ensuring alignment with donor requirements.
  • Maintain systems for tracking grant data and provide information for internal use and Board papers.

• Management:

  • Line-manage a direct report (Partnerships Manager).

Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Right to work in London.
• Excellent written English.
• Proven experience in building cross-sector partnerships, especially with corporate partners.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to engage with a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and manage multiple assignments simultaneously.
• High level of initiative and ability to work independently.

Desirable:

• Experience in a corporate partnership or similar role.
• Knowledge or experience in the field of modern slavery, human rights, or development.
• Understanding of contracting and grant-making processes.
• Willingness and ability to travel locally and internationally.

Compensation

• 25 days holiday (pro rata), plus public holidays.
• For further details regarding salary, please inquire.

Application Process

Applications must be submitted in English and include a CV, a one-page cover letter, and the contact details of two referees (one must be your current or most recent line manager or Head of HR).
Please email your application in PDF format  with "Director of Partnerships" in the subject line by 5:00 PM on 8th November 2024.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further consideration.

The Anti-Slavery Collective is an equal opportunities employer, committed to creating a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage applications from people with disabilities, Black, Asian, Indigenous or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+, and from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

Applicants must be eligible to work in London.

TASC is committed to meaningful survivor inclusion and leadership. We strongly encourage applicants with lived experience of trafficking or forced labour to apply.

As Content Manager, you will be responsible for implementing and iterating the content framework. The framework describes the what, why, and how of producing high-quality, effective content at Battersea:

• What: Defining content pillars and content types that the content team works on.
• Why: Ensuring that all content the team produces supports Battersea’s overall marketing strategy and organisational strategy.
• How: Upholding an efficient process for content production and effective collaboration with stakeholders.

Collaboration is essential within this role. You’ll need to work closely with senior stakeholders and channel owners across the Brand team, Digital team, Communications, Insight and Impact and the wider organisation.
Strong communication, interpersonal and consultative skills, and the proven ability to build relationships are vital to aid the smooth delivery of strategic projects and to drive to do things more effectively and efficiently through buy-in.
You’ll be adept at using data to inform content strategy and content approach exploring the ‘why’ across user needs. This includes leveraging insights, conducting content evaluations, and performing your own desktop research to bring our work to life, as we continue to develop our audience building and evaluation frameworks.
You’ll be supporting a dynamic Content team, giving guidance, coaching and fostering a culture of creativity and strategic direction, so they can deliver the right content, to the right audience at the right time which inspires connection to our cause and engagement with our brand.

What we can offer you:
In return for your commitment to our cause and to recognise the value of our employees, Battersea offers a range of benefits to support the wellbeing of our employees. These include:

• 28 days of annual leave (plus 8 days paid public holidays) per year
• Discounted gym memberships and cycle to work schemes
• Employee Assistance Programme and access to Wellbeing Resources.
• Generous pension contributions – up to 10% employer contribution
• Free healthcare cash plan, where you can claim for a range of treatment including dental, optical, physiotherapy, chiropody and acupuncture every year.
• Annual interest-free season ticket loans

We are also committed to providing learning and development to our employees. During your time with us, we provide support for your professional and career development, including access to digital and in-person training programmes, leadership and management training, mentoring and much more.

Our Hybrid Working Policy:
We operate a 50% onsite hybrid working model, with our office-based staff splitting their time between site based and home working. This enables our office-based staff to balance the benefits of home working with onsite collaboration and maintaining a connection to our cause.

Diversity and inclusion
At Battersea, we are committed to developing and supporting a diverse workforce and inclusive culture in all aspects of our organisation. We aim to ensure that this pledge, reinforced by our values, is embedded in our day-to-day working practices and our work together.
By hearing from and valuing different experiences, perspectives, and contributions, we know we can provide the best expert care for every dog and cat who needs us. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those from diverse ethnic communities and people with disabilities, who we know are currently underrepresented in our workforce.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer we will ask about any adjustments you may need at application and/or interview stage, and if you are offered a role with us, we’ll talk to you about any workplace adjustments you may need to help you perform at your best.

More about us
At Battersea, we aim to never turn away a dog or cat in need of help. We give each one lots of love, expert care and get to know their characters and quirks so we can find them a new home that’s just right for them. Join us and help us be here for every dog and cat, wherever they are, for as long as they need us.

Closing date: 3rd November 2024
Interview date(s): 7th November 2024 (1st round); 14th November 2024 (2nd round)
Start date: ASAP

To apply for the role, please click the button below. All applications must be submitted before the closing date advertised. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Peer Support Development Officer – Greater London

 About Kinship:

Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We offer kinship carers financial, legal, practical and emotional support and understanding from the moment they need it, for as long as they need it. Our expert advice, information and guidance helps with complicated and stressful decisions that so many kinship families have to make. We are always there to support them through challenging times and celebrate the good. 

Kinship carers are strong and determined. Together, they are powerful. We help them build communities of support and action by connecting families locally and across England and Wales. 

We are at the heart of kinship networks, partnering with and influencing service providers, local and national government and other organisations. We give everything we have to fight for each family and their rights, changing society until every kinship family is recognised, valued and supported. 

Kinship care often begins in crisis. A child has parents who are unable to care for them, for whatever reason. It can be frightening, confusing and heart-breaking.

Instinctively, a loved one steps in – a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or family friend. They are now a kinship carer, bringing up the children they love. There is often no chance to prepare. Plans may be pushed aside. Relationships, jobs and savings are frequently sacrificed.

It is life changing and challenging raising children who have been hurt or neglected, but kinship carers do it anyway because they put the children first.

We know how hard life can be for kinship carers, but we have seen the amazing things they are capable of, with someone by their side. With the right support, children raised in kinship families can flourish. 

That is why we support, connect and campaign – to keep kinship families stronger by keeping them together.

About the Team

The Peer Support and Community team at Kinship is dedicated to enhancing the lives of kinship carers across England and Wales by delivering the first national peer support service. With a focus on building and sustaining networks of peer support groups, the team aims to empower kinship carers through access to resources, training, and development opportunities.

By fostering connections within local, regional, and national ecosystems, the team plays a vital role in ensuring that every kinship carer has access to a supportive community.

As part of our commitment to growth and impact, the team develops innovative approaches to peer support, creating an inclusive environment where kinship carers can share experiences and access essential services. We prioritize collaboration across various departments, ensuring that support group leaders receive high-quality advice and training, facilitating their sustainability and effectiveness. This integrated approach also includes alignment with national and local campaigning efforts to further engage and support the kinship carer community.

In line with our strategic focus on cultivating a vibrant Kinship Community of over 10,000 carers, the team leads initiatives aimed at enhancing community connection and empowering kinship families. By developing a robust model of community engagement that encompasses both in-person and digital services, the team aims to amplify the voices of kinship carers, enabling them to effect meaningful change in their lives and communities.

 About the role

This role is community-based and focuses on engaging kinship carers, bringing them together to form Peer Support Groups, and supporting them to achieve independence at which point they will receive ongoing support from our national Hub.

You will do this by working with local authorities, schools, other charities and community groups. Arranging information events such as coffee mornings to engage kinship carers. You’ll create a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive community for kinship carers, building belonging, resilience, and empowerment.

Funded by the Department of Education, the National Peer Support Service is a game-changing service that creates a sustainable and life-changing legacy. It builds on Kinship’s 10 years of experience in developing peer support groups and two years of delivering a national service that has set up 145 new groups.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking an individual located in Greater London, who possesses the drive, passion, and skills to:

• Develop new Peer Support Groups across a diverse range of communities
• Demonstrate the energy and enthusiasm required to achieve key targets and objectives
• Work collaboratively within the Peer Support and Community Team, as well as throughout the broader organisation, to ensure the development of safe and effective support services for the kinship community.
• Maintain current Peer Support Group levels, taking the lead from the national Hub.
• Maintain accurate records that are used to populate reports, identify learning and share key insights across Kinship that allow the organisation to continuously improve our services and products.

You should have experience in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with various community-based stakeholders such as local authorities, health services, schools, charities, and kinship carers. You will need to understand the key success factors involved in establishing and developing new in-person groups in areas of high need, as well as how to support existing groups in their journey towards sustainability.

As a practical thinker, you will work creatively to identify stakeholders and assets in areas of high need. You will build local connections and bring together kinship carers across the region, empowering them to build resilient and robust peer support communities.

You will be confident in building relationships that generate referrals from external stakeholders and in contacting kinship carers directly to secure engagement with local coffee mornings, community, and training events that will help kick-start a thriving peer support group.

As you establish new groups, you will provide support and training to help them lead their groups effectively, and develop their group culture, resilience, and skills to function independently while offering reassurance and support to empower them.

We are ideally looking for candidates based in or around Greater London and willing to work initially across London Boroughs. This role may involve work to establish groups on the periphery of this area that currently have no dedicated Development staff.

An essential requirement of the role is to be a driver with access to a vehicle for work purposes.

 Key responsibilities: 

Service delivery:

• In-person (face-to-face) strategic outreach into local communities including setting up and attending local engagement events.
• Set up and develop sustainable in person peer support groups, initially attending and leading sessions in person before transition to self-sufficiency. 
• Working with existing groups that are at risk, closed or need support that need replacing or rejuvenating to maintain DfE service level agreement, in addition to new groups. Targets are subject to change and are not fixed. 
• Recruit and retain support group leaders to develop their peer support groups.
• Assist with the delivery of training to support group leaders and groups to become self-sufficient.
• Develop strong boundaried and positive relationships with support group leaders – building resilience, empowerment and community.
• Support established groups (including independent) in your area to access support group leader networks and training (this includes visiting groups in person) to build a peer community. 
• Follow (and where appropriate support further development off) the service blueprint to develop sustainable peer support groups.
• Collaborate with the Peer Support Hub team to provide a joined-up and positive user experience for kinship carers.
• Manage special interest groups and regional online groups as required, transitioning to ‘Hub’ team for sustainability and work with partners. 

Service quality, development and data management:

• Accurately record all recruitment, contact information and volunteer case management in Salesforce in line with service framework and data protection requirements.
• Ensure accurate data entry in Salesforce to support service performance, evaluation and learning.
• Provide regular reports to ensure targets and SLA are met for the service.
• Support continuous development and improvement of the service (new systems and processes) as required.
  

Team culture:

• Act in the best interest of Kinship and the families we support.
• Maintain and contribute up to date understanding of kinship care.
• Deliver effective administration with attention to detail and keeping to deadlines.
• Identify and contribute to appropriate case studies to demonstrate the impact of Kinship services and contribute to policy and campaigns work.
• Actively contribute to delivering and evidencing a high performing service.
• Take responsibility for your ongoing continued professional development.
• Work in line with the Kinship values.

 Knowledge, abilities, skills and experience (person spec):

 Essential:

· Proven experience in reaching and establishing strong relationships with hidden or underserved communities in person.

· Significant experience developing peer support communities.

· Proven experience of recruiting, managing, training and supporting volunteers in community settings with an emphasis on understanding and working with vulnerable volunteers.

· Proven experience of ensuring outcomes and impacts of services are evidenced through high-quality data collection.

· Evidence of developing and delivering training/support to volunteers, based on the needs of service users (in this case kinship carers).

· Strong facilitation skills and essential experience of peer support or user-led groups with charity beneficiaries.

· Proven experience of using a customer relationship management system effectively (we use Salesforce).

· In-depth understanding of safeguarding particularly around vulnerable families.

· Excellent communication and engagement skills, with good attention to detail.

Desirable:

· Lived experience of kinship care.

· Understanding of children’s social care.

· Digital community building (Facebook / WhatsApp etc).

· Full, clean driving licence/own car.

General characteristics and attributes:

· Flexible and willing to travel for work across England.

· Commitment to the values, aims and objectives of Kinship.

· A real commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion within your role and a respectful approach to working with people from a range of backgrounds.

· Excellent written and spoken English.

· Permission to work in the UK.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion 

Kinship is committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.  We believe our work is greatly enhanced by the varied backgrounds, experiences and views represented within our teams.  We aim to create inclusive teams, celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be their true self at work. We therefore encourage applications from anyone who fits our values, whatever their religion or belief, sex, gender identity, race, age, sexuality or disability and are actively seeking candidates that can bring real innovation and commitment to us. 

Candidate Application Information

Please refer to the Job Description for this role to check that you meet the criteria necessary for the job. Closing and Interview details are:

Closing date: 1 November 2024 12:00 pm

Interviews: Week Commencing 4 November

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the stated deadline.

We will guarantee interviews to any candidates with experience of kinship care (either of being in kinship care or of being a kinship carer) who demonstrate they meet the essential skills and experience outlined.

Please tell us if there are any reasonable adjustments, we can make to assist you in your application. If you have a disability, which you would like us to consider, please tell us about this when you apply.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion 

Kinship is committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.  We believe our work is greatly enhanced by the varied backgrounds, experiences and views represented within our teams.  We aim to create inclusive teams, celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be their true self at work. We therefore encourage applications from anyone who fits our values, whatever their religion or belief, sex, gender identity, race, age, sexuality or disability and are actively seeking candidates that can bring real innovation and commitment to us. 

Candidate Application Information

Please refer to the Job Description for this role to check that you meet the criteria necessary for the job. Closing and Interview details are:

Closing date: 1 November 2024 12:00 pm

Interviews: Week Commencing 4 November

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the stated deadline.

We will guarantee interviews to any candidates with experience of kinship care (either of being in kinship care or of being a kinship carer) who demonstrate they meet the essential skills and experience outlined.

Please tell us if there are any reasonable adjustments, we can make to assist you in your application. If you have a disability, which you would like us to consider, please tell us about this when you apply.  Please let us know if we can help and remember that you can request information in large print or in a different format. 

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Floating Scheme Manager to oversee two key homelessness support projects in St Albans and Broxbourne. This position is ideal for an experienced/skilled manager who can ensure the smooth, safe, and effective day-to-day operation of both a night shelter and a supported housing project, delivering trauma-informed care and managing all housing and support functions to a high standard. You will have proven experience of managing homelessness support schemes or similar settings, ideally within night shelters, supported housing, or outreach. This role is to cover for up to 3 months whilst a permanent Scheme Manager is appointed or you can apply for the permanent role, whilst working in the temporary role.
 

• Oversee the operations of a 12-bedroom night shelter in St Albans, catering to rough sleepers, single homeless, and vulnerably housed individuals, prioritising those with a local connection.
• Manage a supported housing project in Broxbourne, providing housing and outreach services for 16 single adults experiencing multiple disadvantages.
• Ensure a strong management presence at both sites, actively engaging with service users and ensuring safe, effective service delivery.

• Lead, supervise, and support a dedicated team of support workers & night workers, empowering them to deliver trauma-informed, psychologically grounded support.
• Oversee training, performance management, and the development of staff to maintain a supportive, safe environment.

At Prospectus we invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you with your application. We welcome all candidates to apply, regardless of age, sex/gender, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status or pregnancy/maternity.

In order to apply please submit your CV in the first instance. Should your experience be suitable, we will arrange for a call to brief you on the role. We are looking forward to connecting with you.

Trees for Cities is an independent, national charity that works with communities to plant and care for urban trees, helping to create greener and healthier cities across the UK and internationally for the last 30 years.

We are in a pivotal decade for environmental action, and our current strategy, The Turn of Trees (2022-25), is focused on engaging communities in climate action through the simple yet powerful act of tree planting. Looking ahead, our new strategy launching in 2025 will build on this momentum to create a social movement for tree equity - ensuring that all communities regardless of socioeconomic status, race, or geographic location have access to the benefits that trees provide, including cleaner air, cooler temperatures, improved mental health, and enhanced biodiversity.

The Role
We are seeking a dynamic and visionary Head of Marketing & Digital Engagement to lead our efforts in inspiring, engaging, and empowering communities, volunteers, and supporters across the UK. This is a critical new role, focused on implementing and operationalising our new strategy, enhancing our reach, and building the foundations for our future growth. The role offers the opportunity to lead the development of Trees for Cities’ first national digital engagement strategy, ensuring we build strong connections with communities and supporters through creative campaigns and digital platforms.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and delivery of our first national digital engagement strategy, driving public awareness and support for urban trees.
• Inspire and mobilise communities and supporters through innovative campaigns that highlight the benefits of tree planting and urban greening.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to ensure the successful implementation of our organisational strategy, enhancing our digital presence to extend our reach.
• Oversee a talented marketing and engagement team, providing leadership, direction, and fresh ideas to foster growth and deepen our connections.
• Act as a senior voice in the organisation, influencing decision-making and shaping the future direction of Trees for Cities.

About You
We are looking for an experienced marketing leader with a passion for the environment and community engagement. You will have a proven track record of developing and implementing successful digital engagement strategies, and experience leading creative campaigns that inspire action – this could be within a charity or a wider commercial setting. You will be an excellent communicator, capable of influencing at a senior level, and able to bring fresh perspectives to the organisation.

Why Join Us?
At Trees for Cities, we pride ourselves on our warm, inclusive, and vibrant work culture. Our team is deeply motivated by the cause, and we are committed to supporting each other as we work towards a greener, healthier future. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an organisation making a tangible difference in urban environments and communities across the UK.

If you are passionate about mobilising social action and inspiring change, and have the skills and experience to lead our marketing and digital engagement efforts, we’d love to hear from you.

To learn more about the role and organisation, including how to have an informal conversation about the opportunity and apply, please download the full appointment brief.

Closing date: 17 November 2024

Panel Interview Dates: 2 December and then 9 December 2024

Peer Support Development Officer – South East and M4 Corridor

Thank you for your interest in the above role.  This pack tells you more about Kinship, how we work, and details of the role and the people you will be working with. It also gives information on how to apply.

About Kinship:

Kinship is the leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We offer kinship carers financial, legal, practical and emotional support and understanding from the moment they need it, for as long as they need it. Our expert advice, information and guidance helps with complicated and stressful decisions that so many kinship families have to make. We are always there to support them through challenging times and celebrate the good. 

Kinship carers are strong and determined. Together, they are powerful. We help them build communities of support and action by connecting families locally and across England and Wales. 

We are at the heart of kinship networks, partnering with and influencing service providers, local and national government and other organisations. We give everything we have to fight for each family and their rights, changing society until every kinship family is recognised, valued and supported. 

Kinship care often begins in crisis. A child has parents who are unable to care for them, for whatever reason. It can be frightening, confusing and heart-breaking.

Instinctively, a loved one steps in – a grandparent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle or family friend. They are now a kinship carer, bringing up the children they love. There is often no chance to prepare. Plans may be pushed aside. Relationships, jobs and savings are frequently sacrificed.

It is life changing and challenging raising children who have been hurt or neglected, but kinship carers do it anyway because they put the children first.

We know how hard life can be for kinship carers, but we have seen the amazing things they are capable of, with someone by their side. With the right support, children raised in kinship families can flourish. 

That is why we support, connect and campaign – to keep kinship families stronger by keeping them together

About the Team

The Peer Support and Community team at Kinship is dedicated to enhancing the lives of kinship carers across England and Wales by delivering the first national peer support service. With a focus on building and sustaining networks of peer support groups, the team aims to empower kinship carers through access to resources, training, and development opportunities.

By fostering connections within local, regional, and national ecosystems, the team plays a vital role in ensuring that every kinship carer has access to a supportive community.

As part of our commitment to growth and impact, the team develops innovative approaches to peer support, creating an inclusive environment where kinship carers can share experiences and access essential services. We prioritize collaboration across various departments, ensuring that support group leaders receive high-quality advice and training, facilitating their sustainability and effectiveness. This integrated approach also includes alignment with national and local campaigning efforts to further engage and support the kinship carer community.

In line with our strategic focus on cultivating a vibrant Kinship Community of over 10,000 carers, the team leads initiatives aimed at enhancing community connection and empowering kinship families. By developing a robust model of community engagement that encompasses both in-person and digital services, the team aims to amplify the voices of kinship carers, enabling them to effect meaningful change in their lives and communities.

 About the role

This role is community-based and focuses on engaging kinship carers, bringing them together to form Peer Support Groups, and supporting them to achieve independence at which point they will receive ongoing support from our national Hub.

You will do this by working with local authorities, schools, other charities and community groups. Arranging information events such as coffee mornings to engage kinship carers. You’ll create a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive community for kinship carers, building belonging, resilience, and empowerment.

Funded by the Department of Education, the National Peer Support Service is a game-changing service that creates a sustainable and life-changing legacy. It builds on Kinship’s 10 years of experience in developing peer support groups and two years of delivering a national service that has set up 145 new groups.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking an individual located in South East of England, who possesses the drive, passion, and skills to:

• Develop new Peer Support Groups across a diverse range of communities
• Demonstrate the energy and enthusiasm required to achieve key targets and objectives
• Work collaboratively within the Peer Support and Community Team, as well as throughout the broader organisation, to ensure the development of safe and effective support services for the kinship community.
• Maintain current Peer Support Group levels, taking the lead from the national Hub.
• Maintain accurate records that are used to populate reports, identify learning and share key insights across Kinship that allow the organisation to continuously improve our services and products.

You should have experience in developing and maintaining meaningful relationships with various community-based stakeholders such as local authorities, health services, schools, charities, and kinship carers. You will need to understand the key success factors involved in establishing and developing new in-person groups in areas of high need, as well as how to support existing groups in their journey towards sustainability.

As a practical thinker, you will work creatively to identify stakeholders and assets in areas of high need. You will build local connections and bring together kinship carers across the region, empowering them to build resilient and robust peer support communities.

You will be confident in building relationships that generate referrals from external stakeholders and in contacting kinship carers directly to secure engagement with local coffee mornings, community, and training events that will help kick-start a thriving peer support group.

As you establish new groups, you will provide support and training to help them lead their groups effectively, and develop their group culture, resilience, and skills to function independently while offering reassurance and support to empower them.

We are ideally looking for candidates based close or within easy reach of our priority development areas in the South East of England which include; Reading, Oxfordshire, West Berkshire, Slough and Hampshire but also able to travel to locations along the M4 corridor.

An essential requirement of the role is to be a driver with access to a vehicle for work purposes.

 Key responsibilities: 

Service delivery:

• In-person (face-to-face) strategic outreach into local communities including setting up and attending local engagement events.
• Set up and develop sustainable in person peer support groups, initially attending and leading sessions in person before transition to self-sufficiency. 
• Working with existing groups that are at risk, closed or need support that need replacing or rejuvenating to maintain DfE service level agreement, in addition to new groups. Targets are subject to change and are not fixed. 
• Recruit and retain support group leaders to develop their peer support groups.
• Assist with the delivery of training to support group leaders and groups to become self-sufficient.
• Develop strong boundaries and positive relationships with support group leaders – building resilience, empowerment and community.
• Support established groups (including independent) in your area to access support group leader networks and training (this includes visiting groups in person) to build a peer community. 
• Follow (and where appropriate support further development off) the service blueprint to develop sustainable peer support groups.
• Collaborate with the Peer Support Hub team to provide a joined-up and positive user experience for kinship carers.
• Manage special interest groups and regional online groups as required, transitioning to ‘Hub’ team for sustainability and work with partners. 

Service quality, development and data management:

• Accurately record all recruitment, contact information and volunteer case management in Salesforce in line with service framework and data protection requirements.
• Ensure accurate data entry in Salesforce to support service performance, evaluation and learning.
• Provide regular reports to ensure targets and SLA are met for the service.
• Support continuous development and improvement of the service (new systems and processes) as required.
  

Team culture:

• Act in the best interest of Kinship and the families we support.
• Maintain and contribute up to date understanding of kinship care.
• Deliver effective administration with attention to detail and keeping to deadlines.
• Identify and contribute to appropriate case studies to demonstrate the impact of Kinship services and contribute to policy and campaigns work.
• Actively contribute to delivering and evidencing a high performing service.
• Take responsibility for your ongoing continued professional development.
• Work in line with the Kinship values.

 Knowledge, abilities, skills and experience (person spec):

 Essential:

· Proven experience in reaching and establishing strong relationships with hidden or underserved communities in person.

· Significant experience developing peer support communities.

· Proven experience of recruiting, managing, training and supporting volunteers in community settings with an emphasis on understanding and working with vulnerable volunteers.

· Proven experience of ensuring outcomes and impacts of services are evidenced through high-quality data collection.

· Evidence of developing and delivering training/support to volunteers, based on the needs of service users (in this case kinship carers).

· Strong facilitation skills and essential experience of peer support or user-led groups with charity beneficiaries.

· Proven experience of using a customer relationship management system effectively (we use Salesforce).

· In-depth understanding of safeguarding particularly around vulnerable families.

· Excellent communication and engagement skills, with good attention to detail.

Desirable:

· Lived experience of kinship care.

· Understanding of children’s social care.

· Digital community building (Facebook / WhatsApp etc.).

· Full, clean driving license/own car.

General characteristics and attributes:

· Flexible and willing to travel for work across England.

· Commitment to the values, aims and objectives of Kinship.

· A real commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion within your role and a respectful approach to working with people from a range of backgrounds.

· Excellent written and spoken English.

· Permission to work in the UK.

Equality Diversity and Inclusion 

Kinship is committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.  We believe our work is greatly enhanced by the varied backgrounds, experiences and views represented within our teams.  We aim to create inclusive teams, celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be their true self at work. We therefore encourage applications from anyone who fits our values, whatever their religion or belief, sex, gender identity, race, age, sexuality or disability and are actively seeking candidates that can bring real innovation and commitment to us. 

Candidate Application Information

Please refer to the Job Description for this role to check that you meet the criteria necessary for the job. Closing date and interview details:

Closing date: 1 November 2024 12:00 pm

Interviews:  Week Commencing 2024

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the stated deadline.

We will guarantee interviews to any candidates with experience of kinship care (either of being in kinship care or of being a kinship carer) who demonstrate they meet the essential skills and experience outlined.

Please tell us if there are any reasonable adjustments, we can make to assist you in your application. If you have a disability, which you would like us to consider, please tell us about this when you apply.  Please let us know if we can help and remember that you can request information in large print or in a different format. 

 We are looking for three Funding Officers to join our team in Wales. These are one permanent, full-time post, one permanent part-time post (0.6 FTE) and one 12-month fixed term contract (open to a conversation on flexible working and job share). Please let us know which position you would like to apply for in your supporting statement and this can be for all opportunities.  

We have offices in Cardiff & Newtown. Depending on your location and preference, you are welcome to be based in the office full time, or a combination of home and office working. You will need to travel within Wales to work with community groups and charities, and to other offices across the UK to work with colleagues. 

As a Funding Officer serving one of our three Welsh regions you will:

· Assess requests for funding and manage grants using: local knowledge, best practice, thematic expertise and the experience of customers and stakeholders to improve our grant making and inform our decision making.

· Work closely with people and communities, you will understand what matters to them and where our funding can make the biggest difference.

· You will be responsible for supporting local people and communities in specific areas of Wales.

· Have a strong understanding of our vision.

· Able to adapt your approach to the wishes of the people you are working with.

· You’ll also need to support our stakeholders, helping them to make connections that will help them achieve their goals.

You will be responsible for the pipeline of projects in understanding and responding to the different needs of our customers by providing advice and considered feedback and be willing to have challenging but constructive conversations. Funding Officers will ensure our grant management and assessment play an effective part in contributing to the Fund’s knowledge and learning as a grant maker. You will manage your own caseload, liaise with grant recipients, undertake project visits, identify and manage risk, supporting organisations to deliver their projects and measure their impact.

Interview Date: W/C 02 December 2024, online for 45 minutes.

Location: Wales - Hybrid Working (Office, home working and working in community).

Hybrid, Cardiff and/or Newtown offices 

We have a hybrid approach to working and this role can be based in Cardiff or Newtown , along with homeworking. 

On application, please align your supporting statement to the criteria below

Essential criteria

Essential:

1) Ability to analyse information, including financial data and project plans in order to make written funding recommendations to decision-makers.
2) Understanding of strengths-based approaches to working with people and communities.
3) Remain calm under pressure and handle multiple and competing priorities, supporting others when needed.
4) Strong experience with great customer service.

Desirable:

5) Knowledge of the wider funding context 
6) Ability to learn from our funded projects and share that learning for the benefit of the wider organisation.
7) Confident in presenting to a wide range of audiences.
8) Knowledge of the social policy environment and role of the third sector

InCommon is a charity bringing generations together. We create opportunities for young people and older people to learn from one another, fostering mutual inspiration, growth, and a stronger sense of community.

We're looking for a Programme Manager to develop our Empower programme. In this role, you'll be supporting grassroots intergenerational projects across the country to start and flourish through an online platform and support offer.

You’ll match up schools and retirement homes, build relationships with key stakeholders and support them to use the platform to coordinate intergenerational projects. Your efficient, thoughtful and professional approach will build trust and lead to close working relationships.

This is a really exciting new stage of the programme’s development and has the potential for you to build the Empower team. You’ll also be joining InCommon at an exciting stage of our evolution, with lots of opportunity to add value and guide the direction of a growing charity.

This is the perfect role for you if:

• You’re reliable, trustworthy and authentic
• You take responsibility and deliver results
• You’re a collaborative team player and great communicator
• You’re creative and excited by digital design
• You’re flexible, self-motivated and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment
• You can lead collaboratively and have experience of line management