Personal Assistant

Overview of Go-Forward:

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small charity at a time of big growth. Go-Forward Youth was founded by care leavers to provide support to care experienced young people as they transition to adulthood and independence. Our core aim is to reduce social isolation and improve outcomes for young adults who have recently left the care system by offering a place for them to turn in moments of loneliness, crisis and celebration, and offering programmes that support them to develop the skills required for living independently. Our long-term vision is to combat the stigma that surrounds care leaving so that care leavers feel supported and empowered to achieve their ambitions without barriers to access.

We run a busy programme of social activities, personal development and employability skills training for care leavers across London and are looking for a hardworking, highly motivated and conscientious individual to take responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the charity.

Main Tasks:

To support the Go-Forward Youth CEO in maintaining professional, robust, and efficient administrative systems and records for both Go-Forward Youth as follows:

1.Be the first point of contact for both entities and to manage the office email account and diary, drawing to CEO, Funding Manager or Chair of Trustees matters that they need to action, and ensuring that we respond in timely fashion to all external communications.

2. Administration of courses and programmes

a.     Maintain lists of participants and volunteers, including attendance logs

b.    Ensure that we maintain appropriate records for each – for identification and compliance, for communications, and for programme progress

c.     Produce and distribute regular updates to both volunteers and programme participants

d.    Liaise with Local Authorities (LAs) regarding the administrative aspects of developing Go-Forward Youth projects and programmes in other LA boroughs

e.     Assist with recruitment and onboarding and on boarding of new staff.

f.      Maintain risk assessment, safeguarding, fire safety and other records, making sure all policies are reviewed and updated yearly. Ensure that all staff and volunteers working with clients have been DBS checked (Enhanced).

3. Administration of grant applications

a.     Support the Funding Manager by logging, recording and monitoring the progress of Go-Forward Youth grant and funding applications, along with report deadline.

b.    Update the CEO and Trustees on in-progress funding applications and ensure action is taken and deadlines are met where necessary.

c.     For grants won, ensure that reporting cycles are noted in the charity’s diary, and that the appropriate reports to funders get sent

4. Administration of Board and other internal compliance processes

a.     Meet with the CEO weekly to review the overall performance and objectives of the charity.

b.    Maintain systemised record keeping of invoices and receipts, to be stored securely and sent to the relevant key personnel.

c.     Undertake any other administrative activity necessary to support the smooth running of the charity as instructed by the CEO.

d.    Assist the Treasurer or Chair in the preparation, administration and submission of the annual accounts to the Charity Commission and Companies House in a timely manner.

e.     Assist in the preparation of board meeting papers, including circulating meeting agendas and taking and distributing minutes of meetings as required.

f.      Prepare and send out personalised birthday and celebration cards to young participants.

g.    Look for opportunities to create, develop and streamline existing office systems.

h.     Support the administration of the lived-experience-led Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and Own-It Alumni Network.

i.       Maintain and develop clear and full electronic and physical filing systems.

j.       Organise the logistics, catering and other event organisation for the quarterly Trustee meetings and other ad hoc meetings and events as appropriate.

5. Administration of external communications

a.     Update and review the communication channels, via website or social media fortnightly.