Richmond Aid Jobs

Community and Engagement Manager

Position: Community and Engagement Manager

Location: Teddington, TW11 8HT

Salary Range (depending on experience): pro rata of £33,000 – £39,000 incl. OLW

Hours: Part-time 21 hours per week. We are able to offer some flexibility with the role such as term time only or flexibility with days/times.

Contract: Permanent

Annual Leave: pro rata of 25 days leave plus bank holidays

Closing date:  10pm on Monday 2nd September 2024, or before if a suitable candidate is found.

We reserve the right to close the application early.  An early application is strongly recommended as shortlisting and interviews will be held on an ongoing basis.

About the role

Richmond AID is seeking an energetic and enthusiastic person who can lead our multidisciplinary team Inclusion Team. The team currently has 6 direct reports and services include: BuddyUp, Spade gardening service, Mental Health Peer Support service, Connect to Tech digital training, Campaigning and peer group activities. 

There is a variety of skills and experience within the team which will require someone to use a flexible management approach, directing support to where it is needed most. We are looking for someone to not just manage these services, but to lead their development and widen our coverage across the borough of Richmond. This will predominantly involve supporting the people involved to be leaders of their own projects, improving delivery models, ensuring projects meet targets and quality standards. Some of the projects are also delivered in partnership with other organisations so an understanding of the responsibilities of contract management is essential. We have recently started a campaign project and experience of running effective campaigns would be an advantage.

About you

You will have strong leadership skills with experience of managing a multi-disciplinary team. You must be committed to the value of participative community engagement, have a great understanding of the needs of diverse communities, and a passion for social justice and supporting Disabled people.

You must have experience of service delivery, monitoring, evaluation and report writing and setting SMART outcomes for your team. You will know what it takes to set up and manage a project and ensure it meets the intended outcomes. Additionally, you’ll be confident in participative strategies and tools such as facilitating groups, arranging events, developing surveys, gathering views and responding to consultations.

You will be skilled in managing group dynamics and supporting your team to have boundaries with clients. You will also have experience of managing Safeguarding issues.

Ideally you will have experience of campaigning work, with a track record of delivering innovative digital campaigns that have led to real change.

About Richmond AID

Richmond AID offers 25 days annual leave plus eight bank holidays or pro rata of this for part time roles. Normal office hours are 9am to 5.15pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 5pm on Fridays. You will be based at our offices in the Disability Action and Advice Centre, 4 Waldegrave Road, Teddington, TW11 8HT but may need to work from other locations as needed.

Related roles: volunteer manager, services manager, service coordinator, community development, campaign manager, community engagement, co-production manager, event manager, digital and communications manager, communication manager.

Our Emergency Winter Night Shelter Service is run seven nights a week in venues across west London including: Fulham, Kensington, Hammersmith and Richmond.

In response to the increased needs, we are opening a women only shelter which will be staffed by women. With additional staff support, we will be providing a safe environment with additional support to guests who may have complex needs.

We are looking to recruit exceptional women with an open, collaborative style and a practical, can-do approach to provide a vital nightly service for our guests as Evening Project Workers.

About you

We value diversity and welcome all, in particular those with life experience and lived experience.

While experience of working within the homelessness sector or with similarly vulnerable people would be desirable, an understanding of the needs of people experiencing homelessness and working in a compassionate and flexible manner is more important and essential.

Flexibility is required, as you will be working a shift rota that will include weekends and public holidays. Due to the vulnerable group you will be working with, you will be asked to undergo an enhanced DBS check as part of our safeguarding measures prior to appointment.

Job spec

The Evening Project Worker is responsible for the following:

• Maintaining a friendly, supportive environment and cultivating positive relationships with guests, colleagues, and volunteers.
• Following best practice procedures for the security and safety of the guests and volunteers.
• Diffusing difficult or dangerous situations and summon assistance when necessary. Training will be provided. Writing regular shift reports using the In-Form client relationship platform.
• Carrying out regular checks around the shelter, checking conditions of all areas.
• Adhering to Glass Door’s operational and health & safety policies in all aspects of your work. Maintaining clear lines of communication with your colleagues including the Night Shelter Manager, Caseworkers, and the Operations Manager.
• Ensuring cleaning protocols are followed and implemented.
• Undertaking any other duties to aid the good running of the project, as required by the Shelter Manager or Operations Manager.
• Accurately reporting observations, interactions, concerns and actions with guests to their caseworker using written reports.
• Flexibility is required, as you will be working a shift rota that includes weekends and public holidays.
• On occasions you will also be expected to attend training, team meetings and other activities as required.

Person spec

Essential

• Commitment to providing an excellent service and to interact with shelter guests in a positive and respectful manner.
•  An understanding of and empathy towards the challenges women may experience.  Ability to work as part of a team and be a supportive team member.
• Confidence in dealing with challenging behaviour.  Good written and verbal communications skills.  Ability to carry out manual handling tasks.
• Understanding of and commitment to Equal Opportunities.

Desirable

• Experience working within the homelessness sector or with similarly vulnerable people.
• Ability to speak additional languages including but not limited to Polish, Romanian, Arabic, Spanish, French, Bulgarian, Russian or Tigrinya.
• Lived experience of homelessness.
• An understanding and value of trauma informed care.
• Relevant training certificates (First aid, health & safety, fire Safety, conflict de-escalation).

CHT is a dynamic, innovative and expanding charity in the adult mental health sector. To help realise our ambitions we are looking for an experienced fundraising and communications expert as Head of Fundraising and Communications. This is a new role and we are looking for an ambitious, enthusiastic and creative person with the expertise and drive to make the role their own, to expand our capacity and reach, and to grow the role, their team and the charity.

CHT

CHT is a mental health charity that provides seven rehabilitative residential communities in London and Sussex for people experiencing severe mental health difficulties, and training in the field of relational practice in mental health.

Poor mental health is a national crisis. Those with the severest of mental health difficulties experience  a high risk of suicide and self-harm, a lack of independence, and a loss of hope. Though many are still young adults, most of our residents have spent years in psychiatric hospitals before coming to CHT; medication alone is not the answer. For 30 years, CHT has provided a unique approach with a distinct clinical model. We work with individuals with a history of multiple or prolonged hospital admissions, providing an alternative, longer-term solution that enables the majority of our residents to move on to lower support, with many taking up education, training or employment while still with us – a stark contrast to psychiatric hospital. 

Purpose of role 

As part of our five-year strategic plan two years ago CHT commissioned a part-time consultant to develop our fundraising and communications capacity from scratch. We now feel that the time is right to build on the work done so far and to step up a gear and appoint our own full-time Head of Fundraising and Communications who will lead on the further growth of our fundraising capacity and fully develop our marketing. This is a new post for someone creative and innovative who wants to step up in their career and help CHT step up in our fundraising and communications capabilities. We are a growth-oriented charity both in terms of personal learning and development and in terms of our role in the mental health sector, and we are looking for an individual who brings established fundraising and communications skills and who is looking for an opportunity for personal and professional growth.

The purpose of the Head of Fundraising and Communications role is to lead on implementing the Board of Trustees’ strategic objectives in increasing our fundraising capacity and income; developing our marketing capacity and reputation management so that we enjoy high levels of referrals and a higher sector profile both as a provider of services and as a training organisation; and to line manage CHT’s small existing fundraising and communications team.

The Organisation

The Royal Parks (TRP) is a charity created in March 2017. We manage over 5,000 acres of diverse parkland, rare habitats and historic buildings and monuments in eight Royal Parks across London. These are Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Green Park, St James’s Park, The Regent's Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Bushy Park.

We also manage other important public spaces including Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens. Our eight Royal Parks and other iconic green spaces are among the most visited attractions in the UK with 77 million visits every year.

We are now seeking a Volunteer Officer to join our Programmes, Volunteering and Conservation Team on a full-time basis, working 36 hours per week, including minimum of 1 weekend per month.

The Benefits

• Salary of £32,666 - £35,644 per annum, depending on experience
• 26 days' annual leave (pro rata) plus public holidays, increasing to 29 days after 3 years’ service
• Pension scheme (3% employee contribution; up to 10% employer contribution)
• Hybrid/agile working options
• Private medical insurance and healthcare cash plan
• Employee assistance programme and access to mental health first aiders
• Learning and development opportunities
• Cycle to work scheme
• Offices in a beautiful location

The Role

As a Volunteer Officer, your main focus will be to manage volunteers to carry out important habitat management tasks at regular conservation group sessions and develop one-off flexible and weekend volunteering opportunities. You will also support on delivering our corporate ‘Park days’ sessions, as well as also working on the Hedgehog project in Regent’s Park. This role is varied and will see the successful applicant working primarily in the Regents Park and Greenwich Park, but with work across all of the parks when support is required. 

This role involves a lot of in park time, working with and supporting volunteers on the ground in physical conservation work. On average the Volunteer officer will spend 3-4 days each week in the parks delivering sessions.  The ideal applicant will be friendly, open, enjoy spending time outdoors and have experience working with and managing volunteers, in a hands-on conservation or park setting. 

You will champion volunteering best practice, inclusivity and diversity across the organisation, develop volunteer resources and ensure the appropriate support and training is in place for volunteers, partners and the staff who manage volunteers. 

Additionally, you will: 

• Work with the Volunteer and Programmes Manager to plan, develop, deliver and evaluate other volunteer projects and programmes 
• Write volunteer role descriptions, work plans, policies and robust risk assessments 
• Ensure appropriate and accurate data on volunteers and associated activities are recorded 
• Be aware of and always follow guidelines safeguarding of children and adults at risk.

About You 

To join us as a Volunteer Officer, you will need: 

• Proven experience of working with, managing, and training volunteers, especially conservation volunteers. With a strong knowledge of safe use and maintenance of all hand tools. 
• In depth knowledge and practical skills in conservation, park, or nature reserve management 
• Awareness of equality and diversity, health and safety and safeguarding 
• Excellent people skills including team working, negotiating, problem solving and the ability to be calm and decisive in challenging situations
• Commitment to The Royal Parks’ values of being responsible, excellent, inclusive, open and respectful, and a commitment to supporting diverse and inclusive teams 
• A flexible approach to work including significant evening and weekend working.
• A valid and current clean UK driving licence is desirable.

Excellent operational use of Microsoft Office, CRM systems and other IT solutions to support the planning, delivery and evaluation of the volunteer programme would also be advantageous. 

A First Aid Certificate would also be favourable. 

Other organisations may call this role Conservation and Volunteering Officer, Project officer, Volunteer Services Co-ordinator, Volunteer Co-ordinator, or Volunteer Development Co-ordinator. 

We want to put everyone in the best possible position to succeed and use Recite-me accessibility software. At the top of the application page, there is an “Accessibility Tools” button which you can use to complete the application form in a way that works for you. If you think that you may need more support to complete our application process, please do get in touch.

The Royal Parks is strongly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an equal opportunities employer. We value diversity and encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. Please click here to find out more on our approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. 

So, if you are interested in this unique opportunity as a Volunteer Officer please apply via the button shown. Successful candidates will be appointed on merit.