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We are recruiting for an enthusiastic, motivated and committed Team Manager, with extensive experience of working with adults with a learning disability/autism and complex needs to join Outward.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced manager wanting to further utilise their skills in coaching and mentoring the staff team, and embedding high standards in the running of the service. You will be managing our Autism Outreach Service that provides support to people in seven London Boroughs, and who live at home with family or in supported living services. Therefore, the ability to promote positive working relationships with family and stakeholders is essential to this role. You will be responsible for managing and motivating your staff team to provide creative and flexible services that makes a positive difference to the lives of those we support, and enables them to thrive and enjoy a good quality of life as active and valued members of their community.

Outward’s autism outreach service has a strong reputation across North East London, where we support people to live the lives they choose to lead and to improve their quality of life. You will be supported by two deputy managers to lead a large team of community outreach support workers, to ensure a high standard of quality support to the people we support.

About the role

• You will assess new referrals, develop, and manage comprehensive support & risk management plans.
• You will be required to build and maintain strong relationships and partnership approach with families and professionals/stakeholders.
• You will develop, coach and mentor a positive and resilient team of support workers and deputies to deliver high quality and personalised support and embed a culture of positive behaviour support.
• You will be responsible for ensuring support is delivered innovatively, flexibly and on a person - centred basis to meet the needs and outcomes of the people supported.
• You will be responsible for delivering the service within budget and within expected performance indicators including delivering on outcomes for the people supported
• You will be responsible for ensuring the service is safe, effective, caring, well led, responsive and managed to meet CQC essential standards to a minimum of good service and with aim of achievement of outstanding.
• You will line manage and work with the deputy managers to meet the growth targets for the service
• You will be responsible to provide management support to Outreach services across a number of boroughs
• You will mentor and support the team to create support plans and risk assessments that reflect people’s needs, preferences and aspirations, ensuring that plans are actively implemented and reviewed.
• You will be able to translate policy into practice, including principles and practices of safeguarding adults at risk and the Mental Capacity Act

About You

• You will have significant management experience of working in a similar setting.

Ideally you will have as a minimum:

o 3 years’ experience of delivering person centred support to people with a learning disability/autism and complex needs including behaviours of concern. (E)

o A minimum of 1 years’ experience of managing a service for people with a learning disability/autism and complex needs including behaviours of concern. (E)

• You will hold a qualification in Positive Behaviour Support Coaching (BILD accredited), NAPPI level 2 (or equivalent) or a willingness to gain the qualifications within the first 3 months of employment.  (E)
• You will be an excellent communicator liaising effectively with key stakeholders including the multi-disciplinary and health professionals, family carers and people we support. (E)
• You will have experience of staff management and the ability to lead, motivate and develop a large team, ensuring staff are appropriately trained. You will be visible in the service and strive to model best practice and inspire support workers. (E)
• You will be able to think creatively and be adaptable in approaches, with experience of implementing emergency management guidance to support staff. (D)
• Experience of carrying out needs assessments and creating support and risk management plans for people with behaviours of concern. Be committed to include the person and their circle of support at all times. (E)
• The ability to deliver  a creative and flexible service that make a positive difference to people’s lives, in accordance with an individual support plans, the service specification and CQC requirements (D)
• A commitment to providing high quality, personalised active support (D)
• Leading by example, you will uphold the rights of people we support to be involved at all levels of decision making. (E)
• You will share our values and passion to engage, enable and empower people with autism or a learning disability to lead the lives they want. (E)
• Knowledge of managing a budget is desirable. (D)
• You will have the emotional and physical resilience to work in an environment that may be challenging at times. (D)

E – essential, D - Desirable

Employee Benefits

We value everything our staff do for the people we support, so we provide a great benefits package:

• 25 days Annual Leave excluding Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Computing Scheme
• Credit Union Scheme
• Cycle-to-Work Scheme
• Death in Service Benefit
• Health Assured – Employee Assistance Programme
• Eye care Vouchers
• Flu Jab Reimbursement
• Long Service Awards
• Pension Scheme
• Purchase Additional Annual Leave
• Refer-a-Friend Scheme
• Retirements
• Loans (including season tickets and parking permit loans)
• Blue Light Card

About Outward

Outward has been providing high-quality support and care services to vulnerable people for over 45 years. Set up by parents of children with a disability looking for alternatives to institutional care. Our aim is to support people to have genuine control over their lives, play an active role in the community, accept responsibilities and develop as individuals. 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults at risk and expect all staff to share this commitment. If the post you apply for involves working with or having access to adults at risk and/or their records, we will require an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Services. This will be fully subsidised by Outward.

How to Apply

If you think you meet the requirements of the role then please submit an application by following the link below:

Closing Date for all Applications is Wednesday, 4th December 2024.

Interviews will be held week beginning 16th December 2024.

Outward is committed to equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. As an employer, who aspire to become Disability Confident Committed, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. Please indicate clearly at the beginning of your supporting statement if you have a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010), and you wish to be considered for an Offer Of an Interview (OOI)? Please note that the OOI is available to disabled candidates only. Regrettably, any false declaration of disability in order to secure an interview will impact on your overall application.

Who we are:

Muslim Aid is a UK faith-based international development organisation that provides support to communities around the world affected by disasters, conflict, or endemic poverty without regard to their social, religious, or ethnic background. 

Established in 1985, Muslim Aid has facilitated the engagement of the British Muslim and non-Muslim community in support of its work in a variety of ways. Over the years, its humanitarian work has included responses to major crises around the world including, famine in East Africa, earthquakes and flooding in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as conflicts in Syria and Yemen. 

We place strong emphasis on long-term development projects that build the capacity of local people to help themselves. In addition to the 5 country offices worldwide we also work with multiple partner offices focusing on sustainable Development Programmes and providing humanitarian relief during times of crisis.

Summary of the role:

The Global Programmes Assistant reports directly to the Global Programmes Manager and will primarily be responsible for providing support functions to the International Programmes team. The role requires excellent organisational, teamwork and numeracy skills, to work with key stakeholders to ensure an effective, efficient and quality delivery of development and emergency response programmes. The Global Programmes Assistant also supports the administrative work of the department, including the preparation and tracking of project payments, and maintaining partner due diligence records.

About the Role:

1. Provide programme and administrative assistance to Country Programmes and Programmes Partnerships teams as required including support with the development and production of project proposals.
2. Responsible for updating and maintaining the Project Tracker and SharePoint site.
3. Maintain soft (and if required hard copies of) programme files, provide filing assistance to the team and support archiving.
4. Ensure the timely submission of quarterly and completion reports, and support the review of seasonal and small-medium project reports as delegated by Country Programmes and Programmes Partnerships teams
5. Maintain and review the report supporting documents including field reports, financial evidence, centrally agreed documents, media and case studies.
6. Support the development of IPD wide administrative systems.

About You:

To be successful in this role, you will need:

1. Previous experience of working within a Programme Support/administrative role.
2. Experience of working with budgets and/or processing payments.
3. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to liaise with a variety of stakeholders and employees at all levels.
4. High degree of organisational and time management skills.
5. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn and utilise any software adopted by Muslim Aid.
6. Ability to work under pressure, be proactive and work on own initiative. 

Why you should apply:

Join Muslim Aid as a Global Programmes Assistant and support impactful humanitarian and development projects worldwide. Working closely with the Global Programmes Manager, you will ensure effective project delivery, quality standards, and create engaging content from our successes for stakeholders. If you’re organised, detail-oriented, and passionate about programme support, apply now to help drive global change!

Benefits you will enjoy working for us: 

• 25 days annual leave + 4 privilege days 
• Hybrid working
• Paid time off for medical appointments 
• 2 hours lunch break on Fridays 
• Time off in Lieu (TOIL) 
• Pension Scheme

How to apply:

To apply please submit your cover letter (no more than 1 page) and CV. 

The Actors’ Benevolent Fund supports professional actors and stage managers in times of need, and in 2023 we spent over £2.1M on charitable support. Our bold new Acting for Impact strategy seeks to increase the charity’s reach and impact within the performing arts community, helping many more people and expanding the range of support to result in meaningful and sustainable change. It is an exciting time to be joining the charity, with a new Board of Trustees and the opportunity to make a real difference to a community dedicated to bringing so much meaning and inspiration to others.

This Grants and Services Officer post will be key to supporting the charity to achieve those ambitions. You will work directly with our beneficiaries to deliver support, including grantmaking and developing support networks for individuals through signposting and cross-agency working. Alongside this, you will lead on the development of digital tools and resources for our community, contribute to research and evaluation projects to inform that development, and develop referral routes and relationships with other organisations.

We are looking for someone with experience of grantmaking, knowledge of the state benefits system and able to develop support packages for clients which are responsive to individual needs. Activities also include service design, development and project management. Working as part of a small, friendly team you will need to be able to take an adaptable approach to manage competing priorities. You will have excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build professional relationships with clients, and work collaboratively with colleagues internally and externally.

This role is based at our office in central London, with some flexible working. To apply, please send an up-to-date CV and covering letter specifying how you meet the points contained within the person specification.

The application deadline is midnight on Monday 2nd December, and interviews will be held on Wednesday 11th December at our offices in Adam Street, central London.

Purpose of the job

At UK Youth, we believe every young person should have access to the opportunities they need to thrive and be empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. This role provides an exciting opportunity to join UK Youth and play a key role in driving forward our new strategy to 2025 ‘Unlocking Youth Work’. As a Trusts & Grants Officer, you will be joining a supportive and highly ambitious Partnerships and Trusts Team sitting within the wider External Relations Department. You will be leading on the relationship management of a portfolio of low to mid value Trusts & Foundations partnerships, building on your knowledge and expertise across relationship management and proactively spotting opportunities to build new relationships with other Trusts & Foundations.

You will split your time between relationship management of existing partnerships and new opportunities, supporting this team to conduct thorough prospect research into our priority sectors, make approaches to prospective partners and supporting with the development of bids.

Key responsibilities

• Leading on the relationship management and stewardship of a portfolio of UK Youth’s low to mid value Trusts & Foundations, maximising income and other mutually beneficial opportunities across in-kind.

• Championing existing partnerships internally to ensure the partnership’s expectations are delivered and exceeded. This includes working to secure engagement from Senior Leadership and relevant colleagues across Communications and Engagement.

• Coordinate with internal groups and senior colleagues across the Impact and Network Delivery teams to write applications and reports.

• Conduct and support colleagues on the Trusts & Foundations team with prospect research, helping to build a strong pipeline of new, well-researched opportunities that have strong alignment with UK Youth’s funding priorities.

• Support the Trusts & Foundations team in making approaches to a list of high value Trust & Foundation prospects, delivering high quality bids to secure new partnerships.

• Support the Partnerships & Trusts Team with ad hoc administrative duties including pipeline reporting, database (CRM) management, and inbox management.

Experience we're after

• Experience of undertaking research/prospecting 

• Experience of leading a funding bid and/or relationship management of a Trust and Foundation 

• Experience of working in a busy team across multiple projects

• Experience of working within a fundraising or similar team 

Who we are

UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. We work with others to ensure that the youth sector is strengthened, supported, and that provision is youth-led, evidence-informed and delivers high-quality outcomes.

UK Youth plays a unique role in addressing; the lack of investment in the youth sector, the lack of cross sector understanding in how youth work makes a difference and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions. These factors lead to mass inequality of access to youth services for young people. To find more about us and how we make an impact, please visit UK Youth Website.

Why work at UK Youth?

We are a value-based, passionate and committed organisation offering a friendly working environment with lots of opportunities for professional development and socialising (even for those working remotely!) from lunch and learn sessions, staff quizzes to virtual coffee meet ups.

UK Youth prides itself on being an Equal Opportunity employer and we would particularly welcome applications for this role from those who identify under one of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

We value the differences that a diverse workforce brings and are committed to inclusivity, and to employing and supporting a diverse workforce. Our selection procedures ensure that people are treated on the basis of their relevant merits, experience, skills and abilities and that no individual receives more or less favourable treatment.

We welcome applications from groups currently under-represented in our organisation including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and persons with disabilities. We are also currently underrepresented by men, and so are seeking applications from different backgrounds, cultures, age, experience and identity to bring a wide range of experience, ideas, views and insights to UK Youth.

What we can offer you

We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:

• Flexible/Agile Working

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)

• Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity

• Other training available in support of your personal and professional development

• Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)

• Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary

• Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally

• 20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.

• IT equipment provided for the duration of contract

• CycleScheme and TechScheme

How to apply

If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all.

Closing date: Monday 2nd December 2024 at 8:00am

Provisional Interview Dates: 5th-13th December 2024.

As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.

About BRAC

BRAC is an international development organisation founded in Bangladesh in 1972 that partners with over 100 million people living with inequality and poverty to create opportunities to realise human potential.

About BRAC in Europe

BRAC's European office plays a pivotal role in forging strategic partnerships in support of BRAC’s programmes. We build impactful, long-term relationships with partners whether they be governments, private sector organisations, or major private donors. We also play a leading role in engaging with policymakers in Europe to tackle extreme poverty.

To support BRAC’s global mission and growth ambitions we are embarking on a new strategy to secure long-term strategic partnerships in key European markets, including the UK. We are building a team of exceptional fundraising leaders with the vision, passion and expertise to lead the organisation into our next phase of development.

About this role

The Trusts & Foundations Manager (UK) will be a vital part of our Partnerships team. BRAC has identified Trusts and Foundations in the UK as a key programme partnerships priority, and this role will lead our work to forge and steward new and existing partnerships with trusts and foundations in the UK, including corporate funders.
This role is a fantastic opportunity to become part of a truly unique development organisation formed and led from the Global South, to help take our UK trust and foundations, including corporate portfolio to the next level. We are seeking an entrepreneurial and ambitious fundraising leader, either from the for-profit or not-for-profit sector, with a track record of co-creating strategic partnerships with foundations and corporations, who is a self-starter and will relish the opportunity to grow BRAC’s foundations and corporate portfolio to deliver impactful, long-lasting change.

If this is you, we’re keen to hear from you. Send your CV and covering letter by the closing date of 12 December 2024.

Emmaus Greenwich is a unique charity that offers a home, work and individual support to people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion. We don’t just give people a bed for the night; we offer a home, work opportunities and a sense of belonging.

We are looking for a compassionate, highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to provide tailored person-centred support to a caseload of formerly homeless individuals known as “Companions” especially to those who are struggling with substance misuse. Attention to detail is essential, as is the ability to identify and promptly address risks or safeguarding concerns. Empathy, attentive listening, and strong verbal communication skills are also key requirements. 

The successful candidate will understand that many people with experience of homelessness can also be trying to navigate other complex needs. The purpose of the Project worker is to provide a person-centred support to a caseload of Companions in particular to those who are experiencing difficulty in maintaining their tenancy due to their experiences and relationship with substances, including alcohol.

Proficiency with IT and the ability to maintain up do date records in our database are necessary. 

If you have the relevant personal qualities, experience, skills, enthusiasm and a positive “can do” attitude and would relish the chance to work in this dynamic, progressive, and successful charity, we would like to hear from you. You will be joining a friendly and enthusiastic team who are passionate about what they do and a social enterprise that has an exciting future.

Last year, 136,000 young people approached their council for help as they were homeless or at risk of being homeless. Even more alarming is that figure represents an increase of 58% from six years ago. Youth homelessness costs the UK economy an estimated £8.5bn, largely due to unemployment, and so the challenge can feel huge. But we already have the resources to solve it within the built environment sector. And that is where LandAid comes in.

We use our links to the UK’s property industry, harnessing its members’ direct capital, assets and skills to help tackle youth homelessness by awarding grants and investing in frontline charities, providing financial support, and brokering free advice and expertise to increase the impact of their support.

The Chief Financial and Operating Officer is an important new role for us, created to ensure we achieve our ambitions over the coming years by focusing on delivering better quality of management information, insights and analysis to the Board and leadership to inform decision making. A key early component of the role will be to develop a detailed four-year financial plan in line with our organisational strategy. You will also look to invest in our internal operations by driving continuous improvement and exploring emergent technologies that offer us the ability to deliver greater real-time insights to and efficiencies for our teams. In addition, you will review our risk and governance frameworks by working actively with our Board sub-committees.

Beyond finance, you will oversee our outsourced HR and IT functions, ensuring we receive high-quality and cost-effective support and have robust systems and policies in place. You will also continue our work to become an employer of choice, building on our achievements today which have seen us identified as one of the UK’s ‘100 Best Small Companies to Work For’, and shortlisted as one of the ‘Top 30 Charities to Work For’.

We are looking for a chartered accountant who brings senior finance leadership experience either at executive director level in an organisation of similar size to ours, or deputy director level in a larger organisation, most likely within a charity setting. Knowledge of the built environment and/or capital investment is advantageous, as is an understanding of the models of social investment. Crucially, you’ll be the sort of person your colleagues are keen to learn from and eager to work with, able to offer expert insight and coaching with patient enthusiasm, but comfortable in offering clear advice and direction when needed.

To download a full copy of the candidate brief and learn more about the role, please click the ‘Apply’ button, where you will be redirected to the website of our recruitment partner, Tall Roots. If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Tall Roots via their website.

Who we are:

Muslim Aid is a UK faith-based international development organisation that provides support to communities around the world affected by disasters, conflict, or endemic poverty without regard to their social, religious, or ethnic background. 

Established in 1985, Muslim Aid has facilitated the engagement of the British Muslim and non-Muslim community in support of its work in a variety of ways. Over the years, its humanitarian work has included responses to major crises around the world including, famine in East Africa, earthquakes and flooding in Pakistan and Bangladesh as well as conflicts in Syria and Yemen. 

We place strong emphasis on long-term development projects that build the capacity of local people to help themselves. In addition to the 5 country offices worldwide we also work with multiple partner offices focusing on sustainable Development Programmes and providing humanitarian relief during times of crisis.

Summary of the role:

As the Trust and Foundation Coordinator, you will support the International Programmes Department (IPD) by:

• Programme Development: Enhancing institutional funding to raise essential funds for Muslim Aid’s international humanitarian and development programmes through Trusts, Foundations, and Partner Offices.
• Quality Assurance: Assisting the MEAL Manager in developing and implementing effective MEAL systems to ensure quality service delivery across all programmes.

You will play a crucial role in this newly formed unit, working closely with partners, country offices, and donors to improve systems within the IPD and support the dynamic global programme portfolio of Muslim Aid.

About the Role:

1.  Lead donor mapping process for Trusts and Foundations. Continuously, update this mapping document regularly based on engagement with prospective donors.
2. Lead the proposal/concept development process for T&F and MA Partner offices submissions.
3. Support the Global Programme Development and Quality Assurance Manager in managing a portfolio of institutional donor grants relationships and implement donor engagement strategies for prioritised donors (including FCDO, UN agencies, USAID, SIDA, START Network, etc.).
4. Support the Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Manager to strengthen MEAL system globally. This includes ensuring high-quality data tracking progress, analysing data, and generating knowledge and documentation of best practices.
5. Work with Country Offices, Global Programme Development and Quality Assurance, Humanitarian and Programme units to support on disaster responses and associated appeals.
6. Support the unit in providing the development and implementing capacity development workshops for the IPD team, country offices, and partner offices either face to face or virtually.

About You:

To be successful in this role, you will need:

1. Educated to bachelor’s degree level.
2. Experience of successfully fundraising and dealing with institutional donors and international donors with a focus on Trusts and Foundations.
3. Experience and understanding of monitoring and evaluation of programmes; using quantitative and qualitative research data collected in support of programme development.
4. Significant experience and knowledge of effective budgetary control and grant management.
5. Good interpersonal and communication skills and ability to liaise effectively with people at various levels. Good tact and diplomacy at all times.
6. Strong and well-developed analytical skills coupled with strong bid and report writing skills.

Why you should apply:

Ready to make a global impact? Join Muslim Aid as a Trust and Foundation Coordinator and drive our humanitarian and development initiatives forward. If you excel in fundraising, grant management, and donor engagement, we want you on our team. Your expertise in monitoring and evaluation will ensure our programmes are exceptional. With outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, you will secure the vital funds that power our mission to support vulnerable communities worldwide. Become part of a dynamic, innovative team and make a difference. Apply now and transform lives!

Benefits you will enjoy working for us: 

• 37 days holiday (including Bank Holidays and Privilege days) 
• Hybrid working
• Paid time off for medical appointments 
• 2 hours lunch break on Fridays 
• Time off in Lieu (TOIL) 
• Pension Scheme

How to apply:

To apply please submit your cover letter (no more than 1 page) and CV. 

We're looking for an enthusiastic team-player with excellent administration and communication skills with a passion for customer service. 

This is an exciting role in a newly formed team dedicated to raising the bar of operational excellence at Stewardship.  You will play a crucial role in bringing exceptional operational efficiency by ensuring gift aid, compliance and other internal customer processes work smoothly.  You'll resolve queries and provide outstanding support to Stewardship customers. 

As a result of our Christian ethos, this post is covered by an Occupational Requirement (OR) under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010. The successful applicant will be expected to be a practising Christian and to clearly demonstrate a personal commitment to the mission, principles, values and practices contained in our Ethos Statement, by:

· Active membership of local church congregation.

An understanding of the faith aspects of the work of Christian charities, including the preparedness to pray with colleagues, where appropriate.

This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in the day to day running of the first Night Shelter in the London Borough of Sutton since 2020.

You will lead the project managing an assistant and also overseeing venue leaders and a team of volunteers.

You will be first point of contact for guests and be main point of referral for external partners.

Our vision is to see people move on into more settled accommodation so you will coordinate the involvement of external partners and signpost accordingly.

As a Christian organisation faith is a key driver in all we do. The coordinator will have pastoral responsibility for venue leaders and volunteer and the shelter assistant. The coordinator will lead by example in prayer and Christian conduct.

It is an occupational requirement for the postholder to be a Christian

Full/Part-time (minimum 30 hours per week), 52 weeks per year

Location: Central Services Office in Marlow

This is a newly created role which is being introduced to support the centralisation and future growth of the Trust. This hands-on role will be responsible for preparation of monthly management accounts, ensuring all transactions and month-end processes are carried out, preparation of balance sheet, capital projects and fixed assets reconciliations , line management of finance officers and assistants, as well as oversight of accounts payable, accounts receivable and VAT returns. You will be involved in cash flow forecasting, treasury/banking processes, budgeting/forecasting process, monthly reporting, variance analysis and more. You will support the CFO and the Business Manager, and work closely with all schools’ leadership teams and Headteachers. 

The successful candidate will have previous financial experience and recognised accounting qualification, ideally in a school environment, and will be flexible and able to demonstrate an ability to adapt to a changing environment. You will be professional in your approach to all aspects of the role, extremely well organised, a team player and competent with accounting and procurement software, MsOffice and Google Suites. 

Please see attached job description for full details. Please note that application should include a complete applicaton form. 

Closing date: 9am, Monday 9 December 2024.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should suitable candidates apply before the closing date.

The school is fully committed to the DfE guidance on Safeguarding Children and Safer Recruitment in Education and all candidates for the post will therefore be subject to vetting procedures following Buckinghamshire Council’s guidance and the Trust’s Safer Recruitment Policy. All shortlisted candidates will be subject to an online search as part of the safer recruitment process. 

We are looking for a Community Organiser to join the Thames Valley Citizens team in Reading, building the power of local communities.  The role will work across the whole city and will support existing member institutions, as well as focus on recruiting new ones, particularly ‘anchor institutions’ such as schools/colleges, faith institutions, and unions. Primary responsibilities will include recruiting new members; developing core teams in member institutions and supporting community leaders to take action on issues of shared concern.

With your passion, energy, and commitment to democracy, you will support communities to build the power they need to win justice and make a real and lasting impact.  Join us in the fight for a wealthier, healthier and fairer Reading.

A Community Organiser is responsible for the day-to-day development or maintenance of a Citizens alliance or small chapter. Supported by a more experienced Organiser, they have considerable independence and responsibility for external political and media relationships. They take responsibility for financial issues and staff and community training; and may oversee a budget or manage a colleague. A Community Organiser is a practitioner of the craft of broad-based community organising methodology, and focuses on the building of relational power, the recruitment and retention of dues-paying institutions, the development of leaders, the strengthening of member institutions, leader-led public actions, and the winning of systemic change.

Citizens UK

Citizens UK is a people power alliance of diverse local communities working together for the common good. Our mission is to develop leaders, strengthen civic organisations and make change. Our 550 member communities are deeply rooted in their local areas and connect every day to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Through the method of community organising we enable people experiencing powerlessness to develop their leadership and come together with the power and strategy to make change. 

This leads to hundreds of neighbourhood improvements - from zebra crossings outside primary schools to renovated public toilets in cemeteries. And it leads to some of the biggest campaign impacts in the UK, such as winning over £2 billion of wages through the UK Living Wage campaign, securing a legal cap on the cost of credit to control exploitative lending, and ending the detention of children for immigration purposes. We enable local campaigns to grow into large-scale social change projects such as the Living Wage Foundation, Parent Action, Sponsor Refugees, and Refugees for Justice, that form an integral part of our theory of change. The most prominent of these is the rapidly growing Living Wage Foundation with a network of over 13,000 accredited Living Wage Employers across the UK.

Thames Valley Citizens is a chapter of Citizens UK comprising Citizens MK (in Milton Keynes), Reading Citizens, and Oxford Citizens). Reading Citizens is one of Citizens UK’s newest Alliances, launched in 2023. It is a leader-led alliance. In Reading, we are currently focusing on growing the Alliance’s foundations by recruiting more civil society institutions to join existing members. We are building the power of civil society by developing a broad alliance of institutions, strengthening community leadership, and supporting people to take action on what matters most to them.

Main Responsibilities

Working as a Thames Valley Citizens Community Organiser in Reading, reporting to a Regional Supervisor, your main responsibilities will include:

Community Organiser for Reading Citizens:

• Work as part of a team of organisers across Thames Valley and across the South East of England (Thames Valley, Essex, and Sussex)

• Recruit civil society institutions into the alliance

• Support existing institutions across Reading Citizens to focus upon institutional development and strengthen civil society.

• Build relationships and support our strategic partnerships with Reading University and the Students’ Union.

Build relational power to further the goals of CUK:

• Develop a comprehensive power analysis for Reading Citizens

• Develop and grow a substantial network of key influencers at a local level, including journalists; taking the initiative to establish new relationships as required

• Conduct at least 3 121s a day in order to develop relationships with leaders; ensuring a deep understanding of their concerns.

• Tell a wide range of Community Organising stories effectively in order to influence others and achieve CUK’s goals

Identify and develop relational leaders prepared to act with others for the common good:

• Identify and discern actual and potential leaders with the passion and ability to drive change 

• Achieve significant development of primary and secondary leaders; nominate new leaders for training on the core taster curriculum and for National Training 

• Successfully lead training on the core taster curriculum at a local level and teach a variety of sessions on the National Training course

Strengthen institutions and develop BBOs:

• Ensure good understanding of the basic interests and traditions of typical member institutions

• Organise a full local alliance or a large cluster of up to 15 standard member organisations or up to 5 strategic partners to work together on shared issues, including a Leadership Team

• Support pre-existing core teams and create/develop new core teams to provide leadership for multi-institutional campaigns

• Run institutional development campaigns in a range of types of organisation

Support leaders through the Cycle of Action in order to create change:

• Take the staff lead on major actions and campaigns at a local level; aiming to achieve multiple large local wins

• Develop and facilitate action planning teams at local level

• Develop strategies for significant local impact; with comprehensive plans and tactics

• Organise and support local actions, ensuring publicity, and facilitating negotiations 

• Evaluate the effectiveness of actions; demonstrating ability to incorporate lessons learned into future actions

Contribute to CUK’s financial viability through effective fundraising & financial management:

• Recruit new dues paying institutions; negotiating annual membership fees and letters of understanding as required

• Contribute to fundraising by securing £40k-£60k per annum overall, at least half of which must be ‘hard money’ from the recruitment and retention of member institutions. 

• Manage the budget at Alliance/campaign level, incl. setting/ monitoring of budgets, and ensuring dues are collected in a timely manner

Contribute to effective teamwork:

• Be proactive concerning personal professional development and wellbeing, i.e. by reading widely, developing a healthy work-life balance and demonstrating ability to reflect on own organising craft and improve on self-identified weaknesses

• Demonstrate ability to work effectively with colleagues and participate in a team; contribute to the learning of other Organisers

• Lead other Organisers or Associates in a manner that supports high performance by providing clear expectations and providing proactive support, encouragement, and mentorship

• Effective line management of associate organisers 

• Produce all required reports and follow CUK’s procedures on time and to the required standards

Participate in the development of the craft of Community Organising and play a role in the Guild of COs:

• Schedule an average of at least 3 1-2-1 relational meetings into your daily schedule as a core part of your professional practice

• Commit 10 working days pa (pro rata for part-time staff) to the preparation, delivery and evaluation of Citizens UK National Community Leadership Training;

• Participate in a Guild Team and help it develop as a Community of Practice that enables Organisers across the UK to develop their skills and experience.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

• Displays self-awareness of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion issues and good practice. 

• Considers the impact on chapter and direct reports. 

• Leads and acts within their area of responsibility and influence. 

• Acts as a champion for those who might otherwise be marginalised 

Person Specification:

Essential (E)

Desirable (D)

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in any subject or equivalent (D)

Evidence of further and continuing study including a possible professional qualification (D)

EXPERIENCE

At least one-year employment track record of successful Organising (E)

Experience of carrying out a power analysis and using the results to initiate new relationships (E)

Experience of successful fundraising (E)

Experience of setting up a new or consolidating an existing project (E)

Clear evidence of campaigns won and volunteers developed (E)

KEY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Ability to inspire, motivate and lead (particularly people who are different from you) (E)

Ability to organise yourself and others and to work responsibly in an unstructured environment (E)

Financial management skills including ability to set and manage a budget (D)

Ability to use creative strategies to support and develop leaders within unheard and diverse communities. (E)

Ability to plan and organise under pressure (E)

Ability to build trusting relationships and communicate to a wide range of diverse people and institutions (E)

Ability to teach and run workshops (E)

Ability to develop the potential of others (E)

Ability to communicate well verbally and in writing (E)

A good knowledge of Reading and its diverse communities, social dynamics, and challenges (D)

PERSONAL QUALITIES & VALUES

A passion for justice (E)

A positive enthusiasm for working with faith congregations, trade unions, schools and other community organisations (E)

An interest in and experience of politics and public life (E)

Able to work in a team (E)

Willingness to work within accountable relationships (E)

Self-motivated and adaptable (E)

Interview date: 16/01/2025 (subject to change)

Job Title: Design and Quality Manager

Salary: £ 32,000 plus £3,000 London weighting where applicable

Closing Date: Monday 2nd December midday

Reporting to: Head of Programme Development and Quality

Contract: Full time, permanent

Job Location: London / Midlands / North

The role is based from home with travel to the London office for work meetings about twice a month.

Interview date: Tuesday 10th December / Wednesday 11th December

Start date: Monday 17th February (tbc)

About the organisation

We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and make the most of their education. We’re passionate about reducing the educational barriers our students face, helping them to pursue a career in their chosen field and follow their dreams.

Our mission is to support students from under-resourced backgrounds to access top universities, through a unique combination of tuition and in-school mentoring. We work with them to make good applications, get the grades and transition to university.

The programme combats educational inequality and improves social mobility by raising students’ grades and supporting them to understand the pathway to a top university. Students who receive support from our programme are almost twice as likely to attend top universities as statistically similar students, according to UCAS.

Safeguarding Statement

The Access Project is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our safeguarding system is underpinned by a range of policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across the organisation.

Why work at The Access Project

People who work at The Access Project are motivated by the desire to create a fairer society. We all play an active part in achieving the mission to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds access top universities. At The Access Project, we’re a friendly, collaborative, supportive and inclusive team, with passionate people working together in Delivery, Sales and Partnerships, Strategy, Finance and Operations to achieve our mission.

The vision of our people strategy is to enable and inspire all employees to achieve, grow, succeed and thrive. We regularly have opportunities for people to share their ideas in various working groups, generating strong teamwork across the organisation.

We value every individual who works at The Access Project and we have a wide range of benefits that make this a rewarding place to work. In our last staff engagement survey, 90% said they’re proud to tell people they work at The Access Project.

Our values

Empowerment

We support students and our people to develop the skills and knowledge to accomplish their goals.

Courage

We encourage our students and our people to be authentic, innovative and ambitious in order to reach their full potential and deliver our mission.

Impact

We evolve our programmes through an evidence-led approach, supporting our students to achieve their best outcomes.

Inclusion

We respect and value individuality and engage diverse voices to achieve our mission.

Ownership

We hold ourselves accountable in all our actions and efforts. We ask “What can I do to improve my results?”

About the role

This role is available at an important time for The Access Project as we expand our mission, deliver a new programme model, and move into new school contexts. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with the skills for programme design and improvement, a strong interest in research, and a deep passion for our mission to support students to place and succeed at selective universities.

The ideal candidate will be a strong leader who is comfortable working across teams to make change. You’ll be the lead and expert on The Access Project’s in-school university readiness work with responsibility for designing and quality assuring the provision, supporting the learning and development of our front-line staff to effectively deliver the programme content. This position is integral to ensuring The Access Project is delivering a high-quality programme that supports the needs of our students and drives the outcomes of the programme across all regions and schools. The postholder will bring their knowledge of the HE sector and the experiences of our students to decisions about the direction of our own programme. They will also support further development of our programme-level Diversity and Inclusion work, to ensure that the programme is tailored where feasible to the needs of all students.

Role responsibilities

Design & Development

• Project manage and deliver our programme design process, leading the implementation of an agile, in-year approach to effectively iterate The Access Project’s Accelerate (2-year) programme.
• Lead the development of our self-paced online learning provision, incorporating learning from delivery and best practice from the sector.
• Work with the Head of Programme Development and Quality to incorporate University Access Officer, Programme Leadership, school, and student feedback on how to best drive short-term and long-term outcomes across our programmes.
• Project manage the implementation of changes driven out of programme design. This includes the creation of or changes to delivery resources and training materials, as well as our university readiness framework and the Salesforce system that supports delivery.
• Ensure we continue to update our long-standing Gateway (4-year) programme as part of standalone programme design project.

Research to inform programme design and quality

• Remain critically engaged with the widening participation/social mobility sector, and able to synthesise key changes/challenges and ensure that they are applicable/actionable by the organisation.
• Ensure that any relevant Widening Participate sector developments and trends are fed into The Access Project’s way of working. For example, this might be changes to resources for the programme or working with colleagues to communicate with students (e.g. plans for A Level Results Day).
• Provide nuanced insight about the WP/HE sector, with a coherent view of the landscape and how it’s changing, to enable The Access Project to make informed choices about our programme.

Quality Assurance

• Be responsible for the implementation of the university readiness strand of the quality assurance strategy, to drive the quality of the activities The Access Project delivers to young people in schools.
• Lead on the quality assurance of self-paced learning content, collaborating with Online Delivery colleagues to identify best practice and develop a comprehensive approach.
• Participate in The Access Project’s quality assurance processes, including performing drop-ins on University Access Officers, and coordinating with other members of the team to perform drop-ins in an efficient and effective manner.
• Embed learning from The Access Project’s quality assurance process into our standard practice. This will include training and development for University Access Officers and updates to resources and guidance for what best practice looks like.
• Contribute research on wider pedagogical best practice into our quality assurance work to ensure the highest quality in our delivery of educational programmes.

Student Voice

• Maximise student voice within programme design through varied feedback mechanisms, including the organisation and facilitation of regular student focus groups.
• Lead the development and administration of The Access Project’s annual student survey, considering the needs of key stakeholders across the organisation.
• Lead and develop The Access Project’s overarching student voice strategy.
• Continue to drive improvements in TAP’s student voice work through research and engagement with sector leaders.

Any other duties as required by the Head of Programme Development or Director, Delivery

Person specification

Essential

• Confident leader and collaborator: ability to work positively and collaboratively across functions to drive continuous improvement.
• Strong communicator: demonstrable success at giving feedback and clearly communicating your perspective.
• Strong facilitation skills: an experienced and dynamic, meeting, training and workshop facilitator.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills: and a proactive and creative approach to problem solving.
• Experience of programme design and development: committed to and confident using data to make evidence-based decisions.
• Project management skills and experience, particularly in planning and monitoring.
• Deep knowledge of and passion for youth mentoring.
• Strong understanding of the UK education system and the challenges facing learners from widening participation backgrounds.
• Strong research skills in sector analysis.

Desirable

• Experience of using Salesforce (or another CRM system) as a case/student management system.
• Experience of designing engaging online learning or educational resources.
• Knowledge of Diversity & Inclusion issues related to education and motivation to adapt The Access Project’s programme to make it more inclusive.
• Experience of project/programme evaluation.
• Line management or supervisory experience.

Benefits:

25 days annual leave p.a. (pro rata) plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure.

PerkBox – offering nationwide shopping discounts, gym memberships, holidays, learning and much more.

Employee Assistance Programme, a 24-hour helpline for staff

Online Medical assistance – access 24/7 to a qualified GP within minutes, with referrals and prescriptions available same-day.

Interest-free travelcard loans

Cyclescheme loans

3 paid Volunteering Days

Employer’s pensions contributions (3%)

CPD options

The Access Project welcomes requests for flexible working arrangements

Equal Opportunities Statement

The Access Project aspires to represent the diversity of communities across the UK at all levels of the organisation and proactively takes steps to support this. We are committed to creating a culture where the experiences and voices of people from marginalised backgrounds are listened to and valued; where their skills are appreciated; and where their talents are nurtured and encouraged.

The Access Project is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from people from all backgrounds. If you believe you have most of the skills to fulfil the role we encourage you to apply. Amongst staff at our organization, there is under-representation of people who are Black, Asian or people from ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled, care-experienced, from low socio-economic backgrounds, and who are LGBTQIA+. We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience in reference to our mission.

We are proud to be a Level 1 Disability Confident employer. If you require any reasonable adjustments please contact us.

Disclosure of a Criminal Record

The Rehabilitation of Offenders 1974 (Exceptions) (Amendment) Order 1986 applies to posts where there is access to children. This means that applicants for employment that involves working with children and young people must disclose anything listed in their criminal record, with the exception of protected cautions and convictions. All Disclosures are carried out in the strictest confidence and are made only in connection with your application for employment and for no other purpose. The application for a DBS check at a level appropriate to the job role will be activated before your first day of work. Members of staff who are not eligible for a standard or enhanced DBS check are required to undertake a basic DBS check only in line with legal requirements. If you are selected for appointment to the role, you will be subject to this procedure.

Present or most recent employment

It is important to give full information, including the organisation you work in, or most recent employment if not currently working, full dates, address and explanation of any gaps in employment.

References

All appointments are subject to verification of employment and suitability of the candidate for the post applied for. We reserve the right to approach any previous employer for a reference and to verify their identity but will request your permission before doing so. If you have experience of working with children, please include this as one of your references.

Education, Qualifications and Training

Ensure you give all the information requested, including dates, establishment where you studied and make clear the level of any examinations e.g., GCSE, GCE 'O' Level or 'A' Level or equivalents etc. and the grades you obtained. Also include any skills training you have had. You will be required to produce original documentary evidence of any qualifications relevant to the job, and these will be detailed on the person specification.

Proof of qualification is required before the appointment is confirmed.

Are you passionate about shaping the future of education and family support? Ready to make a real impact on children’s lives? SHS is on the lookout for a Policy and Campaigns Executive to help us create lasting change by ensuring every child gets the education they deserve.

About the Role:

• Salary: £31,094 - £33,439 (depending on experience)

• Location: Flexible – a mix of remote work and office presence in East London

• Hours: Full-time, permanent. Part-time hours are possible for the right candidate.

With nearly 1 in 5 children missing enough school to damage their education and future life chances, school attendance has become one of the biggest challenges facing the new government. 

As a Policy and Campaigns Executive, you will collaborate with our Policy and Engagement team, crafting policy briefings, building campaigns and organising events to influence policy makers and opinion formers about the best way to break the barriers of low school attendance and poor educational outcomes. 

Ideal Candidate: This role is perfect for someone with experience in policy and public affairs who’s ready to elevate their career. If you have experience working with MPs, charities, or think tanks and are familiar with the Westminster political landscape, we would love to hear from you. 

Key Qualities and Experience:

• Strong policy writing skills

• Experience in political engagement and identifying opportunities for impactful change.

• Knowledge of the education sector is desirable but  a passion for fostering equal opportunities for all children is a must

Benefits:

• 28 days’ holiday

• Pension and life assurance

• Access to an Employee Assistance Programme

Bring your skills, drive, and commitment to SHS, and join us in making a real difference in children’s lives