Policy And Evidence Manager Jobs in Manchester, Greater Manchester

We are looig for a new Chief Officer at Rainbow Haven

What is Rainbow Haven? 

We are a small, well-respected and busy charity based in East Manchester. For over 20 years Rainbow Haven has provided a place of welcome, support and opportunity for asylum-seekers, refugees and other migrants.Putting diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do, people with lived experience of migration are centrally involved, as service users, volunteers, staff members and trustees.From its flagship information, advice and advocacy services to a range of wellbeing activities and classes, Rainbow Haven is there to support and empower people seeking to establish new lives in Manchester. 

About the role: 

Reporting directly to the Trustee Board, the Chief Officer will:

·Provide leadership, strategic and operational oversight of Rainbow Haven.

·(with the Trustee Board) Ensure the long-term financial sustainability of Rainbow Haven.

·Develop and oversee the delivery of high quality services in response to changing external and internal pressures. 

·Ensure appropriate support for an experienced and committed staff team.

·Maintain effective partnerships and develop new partnerships across statutory and voluntary sectors to enhance the range, volume and quality of the services Rainbow Haven can offer. 

About the person:

You will have proven experience of: 

·Strategic organisational and financial development, oversight, reporting and evaluation. 

·Developing and sustaining collaborative external relationships with funders and service delivery partners. 

·Financial planning and fundraising. 

·Overseeing delivery of front-line services.

·Supporting experienced and committed teams of staff and volunteers. 

On our wish list:

·You’ll share Rainbow Haven’s ethos, values and commitment to our vision.

·You’ll have a proven ability to manage competing priorities and pressures. 

·You’ll be well-organised, creative and flexible with a problem-solving approach.

·You’ll be a good listener, respectful of staff expertise and experience and responsive to their support and development needs. 

·You’ll be a strong communicator and collaborator, whether engaging with colleagues, volunteers, service users or service delivery partners.

·You’ll have a positive, proactive attitude – you’ll understand the needs, challenges and opportunities of working in a small, fast-moving organisation. 

This is a fantastic new opportunity to lead an established charity doing invaluable grassroots work with marginalised people that directly impacts their lives for the better. 

See the attached document for details on how to apply.

Do not hesitate to let us know if you have specific requirements or need support to apply in an alternative format.

Closing date: 5pm Monday 25th November 2024

We are looking for someone on a 2 year fixed term contract to support CCT, as we engage in a programme of significant digital change, with our core information management systems under active review and development. The complaint processing of personal data is fundamental to delivering our business objectives and will be a crucial deliverable for our Digital Transformation Programme.

The Compliance officer will be instrumental in ensuring CCT complies with best practice in relation to the storage and use of people’s personal information, ensuring compliance with the relevant GDPR regulations and will also be responsible for ensuring that the CCT’s policies and procedures are compliant with the relevant Government Functional Standards as well as following good practice in relation to its governance policies and procedures.

The post holder will work with every team, at all levels across CCT, to help embed a risk-based approach to data protection and decision-making, championing both the intent of data protection law and effective operational outcomes; adopting best recommended practice where there is ambiguity about minimal compliance requirements.

If you would like to apply for this role, please visit our recruitment portal to begin your application. You will be asked to submit a CV and a short supporting statement (max 2 sides A4) outlining why you’d like to apply and how you fulfil the person specification for this post, so you’ll need to refer to the job description.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 8am on Friday 8th November 2024.

The interviews will take place in Northampton on 18th November 2024. Please note that the interview date and location have been specifically chosen according to the availability of the panel.

We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer. Candidates who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the job will be offered an interview.

If you have any queries about this role, or if you have a disability and wish to request a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us.

We are an inclusive employer and offer equal opportunities to all regardless of an individual’s age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We are not a licensed sponsor at this time. Any offer of employment will be made subject to valid right to work in the UK being provided.

You may have heard of our special charity already. We are Brandon Centre, a long-established charity, 55 years in fact, based in Kentish Town with a history of supporting young people under the age of 25 in the Islington and Camden areas of London.

In everything we do, we live by the very meaning of what we stand for; we are ‘Here for Young People’. We firmly believe that all young people should be able to access the highest quality care and support in a safe and welcoming environment. We have an amazing team, we challenge the status quo when it comes to giving young people a chance to be the best version of themselves, often in challenging circumstances. We are supported by fantastic Trustees and generous funders who we have the privilege to work with and who support us to help even more young people.

Our services encompass many facets of Mental Health (psychological, medical, sexual and social needs of young people) including individual Counselling & Psychotherapy, Systemic Integrative Treatment using a range of evidence-based therapies and a variety of outreach professionals in community settings. Also Clinical Training and Consultancy including healthy living, parent programmes and other aligned group work.

To continue our fantastic journey, we are looking for a new Head of Finance. Someone who is aligned to our own core values – maybe you have worked for a similar organisation or you relish the opportunity to work for us – a special place to bring your skills to a new role.

You will work closely with our CEO and Treasurer to take responsibility for the overall financial sustainability of the organisation. This means focusing on accurate and timely accounting of our charity’s finances, the delivery of actual results in line with budget, timely identification of financial risks and proper financial procedures. Moreover, you will have the opportunity of working with our CEO and Senior Leadership Team to develop an overall strategy for the organisation with a corresponding financial plan.

Is this part-time, permanent role the kind of position you are seeking? If so, we would love to receive your application. Further details can be found on the attached Job Description.

The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) has an international award-winning reputation in heritage conservation and regeneration for its own estate. For this reason CCT has been contracted to deliver a programme of work for Historic Chapels Trust (HCT). HCT owns and cares for 20 of the most significant Nonconformist and Catholic chapels no longer in regular use by their congregations, all listed at Grade I and Grade II*.  Key to the project is management of the assets, funded by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) through their Cultural Assets Fund (CAF).

As a member of CCT’s national Conservation team you will be the main point of contact for all chapel maintenance related issues, liaising closely with contractors, local groups and volunteers. Alongside the Conservation Projects Manager for Chapels you will deliver the maintenance programme, including regulatory and legal compliance, as well as deal with utilities and insurance of chapels. 10 of the chapels are in our North region, 6 in our West region and 4 are in our South East region.

You will have previous experience in the field of historic buildings maintenance, repair or property management. You will be an effective communicator, be able to plan and deliver your own workload and also work as part of a team. As you’ll be working at chapels throughout England it is essential you have a full driving licence.

If you would like to apply for this role, please visit our recruitment portal to begin your application. You will be asked to submit a CV and a short supporting statement (max 2 sides A4) outlining why you’d like to apply and how you fulfil the person specification for this post, so you’ll need to refer to the job description.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 8am on 4th November 2024

The interviews will take place in London on 15th November 2024. Please note that the interview date and location have been specifically chosen according to the availability of the panel.

We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer. Candidates who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the job will be offered an interview.

If you have any queries about this role, or if you have a disability and wish to request a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact us.

We are an inclusive employer and offer equal opportunities to all regardless of an individual’s age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We are not a licensed sponsor at this time. Any offer of employment will be made subject to valid right to work in the UK being provided.

The successful candidates will work 35 hours a week over 5 days, including evening and weekend work as required by the company. 

We have 9 roles available in the following locations:

Blackburn, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wrexham

At Help for Heroes, we believe those who serve our country deserve support when they are wounded. Every day, men and women have to leave their career in the Armed Forces as a result of physical or psychological wounds; their lives changed forever. We help them, and those still serving, to recover and get on with their lives.

And who are we you’re wondering? We are experts and beginners. Generalists and specialists. Ordinary people with an extraordinary passion towards making a positive change to the lives of our veterans (and having fun while doing it).

As One Team we share a philosophy – I.C.A.R.E. It’s the way we walk and talk, the way we interact with others and how we approach everything we do. We are:

Innovative – Collaborative – Authentic – Resourceful – Energetic. 

We have an incredible opportunity for a COMMUNITY BUILDER to join our Community Development team.

Please see below for more information on what just might be your future role.

About The Role 

The Help for Heroes Community Development team are looking to recruit a team of Community Builders to assist in their reshaped participation and connection strategy. Using Asset Based Community Development, we seek to support the charity’s objective to enhance reach and positive impact for members of the Armed Forces Community facing challenges within their local communities.

Are you interested in the Armed Forces community and harnessing their strengths and gifts? Can you identify what already exists in an area and utilise it to create new networks and make things happen?

We are looking for a motivated, dynamic and confident people who are passionate about collaborating with communities in the design and delivery of interventions that bring and connect people together to strengthen networks within the local community. If you believe in the advantages of having a strong community, this role could suit you.

Working closely with Community Development Managers across regions within the UK, the Community Builders will play a vital role in helping to improve lives for Armed Forces Community members by creating a supportive environment that allows them to re-engage and connect with the services at Help for Heroes and with the wider community. 

The main purpose of this role is to connect local people through their skills, passions and assets and support the creation of new connections, bringing people together to improve wellbeing and make the community a better place to live. This will include listening to different points of views, building relationships and motivating people to work together and create their own action influenced by their interests and skillsets to positively impact local communities and help them to flourish.

About You

You will have experience leading and facilitating the mobilisation of local communities, asset mapping, bringing together people for engagement that matters to them. You will have knowledge and experience of Asset Based Community Development work, outreach methods and you will have good organisational skills, energy and the ability to animate local communities. 

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver outreach to drive local connection, engagement and participation opportunities for the AFC 

• Develop and embed an ABCD informed way of work 

• Asset map 

• Organise and facilitate community meetings to share ideas, encourage collective decision making and build a sense of belonging 

• Encourage and pilot community lead action in response to local AFC needs/interests through peer led/co-designed initiatives 

• Increase awareness of the challenges faced by military personnel, veterans and their families

PLEASE NOTE: The successful candidates will need to be based within an hour’s commute of their allocated locality and there is a requirement to travel within a 75-mile radius of this location (travel expenses covered). Flexibility in working hours is necessary to ensure a total of 70 hours is covered over a 2-week period so please take this into consideration before applying. 

We are looking for someone with the following: 

• A Community Development qualification and/or at least 3 years' experience working within a community development or similar role, with responsibility for bringing about social change and improving quality of life 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop relationships which lead to actions  

• Demonstrable experience within an integrated multi-disciplinary service  

• Experience of engaging and working collaboratively with partners/stakeholders 

About the Team 

You will work as part of the Community Development team; this newly formed team will approach working in defined localities using an asset based community development approach. Together the Community Development Managers and the Community Builders will strengthen local communities using resources and networks that are readily available. You will do this to proliferate opportunities for sustainable participation and engagement alongside a multi-disciplinary team in order to support the Armed Forces Community to live well after service. 

Please see job description for more details about the role. 

*There will be a two-stage interview process for this role, with the 1st stage of interviews taking place the w/c 25th of November.

Please note due to a high volume of applicants, we might close this vacancy early if we find the right candidate - previous applicants do not need to reapply*

The charity is 9 years old, and initially started its work in Blackpool, the community facing the highest multiple deprivation in the country, before starting to scale. After slow and steady growth in our early years, a combination of our reputation, growing evidence, and the increased demand for place based change has seen our rate of growth rising in recent years. We are taking a “quality first” approach to scaling our delivery work, as we cannot let down any of our communities through scaling beyond our capability.

In order to support the increasing level of demand for our work, over the next five years, the fundraising team will embark on an ambitious growth strategy – as we look to grow our income £8 million this year to £20 million by 2029, increasing the breadth, depth and number of communities that we serve. 

The successful candidate will play an integral role in designing, developing and leading the delivery of our fundraising strategy to ensure that children and young people have the best start in life. They will be responsible for a broad range of income streams with a particular focus on growth across high net worth individuals, individual giving, corporate and digital whilst continuing to effectively maintain and build upon our strong funder base in trusts, foundations, philanthropy and statutory support.  They will also directly oversee the wider fundraising team which currently includes the fundraising manager and fundraising officer roles. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Overseeing the successful design, development and implementation of Right to Succeed’s 5 year fundraising strategy. 

• Leading, inspiring, developing and managing the charity’s fundraising team, taking overall responsibility for achieving fundraising targets for the organisation.

• Ensuring a collaborative and integrated approach to fundraising across the organisation through working collaboratively with the finance and programmes team to ensure maximum efficiency across our prospecting, budgeting, monitoring, tracking and reporting processes

• Ensuring that fundraising activities comply with legal and regulatory standards, including donor privacy, tax regulations, and the Fundraising Regulator’s code of practice 

• Building positive, sustainable relationships both internal and externally, effectively managing all key stakeholders and funders. 

• Representing Right to Succeed externally, including organising and attending funder events and regularly engaging with local and regional commissioners and funders. 

• Providing key fundraising insight to the Senior Executive team and when required trustee board as part of the wider leadership group, shaping organisational strategy and decision-making. 

• Identifying opportunities and potential challenges, working collaboratively across functions to maximise impact and mitigate risk.

• Working in partnership with the communications team to align cross-departmental priorities ensuring that increasing organizational profile leads to greater levels of funder interest in supporting our work

• Working collaboratively with the Finance Director to ensure clear alignment of budget management processes and being proactive in managing and communicating change and risk 

• Developing an in-depth knowledge understanding of our work and the communities we serve to enable the production of high-quality fundraising materials, proposals and reports

Fundraising 

• Overseeing a diverse portfolio of income streams, with a clear strategy and plan for growth and sustainability

• Working alongside the Senior Executive and wider leadership team to set, monitor and deliver annual income and expenditure targets.

• Support the Senior Executive team in cultivating new relationships and stewardship of HNWI whilst continuing to build upon our existing funder base, ensuring that all supporters receive a first-class experience.

• Proactively planning for meetings with funders, prospects and networking events to develop new opportunities.

• Working collaboratively with the comms and and programmes teams to increase awareness of RtS and our programmes, developing professional and engaging fundraising materials including fundraising applications, proposals, appeals, pitches and reports.

• Identifying new fundraising trends and developments and make recommendations to the Senior Executive team around resource prioritization. 

• Ensuring the fundraising database and pipeline is fully kept up to date, implementing and embedding a clear framework for decision making regarding fundraising opportunities across the organisation. 

• Working collectively with the Chief Programmes Officer and Programme Directors to identify, develop and grow local funding opportunities within their respective communities

Budgeting, reporting and compliance

• Managing the team budget, providing regular reports as required to the Senior Executive, Finance, Development Committee and Board of Trustees.

• Setting, delivering and monitoring the fundraising business plan, ensuring all objectives and KPIs are met and risks are managed as appropriate.

• Ensuring all fundraising activity complies with legal and regulatory standards.

• Supporting the finance team in compiling information for the annual audit process

• Working with the finance and programme teams to ensure alignment across organisational, funder and programme budgets 

• Maximising the effectiveness of our organisational CRM (Hubspot) to provide high-quality analysis, insight, reporting and strategic decision making

Leadership and management

• Developing a collaborative, high-performance culture that is ambitious, passionate and proactive in its strategic and operational practice.

• Providing effective line management to direct reports, setting and monitoring individual performance objectives and motivating the team to be innovative and professional in its thinking and delivery.

• Ensuring all fundraising staff receive clear and consistent direction and feedback to enable them to perform to the best of their ability.

• Having an open attitude to constructive peer feedback around improving policies and processes as we continue to learn and grow as an organisation

• Being an inspiring ambassador for RtS, networking widely, and ensuring it is reflected in the strategies, outputs and behaviors of the fundraising team.

• Contributing to the strategic direction of the charity, joining the senior executive team meetings once the fundraising function is working effectively. 

• Leading by example in terms of your work ethic, your commitment to the delivery of results and demonstrating the values of the organisation in all that you do. 

• Investing in the professional development of your team, ensuring that they are growing in their roles and as members of the Right to Succeed staff team. 

Travel 

This role will require travel to Right to Succeed’s offices in Liverpool and Manchester as well as to funder meetings across the UK. It is essential that the post-holder has access to a car or excellent transport systems.

Person Specification 

Experience required (essential) 

• Strong track record of meeting and exceeding fundraising targets in a senior fundraising role.

• Leading the development and implementation of a successful fundraising strategy generating significant organisational income.

• Track record of working across different forms of fundraising including trusts & foundations, high net worth individuals, individual giving, corporate and statutory/public sector.

• Track record of leading, managing and inspiring high performing fundraising teams.

• Proficient in research, strategic planning, budgeting and monitoring.

• Fostering successful relationships and partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders.

• Bringing together influential funders and policy makers to increase awareness and support of key issues.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to facilitate senior stakeholder meetings, speak engagingly to a wide range of audiences and to represent RtS externally.

• Understanding of the issues facing the children, young people and communities that we serve.

• Collaborative working style and excellent relationship building skills.

• Working with Senior Executive teams and trustee boards.

Experience required (desirable) 

• Experience in working with city regions, local authorities, government departments and their commissioning processes.

• Leading local or national fundraising campaigns. 

• Knowledge of utilising CRM systems (we use Hubspot) for fundraising. 

Skills & Personal Qualities (essential)

• Commitment to the aims and ethos of Right to Succeed and a desire to bring about positive change in relation to societal inequity. 

• Business management and Financial management skills. 

• Strong leadership skills and the ability to enthuse, motivate and develop a team and partnerships that deliver results. 

• Ability to think strategically and to communicate a compelling strategic vision.

• Excellent all round communication skills and relationship management abilities. 

• Professional and resourceful, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team. 

• Ability to model and instill the Right to Succeed values as outlined below. 

• Strong organisational and people management skills.

• Ability to work in a small, but highly ambitious, growing organisation

Qualifications and Knowledge (essential)

• Awareness of local areas, key challenges and understanding of current contexts 

• Collective impact and place-based change 

• In-depth knowledge of education improvement and community development 

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How to Apply

To apply for this position, please submit a CV and a supporting statement including your motivation for applying and how you meet the criteria for the role by end of day on Friday 8th November. 

Please note we will be interviewing candidates as applications are received and may close the vacancy earlier if a suitable candidate is identified. Candidates are advised to apply as early as possible.

Unfortunately, we can’t consider any candidates who do not submit a supporting statement. 

Your supporting statement must not exceed two pages and should cover your motivation for applying for the role and how your skills and experience meet the criteria outlined in the Person Specification. This is also your opportunity to evidence the written communication skills that will be necessary for the role.

Timetable 

Applications invited by Friday 8th November 

Interviews: 

Stage one will be held on Zoom on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th November

Stage two will be held on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th November 

Start date: December 2024/January 2025

These dates may be subject to change. 

Here at Action For Humanity (AFH), we are looking for a Director of Finance & Services to join us. You will join us on a full-time basis and in return you will receive a competitive annual salary of £65,000 to £70,000.

AFH is an NGO that provides aid and assistance to people affected by natural and man-made disasters. Our vision is a world of crises-resilient communities. Our mission is to mobilise and respond to emergencies and critical needs through humanitarian, development and peace-building action, helping affected communities survive, recover and build a better future.

As our Director of Finance & Services, you will be responsible to prepare, manage and implement the financial strategy, policies, procedures, and financial controls framework at AFH, as well as inputting strategically and operationally on  services including HR, Procurement and Facilities. Reporting to the CEO and sitting on the Executive Leadership Team, the Director of Finance & Services will work closely with the charity’s leaders to deliver the charity’s objectives. H/she will ensure controls are effectively in place and functional, and h/she will ensure compliance with the rules and regulations AFH is bound by as a charity.  H/she will lead the Finance team and be ultimately responsible for all Finance objectives.

Your responsibilities as our Director of Finance & Services will include the following:

1. Strategic leadership

• As an Executive Leadership Team member, the Director of Finance & Services shall assist the CEO, the AFR and Board of Trustees (BoT) in:
  • developing and implementing the financial strategy, policy and manual;
  • Ensure that investments are meeting their intended objectives, and revise the investment policy as needed to maintain alignment with goalsproviding strategic direction to the organisation through executive decision making, forecasting/budgeting and its implementation;
  •  establishing and implementing internal controls and ensuring efficient and effective financial operations as per industry and sector benchmarks.
• Attend Executive Leadership, Senior Leadership, AFR, and Board meetings, contributing and if necessary, leading them.
• Work with the CEO to develop, co-ordinate and monitor all costings for bids, projects, and core budget.

2. Stakeholder Management

• Maintain effective relationship and coordination with key stakeholders, including local, national, and global organisations, government bodies, banks, donor institutions, etc.
• Ensure independence of the Internal Audit function, the AFR and the Board from the financial operating matters.
• Liaise with partner organisations and provide the necessary leadership and technical support.

3. Compliance

• Ensure Financial and Accounting policies, procedures, and systems are in accordance with statutory regulations, industry benchmarks, and global standards, and in compliance with risk management and internal controls.
• Ensure that all accounting records are properly and timely maintained, reporting cycles and other associated engagements are successfully performed in an effective and timely manner in accordance with the regulatory and organisational requirements.
• Ensure compliance with agreements and contracts in relation to banks and external service providers.

4. Team Leadership

• Assume overall responsibility for UK & International Finance teams, and assume overall responsibility for services including   Procurement and Facilities, including necessary resourcing/recruitment, inductions, training, retention, and day to day management.
• Focusing on team members’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes for building capacities to deliver on present positions and build long term capability to shoulder additional responsibilities.
• Ensure performance management is utilised effectively for all direct reports, to reward good performance and promote a culture of accountability and merit.
• Provide support, guidance, and development to international finance staff.

5. Planning, Reporting and managing resources

• Develop, maintain and monitor the financial systems of the organisation to ensure the production of accurate & timely reports.
• Create business value through technology, ensuring tech systems and procedures lead to outcomes in line with organisational goals, and support with developing the IT and software systems used within finance and services, particularly an ERP system.
• Negotiate contracts and agreements with third parties for commercial aspects of the running AFH.
• Finalise the annual financial statements and periodic financial reports (as applicable), obtain external audit approval, and present them to the CEO, AFR Committee, and Board of Trustees for consideration and approval.Monitor and report on the overall funding status, and coordinate with stakeholders for arrangement and management of funds and grants.
• Ensure funding applications are properly prepared and AFH costs fully covered through a robust cost recovery and cross charging methodology, working with the leadership teams to interact with relevant stakeholders for these purposes.
• Conduct financial analysis and review of existing and proposed programmes, projects, and campaigns, contributing to decision making in this area. Oversee staff payroll, handling of petty cash and banking of donations, management of activity fees and credit control process

6. Other

• Perform any other task assigned by the CEO/AFR or the Board.

What we are looking for in our Director of Finance & Services:

Education

• Qualified Accountant (ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA)
• Evidence of continuous professional development

Experience

• Significant experience of a senior leadership team role is essential, as well as having managed a direct team and promoting high performance
• Experience in dealing with external audit and internal audit functions
• Experience of managing change and growth
• Knowledge and experience of Charity finance would be an advantage
• A proven track record of successfully managing all aspects of an operation and delivering successful outcomes
• Experience of preparing financial statements, consolidated accounts and seeing through the audit process from start to finish
• Experience of leading services functions including HR, Procurement and Facilities

Skills

• Excellent attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build great relationships with a range of external and internal stakeholders, including trustees, partners, and members
• Excellent communication skills, recognising the need to raise awareness and grow our brand and offerings through presentations to a variety of stakeholders
• Advanced ICT skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel, and Finance/Accounting software
• Flexibility and the ability to manage time effectively whilst juggling multiple tasks
• Understanding of political, business and investment climate in UK, Canada and USA
• Understanding of humanitarian and international development sector globally, particularly in relation to the Middle East, Africa and South Asia

Languages

• Strong written and spoken English (Essential)
• Strong written and spoken Arabic, Urdu, or French (Desirable) 

Benefits of joining us include:

• A salary of £65,000 to £70,000 per year depending on experience;
• 25 days’ holiday allowance + your birthday off + bank holidays;
• Matched pension contributions;
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements possible;
• Enhanced sick, maternity/paternity pay;
• Structured annual performance development review process, which informs annual salary reviews and involves training and development provision;
• EAP which includes access to free 24/7 helpline, counselling, and legal and financial advice;
• Subsidised on-site food and drinks;
• Hundreds of discounts and special offers, for shopping, dining out, joining a gym, and more;
• Modern office in central Manchester location with free parking, break out room, and prayer facilities;
• Opportunity to go on international deployment/field visits, where appropriate;
• Annual away days/retreats involving training, teambuilding, outdoor and social activities;
• Subsidised sports and social activities.

This would be an ideal role for a humanitarian sector Finance leader looking to propel their career. We are looking to appoint this role ASAP and will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so for the best chance of success please apply today – we would love to hear from you.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Action For Humanity also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Department: Analysis & Insight
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £27,200 - £32,000
Location: Home Based (UK wide travel as required)
Reports To: Research & Insight Manager

As a Research and Insight Analyst at the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), you will be a key member of the Analysis and Insights (A&I) team, dedicated to empowering the NFCC and UK Fire and Rescue Services with actionable insights that drive informed decision-making. You will work collaboratively with a team of research and data analysis professionals to support the team's objectives and contribute to the wider goals of the NFCC.

Your role will involve using your skills to deliver valuable insights through effective information gathering, detailed analysis, and comprehensive reporting. You will work on both routine and ad-hoc projects, supporting the team in responding to major events within the fire and rescue sector.

Key responsibilities of a Research & Insight Analyst:

Following the processes and policies set out in the A&I team’s terms of reference document, to ensure high quality, consistent approaches to all work.

Designing and executing information gathering exercises, ensuring that they are clear, easy to understand and will yield the information required to produce the identified output.

Information gathering methods primarily include designing online survey tools and question sets but can also include workshops, interviews and focus groups.

Ensuring the validation and quality assurance of any information gathered to ensure that all insights gathered are accurate and statistically significant.

Interpreting findings and drawing meaningful conclusions using quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques.

Producing clear, concise and well-structured outputs, utilising visualisations to enhance understanding and engagement when presenting to stakeholders. These outputs could be developed using MS Excel, MS Word, PowerPoint, PowerBI or similar.

Ensuring the Strategic Improvement Model (SIM) is kept up to date by reviewing and analysing reports about UK FRSs (from the inspectorate (HMICFRS), major inquiry reports, independently commissioned reports and other sources.

Supporting the work of the NFCC Organisational Learning team and ACER (Academic, Collaboration, Evaluation and Research) Group

Familiarity with research methodologies and outputs, such as literature reviews, and using them to identify trends, gaps, and best practices

Assisting as required when the A&I team is commissioned to support work related to major events or incidents

Assisting as required with team administrative duties

The successful candidate will have:

Experience working as a research analyst, or equivalent

Excellent qualitative research skills, including survey question design, and thematic analysis.

Excellent presentation skills with the ability to design and develop engaging outputs

Good numerical skills with the ability to spot trends and anomalies

Good MS Excel skills (including Pivot tables and charts, complex formatting and formulas)

Good communication and interpersonal skills to be able work within a team working solely from home

Some experience of data visualisation tools such as PowerBI would be beneficial

Experience working with academia and/or on academic research would be beneficial

The Selection Process

If this sounds like the kind of opportunity that makes you excited; please have a look at the Job description and apply.

How to apply:

Please complete the application form linked from the ‘apply now’ button on the NFCC Website. CV’s will NOT be accepted for this position.

Closing date: 24 November 2024 with interviews week commencing 9 December 2024.

NFCC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and will require a DBS check to be completed prior to commencing in post.

NFCC is committed to being an inclusive employer. We comply with the Equality Act 2010, and we believe that everyone deserves to work in safe environments that are free from bullying, harassment and discrimination, abuse, and harm, where they feel supported, welcome, and able to thrive.

NFCC acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice, all staff are expected to share this commitment.

Job Title: Advocacy and Campaigns Officer
Contract: 12 Months Fixed Term
Hours: Part Time (15-18 hours per week)
Salary: £25,290 - £27,100 FTE
Location: Homeworking

About Us:
Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance is a user-led charity dedicated to promoting choice, control, and quality of life for teenagers and adults with muscle-weakening conditions. We strive to empower our members by ensuring they have access to essential support, resources, and opportunities to thrive in their communities.

The Role:
Are you passionate about advocacy and driven to make a real difference in the lives of individuals with muscle-weakening conditions? We are seeking a dynamic Advocacy and Campaigns Officer to lead the expansion of our advocacy services and drive impactful campaigns. In this role, you will be instrumental in shaping our advocacy provision across housing, healthcare, social care, and benefits, ensuring that our members feel empowered to express their needs and rights.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage the advocacy service, supporting members in navigating complex systems of support.

• Conduct outreach and marketing efforts to raise awareness of our advocacy services.

• Create and maintain a database to track advocacy needs and support, informing future funding applications.

• Lead our campaigning initiatives, collaborating with members and stakeholders to highlight key issues and drive policy changes.

• Produce engaging campaign materials for our website, newsletter, and social media platforms.

Who You Are:
You will have at least two years of experience in advocacy or advisory roles, ideally connected to housing, healthcare, or social care for disabled individuals. Your understanding of the challenges faced by those with muscle-weakening conditions is essential. Strong communication and organisational skills, combined with a commitment to equality and diversity, are crucial for this role.

Why Join Us?
This is an exciting opportunity to play a vital role in advocating for those seeking better support and influencing policy for better services. As part of a passionate team, you'll have the chance to drive meaningful change and contribute to the development of a supportive community.

Application Details:
To apply, please send a completed application form by Sunday, 10th November at 11:59 PM. Interviews will be conducted between 13th-22nd November. You can download the application form from our website or request it via email.

Join us at Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance and help empower individuals to take charge of their health and future!

Senior Campaigner
Reference: OCT20245008
Location: Flexible in UK - This role is a flexible role with the option of working 'hybrid' at one of our offices as well as from home.
Salary: £32,022.00 - £34,377.00 Per Annum
Benefits: Pension, Life Assurance and Annual Leave
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week

Do you have the passion and skills to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing nature and climate? Many of these challenges are complex and long-term, and our systems change campaigning function works with colleagues across the RSPB to tackle them head on. We are recruiting for a Senior Campaigner in our Campaigning & Mobilisation department. 

What’s the role about

Our systems change campaigns work tackles big, complex problems facing nature and climate over the long-term. The current focus is to drive systemic change that creates the right conditions for nature-friendly farming to prosper. You will focus campaigning pressure wherever it can be exerted to best effect – and not always at governments, but also at other key actors. Through the campaigns you develop you will help us realise large-scale positive change for nature and climate that builds and builds. 

The campaigns you help develop will have multiple elements, offering our phenomenal supporters a range of ways to get involved. Their supporter journey will deepen engagement and empowerment of individual campaigners over time, equipping them to tackle these complex problems in their own way.

As part of a dispersed team, you could be based anywhere in the UK, so long as you’re able to travel to central locations to get together with colleagues, and on occasion to meet with colleagues in Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh and Birmingham.

In this role, key activities will include:

• Co-creating and delivering systems change campaigns on behalf of the RSPB, working collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation.
• Responsibility to roll out systems change campaigns in two of the four countries of the UK (with another Senior Campaigner covering the other two).
• Recruiting and line managing professional volunteers to provide expert guidance or deliver campaigns. 
• Building key internal and external relationships to support development and delivery of systems change campaigns. 
• Maintaining technical expertise and analysis of external context relating to the current campaign and challenges facing nature.
• Ensuring compliance with legal, Charity Commission, and internal policy on campaigning standards.

What we need from you:

• A passion for nature, addressing climate change and campaigning!
• Relevant experience to effectively deliver the responsibilities and tasks of this role, including demonstrable campaigning experience.
• Ability to see the big picture, understand and simplify complex systems affecting nature.
• Ability to understand where, when and how to apply campaigning pressure for maximum impact.
• Ability to drive forward work in a complex, large organization and through a four-country operating model.
• Excellent time management skills to focus own time on the highest priorities.

General information

• From time-to-time, and particularly at the start of a new campaign, you will be expected to come together with others working on that campaign, and co-locate face-to-face for a few days. There will be some meetings together, and also the opportunity to work side by side on the project for a short period. The RSPB will subsidise any required accommodation or travel as per our Expenses Policy. This will help build relationships, break down silos, and make working together online easier and more enjoyable. This co-location will usually be at an RSPB office and will be agreed in advance. Outside of these co-location moments you will be based in your contracted place of work as usual. Reasonable adjustment to the above can be discussed with the Line Manager.
• Everyone in the RSPB has a role to play in creating an inclusive culture and we want our people and their behaviours to show this. As part of your role, it is your responsibility to:
• Work in a way that reflects our commitment to inclusion, with colleagues, external partners or the public.
• Demonstrate inclusive behaviour, which recognises the value of everyone’s contribution and experience.
• Demonstrate awareness of how your work is related to the organisation’s EDI work, including through our external communications if relevant to your role.

Closing date: 23:59, Mon, 11th Nov 2024

We anticipate Interviews will take place on 25th November 2024.

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.

As part of this application process, you will be asked to complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.

We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their full selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people, and more diverse people, on nature’s side. People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application.

The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.

No agencies please.

Peer Support Development Officer – Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire

 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 easy reach of Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire, 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 easy reach of Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire. Key development areas for this post will initially include; Oldham, Bury, Tameside, Doncaster, York and the East Riding of Yorkshire. You may be required to support the development of groups in North Lincolnshire. This role may also 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 date and interview details:

Closing date: 1 November 2024 12:00 pm

Interviews: Week Commencing 4 November 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. 

Chief Executive 

Design in Mental Health Network

£65,000 - £70,000

Remote, with access to London and UK travel

Full-time, permanent

Design in Mental Health Network is a registered charity, which aims to improve mental health outcomes by promoting knowledge exchange, co-production involving the voice of people with Lived Experience and challenging the status quo of mental health design.

We are a network of experts whose perspectives, thoughts, insights, opinions are grounded in research, professional qualification and/or lived experience.  The collective includes a wide range of stakeholders involved in planning for, designing, building, managing and using spaces that impact on our mental health.

We believe the better the design brief is in determining and matching the evidenced needs of all users, the better the goal of improving the actual design of settings to support better mental health care and patient outcomes will be. 

Good design facilitates human connection (therapeutic/supportive relationships) and to this end we advocate to engage and influence people with decision making capabilities and/or budget control, to understand how to use existing resources more effectively in leading to better mental health outcomes.

We want to actively challenge the status quo, using research and our design skills to reimagine radical new ways of approaching mental health care that improve the outcomes for patients and make these spaces better places to work for the staff on the front line.  We’ll always do this from the view of what is best for the person receiving care, using the built environment as a platform for lasting stabilisation or recovery from mental ill health.

Looking forward to this exciting time we are seeking a CEO with the skills and experience to develop, implement and drive a plan to see our ambitious vision come to fruition. 

There is now a growing appetite globally for what we do, with a group of interested people forming in the US and Canada as they invest significant sums in new buildings.

How to apply

Application is by way of CV and a Supporting Statement, which should clearly set out your motivations for the role and how your experience to date meets the requirements.

Please click the apply button for further information.

Closing date: Sunday 10th November

First interviews: Week beginning 25th November (conducted remotely by NFP)

Final interviews: Monday 9th December (conducted in-person, location tbc)

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. 

We are seeking a dynamic director of member support and development, to lead a team that supports, inspires and champions hundreds of community groups across Britain, engaging people with their local railways and delivering empowering community projects. You’ll be helping communities to come together, take action and have a voice on sustainable and inclusive transport and development.

About this role

This role couldn’t be more crucial to who we are and what we do: putting our members and their local communities at the forefront, empowering them to achieve their goals, and ensuring we and our partners are listening to and learning from their insights.

As a member of our senior leadership team, reporting to our chief executive, you will manage, lead and develop our support and development team, with nine passionate and knowledgeable staff.

Your job is to ensure the team excels and thrives in its work supporting and developing our membership to increase its impact, in line with our strategic goals and members’ locally-determined plans and ambitions. This includes nurturing togetherness, positivity and innovation, ensuring strong collaboration with our other teams, external partners and funders, and bringing new opportunities into community rail, while sharing its insights and experiences.

It’s an exciting time to be joining community rail, with the movement expanding, increasingly influential in rail and transport development, a burgeoning evidence base, and growing recognition of its relevance in tackling the climate crisis and social inequalities.

Main responsibilities:

1. Manage, lead, support and develop our support and development (S&D) team, ensuring effective delivery and performance against our aims, objectives and plans, and ensuring the team’s work is well-planned, coordinated, evidenced and reported;
2. Lead on the development, delivery and regular review of a strategy and annual plans, targets and budgets for the S&D team, engaging the team and our funders effectively in this process, drawing on member, partner and Board input, and aligning with our overarching strategy;
3. Nurture a member-orientated, empowering, positive approach in the S&D team, in line with our values, ensuring high-quality provision of support, advice and signposting, balancing proactiveness and responsiveness, and being attentive to members’ needs and input, as well as wider contexts and opportunities;
4. Help our team to show positive leadership and provide intelligent, effective support, training and development services to our members around community engagement and empowerment, social inclusion and diversity, sustainable and healthy travel and socio-economic development – including by listening to members, continually developing the team’s knowledge, skills and networks, and enabling the team to signpost, refer to and collaborate with organisations with useful expertise/services;
5. Coordinating with our other teams, forge and maintain strong external partnerships, especially leading on those that help us support our members better and bring them opportunities, such as with train operators, corporate partners, third sector organisations, and at operational level with devolved/regional/combined authorities;
6. Continually monitor and develop the S&D team’s performance and impact, including using member, partner and colleague feedback, supporting staff to consider and maximise effectiveness, driving innovation and efficiencies, and developing ways to assess and evidence our impact, especially as our membership continues to grow;
7. Manage our activity supporting the creation and development of new or emerging community rail partnerships, station groups and community stations, and our support for those undergoing major change or challenges, ensuring this is carefully balanced with existing members’ needs;
8. Ensure our members’ voices, experiences and insights can be effectively used by our other teams and external partners, in their delivery, planning and strategic influencing work, especially ensuring that case studies, stories, examples and views are fed through to our communications, policy and events activity;
9. Play a key role in our liaison with and reporting to our own funders, and other major funders of our members, including ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation of our S&D work, collating good evidence of our own and our members’ impact, and maintaining a robust awareness of and ability to advocate on opportunities and risks in community rail;
10. As a member of our senior leadership team, work closely with senior colleagues and across the organisation, and liaise with our Board as relevant, to co-ordinate and manage the delivery of our overarching strategy, reinforce our values, ensure the whole team is engaged with our mission and purpose, and to show external leadership across our members, partners and beyond.

Skills and competencies:

1. Strong leadership and management skills, including a track record in managing, developing, drawing on and getting the best from a multi-faceted team, and working in and driving positive change in a complex, rapidly-evolving environment;
2. Significant experience and demonstrable experience in community engagement and community-led projects, ideally from both professional and voluntary positions, and ideally experience in supporting and advising community initiatives;
3. Experience in successfully planning, developing, delivering and evaluating programmes with positive social outcomes, including reporting to funders;
4. Experience working collaboratively and forming mutually-beneficial partnerships and professional networks, ideally with experience of developing corporate partnerships and/or funder relationships;
5. An understanding of how to evidence and increase social impact, particularly in relation to community development, empowerment and sustainability;
6. Awareness of and a strong commitment to community empowerment, social inclusion, social justice and sustainable development, with a good grasp of the importance of public transport and sustainable travel, and community-led action, to these agendas;
7. Excellent communication skills, articulate and assertive, with the ability to work constructively, diplomatically and persuasively with stakeholders at all levels and handle challenging situations;
8. Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines while dealing with competing priorities, and an evidenced ability to support a team to do so;
9. IT literate and competent using Office applications, the internet and CRM/database/recording systems;
10. Appropriate qualifications and professional development demonstrating knowledge and skills in line with the above, and a commitment to ongoing learning and development.

Other information

As you will be home-based and managing a dispersed team, we are flexible about your location. However, you will be expected to travel to our office in Huddersfield for in-person full-team meetings quarterly, and you will need to bring your team together at a central location with similar regularity in between. On top of this, attendance at occasional in-person events and partner meetings, and visits to members to learn more about community rail and assist the team, will be important. We therefore welcome applications from those with decent public transport links, not too far from a railway station to enable journeys to be made sustainably.

This is a full-time position, 37 hours per week. We use a flexi-time system, with the core hours 10am-3pm, and we are committed to being a flexible, supportive and understanding employer. This is a permanent position with a probationary period of six months.

Community Rail Network is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from disabled people and Black, Asian and other minoritised groups, who meet with the skills and competencies for this role. We will provide reasonable adjustments for interviews as required.