MapAction

MapAction is a charity existing to provide mapping, geospatial and information management services to humanitarian emergencies. A leader in its field, MapAction has an inspirational team of highly skilled volunteers backed up by a specialised staff team to provide humanitarian emergency response, preparedness, early anticipation activities and the delivery of training services worldwide. The overall aim is to save lives and minimise suffering by ensuring that humanitarian aid is delivered as effectively and efficiently as possible, getting to where it is needed most, fast.

MapAction has a strong reputation for excellent service delivery and a collaborative approach. It is a technical partner of several United Nations and regional disaster management agencies, with ongoing funding from several humanitarian donor governments, trusts and foundations. With a team of creative, compassionate and committed people and a strong team spirit, we remain small enough that you will quickly come to know and respect what everyone contributes, as they will you. We pull together to do what is needed.

What will you do?

Training is a key component of MapAction’s output and is central to our effectiveness as an organisation. This role covers four key areas. First, the design and delivery of relevant training to the MapAction team that maintains and enhances our capability to respond to humanitarian emergencies and deliver our outputs. Second, the design and delivery of bespoke, relevant and innovative Information Management and Geospatial training to external partners. Third, the management and coordination of training plans, resources and information. Fourth, evaluating and evolving our training offer to ensure our internal and external training activities are both relevant and used. 

You will do this by coordinating with multiple internal (volunteer and staff) and external stakeholders, working to understand the needs and requirements of the training audience; designing bespoke courses and exercises to meet these needs. You will work in small teams, drawing on MapAction subject matter experts to organise and deliver training packages both in person and online, to a variety of international organisations and partners. You will be the focal point for the internal training curriculum and competencies framework ensuring MapAction personnel are trained to the highest standards in Geospatial and Information Management and will be pivotal in delivering the annual MapAction simulation exercise.  Your work will be committed to supporting MapAction’s multi-year strategy, working with the Head of MEAL to monitor activity and outputs, evaluating their effectiveness and success and applying this knowledge to improve our training offer to partners and our internal training curriculum. 

You will be an effective and engaging trainer and communicator, with strong relationship management and interpersonal skills, and an initiative-driven approach. You will enjoy working closely with colleagues in the MapAction volunteer team and work closely with the Operations and Technical teams to ensure our training events are delivered to the highest standards. You will be happy using your numeracy skills and comfortable creating and working with spreadsheets. 

Main Responsibilities

• Lead on the design and delivery of MapAction internal training to maintain and enhance our capability and ensure we are ready and able to respond to humanitarian emergencies
• Lead on the design and delivery of MapAction bespoke training to external stakeholders and partners
• Work closely with the Operations Director and Preparedness Coordinator to design and deliver a complete package of training across mapping, information management and mentoring and coaching support.
• Work closely with the Preparedness Coordinator to support the delivery of training and for communities of interest of humanitarian responders and national and regional authorities
• Ensure learning is collected and assessed from training activities and working with the Head of MEAL, incorporate learning into internal and external training design
• Represent MapAction on internal and external working groups, projects, networks and events
• Lead on the delivery of the annual training curriculum in collaboration with heads of circles (volunteer teams focused on specific areas e.g, software, GIS etc), managing and improving the team competencies framework to keep our skills and knowledge relevant and at the forefront of sectoral and technological trends
• Work closely with the ‘Training circle’ group of volunteers to manage our training outputs and improve the delivery of events internally and externally
• In collaboration with the Operations Director, deliver the annual MapAction simulation exercise
• In collaboration with the Training Circle develop the use of different media and methods for training that makes training more accessible and enables Team members to shape their training needs

• Identify new opportunities to further extend MapAction’s training offer in line with the 2019 Strategy
• Ensure and action appropriate administration of team training, identifying suitable venues/activities that will invigorate training events, give value for money and contribute to it being an enjoyable activity for MapAction volunteers
• Maintain training and competency records (Salesforce)

Key Competencies

• At least three years, post qualification work experience in a similar role or a role designing and delivering training on technical subjects
• Qualifications in Management, Education, Administration or similar discipline or significant experience in lieu of formal qualifications
• Demonstrable evidence of having delivered bespoke training events and simulation exercises to diverse audiences
• Experienced in adult learning, participatory training approaches, confident in delivery of group presentations, able to manage group dynamics, and enable a group to learn together, in person or online
• Experience evaluating the effectiveness of training events and using this to drive improvement and innovation nd exercises for service users
• Excellent communications skills with the ability to coordinate with multiple stakeholders, build and maintain relationships
• Proven project management experience
• Comfortable with managing multiple demands on your time
• Commitment to working with volunteers
• Ability to facilitate and engage others to learn
• A collegial and collaborative character, keen to work in and promote diverse teams
• Good IT skills and experience of Microsoft Office, google applications and electronic record keeping (Salesforce) 
• Strong commitment to MapAction’s mission and values
• Must have a full driving licence and own a vehicle

Additional Information

• Flexibility and willingness to work outside office hours including evening and weekends. Internal training events are run over a weekend each month. This post is expected to attend these events. Reasonable time off in lieu is available by agreement
• Must have the right to live and work in the UK. MapAction is unable to consider candidates who do not already hold appropriate permissions
• Required to work remotely initially and then to attend the MapAction offices by negotiation.
• Note: this is an operational role in a small, highly specialised charity and an appreciation of, and affinity with the humanitarian purpose of the charity is essential, as well as a willingness to take up additional tasks outside of the normal role when needed

Equal Opportunities Policy

MapAction is an Equal Opportunities employer. All employees have a personal responsibility to promote and support measures designed to create a working environment which is free from harassment or discrimination on the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, age, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, membership of the Travellers community or HIV&AIDS status.

How to apply

Please complete your application on Go Hire via our website. The closing date for applications is 31.01.2021. For further discussion regarding the content of this role, please call Chris Davies, Operations Director.  MapAction reserves the right to close the application date early.

Northern Ireland Celebrant Network Support Coordinator (Consultancy)

The Northern Ireland Celebrant Network Support Coordinator (NI-CNSC) is a key role with the primary aim of supporting celebrants in Northern Ireland. The successful candidate will help maintain the awareness required to carry out legal ceremonies from both an internal and external view.

Providing reporting on a regular basis, being the first point of contact and maintaining a good line of communication between celebrants and Humanists UK staff will require good organisation and communication skills.

This is a consultancy position and if you are interested please download the application pack and apply using this application form from here or our website.

Please note applications close on Monday 8 February.

Use your experience and skills to make a difference for people with dyslexia and dyscalculia by joining our growing team.

We are looking for a Volunteering Manager to help increase our impact for people of all ages with dyslexia and dyscalculia.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the British Dyslexia Association, the charity that is the voice of dyslexic people. The successful candidate will lead the development of our volunteering programme and embed a high-quality volunteering experience across our charity.
The Volunteering Manager will be responsible for developing the British Dyslexia Association volunteering programme and supporting our volunteers across different areas of our work, including our much-valued helpline volunteers, our committees for cultural perspectives, music and creatives, as well as the local association representatives who form the Local Association Board. We are also keen to grow our volunteer activity with new and innovative projects to help us support more people with dyslexia and dyscalculia, and to change perceptions across society.

We are contacted every day by people keen to be involved with us, offering their expertise or personal experiences and this new role will ensure we make the most of their generosity, as well as supporting our colleagues and teams to offer an excellent volunteering experience with the British Dyslexia Association.

About you

We are seeking an exceptional people-focussed candidate with a strong track record of success in roles working with volunteers. You will be an enthusiastic, motivated individual and an excellent relationship builder.
You do not necessarily need previous knowledge or experience of dyslexia or dyscalculia and their impact, but you will be a fast learner and quickly become passionate about our goals. As the charity moves into a new era, you will be at the heart of positive change.

To apply

Please view the Job Description for full details of this position. We invite applications with an up-to-date CV and cover letter explaining how your skills and experience match our requirements, and why you would like the role. 

CLOSING DATE: 12 Noon, Monday 8th February 2021

Interviews will be conducted remotely, week commencing 15th February 2021.

Please note: as we expect post Covid to have regular (fortnightly to monthly) visits to our Bracknell office in Berkshire, applicants should live a reasonable distance within 2-3 hours or so..

We are looking for a fundraiser with a strong passion and commitment to social and environmental justice to join our team. You will be proactive, creative and an excellent communicator who will bring a proven track record of building and developing successful partnerships to this role. This is a unique opportunity to join an organisation working at the nexus of human rights and tropical forest protection.

Role and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Fundraising Coordinator will be responsible for developing and overseeing RFUK’s fundraising strategy and developing our partnerships with institutional donors, trusts and foundations, ethical corporates, and individual givers.

Fundraising strategy and management:

• Develop and update RFUK’s fundraising strategy (cost-benefit analysis of different funding streams, preparation and execution of plans etc.).
• Ensure proper planning and coordination of the fundraising activities, including preparation of annual workplans.
• Work with the Executive Director and the Finance Manager to set appropriate annual organizational income and expenditure budgets and targets.
• Monitor unrestricted fundraising income and expenditure and provide regular reports and projections for the ED, Finance Manager and Board of Trustees as required.
• Work closely with the Executive Director and Communications Coordinator to ensure high quality communications for fundraising purposes.
• Carry out any other duties from time to time, as determined by the Executive Director.

Corporates, trusts & foundations:

• Devise and implement strategies for developing and maintaining strategic partnerships, identifying growth areas and opportunities within the ethical corporate sector.
• Research, identify and cultivate relationships with current and prospective companies, trusts and foundations, including the preparation of narrative/financial proposals and presentations.

• Represent RFUK at a range of events and functions with the aim of building relationships with potential donors.
• Manage and update our ethical partnership policy and checklist.

Programmes fundraising:

In coordination with the Head of Programmes:

• Lead on prospect research, cultivation and networking, in collaboration with relevant programmes staff.
• Support the development of funding applications where required.
• Advise on the technical content of the proposals, ensuring they meet donor expectations and maximising chances of success.
• Participate in the Programmes fundraising working group.

Public outreach:

• Develop and cultivate our regular giving pool: managing recruitment, retention and conversion to regular donors.
• With the Communications Coordinator, develop a digital marketing strategy to build our supporter base and extend our brand.
• Manage supporter appeals including the summer appeal and the Big Give Challenge.
• Develop plans for high net-worth individuals, legacy giving, schools outreach and events.
• Management of fundraising volunteers as required.

PROFILE AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and experience

Essential:

• At least 4 years of managerial experience in charity fundraising, preferably in an international development context
• Demonstrable achievements in securing large grants and increasing individual giving and other revenue streams
• Excellent communications skills, able to produce high-quality, publication standard materials
• Ability to write compelling fundraising materials
• Ability to build trusting relationships with a range of different interest groups in support of our mission
• Strong organisational skills including the development and monitoring of large-scale budgets and workplans
• Ability to lead strategic thinking and development
• Competency in Microsoft office programmes

Desirable:

• French and/or Spanish speaking
• Competency in design and video editing software programmes
• Social media savvy
• Experience of working in Africa or South America and with an environmental and human rights focus
• Knowledge of ethical screening processes for corporate partnerships.
• Knowledge of new funding trends in the areas of climate change, forests and human rights.
• Experience securing grants from governments and institutional funders.

Personal attributes

• Strong personal commitment to RFUK’s mission and to social and environmental justice in general

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – written and oral
• Cultural sensitivity and demonstrable commitment to RFUK’s values and to the principles of inclusion and non-discrimination
• Demonstrable ability to build coalitions and networks for collaboration
• Desire and capacity to work on complex issues
• Careful and conscientious with demonstrable attention to detail
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to work under pressure and to multiple deadlines
• Proactive and collaborative
• Personal integrity

SUMMARY, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The post is offered on a 2-year fixed term contract with possibility of extension. The role will be subject to a 6-month probationary period.

The post is a full-time position, based on a 35-hour working week in our North London office. Flexible working arrangements may be considered for exceptional candidates and in line with our staff handbook.

The starting salary is £32,651 - £38,063 gross per annum, depending on experience.

Monthly salary is paid by Bank Automated Credit transfer, on the 25th of every month.

Holidays, sick pay and other benefits are provided in accordance with statutory requirements. 30 days paid leave per year are offered.

Workplace pension (4% employer contribution).

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

RFUK is an equal opportunities employer, and makes no discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, age, physical abilities, religious or sexual persuasion.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should send your CV and with a cover letter of two pages maximum, explaining your motivation and providing concrete evidence of why you are suitable for the position. Please specify where you found this job advertisement. The deadline for submission is 31 January 2021.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

THE RAINFOREST FOUNDATION UK

The Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting indigenous peoples and traditional populations of the world’s rainforests in their efforts to protect their environment and fulfil their rights to land, life and livelihood.

We are looking to recruit a new Student Groups Development Coordinator to continue to support and create opportunities for the student leaders and volunteers at Westminster.

At Student Opportunities we are committed to becoming the number one destination for volunteering at Westminster, therefore our key aim is to ensure student volunteers and members will develop, formalise and articulate employability skills that they have gained through participating in our activities.

We are invested in building relationships with our students and stakeholders to provide a personable approach in the way we work through identifying the different needs and requirements of our diverse student body and stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be committed to supporting students to shape their University experience and the world around them. They will be forward thinking to ensure we are relevant to the student body and they will continue to build UWSU’s reputation as an inclusive and progressive organisation that puts the needs of its students at the forefront

Bristol, Birmingham or Sheffield or Home Working considered

Closing date: 31st January 2021 at 11.30pm

Do you have experience of planning and delivering involvement, volunteering or research activities and liaising with external agencies, partners and professionals, possibly in a housing or homelessness context? Then join Shelter as an Involvement Coordinator and you could soon be playing an exciting and diverse role within a new project aimed at developing our approach to women's centred services.

A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change with individuals, in communities, across society and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Women are being increasingly and disproportionately impacted by the housing crisis. This has led Shelter to develop a new strategic priority to ensure that all our housing advice services are designed with a clear understanding of how a women's gender affects their housing problems and the kind of support they need as a result. We're spearheading this transformation by developing services in three locations, which are designed by women with lived experience and local partner agencies, and directed at helping homeless and poorly housed women. We have secured National Lottery funding, initially for 6 months, to carry out this work.

About the Role
Under the direction of a Project Manager, you'll be responsible for recruiting Peer Research Volunteers with lived experience and training and supporting them to conduct research in their local communities. Research will involve talking to women about local need and barriers to accessing support, with the aim of designing services to help them. This will involve engaging, supporting and developing people involved, to actively engage them in the project and ensure that the project is coproduced. The work will be carried out in three key locations and your challenge will be to represent the voices of people with lived experience in service design discussions and see that the language used in documentation and proposals is appropriate to the issues women face. Along the way, you'll also work with a variety of stakeholders to support and encourage involvement through various means and make sure opportunities are available for all to be involved.

About you
Personal experience of homelessness or poor housing and an understanding of how these issues have affected you would be an advantage. You’ll need to be dynamic and have experience of working with people who have direct experience of homelessness or poor housing, or similar issues. You'll also need a proven ability to use different methods to encourage participation and help those involved meet their potential. Adept at networking and information gathering, you have the excellent all-round communication and interpersonal skills it takes to work closely with an Involvement Team and other internal stakeholders. And, because your workload will be varied and demanding, you'll need excellent skills in prioritising, organising and boundary setting and a willingness to travel regularly between Sheffield, Bristol and Birmingham to get the job done.

Due to the specific requirements of the role we are only considering applications from women for this role. The Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1, Paragraph 1 applies to this post.

Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave (pro rata), enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We're here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

To find out more about the role and the benefits of working for Shelter please visit our website. Apply to be part of our Women's Centred Services team and be the change you want to see in society.

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities),gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We also encourage applications from people, who have been homeless or have been at risk of homelessness. We are facing diverse problems, so need diverse people to tackle them.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

We are looking for an innovative and highly organised Project Coordinator to work on a collaborative project with disabled adults in Surrey and NE Hants. 

The Project Coordinator will lead a project to rapidly co-design and co-produce a new register for Disabled People which will come with a range of benefits for members and increased access to user-designed resources.  The overall purpose of the role is to respond to the emerging needs of the Disabled community through the pandemic.

The key areas of work for the Project Coordinator are:

1) Setting up and coordinating a working group of people with lived experience and wider stakeholders.  To lead the working group to research and co-design the new register and the infrastructure that will sit behind it, ensuring that the register conforms to all GDPR requirements. 

2) To research, plan a launch a microsite, platform, or database for the new register, working closely with both organisations to ensure maximum interoperability. 

3) To work with wider system partners to explore the opportunities to link membership of the new register to other benefits or services that could support members.

4) To work with the private sector to negotiate concessions for members of the register. 

5) To work with members of both organisations to generate user led content including blogs, vlogs, webinars and more, according to the emerging needs of the membership. 

6) To develop and promote the communication resources for the new register and create a robust marketing plan around the new register for the medium-term future.

Surrey Coalition and SILC have been awarded funding from the National Emergencies Trust to run a joint project to respond to the emerging needs of Disabled people in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.  The project will run until the end of June 2021. 

Digital exclusion contributes to loneliness, social isolation and health inequality.  People who are disabled, living with a long term health condition, living in deprived areas, people with a caring responsibility and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are at higher risk of experiencing both loneliness and digital exlcusion.

Health, social care and voluntary sector partners in Surrey Downs and East Surrey are determined to reduce loneliness in our community, and are using digital inclusion to help to achieve this.  The Tech to Community Connect service provides access to devices, a 'match' with one of our brilliant volunteer Tech Angels, access to virtual social and activity groups, and opportunities to become a virtual volunteer.The service has been piloted over the last 9 months and has had a real impact.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the innovative team at Surrey Coalition of Disabled People and really make a big difference in your community.  As you will see from the job description, we are not looking for a tech expert; your people, communication and organisational skills are what we are after (though if you do happen to be a tech expert too then that won't hurt!) 

#HealthNow Peer Coordinator Job Overview

#HealthNow is a campaign tackling homeless health inequalities led by people with experience of homelessness and partner organisations.Groundswell is the lead partner in #HealthNow. Groundswell’s role is to support the implementation of peer led activity by our partners Crisis and Shelter and coordinate national activities. We have also supported organisations around the UK and Ireland to establish their own Homeless Health Peer Advocacy Services who also form part of our #HealthNow Network. We are always looking to grow the network by bringing new partners onboard.

The Peer Coordinator will support #HealthNow peer volunteers and Homeless Health Peer Advocates from across the network to participate in all #HealthNow activities and provide opportunities for peers to connect with one another to address health inequalities at a national level.  This will include working with the Peer Coordinators in the three #HealthNow areas to ensure that local volunteers have the opportunity to contribute and participate in all #HealthNow activities. Part of the role will be organising and facilitating meetings and workshops both online and face to face if permitted and making sure all information is captured and escalated so we can ensure the voice of people with experience of homelessness is heard.

This is a national role - it is suitable for working from home and is not based on location. The position involves some travel and is a 9-month Fixed Term contract - with the possibility of extension, depending on funding.

Application

To make an application, please submit your CV along with a cover letter which explains:

• how you meet each of the areas outlined in the person specification in the job pack and

• why you are interested in doing this job

The deadline is: 12pm, Friday 5th February 2021.

Candidates will be notified if they have been invited to interview by: 12th February 2021 at the latest.

Interviews will then be held on week commencing: 15th February 2021.

If you have not been contacted by this date, then please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Population Matters (PM) is looking for an independent, self-reliant, and smart researcher to carry out a 4-5 month scoping out contract into the feasibility of developing a virtual[1] Ecological Development Economics Institute[2].

The proposed new entity would exist to develop and promote an intellectual and policy framework to challenge the traditional growth-driven economic theory as being irreconcilable with our planetary future. At its core, would be the premise that achieving a smaller human population globally will benefit people both in developed and developing countries. The Institute would draw on resources of people, intellectual capital, policy development and implementation to provide a practical service for policymakers and leaders globally.

Ending population growth alone will not secure a world in which humanity lives in harmony with nature, but it is a crucial component for reversing the current trends of deteriorating biodiversity, accelerating climate change and escalating insecurity of human communities. Yet population remains a neglected element in public policy.

It is our conclusion that economic arguments will hold greater sway with policy makers. Hence, scoping out the feasibility of a new economics institute offering analysis and advice to policymakers globally. A key principle is that EDEI (name TBC) will not focus solely on developing nations or post-colonial nations – but look in both directions: developing countries (with their issues) and developed countries (with different issues).

NB - The proposed EDEI is not about funding or delivering SRHR family planning directly. That is the role, area of expertise, and responsibility of other agencies and national governments. 

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience (paid or voluntary) of research project management or project management assistance, public affairs/international affairs and/or the charity/NGO sector.
• Educated to degree level ideally in relevant discipline (e.g. economics, development, environment, international affairs, politics, studies).
• Self-reliant, resourceful, able to sustain motivation and work programme to delivery.
• Excellent communications skills, high standard of written and spoken English.
• Strong organisational, administrative and IT skills - with experience of Google Drive, Zoom, Microsoft applications.

Desirable

• Experience of relationship management with external stakeholders and strong communication and relationship management abilities.
• Knowledge of, interest in population, environment and/or development issues.
• Commitment to Population Matters’ vision, mission and values.

[1] By ‘virtual’, we mean not having an actual, permanent physical presence in terms of office space with a name on the door, or a registered legal identity. EDEI would be hosted and overseen by PM, most likely with a small secretariat/admin centre residing within the PM operational staff team. EDEI is intended to be able to draw on a range of external experts and bring those into particular projects as appropriate to the need and scale of the project.

[2]Population Matters is a United Kingdom-based charity focused on the impact of human populations on global environmental sustainability. 

Application procedures:

Please send in a CV and 1500 words max written submission as to how your interests/experience/skills qualify you for delivering the brief.

Shortlisted candidates will be followed up with a video meeting/interview.

The successful candidate will report to and be overseen by the Director, Robin Maynard.

The Head of Humanist Care is responsible for the development of Humanists UK’s Humanist Care programme, and in particular the growth in the availability of non-religious pastoral support in hospitals, hospices, and prisons, as well as enhancing the quality of pastoral support on offer through the development of support systems for our accredited carers and encouraging inclusive institutional delivery models.

The successful candidate will have proven experience in delivering pastoral care in a compassionate and person centred manner. A good knowledge of prison and hospital structures in the UK is beneficial. And, an ability to focus and deliver on growth in an expanding network of pastoral care volunteers. Experience in training, designing, developing or delivery is an advantage.

If you are interested in this position please download the application pack for further information and apply using this application form.

Please note applications close at 09:00 on Monday 1 February 2021. 

Shannon Trust is a charity operating across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, supporting thousands of people in prison each year to transform their lives by unlocking the power of reading. We inspire and train prisoners who can read to teach prisoners who can’t.  2020 was a year of adaptation brought about by COVID19 – we revised our delivery model and now, in 2021, we want to develop much further.  To support this, we are now recruiting to new roles and are seeking proactive, committed, and enthusiastic applicants to join our team and help us continue our journey.

Working closely with prisons, volunteers and mentors, this role will lead the delivery and development of our prison-based programme across South West England and Wales, maximising opportunities for people in prison to learn to read.  You’ll be an excellent relationship builder, confident in the management and training of volunteers, and able to problem solve.  We want to hear from applicants who can lead, be a team player, with knowledge of the criminal justice system (CJS) and who are comfortable with the use of digital business tools.

Shannon Trust is a charity operating across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, supporting thousands of people in prison each year to transform their lives by unlocking the power of reading. We inspire and train prisoners who can read to teach prisoners who can’t.  2020 was a year of adaptation brought about by COVID19 – we revised our delivery model and now, in 2021, we want to develop much further.  To support this, we are now recruiting to new roles and are seeking proactive, committed, and enthusiastic applicants to join our team and help us continue our journey.

This role will lead the piloting of our community provision across Hertfordshire, Esex & Suffolk.  You’ll work closely with a handful of agencies and prisons, testing the delivery of our reading programme outside of the prison environment.  You’ll be an excellent relationship builder, confident in the management and training of volunteers, and able to problem solve. A proactive self-starter, you’ll bring your experience of community projects and will relish the opportunity to develop and deliver new programmes, seeking learning and innovation through the lifetime of the pilot.  Leaders, team players, those CJS savvy and familiar with digital business tools should apply.

Sanctuary Hosting is a charity working across the Thames Valley to match people who are homeless and in the asylum process, as well as people fleeing domestic abuse and human trafficking / modern day slavery by placing them in a rent-free spare room for an agreed period of time. 

Sanctuary Hosting is a registered UK charity managed by a board of trustees (the Management Committee). It was founded in 2015 by Oxford City of Sanctuary to provide one solution to the problem of homeless sanctuary seekers on our streets. The project matches destitute asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants with open-hearted volunteer hosts in the community. The service operates across the Thames Valley, mainly in Oxford, Milton Keynes, Marlow and Reading.

Sanctuary Hosting attaches great importance to ensuring volunteer support workers, volunteer hosts (henceforth referred to collectively as volunteers) and guests are properly assessed and supported and that everything is done to ensure that placements are safe and have the best possible chance of succeeding. All volunteers are interviewed and both DBS and reference checks are undertaken. Similarly, guests are interviewed and references are taken.

In the past five years we have helped 116 people from 27 countries who were homeless to find accommodation and provided over 22,000 nights of accommodation. The vast majority of the people assisted have no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and are destitute. To enable the delivery of the hosting service, Sanctuary Hosting has engaged 80 households to host and worked with over 50 support worker volunteers.

Overall Purpose of the Post

The Director has overall responsibility for the safe and effective delivery of the service. Reporting to the Management Committee they ensure that the work is carried out to meet the requirements of funders and within budget. They manage the Service Co-ordinator (Oxford & Milton Keynes area) and Project Worker (Reading & Marlow area) to ensure the effective recruitment, training, support and supervision of all Sanctuary Hosting’s volunteers. They oversee the staff and volunteer team in their processing, assessment and response to guest referrals as well as the coordination, facilitation and support of hosting placements.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Management of the charity

Work with the Management Committee to develop and implement operational plans, policies and procedures to ensure the scheme functions effectively and safely.

Work with the Fundraising Committee to identify funding opportunities and work with the Committee to make appropriate funding applications, respond to fundraising opportunities and build relationships with individual donors.

Ensure all monitoring and evaluation reports are delivered on time, according to the requirements of the funder.

Work with the Management Committee to extend coverage of the hosting scheme to other parts of the Thames Valley where there is unmet need.

Develop mechanisms for collecting feedback from guests and volunteers and ensure this feedback is used to develop and improve the Sanctuary Hosting scheme.

Collate and analyse information on the work of Sanctuary Hosting, producing statistical and narrative reports about the scheme’s performance for funders, regulating bodies and the Management Committee as required.

Ensure service standards, volunteer competencies and health and safety procedures are implemented and maintained across all areas of activity.

Develop volunteer recruitment policies, systems and procedures, working with the Sanctuary Hosting Management Committee.

Keep abreast of immigration and asylum policy with a view to working with the Management Committee to respond and adapt to the needs of people who are homeless with no recourse to public funds in the Thames Valley.

Management of staff and volunteers

Carry out line management of the Service Coordinator and the Project Worker, ensuring they are effectively supported, supervised and trained.

Oversee the recruitment of volunteers according to the scheme’s procedures, ensuring that they are assessed and inducted.

Oversee the recruitment, training, support and supervision of volunteers to support guests and hosts, ensuring that all volunteers have a clear understanding of their role and remit and receive appropriate support and supervision.

Oversee the group peer support for the Sanctuary Hosting community (guests, hosts staff and support workers) providing opportunities for all to share their experiences and learning.

Develop guidance, tools and training resources and deliver training to enable volunteers to carry out their roles safely and competently.

Ensure that volunteers are fully aware of and trained in appropriate health and safety procedures and risk assessments.

Develop signposting and referral resources to ensure guests with additional needs can be supported appropriately.

Support staff and volunteers to resolve complex issues that might arise within the Sanctuary Hosting community.

Referral and caseload management

Oversee all referrals to the hosting scheme to ensure they are assessed and responded to in a timely and professional manner.

Work with the Welfare Committee to manage guest placements and financial support, ensuring that any difficulties are resolved in an appropriate and timely manner.

Promotion, communications and developing partnerships

Be responsible for the Sanctuary Hosting monthly newsletter and for regular activity to promote the service on social media, aiming to recruit more hosts, volunteers and donors.

Proactively promote and publicise the Sanctuary Hosting scheme through attending relevant forums, meetings and events and giving presentations about the scheme.

Work collaboratively with members of the Management Committee and actively seek opportunities for collaborative and joint working relationships externally, which will enable the scheme to better meet the needs of its service users

Work productively and appropriately with existing partners including Citizens Advice Reading and the British Red Cross.

Build and maintain relationships with statutory, voluntary, community and faith organisations working with refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in the Thames Valley Area and nationally as necessary.

Administration

Develop appropriate GDPR compliant systems to record personal details, availability and whereabouts of the Sanctuary Hosting community and ensure these are maintained by the staff team.

Develop effective systems for tracking actions carried out on behalf of individuals referred to the scheme and ensure these are maintained by the staff team.

Oversee timely and professional processing and response to enquiries.

General

Implement and adhere to Sanctuary Hosting’s policies and procedures, including Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities.

Make known to the Management Committee any circumstances, errors or omissions that may have a detrimental effect on scheme and its stakeholders.

Work with the Sanctuary Hosting Chair and Treasurer to assist with developing, implementing and managing operating plans and budget.

Work flexibly in accordance with the needs of Sanctuary Hosting, including undertaking out of hours and weekend work as required.

Commit to on-going professional development by participating in regular clinical and management supervision, relevant external meetings, forums and available training.

Person specification

Job Title: Director

Experience

• Experience of developing and delivering high quality, confidential, user-centred services for vulnerable people** E
• Experience of providing support services to refugees, asylum seekers and/or vulnerable migrants** E
• Experience of recruiting, supporting, managing and supervising volunteers and staff** E
• Experience of fundraising and reporting on existing grants. **E
• Experience of developing and maintaining effective working relationships with external stakeholders**E
• Experience of developing, monitoring and evaluating services or projects in response to service user needs** D
• Experience of supervision of staff and volunteers in challenging, frontline services ** D
• Experience of delivering participatory training **D

​Knowledge/ Technical Skills

• Working knowledge of issues affecting refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants**E
• Working knowledge and understanding of legal provisions and good practice in relation to vulnerable people**E
• Knowledge of statutory and voluntary services that provide support to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants**E
• Understanding of how to develop and implement operating plans, policies and procedures**D
• Knowledge of health and safety good practice in a service delivery environment**D
• Understanding of how to collate and interpret service delivery information including statistics and user feedback**E
• Competent user of email, Word, Excel, databases, internet and social media**E
• Understanding of how to manage and monitor budgets**E
• Excellent interpersonal skills including conflict resolution and consultation skills**E
• Ability to communicate with people of diverse cultures and empower people by identifying and working with their strengths**E

Competencies

• Ability to write clearly and accurately and give verbal presentations**E
• Ability to work flexibly as part of a team**E
• Ability to motivate, develop and supervise others**E
• Ability to manage own time and workload and prioritise a range of competing tasks within the working hours allocated **E
• Ability to monitor and improve service quality through active consultation** E​

Behaviours

• Able to ensure equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices and promote diversity**E
• Able to recognise and value the contribution of others**E
• Able to take responsibility for own actions and to undertake reflective learning**E
• Able to uphold confidentiality in all aspects of the work with service users, volunteers and colleagues**E
• Able to maintain boundaries in a demanding, frontline context**E

Special Circumstances

• Able to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends as required**E
• Able and willing to travel in Oxford and the surrounding Thames Valley area on a regular basis as necessary**E
• Current driving licence valid for use in the UK and access to own vehicle**D

E = Essential criteria

D = Desirable criteria