Arts Development Officer Jobs
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This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Margins Project, Union Chapel’s Frontline charity, work with people who are homeless or who are at risk of homelessness and helps address pertinent social justice issues these communities face.
The charity runs three integrated programmes:
• a community drop-in programme providing access to nutritious hot meals, and limited access to showers & laundry services.
• advice and engagement programme providing one-to-one as well as group advice service on benefits and housing, and onward referrals to pertinent services.
• support employment programme offers a paid catering training to 10 people who have had experience of homelessness, substance misuse, mental ill-health, and or imprisonment.
Our range of services are designed to help guests (service users) at varying stages, from having no roof over their head to getting back into employment.
This role offers an opportunity for an experienced adviser to help shape and evolve Margins services. Experiences on the ground at the drop-in programme inform the charity’s strategic direction. The role will involve expanding our partner network to link into pertinent statutory and other charitable organisations that provide services that will help our guests with their housing, substance misuse, recidivism, and mental health challenges.
We work closely with people on an individual case work basis to get guests off the streets, into hostels or temporary accommodation where possible, and work with private and social landlords on a range of issues. We support and represent the people we work with on the phone and in person, including at the council, the doctors, the job centre, and benefits tribunals.
Our drop-ins run on Mondays and Wednesdays 11:00am to 1:00pm where attendance is currently from 65 to 75 guests. The advice and engagement worker works more intensively with smaller numbers of up to 20. The demand for more follow up work and advocacy support has been increasing over the last two years and this in-house advice worker is critical for this demand.
Working collaboratively with the Drop-in Community worker (currently vacant), the head chef, and a small group of dedicated volunteers, you will be responsible for the support of a caseload of guests, some with complex needs, and will undertake key work responsibilities including registering the guests, identifying their housing, benefit and personal needs and conducting all necessary follow ups including occasional advocacy support, where deemed necessary.
Job Title: ADVICE AND ENGAGEMENT WORKER
Responsible to: Head of Margins
Location: Margins Offices at Union Chapel, Islington, London
Salary: £32,500 - £35,000
Terms: Full time 37.5 hours per week with 1 hour unpaid for lunch.
Three-month probation, two months’ notice.
23 days annual leave + bank holidays. Workplace pension scheme (NEST)
Start date: May 2024
Purpose of Job:
• To advise and assist guests (service users) with benefit claims and related issues, e.g., Housing Benefit, DLA, PIP, Income Support, ESA, Universal Credit, and other benefits. In particular, assisting them to claim Housing Benefit and UC to reduce risk of rent arrears.
• To develop significant contact and liaison with comparable housing and benefits advice organisations.
• To encourage guests engage with Margins activities, and where practicable, with the wider Union Chapel activities.
• To develop, facilitate and deliver group advice workshops/training programmes and open discussions forums to engage guests who historically do not engage with Union Chapel.
• To Refer Margins guests to relevant internal and external services.
• In liaison with the head of Margins and the chef to refer potential candidates to Margins’ Supported Employment Programme.
The Advice and Engagement Worker will have an active role in identifying and engaging guests as well as referring potential candidates to the Supported Employment Programme, a programme anticipated to expand beyond its current services in Margins catering.
Responsible For:
• Working with caseload of guests
• With the support of drop-in services community worker (currently vacant) to ensure the smooth running of the drop-in services
• Identifying opportunities to improve services both at a project and organisational level.
• Assist the Head of Margins in ensuring that the Margins Project remains GDPR compliant.
• Represent the organisation effectively internally and externally.
• Working in partnership with statutory and other charities to deliver co-ordinated support to guests.
• Identify relevant training opportunities in capacity building.
• Initial liaison with and acting as the first referral contact for the Supported Employment Programme
Key Duties:
• To encourage and assist guests achieve the maximum income from benefits to which they are entitled to, and to refer to relevant support services such as mental health, social services, community support.
• To advise guests on basic budgeting and where applicable to refer to Tenancy Support Officers or outside agencies for more complex help.
• To liaise closely with local authorities, social, and private landlords to try to achieve the best outcome for our guests.
• To identify if the guest is accessioning the right benefit that will support their long-term wellbeing.
• To support newly arrived refugees with their housing and benefit advice needs.
• To actively assist guests with formal appeals against Local Authority, DWP and HMRC decisions regarding benefit entitlement. Representing at Appeal Tribunals.
• To signpost guests to resources that can assist them in finding work.
• When needed, signposting guests to specialist providers in mental health or drug and alcohol support services.
• To Support guests on paying their rent, including providing advice on benefits and debt management.
• To Address breaches of occupancy agreements and develop strategies that would prevent and avoid eviction.
• To assist guests with backdated claims for Benefit by supporting their applications through to completion.
• To ensure all guests’ files are up-to-date and that data is captured on our management system.
• To provide written reports and statistics as and when requested.
• To attend supervision, training, and meetings as and when required.
• To provide advocacy support to guests as and when required.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential:
• Good knowledge of the benefits system, including Universal Credit.
• Experience of working with homeless and marginalised people and understanding of the issues that face them.
• Experience of working or collaborating with people with mental health issues.
• Experience of working with refugees and their needs.
• Ability to manage challenging behaviours.
• Embrace a strength-based approach.
• A clear understanding of professional boundaries.
• A knowledge of the best practice in Safeguarding Adult procedures.
• Excellent written and oral communication skill.
• Ability to work proactively as part of a team.
• Ability to plan, manage and action follow-ups on time and manage and contain workload.
• Proficient in IT skills and competence in Microsoft Office applications.
• Committed to personal and professional development through ongoing training.
Desirable:
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience of providing advice to vulnerable groups
• Experience of delivering provision for the benefit of vulnerable backgrounds
Equal Opportunities:
• Ensure consistent and effective implementation of Union Chapel Equal Opportunities & Diversity policy and procedures.
• Positively promote an environment which respects and values the diversity of staff, volunteers, and Guests.
This is a guide to the nature of the work required of the Advice and Engagement Worker. It is therefore not comprehensive or restrictive and may be reviewed with the postholder and the line manager from time to time. The post holder may undertake any other reasonable duties within the capabilities and scope of the post as specified by their line manager. In such circumstances appropriate training will be provided.
How to apply
Please apply with your CV and a support statement, both no more than two pages, outlining your skills and experiences to meet the criteria of the role, why you want to work for Union Chapel Project and your availability to start with “Advice and Engagement Worker” in the subject line. Please also complete our Equal Opportunities Form.
Closing date: Tuesday 30 April 2024, 8am
Interviews will take place w/c 13 May 2024
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Around eight out of ten autistic adults are currently unemployed. This means that the strengths and skills of autistic people are often vastly underused, and that many autistic people face significant negative consequences of unemployment.
The Autism Centre of Excellence at Cambridge (ACE) is committed to creating 10,000 new jobs for autistic people in the next ten years and are currently seeking a lead for this work. We are looking for somebody who is motivated to improve life for autistic people and who has experience of developing and managing medium to large-scale projects.
Main duties and Responsibilities
- Implement the plan as has been specified and agreed by our Board.
- Convene and run a network of employers and members of the autism community to share and discuss good practice.
- Undertake project management across the workstream, managing and monitoring activities and outcomes.
- Identify need, find options, evaluate, enlist and manage service and contract providers; services that are introduced to the network (recruitment and HR advice, financial advice, property advice, franchising advice, pooled procurement).
- Identify funding opportunities, coordinate funding applications to secure financial backing for the services to be offered.
- Build engagement with autistic people into all aspects of the workstream.
- Support the leadership team to develop plans for improving employment for autistic people in the UK and worldwide.
- Build and maintain effective collaborative relationships with a range of partner organisations; and large employers.
- Line-manage any future staff employed in this workstream/ project.
- Create and present progress reports as required by the leadership team and board of Trustees.
- Develop and maintain an evaluation system for the whole project.
- Support the Autism Centre of Excellence to manage recruitment and retention in line with best practice.
- Sensitively manage the challenges of organisations holding themselves to account in discharging their responsibilities around employment of autistic people.
- Contribute to other team activities in line with the post-holder’s skills and commensurate with the grade, such as arranging meetings, taking notes, organising and hosting focus groups.
Benefits
Salary: Up to £50,000 FTE, dependent on skills and experience.
25 days annual leave
Hybrid working, working in Cambridge a minimum of two days a week.
The role is permanent and full-time. However, we will consider part-time applications.
About Us
The Autism Centre of Excellence at Cambridge (ACE) exists to make a big difference; by funding and commissioning world-leading research, delivering projects which directly impact the lives of autistic people, and campaigning to achieve change..
How to apply
Closing date for application is 5pm on Friday 26 April 2024.
To apply please email an up-to-date CV and cover letter to apply.
We welcome applications from anybody who believes they have the required skills for the role, including autistic and other neurodivergent people. We recognise that autistic and other neurodivergent people can bring specific skills, strengths, and interests that add value and diversity to any team.
We want your recruitment experience to be positive. Please contact us to request any adjustments you need for the application or interview process.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This post plays a significant role in the daily life of the Cathedral, and the post holder is responsible for ensuring all visitors have a positive experience, whether they are a sightseer, worshipper, event attendee or local resident.
Duties include leading, training and managing visitor facing staff and volunteers, including our brand-new Visitor Resource Assistants following the launch of our new digital guides. The post holder will work closely with our Volunteer Manager, and the Communications and Events teams to ensure a high-quality visitor experience for all.
Joyfully proclaiming the love of God in worship, outreach, welcome and care
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Bonny Downs Community Association has been working together to change lives and transform our community since 1998. Over the past 25 years our team has grown to provide a wide array of services that benefit Newham residents from all walks of life.
This role is specifically funded through the Youth Endowment fund as a pilot project ‘Thriving Communities’. You will be required to work alongside Thriving Communities commissioners, as well as the project’s Youth Justice Worker’s, Educational Psychologist, and/or professionals assigned to individual young people’s cases- such as teachers, social workers and mentors. The Thriving Communities project is a small part of a wider collaborative project, EMPOWER YOUTH, delivered by two partner charities so, although this position is based at BDCA, you will be working closely with a second East Ham Youth Partnership Project lead and team of Sessional Assistants based at nearby charity The Renewal Programme (TRP). Staff from each organisation will work together to deliver the programme and cross-refer young people to activities led by both teams. You will also be required to work with BDCA’s own Children & Families team during the summer scheme and liaise with our marketing team all year round. External partner agencies that you will work directly with include Thriving Communities panel, Newham Youth Empowerment Service, Newham Community Engagement Team, local sports clubs and schools.
Please apply by sending an up-to-date CV and covering letter (maximum 1 page). Ensure that your letter includes:
-demonstration of how your skills align with the Job Description
-how you are able to fulfil all the Person Specification criteria
-why you are interested in applying for the role.
Application deadline: There is no application deadline, we will be interviewing as and when suitable candidates apply
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.