You will be a people person, who is passionate about social justice and ensuring our residents receive the best quality support whilst they live in our housing. You will have demonstratable skills in advocacy ensuring our residents are able to access all the services they need and are entitled to. This sometimes will mean pushing people to help, sometimes when they don’t want to, but should. Fighting for the rights of our residents is a key part of who we are and you will be supported through your journey with us.

We are looking for a dynamic fundraising professional who can help lead us into our next stage of growth as a charity. We are looking for someone who is ambitious, visionary, creative, and compassionate, who recognises the challenges facing refugees as they rebuild their lives in the UK, as well as the great potential they possess, and the opportunities needed to realise this potential.

Imagine this…

You're packed in the back of a grubby van driving through an unknown land. You hear your smugglers exchanging a coarse joke. You look out of the tiny opening in the window beside you and watch the sun setting on another uncomfortable day. The smugglers promised you safety from violence. Right now, though, safety feels like a distant memory...

Refugees have been forcibly displaced from their home. Their lives have been invaded by violence, war or persecution.

Upbeat Communities is a Christian charity that exists to help refugees settle and rebuild their lives in the UK. We have been helping strangers become neighbours since 2005.

In line with the Christian ethos and values of Upbeat Communities, and due to the strategic importance and seniority of this role, there is a genuine occupational requirement that the post holder is a practicing Christian.

About us.

Upbeat Communities was founded in response to the needs of refugees arriving in the UK and the stories they shared of their lives and their journeys. Through building relationships with those from refugee communities we were able to identify their needs and the best ways to respond.

One of the best resources a refugee can have to help them settle in their new home is a good social network. Relationships and connectedness can help overcome the many challenges faced by those seeking refuge. With this aim, we want to help connect refugees into community.

Our name reflects our vision to see thriving, positive communities where refugees can contribute and make the most of opportunities.

We greet new arrivals with our Welcome Boxes befriending project. We offer free English classes and community activities to help refugees (adults and children) integrate. We empower refugees to rebuild their lives through Host Derby (temporary accommodation), mentoring (careers guidance) and the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme, which local authorities contract us to deliver. We also empower the local community through awareness raising. Our organisational values, lived out by our staff and volunteers, are:

We work to WELCOME
We create COMMUNITY
We are inspired to act with INTEGRITY

We exist to EMPOWER
We are committed to CREATIVITY
We run on RELATIONSHIPS
We are proud to be PROFESSIONAL

We have COMPASSION at our core

Upbeat Communities’ Christian ethos is the motivation for all our work. It is the reason why we do what we do. It is to work together to demonstrate God’s love to refugees who have been displaced by war, conflict or persecution. We are inspired by the message, life and example of Jesus through which God’s unconditional love for all people is expressed. It compels us to love our neighbours as ourselves. It is through relationships, with each other and those whom we seek to work with, that we practice and demonstrate our ethos. We seek to live out Jesus’ command to “welcome the stranger” by building mutually enriching relationships with those who are seeking sanctuary in our country.

Context of the role.

We currently have a diverse range of income streams including grants, local authority contracts, one-off donations, regular giving and earned income. Our 3-year strategic plan has identified a number of areas of development which will require increased funding for the charity. Our income for each of the last 2 financial years has been ~£500K but we are looking to increase this across all current income streams, in particular our grant funding, as well as developing new areas of growth including corporate and major donor giving.

In order to achieve this, we have created a new role of Head of Fundraising and are looking to fill this position as soon as possible. The Head of Fundraising will develop and lead on our long term fundraising strategy in line with our organisation-wide strategic objectives.

The successful candidate will have a positive attitude and love resourcing our team with the finances to deliver the best possible services to those we work with. The candidate will be committed to, actively demonstrate, and take a lead in the delivery of our Christian values, ethos and practice in order to achieve our mission and vision.

About You.

Are you passionate about communicating a message of hope and transformation that will engage current donors as well as recruit new supporters in financing our work of welcoming refugees and helping strangers become neighbours?

Are you a leader who can inspire the Upbeat team with a vision for fundraising and generating new income for the charity?

Are you committed to living out your Christian faith in the workplace through prayer, worship, leadership and action?

Are you a catalyst in cultivating long term relationships with individuals, churches, businesses and grant funders?

Are you meticulous in your approach to project/campaign planning and delivery and can work well at both the strategic and operational level?

Do you thrive in an environment that can change quickly and needs creative and agile responses, often needing flexibility to manage the competing demands on your time?

Are you comfortable working digitally, embracing new developments in tech, whilst also confident in more traditional approaches to fundraising including bid writing and engaging relationally with major donors and grant funders?

Are you committed to standing alongside refugees, providing welcome and support as they rebuild their lives as well as listening and learning from those who remain resilient in the face of great difficulty?

Are you an experienced Fundraising Manager looking for a new challenge, an ambitious fundraising professional looking to develop your skills and experience, or maybe someone who hasn’t worked in the charity sector previously but has some amazing transferrable skills gained in the public or private sector?

If that describes you, then you sound like the perfect fit!

Please read the full job description/ person specification attached before applying.

There is no set deadline for this post. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews will be scheduled accordingly. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

It is likely initial interviews will be carried out online, with second stage interviews taking place in person.

All applicants need to submit a CV and covering letter explaining why they would be a fantastic fit for the role.

Senior Clinical Therapist (Creative Arts)

They are looking for individuals who are flexible, responsive and passionate about supporting recovery to children and young people who have been affected by child sexual abuse, and whom are excited to work with their small team supporting their beliefs and values:

Location: Nottingham - Post holder will be required to have their own transport to travel to support clients at various community venues e.g. schools, home address across Nottinghamshire

Job Type: Full time, Permanent

Hours: 37.5 per week

Salary: £28,000 to £33,000 per annum (dependent on experience and skills)

Benefits: Working for a friendly team that invests in the professional development of all staff, with both internal and external training and regular clinical supervision; provision of Employee Assistance Programme. 25 days per annum plus statutory holidays.

Closing date: Wednesday 19 August at 17:00

Senior Clinical Therapist (Creative Arts) Responsibilities:

• Develop, oversee and deliver a therapeutic service to children, young people and safe family members following a disclosure or discovery of child sexual abuse (CSA) alongside our established senior clinical therapist
• Provision of oversight between Imara teams: therapy, CHISVA and business to facilitate smooth running of service delivery alongside CEO, senior clinical therapist and other senior leads in the service
• Provision of management supervision to their team of creative arts therapists
• Develop, promote and deliver training within Imara and externally to a wider audience
• Attend networking events and represent Imara CIO as requested.
• Contribute to the development of new projects and funding applications as appropriate.
• Actively engage with other team members and work constructively with colleagues and managers in all aspects of the work, promoting the wellbeing of the therapeutic team.
• Work closely alongside the therapeutic safeguarding lead within the team to support staff with safeguarding referrals in her absence.
• Develop, oversee and deliver their early intervention therapy service to family/individuals.
• Alongside senior clinical therapist: complete regular skills audit; identify any gaps in skills base and promote relevant Continuous Professional Development for therapists
• Oversight of trainee therapist’s placements within the team: offering clinical supervision, monitoring wellbeing and liaising with University placement staff as required
• Active role in provision of commissioned work: therapy; consultation; supervision and training to promote diverse income streams for the service
• Respond to clinical queries within the team

About you:

The successful candidate will be committed to their values, objectives and beneficiaries. Other essential skills and qualities include:

• Qualified to degree level or equivalent, preferably in a relevant subject
• A recognised professional qualification in creative arts therapies at a minimum of diploma level with accredited membership of either, HCPC, BACP or UKCP.
• Safeguarding training and experience
• Experience of working with survivors of sexual violence
• Proven experience of providing direct therapeutic support to children, young people and vulnerable adults who have experienced trauma and loss. Experience of using a trauma-specific intervention (e.g. EMDR; EFT; PICT ) would be desirable.
• Eligible to work in the UK
• An enhanced disclosure and barring service check
• Willing to access training relating to duties
• Able to work unsociable hours and to travel as required
• Own transport and holds valid driving licence and business insurance
• Willing to undertake Police Vetting Level 2
• Qualification in clinical supervision would be desirable

You may have experience of the following: Senior Clinical Therapist, Clinical Therapist, HCPC, Clinical Lead, Clinical Supervisor, etc.

Ref: 93779

You will be passionate and experienced in working with disadvantaged and vulnerable girls (11-19 year olds). Love4Life’s specialism is helping teenage girls to build healthy self-esteem and body image as well as having a strong focus on quality relationships and sex education.