About Smart Works
Smart Works is a dynamic, high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses and coaches unemployed women for success at their job interview. We empower each woman by giving her the clothes and the confidence she needs to succeed.
After visiting Smart Works, 69% of clients secure a job within a month, gaining financial independence and transforming their lives.
The Smart Works service is delivered in London, Greater Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Newcastle, Reading and Leeds. Over the past ten years, Smart Works has helped over 30,000 women. It is our mission that any woman who needs our service should be able to find her way to a Smart Works centre.
In April 2022, we launched a new Three-Year Plan that will see the charity double the number of women helped annually from 5,000 to 10,000 women. To achieve this, we will grow our existing centres and open new centres in key areas of need across the UK.
Smart Works Newcastle opened in April 2018. In our five years of operation we have supported over 1,700 women on their journey towards employment.
More information about who we are can be found on our website.
About the role
Every woman who comes to a Smart Works centre is referred by another organisation or charity. Across the UK, over 400 organisations refer women to Smart Works, including job centres, refuges, prisons, work programme providers and other charities.
Without our referral partners, Smart Works would not be able to reach women in need and help them to succeed at interview and start a new chapter. Building and nurturing these partnerships is central to our work and success as a charity.
Based at our centre in Reading, you will work and travel across Berkshire to conduct outreach to ensure Smart Works receives consistent referrals and performs well against our ambitious targets to help more women year on year. in practice, this will include attending meetings with partners, organising events to showcase our service and managing all referral communications.
You will be part of the wider service delivery team in Reading, supporting on the running of the centre to the highest possible standard. This will enable you to understand and speak to the support available to unemployed women in Berkshire and what specifically Smart Works Reading can do to increase this support.
Smart Works Reading has an umbrella organisation, Smart Works Charity based in London, and there may be some infrequent travel to London. There will be liaison with the London team to support induction and training, plus participation in regular on-line meetings, phone calls and attending our annual conferences.
Duties and responsibilities
Reporting to the Centre Manager, the successful candidate will lead a range of activities, including:
- Managing referral partner relationships across Berkshire, nurturing existing relationships and onboarding new partnerships
- Undertake research and creating project plans to set briefs or funding to engage referral partners
- Organise, deliver and attend events across Berkshire that increase referrals to Smart Works Reading
- Analyse and manage a robust database of current referral data and potential referral partners, to identify opportunities, priorities and share successes
- Share regular, engaging communications with referral partners
- Pilot new initiatives and ideas with referral partners to increase and maintain engagement
- Support the smooth running of the Reading centre, such as by answering calls and booking appointments
Skills, knowledge, and personal attributes
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- A proven track record of managing relationships and partnerships
- Outstanding interpersonal skills with an adaptable style to suit seniority levels and stakeholders in a variety of situations
- Confident in representing Smart Works, including presenting in person to large groups, in writing to potential partners and over the phone
- Ability to organise and run external events with a variety of stakeholders
- Target driven, able to perform well against KPIs
- Passionate about the support available to unemployed women in Berkshire
- Strong IT and administration skills with excellent attention to detail
Benefits, terms, and conditions
- Full-time or part-time position available, with a minimum of 30 hours per week
- Typical working hours 9am-5pm in line with centre opening hours
- Salary of £24,960-£26,000 FTE, depending on experience
- 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
- Positive, supportive working environment with opportunities for practical training and progression
- VIP access at Smart Works sales, events and pop up shops
- All successful applicants must provide two satisfactory references and complete a Basic DBS check
How to apply
Please submit a CV and answer the following questions via our recruitment portal by Wednesday 22nd May.
- Why do you want to work for Smart Works Reading? (Max 250 words)
- Having reviewed the job description, what experience and skills do you have that makes you well suited to the role of Outreach Lead? (Max 500 words - use of bullet points in fine)
- In your own words, what do you think makes Smart Works an essential service? (Max 250 words)
At Smart Works we will apply suitable measures to keep your information secure in accordance with our Privacy Policy (a current version of which is available on our website).
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
About Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, and Hounslow Mind
We’re Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, and Hounslow Mind, part of Mind the mental health charity. We won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. We provide advice and support to empower anybody experiencing a mental health problem and we campaign to improve services, raise awareness, and promote understanding.
We work in Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, and Hounslow and have a range of services and products to help children, young people and adults maintain and regain their mental health. We work with employers, partners, community groups and other charities to achieve our aims.
Role purpose
We are looking for maternity cover for a full-time counsellor role on our Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) counselling service, Mind My Home. The service offers SFBT to adults (18+) with low to moderate mental health needs.
We are looking for experienced candidates with post graduate qualification in CBT, Counselling or Psychotherapy and accreditation from a relevant professional body e.g. BACP (Registered member MBACP).
Due to the nature of the work, if successful, you will need to have an up-to-date DBS check completed prior to undertaking unsupervised client work.
Place of work
Counselling sessions will take place face-to-face, virtually, and via telephone, so you will need to travel across Spelthorne and the tri-borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, and Hounslow, and have the option to work remotely.
Key Responsibilities
- Facilitating the 8 sessions (7+1 assessment) of SFBT for new referrals.
- Assisting in the triage and booking of SFBT appointments.
Training
Training will be provided and, as part of the Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing, and Hounslow Mind induction the following training will be compulsory:
- Safeguarding of vulnerable adults
- Mental health awareness
- Equality and diversity
- Health and safety
Essential Knowledge and Experience
- 3+ years’ experience (Required)
- BACP or HCPC Registration
- Receiving clinical supervision
- Experience counselling adults (18+) using CBT and SFBT
- Excellent written communication.
- Experience recording using a database
We are an equal opportunities employer; and are proud to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons from all backgrounds.
Post is subject to a DBS check.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a passionate and driven individual with excellent organisational skills to join our UK-wide Membership Venues Team, who are vital to the success of our Membership Fundraisers and helps the RSPB to raise the funds it needs to reach our ambitious goals to save nature.
Membership Venues Officers
Reference: APR20249075
Location: Flexible in UK - Home-based
Salary: £26,379.00 - £28,319.00 pro rata
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave (pro rata)
3 full time vacancies are available with various hours and various contract lengths. If a particular contract is of interest, please indicate on your application form.
1 x Fixed term/Full-Time (37.5 hours p/w) - Maternity cover (12 months with possible extension)
1 x Fixed term/Full-Time (37.5 hours p/w) - Secondment cover (12 months with possible extension)
1 x Permanent/Full-Time (37.5 hours p/w)
About the role
You will be responsible for planning and organising a calendar of events for our team to attend, from shopping centres to country shows, high streets to our reserves, and everything in between, so that they can inspire members of the public to become members of the RSPB.
Our aim is to inspire external partners about our attendance at their events or venues. We are looking for someone who is a confident relationship builder with excellent telephone and email manners and communication and negotiation skills. You must have impeccable organisational skills, a keen eye for detail, and be able to manage several tasks at once, recording all key details on our CRM database system daily to ensure that our team of Membership Fundraisers have everything they need to attend their events and venues.
You will be part of a successful and energetic team covering the whole UK. You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the country. This position can be conducted from home, however, occasional travel, including to a local office, reserve or elsewhere in the United Kingdom, will be required.
Benefits:
- 34 days’ annual leave (including BH, which can be worked if desired to get that time back);
- Life Assurance scheme – 5x yearly salary;
- Pension matched up to 7% contribution;
- Confidential assistance programme with a qualified counsellor;
- Sabbatical once every 5 years – up to 4 weeks with an RSPB-approved scheme;
- Annual employee volunteer day – get paid to volunteer with a charity of your choosing;
- Opportunities for career development within various directorates.
What we need from you
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- Strong communication and negotiation skills, including customer service skills.
- Effective planning and decision-making skills.
- Geographical understanding of the United Kingdom.
- Solutions focused approach with the ability to overcome setbacks and last-minute changes to get the best outcome for the RSPB.
- Competent in the use of Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook.
- Confident in learning about and using new software (eg, CRM database and Fundraising Portal). Training will be provided.
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:
- Understanding of fundraising and what makes a good fundraising venue.
- Knowledge of potential fundraising venues.
- Experience of relationship development, particularly through cold contacting potential clients and suppliers.
Additional Information
The RSPB reserves the right to extend or make these roles permanent without further advertising.
Closing date: 23:59, Sunday, 2nd June 2024
We will interview as and when applications come in and reserve the right to close the advert once sufficient applications have been received.
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 a full application form, including evidence of how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.
Please do get in contact should you require any reasonable adjustments at the application/interview stage.
We are committed to developing an inclusive and diverse RSPB, in which everyone feels supported, valued, and able to be their whole selves. To achieve our vision of creating a world richer in nature, we need more people on nature's side and more diverse people. People of colour and disabled people are underrepresented across the environment, climate, sustainability, and conservation sectors. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
No agencies please.