This  is  an  exciting  time  for  Citizens  Advice  services  in  Buckinghamshire.  The  charities  Citizens  Advice Aylesbury  Vale,  Citizens  Advice  Chiltern  and  Citizens  Advice  High  Wycombe  &  District  are  merging  to become Citizens Advice Bucks. Like the constituent organisations that will form it have done for many years, this new charity will provide independent and impartial advice on debt, benefits, housing, employment and family issues that will help people get their lives back on track, as well as using on-the-ground knowledge to improve local and national social policy.

While the merger was planned long before the COVID-19 crisis, this newly-formed, larger organisation will be better placed to meet the increasing demand for our services. It also matches the geography of one of our primary funders, the newly-formed unity authority, Buckinghamshire Council, which will allow us to build strong working relationships at county level.

Each of the constituent charities have considerable areas of strength, providing services that respond to the need in their local communities. Citizens Advice Bucks must maintain these strengths and the local “feel” of services, whilst also ensuring the same high quality, availability and consistency of services across the county, and developing a strong, shared internal culture across the new charity.

We are looking for a Business Services Manager to join the team

Key details
Organisation: Citizens Advice Bucks
Job Title: Business Services Manager
Salary :30 000 per annum
Hours: Full time, with occasional weekend and evening work
Location: Buckinghamshire
The successful candidate will have
Experience of working with Board and Committee members and of fulfilling company secretarial duties
Knowledge of managing office premises, including ensuring they are well maintained, secure and safe
Strong administrative skills and demonstrable experience with administrative tasks
Excellent computer skills, including use of MS Office packages ( Word, PowerPoint), Zoom and Microsoft Teams
Experience of staff and/or volunteer management
Knowledge and understanding of GDPR regulatory requirements
Experience of minute taking and formal writing

We encourage applicants who are from underrepresented groups with protected characteristics, as we value having a diverse pool of applicants to find the best candidate.

If you would like to receive an Information Pack for this role, with details on how to apply, please contact

Shweta Prabhakar 
Closing date for applications 9 00 am Monday 4th January 2021

Buckinghamshire Mind works to support and represent people with mental health problems living across the county. We tackle stigma and discrimination head-on. We support our service-users to live safe, purposeful and fulfilled lives in our communities. We believe in their recovery and are hopeful about their future. Working together with national Mind we will not give up until everyone in our community gets the respect and support they need.

Post Title: Crisis Services Manager

Reports to: Head of Operations

Salary: £30,000 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Hours of Work: 37 hours per week

Some flexibility on working pattern with a minimum of 2 evening shifts per week (Wednesday and Thursday or Friday). The remaining hours to be worked throughout the week. Exact shift pattern to be agreed.

Holidays: 25 days per annum, plus 2 wellbeing days, plus bank holidays (pro-rata)

Pension: Auto-enrolment scheme in place

Probationary Period: Six Months

Place of Work: Across Aylesbury (Whiteleaf Centre and Ashton House) and High Wycombe (Buckinghamshire Mind High Wycombe Office) in line with the agreed shift pattern.

In line with Covid-19 guidance there will be a mix of face-to-face service delivery and working from home until restrictions are lifted.

Please note: From April 2021 is anticipated that further funding will become available to expand the service in High Wycombe to run 7 days per week.

ABOUT THE SAFE HAVEN SERVICE

The Safe Haven offers a welcoming, safe, friendly and non-stigmatising environment for people to access in times of out-of-hours crisis’ and as an alternative to A&E, or secondary mental health care. It offers a safe place for emotional support, resilience building and person-centered support. Its aim is to deliver the following key outcomes: -

• To provide a calm and welcoming environment for those people facing out-of- hours mental health crisis’ as an alternative to emergency departments.  
• Treat service users with respect and provide personalised support focused on individual need.
• To prevent the escalation of a mental health crisis and thereby reduce A&E attendance and avoid hospital admissions.
• To raise service user awareness of alternative mental health services appropriate to personal need and circumstances and encourage their use to improve longer term mental health and well-being and reduce social isolation.
• To increase the independence and self-management skills of those people accessing the service.

ABOUT THE ROUGH SLEEPER INITIATIVE

The Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI) is delivered by several partner organisations, including Buckinghamshire Mind. The RSI supports individuals identified as rough sleeping, or in temporary housing in Aylesbury.

Buckinghamshire Mind’s Mental Health Support & Liaison Worker (MHSLW) is situated within the Rough Sleeper Initiative. The MHSLW provides personalised asset-based support to improve mental well-being and prevent mental health crises becoming a barrier to long-term housing solutions.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Crisis Services Manager will be responsible for the ongoing operational management and mobilisation of the anticipated future expansion of our Crisis Services. Additionally, they will provide line management to the Safe Haven Team Leads and the Mental Health Support & Liaison Worker.  They will have significant experience of managing and developing staff, project management, ensuring operational quality and promoting equality and diversity.

They will have significant experience of supporting and coaching staff working in challenging environments with adults with challenging behaviour and complex needs.

Excellent organisation and decision-making skills are essential for this role, as it requires being able to manage time effectively to meet tight deadlines and work unsupervised during evenings and weekends.

The Crisis Services Manager will be required to work collaboratively with the Head of Operations and will be proficient at communicating effectively with staff at all levels, a wide range of key stakeholders and service users. They will ensure the service is well resourced from a staffing perspective and embed high-quality operational plans and processes.

They will be responsible for the delivery, progression and continual improvement of Buckinghamshire Safe Haven and Buckinghamshire Mind’s contribution to the Rough Sleeper Initiative, including ensuring the achievement of all key performance indicator targets. They will have responsibility for ensuring Crisis services operate in line with organisational H&S processes and procedures and will be a member of the H&S committee.

SUPERVISION, TRAINING AND SUPPORT

• Supervision is provided by the Head of Operations on a regular basis.
• Buckinghamshire Mind has a system of annual appraisals.
• Buckinghamshire Mind is committed to training and allocates training according to a clearly defined annual training needs analysis.
• Buckinghamshire Mind is a Mindful Employer.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Tasks will vary from week-to-week depending on priorities, but regular tasks will include:

Operational Management

• To oversee the management of the Safe Haven and Rough Sleeper Initiative services in line with organisational values and service quality expectations.
• To continually drive enhancements to operational effectiveness and maximise outcomes against targets (key performance indicators) from Crisis Service delivery.
• To provide effective line management supervision to the Safe Haven Team Leads, the Mental Health Support & Liaison Worker including coaching and performance development.
• To collaborate with the Head of Operations and the HR Manager to deal with performance management/disciplinary issues confidently and effectively in accordance with organisational policies and procedures.
• To ensure interpret performance and impact data for crisis services and be responsible for reporting against service targets.
• To mobilise the expansion of future crisis services in line with agreed project plans.
• To pro-actively develop relationships with external stakeholders in order to improve and develop crisis provision for people with mental health needs.
• To ensure excellence in the recruitment, training and ongoing support of staff and volunteers where applicable.
• To support the Safe Haven Team Leads to ensure adequate and appropriate staffing at all times within the Safe Haven service.
• To work closely with the Finance Manager to ensure the Safe Haven Services are delivered within the available budget.

Partnership Working

• Work collaboratively with Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust staff to support, develop and promote both the Safe Haven services.
• Manage the Mental Health Support & Liaison Worker to fully contribute to the Rough Sleeper Initiative partnership meetings and provide an interface to other Buckinghamshire Mind services.
• Establish excellent working relationships with out-of-hours services such as Emergency Services, Crisis Teams, SCAS and GPs, around inward and outward referrals.
• To attend and contribute towards meetings pertaining to patient care on behalf of the Safe Haven service, to ensure collaborative multi-agency working.
• Represent Buckinghamshire Mind at external meetings as agreed with the Head of Operations.

Quality and Compliance

• To work within Buckinghamshire Mind’s policies and procedures including Performance Management, Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Equal Opportunities, Service User Involvement, Health and Safety, GDPR and Professional Boundaries.

• To embed all operational policies across managed services in line with a consistent organisational approach.

Service User Involvement

• To ensure high levels of meaningful service user involvement in service provision, responding to the needs of service users locally.
• Ensure bi-annual service users satisfaction surveys are undertaken.

Quality and Monitoring

• Ensure data and qualitative information is collected, collated and communicated to key partners and key stakeholders, as required and directed by the Head of Operations.
• Ensure that all managed services are effectively informed by service user feedback.
• Keep up to date with best practice and contribute to the continuous improvement of the service.
• Monitor the quality of the service and ensure appropriate data is collected (in line with GDPR) to monitor outputs and outcomes.
• Produce regular service summary reports.
• Attend and contribute to H&S committee meetings.

General

• Undertake such duties not included in the job description as are reasonably requested by the Head of Operations. 
• This role involves out of hours working and a willingness to work flexibly is required.
• To keep line manager informed about other projects, events and related issues regarding Buckinghamshire Mind’s managed services.
• To prepare for supervision and use it effectively.
• To work in a flexible way to take on other responsibilities as appropriate.

NOTE: The post holder will be an employee of Buckinghamshire Mind but will also be given an honorary Oxford Health contract to access premises and read and upload patient notes.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The person specification seeks to define a person most likely to be suited to the job of Crisis Services Manager.  Candidates are required to meet all the essential Conditions listed.  E = essential criteria; D = desired criteria.  Reference to both Conditions and Requirements in completing your application form will help in selecting candidates for interview.

Conditions

• Positively supports the aims and work of Buckinghamshire Mind (E)

Requirements

Qualifications and experience

• Managing services for vulnerable people in a service delivery organisation. (E)
• Excellent people and project management skills and significant experience of supporting and managing staff. (E)
• Experience of working in the voluntary sector. (D)
• Experience of working within a mental health crisis service or similar (E)
• Experience of working within a homelessness service. (D)
• Experience of motivating, developing and training staff. (E)
• Successful track record in performance management of staff. (D)
• Experience of creating and implementing safety and risk policies and procedures. (E)
• Compiling and interpreting performance data and reporting against service targets. (E)
• Successful track record in planning and project management. (E)
• Experience of report writing and presentation. (D)
• Supporting people with mental health problems. (E)

Knowledge

• Knowledge of and empathy for the issues facing people with mental health problems. (E)
• Knowledge of the day-to-day application of relevant legislation e.g., Health and Safety. (E)
• Understanding of the principles of ensuring safe service provision for people at risk and how these are put into practice. (E)
• Knowledge and understanding of the relevant statutory authorities including NHS and social care. (D)

Skills/attributes/abilities

• Excellent communication skills and able to communicate effectively to a variety of audiences. (E)
• Commitment to service user involvement and able to work with service user groups to develop this.  (E)
• Is committed to working in an anti-oppressive way and striving to create equal opportunities for all people (E)
• Commitment to working within the policies of Buckinghamshire Mind including confidentiality and safeguarding. (E)
• Positive attitude, passionate about working for Buckinghamshire Mind and able to inspire people to higher levels of performance. (E)
• Team player and able to form positive, professional relationships with staff at all levels. (E)
• Able to work effectively with a range of external stakeholders. (E)
• Strong organisational skills and able to take control of own workload and meet deadlines. (E)
• Ability to work independently with minimum support. (E)
• Confident in challenging poor performance assertively, constructively and successfully. (E)
• High professional standards and the ability to communicate these clearly to others. (E)
• IT literate to aid communication and analysis of data. (E)
• Willing to undertake training and development. (E)
• Has a full driving licence and use of own vehicle (work related mileage will be paid) (E)

Employee Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and 2 wellbeing days pro rata

• Sodexo employee benefits - access to a portal with discounts on supermarket shops, holidays, high-street shops, days out, cinema and gym membership
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme – free professional confidential counselling
• Childcare vouchers
• Annual leave purchase scheme
• Flu vaccinations
• Free eye tests
• Pension: Auto Enrolment (currently 3% employee contribution, 3% employer contribution

To apply, please send the following 2 documents:

- CV

- Supporting Statement (explaining how you meet each criteria in the job description)

Buckinghamshire Mind is an Equal Opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all sections of the community. Any offer made relating to this post will be subject to satisfactory references and a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, therefore please apply as soon as possible.  

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