Director of policy jobs in Birmingham

Who we are 

We are Brake, the national, acclaimed road safety charity which provides the National Road Victim Service (NRVS). We have been supporting the victims of road traffic collisions [TL1] on our roads since 1995. We also campaign for positive change to prevent future collisions and save lives. 

A rare and exciting opportunity to help us to help others 

Did you know that every 20 minutes, someone is killed or seriously injured on our roads? The impact of that on individuals and their wider families is profound and far reaching and it can happen to any of us, at any time. 

The National Road Victim Service is growing, allowing us to reach greater numbers of people in need and building upon our well-established foundation to create an enduring legacy. To support this growth, we are looking for a regional manager to become part of our enthusiastic, energised, and dynamic team, delivering world-class support services to people at a time when they are most vulnerable. 

This is definitely not the average 9 to 5 job, and it is not every day that opportunities like this come along. You could be playing a significant part in our commitment to providing our clinically developed, trauma informed support services across the country, making a positive contribution to the lives of those traumatically bereaved or seriously injured as a result of road traffic collisions.

What we offer

· A generous 35 days of annual leave (including bank holidays and 3-day shutdown period between Christmas and New Year)

· An extra 2 days of annual leave following 5 years’ service

· An extra day off for your birthday to take whenever you choose

· Enhanced sick pay and compassionate leave

· Death in service benefit

· Employee Assistance Program

· Flexible working

· Be part of a skilled, friendly team with an engaged Board of Trustees

Who you are

We need energised, self-starters who are passionate about helping others, to join our fantastic team. [TL2] Are you someone who wants to make a difference and has the drive to make it happen?

You will need to demonstrate understanding of multi-disciplinary services.

We are looking for people who have a background in managing support services and understand the responsibility this requires.

Specifically, we are seeking candidates who can

• Provide day-to-day line management and supervision to a team of up to 10 regional caseworkers offering guidance, support, and quality assurance.
• Ensure lone working policies are adhered to daily to ensure the safety and security of the team whilst lone working and travelling to and from home visits.
• Contribute to an on-call duty manager system on a weekly basis, providing out-of-hours advice and support to caseworkers across the service.
• Deputise for the National service delivery lead during periods of leave, sickness, absence.
• Contribute to the ongoing professional development of caseworkers through reflective practice, caseload audit and management and the development and delivery of formal CPD sessions.
• Responsible (in collaboration with HR lead) for managing sickness and absence and return to work interviews.
• Maintain oversight and support caseworkers with complex and high-risk cases by attending safeguarding and risk management meetings, both internally and externally to ensure compliance with best practice.
• Ensure support is provided through our model of trauma informed care.
• Consult with the triage team to ensure the timely allocation of cases from our central service team into the regional teams.
• Deliver monthly [TL6] case review meetings with regional caseworkers, ensuring needs and risks of clients are met and outcomes recorded including quality assurance of safeguarding. Ensure all data is accurately recorded within the case management system.
• Ensure that callers’ identified needs are met satisfactorily, within professional boundaries, to outcome goals, with those outcomes recorded.
• To monitor and ensure that all support is delivered in a confidential and professional manner, adhering to safeguarding legislation and the latest data protection regulations.
• To consult with local partners and services referring into the service to establish pathways of care.
• Contribute to NRVS’ wider processes of audit, evaluation, and impact monitoring.
• Provide assessments and decisions around complex intervention planning, including escalation of cases requiring clinical guidance to clinical director.
• Actively contribute to the development of relationships with key stakeholders, organisations, and professionals in the region. This may include the provision of training and presentations to ensure that they are aware of the service.
• Work with the Development Team to deliver and report effectively against funding agreements in your region.

You bring

Essential qualities

• Experience of managing high-risk support services on a national basis working with people in crisis with acute vulnerabilities and risks.
• Extensive experience of managing and co-ordinating teams, including remotely, including HR policies and procedures.
• Experience of establishing and sustaining partnerships with key partners, stakeholders, and other professionals.
• Experience of report writing for funding bodies.
• Experience of a case management review process and support framework, safeguarding and active monitoring, and escalation of cases with health and safety needs.
• Knowledge, experience and understanding of best practice in working with people who have experienced sudden loss and traumatic bereavement and managing services in this area.
• Knowledge, experience and understanding of working in a trauma informed way, providing trauma informed care to adults and families.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, risk management and GDPR procedures.
• Management of crisis intervention and working in collaboration with other professionals to support those with complex needs (i.e. crisis and home treatment teams, community mental health services, ISVA and IDVA roles).
• Experience and knowledge of working with and supporting people through the criminal justice and coronial process.
• Experience of audit, monitoring and evaluation activities.
• Experience of research and advocacy activities.
• I.T. and data management skills.
• Ability to work creatively, adaptively and with flexibility across a range of circumstances.
• Commitment to and a passion for providing a high level of quality care to those experiencing traumatic bereavement and catastrophic injury.  

Desirable

• A professional qualification or evidence of training in psychological trauma.
• Experience of working with those affected by road traffic collisions.
• Experience in developing and delivering training programmes.
• Completion of safeguarding and/or risk management training.
• Project management qualification or equivalent experience in practice.

About the team and how we work

Brake is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We welcome your application whatever your background or situation. We particularly welcome applications from those who are part of the global majority, the LGBTQIA+ community or disabled. We are proud to be a disability confident employer. We do not want you to ‘fit’ our culture, we want you to enrich it.  So, if you have a passion for making a difference and share in our vision for a world where no one is killed on our roads, we would love to hear from you.

The successful candidate will be required to go through an enhanced DBS vetting process due to the sensitive nature of the service delivered.

Employees are subject to driver licence checks. Please note we do not accept applications from serious traffic offenders due to the nature of our work.  Applicants will be asked to disclose any unspent points at interview.