The Huntington's Disease Association is a UK registered charity that supports people affected by Huntington's disease across England and Wales. We provide information, advice and support to families, friends, and healthcare professionals.
We are looking for an experienced Volunteer Manager to support and inspire those who volunteer for the charity. You will lead them in line with the vision, mission and values of the charity and work to fulfil the goals of our strategic plan. You will strengthen our current volunteering strands with effective governance and great communication and will develop new volunteering opportunities within the charity.
You will manage our volunteer-led Branches and Support groups who offer peer support, fundraising opportunities and activities locally. You will also manage HD Voice, our panel of volunteers, who contribute to the internal development of the charity and ensure that the voice of the Huntington’s community is at the heart of research into the condition.
You will co-ordinate all aspects of the volunteer journey from recruitment, selection, induction, training and ongoing support and develop effective policies, procedures and guidance for volunteers as well as developing an effective monitoring and evaluation process.
We are looking for someone with strong volunteer management skills who has experience of training volunteers and of writing policies, procedures and guidance in line with data protection guidance. Also someone with great communication and relationship management skills who has experience of managing volunteers at all stages of their volunteer journey.
There will be regular evening and weekend work as many of our volunteers work themselves so need the support out of office hours. There will be a need for travel across England and Wales.
This is a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to bring their knowledge, skills and experience to our organisation.
We offer great benefits including 25 days annual leave plus public holidays (pro rata for part time staff), a pension scheme with 3% employer contribution, a tax-free working from home allowance, a Medicash scheme, a flexible working approach, a supportive and positive working environment and fantastic learning and development opportunities.
We are committed to equal opportunities in our recruitment process and in order to find out how well we are doing, we collect monitoring data. This will not form part of the selection process in any way and will be used for monitoring purposes only. The completion of this form is voluntary.
The Huntington's Disease Association is looking for someone with the ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and wellbeing of adults at risk, children and young people. We follow safer recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the people we work with. We require the successful candidate to provide two employment references and undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for enhance disclosure before joining the charity.
Full details of how we securely handle the data you provide to us as part of the recruitment process can be found in our privacy notice for job applicants on our website.
Click on 'apply' to begin your application. To ensure your consideration, please upload both a CV and cover letter. Your cover letter should include why you are applying for the role and how you meet the requirements of the person specification. The job description and person specification can be found within the job vacancy pack.
Applications submitted without a CV and cover letter will not be considered.
Closing date for applications is Friday 3 May 2024, 5 pm
Interviews will be held Friday 17 May 2024.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
BACKGROUND
Habitat for Humanity Great Britain (Habitat GB) is part of the international Habitat for Humanity network. We tackle housing poverty around the world by working in partnership with communities and families to achieve their dreams of a safe and decent place to live. You can find out more about our work on our website.
We are embarking on an ambitious new direction at Habitat GB; leveraging our global housing expertise and the learning from our flagship national programme “Empty Spaces to Homes” to work collaboratively with Habitat colleagues across Europe in effecting change at a policy level.
“Empty Spaces to Homes” is a ground-breaking initiative focused on a circular buildings approach that already has a feasible proof of concept from piloting, with strong upscaling potential. The premise is simple; unlocking the potential of long term empty commercial spaces to create affordable housing for vulnerable people. As well as the social benefits of adding to affordable housing stock, the Empty Spaces to Homes approach of retrofitting existing structures – at a much lower carbon cost - offers a greener and more sustainable way to meet the housing gap, in comparison to the environmental impact of the new build construction industry. Breaking down long-standing barriers to resource-efficient renovation is essential if the UK is to play its part in meeting ambitious global decarbonisation targets.
Purpose of The role
The UK Housing Advocacy Manager will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission by leading advocacy efforts, shaping policies, and promoting sustainable housing solutions for affordable housing in Great Britain, particularly through our groundbreaking initiative "Empty Spaces to Homes."
As this is a new role, and is being recruited alongside the Head of Global Affairs and Advocacy, key responsibilities will include the establishment of a new function at Habitat GB. It involves working closely with colleagues across the Habitat GB organisation and contributing to advocacy efforts across the Habitat network at global and regional levels through engagement, strategy and shared learning. Key responsibilities also include developing communication and advocacy strategies targeting professionals and decision makers in social, environmental and housing sectors, as well as undertaking research and writing policy papers.
Main Responsibilities
1) Research and Analysis:
- Commission and conduct in-depth research into current British housing landscapes and related legislation, assessing the effectiveness of mechanisms for converting unused premises into social housing and its environmental impact.
- Identify legal changes necessary to facilitate such activities and advocate for their implementation.
2) Lead Policy Advocacy Efforts:
- Utilise research findings to develop policy positions and identify priority issues, setting policy goals, and mapping out related advocacy activities.
- Embed critical concepts such as embodied carbon and whole life cycle into policy communications to amplify Habitat GB's messaging.
3) Partnerships and Networks:
- Join and represent Habitat GB at existing coalitions or form new coalitions if necessary with stakeholders in the social, environmental, and housing sectors to advocate for climate and equity-related incentives in national and local legislations, policies, and funding mechanisms.
- Build a network of relationships among key stakeholder groups and individual decision-makers to advance Habitat's policy goals.
- Identify strategic events and ensure speaking roles for Habitat GB.
- Represent Empty Spaces to Homes and Habitat for Humanity’s wider UK programmes for awareness raising, advocacy and other priorities at key meetings and events.
4) Direct Lobbying:
- Cultivate strategic relationships with key decision-makers to further Habitat's policy objectives.
5) Collaboration:
- Develop collaborative partnerships internally with Habitat entities across Europe, aligning with the broader strategic objectives of the Empty Spaces to Homes initiative.
- Support communication efforts to underpin advocacy efforts effectively.
6) Monitoring and Evaluation:
- Work with the Impact Team to provide regular updates on advocacy strategy activities and evaluate their effectiveness.
Person Specification
· Proven experience in professional advocacy to influence key policy positions and decisions, preferably in housing or a related field.
· Track record in delivering targeted advocacy strategies and implementing communication strategies to support advocacy efforts.
· Experience in engaging stakeholders and decision-makers through events, networks, and meetings.
· Experience in community mobilisation or engagement.
· Understanding of housing poverty policies and related social welfare issues in Great Britain, with the ability to advise on effective mechanisms for influence.
· Familiarity with Local Authority Governance and opportunities for policy influence at local and regional levels.
Skills and competencies:
· Proficient in clear and effective written and verbal communication to convey complex policy matters to diverse groups.
· Strong relationship-building skills with government representatives, NGOs, and various stakeholders.
· Strategic thinking abilities and collaborative work approach towards organisational objectives and advocacy approaches.
· Ability to collaborate with diverse teams across multiple locations.
· Self-motivated, organized, and capable of working under pressure to meet deadlines and adapt to challenges.
· Enthusiastic, positive, and proactive with a solution-oriented mindset.
· Demonstrated interest in our work and commitment to continuous learning and development.
· Dedication to contributing to the inclusive, people-positive culture at Habitat.
The role and responsibilities will be carried out in a way which reflects:
· Habitat GB’s commitment to safeguarding children in accordance with the Safeguarding
Policy.
· A commitment to Habitat GB’s vision, mission, values and approach.
· A commitment to effective management of risk, by operating within the Charity’s code of conduct, policies, procedures and controls and by carrying out the risk management and assurance responsibilities of the role as set out in relevant Policy and Procedures.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Job descriptions may be subject to change.
Flexibility
Habitat GB is seeking to rapidly expand its activities and impact to fight poverty across the world. This means that the organisation must be adaptable and flexible and have an ambitious, dynamic and flexible team. It is a requirement of the post holder to be flexible in terms of location (within reason), line management, and duties and responsibilities.
This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.
Start your Habitat journey
We want the recruitment process to give you the opportunity to share your skills and experience, and to find out more about Habitat. You are welcome to get in touch and arrange an informal chat with a member of the team before submitting an application. To apply for the role, please send us your CV and a cover letter telling us about yourself, how you meet the person specification, and your motivation for applying – we don’t expect this to be more than two sides of A4.
The deadline for applications is 12 May 2024 (at 11:59 pm).
Interviews will take place online from the week beginning 20 May 2024. Selected candidates will be contacted to agree a suitable time for interview.
Please note that we do not reimburse any expenses incurred during interviews.
We’d prefer to hear directly from applicants – we won’t be working with third party recruiters on this role.
This post profile is not set in stone. It gives insight into the main purpose of the role, and expected responsibilities, but it might be reviewed in the future to meet the changing requirements of Habitat for Humanity GB – any changes will be made in discussion with the post-holder.
Habitat for Humanity requires that all employees take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguard our intended beneficiaries, their communities, and all those with whom we work. Managers at all levels have responsibilities to support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, safeguards the rights of beneficiaries and community members (especially children), and promotes the implementation of our code of conduct.
At Habitat for Humanity GB, we aim to build, develop and retain a talented workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, skills and experiences. We welcome and actively encourage applications from anyone who feels they’d be a good fit for our organisation, regardless of race, religion, colour, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, neurodiversity or any other protected characteristics.
Unfortunately, because of high volume of applications we will not be able to contact unsuccessful applicants. If you haven’t heard from us within a month of the application deadline, please assume that your application has not been successful.
Chief Executive Officer, Remote, 35 hrs Salary £90,097
GFS is a feminist organisation with a mission to empower girls and young women in England and Wales to live their best lives. Girls as young as 6 tell us that they cannot be themselves. This causes problems for them and society. So, we offer an early intervention service for girls living in areas of deprivation to have the greatest impact.
This is an exciting role with an opportunity to lead the charity into the 150th Year of delivery and with a new strategy to address need. It will involve working with the leadership team and all departments but also the board and their support committees, the ambassadors, and presidents as well as the wonderful team of volunteers across England and Wales.
A great deal has been done to prepare the organisation for such an important time and so now there is a real opportunity for this role to lead in being a figurehead for the charity and representing all that is achieved at GFS in national events and discussions, to best represent the girls of today.
Our new strategy is built around pillars of Impact, Brand and Sustainability with an ambition to grow in delivery as well as reputation. GFS is aware that the work done to listen to and amplify girls’ voices is important because they have so much to say about what needs to change and from a very young age. This role will be key to making this happen.
Equity, Diversity and inclusion is of strategic importance to GFS. We encourage applications from ethnically and racially minoritised, disabled and from LGBTQ+ people to build our best staff and volunteer teams and reflect the girls we serve.
This post is subject to a criminal record check with the Disclosure and Barring Service
Download the application pack and complete the application form in WORD and return by the closing date Friday 17th May.
Our mission is to support and inspire girls and young women. We create spaces where they feel safe and valued, building strong foundations.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.