We are excited to recruit a Community Organiser for our Bradford Parent Power project. This role offers a meaningful, paid professional development opportunity. The Brilliant Club will work in partnership with Queens’ College, Cambridge, Dixons Academies Trust and Go Higher West Yorkshire to engage with parents in Bradford. The parental engagement model used will be based on the successful Parent Power South London and Oldham Parent Power projects.
- Dixons are committed to making a difference where it matters most, working to improve the future for thousands of children in parts of the north of England where young lives are adversely affected by social and educational disadvantage. We believe that every child, regardless of their background, should be able to fulfil their academic potential and go on to thrive. Founded by Dixons City Academy, the trust has over 30 years’ experience in transforming education through their network of high-performing, non-faith academies, operating in Leeds, Bradford, Liverpool and Manchester.
- Queens’ College supports world-leading teaching and research in a beautiful and welcoming environment, and has been in the heart of Cambridge for more than five centuries. At Queens’ we know that attracting the best students from a diverse range of backgrounds is essential if we are to continue to thrive as a vibrant and creative academic community in the twenty-first century. We are committed to enabling the widest possible participation and are proud to be partnered with schools across Bradford through the Cambridge University Area Links scheme. We work with communities across the city to break down some of the myths and misconceptions that have grown up around selective Higher Education, giving young people accurate and up-to-date information to enable them to make the decisions that are right for them.
- Go Higher West Yorkshire is a partnership of 13 Higher Education (HE) providers, working collaboratively to reduce long-standing inequalities in access to, success in and progression from HE. GHWY was formed in 2010 and is hosted by the University of Leeds. We are impartial, not promoting any HE provider or course. Working with groups underrepresented in HE, we strive to overcome all barriers, misinformation and uncertainty concerning HE and to ensure people make confident and informed HE choices. We support educators and influencers help people into Higher Education, and by improving young people’s employability skills, help inspire a more high-skilled workforce.
Parent Power supports parents and carers to develop skills in community organising and advice and guidance on accessing higher education, empowering them to make change to support their children’s future and ensure their they have a fair chance in education and their future careers.
Working with us, the Community Organiser will:
- Support local pupils from underrepresented backgrounds by empowering their parent/carers to become higher education experts
- Receive community organising training from Citizens UK and develop transferable skills
- Join a nationwide community of community organisers making a significant impact on university access
Person specification
Time and Resource Management:
Essential
- Able to plan sessions in an organised and efficient manner and adhere to agreed deadlines.
- Excellent timekeeper, ensuring prompt arrival to meetings and 1-1s; well organised within 1-1s and sessions.
- Capable of adapting quickly to new systems/ processes.
Desirable:
- Confident in using digital systems for delivery of online sessions in parent meetings
- Experience of creating resources
External Stakeholder Knowledge and Management:
Essential
- Ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
- Professional approach to problem solving with a range of stakeholders involved in the project.
- Awareness of role as a visitor within a school and parent/carer community; understanding of the other commitments held by professionals within a school and by parent/carers
- Understanding of The Brilliant Club mission and the Widening Participation agenda nationally.
Desirable
- Prior experience of community-focused work or hold a qualification at Level 4 or above (as listed here)
- Understanding of the barriers young people face to university access and some of the ways these might be overcome.
- Understanding of the current climate in the UK school system and some of the challenges young people and parent/carers might be facing.
Communication:
Essential
- Awareness of how to engage parents and adapt university style learning for a school setting.
- Able to communicate in a timely and professional way with all project stakeholders
- Able to take a relational approach to communication with parent/carers, especially in 1-1s
- Able to explain research accessibly to non-expert audiences
Reflectiveness
Essential
- Able to identify strengths and areas of development, open to feedback.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Do you have experience and knowledge of audit and quality improvement approaches? Are you passionate about enabling people to live their best lives? If so, please keep reading because we want to hear from you.
We are bold and ambitious and really want you to come and join us to help us achieve our vision where the UK is the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.
We are recruiting for a Head of Audit and Improvement job share partner to work up to 26 hours per week alongside our existing Head of Audit and Improvement. We can be flexible on days worked and this can be discussed at interview. This role will be mainly working from home with some occasional travel when required.
In this role you will:
- Lead quality performance, supporting, advising and proactively identifying risk and areas for improvement in each Operational area including adult social care and educational programmes
- Provide oversight for quality frameworks and methodology ensuring currency according to social care or legislative changes.
- Lead a team to ensure the programme of improvement and quality assurance activities are delivered and performance expectations are met.
- Ensure accurate and meaningful information on aspects of quality performance is collated and analysed, to provide assurance and intelligence to help inform decision-making.
- Be an active and supportive member of the Senior leadership team, advising on issues relating to quality
- Design, implement and embed an audit and improvement programme across operational services
- Deputise on occasion for the Executive Director of Quality and Impact
We are looking for someone who:
- has experience of working in a similar role, ideally within Health and Social Care
- is a great communicator and influencer and enjoys working with all stakeholders up to and including exec level
- is knowledgeable of our regulatory environment
- has extensive knowledge of quality frameworks, methodology and tools
- has line management experience with the ability to coach and mentor colleagues
If you’re ready to make a difference, please get in touch today by providing an up-to-date bespoke CV that demonstrates all your relevant skills and experience.
At Mencap, we value a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we intentionally plan for the success of our colleagues in everything we do. We welcome applications from everyone, so come as you are and join us. Together we are Mencap!
Interviews will take place via TEAMS on the 21st May and will include a second stage for those that are successful following the initial interview on 24th May.
*While we are committed to encouraging flexible working patterns, in some cases, it may not be possible for us to accommodate a request.
Benefits
As well as knowing that what we do is making a positive difference to people’s lives, you will receive fair pay and have access to a wide range of rewards and benefits as one of our employees.
- 24 days holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing with long service plus the ability to buy up to another 10 days via our HolidayPlus scheme
- Service related sick pay when 6 month probation is completed
- Eligibility to join Mencap Pension Plan where Mencap matches contributions up to 5% on a salary sacrifice basis meaning NI savings. If you don’t join the Plan you start, you will be auto-enrolled after three months with us.
- Membership of Mencap Pension Plan to include up to 3 times salary death in service live cover AND Income Protection of 50% salary to be triggered at 26 weeks of long term sickness
- Loans for debt consolidation, bikes, computers and phones when you have been with us for 6 months
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Discounts and cashback from 3% to 30% at high street shops including major super markets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via Mencap Extras
- Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc.
- Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
- Quarterly award scheme and recognition at every 5 years through our YouRock program
- Access to award winning training and development
*T&C's apply based on contract
About Mencap
We work in partnership with people with a learning disability, and all our services support people to live life as they choose. Everyone wants a purposeful job - to do something meaningful. At Mencap, we can give you that. You will have opportunities to develop as a person, colleague, leader and activist. We want to make you feel inspired to reach your potential.
Our work includes;
- providing high-quality, flexible services that allow people to live as independently as possible in a place they choose
- providing advice through our help lines and web sites