Job Description
The Head of Advocacy and Policy will be responsible for developing an excellent Advice Service and Retention Team to support and advise students effectively to enable excellent student experience and satisfaction.
This role will lead on the development of effective insights, representation and support initiatives/campaigns for students, across our three campuses at Greenwich, Avery Hill and Medway.
This role will enhance work with the diverse student population of the University of Greenwich and lead a dynamic team to ensure students have consistent and accessible services that contribute to positive student experience.
This role sits within the wider Membership Services department, together with other key areas consisting of; Activities, Sport, Academic Communities, Representation and Democracy, we provide a high-quality service for students, that they can shape, steer and be at the heart of.
This postholder will be part of the GSU Senior Leadership Team and will be expected to contribute to department and organisation wide strategic development.
The post holder will:
- Have expert knowledge in areas of in relation to Advice and Retention and policies and legislation relating to such activity
- Support and develop strong student-led communities and campaigns in areas of: Advice, wellbeing and retention so that members can thrive
- Provide line management support to staff so that the team have up to date, specialist advice skills, knowledge and understanding of University regulations, policies and procedures that may affect the work of the Advice service and oversee engagement across Greenwich’s 3 campuses
- Undertake casework and provide expert advice for the team on all aspects of Advice
- Lead on the project management of wellbeing/health promotion campaigns and initiatives throughout the year, as well as any external bids through bodies such as OfS
- Oversee the Retention and Wellbeing Project work, and other relevant projects with external partners
- Lead on insights work relating to retention, wellbeing and support
- Lead on responses to external consultation and enquiry responses, including but not limited to OfS, Department for Education, OIA and Universities UK
- Support elected officers to deliver on campaigning priorities
- Ensure the Advice service has the skills and is equipped to support the diverse needs of students at Greenwich and Kent at Medway.
- Provide regular insights and reports on the GSU Membership to inform our strategy and service provision
- Work with other Heads to develop relevant and modern Front of House services for each GSU campus ensuring ease of access and consistency for all members.
Key Areas
- Be an engaged and active member of the Senior Leadership team, contributing regularly and working collaboratively with peers
- Provide leadership, strategic direction and day to day operational management to the Advocacy and Policy: recruiting and inducting members of staff, motivating, supporting and developing team members to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge for their roles as well as manage performance
- Develop a proactive results driven culture within the team, ensuring agreed objectives and targets are delivered, whilst promoting a collaborative approach to working with internal departments
- Develop succession plans and identify training and development opportunities within the team
- Be accountable for the quality of outputs of the team
- Provide support to the Officer team helping and equipping them, particularly in their roles as representatives and providing pastoral support and guidance.
- Ensure the whole organisation is aware of and understands the work of the Advocacy and Policy Team and its contribution to our strategic objectives
- To maintain expert and up-to-date knowledge on sector policies and regulations relating to advice, retention and student success, providing relevant guidance to officers and staff as required.
- Develop and promote a culture of continuous improvement across the team to ensure we can adapt to changing students’ needs and priorities, as well as building on successes and preparing for the future.
Strategic Development
- Contribute to the strategic objectives of GSU, with a particular focus on advice, support and wellbeing in relation to the student experience
- Develop and oversee a new and innovative approach to proactive health and wellbeing campaigns that empower students to look after themselves and each other, as well as seeking support
- Lead on Access and Participation Plan Engagement, acting as the key contact on this area with the University.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with relevant senior UoG staff and departments including Student Academic Services, Faculties and our partners at Kent Unio
- Develop and oversee the Advice service to support advocacy initiatives at multiple levels within the University, ensuring both students and University stakeholders view GSU as a credible and reliable source of information on the needs of students.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Develop and oversee a structured approach to gathering, analysing and reporting on data relating to engagement of students with our services and to student views on key issues relating to retention and success
- Develop and oversee processes of collecting quantitative and qualitative data from casework to analyse trends and inform feedback for the SU and university
- Ensure evaluation mechanism are embedded in the teams working practises and that findings are shared and used to implement learnings with the goal of improving services
- Support Officers by preparing information, statistics and trends about key services to be shared within the University committee cycle
- Be responsible for the implementation of service standards for the Advocacy and Policy Team and to monitor and report on adherence to these standards
- Prepare materials to apply for any relevant quality mark accreditations for the service.
Budget and Financial Management
- Manage a budget relating to Advocacy and Policy including any restricted funds.
- Be responsible for the teams resources, ensuring these are effectively allocated, managed and controlled
- Review and establish processes, systems, polices and where appropriate standard procedures to maximise efficiency ensure deadlines are met and a positive return on investment
- Review and provide narrative for scrutiny at monthly management meetings with the Finance Team
Stakeholder management
- Collaborate with GSU colleagues, particularly the Student Voice and Engagement Teams to ensure we have a consistent approach to how we work with and support students
- Work with students through our representative structures and forums to ensure we shape services students want and need, taking into consideration the varying campus priorities
- Maintain strong relationships with key university staff to develop, deliver and evaluate collaborative projects and interventions supporting advice and retention
- Attend meetings relating to Advocacy and Policy as well as associated areas at both GSU, the University and externally, included, but not limited to regional networks
- Identify opportunities to share best practice and represent the work of GSU and your team to the wider HE community, through conferences and publication.
Personal Specification
Essential Experience
- Line management experience
- Relevant experience working in the youth, education, students’ union or other membership or advisory organisation
- Experience of leading a multi-functional team
- Experience of mentoring coaching staff/elected officers
- Experience of developing operational policies and procedures
- Experience of budget management, project management, and operational management
- Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and partnership working or strategic networking
Essential Skills and Abilities
- Ability to work with and lead a high performing team
- Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently and effectively
- Ability to produce confident, clear written reports and be able to write succinct documents on complex areas
- IT skills at a level that supports membership CRM systems, Advice Pro and other platforms
- Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to manage others to reach deadlines, within agreed budgets and to a consistently high standard
- Ability to write strategies and be able to effectively communicate vision and mission
- Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face on changing priorities
- Track record of successfully developing and implementing projects and operational change
- Able to draft policies and procures with an eye for detail and accuracy
Essential Knowledge
- Awareness of current issues within the higher education sector
- Knowledge of relevant external bodies and organisations including Advice UK, NUS, Citizens Advice, OIA, Ofs, Student Minds
- Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation
- Knowledge of Safeguarding, advice legislation, risk assessments and GDPR
- Knowledge of providing 121 support
Education/Training
- No one specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post is required. For example: ILM, City &Guilds etc.
Personal Attributes and other requirements
- Able to travel within the Borough and Region.
- Able to work some evenings and weekends and stay overnight where necessary.
- Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work
- Be eligible for a DBS check if needed
- A commitment to the principles and practices of equality and diversity
- An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
- Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU.
Desirable other requirements
- Visionary, creative, and innovative strategist
- A positive, solution focused leader – able to make ‘tough’ decisions; determined and resilient in order to cope with the demands of the role
- Empowering, authentic leader with high levels of emotional intelligence
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
JOB DESCRIPTION
As we have launched our ambitious 5-year strategic plan this post will play a key role at Greenwich Students’ Union in supporting students to stay and succeed at university.
GSU Advocacy and Policy Team is leading an award-winning outreach project that seeks to support students to stay and succeed at Greenwich. A team of part-time student staff call 1000’s of students each term, supporting them to navigate University life, services and GSU. This role will support the award-winning team to deliver proactive supportive calls to students.
In this post you will :
- To supervise the retention calling project staff
- To support with escalations for students experiencing difficulties
- To spot trends in student issues and assist with reporting
We’re looking for an enthusiastic candidate who has an interest in supporting our students to become their best.
You don’t have to come from a higher education background, but you should have an interest in supporting students to succeed.
This role sits within the Advocacy and Policy Team and focus on making 1-1 timely interventions to support students to succeed as well as identifying broader trends in student behaviour to inform our strategic approach to services and support.
Duties and Key Responsibilities
This post holder will be part of the Advocacy and Policy Team and will be expected to contribute to the department’s wider objectives and planning.
Delivery of Outreach
- Coordinate the team to deliver outbound phone calls and taking inbound calls in a call centre model, including opening and closing
- Ensure that the quality of personal outreach delivery is consistent and in line with the agreed scripts and conversation structures to support students
- Ensure the team provide excellent customer service to students, at all times seeking to support students’ needs appropriately, clarifying information and providing appropriate solutions
- Support other retention and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year
Supervision
- Support with training and development of student-staff team
- Support with the scheduling of shifts, monitoring of attendance and submitting of payroll
- Undertake 1-1’s with student staff, identifying additional support
Signposting & Monitoring
- Keep accurate records of all calls and student outreach in line with provided data tools
- Support callers to identify potential concerns from students and signpost students to the most relevant support pathway
- Closely monitor for any safety or safeguarding concerns from students, and support with escalations
- Support with the analysis of issues and regular reporting as directed
Personal Learning and Responsibility
- Undertake all training and development as required within the role
- Take responsibility for personal learning and development
General Responsibilities
- Represent and be an ambassador for GSU.
- Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop, or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
- Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
- Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
- Support and promote liberation, diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
- Treat with confidentiality any personal, private, or sensitive
- information about individual organisations and/ or clients or staff and Project data.
- Actively seek better ways to assist GSU in its effort to become a more sustainable workplace.
- Any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
Experience
- Relevant experience working in a customer or support service-aligned role
- Experience of time management
- Experience of working well within a team to achieve targets
- Experience drafting reports with an eye for detail.
Knowledge
- Clear communication skills, particularly over the phone and by e-mail
- Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently, and effectively.
- Sensitivity and understanding for others, utilising active listening skills
- IT skills at a level that supports logging of data, email, internet, and database.
- Time management and organisational skills.
- Ability to engage with new people and build rapport quickly.
- Self-motivated with the confidence to work alone but can also work co-operatively and flexibly as part of a team.
- Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face of changing priorities.
Education/Training
- No specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post is required
Essential Personal Attributes and other requirements
- A role model who promotes high standards of ethics, integrity and honesty.
- Able to travel between campuses on occasion. Mainly based at Avery Hill – free inter-campus bus service available.
- Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work.
- An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work. Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU
Visa Requirement
Please note that the successful candidate will need to have the right to work in the UK. GSU is unable to sponsor an employment visa for this role.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Resources Coordinator
Location: Hybrid United Kingdom (multiple locations)
Edinburgh, Salford, Cardiff, Belfast, London
Contract: Full time, 5 days a week. Permanent
Salary: £28,000 - £35,500 per annum plus benefits
Into Film is the UK’s leading charity for film in education and the community. We provide screen industry careers information and advice, support young filmmakers and bring the power of moving image storytelling into classroom teaching.
We also run the annual Into Film Festival which enables more than 400,000 pupils to visit the cinema for free, and the Into Film Awards – the UK’s leading showcase for young filmmaking talent.
The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen.
Our vision: Film enriches the life of every child and young person.
Our mission: To inspire and support young people to learn, and to realise their creative, cultural and career aspirations, through film and the moving image.
Into Film operates a hybrid working policy with offices in London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh and Salford. We are open to flexible working and offer staff a health plan.
Role Summary
The Resources Coordinator role sits within the learning content creation team, which is responsible for the devising, commissioning and delivering of high quality, film-focused learning opportunities. These include the production of resources and online courses for teachers and their learners which are made available on our website, Into Film+ (our video-on-demand platform) and on our learning platform.
Main Responsibilities
- To produce high quality, exciting and engaging resources for educators and young people, including commercial resources for film industry clients.
- To contribute to the planning and evaluation of resources within our three key areas of work: Teaching with Film, Careers and Progression, and Filmmaking
- To project manage the resource process from initiation to publication or delivery.
- To assist the corporate partnerships team by contributing to pitches for educational resources with partners to support new film releases.
- To contribute to the development of courses aimed at educators via our online learning platform.
- To evaluate resources, training, online materials and related areas of organisational interest through surveys, focus groups and other methods, to identify and implement changes and programme developments that meet Into Film’s and our audiences’ needs and priorities.
- To develop, with the rest of the team, reliable quality assurance processes and documentation for our resources, training and online programmes.
- To carry out external and internal training to a range of staff and stakeholders, including supporting internal staff with advice and information.
- To assist the resources and training leads in collaborating with external organisations and individuals to create resources and training materials.
- To develop and maintain good working relationships across the organisation and provide training, educational insight and administrative support.
- To attend meetings across Into Film and with external partners to provide resource and training guidance covering all areas of our work.
- To complete administrative tasks including supporting educators, uploading resources to our website and assisting with reporting on resources to stakeholders.
- Copywriting, consultancy and research for Into Film News and Views and other marketing content.
- To develop and contribute to the planning and filming of video content for resources or courses.
- To support staff across the four UK nations with resource production.
General Responsibilities
- Commitment to quality internally and in all dealings with the public, members, teachers, children and young people, partners, funders, supporters etc.
- Contribute to long term planning to ensure growth in line with demand and resources.
- Contribute to the regular monitoring and evaluation of Into Film’s work.
- Commitment to equality of opportunity in line with Into Film’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
- Any other reasonable duties assigned by Into Film.
Person Specification
Minimum Requirements
- A minimum of two years’ experience of teaching in the UK.
- Experience of creating resources which include moving image/film.
- Knowledge of the educational landscape across all four UK nations.
- Demonstrable creativity and commitment to making resources and training interesting and exciting for teachers/educators and students/young people.
- Excellent communication skills and attention to detail, with the ability to write accurately and correctly, and the ability to persuade and influence others and feedback ideas in a professional manner.
- Experience of chairing and guiding meetings.
- Experience of managing a range of projects, from initiation to completion, working with a range of stakeholders.
- Demonstrable understanding of monitoring and evaluation.
- Commitment to film as a powerful tool for education, both as a cultural art form and to engage young people and raise attainment.
- Current knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite, in particular Excel, PowerPoint and Word.
Desirable
- Experience in creating resources or opportunities which support young people’s careers education.
- Experience of filmmaking with young people.
- Experience of training teachers or other professionals.
- A love and knowledge of film.
Closing: 9:00am, 20th May 2024
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.
All employees regularly working with children and member data are required to undertake and maintain enhanced DBS clearance (and/or Access NI check or Disclosure Scotland check, depending on working location), acquired at Into Film’s expense; employment is dependent upon this.
No agencies please.