"Support Worker" Jobs

An inspirational charity is seeking an inspirational CEO. The Amber Trust is a unique charity, dedicated to funding music opportunities for blind and partially sighted children and young people.

Job title: Chief Executive Officer

Reporting to: Board of Trustees through the Chair

Location: Flexibility to work remotely with at least one day per week in our SW London and other locations for meetings as required

Hours:,30 – 37.5 hours per week TBA with candidate

Contract: Permanent

Salary range: £55 - £60K pro-rata (depending on experience)

Charity overview

The Amber Trust provides musical opportunities for blind and partially sighted children, including those with additional disabilities, via its Music Awards and Music Services.

Amber Music Awards fund instrumental and singing lessons, the purchase of musical instruments and specialist software, funding for concert tickets, and travel to musical activities for vision impaired children throughout the UK. In addition, there are structured programmes in its Music Services.

‘Little Amber’ is a service that offers music resources and quarterly sessions with a specially trained music practitioner to children under five and their families. ‘AmberPlus’ provides music resources and sessions offered on a termly basis to children over five who also have complex needs.’ ‘With Music in Mind’ is a new service for visually impaired children and young people with life-limiting neurodegenerative disease. Amber’s workshop scheme offers music sessions for groups of children in schools, charities and community organisations.

We have also developed extensive online music resources for teachers that are freely downloadable from anywhere in the world.

The Charity has a turnover of around £400k, employs a small central administrative team, and, for the music services, works through a large network of self-employed practitioners.

 Role purpose

The Chief Executive Officer is responsible to the Board of Trustees for leading The Amber Trust, developing and realising Amber’s vision and strategy, and playing a key ambassadorial role with funders and other senior stakeholders. The CEO is responsible for the management of the charity and its staff and the execution of Amber’s targets, plans and policies, ensuring that resources are used to best effect in meeting the needs of beneficiaries. The CEO is responsible for initiating and overseeing new initiatives that will ensure Amber plays a leading role in the field of music and blindness in children and young people into the future.

Role Description

Accountabilities: To develop, lead and manage The Amber Trust, in particular:

 Strategy

•      to develop and deliver innovative projects and services in accordance with Amber’s strategy.

• to ensure Amber flourishes, meeting all its charitable objectives and its legal obligations as a charity and a company limited by guarantee, and to honour its duty of care to its staff, beneficiaries and other stakeholders;

• to maintain Amber’s ethos of providing individual and personal support to beneficiaries and their families;

• to lead Amber in the development and implementation of its long- and medium-term strategy and annual business plans in accordance with the strategic direction and policy framework agreed by the Trustees;

Fundraising and events

• to attend, represent and promote Amber at meetings, conferences and other events, enhancing its profile across the UK – occasional evening and weekend work and travel may be required for this;

• to manage volunteers and liaise effectively with fundraisers and individual donors;

• to engage in fundraising and income-generating activity to ensure the sustainability and growth of Amber, including bid writing activity;

• to monitor and evaluate the services offered by Amber as required by external funders and Trustees, writing and submitting reports to deadline

Operations

• to manage and support operations and services and to be hands-on where required to ensure these are delivered;

• to be pro-active in maintaining digital media relating to Amber and its work, including (but not limited to) its web page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube;

• to manage the budget prudently to ensure Amber’s financial soundness;

• to ensure efficiency and effectiveness externally in service delivery, and internally in its systems, resources and infrastructure;

• to communicate effectively and in a timely manner with Trustees, organising and contributing to regular meetings for the Board, and its Investment, Fundraising, Digital Media, Music Awards and Music Services subcommittees, including the provision of reports, financial information, data on service delivery and all other matters to enable the Trustees to fulfil their governance role.

People management

• to manage staff, setting their objectives and ensuring that these are met, and that colleagues appreciate the ethos and values of Amber, and work in accordance with its strategic objectives, with regular update meetings and an appraisal cycle, and to monitor and recommend to Trustees appropriate remuneration;

• to ensure all staff are aware of current national policies and procedures relating to safeguarding in relation to the children and young people that Amber serves, and are given training annually.

Also to undertake other such duties as may reasonably be required from time to time by the Trustees.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate that they have the following essential requirements:

 Essential criteria

· Proven leadership experience in the third sector

· Proven management experience in at least two organisations

· Demonstrable passion for music

· Experience of measuring the impact of charitable services and driving quality improvements

· Degree level education or equivalent

Knowledge, skills and experience

· Experience of working with trustee boards and an understanding of their role and governance experience

· Experience of programme development and the management of grants

· Familiarity with UK charity law and governance issues

· Awareness of disability issues

· A track record of successful fundraising

· Experience of staff management including personal development, objective-setting, recruitment and performance management

· A high level of computer literacy in standard office packages and CRM systems such as Salesforce ;

Competencies and personal qualities

· The capacity for innovative thinking

· The ability to motivate self and others – of developing a vision and enlisting others to share it

· The ability to see ideas through from concept to implementation and evaluation

· The capacity to operate at a strategic level and to analyse and understand complex issues;

· The ability to prepare and manage budgets;

· Strong organisational, written and oral communication skills, including experience and confidence in public speaking and in effective report writing

· The ability to work in a self-directed manner, and to develop good working relationships with stakeholders

· A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, treating people from all backgrounds with respect, dignity

· The right to reside and work permanently in the UK

 Desirable criteria

 · Experience of working with or caring for people with visual impairment

· Familiarity with the UK education system, and in particular, music education

· Knowledge of and familiarity with special education provision, incl]uding special schools

· Familiarity with other regional and national music organisations working in the field of music education.

The closing date for all applications is 9:00 am Monday, 20th May 2024. Initial interviews are planned to take place face-to-face in London on Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th May 2024.

To apply to the role, please send a CV and covering letter, outlining your motivation for applying for the role and how you meet the essential criteria.