Peer Support Officer Jobs

We are looking for a Chief Officer who will be responsible for the day to day running of the charity as well as working with the Trustees to take the organisation forwards.  The successful candidate will have experience of working with adults with learning disabilities, will have skills in finance, management and IT, and will enjoy working in a busy environment where there are changing demands and priorities throughout the day.

At Oak Tree Farm we are committed to providing a high quality, supportive environment where adults with learning disabilities, our Team Members, are the centre of everything we do.  The farm has livestock, growing fields, greenhouses, polytunnels and a tearoom as well as craft rooms, a cottage garden, pottery and shop. Our Team Members are involved in every aspect of life on the farm and the farm is firmly embedded in the local community with Team Members providing gardening services to local people as well as volunteering on the Sandon Estate.

Events Officer

· Maternity cover

· Salary £36,189 per annum

· Full time (37.5 hours per week) minimum 4 days a week considered

· Flexible working options will be supported

· Central London Office and Hybrid working

We offer a pension scheme with employer contribution up to 10%, in addition you’ll receive 28 days holiday plus bank holidays, 24-hour access to a comprehensive employee assistance programme, cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan scheme and other benefits.

About the role

The Events Officer plays a key role in our highly effective communications team, leading on the delivery of an impactful programme of events – both online and in person. The role works with teams from across the organisation to plan, deliver and promote all types of events, including workshops, roundtables, conferences, webinars, receptions and other types of online and in person events.

Events are an important way for Ageing Better to influence priority audiences, including businesses and local and national government, and the postholder will advise teams on how events can best reach these audiences, encourage engagement and lead to lasting relationships.

This role sits within the Communications team, and the postholder will be responsible for drafting comms content, such as blogs and social media posts, particularly in relation to event promotion.

About you

You are highly organised, with excellent prioritisation and project management skills, enabling you to juggle multiple projects simultaneously. You have good attention to detail and enjoy planning, solving logistical problems and delivering events to a tight budget.

You are a good communicator and are comfortable working in close partnership with colleagues and dealing with a wide range of people.

You will have experience of organising events, including technical experience of managing online events and streaming.

About us

The Centre for Ageing Better is a charitable foundation funded by The National Lottery Community Fund and part of the government’s What Works Network

Everyone has the right to a good life as they get older and our whole society benefits when people are able to age well. But far too many people face huge barriers, and as a result are living in bad housing, dealing with poverty and poor health and made to feel invisible in their communities and society.

The Centre for Ageing Better is pioneering ways to make ageing better a reality for everyone. Its key areas of work include challenging ageism and building a nationwide Age-friendly Movement, creating Age-friendly Employment and Age-friendly Homes.

We are striving to create an organisation that reflects our society and the communities we serve. A workplace where everyone feels empowered and where diversity of background and thought is celebrated. We know there is more work to be done and are committed to continuing to improve our practice around Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion.

We very much welcome applications from minority groups and those underrepresented in our workforce. This especially includes people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBT+ people, and Disabled people.

We are a Positive Action employer, therefore in recruitment where two candidates are ‘as qualified as’ each other, we will favour a candidate from any group identified as currently underrepresented in our team based on protected characteristics as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.

The closing date for this role is 11:59pm on Sunday 12th May, with in- person interviews to take place during week commencing 20th May.

What You'll Do:

- Collaboration and Efficiency: Work hand-in-hand with existing Mental Health Provision for young people and their families, as well as other local agencies/organisations to effectively support young people transitioning from services.

- Innovation and Development: Channel your passion delivering and promoting Young Persons peer support groups. Work closely with primary care, schools and colleges to promote mental health support available via S&G Mind

Why Join Us:

· Impact Matters: Join a team where your work directly transforms lives and contributes to a healthier community.

· Personal Growth: We offer professional development opportunities that will enrich your career and help shape the future of mental health services in Swindon.

· Collaborative Culture: Work alongside like-minded individuals who share your passion for making a meaningful impact.

Together, we can build a brighter, healthier future for Swindon. Your contribution can make all the difference.

This is an exciting new role to develop a peer support group for people recently diagnosed with dementia and their family carers and to co produce a programme of activities so that they can continue to engage in stimulating activities in the community.

This role has been developed as a response to consultation on what people in Newham living with dementia want in order to live well with the disease. The successful candidate will be working with a small team of communitiy dementia support colleagues.

We are recruiting for a Dementia Carers Support Officer who can make a positive difference to the lives of unpaid carers in the diverse communities of Redbridge by providing them with practical, emotional and health and wellbeing related RCSS services. Services include the development and delivery of peer social and learning activities to give carers a break and reduce the risk of acute isolation. 

The post holder will focus specifically on carers of people with dementia ensuring they receive advice and information and access key support services.  The post holder will also work closely with partner organisations to facilitate cross referrals for both the carer and the person with dementia.  A key requirement of the post is to feed into local strategic work to improve the support pathway for people with dementia and their carers including being a point of contact within Redbridge as well as attendance and input to relevant partnership boards and other working groups.

This is a job share post, working in close collaboration with the existing Dementia Support Officer. The post holder will also work with colleagues, to act as a bridge between carers and statutory services, contributing towards giving carers a stronger voice in speaking up for themselves and their peers. In this context and in collaboration with the Operations Manager and front-line staff, the post holder will also pay particular attention to the needs of older, isolated, vulnerable carers, aged 65 and over, who face social exclusion, cultural isolation, and hardship. Assisting carers to access and improve local health and social care services, thus improving the quality of their lives.

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 Individual Partnership programme provides those called to Christian ministry with an account to manage financial support and tools and training to be effective in raising and maintaining a team of supporters.

As the Support Raising Development Lead within the Individual Partnerships team, your role is to train, coach and develop best practice and thought leadership for individuals and organisations who adopt the Support Raising model.

Success in your role will be seeing the individuals and organisations we serve supported sufficiently in prayer, financial giving, and encouragement to enable them to thrive in the ministry to which God has called them, ultimately resulting in increased grants out to them from Stewardship. 

As a result of our Christian ethos, this post is covered by an Occupational Requirement (OR) under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010. The successful applicant will be expected to be a practising Christian and to clearly demonstrate a personal commitment to the mission, principles, values and practices contained in our Ethos Statement, by:

· Active membership of local church congregation.

An understanding of the faith aspects of the work of Christian charities, including the preparedness to pray with colleagues, where appropriate.

Are you passionate about improving support for families affected by substance misuse?

This could be the perfect role for you! The Family Support Worker is an exciting role within a growing and dynamic team, where you can help to make a real difference to the lives of unpaid carers in Lambeth. 

Having identified a gap in the identification of young carers and adult carers looking after someone with substance misuse issues, over the past year we have successfully piloted a project to identify and provide long-term support to these carers. We are now entering the second year of the project, and are looking for a new Family Support Worker to bring their expertise, enthuasism and ideas to the next stage of the project. 

The Family Support Worker will work across our Young Carers and Adult Carers Service to provide support to families affected by substance misuse, through whole-family assessments and reviews. The successful candidate will ensure that adult and young carers, and their families, have access to a range of emotional and practical support appropriate to their needs.

The successful candidate will have an understanding of working within the substance misuse field and an understanding of associated health and social issues. They will preferably have experience of working with both adults, children and young people. We are seeking candidates with a professional qualification in health & social care, youth or community work, and/or direct experience of delivering family focused interventions.

If you are looking for a fast paced, rewarding project that will make a lasting difference to carers, we would love to hear from you. 

About Us
Carers’ Hub plays a vital role in Lambeth, supporting the many unpaid carers across the borough. Our work stems from the fact that carers often go about their roles despite the toll it might take on their own wellbeing, often having to make sacrifices that hamper their own ability to lead a normal life. Whether financial, educational or otherwise, we seek to limit the challenges that carers face. We achieve this through four core workstreams: 

1. raising awareness of carers, 

2. influencing local policy through community engagement activities, 

3. improving carer wellbeing and

4. connecting carers to each other and to support and training opportunities through our services. 

Closing date: 9am Friday 10th May 2024

Please not we are actively interviewing for the role and may close applications early if a successful candidate is recruited. 

In this job, you will play a vital role in driving up awareness of the Mental Health Charter with businesses, organisations, and service providers across the borough of Barnet.

To begin with, you’ll use your organisational and project management skills to work with the steering group to create an action plan. With their support, you’ll use your operational communications experience to work with all partners to develop and create presentations and other promotional materials, such as flyers and posters. You will also take photos at engagement activities for partners to promote the project on their respective social media platforms.

Then, using your excellent interpersonal skills you will build on existing relationships with key stakeholders and create new ones. Travelling around the borough of Barnet you will proactively approach, encourage and support a diverse audience of businesses, organisations, and service providers to make pledges to the charter and later follow up on their progress.

On a day to day basis, you will record activities against key performance indicators, accurately record and analyse feedback using surveys and data management tools.

Additionally, you will organise and attend monthly Steering Group meetings following key project management principles to report on the overall progress of the project against targets.

Done right, this role with strengthen services and mental health awareness in Barnet.  To succeed, you’ll need strong communications skills and you’ll be a natural relationship builder.  You’ll also have your own lived experience of mental health issues.  We welcome applications from global majority candidates, who are underrepresented at this level in the organisation.   

Inclusion Barnet is Barnet’s Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisation (DDPO).  All of the board and 80% of staff declare an impairment, and we’re passionate about using our lived experience of disability to build better services and more inclusive communities.  At Inclusion Barnet, you will become part of a friendly and supportive team, working within a focused but flexible culture, where diversity is valued and you can bring your whole self to work. 

This is a Barnet based role, working out of our Colindale office, and you’ll need to be able to travel around the borough.  We encourage flexible working to suit your work/life balance preferences where possible.  We also operate a Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) system. 

To apply, please submit your CV with a brief covering letter clearly stating how you meet the person specification, and how your own lived experience of mental health issues would inform your approach to the role.

The successful candidate must be willing to undergo a DBS check and have the right to work in the UK. 

£34,300 - £37,300 per annum

Permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Hybrid working with regular travel to our London Bridge Office; occasional UK regional travel

What the job involves

Funding research that will improve the lives of men with, or at high risk of, prostate cancer is one of Prostate Cancer UK’s highest priorities. Prostate cancer is harming too many men, in exchange for too few cures, which is why we are motivated more than ever to deliver a future where lives are no longer harmed by prostate cancer. We invest in the most innovative ideas to accelerate our knowledge and understanding of prostate cancer, and to develop better treatments and more effective approaches to diagnose the disease, so that we can transform the lives of all men with, or at risk of, prostate cancer.

We’re looking to appoint an enthusiastic and proactive Senior Research Impact Officer to join our Research Directorate. You’ll join an existing Senior Research Impact Officer to support the Senior Research Impact and Intelligence Manager to find, communicate and accelerate the impact of Prostate Cancer UK’s funded research. Taking responsibility for 50% of our ‘completed and in follow-up’ portfolio of research grants, you’ll act as their primary contact, assessing the likelihood of, and proximity to, impact.

You’ll use your scientific knowledge to understand the science behind these projects and communication skills to build strong working relationships with the researchers. With your research experience you’ll develop a detailed understanding of the outputs, outcomes and impact arising from the research we funded and support our research community to accelerate their pathway to impact.

What we want from you

Your role is important to the charity, as supporting research that can ultimately deliver a tangible impact to men affected by prostate cancer is a significant focus in our charity strategy.

You’ll need to be passionate about research making an impact and hold a bio-medical science degree (or a degree in a related subject), with research experience. You can understand complex scientific information presented in reports, publications or presentations and explain these complex concepts in a simple and engaging way to a range of audiences including peers within the charity as well as men and their families affected by the disease. You’ll be motivated to consistently perform to the highest standards, with an eagerness to trial new ideas, identify new opportunities and solve problems.

In any one day you could be helping develop an impact case study for the website, interviewing researchers for project updates, supporting delivery of a research event, or using social media to disseminate the work of our funded researchers. Your primary focus will be on the impact of our funded research, but you’ll also work closely with our research funding team, as well as with other teams across the charity.

We encourage applications from candidates who may not completely fit the job description as we are fully committed to help staff develop and progress in their role.

Why work with us?

Every man needs to know about the most common cancer in men – prostate cancer. It’s a real and present danger that takes over 12,000 of our dads, grandads, brothers and friends each year.

Prostate Cancer UK is the largest men’s health charity in the UK. We have a simple ambition – to stop prostate cancer damaging lives. We invest millions in research to revolutionise testing, treatment and care. We’re blazing a trail to a screening programme that could save thousands of lives with regular, accurate tests for all men at risk. And we work tirelessly to spread the word about risk and offer specialist support to people living with the disease.

Work with us and you’ll see your efforts pay off as we give men and their families the power to navigate prostate cancer.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

At Prostate Cancer UK, we believe that equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to building a strong and innovative workplace that represents, and can advocate for, the communities we support.

It’s our ambition to become an anti-racist organisation, and our mission to advance racial equity in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

We’re continuously learning more about the needs of our colleagues, and have three amazing People Networks, sponsored by our Leadership team: Pride, Mind & Body and Multicultural.

Ways of working

Our hybrid working approach combines the best of flexible working – a positive work/life balance, inclusive and accessible platforms, and online information at our fingertips.

Next steps

More information on what we offer, as well as the role, can be found on our vacancies page. Please download our job profile document (job description) with our ‘How to apply’ section sharing the key points to refer to in your application and to apply, please visit the website via the apply button.

The closing date is Sunday 12th May 2024.  Applications must be submitted by 23:45 UK time.

Interviews: By arrangement. Currently scheduled for the week of Monday 20th May 2024.

Prostate Cancer UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1005541) and in Scotland (SC039332). Registered company number 02653887.

WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO?

We are the UK’s student mental health charity. We challenge the higher education sector, health sector, and government to work with students when making decisions that impact them, and make them accountable for prioritising student mental health. In collaboration with students, we show sector professionals what effective student mental health looks like, and bridge the gap between students and the communities around them to ensure their voices are always heard. 

By creating and curating resources, stories and tools, we empower students to build their own mental health toolkit to support themselves and their peers through university life and beyond. We want to empower and inspire students to use their voice to share their stories and advocate for themselves. 

ROLE PURPOSE
The Programme Support Officer (full-time, fixed-term contract for 18 months, with possibility to extend) will join the expanding Sector Improvement Team. They will provide vital logistical, financial and administrative support and coordination required to successfully run and deliver the University Mental Health Charter Programme and Award, achieve the Sector Improvement Team’s key objectives, and contribute to the whole charity’s mission and goals. This is an exciting opportunity to help the team scale the University Mental Health Charter, with the potential to impact 2.5 million staff and students across the UK.

From booking travel and accommodation, holding responsibility for the planning and administration of the Purchase Order sheets, to liaising with the many stakeholders involved in the assessment and programme processes, you will have an opportunity to be involved in an interesting, fast paced and exciting role.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Logistical support

• Provide effective logistical and administrative support to the Sector Improvement Programme(s), working closely with the Sector Improvement Lead and Programme Managers to ensure the successful delivery of the programmes
• Support the the planning and delivery of key Sector Improvement Programme activities including online and in-person events, handling the administrative and logistical tasks e.g. venue booking and travel arrangements
• Support the Charter Award Process by managing logistics for assessors during Award site visits and handling related bookings
• Use of our Project Management tools to set and receive work, manage deadlines and workflows alongside colleagues to complete projects and Programmes in a timely manner, ensuring high quality of work

Financial support

• Assist in onboarding the University Mental Health Charter Programme by managing administrative tasks such as purchase orders and processing documents (e.g. MOUs, new supplier forms etc.) and outstanding payments
• Administer finances for our Sector Improvement programmes; issuing purchase orders and ensuring timely payments
• Work with finance colleagues to ensure correct processes and procedures are followed accurately and compliant with finance requirements, and identify areas for process improvement
• Act as a cardholder for the team, making online purchases such as accommodation and travel bookings and following policies, procedures and guidance in the correct and responsible use of the Student Minds card

Data and process administration

• Administer data processes for the University Mental Health Charter Programme and Award process, in line with Data Protection Guidelines
• Collate and analyse evaluation data from Sector Improvement events (online and in person), generating timely reports and make recommendations for programme improvement
• Create essential documents requested by the Sector Improvement Programme team to support programme delivery and scalability
• Provide support to the Sector Improvement Team and Award Managers to enable efficient Award Assessment accreditation processes
• Maintain key working relationships with our network of Assessors and University Award Leads, addressing queries, scheduling and minuting award panels, sharing actions with the team

Working together

• Work closely with the Programme Liaison Officer to successfully deliver all aspects of the role, including managing university relationships, ensuring tasks are picked between roles and when required
• Attend programme-related meetings, and maintain communications with programme participants and key stakeholders through maintaining and use of up-to-date database(s)
• Actively participate in the testing and embedding of new digital systems to improve programme efficiency and engagement
• Stay updated on developments in Higher Education and gather insights from sector partners to feed into team decisions
• Look for opportunities to develop systems and processes to improve ways of working and participate in discussions on the Sector Improvement Team development and improvement

Other duties

• Such other duties as may be reasonably prescribed by the organisation, appropriate to the grade and responsibilities of this post
• Attend regular team meetings with the Student Minds team and colleagues throughout the year as required
• Ensure compliance with Student Minds’ internal procedures and all external legal requirements
• Undertake training and attend conferences in a support capacity when Student Minds is delivering, and attend external conferences as a delegate where required
• Engage with and provide feedback on projects and strategic reports developed by other members of the team
• Work flexibly and undertake tasks to support Student Minds colleagues as needed

BENEFITS

• Generous annual leave allowance - 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays, plus a 2-week winter closure
• Flexible working - we encourage all employees to reflect on when and where they work best and how they need to fit work around caring or other commitments.
• Wellbeing is at the heart of what we do - we support staff to implement Wellness Action Plans and offer 10% of weekly working hours for you to invest in your wellbeing.
• Access to Employee Assistance Programme - we also offer wellbeing support through an Employee Assistance Programme which provides a wide range of resources as well as confidential counselling.
• For other benefits and more information please see our website.

About the role:

Do you want to play a key role developing and delivering partnerships to support Peer Power Youth’s mission, which is “to enhance the lives of young people dealing with trauma and work with them to create positive change in services for others”? The young people we connect with at Peer Power Youth are at the heart of all we do, and we are looking for someone who shares our vision, passion and commitment to see a world where ALL young people can achieve their dreams and live their best life.

Experience – Proven track record of either corporate partnerships/CSR or major donor/philanthropy fundraising, or both. If you are a specialist at income generation in one area and would like to develop skills and experience in the other area, please do apply. You will be supported with training, mentoring and specialist contractor support to support your development.

You may be in a charity fundraiser role already, or from a different sector with transferable experience of business development or partnerships.

You will have autonomy in your role in a supportive and flexible environment, as well as having a collaborative team working with you, including the lead Co-CEO for income generation, youth engagement team managers, the Head of Communications & Marketing, a fundraising contractor (trusts and foundations) and two experienced lead Trustees for income generation and communications. See role description, person specification and application pack for more information.

Peer Power Youth has a successful track record of securing income from Trusts and Foundations and earned income through training sales, contracts and consultancy, which has enabled us to achieve individual impact for young people and tangible system change impact for thousands more children and young people.

Now is a great time to join Peer Power Youth. Last year we refreshed our brand and messaging, and we’ve started some of the groundwork needed to develop our Corporate and Major Donor income streams. We have great impact stories to share around the individual impact we have had, and the real tangible system change that has happened in youth mental health, social care and justice systems as a result of our work, that will go on to positively impact many thousands more young people! There is so much to engage potential corporate partners and donors with.

The successful candidate will have excellent commercial awareness, strong communication and inter-personal skills and a demonstrable track record in achieving income targets. A natural at developing and sustaining trusted relationships, you are excited by developing our approach, generating new brand and corporate partnerships, with creative ideas that link to our charity mission and brand.

Benefits & Culture Package

• Wellbeing and Team focussed culture, with events, socials and ‘away days’ in work time
• Diverse and Inclusive Workplace with Shared Decision Making processes eg policies, strategy, new projects and events etc
• London Fivefields office ‘perks’ – social offer across building, lunch and learns, free fruit, breakfast bar, hot drinks, etc
• A working environment that enables flexible working arrangements (hours, days, location), providing the needs of the organisation are met, including:
• A 35 hour working week (at full time) / Condensed hours/reduced working week / Hybrid working offer for relevant roles
• A generous holiday entitlement of: 25 days holiday + bank holidays + 3 discretionary days between Christmas and New Year + 2 personal days for well-being (at FTE)
• Opportunities for career progression including sabbatical leave, individual training budgets, e-learning platform, structured talent progression, reflective supervision, and appraisal.
• Generous and flexible maternity, paternity and shared leave arrangements.
• Employee Assistance Programme (counselling, advice, legal line etc)
• An 8% pension with NEST (3% employer contribution and 5% employee contribution).

Flexibility, Travel and Workspace - We know that both flexibility, relationship development and the time to really understand our work and impact is vitally important in this role. You will need to travel around London and South East for partnership meetings, team meetings and events to build relationships to generate income and support for the charity. We support a flexible approach to the times you work and where from, providing the needs of the role are met.

You can either base yourself from your home (ideally London/South east or nearby due to the nature of the role) or from our lovely new office at Fivefields, right by Victoria station or from a workspace in Worthing or Brighton.

Equal Opportunities: We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all sections of the community, especially those who are underrepresented in charities. We aim to be representative of the community we are working with. We encourage applications from people of colour, those who identify as LGBTQIA, working class as well as differently abled people, those living with mental health conditions, refugees and migrants. We welcome people from all identities who are made to feel marginalised.

Spectra is committed to improving well-being and health equality, particularly in relation to sexual health, gender identity, emotional resilience, and combating isolation. Spectra delivers supportive, knowledgeable, non-judgemental peer-based services to under-served communities, providing services such as counselling, advocacy, mentoring, outreach and groups.

As our Finance Officer, you will be experienced and confident working within a voluntary sector agency, to handle our financial administration, budget management, financial reporting and budget setting.  You will work in support of Spectra’s CEO, staff with lead budget responsibility, and in liaison with our appointed accountants.

You will be able unequivocally to respect, support, promote and work within LGBTQ+ and the other diverse communities that Spectra serve.

Job title: ​​ Chief Operating Officer

Salary: ​​​ £65,000 to £70,000 per annum depending on experience

Position:​​ Permanent

Hours:​​​ 40 hours per week

Holidays:​​ 25 days excluding Bank Holidays 

Responsible to:​ CEO 

Location: ​ 9 Kingside Business Park, Ruston Road, Woolwich, SE18 5BX

Please note this is not a hybrid role.

About First Step Trust:

First Step Trust (FST) is a registered charity providing access to work experience and employment opportunities for people (referred to as workforce) with mental health challenges, learning disabilities, a history of offending and other socio-economic disadvantages, with a key aim to provide opportunities for people who are not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).

The charity currently operates a garage and a catering business, both focused on providing real-life work experience for these learners. FST has over thirty years' experience as a provider of employability programmes and has successfully run the commercial aspects of the business, creating a solid balance sheet with healthy reserves.

In recent years, FST has been exploring new ways of helping people overcome barriers to learning including, low levels of literacy/numeracy and debilitating anxiety in formal situations e.g. exams or interviews.

Through FST's ground breaking work using Virtual Reality (VR) to upskill our workforce members and engage learners in secure mental health facilities, we have recognised the potential of assistive and emerging technologies as a real game-changer for the people we work with. The technology enables us to do things never before possible. We have, with the support of Halfords Autocentres and the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), developed an innovative programme which offers high quality training in a safe environment that does not require any written work.

This led us to identify the need for new ways of enabling and 'scaffolding' learning that will combat some of the wider psychosocial barriers including 'fear of learning', the impact of e.g. learning disabilities, Autism, negative peer pressure and reoffending behaviours. A recent Resolution Foundation report suggests that current "low rates of training among the least educated are troubling, given international evidence showing that there are higher returns to adult education for these individuals." Research suggests that AI/ machine learning could help us overcome these.

We have been supported by two Ufi VocTech Trust grants to deliver VR supported training to these communities of learners furthest away from learning and work. The route to market for our products is into the automotive industry directly, but is also being commissioned by NHS and criminal justice/mental health services as a way to introduce those in secure environments to potential future work opportunities.

These digital developments form part of the charity's strategy for embracing digital innovation to better serve our client base and grow the market we are able to serve beyond those in our local areas.

About the role: 

As the COO, you will support the CEO in executing their strategic plans and directives, while overseeing the efficacy of the organisation’s strategy and implementing changes needed for the growth and development of the organisation. Ultimately your purpose is to support the continued success and growth of the organisation through good management, communication and relationship-building, without compromising on our commitment to working with people who use our service as colleagues..

About you: 

You will be a senior manager who has energy and drive as well as sound judgement. On top of a strong track record in an operational position, you will have the breadth of experience to oversee our operations strategy and systems, commercial activity, budget management, monitoring and evaluation and fundraising. You will have a proven track record of success in senior-level general or commercial management.  You will be a clear, analytical thinker who will strengthen the leadership of our charity. You will be an excellent manager of people, able to support people with varying skills and abilities, who may come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Key objectives for this role:

Ensure the smooth running of all First Step Trust’s core operations including our commercial activities, people, budgetary control, fundraising, HR, office, facilities and IT.

Work closely with our CEO and Board of Trustees to lead on developing First Step Trust’s next 3-year business plan.

Key responsibilities:

Direct line management of operations staff.

Directing and controlling the work and resources of the organisation ensuring that it achieves its mission and objectives.

Oversee and develop systems for our volunteers’ development and training.

Lead on all aspects of budget management.

Oversee production of the annual report.

Develop our fundraising strategy, working with our CEO. Pursue new sources of funding to support existing operations and new work.

Lead on funder and grant management.

Develop a building and facilities improvement plan including fabric of the building, equipment and IT. 

Person specification:

Experience and skills (Essential)

Senior level operational management experience

Experience of developing strategy and business plans

Track record of line managing staff (and volunteer) and teams. 

Strong budget management expertise.

Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with the ability to define the problem, assess options, recommend solutions and drive to a decision.

Excellent communications skills, including the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of people at all levels.

Expertise in charity regulatory matters and compliance

Knowledge of data protection including GDPR

Good working knowledge of safeguarding requirements 

Experience and skills (desirable)

Experience of IT infrastructure

Experience of fundraising and funder management

Experience working in the charity and not-for-profit sector

Experience working with vulnerable and disadvantaged people