Student Insight Researcher Jobs in City Of London, Greater London
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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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 Liaison Officer (full-time, fixed-term contract for 18 months, with possibility to extend) will join the expanding Sector Improvement Team. They will provide vital administration, communication and digital liaison and support 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.
This role will include responding to queries, liaising with assessors, universities and general enquiries. The post holder will be responsible for working with the team to develop and monitor our HUB and digital platforms, for developing regular newsletters and working with colleagues to liaise with the many stakeholders involved in the assessment and programme processes.
Key responsibilities
Liaison support
- Provide effective liaison and administrative support to the Sector Improvement Programme(s), working closely with the Sector Improvement Lead and Programme Managers to ensure thesuccessful delivery of the programmes
- Support the planning and delivery of key Sector Improvement Programme activities such as the Winter Panel and the recruitment of the Award Assessors, CPD training and responding togeneral enquiries
- Act as the first point of contact for key stakeholders’ inquiries through the Charter Inbox and Student Minds’ Hub
Digital and resources support
- Utilise project management tools to manage work, deadlines and workflows alongside relevant colleagues to ensure timely and quality programme delivery
- Support the development of resources and documents for the charter, including newsletters, HUB announcements, Charter Handbook etc.
- Work closely with the Comms and Digital Team internally to develop and communicate clear timelines and resources needed throughout the year
- Support the annual onboarding of the Charter Programme, supporting the administrative tasks for the process, including some financial support. Lead on bringing together and distributing key documents such as welcome packs, Charter Framework documents etc.
- Support the coordinator (Programme and HUB) to onboard universities and Assessors to the HUB, and develop and grow the platform for members
- Update and oversee the Sector Improvement annual calendar of events and key activities/deliverables and share with the wider Student Minds team, identifying where dates may need to be moved
- Actively participate in the testing and embedding of new digital systems being led by the Digital
- Product Manager to increase efficiency and engagement for the Sector Improvement Programme and organisation as a whole for example collating product requirements
Financial support
- Work with the Programme Support Officer and finance colleagues to ensure correct processes and procedures are followed accurately and compliant with finance requirements
- Act as a secondary card holder 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 princesses for the University Mental Health Charter Programme and Award process, in line with Data Protection Guidelines
- Collate evaluation data from Sector Improvement events (online and in person)
- Create essential documents requested by the Sector Improvement Programme team, to support programme delivery and scalability
- Use our database(s) to manage relationships and communications with programme participants and key stakeholders, ensuring it is always up-to-date
- Support 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 Support Officer to successfully deliver all aspects of the role, including managing the relationships with universities and logistical aspects (e.g. bookings, finances), ensuring tasks are picked between roles and when required
- Work closely with colleagues in the Student Space team and Training teams to embed cross- programme working within Student Minds.
- Attend various programme-related meetings, actively contributing ideas to continually develop our Programmes
- 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
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.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Head of Research Interpretation
Permanent
Salary: £50,000 - £55,000 per annum, plus benefits
London N1
Full time – 37.5 hours a week
We’re a hybrid working employer, meaning you’re required to come into the office 2 days per week, currently Tuesday and Wednesday or Thursday
Closing date: 5pm, 2nd May 2024
Interviews: 13th and 14th May 2024
Second interviews: w/c 20th May 2024
An exciting opportunity to work on WCRF International’s Global Cancer Update Programme
World Cancer Research Fund International (WCRFI) leads and unifies a network of cancer prevention charities based in Europe and the Americas. Our shared vision is a world where no one develops a preventable cancer.
WCRFI is responsible for the Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global) which is our global cancer prevention and survival programme focussing on the links between diet, nutrition, physical activity and cancer. Forming the cornerstone of all our work, the project is the only authoritative scientific resource of its kind in the world.
We are seeking a Head of Research Interpretation who will be responsible for managing the delivery of CUP Global. You will chair the CUP Global Secretariat and also provide support to the Assistant Director of Research and Policy and the Director of Research, Policy and Innovation in the oversight and strategic direction of the programme of work. You will also contribute to other projects such as ensuring that the WCRF network has the latest global cancer statistics, including new estimates of the preventability of cancer.
You will be educated to PhD level, with ideally at least 2 years postdoctoral experience in a research environment, in a relevant area (e.g. nutrition, cancer, epidemiology, public health). You will have a good understanding of public health and epidemiology, nutrition and/or cancer and have experience of conducting and/or interpreting systematic reviews. You will have strong people management skills, with direct line management experience.
Application Details:
If you are interested in this role and feel you possess the necessary requirements, please submit a current CV and covering letter (maximum 2 pages) by the closing date. You must have current right to work in the UK.
Please note: Your cover letter should highlight how your skills and experience will benefit WCRF International and equip you for the role, using specific examples to illustrate how you meet the job and person specifications.
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are only able to provide feedback to shortlisted candidates. If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.
WCRF is a UK cancer prevention charity. We look at how diet, weight and physical activity affect the risk of developing and surviving cancer.
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
As our Executive Assistant (Maternity Cover, 0.8 FTE, Fixed term for 12 months), you will play a crucial role in developing and supporting our charity and strengthening our administration and governance. You will be providing flexible assistance primarily to our CEO, in the planning and delivery of their workload. You will also provide administrative support to the Senior Leadership Team, Trustee Board and other structured groups which shape the charity’s strategy and activities, for example our Clinical Advisory Group. As such, you will have the opportunity to work with the entire Student Minds team and a variety of stakeholders across the health and higher education sectors.
Key responsibilities:
Chief Executive Officer assistance
- Email and calendar management: helping to prioritise demands, responding to correspondence on behalf of the CEO and following up with contacts post-meetings.
- Arrange meetings and itineraries and coordinate travel as required.
- Stakeholder management support: utilising CRM to maintain updated databases for organisational contacts; support with the completion of contracts and registering purchase orders with suppliers,where the CEO is the lead contact.
Meeting management
- Plan and coordinate relevant meetings to ensure they are purposeful and relevant. These will include Board meetings, Senior Leadership Team Meetings, Leadership Group meetings and any other general committee meetings.
- Provide logistical and administrative support for all meetings, arranging suitable meeting premises or software, preparing and circulating agendas and meeting papers in consultation with the relevant participants (e.g. Chair of the Board, CEO and Senior Leadership Team).
- Coordinate catering requirements and liaise with the finance team to make purchases.
- Take high-quality and accurate meeting minutes and circulate them for appropriate approval and sign-off.
- Ensure prompt follow-up with agreed action points and follow through with ongoing delivery of commitments.
Governance support
- Provide administrative support where applicable to meet the charity’s requirements with
- Companies House and the Charity Commission.
- Support with Trustee recruitment, induction and training.
- Support the charity’s continuous improvement and compliance using tools such as the Governance
- Code.
Senior Leadership Team coordination
- Support with coordinating multi-stakeholder meetings, and liaising with internal and external stakeholders.
- Support members of the Senior Leadership Team or their guests with the use of our core systems and software (Google Workspace, Google Meet, Slack, Mural, Zoom).
- Process any travel expenses for the Senior Leadership Team.
- Manage charity records: provide historical reference by supporting procedures for the retention and disposal of records.
- Welcome guests and provide tours of facilities or support guests to use online meeting software where required.
Other duties
- Such other duties as may be reasonably prescribed by the organisation, appropriate to the grade and responsibilities of this post.
- Provide cover for other team members as necessary to ensure seamless operations and support across the organisation.
- Work to agreed charity and personal targets.
- Attend regular team meetings with Student Minds colleagues.
- Ensure compliance with Student Minds’ internal procedures and all external legal requirements.
- Ensure equality and inclusion responsibilities for your area of work.
- Undertake training and attend conferences as appropriate.
- 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 required.
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.
About TASO
The Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) is an affiliate What Works Centre, and part of the UK Government’s What Works Movement. Our vision is to eliminate equality gaps in higher education (HE). Our mission is to improve lives through evidence-informed practice.
TASO was set up in 2019 and became an independent charity in April 2021. Our work focuses on the generation, synthesis and dissemination of high-quality evidence about effective practice in widening participation and student outcomes. We primarily focus on developing and disseminating causal evidence.
The Role
The Head of Communications and Engagement will lead TASO’s communications and engagement work plan to raise the profile of the organisation. They will also lead on TASO’s evidence mobilisation work plan, working with the Chief Executive, to ensure TASO’s research and evaluation outputs are effectively disseminated.
This will involve ensuring a strategic approach to all communications activities, leading on the delivery of external-facing materials and publications, overseeing a vibrant social media presence and events programme. The role will have overall responsibility for a website redevelopment project over the next year.
-
Ensure a strategic and effective approach to communications, dissemination and stakeholder engagement.
-
Lead on the design, branding and dissemination of innovative and engaging communications – both print and online, including oversight of the editorial and publication process for all TASO research reports and resources.
-
Lead on TASO’s evidence mobilisation plan, working with the Chief Executive and Research and Evaluation Team to ensure research outputs are effectively disseminated and achieve impact.
-
Support the Chief Executive on delivering TASO’s policy aims. Lead on engagement with and monitoring of Westminster activities (e.g. select committees, reports, consultations) and liaise with key communications and policy stakeholders in the Department for Education, Office for Students and other relevant bodies.
-
Take overall responsibility for TASO’s online and social media presence. This will involve overseeing a critical website redevelopment project over the next year and also includes oversight of the creation, upkeep and management of digital channels and content.
-
Lead on TASO’s media relations, producing high quality press releases and news stories for the website, liaising with journalists, as appropriate.
-
Lead on the delivery of a programme of stakeholder engagement events for a wide range of audiences. The events will range from small training sessions to larger events including publication launches and an annual conference.
-
Provide line management for communications staff who will support all activities – including two direct reports and overseeing a team of three.
-
Undertake projects and duties as required or requested by the Chief Executive or broader team.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Reports to: Director of Research, Impact and Influence
Start date: ASAP
Location: London or Flexible Working (remote with weekly travel to London)
Contract: FT or 0.8FTE, Permanent
Salary: £50-57k per annum, skills and experience dependent (+6% employer pension contribution and sector-leading parental leave policy shared with all applicants)
Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 28th April 23:59
Person Specification
The Difference is looking for someone who can lead the team’s impact function as the charity goes through a really exciting period of growth and development. You will refine our monitoring and evaluation work in order to drive continuous improvement across the charity, and to shape future programme design. You’ll feed into the development of new tools for use by schools to better understand and respond to their own inclusion data. You’ll also play a key role in helping The Difference and its partner schools to understand the mechanisms for change in our programmes, and identify what supports and hinders change. Our programmes work with schools as they become more inclusive, support all of their students to succeed, and reduce the amount of learning lost to exclusions and absence.
You will have real ownership over your area of work, be happiest in a flexible and ambitious environment, and enjoy testing out new ideas. You will have experience in working on programme evaluation, impact measurement or applied research, and will combine strong data and project-management skills.
Essential knowledge, experience and skills
-
Experience of designing and carrying out both formative and summative evaluation understanding how to appropriately design, collect and analyse quantitative and qualitative data.
-
Organisation & project management skills, demonstrable through past work whether this was delivering a project independently or coordinating a team. You feel confident planning multiple workstreams, working to timelines and juggling deadlines.
-
Strategic communication – Confident in organising ideas and information to highlight the more salient and strategically significant elements, with internal and external audiences. Experienced in communicating with stakeholders from different backgrounds, from CEOs to service-users or young people.
-
Experience in contributing to organisational change processes - working with senior leadership to utilise insights from programme evaluation to support the evolution of programme design and using evaluation to identify areas for continuous improvement.
-
Values – A career (or voluntary experiences) which evidence shared values with The Difference - see these values below - plus a personal commitment to our mission to improve life outcomes for vulnerable young people.
-
Self-directed – Evidenced capacity to take high levels of ownership in your work and over your own development, proactively diagnosing skills and information gaps, and making use of others’ expertise.
-
Agile & solutions-focused – Ability to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment, comfortable with making decisions in ambiguous contexts and casting a critical eye on systems, processes and practice.
Desired knowledge, experience and skills
-
Knowledge of the education sector and school data systems.
-
Experience in the start-up or small charity sector. An ability to thrive in the flexible, fast-paced and sometimes ambiguous context of start-up.
-
Quantitative data analysis skills. Experience using software to analyse large datasets (e.g. R, SPSS, Stata), and ability to interpret results, plus confidence in using Excel and other programmes to present this.
-
Insight through work or life into school experiences of over-excluded young people, including young people with experience of the care system, of mental ill health, of special educational needs, or racism.
Why Work for The Difference?
Schooling isn’t working for the children who need it most. Every week in England 109 children – equivalent to three full classrooms – are permanently excluded. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Since the pandemic, school suspensions have risen significantly, as has persistent absenteeism. 1 in 5 children are missing more than 10% of their time in school. Children who are excluded or persistently absent are much more likely to already be experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage. They are more likely to live in poverty, have additional learning needs, suffer mental health challenges, or experience a lack of safety outside school. Certain ethnicities are also disproportionately affected, notably Gypsy Roma Traveller and black Caribbean children.
Exclusion and high rates of absence can have a dramatic effect on life chances. These young people are more likely to drop out of education or employment, become vulnerable to long-term mental ill health, or be at risk of criminal exploitation. The Difference believes that children and young people deserve better and that the education system has to change.
Our Organisation
The Difference is a young education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. By 2030, we want rates of exclusion and absence to be falling nationally and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, including those who may be vulnerable.
The Difference was born out of a year of research into school exclusions with think-tank IPPR. This research identified a lack of inclusion expertise in schools and proposed a new leadership development programme to fill this gap. In 2018, Difference founder Kiran hired the team who took this idea from concept to reality, beginning work with our first schools.
The Difference is now a 22-strong team delivering multiple school leadership programmes, alongside a growing research and policy arm. The team is supported by our Youth Advisory Board, made up of young people who have experienced exclusion and who provide their expertise and insights on how school inclusion work should be done. This work is needed more than ever. Effects of COVID-19, coupled with the spiralling cost of living, have substantially increased levels of vulnerability. Schools serving excluded pupils face under-funding. The Difference has had excellent early impact but there is work ahead to capture this, share learning with schools and policy-makers, and grow our capacity to lower exclusions across England.
The Task Ahead: Head of Impact
In 2022, The Difference established a Research, Impact and Influencing Directorate, indicating the growing importance of this work to our mission. We’re doing more to understand (and evidence) how school leaders who take part in our programmes are driving impactful inclusion in their schools. And we intend to use this to have a national impact on how schools are measured and driven to put pupil wellbeing, safety and belonging at the heart of their work. Improving our understanding of the impact of inclusion is key to successfully changing the story for students currently struggling in schools.
Key Tasks for this role include:
-
Strengthen our monitoring, evaluation and impact systems: using methods that are both qualitative (interviews, case-studies, roundtables) and quantitative (staff and student surveys, school data tracking), and collating and analysing the data collected to diagnose successes, challenges and opportunities within our work streams.
-
Act as an internal consultant with the team: bringing stakeholder feedback together in clear presentations for other staff members and acting as a “critical friend” during delivery and strategy planning. Identify insights that point to continuous improvement of our programmes and work with Programme Team to utilise insights.
-
Develop our qualitative framework to better track and measure whole-school inclusion. This framework will aim not just to support improved work for children in our schools, but to define what good looks like in the sector.
-
Progress our ambition to make inclusion more tangibly measurable: plan user-research with school partners to identify inclusion data needs and use these findings to develop impact tools that collate exclusion, attendance and demographic data. Work with others in the sector using innovative methods to measure inclusion through national datasets.
-
Expand our work on measuring school inclusion through student experience of safety, wellbeing and belonging. Grow the reach of our current survey tools and collaborating with others in the sector doing innovative work on student voice and inclusion.
Our Values
-
High Expectations - We are ambitious for excellence from young people, colleagues and ourselves. We don’t believe in writing off someone’s potential because of their identity or experience of crisis.
-
Strong Relationships - We prioritise genuine relationships over transactional interactions, and know that this requires deliberate relational practice. We see colleagues and partners as people first and their roles second; and know this greater trust allows us to take more risks, gain more feedback and have greater impact.
-
Internalised Locus of Control - We work hard to reframe difficult situations to discover what we have within our power in terms of solutions. We take it upon ourselves to walk towards challenges and can take a high level of ownership and agency in our work.
-
Pragmatism - We believe leadership means recognising current limitations and striving for improvements within and beyond them. We develop consensus and chart new ways forward, challenging false and extreme positions like “zero exclusions” or “no excuses”.
-
Scientific approach - We take a diagnostic approach to unpicking causes of problems. We are loud and proud of our failures, recognising failing fast and often is key to finding the best solutions. We test solutions and are willing to use data and feedback to make adjustments and choose new directions.
-
Not Squeamish about Structural Inequality - We believe patterns of inequality can and should be disrupted. We strive to be clear-eyed about these inequalities, and both the individual practice and system-changes required to address them. We push ourselves to overcome awkwardness in talking about this; and begin by acknowledging our own biases and blind spots.
-
Asset-based - We work hard to avoid deficit thinking and aim to start with what’s strong, not what’s wrong. We are careful not to frame our colleagues and stakeholders - particularly young people and families – as victims but instead to recognise their agency.
-
Wise selves - To both enjoy work and do their best, we want to make decisions and work with others in our “wise” - or regulated - selves. We also want to bring our compassionate self to those we work with, externally and internally, to support one another through challenging times.
How To Apply
To apply, please complete all sections of the application form by midnight on Sunday 28th April.
First round interviews will be held during the week beginning 13th May, over video call.
Please indicate if you would not be available to attend an interview during this week.
If successful in this stage, second round interviews (including a task to be completed the same day) will take place on the week beginning 20th May, at our office in Bethnal Green.
We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups in the charity sector such as people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the care system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.
As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names and any protected characteristics redacted.
Please note that we're not able to sponsor work visas for this role and can only move forward with candidates who are eligible to work in the UK.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Reports to: Head of Inclusive Leadership Course
Start date: ASAP or mid-August 2024
Location: London / Hybrid - minimum 3 days per week in office (The Difference’s office in Bethnal Green). Willingness to travel for programme delivery across the North East, North West, and the Midlands 3 days per half term.
Contract: Permanent, full time/flexible working considered
Salary: £55k - £65k per annum (+6% employer pension contribution and sector-leading parental leave policy shared with all applicants)
Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 21st April 23:59
Person Specification
The Difference is seeking an outstanding school leader to take on the role of Programme Lead through an exciting period of growth and development, with a particular focus on developing our People and Practice work. The successful candidate will be instrumental in the delivery of our various programmes, actively engaging in their implementation and with valuable insights for continuous improvement. This role offers a distinct chance to make a significant impact on The Difference's overarching strategic goals. As the Programme Lead, you'll have the opportunity to shape our programmes, ensuring they align with our mission and vision. Your contributions will not only drive tangible outcomes but will also shape the future direction of our organisation. You will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the outcomes for children who experience vulnerability and disadvantage by working closely with school leaders to develop school practice and systems.
You will have real ownership over your area of work, be happiest in a flexible and ambitious environment, and enjoy testing out new ideas. You will have experience in professional development design, delivery, project management and supporting school staff and leaders through professional coaching .
Essential knowledge, experience and skills
-
Demonstrated Alignment with The Difference’s values: a history of actions and decisions that align with The Difference's values, showcasing a personal commitment to the mission of improving life outcomes for vulnerable children.
-
Credibility as a proven school leader of inclusion: as a Trust middle leader, Headteacher, Deputy or Assistant Headteacher in a Primary or Secondary setting in contexts of high disadvantage and vulnerability.
-
A record of impact for children experiencing vulnerability: including designing and delivering work that led to reduced harmful behaviours, repeat suspension or persistent absence.
-
A record of empowering work with children and families.
-
Evidence of designing and delivering impactful professional development: high quality learning sessions, fostering sustained staff development and contributing to a culture of continuous learning.
-
Understanding of Relational Practice within Education: A track record of utilising or implementing practice aligned with the relational approaches to deliver improved student outcomes.
-
Aiming high and holding people accountable through visionary leadership: Ability to articulate an ambitious vision, inspiring and motivating others to meet high standards. A proven ability to hold individuals accountable for their contributions.
-
Flexibility and a willingness to travel: including overnight stays, particularly within London,and across the North East, North West, and the Midlands. A likely travel pattern of 2-3 days travel per fortnight.
Desired knowledge, experience and skills
-
Stakeholder management & relationship-building: proven experience in managing relationships with various stakeholders, including navigating HR processes and demonstrating effective stakeholder engagement skills. Experience of sales and a business to business sales process would be advantageous.
-
Adaptability: track record of prioritising and creating clarity in ambiguous, challenging, or fast-paced situations. Experience in working directly with colleagues, implementing strategies such as coaching and structured reflection to establish clear and effective plans.
-
Research Engagement: engagement with research and evidence-based strategies for school improvement. Demonstrable quantifiable impact using evidence-informed approaches.
-
Contextual Awareness: varied experience in different schools, showcasing an understanding of how contextual factors impact schools and teachers, and an awareness of the wider educational landscape.
-
Teaching Qualification: possession of Qualified Teacher Status, demonstrating the foundational qualification for the role.
Why Work for The Difference?
Schooling isn’t working for the children who need it most. Every week in England 109 children – equivalent to three full classrooms – are permanently excluded. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Since the pandemic, school suspensions have risen significantly, as has persistent absenteeism. 1 in 5 children are missing more than 10% of their time in school. Children who are excluded or persistently absent are much more likely to already be experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage. They are more likely to live in poverty, have additional learning needs, suffer mental health challenges, or experience a lack of safety outside school. Certain ethnicities are also disproportionately affected, notably Gypsy Roma Traveller and black Caribbean children.
Exclusion and high rates of absence can have a dramatic effect on life chances. These young people are more likely to drop out of education or employment, become vulnerable to long-term mental ill health, or be at risk of criminal exploitation. The Difference believes that children and young people deserve better and that the education system has to change.
Our Organisation
The Difference is a young education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. By 2030, we want rates of exclusion and absence to be falling nationally and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, including those who may be vulnerable. The Difference was born out of a year of research into school exclusions with think-tank IPPR. This research identified a lack of inclusion expertise in schools and proposed a new leadership development programme to fill this gap. In 2018, Difference founder Kiran hired the team who took this idea from concept to reality, beginning work with our first schools.
The Difference is now a 22-strong team delivering multiple school leadership programmes, alongside a growing research and policy arm. The team is supported by our Youth Advisory Board, made up of young people who have experienced exclusion and who provide their expertise and insights on how school inclusion work should be done. This work is needed more than ever. Effects of COVID-19, coupled with the spiralling cost of living, have substantially increased levels of vulnerability. Schools serving excluded pupils face under-funding. The Difference has had excellent early impact but there is work ahead to scale this impact through our programmes, share learning with schools and policy-makers, and grow our capacity to lower exclusions across England.
The Task Ahead: Programme Lead
In 2019 The Difference launched our programmes working with 22 school leaders in London. Since then we have worked with 447 school leaders nationally. We want to continue to scale our programmes and reach more school leaders to help shape their schools practice and systems to improve pupil wellbeing, safety and belonging. We intend to further develop our programmes to improve inclusion in schools and successfully change the story for students currently struggling in school.
Key tasks for this role include:
-
Deliver The Difference’s Inclusive Leadership Course to senior leaders from a range of school settings. This takes place in venues across the country including but not limited to London, the North East, North West, and the Midlands. Confidence and passion to deliver the course to the high standards required.
-
In-school support for The DIfference’s School Partnership (DSP). Delivering across a variety of schools including mainstream secondary, mainstream primary and Alternative Provision settings. Supporting the implementation of key themes and content from The Difference’s Inclusive Leadership Course.
-
Working closely with The Differences Research, Impact & Influencing team to capture case studies, research and impact metrics that demonstrate the impact of the Difference’s programmatic work.
-
Input to the evolution and development of the Difference’s programmatic offer using insight from delivery and feedback from programme participants
-
Working closely with the The Difference’s Partnership and Sales team to support the reach and impact of the programmatic work.
Our Values
-
High Expectations - We are ambitious for excellence from young people, colleagues and ourselves. We don’t believe in writing off someone’s potential because of their identity or experience of crisis.
-
Strong Relationships - We prioritise genuine relationships over transactional interactions, and know that this requires deliberate relational practice. We see colleagues and partners as people first and their roles second; and know this greater trust allows us to take more risks, gain more feedback and have greater impact.
-
Internalised Locus of Control - We work hard to reframe difficult situations to discover what we have within our power in terms of solutions. We take it upon ourselves to walk towards challenges and can take a high level of ownership and agency in our work/
-
Pragmatism - We believe leadership means recognising current limitations and striving for improvements within and beyond them. We develop consensus and chart new ways forward, challenging false and extreme positions like “zero exclusions” or “no excuses”.
-
Scientific approach - We take a diagnostic approach to unpicking causes of problems. We are loud and proud of our failures, recognising failing fast and often is key to finding the best solutions. We test solutions and are willing to use data and feedback to make adjustments and choose new directions.
-
Not Squeamish about Structural Inequality - We believe patterns of inequality can and should be disrupted. We strive to be clear-eyed about these inequalities, and both the individual practice and system-changes required to address them. We push ourselves to overcome awkwardness in talking about this; and begin by acknowledging our own biases and blind spots.
-
Asset-based - We work hard to avoid deficit thinking and aim to start with what’s strong, not what’s wrong. We are careful not to frame our colleagues and stakeholders - particularly young people and families – as victims but instead to recognise their agency.
-
Wise selves - To both enjoy work and do their best, we want to make decisions and work with others in our “wise” - or regulated - selves. We also want to bring our compassionate self to those we work with, externally and internally, to support one another through challenging times.
How To Apply
To apply, please complete all sections of the application form by midnight on Sunday 21st April.
First round interviews will be held during the week beginning 6th May, over video call. Please indicate if you would not be available to attend an interview during this week.
If successful in this stage, second round interviews (including a task to be completed the same day) will take place on the week beginning 13th May, at our office in Bethnal Green.
We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups in the charity sector such as people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the care system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.
Please note that we're not able to sponsor work visas for this role and can only move forward with candidates who are eligible to work in the UK.
As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names and any protected characteristics redacted.
Recommended Reading
If you’d like to understand more about The Difference and what we are trying to achieve, we would recommend the following:
-
The research which underpins our organisation.
Our latest Impact Report, sharing our work in 2023
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Strategic Communications Manager (Campaigns)
£56,401 per annum
Full time, 35 hours per week
Permanent contract
London based contract with the option of hybrid working in the office and from home*.
Too many people miss out on the essential rehabilitation they need after major events like strokes and heart attacks or to manage a condition such as arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
You might be one of those people.
One in four people in the UK now live with a long-term health condition, so the chances are you at least know someone whose quality of life could be improved through better care outside of hospital.
We are working tirelessly to deliver change – and now we need your help to make it happen.
About the role:
In this role, you will plan and manage the coordination, delivery, quality control and evaluation of assigned communication campaigns (initially focusing on our rehabilitation and exercise workstreams) and other communications projects as required.
You will advise directors, assistant directors and workstream leads on how communications can help achieve their strategic goals. Additionally, you will work closely with comms and policy colleagues in-house to deliver plans.
Please review the job description below for full details.
About you:
We’re seeking a talented Strategic Communications Manager to work in a high profile area.
You need to be a problem-solver, able to create a plan with tactics to target different audiences and political influencers. You also need to be creative and capable of writing and producing high quality content.
You should have an excitement for communicating using digital platforms, but have a sound grounding across other disciplines to work with our talented teams throughout the organisation.
With extensive experience of successfully managing a significant health or social care campaign or similar type of experience, you will have in-depth knowledge of how to use digital and non-digital campaigns to influence behaviour and effect policy changes.
You will be able to work collaboratively across the organisation, offering support to colleagues and the accountable Assistant Director to enable them to use qualitative and quantitative data to gain insight into the audience.
Finally, you will have the courage to take risks, follow through on what you say you will deliver, be open to learning and looking for an organisation with a culture where all of that is encouraged.
Click on "Apply via website" to view a copy of the job description and person specification.
Want to find out more? We will be holding an open webinar on Friday 19 April at 12:00pm, where we hope you can join us to hear more about the role, and to enable you to ask any questions. Please contact Tina Suttle-Smith via our London Office to request a link to join. Please note, you do not need to attend the webinar to apply for this position.
For an informal discussion about the role with Sara Hazzard, Assistant Director Strategic Communications and Co-Chair Community Rehabilitation Alliance, please contact Tina Suttle-Smith at our London office.
Why work for the CSP?
The CSP is the professional, educational and trade union body for the UK's 65,000 chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and support workers; and one of the largest representative bodies in healthcare.
At the CSP, our goal is to create a culture characterised by innovation, respect, encouragement, passion and teamwork. We all strive for continuous improvement and to be the best at everything we do. We aspire to work in a way that embodies our values of learning, courage, inclusive and integrity. Our shared values are part of our organisational DNA, reflecting the expectations we have of ourselves and others. They guide what we do and how we do it, to have the greatest impact for our members. Please click here for further information.
We offer an excellent benefits package, including 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, Christmas office closure between 25 December to 01 January and generous pension scheme with 12% employer contribution.
*The CSP operates hybrid working where employees can work between their home and the office. Through discussions with line managers, the CSP encourages employees to decide how, when and where they work best in a way that balances the needs of the CSP, the team and themselves. Employees are still expected to attend the office for in person meetings when required for their role and the organisation. Homeworking is subject to meeting homeworking assessment requirements, which includes a minimum broadband speed of 18Mbps and a dedicated space to work from.
To enable our employees to balance their individual, family and work-life, we would be happy to discuss flexible working arrangements with shortlisted candidates (subject to business needs).
To apply for the role please click on the ‘Apply online’ tab below and complete the online application form. CVs will not be accepted.
Closing date: 10am, Thursday 25 April 2024
Interview date: 09 May 2024 (In person at the CSP London office)
If you require any adjustments during the application stage, please contact our Human Resources team.
The CSP is committed to equity of opportunity, and we aim to provide a working and learning environment which is free from discrimination. We are taking appropriate steps to create a workforce that reflects the diverse society we work and live in and therefore positively encourage candidates from all sections of the community to apply. To see our Equity, Diversity and Belonging strategy please visit our website.
No Agencies
Home-Start Barnet is seeking an experienced manager to lead its Family Services Team, so we can support more families with young children through their toughest times.
As Head of Family Services, you will be responsible for managing the delivery of Home-Start Barnet's family support services across Barnet, Brent and Harrow, through one-to-one support by volunteers, family support coordinators and groups. You will manage your team to maintain high standards in recruitment, training and supervision of volunteers, overseeing referrals and caseloads and maximising Home-Start’s impact and reach to local families facing difficulties.
You will work closely with the Chief Executive to develop and evolve Home-Start’s services in response to changing needs, informing the strategy for our family support and the development of specialist provision and training. This is the perfect opportunity to lead a team and make a meaningful difference for local families. Our ideal candidate will:
· Be an excellent team leader and demonstrate great people management skills
· Have an inclusive and enabling approach to managing and developing high performing teams
· Have high level safeguarding experience
· Have a strong understanding of the needs of families with young children
· Have significant experience working in family support roles or within children's services
· Have experience of being or working with volunteers
· Be able to work collaboratively and build strong networks within the local community
We believe that diversity in the workplace enables us to create a relevant, innovative and effective organisation. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from candidates with diverse life experiences. We are committed to recruitment that is fair and free from bias.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.