Oxford Students’ Union – Vacancy for External Trustee

Oxford SU is looking for a talented, committed and passionate finance professional to join our Board of Trustees as External Trustee. We need someone with the skills and experience that will help the organisation continue to grow and develop, and ultimately ensure we are best placed to improve the experience of current and future students at the University of Oxford.

Oxford SU is an organisation led by and run for students. We pride ourselves on ensuring our student members are at the heart of everything that we do and are looking for candidates who share this ethos.

Commitment Required

Attendance: Ability to attend and contribute to Board meetings which are held in Oxford. There are usually three or four each year, often with one being extended to include a team building element. Trustees will also be expected to contribute to committees, working groups, and email and other discussions outside of formal meetings. Trustees will also be expected to engage with one of the Sub Committees, in this case Finance and Risk, which meets usually three times a year.

In the current climate, it is worth noting that our meetings are taking place remotely for the time being.

Terms of Office: We are recruiting one external trustee to begin serving of the Board from May 2020. The period of office will be for negotiation with a maximum of four years. There is the possibility of a second term of up to four years (subject to re-election).

Training: We utilise support from existing trustees, the National Union of Students (NUS), the Charities Commission and other Students’ Unions to ensure trustees are fully informed of their responsibilities. External trustees also provide an important role in supporting our incoming sabbatical and student trustees, who change annually.

Reward

The role is a voluntary one, however we will provide the support you need to be an effective trustee including an induction and opportunities to attend external training. We hope that trustees will regard the role as an excellent opportunity to develop their own skills and experiences, as well as the reward inherent in knowing you are helping the Students’ Union in its work to improve the experience of the 22,000+ students we represent.

All reasonable expenses such as travel to board meetings will be reimbursed.

RECRUITMENT CRITERIA

Essential

- An interest in the work of Students’ Unions / Higher Education and understanding of the context of HE

- Good communication and interpersonal skills

- Independent, effective and objective judgement

- Ability to work effectively as a member of a team

- A professional working manner

- Ability to adapt to the dynamic needs of a student-led organisation

- Understanding of liberation issues and commitment to equality and diversity

- A commitment to act in accordance with the Nolan principles for ethical conduct of public service

- An understanding of the role of a Board of Trustees for a charity and acceptance of the responsibilities and liabilities

- Commitment to Oxford SU and its core values

Desirable

- An understanding of the University of Oxford

- An understanding of Students’ Unions / Oxford SU

- Experience in supporting the strategic development of an organisation

- Experience of working in a leadership or governance role (through work or voluntary experience)

- Experience in managing change

Specific Criteria

Candidates should be able to demonstrate that they can contribute:

o professional background in finance, from practice or commerce, with strong business skills

In addition, it would be desirable if candidates can demonstrate

o Commercial expertise;

o Skills in organisation building and change management.

o Experience of policy development

Oxford SU is committed to equality of opportunity for all. We welcome applications from individuals regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender or disability status. We want to create a diverse and inclusive Board and are actively looking for people who share our approach.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Please send your CV and a cover letting telling us why you want to be a trustee at Oxford SU in confidence 

Further Information and Questions

For an informal conversation, further information or any questions about this opportunity, please contact Anisha Farouk President  or Jacqui Clements, Interim Chief Executive 

Process

The appointment process is handled by the Nominations Committee – a subcommittee of the Board. The committee delegates to an interview panel who will conduct the shortlisting exercise based on your Application . If you are selected for interview you will be contacted to advise you of the date and time of the interview and the process thereafter. Candidates will be given a tour of the SU as part of their interview process.

References

We do ask External Trustees to provide details of two referees. We will not contact your referees until after the shortlisting process.

The Closing Date is Midday on 20th April 2020

Interviews will take place on 27th April 2020 - in the current circumstances it is likely that these will be conducted remotely.

Able Child Africa is seeking a Consultant to deliver advanced MEL training to its Programmes Team.

Able Child Africa is a UK based INGO working with and alongside partner organisations in Africa to achieve equal rights for children and young people with disabilities. We are the leading UK NGO working exclusively with and for children with disabilities in Africa, who are some of the most vulnerable children in the world.
This document outlines the Terms of Reference (ToR) for consultancy work required to design and deliver a two-day advanced monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) training for the Able Child Africa Programmes Team.

Background
The Able Child Africa Programmes Team has a wealth of experience in programme/project design, delivery and evaluation. As a small agile team, the team works across the whole project lifecycle. As such, all members are heavily involved in the design and development of project theories of change and logframes, data collection tools and data collection systems for small to large sized projects. This experience has enabled us to develop a strong MEL practice within the organisation, including the development of an organisational impact framework and associated tools, bespoke MEL frameworks, outcomes, indicators and accompanying tools. This robust approach to MEL has enabled us to collect high quality data to improve the quality of our delivery and impact year-on-year.
Now Able Child Africa would like to build on this strong MEL foundation by learning from external MEL experts with international development experience to enhance our skill set and practice in this area.

Deliverables
In order to build on the existing knowledge and experience of the Programmes Team we would require the MEL training to be focused on the gaps in our knowledge as a team and to b e in the form of a training as opposed to a workshop. Topics could possibly focus on the following:

• Designing a variety of more complex indicators needed to measure the progress of children with disabilities
• Guidance on designing tools that demonstrate increased self-confidence and progress in relation to peers without disabilities
• Advice on designing impact reports that effectively communicate the innovative approach and impact of our projects and programmes.
• Guidance on adding ‘Accountability’ to our MEL processes moving into more advanced MEAL systems

Personal Specification

Required

• Significant experience working with international NGOs, local delivery partners, UN agencies or other organisations on all aspects of MEL in the project or programme lifecycle, specifically the design of different types of indicators.
• Experience designing and conducting evaluating complex bilateral or multilateral donor funded projects with results-based monitoring (experience evaluating Comic Relief grants is an advantage)
• Experience of using child-centred and child participatory MEL approaches
• An understanding of and commitment to Able Child Africa's mission, vision and values.

Desirable

• Work experience conducting MEL evaluations in East Africa (Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania – in this instance also including Zambia and Malawi)
• Experience of designing MEAL systems that are appropriate for children and young people with disabilities

Terms

• Time: The training will take place over two days during May or June (depending on developments with government advice on Coronavirus)
• Location: The training will need to take place at our offices in central Brixton
• Budget: Please provide a breakdown of what it would cost to deliver the two-day training. We would expect 1-2 days preparation time plus the cost of the two days of delivery. As a small charity value for money will be a consideration when assessing applications.
• Payment: Depending on when a consultant was selected, we would pay 30%-50% of the funds prior to the training, with the remaining balance paid upon successful delivery of the training.

Application guidance
Please send a fully costed application of one- to two-pages that sets out how you would approach your training and your relevant experience and qualifications to deliver the training. Please also include an up-to-date CV that sets out your professional and educational history.

• The deadline for applications is Midday Friday 3rd April2020.
• Applications can be sent to our jobs email accounts
• Recommend subject line to help us identify your application: “Advanced MEL Training Application – [your name]”

We want the training to be responsive to the needs of our project and programme development. Once a consultant with the right experience has been selected, we will work with you in the design of the training to make sure it is tailored to Able Child Africa’s needs.

About the opportunity

Westgate Healthcare is a family-owned and run care group, founded by a nurse and her husband, and you’ll find that family feel in each of our homes. Just ask our residents.

With more than 25 years’ experience providing specialist and general residential care for people in later life, we’ve shaped our care experience by listening and learning. Listening to and learning from the people who come to live with us, as much as from the specialists who train our teams.

We welcome local volunteers who would like to assist and support the residents in our care homes. The following includes but are not limited to;

• Befriending and relationship building
• Meal time assistance
• Assist with fitness activities, Namaste and choir provisions

Who can volunteer?

Anyone can put themselves forward as a volunteer, though we do ask all prospective volunteers to undergo an interview process. You may be someone interested in entering the care profession, looking to enhance your employment prospects, looking to develop new skills and confidence, or you may be seeking to make a difference to someone’s life!

Whatever your motivations, you will find volunteering a worthwhile and rewarding experience here at Westgate Healthcare.

All our volunteers, just like our team members, have to be checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to make sure they can work with vulnerable adults. Once that formality is out of the way and the relevant paperwork and references have been completed, you will receive training and guidance to ensure that you are fully prepared for your duties.

What are they looking for?

The volunteer role is completely flexible as we appreciate volunteers are giving up their free time to support us. That being said, we would appreciate and are looking for volunteers to spend a few hours weekly or fortnightly. We also welcome volunteers who can commit for a minimum of 6 months as our residents/service users benefit greatly from the consistency.

Previous experience of being a volunteer is not necessary

There are no specific skills or qualifications required. All our volunteers will:
- Receive an induction before they start
- Have reasonable travel expenses reimbursed in line with our policy and procedure
- Be supported by staff and receive on-going training
- There is no upper age limit
Why we need volunteers

We recognise that volunteers play a valuable and important role in the services that we offer across the Westgate group, supporting our care home teams to provide high quality care to our residents. Through your involvement and contributions in the homes we are able to positively impact the lives of all of our elderly residents.

The duties of a volunteer vary from home to home. Some may involve meeting and greeting visitors in the homes; others may be undertaking care tasks (under supervision) that enable residents to live more independent lives; and some may be working alongside our activities teams to engage residents and support their participation in activities and events.

Through our network of committed and dedicated volunteers, Westgate can continue to enhance the quality of care and relationships provided to all residents.

Our volunteer team members play a hugely important part within the Westgate family; your contributions are an essential part of how we, as a company, intend to make a difference every day to the lives of our residents.

DISCLAIMER: While we offer placements in all Westgate Healthcare homes, please note that these placements are at the discretion of the Home Manager, based on their capacity to support a placement at a particular time. Therefore, please visit our website to apply and learn more about our opportunities.
 

Volunteer Coordinator

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

Volunteer role (Expenses will be reimbursed)

Location: South London

Start Date: As soon as possible

Hours: 8-12+ hours a week focused on Prince’s Trust work (negotiable)

Simply put, The Trust cannot exist without a diverse community of volunteers who believe passionately in young people and give time and energy so generously.

We know as a volunteer; you’ll be able to support us in lots of ways. We want every volunteer to be a committed champion of young people and The Trust. There are lots of ways you can help us reach our mission of transforming the lives of young people by giving them the skills and confidence to live, learn and earn. 

The Trust is a youth charity whose mission is to help young people transform their lives by developing the confidence and skills, to live, learn and earn. This year we will support more than 70,000 young people through a range of programmes, with three in four achieving a positive outcome!

We have a bold ambition to extend the reach and impact of our work and help one million more young people transform their lives over the next ten years. Our job is to inspire them, support them and realise their potential, so that they can thrive and society can prosper. We will focus on innovation, to ensure we adapt and remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.  We owe it to ourselves and the young people we serve, to do the best work of our lives and to help give them an increasing stake in our economy and society. They are the key to a positive and prosperous future for all of us.

As a Volunteer Coordinator you will help the operational delivery of our Progression Mentoring programme in South London. Progression mentoring helps to support young people, who have finished a programme, into a positive outcome. Mentors play an important role in helping young people move forward into work, training, volunteering or education and help them reach their potential. You will be responsible for coordinating mentor and young people matches; working in collaboration with staff, young people, volunteers, and providing excellent administration work to help the smooth running of the programme. As well as other duties outlined in the volunteer role description.

If you have questions or would like to discuss anything about the role, please get in touch via the details included below.

The Prince's Trust is committed to safeguarding, protecting and promoting the welfare of the children and young people we work with. Successful applicants to roles at The Prince's Trust will be subject to criminal vetting checks, and where necessary for the role, a check at an enhanced level will be required.

To apply for this role please download the application form and send to the email address detailed below.

Interviews will be held in early April.

New Venture Theatre is a volunteer run community theatre established in Brighton for over 70 years. We put on 10 major amateur productions each year in our two auditoriums, together with a youth group and weekly acting classes. We have around 300 members and are a friendly team, passionate about the performing arts.

We need a new Treasurer from September 2020 following a handover period.

The Treasurer will be responsible to theTrustees for maintaining proper accounting records and reporting on income and expenditure monthly against budgets.

About the role

To assist Healthwatch Lewisham staff in a range of administrative and support duties.

Key Tasks

• Offering general support to staff member/s in the Healthwatch Lewisham office. 

• Assisting with record keeping, paperwork and updating databases. 

• Ordering stationery and other supplies 

• Assisting with phone calls, visitors and directing enquiries to appropriate staff. 

• Overseeing the smooth running of office machinery, faxes, photocopiers etc.

• Shredding confidential documents as required

Is this the right role for me?

All volunteers will be expected to be:

• Able to follow procedures and work in a team, on own initiative & under pressure. 

• Proficient in the use of computers and IT in general, in particular Microsoft office functions 

• Comfortable using the internet, sending emails, researching websites etc. 

• An ability to work with people in a flexible and efficient manner

• A desire to learn about the running of charity offices. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Benefits of volunteering

• Enjoying the experience of volunteering as part of a friendly team and meeting new people

• Increasing your confidence and learning new skills

• Using your experience with Healthwatch to develop your CV and seek work in health and social care or other fields of employment

• Reasonable travel and expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with our Volunteer Policy

About the role

To assist Healthwatch Lewisham staff in a range of administrative and support duties. Your voice in health and Social Care (YVHSC) are looking for Lewisham residents interested in becoming part of Healthwatch Lewisham.

We are looking for people to join our committee with local knowledge, experience and passion for promoting better health and social care for local people.

The committee represents and advisory body overseeing strategic direction and monitoring the progress of Healthwatch Lewisham. You will be responsible for shaping the future organisation and establishing the basis for building a large local membership from all communities in the borough.

Key Tasks

1. Oversee governance of Healthwatch Lewisham, working with the Chair and other members of the Committee to

ensure:

• Compliance with the agreed codes of governance, Healthwatch Lewisham and Healthwatch Lewisham financial regulations, national guidance and delegated authorities;

• To understand roles and responsibilities with appropriate arrangements for appraisal, training and development;

• To commit to Healthwatch Lewisham approach to valuing diversity and equal opportunities through its service delivery and employment.

• Attend and contribute to regular Committee meetings to ensure key issues are discussed by the Committee in a timely manner and addressed with an agreed approach.

2. Contribute to the performance of the Committee to ensure:

• The Strategic Group’s business is conducted efficiently and effectively through a framework

• of delegation and systems of internal control that also enables the work of Healthwatch

• Lewisham to be carried on effectively between meetings of the Strategic group.

• Implementation of frameworks for effective budget and risk management.

• Contribute to the effectiveness of Healthwatch Lewisham through the use of expertise, skills and experiences, either as a Committee member in an appointed capacity, or to committees/work groups.

3. Attend Committee meetings, participating in other committees/groups where required, ensuring:

• Meetings should be conducted in a way that all members are given the opportunity to express their views and that appropriate standards of behavior are maintained in line with an agreed code of conduct.

• Decisions are taken as delegated through the appropriate procedures.

• To declare any relevant personal, professional or commercial interests in any matters being discussed by the Committee.

Monitoring performance:

4. Work together to strive for continuous improvement and to drive excellence for

Healthwatch Lewisham and local health and social care services.

5. Contribute to the scrutinising and reviewing performance and patient, service user, carer and

wider community satisfaction with reference to the performance of comparable organisations.

6. Identify, approve and oversee a range of projects through to evaluation of impact and publishing

of reports.

7. Oversee the publishing of an Annual Report and Accounts each year, highlighting priorities, progress & key issues.
 

Public Engagement

8. To oversee the development of a comprehensive community development strategy to ensure Healthwatch Lewisham is reaching the diverse communities of Lewisham, including those who are seldom heard.

9. To be involved as the outward face of Healthwatch Lewisham at Public Engagement events and conferences, demonstrate leadership and take an active role in public and membership engagement.

Maintaining good relationships with staff:

10. Build and maintain effective working relationships with the Healthwatch Chief Officer, the staff team and senior staff within other organisations and to work in partnership.

11. Provide appropriate management, advice, support and challenge to the Healthwatch Lewisham Staff.

12. To work with staff in an overarching guiding capacity, not in a day-to-day line management role.

Representing Healthwatch Lewisham:

13. Build and maintain good relationships with key stakeholders, including members of the public, patients, service users, carers, Healthwatch England, the Department of Health, Care Quality Commission, Monitor (Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts), NHS funded providers, Lewisham Clinical Commissioning Group, Lewisham Health & Wellbeing Board, and Lewisham Council.

14. Act as an ambassador and representative for the organisation, upholding the reputation of Healthwatch Lewisham and its values.

15. Network and promote the achievements, purposes and benefits of Healthwatch Lewisham.

16. Ensure that Healthwatch Lewisham is represented on the Lewisham Health and Wellbeing Board and plays a proactive role in decisions relating to the Health and Wellbeing Strategy, planning, commissioning and delivery of health and social care.

17. Ensure representation from Healthwatch Lewisham is evidence based and supported by data

Is this the right role for me?

Requirements of Committee Members:

• Committee Meetings – Committee members are expected to attend all scheduled meetings of the Committee.

• Working together – Committee members will be required to support the objectives and policies agreed by the Committee, and to contribute to and share responsibility for the decisions of the Committee. They will be expected to work constructively with other Committee members and staff of Healthwatch Lewisham.

• Code of Conduct – Committee members will be expected to abide fully with Healthwatch Lewisham’s code of conduct, to maintain high standards of probity and follow the Nolan principles of standards in public life. They must also present a positive image of the Committee and Healthwatch Lewisham at external events.

• Training – Committee members are encouraged to identify personal training and

• development needs, and seek opportunities for development, attending training events as required. Specific training will be offered which is relevant to the role of the Healthwatch Lewisham Committee members.

• Committee meetings and Working Groups – There will be various committee meetings of the Committee, and periodic work groups, that Committee members may be required to participate in.

• Preparation time – Committee members are required to allocate time for reading reports and preparing for Committee Meetings (and where appropriate committee meetings and working groups)

• Other attendance – Committee members may be requested to attend other events and associated meetings linked to supporting, developing or promoting Healthwatch Lewisham and its objectives.

Benefits of volunteering

• Enjoying the experience of volunteering as part of a friendly team and meeting new people

• Increasing your confidence and learning new skills

• Using your experience with Healthwatch to develop your CV and seek work in health and social care or other fields of employment

• Reasonable travel and expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with our Volunteer Policy

About the role

Community Ambassadors have a vital role to play as the link between Healthwatch Lewisham and the citizens of Lewisham – meaning individuals, communities, voluntary and community sector organisations and other patient or service user groups. As a Community Ambassador, you will promote and advance the aims and objectives of Healthwatch Lewisham by becoming the ‘eyes and ears’ of the organisation, gathering people’s voices and lived experience of health and social care. This will form a fundamental part of the evidence base with which Healthwatch Lewisham will seek to change and improve health and social care in the borough.

Key Tasks

• Support Healthwatch Lewisham to have a presence at events and distribute information on our behalf to different organisations

• Actively promote the work of Healthwatch Lewisham

• Encourage people to use Healthwatch Lewisham as their independent health and social care champion

• Assist the Healthwatch staff team to gather views of local people or people with certain needs or who use certain services (running focus groups, helping us to carry out consultations, help others complete Healthwatch Lewisham surveys and questionnaires)

• To attend meetings and supervisions as required

Is this the right role for me?

All volunteers will be expected to be: 

• Approachable

• Ability to maintain confidentiality

• Ability to develop a good rapport with people

• Good interpersonal skills

• Excellent listening skills

• Able to feed back to Healthwatch Lewisham succinctly in writing on views heard

• Have a commitment to helping local people have a voice and improving local services

• Be non-judgemental, open minded and able to separate your own experiences from those of other people and practice impartiality

Benefits of volunteering

• Enjoying the experience of volunteering as part of a friendly team and meeting new people

• Becoming involved in making a difference to your local community

• Increasing your confidence and learning new skills

• Using your experience with Healthwatch to develop your CV and seek work in health and social care or other fields of employment

• Reasonable travel and expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with our Volunteer Policy

Background/Purpose

Healthwatch Lewisham is an organisation which has previously benefitted from the participation of volunteers from diverse cultural backgrounds, influencing the provision of Health & Social care services across the borough. This includes research projects to evaluate the quality of NHS services, signposting patients to relevant healthcare services, providing information to the public on available Health and Social care services and guidance on complaint procedures. Healthwatch Lewisham now envisages the creation of new roles and opportunities for members of emerging communities across the borough (Afghan, Nepalese, Algerian, Burmese, Sri Lankan, Romanian & Bulgarian communities) as representatives of members of their community in the Health & Social care sector.

The main motive of this opening is to ensure that members of emerging communities have access to information about healthcare services available to them, and that no individual is deprived of Health and Social care services due to lack of knowledge about services or issues with communication in English. This would be a great opportunity for willing volunteers from emerging communities to become more actively and directly involved in health and social care projects through Healthwatch. In addition, this role would avenue opportunities for shadowing at senior committee and board level meetings, working together with Healthwatch liaison representatives and the project team at a strategic level. 

Benefits:

• CV building opportunities in Health & Social care sector.

• Developing new skills. 

Tasks:

• Get involved with community outreach programmes by Healthwatch Lewisham, specifically targeting emerging communities in Lewisham.

• Provide advice to the Healthwatch Lewisham staff on strategic influencing opportunities to raise the profile of Healthwatch Lewisham to members of emerging communities.

• Engage in research projects led by Healthwatch Lewisham, aimed at enabling access and providing awareness of healthcare services to emerging communities.

• Get involved in decision making about raising standards of Health & Social care service provision.

Time commitment: 

• Minimum of 2 hours a week. 

When: 

• Dates and times as agreed with Healthwatch Lewisham staff. 

Basic requirements:

• Ability to communicate fluently in native language and English.

• Preferably belong to an emerging community in Lewisham (Afghan, Nepalese, Algerian, Burmese, Sri Lankan, Romanian & Bulgarian communities).

• Strong desire to raise awareness about healthcare services. 

• Strong communication skills.

• Commitment to personal progression and openness to diversity.

Background/Purpose

Service evaluations are an integral part of Healthwatch activity, placing as they do service users, patients and care home residents at the heart of assessing quality of service delivery. Effective observation of service provision and evidence based reporting of the quality of care delivered in various settings is a powerful means of influencing standards. Healthwatch volunteers have undertaken 'Enter & View’ visits to various publicly funded care settings and care homes to assess quality of provision and report on their findings. 

A competent body of volunteer expertise is thereby being further utilised to assess other services where public funds are disbursed. The role of Healthwatch Lewisham as consumer champion in the Health & Social care sector is reinforced through its ‘Enter & View’ activity and reporting which influences commissioners when designing services or service providers as they deliver them throughout the borough.

Task(s):

• Survey completion and service recommendations from on-site visits

• Attend bi-monthly planning group meetings according to availability

Time commitment:

• The number of site visits will depend on availability of the volunteer

• Questionnaire duration approximately 2 hours

When:

• Planning group sessions approximately 2 hours every 2 months in Lewisham according to availability

Skills/experience needed:

• An understanding of the role of Healthwatch Lewisham

• An understanding of the role of ‘Enter & View’ within the Healthwatch programme

• Tact and diplomacy, observational skills coupled with a desire to raise quality of services

Specific training/support to be given:

• Free specialist training given depending on type of service evaluation

• Patient Led Assessments of the Care Environments (PLACE) training

• Availability of mentoring from experienced Enter & View practitioners

• Travel expenses will be refunded