Thank you for requesting the application pack for the post of Project Manager, Relative Experience Project, North Tyneside (ref RE Project Manager).

Transcription

1 January 2016 Dear Applicant Recruitment Process at Grandparents Plus Thank you for requesting the application pack for the post of Project Manager, Relative Experience Project, North Tyneside (ref RE Project Manager). This pack contains all the relevant information you will need to successfully complete the application form: Background information on Grandparents Plus Background information about the Relative Experience Project Job description and person specification Terms and conditions Recruitment and selection process at Grandparents Plus Application form (as a separate attachment) Equal Opportunities monitoring form (as a separate attachment) Closing date for the receipt of completed applications is 5pm on Monday 1 st February Interviews are scheduled to be held 9 th /10 th February in Meadow well, North Shields Please note that we will not accept applications received after the deadline. If you have any difficulty in completing the form or have any queries about the role or your application please contact Cath Halse on or cath.halse@grandparentsplus.org.uk Good luck with your application and thank you for your interest in Grandparents Plus. Please send your completed application form to yvonne.brown@grandparentsplus.org.uk quoting RE Project Manager in the subject heading or return it by post to: Yvonne Brown, Project Administrator, Relative Experience Project The Meadows Centre Waterville Road North Shields, NE29 6BA Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 1

2 About Grandparents Plus Grandparents Plus is the national charity which champions the vital role of grandparents and the wider family in children's lives - especially when they take on the caring role in difficult family circumstances and when they have lost contact with children. We do this because we want to make children's lives better. Grandparents Plus is a small national charity (charity reg no ) and we champion the role of grandparents and the wider family in children s lives. We do this by: Campaigning with them for change so that their contribution to children s wellbeing and care is valued and understood Providing evidence, policy solutions, training so that they get the services and support they need to help children thrive Advising and supporting grandparents and wider family members by ensuring that they have access to professional advice, information and peer support, particularly when they are raising children who are not living with their parents or providing intensive family support. Advising, informing and supporting professionals to develop good kinship practice. Our vision To redefine the family to see: a transformation in the way society thinks about the contribution of grandparents and the wider family so that their role in family life can be recognised, valued, supported and celebrated. Kinship carers and the children they care for get the recognition and support they need. Our values The welfare of children is our priority achieved by supporting their carers. We understand and respond to the diversity and complexity of modern family life. The grandparents and wider family members we work with shape what we do. We work in partnership with others. We take a professional approach to our work. Quality is important to us. We recognise the need to be creative and enterprising. We listen to each other. We respect each other s points of view. Our objectives We want to make it easier for grandparents who provide childcare and kinship carers to balance work and care. We want kinship carers to get the advice, information and support they need. We want every local authority to offer a kinship care service. We want to be sustainable as a high impact, cutting-edge organisation. Our activities We carry out research and produce policy briefing papers. Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 2

3 We campaign for change, influencing at the highest level. We run an advice and information service for grandparents and family carers. We provide peer support for grandparents and family carers by running the Grandparents Plus Support Network, which is growing and now reaches over 7,000 across England and Wales. We work with social workers to improve their practice and facilitate the Kinship Care Group of professionals, with over 170 members from local authorities across London and the South East We deliver workshops, seminars and conferences. About the Relative Experience Project Relative Experience is an established and highly regarded project supporting grandparents and other family members who are raising children who cannot live with their parents, often in very difficult circumstances. Funded by the Big Lottery Fund Silver Dreams Fund (until March 2017 in the first instance) and led by national charity Grandparents Plus in partnership with Family Lives and Family and Childcare Trust, Relative Experience offers trained volunteer befrienders and local peer group support for carers across the North East, as well as opportunities to influence policy and practice. Project Outcomes 1.Increased Resilience of older kinship carers (to manage transition to child caring role) and volunteers (to manage transition to less active working lives/retirement) 2. Improved capacity of organisations and local groups to provide support to and deliver change in policy and practice 3. Learning from the programme to inform mainstream policy and practice of organisations working with or in contact with kinship carers 4: Older kinship carers who participate in this project will become agents for change (policy and practice) both locally and nationally 5. Improved outcomes for children living with kinship carers We are seeking an experienced Project Manager with a proven ability to motivate teams to deliver to the highest standard. A skilled communicator, you ll build relationships with kinship carers, local authorities and statutory and voluntary sector partners to reach our target group of older people, ensuring their voices are heard. We want to embed a step-change in local authority practice across the North East and achieve a wider recognition of kinship care so that the carers we work with and the children they care for can get the help and support they need. Central to us achieving this will be a strong focus on kinship carers leading influencing activity at a local and regional level, securing change themselves. Our job is to empower them and to amplify their voice. Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 3

4 Project Manager Relative Experience Project, based in North Shields, covering the North East Job Description Salary Location 30,000 per year pro rata 4 days pw, fixed term contract to March 31 st 2017 in the first instance This post is based in the Meadows Community Centre, North Shields, and will report to the Grandparents Plus Chief Executive Officer who is London-based. The postholder will be managing an established project, fully scaled up across the region, and an established team. The project will require regular regional and occasional national travel and overnight stays in London. Use of a car is essential. Main duties To provide local leadership to the project and its stakeholders and to contribute to the ongoing sustainability of the work To ensure the project is managed within budget, delivering key targets and outcomes, including line management of staff, facilitating team meetings and reporting to the funder, partnership management, governance and stakeholder groups. To engage with and represent the project to external stakeholders and to work with kinship carers to embed policy and practice change in local authorities across the North East to improve the support offered to kinship carers and raise awareness of issues affecting kinship carers Responsibilities Oversee the day to day running of the Relative Experience peer-befriending project, working closely with colleagues from the partner organisations, Family Lives and Family and Childcare Trust. Manage the delivery of the scale up of the project, including its extension beyond Newcastle to other parts of the North East and ensure the project meets its targets. Report regularly to the Chief Executive, identifying at an early stage any problems or issues that may arise. Attend joint meetings between Family Lives and Grandparents Plus to address and resolve any issues arising through developing joint working protocols. Prepare reports for the Grandparents Plus trustee board, stakeholder engagement group. Partnership management group and Governance group, as required Prepare reports for the funder and ensure reporting and finance records are received from partners in a timely manner and according to the funder s requirements Line manage four project workers and the project administrator. Manage the local office and the delegated office budget in accordance with Grandparents Plus financial procedures. Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 4

5 Provide day to day support for the team, liaising with befriending volunteers and also grandparents and family (kinship) carers who are being befriended by volunteers on the project. Ensure the data recording and data reporting processes are in place and working properly. Ensure that data is provided as required to support the evaluation. Provide secretariat support for the stakeholder engagement group, meeting quarterly, liaising with trustees and stakeholders as required Represent the project and the partner organisations at external meetings with stakeholders and other service providers, promoting the project. Work with the team to identify, train and support the kinship care champions to promote the work of the project and raise awareness of kinship care. Work with the project workers to support and establish new and existing kinship care support groups across the region. Proactively engage local authority children s services across the North East, promoting the project and working with kinship carers to embed changes to policy and practice around kinship care Represent the project in the local media and contribute to national media engagement as required. Contribute to social media, website and project blog. A readiness to undertake any other tasks that may be necessary. Note - this job description is not exhaustive. Grandparents Plus reserves the right to add to or revise it at any time in agreement with the post holder. Appointment is subject to the successful completion of an enhanced DBS check. Person Specification Essential Qualifications Experience Essential A successful and experienced project manager with a strong track record of project management and project planning. Experience of working with a number of partner organisations to deliver a service or project. Experience of being accountable to a board or senior management team, reporting regularly. Experience of befriending work or Desirable Educated to degree level or equivalent Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 5

6 Knowledge & abilities Skills volunteers providing individual or family support. Experience of community organising and/or beneficiary capacity-building Experience of working in local authority children s services with a professional background in health or social care Experience of line-management. Experience of budget management and financial reporting Experience of building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels. Experience of data collection and recording Experience of giving presentations or public speaking. A demonstrable understanding of the issues affecting families (kinship carers) who are caring for children on the edge of the care system and the challenges they face. An understanding of the importance of evaluation An awareness of the importance of safeguarding for both children and adults A demonstrable understanding of and commitment to the importance of equal opportunities Strong interpersonal and team working skills Excellent written and verbal communication skills Report writing skills. Strong IT skills including word, Excel, Outlook and Access Personal experience of kinship care. Media experience/training An awareness of the challenges and opportunities of working as part of a small team. Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 6

7 Terms and Conditions Post Part-time Project Manager, Relative Experience Project, 28 hours per week, fixed term until March 31 st 2016 Induction New members of staff are given an induction to the organisation, including familiarising them with policies and procedures. Appraisal All members of staff participate in the appraisal process which reviews performance and identifies any training and development needs. Salary 30,000 (pro rata 4 days pw) Location Relative Experience Project Office, The Meadows, Waterville Road, North Shields, NE29 6BA Working Hours A full-time working week is 35 hours excluding lunch breaks. Working days and hours are to be negotiated. Flexible working The normal office hours are 9.00am 4.30pm but it is possible to work flexibly with the agreement of the Support Network Manager, including some working from home. Probation Period and Notice The post is subject to a six month probation period during which a one week notice period will apply on either side. Once the probation period has been successfully completed a one month notice period will apply. Annual Leave The holiday year runs from the month of your appointment. Your paid holiday entitlement will be 30 days per year (pro rata), plus a proportionate amount of Bank and other Public Holidays. Your holiday accrues on a daily basis. Pension There is no occupational pension scheme. Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 7

8 Recruitment and Selection Process Please read the following carefully before completing your application form. 1. Selecting the best person for the job As part of our commitment to equal opportunities and diversity all candidates are treated equally throughout the recruitment and selection process. It is important that you take care to complete the application form as fully as possible. We cannot make assumptions about your skills and experience, please give us examples. 2. Job description and person specification The job description describes the duties of the job. It sets out the range of responsibilities and tasks. The person specification describes the person we are looking for by outlining the abilities, skills and experience needed to do the job. We will be looking at your application form to see the extent to which you have the abilities skills and experience that we need. 3. The application form Personal details Please make sure that your contact details are clearly displayed. If you move house or change phone numbers between sending us your form and being interviewed, please let us know. Referees At least one referee must be known to you in a work capacity and should ideally be either your current or most recent employer. We won t take up references prior to interview. Present and previous employment Starting with your current or most recent employer, list all the employers you have worked for, the job titles and, briefly, the main duties of the post. Please do this in date order. Education and training Include all formal and informal training, qualifications you have and also any training that may give you transferable skills which help you meet the requirements of the person specification and job description. Job description and person specification Please use this space to explain how you meet the requirements of the job description and person specification. Please give examples. Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 8

9 Personal statement Please use this space to explain why you are interested in the role and want to work for Grandparents Plus and to give us any other information about you that you feel is relevant to your application. 4. Equal opportunities monitoring form Please complete the form and return it to us. We will only use it for monitoring purposes. It will be separated from your application. Grandparents Plus is committed to equal opportunities. We strive to ensure fairness and equity of treatment for all who work with and for our organisation, and for those who use or are beneficiaries of our services. This is irrespective of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, disability, age, sexuality, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status and social class. 5. The interview All shortlisted candidates will be contacted by telephone and the interview confirmed by letter or . You will be informed of the time, date and location of interview as well as given notice of any test or exercise you may need to complete. Candidates will be asked questions that relate to the job description and person specification and the panel will take notes during the interview. Please be prepared to talk about your experience at the interview, giving examples that illustrate your ability to do the job. 6. Feedback All unsuccessful candidates who have attended an interview will be contacted by telephone. It is possible to receive feedback if required. 7. The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (amended 1 May 2004) The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 makes it a criminal offence to employ a person who is not entitled to work in the UK. In order to comply with this, Grandparents Plus is obliged to ask all prospective employees to produce appropriate documentation listed in the Home Office regulations before we can make any offer to employment, including part-time, temporary, sessional or casual appointments. In doing so, we emphasise that we do not discriminate against any applicant on the grounds of their race, nationality or ethnic origin and we will continue to uphold equal opportunities in recruitment and selection in line with the Race Relations Act This is why we are informing all potential job applicants of this requirement right at the start of the recruitment process. We feel it is fair to alert all potential job applicants to this situation as soon as possible so that anyone who needs a document can make arrangements to get one well in advance. For the purpose of the Asylum and Immigration Act, you will need either one document from List 1 OR two documents from List 2. Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 9

10 List 1 A passport showing that the holder is a British citizen, or has a right of abode in the United Kingdom. A document showing that the holder is a national of a European Economic Area country* or Switzerland. This must be a national passport or national identity card. A residence permit issued by the Home Office to a national from a European Economic Area country or Switzerland. A passport or other document issued by the Home Office which has an endorsement stating that the holder has a current right of residence in the UK as a family member of a national from a European Economic Area country or Switzerland who is resident in the UK. A passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder can stay indefinitely in the UK, or has no time limit on their stay. A passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder can stay in the UK, and that this endorsement allows the holder to do the type of work offered, if without a work permit. * The following countries are part of the European Economic Area: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, UK List 2 (first combination) A document giving your name and permanent National Insurance number. This could be a: P45, P60, National Insurance card, or a letter from a UK Government agency. Together with ONE of the following: A full birth certificate issued in the UK, which includes the names of your parents. A birth certificate issued in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Republic of Ireland. A certificate of registration or naturalisation stating that you are a British citizen. A letter issued to you by the Home Office indicating that you can stay indefinitely in the UK, or have no time limit on your stay. An Immigration Status Document issued to you by the Home Office with an endorsement indicating that you can stay indefinitely in the UK, or have no time limit on your stay. Information Pack: Project Manager Relative Experience Project Page 10