Lewisham and Southwark

POST: Access for BAME Elders Project Support Planning Ccoordinator

PURPOSE OF JOB:To develop and maintain a person centred planning project for BAME Elders, recruiting, training and supporting a team of volunteers to undertake person centred support planning and

ACLS enjoys an open and participative working environment. We work to our core values of being supportive, professional and enterprising. These are reflected in the way we work with each other, our service usersand our customers. Teamwork, collective responsibility, delegated authority are central to this process. A key element of all roles is to develop and maintain the organisation’s working ethos and culture.

ACLS strives to provide a supportive working environment for all staff and volunteers in order that they can develop personally and professionally and acquire new skills. The contribution made by staff and volunteers in achieving the organisation’s goals is recognised by all.

This job description does not provide an exhaustive list of tasks and activities as all posts within the organisation are subject to evolution as the organisation develops and grows.

Key Result Areas

Area 1

  1. To manage and support a volunteer team to deliver Age Concern Lewisham and Southwark’s BAME Elders Access project.
  1. To develop expertise in the use of person centred planning tools becoming a resource for volunteers and other voluntary sector groups.
  1. To be responsible for the recruitment of volunteers targeting BME groups, speakers of other languages, older volunteers, under 25’s and socially excluded groups for the project
  1. To ensure that selected volunteers are provided with induction and training necessary to enable them to provide high quality support planning services to older BAME people using Age Concern Lewisham and Southwark BAME Access Project
  1. To promote, present and market the project to our established voluntary, statutory and educational links and establish new relationships, with a particular focus on BAME voluntary organisation partners and also the wider community.
  1. To research and identify new developments and best practice in support planning and co production with elders and ensure the work of the project evolves to reflect this and that this knowledge is disseminated across the sector
  1. To establish effective referral pathways into the project working with a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector partners and sourcing referrals of socially isolated BAME elders.
  1. To support the volunteers to co produce with BAME elders a support plan that identifies and addresses their needs
  1. To provide support to volunteers to work with the BAME elders to implement the plan.
  1. To undertake support planning and implementation for a small number of elders to ensure knowledge remains current and real.
  1. To ensure that the ethos of enablement of older people is central to all work undertaken by the volunteers.
  1. With the support of the volunteers and BAME elders, to draw information together to create and maintain a resource library of activities, services and interest groups available for elders living in Lewisham and Southwark.
  1. To be responsible for ensuring that project specific service user and volunteer forums meet regularly and inform the development of the project.
  1. Establish a steering group of representatives from BAME voluntary organisations and BAME elders to inform and guide the project
  1. To create outcome focused monitoring systems, collecting and collating data on service users and using such data to provide funders and LSBU with timely and accurate reports on the services and projects
  1. To work in partnership with LSBU to share information, enable monitoring and project evaluation and identification of best practice and to implement changes to the project to reflect this
  1. Work creatively and imaginatively to realise the objectives of ACLS, in a way that engages the groups identified.
  1. To organise events and identify methods of acknowledging outstanding contributions and service of volunteers, sharing learning, resources and good practice with partner organisations and other Age Concerns.
  1. Develop a network of relevant external professionals with an interest in the project and keeping them informed of progress.
ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Meet legislative and regulatory requirements.
  • Carry out administrative duties in connection with the post
  • Provide statistical information in relation to monitoring requirements
  • Contribute to the overall achievement of ACLS mission and objectives
  • Provide a supportive working environment to all staff and volunteers
  • Ensure the values of ACLS are upheld across the organisation
  • Attend staff and team meetings as requested
  • To participate in networking activity at local and national level.
  • To undertake research and contribute to reports
  • Undertake any other duties as determined by the Senior Management Team and Directors

Promotion of a Supportive Working Environment

A supportive working environment can be defined as an environment where contribution is recognised, encouraged and rewarded. Staff and volunteers alike expect to be encouraged to develop personally and professionally and to acquire new skills at a pace that is suitable to them. All staff and volunteers must promote this environment as part of their roles and responsibilities.

Training and Development

Training and development of staff and volunteers is a key expectation of all staff employed by the organisation. They will demonstrate their commitment to staff and/or volunteer development by assessing skills, planning development activities, discussing outcomes and evaluating effectiveness. They will be expected to motivate, encourage, coach and support staff and/or volunteers towards the outcomes agreed.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The successful applicant must be able to demonstrate empathy for our service users and be committed to the promotion of a supportive working environment.

All posts within the organisation are subject to change as the organisation grows and develops. Staff must be able to adapt to change and, therefore, flexibility is a key attribute required of all employees.

It is essential that the postholder possess the following personal qualities:

  • Drive, energy and enthusiasm
  • Self motivated and able to motivate others
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Excellent team working skills
  • Commitment to person centred working
  • Commitment to achieving the core aims of the organisation
  • Able to work as part of a highly diverse staff and volunteer work force

It is essential that the postholder has the following experienceand knowledge:

  • Experience of delivering projects within the voluntary sector
  • Experience of establishing partnership working with a variety of organisations including BME community groups and statutory sector
  • Experience of support planning with vulnerable adults
  • Experience of successfully starting a new project
  • Working knowledge of personalisation and person centred work
  • Knowledge of issues facing BME elders living in London
  • Knowledge of good volunteer practice

It is essential that the post holder has the following skills and abilities

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Ability to recruit and lead a team of volunteers
  • Ability to undertake successful and imaginative research on resources
  • Ability to maintain knowledge of best practice
  • Ability to develop person centred planning tools
  • Ability to develop and maintain accurate administrative records
  • Ability to develop monitoring systems
  • Ability to write reports to a good standard and to deadlines.

It is desirable that the postholder has:

  • Experience of developing and delivering training

Other

Able to travel within LB Lewisham and Southwark

The successful applicant will be required to have an enhanced CRB Check