JOB DESCRIPTION
Project Manager
(Positive Futures Kent)
REF: SAV1410
Community Service Volunteers (CSV)
CSV is the UK’s leading national volunteering and training charity. We make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of people every year, and support some of the most vulnerable people in society - such as children at risk of abuse or neglect; isolated older people; and teenagers looking to get on to the jobs ladder. Our strategic aims are
- To help people achieve their potential by being the provider of choice for volunteering and learning
- To work with individuals and communities in responsive and innovative ways to achieve positive impact
- To use CSV’s expertise and networks to influence public policy
- To ensure that CSV is sufficiently resourced to build stronger communities for another 50 years.
Social Action & Volunteering
At the core of what we do is the belief that everyone has something to offer no matter who they are or where they come from. We reject no-one.
Our wide and varied work includes enabling older people to share their skills, knowledge and life experience, improving the lives of children and families at risk of neglect and harm, empowering disabled people to lead independent lives and providing positive support for offenders and young people.
CSV Social Action and Volunteering is a national operation and is managed by the Director of Social Action and Volunteering. The directorate incorporates the Volunteering, Retired and Senior Volunteers, Media and Employee Volunteering teams. We work cooperatively and collaboratively to progress the work of CSV and have a strong commitment to team work.
CSV Positive Futures Kent
CSV Positive Futures is a new project funded by the Cabinet Office Youth Social Action Fund the project is funded from January 2014 until 30th June 2015. The aim of CSV Positive Futures is to engage young people aged 10 – 20 in local social action activities both identified and delivered by them.
CSV will provide opportunities for 10-16 year olds to participate in progressive social action activities in their local communities. Many of the activities that the young people will participate in will be planned and facilitated by local Full Time Volunteers, who will be trained and supported by our local CSV staff team
Positive Futures is being evaluated by the Cabinet Office research team, using Randomised Control Trials (RCT’s). The aim of the evaluation is to identify the impact of youth social action on young people’s employability and general skills.
Purpose of the post
To manage and develop all aspects of the Positive Futures Project, ensuring it achieves its aims, objectives, outcomes and targets.
The project is delivering across Dartford, Gravesend, Ashford and Canterbury. The project manager will be based in Canterbury; however the role will involve travel across all project locations and line managing project support staff working remotely across all project areas.
Duties
- To recruit young people aged 10-19 from the 15 schools allocated to participate in volunteering and training opportunities.
- To recruit and support local full time volunteers (aged 16-19) to lead and support other young people to engage in Social Action.
- To ensure that arrangements are in place for young people to be well supervised and supported; and to facilitate or make provision for access to relevant preparation, induction and training for volunteers.
- To promote, market and publicise the Positive Futures project using a range of methods.
- To identify safe, appropriate and meaningful Social Action activities for young people to participate in.
- To work in partnership with and maintain effective communication links with the staff from schools and local youth service provisions to ensure the effective delivery of the project
- To work closely with the project evaluators and schools to meet the research requirements and to set up and maintain data recording and retrieval systems for monitoring progression of the project.
- To ensure contract obligations are fulfilled and targets achieved
- To work with your line manager to ensure project expenditure is in line with the budget.
- To line manage the project support worker, holding monthly supervision meetings and annual performance reviews.
- To consider project procedures such as insurance, training and safeguarding and undertake risk assessments where needed. You will also support and enable older volunteers to complete these tasks.
- To maintain accurate administration, for all aspects of the project.
- To monitor and evaluate the performance of the project against its targets and work with your line manager to collate the required information for reporting to the Cabinet Office.
The job description gives an outline of key duties and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The post holder may be asked from time to time to take on other responsibilities as reasonably requested by their manager.
Appointment to this position is subject to an enhanced DBS check. Having a conviction will not necessarily cause a bar to employment.
Person Specification
In deciding who to shortlist and appoint to this post, we will be looking for evidence of the following skills, knowledge, experience and personal qualities.
Essential
- Proven ability to develop and/or manage successful and effective volunteering projects.
- Interest in and knowledge of volunteering and of the voluntary and community sector.
- Experience of working with young people.
- A sound understanding of issues affecting young people from diverse groups, backgrounds and communities.
- Ability to set and achieve high standards for self and others and to manage work performance effectively.
- Ability to motivate, empower and successfully engage with young people.
- Strong written communication skills, including the ability to produce impactful reports.
- Strong verbal communication skills, including the ability to enthuse and motivate others, and adapt approach to a range of audiences.
- Good networking and influencing skills, including the ability to develop partnership working and funding opportunities.
- Well-organised and efficient; able to manage own workload to ensure that deadlines are met under pressure.
- Ability to assess risk in situations involving volunteers.
- Goodcomputer skills including MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)
Desirable
- Experience of working with youth organisations and schools.
- Youth Work or relevant qualification
Terms and Conditions
Hours:35 hours per week
Salary: CSV M1, spinal point 26 and starting salary £25,473
Holidays: 24 days per annum, plus public holidays plus 3 discretionary days over Christmas
Location: Canterbury, with travel throughout Kent
Pension: Contributory Flexible Retirement Scheme
Life Assurance: Cover for death in service 3 times annual salary at no cost to the employee
Closing Date: 13February at 12noon
Interview Date:24 February in London
This is a fixed term contract from until June 2015
Completed application forms to be returned to Kate Sargeant at CSV, Suite 2b, 2nd Floor, Essex House, 71 Regent Street, CambridgeCB2 1AB or
CSV is committed to Equal Opportunities.
As users of the disability symbol, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancies.
As a charity we are trying to keep our administrative cost as low as possible. Therefore individual applications will not be acknowledged unless you send in a stamped addressed postcard. If we have not contacted you again by the interview date it means that on this occasion we are unable to take your application further.January 2014