Director of Surrey Family & Mediation Services

Job Description

Job title: Director

Reporting to: Chair and Board of Trustees

Responsible for: All Staff and resources of SF&MS

Job location:Leatherhead

Hours of work: Part time, 25 hours a week over five days with some flexibility

Salary: £21.4k to £25k for 25 hours per week dependent on experience (pro rata £30k-£35k FTE)

Overall Purpose

The Director is responsible to the Board of Trustees for the leadership, operational performance, service delivery and overall direction of the organisation. Through a team of central support staff and qualified practitioners in the field it delivers a number of services in the family support arena across a wide geographical area.

SF&MS prides itself in its service to clients. Whilst the post holder has the full range of duties in running the organisation, the primary focus is to continue toimprove operational effectiveness and attain the highest levels of service excellence.The Trustees recognise the breadth of the role and are therefore seeking to create a business development position to support the Director in growing the Service.

Service Management Contracts

Oversight of the Service programmes, Family Mediation, Separated Parenting Information Programme (SPIP), SPIP Order Processing Unit (OPU) and Child Contact services.

  • Ensuring Family Mediation is provided under Family Mediation Council (FMC) and Service Policies and Procedures
  • Working with the Professional Practice Consultant (PPC) to ensure all of the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contract requirements are upheld
  • Ensuring the monthly returns for LAA are completed and submitted on time
  • Managing the SPIP programme and SPIP OPU delivery as required by the Cafcass contract
  • Ensuring continued service delivery and submission of monthly returns in a timely fashion
  • Working with the Child Contact Centre Manager to provide operational support and oversight to the Epsom outreach service
  • Managing the relationship with the Sussex subcontracted Child Contact Centre, ensuring all cases are noted and that reporting takes place in a timely fashion, reviewing all invoices and reports
  • Liaising with the Cafcass Regional Manager re contact issues, including attending offsite quarterly meetings
  • Liaising with the Cafcass National Commissioning partnership team on SPIP, SPIP OPU and Contact matters

Staff, Professional Practitioners and Volunteers

The Director fulfils the HR role within SF&MS with the support of the Trustees as required on specific issues.

  • Working within the staff and recruitment policies of the Service, provide the HR management, ensuring all those working within SF&MS are suitablyqualified, maintain training levels and provide an excellent service
  • Maintaining positive relations between staff teams
  • Recruitment of staff and volunteers as required
  • Dealing with disciplinary matters according to ACAS recommended practice

Finance

SF&MS employ a bookkeeper to provide the monthly management accounts and payroll services. The Director has responsibility for management of the agreed budget, ensuring all income is received and expenditure falls within budget.

  • With the support of the Treasurer and bookkeeper, oversee the finances of the service, keeping within agreed budgets and ensuring funds are used according to contractual requirements
  • Providing timely monthly management accounts
  • Ensuring that all staff and practitioners are paid according to their contracts on a monthly basis
  • Ensuring all statutory payments are made in full and on time, e.g. PAYE, VAT and Pension
  • Liaising with the External Examiner to complete the statutory accounts annually
  • Proactive management of the Service cash flow and bank accounts
  • Working with the Treasurer and Finance Committee sub group to prepare the annual budget and implementing the same

Management Information

Under a variety of contractual arrangements the Director is responsible for ensuring that services are provided and data collated to inform reporting requirements both external and internal.

  • Utilising the Mediation database, SPIP, SPIP OPU and Contact reporting processes provide management information to the trustees as required
  • Develop additional management reporting processes to help measure and enhance the existing operational practises
  • Provide reports for the end of year accounts Director’s report.
  • Provide management reports for affiliate bodies such as National Family Mediation (NFM) or National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC)

Office Management

  • SF&MS is based in serviced offices, office management is in the most part HR based with the support of the Office Manager, who manages the administration teams and maintains supply levels
  • Review and maintain office contracts e.g. IT Systems support,ensuring best support and value
  • Ensure Insurances are renewed annually including review for best value and cover.
  • Ensure that suitable room hire arrangements are in place, visit new sites, review for health and safety issues before committing to hire

Governance

The Director is responsible for maintaining the statutory duties of SFMS as a registered company and a registered Charity.

  • Attend Trustees Board meetings and subcommittee meetings as required
  • Provide reports and management information for Board Meetings
  • With the support of the Office Manager ensure all papers are drawn together and sent out to Trustees in a timely fashion for Board meetings
  • Implement Board decisions and report back the Board as requested
  • Ensure that SF&MS is fully compliant with Registrar of Companies and the Charity Commission requirements, e.g. annual returns submission

The Director will also provide any other reasonable response to ad hoc requests by the Trustees.

Business Development

SFMS has been through a period of consolidation and review. The Trustees now wish to move towards expanding the work/service levelswe have to offer. As part of this, the intentionis to create a dedicated business development capability reporting to the Director.

  • With the support of this role identify new income streams and fundraising opportunities and apply for funds
  • Liaise with external stakeholders to build networked relationships promoting the Service at all times, including reviewing partnership opportunities
  • Monitor Government portals such as Bravo, to ensure that opportunities are picked up as they arise
  • Ensure all policies and procedures are annually reviewed and signed off to comply with contractual obligations
  • Utilising the advertising budget ensure best placement of advertisements and promotional material
  • Maintaining the integrity of the website, ensuring material is up to date and correctly displayed
  • Build a social media presence
  • Working with the Trustees to review, develop and implement strategic business plans

Director of Surrey Family & Mediation Services

Person Specification

Area

/

Essential

/

Desirable

Education/qualifications /
  • ‘A’ level standard of secondary education
/
  • Additional educational qualifications
  • Professional qualificatione.g. Business, management, finance, IT, HR, law.
  • Demonstrable career progression

Experience /
  • At least 3 years management experience
  • Line management of staffIncluding training and development
  • Representing organisations at external meetings
  • Financial Management
  • Information management and ability to provide analysis
/
  • Business planning and development
  • Understanding of the voluntary sector
  • Project Management
  • Fundraising
  • Family or social work

Skills / Ability /Knowledge /
  • Understanding of family dynamics especially around family breakdown
  • Strong organisational skills
  • Excellent time management
  • Ability to prioritise workload
  • Developed interpersonal skills
  • Excellent communications skills, verbal and written
  • Negotiating and networking skills
  • Intermediate IT skills – Office suite, understanding of spreadsheets and ability to analyse data
  • Ability to manage staff issues e.g. recruitment, induction, grievance and disciplinary action
/
  • Understanding of the Children and Families Act 2014
  • Knowledge of safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults
  • HR experience
  • Understanding of the requirements of the Registrar of Companies and The Charity Commission of England and Wales

Personal Attributes /
  • Empathy for the services we offer
  • Integrity / ability to maintain confidentiality
  • Ability to lead and motivate individuals and teams
  • Ability to manage own workload
  • Forward thinking/ pro active
  • Ability to adapt to change
  • Ability to work under pressure
  • Team player / commitment