JOB DESCRIPTION

Project Officer Canterbury

(Positive Futures Kent)

Fixed term until June 2015

REF: SAV1411

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 support 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 support worker will be based inDartfordhowever the role will involve travel across all project locations.

Duties

  • To recruit and support young people to engage in Social Action.
  • To work closely with schools to recruit and provide ongoing support to young people, this will involve regularly giving presentations to large groups of young people.
  • To recruit and support local full time volunteers (aged 16-19) to lead and support other young people to engage in Social Action.
  • To identify safe, appropriate and meaningful Social Action activities for young people to participate in.
  • To prepare and deliver volunteer training.
  • To provide ongoing support to young people participating in the project.
  • To support the evaluation of the project, preparing questionnaires, writing case studies and facilitating focus groups.
  • Provide administrative support for the project where required and support volunteers to assist with this. .
  • To input information onto the project database.
  • Assist the Positive Futures Manager with financial management as required such as managing petty cash, the local bank account, paying volunteer expenses and invoices.
  • Promote and adhere to the CSV Equal Opportunities Policy and all other CSV policies which relate to the Positive Futures Project.
  • Contribute to the effective and efficient running of CSV SAV directorate as appropriate and work collaboratively with national and regional CSV projects and staff.

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

  1. Proven ability to contribute effectively to a project by understanding the project goals and ensuring deadlines and targets are met.
  1. Interest in and knowledge of volunteering and of the voluntary and community sector.
  1. Experience of working with young people.
  1. Ability to recruit, support, motivate and enthuse volunteers.
  1. Good written communication skills, including the ability to write reports and other relevant documentation.
  1. Good oral communication skills, including the ability to liaise effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
  1. Good interpersonal skills including an ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues or internal/external customers/volunteers
  1. Goodorganisational skills and the ability to prioritise a busy workload, and to work under pressure and to deadlines.
  1. Ability to assess risk in situations involving volunteers.
  1. Methodical approach to work, good attention to detail, and an ability to maintain financial records.
  1. Good computer skills including MS Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

Desirable

  1. Experience of working with youth organisations and schools
  1. Youth Work or relevant qualification

Terms and Conditions

Hours:28 hours per week

Salary: CSV Scale 6, spinal point 26 and starting salary £17,777 (pro rota, based on fill time scale £22,221pa)

Holidays: 24 days per annum, plus public holidays pro rata. 3 discretionary days over Christmas.

Location: Canterbury, travel throughout Kent will be required.

Pension: Contributory Flexible Retirement Scheme

Life Assurance: Cover for death in service 3 times annual salary at no cost to the employee

Closing Date: 13 February at 12 noon

Interview Date: 24 February in London

Fixed term 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