/ Early Help Strategic Lead
Job Description

Salary:£27,322 pro rata (Actual: £13661)

Hours:0.5 FTE (2.5 days/week) (flexi-time system). Attendance at evening meetings may be required occasionally. Time off in lieu is available.

Period of Contract:Fixed term to 31st August 2016

Responsible to:Chief Executive

Main purpose of the post

Work at a strategic level to develop the role and impact of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in the delivery and development of support for children, young people and families. Increase the VCSE sector’s contribution to Manchester’s Early Help approach, working in collaboration with local Early Help Hubs to reduce the need for higher tier and specialist interventions by public services.

Main Duties

Improving Knowledge

  • Increase the VCSE sector’s understanding of Manchester’s Early Help approach.
  • Provide well researched, concise and accessible briefings for the local VCSE sector on policy and practice issues relevant to Early Help.
  • Work to increase the number and quality of Early Help Assessments undertaken by VCSE sector organisations.
  • Champion the development of the VCSE sector’s role in Early Help amongst partner agencies highlighting the expertise, role and value the sector can contribute to as both a strategic partner and a delivery partner
  • Work with the Early Help Team to build better understanding of the VCSE sector in localities and inform the delivery of place-based planning, building up evidence and proposals on
  • how to increase the ability of small locally-grown VCSE organisations to contribute to Early Help
  • the role volunteers as part of step up and step down arrangements
  • commissioning of the VCSE sector
  • Develop and deliver training, briefings and workshops as required.

Building Collaboration

  • Lead the development of collaboration between VCSE organisations and public services as the work on Early Help progresses, developing good working relationships with Early Help system leaders – e.g. Children’s Services, Schools, Greater Manchester Police, NHS , etc.
  • Develop and co-ordinate an Early Help Network to enable the VCSE sector to work with partner organisations to develop a range of services and activities which can provide Early Help.
  • Encourage and stimulate creativity and innovation in the delivery of services and support, creating spaces for partners to discuss new ideas and new ways of working and to share learning.
  • Work with Macc’s other services such as organisational development, bid writing and Volunteer Centre Manchester to enhance the VCSE sector’s capacity in Early Help service delivery.
  • Promote approaches which are informed by Macc’s purpose beliefs and values including:
  • A focus on communities whose needs and aspirations are overlooked or unacknowledged by mainstream services – e.g. people with Mental Health needs, people with physical or learning disabilities
  • Person-Centred and people-powered approaches including peer support
  • Community development and asset-based approaches
  • Social value

Building Influence

  • Be known and visible to voluntary, community and statutory partners, developing and maintaining constructive working relationships with a wide range of colleagues working on the Early Help agenda.
  • Support and lead the accountable participation of the VCSE sector at strategic meetings and partnership bodies relevant to Early Help at city-wide and locality levels, promoting best practice in engagement, highlighting barriers and evaluating impact.

Monitoring and evaluation

  • Ensure that the impact of the work is recorded and monitored and to provide verbal and written reports as required.
  • Record information about the impact of the voluntary community and social enterprise sector on Early Help across the city of Manchester.
  • Ensure the Policy and Influence Team’s databases are accurately updated and maintained.

General

  • To uphold and promote the purpose, beliefs and values of Macc.
  • To work collaboratively within the Macc team sharing general responsibility for
  • Macc’s newsletters, bulletins, social media and online resources
  • Macc’s contact & casework database
  • The Voluntary Sector Assembly
  • Macc’s annual Spirit of Manchester programme celebrating the local voluntary, community and social enterprise sector’s work in the city
  • Responding to enquiries and administration
  • To contribute to income generation and general fundraising, including providing charged for services on a consultancy basis where required.
  • To undertake training as required.
  • To work as a member of Macc team, and to contribute to the development of policy and good practice within Macc.
  • To work in accordance with Macc’s Equal Opportunities statement and other relevant policies.
  • To be responsible for your own health & safety and that of our colleagues, in accordance with the Health & Safety at Work Act.
  • To work in accordance with the Data Protection Act and Macc policies on Data Protection and Open Data.
  • To carry out the above duties, and any other reasonable duties commensurate with the responsibilities of the post.