Employment Manager – ThinkForward

Salary: £37-42,000

Start date: immediate

Location: Office base at Basford Hall

Reporting to: ThinkForward Lead Manager

(Business Engagement Manager for business engagement activity)

Responsible for: 4 x Progression Coaches

ThinkForward runs a breakthrough programme which intervenes early to ensure that young people make a successful transition from school to work. ThinkForward targets schools and young people with large numbers of young people at risk of not making a successful transition from school. We provide youngpeoplewithinformation,support andhighquality one-to-one coaching,groupinterventionsandvaluedpost-16careeropportunities and ultimatelyasaferandmoresuccessfulpathway intoemploymentandadulthood. Young people are supported for5years,from 13-18 yearsold

ThinkForward has recently become an independent charity, after being founded and incubated by Impetus-Private Equity Foundation.

ThinkForward is partnering with Rebalancing the Outer Estates Foundation and with funding support from the Careers and Enterprise Company to launch in four Nottingham schools in 2016.

Overview and purpose of the role

To lead the establishment of ThinkForward in four schools in Nottingham North.

To manage the day to day service delivery of the ThinkForward programme to ensure targets are met and an exceptionally high quality service is maintained. Line management of a team of four Progression Coaches including regular supervision to effectively deliver the programme to the highest possible standards.

To develop relationships with businesses able to provide work experience, mentoring and job placements for young people supported by the programme.

Key responsibilities

WithProgression Coaches and colleagues

  1. Performance manage Progression Coaches, including objective setting, reviews, appraisals and supervision
  2. Ensure Progression coaches complete the required paperwork and data recording
  3. Support Progression Coaches with management of their caseloads of young people
  4. Carry out quality assurance, including observations of one-to-ones, group activities and external interventions, providing feedback and continual professional development opportunities to staff
  5. Promote staff development and well-being through group supervision, development and training
  6. Provide advice on safeguarding concerns, report on child protection referrals and safe working practice
  7. Work with colleagues to collect/analyse required data and report on outcomes achieved
  8. Support the recruitment and induction of new team members as required

With partners

  1. Identify local businesses to partner with ThinkForward, including provision of work experience, taster/insight days, and mentoring.
  2. Identify local businesses to partner with ThinkForward through offering jobs and apprenticeships for participants.
  3. Develop and manage a network of other charities ThinkForward can work with to support the development of young people
  4. Manage relationships with school partners

Person specification

ThinkForward operates a staff competency framework to inform our recruitment and performance management of staff. The following behaviours define the expectations for this position.

Communication / Taking active steps to communicate new developments in a timely manner
Ensures communications reflect brand, values and objectives
Able to use of the strengths of different channels and methods of communication appropriately
Ability to communicate with staff of different levels from a variety of different stakeholders
Ability to communicate information appropriately to different audiences in an interesting and stimulating style
Planning and Organising / Very strong organisational and project management skills, including use of appropriate tools and systems
Delegates appropriate tasks and uses follow-up mechanisms to achieve results and to free up own time
Links plans and priorities to business objectives and partners’ strategies
Self motivated, able to work independently and proactively
Think resourcefully to get things done (eg. in the absence of sufficient funds or resources)
Teamwork / Working collaboratively across functions/departments in order to achieve objectives
Building lasting relationships with different stakeholders for example schools, colleges, other charities, alternative education providers and employers
Focused on deliverables whilst also positively contributing to the wider development of the project
Impact and quality focused / Holding self and other team members accountable for achieving personal and team goals, delivering impact and improving quality
Driven by excellent standards and high quality, and experience of undertaking quality assurance activity and feeding back to colleagues
Use of data including Client or team feedback to monitor progress or improve provision
Professional expertise / Leading a team, ideally including experience of working with a remote team
Sharing expertise with others in order to improve skills
Seeks to continually develop own skills and practice identified through reflective practice and feedback from colleagues
Understanding of complex set of barriers that vulnerable young people face in and outside school that impact their learning and progression
Understanding of services available for young people
Understanding of CEIAG and the importance of tailored progression planning for vulnerable young people

Values

ThinkForward staff operate to the following values:

  • Trusted – ThinkForward trusts its staff, offering an where people can work autonomously and opportunities for development and stretch of skills and experience
  • Preventative – ThinkForward’s approach is preventative, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of its staff and young people
  • Collaborative – ThinkForward employees collaborate to achieve the objectives in our business plan
  • Impact Focused – ThinkForward is impact-focused, constantly reviewing and improving its approach to make sure we provide the best services for young people and working environment for its staff

AtThinkForward wearecommittedtosafeguarding andprotectingthechildren,youngpeopleand vulnerableadultsweworkwith.StaffarerequiredtoundertakeanenhancedDBSDisclosureand wehave arangeofpolicies andprocedures inplacetohelpusprotect thesegroupsofpeople.Throughour recruitmentandvettingprocesseswewillensurethatweonlyemploythemostsuitablepeople.

To apply

Toapplyplease send a CV and covering letter to

Thedeadline forapplications is12:00 on 12thApril.