Job Title: Learning and Development Officer

Responsible to: Housing Services Manager

Responsible for: No other staff are supervised by this post

Organisational Context

Liverpool YMCA is a Charity, a Company Limited by guarantee, a Registered Provider of Social Housing and a member of the National Housing Federation. Liverpool YMCA currently deliver support to over 160 beds of accommodation across Liverpool – this is spread across 24/7 Hostel Provision, Supported Tenancies and specific support and accommodation for women and their children fleeing from or at risk of domestic violence. Our staff team of over 70 have shown dedication, compassion and a drive to support some of the most disenfranchised people in the city. We work across multiple sites, providing support and housing services

Liverpool YMCA is also a delivery partner with the Liverpool Waves of Hope Project. Through this we provide 9 units of supported accommodation and a move on service for those with multiple and complex needs. We also work with Merseycare to provide 10 specialist step up/step down beds to enable individuals to leave inpatient Mental Health services or prevent an individual from being admitted or readmitted to hospital.

Throughout our support services we have implemented a psychologically informed approach, this helps people to make changes in their lives by enabling support staff to assess and seek support for an individual underlying needs. This approach is underpinned by staff using Cognitive Analytical Therapy and Trauma Informed Care.

In addition, Liverpool YMCA also offer therapeutic horticulture, care of livestock, low impact sports and activities and a range of development opportunities at Dutch Farm. This is based from a small former landfill site in Garston, South Liverpool. In this environment LYMCA service users and service users from our partner agencies can learn how to grow food whilst also gaining work skills and enjoying activities such as archery, arts and crafts and outdoor cooking.

LYMCA developed and managed the Mainstay Service for the City of Liverpool – It provides 24 hour assessment points to assess homeless individuals for accommodation and support services.

The YMCA is committed to setting the standards rather than meeting them, it is an equal opportunities employer, a Living Wage Employer and achieved IIP Gold-rated standard in 2014, this accolade recognises world class business practice, demonstrating exceptional working practices in areas such as people management, leadership, staff involvement and empowerment, work life balance and health and well being of our staff.

LYMCA training is accredited to deliver over 20 nationally recognised qualifications including certificates endorsed by leading industry awards organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Housing and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. In 2014 LYMCA training successfully developed and delivered the regions first accredited qualification ‘Enablement in Housing’ for supporting homeless people.

In 2009 this YMCA was the first one to achieve QAF level A for its support services in Liverpool, which denotes that we are providing an excellent and innovative service, which has led us to become leaders in our field.

Job Purpose

The focus within this particular role is to develop the organisation and its staff to achieve its strategic objectives through planned L&D interventions. You will also be responsible for the learning and development of residents and volunteers and help them achieve their own personal goals. These will be delivered in partnership with existing L&D staff and under the consultation of the Operational Leadership Team (OLT) and The Director of Operations

Hours of work

The post holder will be working a rota of early and late shifts over 7 days including weekends and bank holidays

Duties and responsibilities

  • Facilitate the day to day operation of the L&D provision including Liverpool YMCA training, volunteering provision and organisational compliance in partnership with existing L&D staff
  • Maintain excellent communication with LYMCA Management team

Responsibilities to the OLT and Director of Operations

  • To compile reports on all aspects of the L&D provision as and when requested
  • To make recommendations to the Operational Leadership Team (OLT) and Director of Operations on the development of staff in meeting the organisations business aims and objectives
  • Assist the Operational Leadership team with recruitment of new staff including staff inductions

Learning and development -Personal and Organisational

  • Provides a professional internal L&D consultancy to improve skills and competencies of the workforce and enable successful delivery of the organisation’s objectives
  • Manages and prioritises own portfolio of work, consisting of professional learning and development and project-based responsibilities to meet required deadlines and objectives
  • Regularly undertakes research and development in relation to L&D including researching upcoming good practice, benchmarking with other organisations/industries to add value to our internal L&D services
  • Provides support, advice and guidance for managers and the team to identify training needs for current and future service needs and to develop competency profiles that support outcomes
  • Ensures the organisation meets it long term business aims through structured self assessment against national competency frameworks, preparing for inspections/audits
  • Producing and developing training materials for nationally accredited courses to recruit and run externallyin-house courses for existing staff
  • One to one coaching with staff to support performance in specific areas
  • Maintain centre compliance and exceeding standards with external regulatory bodies including Care Quality Commission, Adult Services quality assessment framework, Investors in People, Investing in Volunteers, Chartered Institute of Housing and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health
  • Maintaining effective systems for the retention of data for internal and external staff in line with Liverpool YMCAs data protection policy

Compliance and Development

  • To carry out periodic audits to assess the level of compliance
  • Maintain an in-depth knowledge on changes to regulatory compliance, polices, procedures and processes through continuing personal professional development
  • Support the OLT in the development of business opportunities locally across housing and health sectors
  • Support the development of communication, marketing and social media material for Liverpool YMCA

Working with residents, volunteers and projects

  • To conduct individual training needs assessments on new residents entering the service
  • To be proactive in encouraging and inspiring residents to engage in activities and training sessions both in-house and nationally accredited
  • Identify those residents who are not engaging with activities and make efforts to draw them into activities and training
  • Leading, implementing and development of training and voluntary work opportunities in the community for residents, including networking with voluntary services, colleges, employers and training providers
  • Coordinate and develop Liverpool YMCA volunteering projects including recruitment, induction, supervision and training of volunteers
  • Create partnerships to support the YMCA’s project work and funding
  • Recruit resident mentors within the organisation and facilitate opportunities for them to gain mentoring skills and opportunities to come back to the YMCA following resettlement, as a volunteer

Health and Safety

  • Liaise with all emergency services
  • Ensure at all times the safety of yourself and others on the premises in which you work
  • Conduct Health and Safety checks as required
  • Report, log and communicate all incidents to the appropriate people
  • Conduct welfare checks as specified during your shift
  • Ensure adherence to LYMCA visitor’s policy and procedure

Teamwork

  • Develop trusting and secure working relationships with colleagues, sharing information and expertise, covering absence and working together to deliver high quality services.
  • Maintain contacts with local statutory and voluntary agencies and organisations attending/ representing LYMCA at relevant local community forums, seminars and conferences as required.
  • Contribute to the organisation and formulation of policy and procedures
  • Attend and participate in team meetings to ensure good communications and liaison with colleagues
  • Prepare for and attend supervision and appraisal sessions with the Housing Services Manager, taking direction as appropriate and contributing to the development of both you and the programme

Representing LYMCA

  • Attend all meetings both internal and external as and when required
  • Attend stakeholder days, forums and other external events
  • Coordination of training events and open days
  • Representing the YMCA at regional and national level from time to time
  • Develop relationships with partner agencies, referral agencies and all other stakeholders

General

  • Uphold and develop LYMCA Equal Opportunities policy of anti discrimination across all services
  • Ensure compliance with Code of conduct, including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times
  • Deal promptly with all complaints
  • Report all safeguarding incidents
  • Familiarise yourself with and ensure compliance with all LYMCA policies and procedures
  • Conduct Mainstay assessments and related tasks with homeless individuals
  • Prepare for and attend supervision and annual appraisal with your line manager taking direction as appropriate and contributing to the development of both yourself and the programme

It is recognised that the association is operating in a dynamic environment and as such this job description may be varied in consultation with the post holder to reflect evolving needs of the business and changing nature of the job

Person Specification Learning and Development Officer

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications / A nationally recognised qualification in adult education - PTLLS, DTLLS, Assessors award
Evidence of continuing professional development
Educated to graduate level or significant relevant experience / Qualification in L&D
CIPD associate member
Internal Verification/Auditing qualification
Nationally recognised I.T qualification
Experience / Experience of organisational development
Experience of meeting compliance frameworks
Demonstrable experience of design, delivery and evaluation of training for multi-professional groups across a wide range of subjects
Experience of verifying/auditing internal qualifications, processes and systems / Experience of delivering training to disadvantaged groups
Experience of meeting national competency frameworks relating to adult social care including the Care Quality Commission
Knowledge / A working knowledge of teaching /assessment processes and evaluation strategies
A working knowledge of awarding bodies and the associated standards expected
A working knowledge of local training organisations and their individual referral processes / Knowledge of homeless services and strategies
Knowledge of national compliance frameworks relating to care and support
Skills / Facilitate the day to day operation of the training provision
Assist with the management and development of a volunteercohort through sound recruitment, selection, induction procedures
Ability to develop the potential of individual staff utilisingLNA and PDPs
Competent in using advanced I.T skills to support delivery of tasks and have capacity to learn new applications and packages
Analytical, data collation and report writing skills
Behaviour/ attributes / Committed to improving the lives of people with complex needs
Develop and sustain excellent working relationships with stakeholders.
Develop and sustain sound working relationships with local people and local community groups.
Committed to own personal development and CPD
Creative and dynamic with the ability to “think outside the box” when providing solutions
Energetic, highly motivated with a reputation of being held in high regard by their peers.
Excellent interpersonal/ communication skills
Excellent negotiation/ mediation skills
Committed to own career development
Reliable