Post Title:Relief Shop Manager (FIXED TERM DECEMBER 2018)

Dear Applicant

Post Title:Relief Shop Manager (FIXED TERM DECEMBER 2018)

Salary Range:£17,987 - £20,730 pro rata

Hours:24 hours per week

Closing date:Sunday 13th May 2018

Informal Enquiries to:Jackie Kennedy, Retail Business Manager

Thank you for your recent enquiry regarding the above vacancy. I have pleasure enclosing an application pack containing;

• An Application Form. Please note we do not accept CVs.
• An Equal Opportunities Form.
• A Job Description (for reference only).
• A Person Specification (for reference only).
• An Information sheet containing details of the terms and conditions applying to the post (for reference only).

Please note that only candidates who are shortlisted and invited for interview will receive further communication regarding the process of an application. I would therefore like to thank you for the interest you have shown in this vacancy with The Ayrshire Hospice and look forward to receiving your Application for this post.

Yours sincerely

LORNA SAMSON

People Development Officer

INFORMATION

FOR CANDIDATES

POST OF:Relief Shop Manager
BASE:Various across Ayrshire
REF NO:AH/11/18

Thank you for applying for the above post with the Ayrshire Hospice. This information sheet summarises the terms and conditions related to the post. The Hospice has recently undertaken a Pay and Benefit Review and the following terms and conditions will be effective from 1 April 2016.

ABOUT THE POST:

Employing Organisation:Ayrshire Hospice

Job Description:A job description is attached.

Salary/Grade Scale:£17,987 - £20,730 pro rata

Your salary will be paid into your bank account on the last Friday of each month.

Hours of Work:24 hours per week

Annual Leave:Leave year is from April – March

30 days (225 hours) on commencing employment

32 days (240 hours) after 5 years’ service

For part time staff, this will be applied on a pro-rata basis and also allocated in hours.

Public Holidays:Entitlement is 37.5 hours based on the 5 designated Public Holidays per annum, and on a 5 day week working 7.5 hours per day. The 37.5 hours entitlement is due to all whole time staff irrespective of work pattern.

For part time staff, this will be applied on a pro-rata basis and also allocated in hours.

Pensions:The Company will comply with the employer pension duties in accordance with Part 1 of the Pensions Act 2008 by automatically enrolling you where eligibility criteria is met, in the Group Personal Pension Plan.

The Hospice provides a generous employer contribution of 7.5% of your salary per month provided a minimum 2.5% employee contribution is made.

Asylum AndThe Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 and 2004(Section 8)

Immigration Act 1996checks to ensure that all employees are legally employed

And 2004 (Section 8):in the United Kingdom. Candidates will be asked to provide relevant original documents prior to an offer of employment being made. Any offer of employment will only be made when the organisation is satisfied that the candidate is the rightful holder of the documents and is legally eligible for employment within the United Kingdom.

Medical Examination:Any offer of employment is conditional upon a satisfactory medical report from the Occupational Health Department. You may be offered employment conditional on confirmation that you are medically fit for employment. A commencement date for employment will only be agreed following this confirmation.

Rehabilitation ofThis post is not exempt from the provision of

Offenders Act:Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemptions) Order 1975.

References:Two satisfactory written references must be obtained prior to any offer of employment being made. These should include current and previous employers as requested in the job application form. This is in line with our Recruitment and Selection Policy.

Informal Enquiries:Informal enquiries are welcomed by Jackie Kennedy, who can be contacted on 01292 288488.

Closing Date:Your completed application form should be submitted to:-

Administration Department

Ayrshire Hospice

35 Racecourse Road

AYR

KA7 2TG

Or emailed to

By: Sunday 13th May 2018

JOB DESCRIPTION

1.JOB IDENTIFICATION

Job Title: ReliefShop Manager
Responsible to: Retail Business Manager
Department(s): Fundraising
Directorate: Finance & Fundraising
No of Job Holders: 1
Last Update: December 2017

2. JOB PURPOSE

To provide cover for Manager posts across all Hospice shops and warehousing during periods of absence of the Manager due to planned leave e.g. annual leave or unplanned leave e.g. sickness absence.
To undertake the day to day management of all retail and trading activities within a Hospice charity shop and warehouse in the absence of the Manager, receiving and processing a wide range of donated goods for onward re-sale within the commercial shop retail environment.
To provide temporary leadership of volunteer staff in the delivery and management of a professional shop retail function. This will incorporate responsibility for maintaining a staffing rota, volunteer training and the supervision, support and motivation of volunteers in their day to day duties.
3. DIMENSIONS
Provides cover for Manager posts across all Hospice shops throughout North, South and East Ayrshire covering a wide geographical area which requires extensive travelling on an on-going basis. Providing cover at our warehouse when required.
Directly manages retail trading activities. Oversees and supervisesa team of approximately 20 – 30 volunteers in all aspects of shop retail activities.
Work with all sections of the general public and local community using a wide range of skills including communication, administration, and promotion to ensure a strong positive public image of the Hospice is maintained.
Responsible for ensuring that the shop and warehouse environments meet all relevant Health & Safety standards and comply with fire regulations.

4. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION

5. ROLE OF ORGANISATION

The Ayrshire Hospice is an experienced source of outstanding quality care and services which helps those with any life limiting illness. Care is provided where there is no cure for the condition, but which improves the quality of each day for people who have a limited time to live.
Our Vision
We will reach and improve the lives of everyone in Ayrshire affected by life limiting illness
Our Purpose
The Ayrshire Hospice, working together with others, will reach and improve the lives of everyone in Ayrshire affected by life limiting illness by delivering exceptional care.
Our commitment
In putting people at the heart of everything we do, we will work together to:
•Support every person as a unique and valued individual
•Respect the dignity of everyone
•Listen to and respect the wishes of people
In striving to be exceptional in every aspect of our services, we will:
•Provide a safe, comfortable, caring environment
•Develop and provide high quality services that are underpinned by audit and research
•Demonstrate clinical, financial and organisational excellence
•Work to achieve financial sustainability
•Deliver effective leadership and management throughout the organisation
•Ensure we have the right number of people with the right skills in the right place at the right time
In building relationships, we will:
•Listen to, respect and value the contribution of everyone
•Work together to improve all of our services
•Extend our collaboration with external partners

6. KEY RESULT AREAS

1. Manage and co-ordinate all aspects of merchandising of donated goods within each shop and warehouse. Manage the categorisation, preparation and presentation of goods to achieve an effective standard of merchandising. Prepare and execute effective in-store and window displays to promote key goods and products.

1. Co-ordinate the processing of received donated goods ensuring effective quality control procedures are implemented in the sorting, selection and presentation of goods. Support volunteer staff in the application of quality control procedures in line with Hospice retailing guidelines.

1. Administer effective stock control of donated goods to ensure demand for key stock lines is met. Review and assess directly donated local stock on an on-going basis, liaising with the central distribution and warehouse to request supplementary stock as required.

1. Apply Hospice retailing pricing guidelines to optimal effect to help maximise income from available stock. Develop and undertake own in-store promotions and implement designated area-wide Hospice shop promotions to improve sales levels and sales income.

1. Establish a culture of excellent customer care within the shop, training and supporting volunteer staff to develop positive and professional relationships with customers and deal effectively with any customer concerns or complaints. Ensure a high standard of donor acknowledgement and affirmation is also achieved to aid in securing repeat donations.

1. Administer the Electronic Point of Sale (EPOS) till system to ensure that it is operated effectively and accurately by all shop sales assistants (paid & voluntary). Ensure details of all relevant donated goods are entered into the system for stock control purposes and all sales are processed in line with shop till procedures to achieve agreed data capture.

1. Review all incoming donated goods to identify potential specialist or ‘high value’ items. Liaise with Retail Business Manager to select alternative sales avenues/routes for these goods in order to generate increased revenue & return. Alternative sales markets will include auctions, EBay and onward sale to specialist retailers.

1. Undertake cashier role in the collection, recording, receipting and safeguarding of all incoming cash to the shop. Maintain a comprehensive record of all financial transactions retaining supporting paperwork and documentation as appropriate. Prepare all shop takings and other cash income for banking on a daily basis. Organise relevant secure cash transit and/or storage facilities as required, ensuring compliance with Hospice cash security procedures. Administer the shop petty cash system recording and monitoring all vouched expenses and preparing and submitting petty cash reimbursement claims for submission to finance department.

1. Manage and oversee the systems and processes to enable the recovery of gift aid income from the sale of donated goods. Ensure that eligible amounts claimed under the gift aid scheme are maximised and that appropriate supporting records and documentary evidence is maintained in line with scheme requirements.

1. Train volunteer staff in all aspects of their work, including cash handling, customer service, manual handling, store promotion, pricing policy, display, merchandising and all relevant health & safety best practice. Ensure all relevant Hospice human resource policies and procedures are followed in the day to day management of volunteer staff.

1. Manage and co-ordinate the input of volunteer staff to shop trading activities, ensuring appropriate manpower resources (paid & voluntary) are available to effectively support and execute each day’s trading. Determine work priorities for supporting volunteer staff and delegate work and tasks to volunteers as appropriate.

1. Work with the Retail Business Manager and Facilities Manager to ensure that the shop working environment is safe for staff, volunteers and the general public. Ensure compliance with all relevant Health & Safety requirements including completing risk assessments and fire safety reviews. Achieve and maintain high standards of housekeeping, organisation and cleanliness throughout the shop premises.

1. Under take warehouse duties as required to support warehouse operation. This may be lone working and therefore you must adhere to Lone worker policy and comply with all procedures implemented for this lone worker post.

7a. EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY

The main piece of equipment used is an electronic point of sale system (EPOS). The EPOS is used to manage stock control of all donated goods, process all cash receipts from shop sales, aid in financial control of monies, process gift aid claims and to provide analysis of shop sales by category to inform stock control and sales promotions.
A personal computer is used to operate spreadsheet software for the recording of financial information. Through the use of e-mail software and systems, the PC is also used as a key communication tool.
A manual trolley, mobile hanging rail and safety steps will be used to support the safe moving and handling of goods around the shop and warehouse premises.
7b. SYSTEMS
A manual volunteer staff database and rota system will be used to co-ordinate volunteer availability with staffing resource requirements for the shop.
A petty cash system will be maintained to meet day to day small operational expenses of the shop. A manual petty cash system is administered recording and monitoring all vouched expenses and preparing and submitting petty cash reimbursement claims for submission to finance department.
Use of Microsoft Word is required to produce correspondence and reports. Use of Microsoft Excel is required to produce spreadsheets that contain financial analysis and statistics to meet reporting requirements.
Daily use of Microsoft Outlook for communicating with Hospice colleagues and to distribute shops information and reports.

8. ASSIGNMENT AND REVIEW OF WORK

The scheduling and allocation of the Relief Manager’s cover for the Hospice Shop Managers will be undertaken by the Retail Business Manager. All planned relief manager cover required will be communicated to the post-holder as far in advance as possible. Assigned cover and work may however require to be changed by the Retail Business Manager at short notice as a result of re-prioritised needs to provide unplanned cover. The post-holder will therefore require switching tasks and changing shop locations/base at short notice.
The post-holder is expected to manage their workload within agreed policies and to specific timescales set by the Retail Business Manager. This will require the post holder to plan and prioritise their workload taking into account their scheduled relief cover input andthe differing demands of the daily operations of each shop.
The post holder has delegated responsibility and scope within their directly managed retailing activities to use their personal initiative across a range of tasks at various levels e.g. sourcing donated goods, composition and distribution of promotional material, stock controletc
The post holder in co-ordinating the retail operation of the shop and warehouse will determine work priorities for supporting volunteer staff and delegate work and tasks to volunteers as appropriate.
The post holder meets and reports to the Retail Business Manager on a regular basis, giving verbal, written or spreadsheet reports. Annual performance objectives will be agreed with the Retail Business Manager and progress against these will be reviewed on a bi-annual basis.
9. DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
The post-holder has discretion to determine the order in which tasks will be completed to ensure that all relevant shop retail timelines and deadlines are met.
The post holder will identify problems and resolve them in a professional manner where possible, without recourse to the Retail Business Manager and will follow Hospice and departmental policies and procedures with minimal supervision. The post-holder will also respond to requests and enquiries from the general public, supporters and donors in relation to the retailing operation of the shop and receipt of donated goods.
The post holder will make a range of decisions and judgements in relation to managed retailing activities, processing donated goods, composition and distribution of promotional material, stock control, managing cash & banking and allocating work to volunteers.

10. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB

The requirement to provide temporary management input at each Hospice shop and respond effectively to the differing retailing and staff management needs and challenges of each shop.
The motivation and management of a team of volunteer staff attached to the shop where working relationships are not as well developed due to the temporary nature and input of the relief manager post. Maintaining a good working relationship with all volunteers to support a team-working approach across the staff team and aid in volunteer staff retention.
Supporting volunteers to understand and adhere to Hospice retail and organisational policies and procedures.
Lone working.
11. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
The main internal contacts for the post holder out-with the Department are:

• Volunteers to consider and discuss the roles and requirements of volunteering input to the shop
• Organisational and People Development Team in the management of volunteers, dealing with recruitment, induction and training of new volunteers and the retirement of existing volunteers
• Hospice Staff

The main external contacts for the post holder are:

• General public and local community groups to engender support for the Hospice and encourage to donate goods or undertake voluntary work
• Other service providers and organisations within the community to establish good working relationships and aid promotion of the Hospice
• Suppliers and contractors to sell ‘rags’ stock and sell or auction specialist/valuable items received via donated goods

12. PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB
PHYSICAL EFFORT/SKILLS
Standard keyboard skills are necessary to enable the post holder to operate the personal computer.
Lifting and handling light to medium loads in the shop and warehousewhen setting up and dismantling displays, sorting donated goods and transferring stock.
The nature of the post will require the post holder to travel to their temporary place of work at each scheduled Hospice shop where they are providing cover. Hospice shops are locatedwidely across Ayrshireand long periods will therefore be spent travelling/driving to/from the designated base each day.
MENTAL EFFORT/SKILLS
Periods of intense concentration are required by the post holder to enable them to analyse financial information and to undertake all cash handling and banking accurately, often working to tight deadlines.
Workflows are interrupted on a regular basis through both telephone contact and responding to unplanned requests, which will necessitate the post holder to switch between tasks.
Focused concentration, compassion and interest required when communicating with and responding to members of the public.
EMOTIONAL EFFORT/SKILLS
The post holder will communicate and build positive relationships on a regular basis with all members of the public purchasing from the shop and making donations, recognising and affirming them as key supporters of the Hospice.
Provides input and support in resolving conflict situations involving upset/angry customers or members of the public, ranging from frequent and of a minor nature to occasional and of a more serious nature.
WORKING CONDITIONS
The post holder will regularly undertake the sorting and processing of donated goods. This will involve regular exposure to handling of unhygienic and insanitary items together with occasional exposure to hazardous materials.
Sorting of donated goods is undertaken within a confined space.
Possible “Lone Worker” requirement – specifically within the warehouse

13. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB

Essential
SVQ II qualification or equivalent in Retail Skills or equivalent retail experience.
Previous experience in a retail management or customer service focused role within a small to medium enterprise.
Experience in dealing with face to face contact with customers and the development of positive customer relationships.
Knowledge of retail management processes and practices, staff management, customer service and direct sales.
Basic knowledge and skills in administration management, marketing and financial processes including cash handling & management
Skilled in managing, developing and motivating a range of staff and have demonstrable management experience and ability to co-ordinate a busy team.
Proficiency in a range of computer applications, particularly databases, e: mail and word processing.
Hold a full & clean driving license and have the ability to provide own transport.
Desirable
A working knowledge and understanding of consumer trading standards legislation and regulations
Specific experience within a voluntary sector role and charity shop environment
Having an awareness of market trends and monitoring our competitors
Knowledge of retail Gift aid and experience in sales analysis and sales floor layout and linear footage.
14. JOB DESCRIPTION AGREEMENT
A separate job description will need to be signed off by each jobholder to whom the job description applies.
Job Holder’s Signature:
Head of Department Signature: / Date:
Date: