Programme Manager - Qualifications, the Communication Trust

April 2013

Dear Candidate,

Programme Manager - Qualifications, The Communication Trust

Fixed term to 31st March 2015

35 Hours Per week

£40,297 per annum

Thank you for your interest in applying for the above new role, please find following:

Information about The Communication Trust
Job Description & Person Specification
The Application Form

To apply please return the completed application form to the HR team by email or post by 10am, Tuesday 7th May and Interviews will be help in Central London on Tuesday 14th May 2013.

Please ensure that you have addressed all the skills listed in the person specification.

In the interests of economy we will only notify those candidates who are short-listed.

Thank you for your interest and we look forward to receiving your application.

Yours faithfully

Richard Thayre

Human Resources

The Communication Trust

The Communication Trust is a coalition of nearly 50 voluntary and community organisations with expertise in speech, language and communication. We harness our collective expertise to support the children's workforce and commissioners to meet the speech, language and communication needs of all children and young people, particularly those who require extra support.

We do this by raising awareness, providing information and workforce development opportunities, influencing policy, promoting best practice among the children's workforce and commissioning work from our members. The Trust is advised by specialist advisors and works with a broader network of partners.
The Trust was founded by Afasic, BT, Council for Disabled Children and I CAN, who now form the Programme board. I CAN are also the legal hosts for The Trust and support recruitment of new staff.

The Trust’s work is supported by the Department for Education and other funders. More information can be found at

JOB DESCRIPTION

POST:Programme Manager: Qualifications and workforce development

BASED AT:31 Angel Gate, EC1

DURATION:Until March 2015

REPORTS TO:Operations Director of The Communication Trust

Overview:

The Communication Trust has recently been successful in receiving a grant from the Department for Education to deliver a sustainable e-learning platform that will support early year’s practitioners to access a qualification in speech, language and communication via an online modular approach. The innovative 2 year pilot will ensure early years practitioners are able to access the qualification across early years settings via a not-for-profit e-learning platform. This significant cross-sector partnership model will ensure a scalable and sustainable approach for nationwide delivery by March 2015 offering mainstream routes of delivery.

The Trust requires an experienced programme manager to manage all aspects of this project on behalf of the Trust, working with a range of stakeholders including 3 accrediting bodies, 2 local authorities, a leading national training provider and a large early years service provider.

In the period 2013-2017 The Trust will use four strategies to achieve our aims:

1.Making speech, language and communication a burning issue

2.Empowering the workforce

3.Strengthening our base

4.Supporting the changing local landscape for services

This project – developed and managed by the programme manager - will deliver on strategic objectives 2 and 4 supporting more members of the children & young people’s workforce to develop skills in supporting communication and will enable more employers and local authorities to train and develop the skills of their staff.

Scope & Objectives:

To manage all of the Trust’s qualifications programmers’, working directly with the Professional Director and Department for Education and relevant government and other agencies involved in skills development for the children and young people’s workforce.
To lead on development of the details of the online learning qualifications project, including evaluation and sustainability, with the project funder and 7 partners.
To manage an innovative and unique working model of partners from the private, education, public and voluntary sectors, including competitors, to deliver an effective system of training and accreditation of early year’s workers to support young children in a range of settings.
To develop and deliver a sustainability plan for all of The Communication Trust’s qualifications work stream.
To line manage staff delivering on agreed programmes.
To develop , demonstrate and deliver a robust evaluation strategy – signed off by the Trust SMT

Specific Responsibilities – Qualifications and workforce development programme

To manage the wider qualification programme of work reporting into the Department for Education

To research and analyse potential markets for delivery of the Trust’s level 3 Award and support local authority delivery

To support and lead strategic partnerships to ensure speech, language and communication sits across the new early years qualification

To keep abreast of wider policy developments and response and input into these developments

To develop and implement a communication strategy to ensure speech, language and communication remains prevalent in practitioners workforce development training and qualifications

To manage and implement the initial teacher training strategy working with the professional director

Provide any additional information that the Operations Director needs to manage all reporting back to the Programme Board and to funders.
Responsibility for the dissemination of all information about the projects

Manage all staff relevant to these projects, including contracted staff.

Manage any contracted partners for delivery of activities central to the projects.

Manage any additional projects required by the Operations Director

Specific Responsibilities – Grant delivery & Budget Management

To manage and deliver the e-learning platform grant to time and budget

To meet and report on all KPIs as indicated in grant contract

To manage all external stakeholders involved in the delivery of the project including named partners, beneficiaries and other partners, including leading and organising stakeholder meetings and progress reviews as appropriate.

To ensure effective management of consortium involvement in the delivery of the project

To report as required to the Department of Education on project KPIs

To develop, manage and oversee the evaluation for the grant

To analyze and present the business development strategy for the e-learning platform

To ensure regular reporting to Operations Director to ensure the projects are working to agreed timetable, budget and is achieving agreed outputs and outcomes, reporting any exceptions.

Personal Development

To maintain & develop up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, literature & research relating to Speech, language and communication.
Undertake relevant training and development, as required.
Participate and contribute to one’s own performance appraisal and supervision sessions

General Requirements

To represent The Communication Trust at external events such as conferences etc.
Attend and contribute to appropriate staff meetings and training.
Adhere to all relevant health and safety protocols as they apply in the course of the work.
Ensure that all policies and procedures relating to the protection of children and in any services visited or worked within are followed at all times.
Avoid any behaviour that discriminates against your fellow colleagues or potential employees.
Safeguard at all times confidentiality of information relating to children, staff and the partners’ work.

The list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required and is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

*The Communication Trust is run as a restricted fund of I CAN. The Communication Trust has its own identity, brand and messages.

Person Specification – Programme Manager

CRITERIA / ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE
EXPERIENCE /

Experience of strategically managing multiple projects to tight deadlines

Experience of working within a qualifications and training remit

Experience of setting up and managing multi-agency collaborative working groups

Experience in setting up and monitoring complex and large budgets

Experienced in multiple funder and stakeholder management

Experience of setting up reporting & evaluation systems for quality, deadlines & best practice.

Proven track record of developing & delivering successful projects, including the development of concepts, business plans, budgets and project plans; staff and partner recruitment; implementation; evaluation; reporting and monitoring

Experience of working directly within the policy sector, influencing and advising senior stakeholders

Experience of working with or within SLCN system and / or adult education field

PRINCE2 trained

Experience of working with awarding bodies/ awarding centres / training bodies

SKILLS /

Ability to absorb and distill complicated information to wide audiences

Project management & problem solving skills

Excellent interpersonal skills- able to manage multiple stakeholders with different perspectives and agenda and excellent team work skills

Excellent presentation skills

Attention to detail – able to set and monitor a complex programme plan across several projects hosted in different organisations/locations

An experienced chair – able to contribute to meetings with high level participants

Able to report complex financial and project information to multiple stakeholders

Ability to manage and influence policy landscape

excellent analytical and strategic management skills

KNOWLEDGE /

Understanding of the voluntary sector; relationships within voluntary sector and relationships between voluntary, private and public sectors

Knowledge of the process of accreditation, the qualification and credits framework

/ Knowledge of the disability field would be an advantage in particular Speech, Language and Communication Needs
OTHERS /

Committed to the overall aims of the project

Commitment to safe guarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people

Able to be flexible (within reasonable limits) over the timing and location of working hours

Summary of Terms and Conditions

Job Title: / Programme Manager Qualifications
Term: / Fixed term to 31st March 2015
Start Date: / ASAP
Location: / 31 Angel Gate, Goswell Road, London, EC1
Salary: / £40,297 per annum
Hours: / 35 hours per week with one unpaid hour for lunch each day, occasional out of hours working, overnight stays and some travel for which notice will be given.
Annual Leave / 25 days per annum plus bank holidays and Christmas closure
Probation: / There is a standard probationary period of 6 months.
Pension: / After 3 months, staff employed on a continuing contract, or temporary contract of minimum 6 months, are entitled to join the I CAN group pension scheme with Aviva. Employer contribution 4.5%, minimum employee contribution 3%.
Childcare Voucher Scheme: / TCT operates a childcare voucher scheme which allows staff to save on childcare costs.
Season Ticket Loan / Following the probation period, TCT offers an interest free loan to purchase an annual season ticket from the relevant rail company or London Underground Ltd.
CycleLoan / We offer an interest free loan to purchase a bike for travel to & from work, after passing the probationary period.
Employee Assistance Scheme / TCT operates an EAP which enables staff and their immediate families to access free, confidential independent support, 24 hrs/365 days a year on a wide range of work/personal issues e.g. stress, bereavement, financial issues etc.
Application for Employment Form
Please return to:
Human Resources Team, I CAN, 8 Wakley Street, London, EC1V 7EQ
Email: : ,uk Fax: 020 7713 5497 /

Please complete this form in full supplemented by additional sheets if necessary.

CV’s WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED:

All personal data supplied to us on this form, which is subsequently processed on computer or by other means, is subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Position applied for: / Closing Date: / Vacancy Ref No.:
Where did you see this job advertised?

Personal details

Last Name: / Title: (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Dr/Prof) / First names: (for official purposes)
Address: / Preferred name: (name you wish to be known as)
National Insurance number:
Post code: / Home telephone number:
E-mail address: / Confidential fax number:
Mobile telephone number: / Work telephone number:
If you are a teacher, please provide: / DfES number
GTC registration number

Employment(if applicable)

Name of current/last employer:
Title/description of your current job and key responsibilities: / Start date: End date:
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Reason for leaving:

Previous Employment

Start Date

End Date

Job Title

Employer

Reason for Leaving

Education and Qualifications

Date Gained

Name of School/College/University

Subjects

Qualification and Grade

Training

Date

Topic Covered

Training Provider

Professional Membership/Registration

Issuing Body

Registration Number

Expiry Date

Suitability

Please assess yourself against the requirement of the Person Specification, giving examples of how you meet the defined criteria. Ensure you are concise and to the point. You may continue on additional sheets if necessary.

Qualifications – essential and desirable

Experience – essential and desirable

Skills and Knowledge – essential and desirable

Other Factors

Referees

Please give the names and addresses of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. Students should give the names of a lecturer/tutor/supervisor as appropriate. If you are applying for a post involving direct contact with children, at least one referee must be able to comment on your child contact experience. We will normally request references before interview; if you do not wish us to contact them without your consent, please put a cross (X) next to their name.

1. / Name: / Telephone number:
Capacity known to you:
Address: / Confidential fax number:
E-mail address:
2. / Name: / Telephone number:
Capacity known to you:
Address: / Confidential fax number:
E-mail address:

Additional Information

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Asylum and Immigration Act 1966

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Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

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If yes please give details in a separate envelope. You are required to give details of a 'spent conviction' as provided by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 as the post is one that involves direct contact with children where we need to know about all convictions.

List 99/ Protection of Children Act List

Are you included on List 99 or the Protection of Children Act List? / Yes / No

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Signed………………………………………………………..Date...... ………..

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