26 January 2016

Dear Applicant,

Re:Front of House Worker - Nights

Thank you for your interest in the above post.

Enclosed is a job pack containing the following:

  • Welcome to Applicants
  • Job Profile
  • Policy on the Recruitment of Ex Offenders
  • Guidelines for working with Young People and Vulnerable Adults
  • Aims & Purposes of the YMCA

I have also enclosed an application form for your completion. Please be aware that the closing date for this vacancy is Wednesday 10th February 2016at 9am and the interview date is week commencing 15th February.

Please return email applications to or hard copies by hand or post to Human Resources, Reed House, 47 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2BE.

When completing the application form, make sure you refer to the requirements of the role as set out in the job profile, as short listing for interview rests on how well you meet these criteria.

We look forward to receiving your completed application. If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application was not successful on this occasion.

YMCA DownsLink Group requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Yours faithfully,

Emily Whiter

Recruitment & HR Systems Co-ordinator

About Us

Thank you for your interest in this role and I hope you find this pack and our website answer your questions. You probably will have heard of YMCA, the largest and oldest youth charity in the world but you may not have heard about us. YMCA DownsLink Group (YMCA DLG) was formed in April 2014, bringing together Guildford and Sussex Central YMCAs into one organisation. So while we have a long heritage we are a young organisation and a new team of Chair and Chief Executive.

We believe that we do really interesting and valuable work. Children, young people and families are at the heart of our work with a particular focus on the needs of young people who find themselves on the fringes of society and need support. We provide a wide range of services including the provision of housing for some 513 people and providing them with support. Last year we made a difference to the lives of over 10,000 children & young people in a variety of ways.

We operate from locations across the South East with our Head Office in Hove. We are one of 125 YMCAs in the UK linked through YMCA England. As part of this federation of YMCAs, we are each an independent, self-governing charity and YMCA England supports us by giving us a national voice.

YMCA DLG has around 400 staff and 150 volunteers and our current turnover is £11.1m. On an annual basis, we collect £4.5m in rent; make over 350 lettings each year and deliver housing support contracts in excess of £2.5m. We also have a development programme with the HCA to bring into management a further 100 units of accommodation over the next 3 years.

Vision

Our vision is of an inclusive Christian movement transforming communities so that all young people can belong, contribute and thrive. You will need to demonstrate a commitment to our Christian aims, but do not have to be a practicing Christian. We value diversity in our staff team to reflect the people that we work with.

Values

We seek out – we actively look for opportunities to make a transformative impact on young lives in the communities where we work, and believe that every person is of equal value

We welcome – we offer people the space they need to feel secure, respected, heard and valued; and we always protect, trust, hope and persevere

We inspire – we strive to inspire each person we meet to realise their full potential in all they do

We speak out – we stand up for young people, speak out on issues that affect their lives, and help them to find confidence in their own voices

We support others – we are committed to the wellbeing of the communities we serve and believe in the positive benefit of participation, locally and in the wider world

Job Profile

Job Title / Front of House Worker (Nights)
Reporting to / Front of House Manager
Service Area / Front of House
Location / Guildford
Contract Type and Employment Period / Permanent
Full-time – 37.5 hours per week
On a rota and including weekends and bank holidays.
Salary (FTE) / £18,556.49 per annum (pro-rated)

Job Purpose:

Thepost holder will ensure that all residents and visitors to the centre receive a friendly and professional welcome. They will support the effective running of the centre; dealing with face to face and telephone inquiries, dealing with student bookings, processing rent payments and supporting the wider staff team to help young residents manage their behaviour and maintain their tenancies. Front of House staff will be responsible for the safety and security of the building and the residents, especially outside of normal business hours.

Responsibilities:

  • To provide a friendly and helpful welcome to all residents and visitors to the building; ensuring that all interaction aligns with our Professional Boundaries Policy.
  • Ensuring the well-being of all users of the building by ensuring that people follow health and safety protocols around for example signing visitors in and out, and evacuating the building following fire alarms.
  • Challenge residents on guest bans, or banned ex-residents or non-residents that are in the building.
  • Ensuring that residents are provided with all relevant items and information including keys, post, internal correspondence passes etc. and that all staff are provided with relevant documents including e.g. timesheets and task-sheets.
  • Operate the telephone switchboard, directing incoming calls or taking messages where appropriate.
  • Take reservations over the telephone, in letter or application form and see that all the necessary procedures are adhered to concerning computer entry and filing for each reservation, maximizing occupancy at all times.
  • Cash up at the end of the shift and balance all monies taken with the day-sheet from the hostel booking system and fill in the bank paying-in book.
  • Understand how the hostel booking system works and collect and monitor all monies paid over the Front Desk according to agreed financial regulations, policies and procedures to minimize arrears and debts.
  • Deal with postal enquiries and send off application forms, and deal with enquiries from prospective residents in a helpful and sales-oriented manner.
  • Be friendly and helpful to all residents, directing any of the Supported Residents with personal issues to their allocated keyworker or the ACM students to the Activities Lead Worker and / or Welfare Officer at the ACM.
  • Deal with administration, correspondence and invoicing according to agreed policies, and ensure all daily and weekly tasks are completed on time.
  • To ensure the banking is taken to the bank on the agreed days, while franking the post and taking it to the Post Office daily (Monday – Friday).
  • Report any incidents on the General Daily Log and drug issues on theWeekly Drug Log. Write up any incidents that require further investigation on an Incident Report Form and hand into the Front of House Manager.
  • Be first aid trained. Provide first aid if required. Proactively assist anyone within the building with first aid, if the need should arise.
  • Play an active role in the Front of House team but contribute to the wider DLG team and assisting staff members where possible and appropriate.
  • Ensure that the staff member coming to relieve you of your duties has hadthe required hand over and is aware of any incidents or suspicions within the building.
  • Make thorough and regular patrols of the building, both inside and out, toensure fire doors are closed and secure and there is no health, fire or safety hazards.
  • Maintain full awareness of the procedures to be taken in the event of the fire alarm being raised.
  • Respond appropriately and effectively, should the lift break down and be able to reset the lift.
  • Use the radios provided when lone working, and maintain communication with a colleague. Use the Town Link Radio if immediate assistance is needed.
  • Attend regular staff training / meetings as required and contribute ideas to assist in the smooth running of the department.
  • Supervise the visitors’ book while ensuring that residents' guests are out of the building at the designated times, and lock the front door between 11pm and 6am to ensure the security of the building.
  • Set up and service conference and function rooms as per the weekly conference sheet.
  • Hand out Cleaner timesheets to the correct member of staff when requested; also hand out appropriate keys and pager.
  • To support the transition to a Youth Minded Community within Bridge Street and develop an understanding of a Trauma Informed approach to working with young people.
  • To take a flexible approach to shift work and support the cover of annual leave and sickness where required.
  • Any other duties which from time to time may be necessary to ensure thesmooth running of the operation as requested by the Front of House Manager.

Nature and Scope:

The significant challenges of this role will be:

To consistently deliver a professional service to a wide variety of clients.

To manage and prioritise a variable workload.

The ability to remain calm whilst under pressure.
To ensure the security and safety of the buildingand the residents.

They will have excellent organisational skills, the ability to prioritise workload and basic computer skills including Word, Excel and Outlook. Applicants must have excellent communication skills, the ability remain calm and solution focused even when dealing with challenging people and situations.

When working a night shift:

The importance of the role cannot be over-emphasised since the control and management of the Centre is their sole responsibility once the management staff have signed off, and by the nature of this post a good deal of discretion, authority and trust are required.

To respond swiftly in emergency situations and refer to the appropriate service.

To consistently deliver a professional service to supported residents, members of the public and students, during the day or night.

To be polite and assertive in difficult situations when dealing with all clients.

To refer and alert the Front of House Manager of any potential risks in terms of safeguarding, health and safety, or other professional concerns.

To ensure the security and safety of the building and the residents.

Person Specification

Knowledge, Job Related Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

Experience / Essential / Desirable
Experience of working in a professional, customer facing setting / *
Experience of working with young people / *
Experience of using IT packages, i.e. Microsoft Office Suite / *
Experience of front of house reception duties / *
Working knowledge of an accommodation bookings system / *
Skills & Abilities
High standards of personal hygiene with a smart appearance / *
Good IT skills to ensure efficient bookings, payments and recording / *
Ability to follow procedures consistently / *
Good literacy and numeracy skills / *
Able to work constructively and supportively as part of a team / *
Ability to work unsupervised in a proactive way, using own initiative / *
Ability to stay calm, solution focused and diffuse challenging situations / *
Well organised, able to manage and prioritise competing demands / *
Ability to be flexible and cover some bank holidays and staff absence / *
Qualifications & Training
Basic education including for example GCSE’s / *
Other qualification in youth, customer services, administration or related field (e.g. NVQ, A levels, HND, degree etc) / *
First Aid Trained / *
General
Be supportive and in sympathy with the Christian mission of the YMCA / *

Key Competencies for this role

  • Teamworking and Co-operation

The postholder will be expected to achieve their own goals and objectives, demonstrating a co-operative and flexible attitude and being enthusiastic and responsive to new challenges.

  • Communication Skills

Formal verbal and written skills. Develop and maintain effective working relationships both internally and externally.

  • Customer Focus

Being responsive, friendly and approachable.

  • Planning and Organising Activities

Organisation and prioritisation of their own tasks and activities, and to contribute to team discussion and planning.

  • Creativity/Adaptability

To contribute fresh ideas and ways of working in the team and being responsive to the needs of whole team issues and ways of working.

  • Integrity and Ethical Behaviour

Understand the Christian aims and purposes of the YMCA, the values of the organisation including our commitment to equality and diversity, the nature of our activities and programmes and commitment to improving the lives of young people, children and families.

  • Self Management

The postholder will be expected to set a good example of excellence in their day to day conduct at work, understanding their own strengths and weaknesses and being committed to continually improving their own professional development.

Policy on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders:

YMCA DownsLink Group actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, with the right mix of talent, skills and potential, and applications are welcome from a wide range of candidates.

We undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any applicant on the basis of a criminal record or other information revealed. Criminal records and other information will be taken into account for recruitment purposes only when they are relevant.

We select all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience. We ask all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record. Depending on the nature of the position applied for, YMCA DownsLink Group may request details of your entire criminal record or only of ‘unspent’ convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

We request that this information is sent under separate, confidential cover to a designated person within YMCA DownsLink Group and we guarantee that this information is only seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process. We would point out that for the successful candidate, this information will be verified by requesting a Disclosure[1] statement from the Disclosure and Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed.

Failure to reveal information that is relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment or subsequent dismissal.

We ensure that all those in YMCA DownsLink Group who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. We also ensure that they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex offenders e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

At interview, or in separate discussion, we ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matters that might be relevant to the position.

For those positions where a Disclosure is required, application forms and guidance notes will contain a statement that a Disclosure will be requested in the event of the candidate being made a conditional offer of employment.

We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a Disclosure with the person seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.

Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with YMCA DownsLink Group. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of any offences. However, as the nature of the YMCA DownsLink Group’s work brings its employees & volunteers into contact with young people (those under 18 years old) and/or vulnerable adults, a criminal record or other information which makes an application unacceptable for a position of trust will render the applicant unsuitable.

As an organisation using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure service to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, this policy complies with the DBS Code of Practice.

Declaration of Criminal Background & Guidelines for Working with Young People and/or Vulnerable Adults

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 sets out to help people who have been convicted of a criminal offence and have not been convicted again in a specified period. This period is known as a rehabilitation period. Once a rehabilitation period has expired and no further offending has taken place, a conviction is considered to be ‘spent’. Once a conviction is spent, the convicted person does not have to reveal it or admit its existence in most circumstances.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order) gives some exemptions from the Act, whereby details of ‘spent’ convictions have to be declared. One of these exemptions is working with young people and/or vulnerable adults. When recruiting people to work in such positions of trust an employer is entitled to ask for details of all convictions, spent and unspent.

If you are invited to an interview please bring with you a completed Declaration of Criminal Background Form which is enclosed in this application pack. It asks for details of spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. You should complete the form and place it in an envelope marked ‘Private and Confidential’, addressed to the Interview Panel. Your name should be clearly stated on the front.

The information relating to criminal convictions will only be seen by the interview panel if we are considering offering you employment. If you wish to discuss the information that you have given, please mention this to an interviewer. Having made its selection, the panel may wish to discuss any information given with you. Having a conviction will not necessarily bar you from consideration for the post. Criminal records will be taken into account only when they are relevant to the position for which you are applying. The information you provide will remain confidential.