SENSE – CHILDREN’S SPECIALIST SERVICES

Job Description

Assistant Business Development and Support Services Manager

Location:Barnet

Responsible to:Business Development and Support Services Manager

Accountable to:Head of Children’s Specialist Services

Hours of work:Full time

Salary: Point 24 - 28

Annual leave:24 rising to 28 days per annum plus bank holidays

Pension:Group pension scheme

Term:Permanent

Purpose

  1. To act as initial point of contact for other Sense services that need access to family stories and other information regarding Children’s Specialist Services, facilitating productive working relationships and quality outcomes.
  2. To manage the data collection and production of information to support the Children’s Specialist services impact reporting.
  3. To deputise for Business Development and Support Services Manager where required.
  4. To manage and support members of the Business Support team and contribute to the continuous improvement of national business support within Children’s Specialist Services.
  5. To be responsible for co-ordinating the annual training calendar, one of the aspects of Children’s Specialist Services’ income-generating work.

Key Responsibilities

Point of Contact

  1. Act as link between Children Specialist Services and Fundraising, managing their contact with our team and the families they support. This will include:
  • Facilitating regular meetings with key contacts to identify fundraising priorities in advance to ensure timely liaison with Children’s Specialist Service practitioners and families.
  • In conjunction with Principal MSI Consultants, identify families who are happy to have their stories told.
  • Working with locality teams, plan and deliver an annual calendar of Open Days.
  • Supporting the team to effectively report to trusts and grant giving bodies on the impact of their funding.
  1. Set up opportunities and processes as necessary to help improve links between Children’s Specialist Services and Policy & Communications teams.
  1. To assist the Head of CSS to ensure the tone of newsletters, press releases, flyers and adverts reflect the ethos of CSS and use family stories in a respectful and appropriate way.

Data Collection

  1. To manage the collection of monthly, quarterly and bi-annual service information from the Children’s Specialist Services team.
  1. Working with the Business Development and Support Services Manager produce impact and other dashboards.
  1. Regularly review the management team’s information needs and assist in the production of revised methods of reporting.
  1. Use the CRM database to produce data reports and dashboards to support the management team and others.

Management Team Support

  1. To support the Children’s Specialist Service teammeetings. This includes:
  • Responsible for the smooth running of identified meetings and telephone conferences. This includes booking venues, drafting agendas, being responsible for the production and distribution of papers and taking detailed minutes.
  • Monitor, progress-chase and report on project action plans.
  • To research and write detailed briefings, presentations and reports, with recommendations.
  1. To act as co-ordinator for the Joint Working Group and be responsible for monitoring and reporting on progress, highlighting any potential risks and opportunities as appropriate.
  1. To lead the coordination and delivery of projects as required, including the organisation of meetings / workshops, managing budgets (as required), consulting and briefing internal colleagues, and liaising with external partners.

National Business support

  1. To provide line management to identifiedChildren’s Specialist Services national business support team members, delegating and supervising tasks as appropriate, identifying development opportunities and undertaking regular supervisions and appraisals.
  2. To work collaboratively with other business support staff and when necessary provide cover for sickness and holidays.
  1. To work with the Business Development & Support Services Manager to ensure that operational systems and structures are developed, embedded and adhered to, which support the effectiveness of the national team.
  1. To work collaboratively with Locality Teams and be willing to provide assistance with the planning and delivery of specific activities.
  1. Be responsible for producing the team’s Training Calendar of courses. This includes scheduling a series of training days, booking venues and catering, arranging interpreters (and other communication support) where needed and managing the Training Administrator.
  1. To seek opportunities to promote and communicate the team’s charitable and income-generating work both internally and externally, including:
  • Setting up and managing contact databases.
  • Undertaking mail outs of promotional materials.
  • Supporting the development of promotional materials including: leaflets, pop-ups, display boards, webpages, powerpoint presentation and articles. This involves writing text, editing and proofing text written by others, commenting on design, choosing photographs and seeking the necessary photo permissions.

Other Duties

  1. To deputise for the Business Development and Support Services Manager at meetings and other events as required.
  1. To maintain a good general knowledge and awareness of the policy environment in which Sense works.
  1. To comply with Sense policies and procedures regarding the operation of services, and the employment of staff, whilst actively promoting the principles of equal opportunities and working in a manner that maintains a safe, healthy and supportive environment.
  1. Any other duties required that are consistent with the nature and grade of this post.

Person Specification

Assistant Business Development & Support Services Manager

Education and Training
Essential Criteria / Desirable Criteria
A standard of numeracy sufficient to understand and manipulate statistical data. / Training or qualifications relevant to communication with deafblind people, for example BSL or Deafblind Manual.
Proficient in the use of MS Office, including word, excel, powerpoint, publisher and outlook to intermediate level / Experience of using Adobe InDesign and the use of CRM databases.
A standard of literacy sufficient to write clear, grammatically correct reports. / Knowledge and understanding of the needs of deafblind children and young people and their families
Achievements & Experience
Essential Criteria / Desirable Criteria
Evidence of being able to work on own initiative and ability to demonstrate practical problem solving skills / Previous experience of the production of high quality written promotional materials tailor-made for different audiences
Experience of developing and maintaining excellent working relationships in a multi site environment / Experience of building and maintaining effective working relationships with professionals from across a number of different sectors
Proven experience of balancing priorities that sometimes appear to conflict, ensuring that you can deal with important issues as they arise without losing control of the routine / Substantial experience of delivering complex projects to tight deadlines within budget
Demonstrable experience in an administrative/secretarial role including the taking of detailed and accurate notes of complex discussions / Understanding of issues of disability, including the communication needs of people with sensory impairment, and the needs of parents with a disabled child
Experience of delivering presentations. / Able to demonstrate a general level of knowledge and expertise related to the delivery of social care and education services for people with sensory impairments
Experience of collecting, collating and reporting on data
Skills & Abilities
Essential Criteria / Desirable Criteria
A passionate commitment to deafblind people and Sense’s vision and values. / Evidence of understanding of how to effectively engage with deafblind people or other groups with challenging communication needs
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate often sensitive and complex information in an understandable format / Experience of supervising and developing others
Skilled in influencing, obtaining information and building sustainable working relationships
High level of attention to detail, reliable and able to produce work of a consistently high standard.
Able to assume ownership of tasks and see them through to completion consistently meeting deadlines
Excellent organisation skills including the ability to develop own work strategy within a broad framework of objectives.
Demonstrates high standards of confidentiality, discretion, tact and diplomacy.
Evidence of a practical commitment to the principles of equal opportunities

Notes

  1. Due to the nature of the post, home working will not be an option and the post will be based in a Sense office – preferably based in Barnet. The role will include a day a week working in our Kings Cross office.
  2. The role will require some travel on a national basis, including occasional overnight stays.
  3. This post will require flexibility including the ability to work some unsociable hours including weekends and evenings.

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