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Shepherds Bush Families Project
Children’s Centre
SBFP & CC is based in West London and provides a range of day-time drop-in centre and outreach support services to families who are homeless, living in temporary accommodation or other unsuitable housing. The project addresses the needs of those parents and children, and parents-to-be, adversely affected by overcrowding, disrepair and having nowhere to live. The drop-in centre provides a space that brings together families experiencing similar problems, promoting mutual support and helping break down the stigma and isolation that accompanies the experience of homelessness and bad housing; it is a place where families can access advice, advocacy and counselling assistance; and provides children and young people with vital opportunities for play, learning, socialising, and recreation. The project works closely with others to highlight the deficit in decent, secure and affordable housing, which is the root problem of family homelessness and the result of decades of successive governments’ underinvestment in and selling off of social housing
JOB DESCRIPTION
FAMILIES CENTRE ADMINISTRATOR
TITLE: Administrator
REPORTING TO: Project Manager
SALARY £22,000 to £24,000 per annum
(Dependent on experience)
HOURS: 35 per week (09.00 am – 17.00 pm)
1 hour unpaid lunch break
Occasional evening work required
LEAVE ENTITLEMENT: 28 days (including public holidays)
It is a requirement of the post that annual leave be taken in any working period between Christmas Day and New Years Day
JOB PURPOSE:
To provide high quality administrative support to the Manager of Shepherds Bush Families Project & Children’s Centre and the organisation
IMPORTANT FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
· The Project Manager
· The Board of Trustees
· Other members of staff including sessional tutors/workers and volunteers at the project
· The children, families and carers attending the project
· Members of the public
· Early Years and Children Centre partners, and other related professionals
· Other voluntary and community sector, public and private sector agencies
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. To provide administrative support and assistance as required by the Manager and ensure the smooth running and efficient administration services throughout the organisation
2. To organise, service and minute meetings held in the organisation, including meetings of the Board of Trustees
3. To answer the intercom and receive visitors to the project, take messages and deal with telephone and email enquiries, liaising and passing on information to relevant staff members as appropriate
4. To meet, greet and receive members of the public entering the Families Centre providing information on the range of services available – ensure all service users are registered.
5. To use initiative in organising your work and be able to work flexibly in line with the support needs of the Manager and staff team which may demand sudden deadlines and reprioritisation of the workload.
6. To undertake general clerical duties, including maintaining the office diary ensuring the Manager and staff-team are kept informed as well as reminded of key events and deadlines, photocopying, organising and storage of paperwork, documents ensuring Data Protection and confidentiality requirements are met.
7. To in-put and maintain centre data recording systems. Keep all records up to date of the families using the centre on the agreed IT applications and in accordance with record keeping policies and procedures ensuring all registrations and attendance activity records are regularly uploaded onto the IT system.
8. In the absence of the manager take responsibility for the centre alongside the Lead Early Years Practitioner
9. To support the project manager with all social media activities including upkeep of website, twitter, facebook and other publications
10. To manage donations of clothing, toys and equipment. Keeping clothing and equipment store in order and ensuring quick turnover and arranging disposal and recycling of unwanted items and in partnership with the manager and others organise and run fundraising and awareness raising events
11. To carry out general administrative duties, such as answering the phone, managing mail, including buying stamps, posting letters, mail-outs, and electronic mailbox, and dealing with changes to marketing material. Ensure that IT systems are in working order including checking the fire alarm system is working on a weekly basis and along with all project staff, ensure that health and safety is met throughout the organisation
12. To work within and observe at all times Shepherds Bush Families Project & Children’s Centre policies and procedures with particular reference to Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults, confidentiality, health and safety and equal opportunities
13. To monitor the performance of cleaners and repair workers to ensure terms of contracts are met, letting the Children’s centre management team know when shortfalls in performance persist.
14. Ensuring you meet monthly with your line manager to receive supervision and to plan, assess and evaluate the services. This includes planning for activities and events in the centre and outside
Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, candidates will be required to undertake a Criminal Record Check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Read our policy on criminal background checks.
ADDITIONAL DUTIES:
It is the nature of Shepherds Bush Families Project & Children’s Centre that tasks and responsibilities may vary from time-to-time. It is not intended that this job description be exhaustive or final in terms of duties required of the post or post-holder. All members of staff are expected to work flexibly when the need or occasion arises and to undertake tasks that are not specifically covered in their job description. These additional duties will normally be compatible with their regular type of work. If any such additional duty becomes a frequent part of the job, then, following consultation with the post-holder, it may be incorporated into a revised job description which will take precedence over any others preceding it. This job description is not part of the contract of employment. It will only be altered as the requirements of the post change, or different funding opportunities occur.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Please note: Shepherds Bush Families Project and Children Centre will only consider applicants who are legally entitled to work in the United Kingdom. Proof of entitlement to work here will be required e.g., a relevant visa. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. A CRB enhanced disclosure that is satisfactory to the organisation is a condition of appointment to the post
We require a highly motivated and skilled individual focused on supporting the needs of the project and the Manager of the project and assisting with the smooth running of the organisation. You will have considerable experience in administration and be interested in working in the voluntary and community sector for a registered charity. You will have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy working within a multi-disciplinary team, with a diverse group of colleagues and service users. You will be assertive, possess a calm, tactful, sociable manner, able to cope in times of stress or when under pressure and to ensure the smooth running of all systems within an environment that is often hectic. You are prepared to commit to supporting colleagues and working with the organisation in its efforts to provide an outstanding service in the locality for children and their families.
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
1. You have a minimum of two years’ experience of providing clerical and administrative support to professionals in an organisation
2. You have proven experience of good and effective team working and enjoy collaborating and working in partnership with colleagues and others in a multi-disciplinary environment
3. You have well developed listening skills. You are articulate and adept at speaking and writing in English. When required, you can adapt your approach to communicating, to meet the needs of the person/persons you are with, including those with little or no English language ability
4. You have excellent IT skills and proven skills in using a variety of software packages, such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Powerpoint and Excel, to produce correspondence and documents and maintain presentations, records, spreadsheets and databases.
5. You are able to multi-task, be flexible in your approach and work well under pressure
6. You have a proven experience in dealing with members of the public
7. You are discreet, able to maintain and exercise confidentiality but understand its limits in relation to the safety and well-being of children and others, including vulnerable adults and you are able to observe boundaries whilst dealing sensitively and carefully with families in difficulty
8. You have excellent time-management skills, are efficient, able to use your initiative, manage your workload and prioritise conflicting demands, seeking support when necessary
9. You are committed to equality of opportunity, and to respecting and responding to all areas of diversity
10. You are flexible in your approach, willing to adapt and work in new or different ways when necessary, in order to be more effective
11. You understand issues surrounding homelessness, racial, social and other disadvantages, and how the affects of any or all of these can be seriously negative in the lives of whole families, their individual members and on communities