The Fostering Network
Improving the lives of children and young people in foster care
Job Description
Job title / Senior Project Officer – Muslim Fostering ProjectAccountable to / Head of Membership Services and Engagement
Objectives / To deliver The Fostering Network’s Muslim Fostering Project including:
- Supporting the recruitment of participating fostering services in the project
- Co-ordinating and leading meetings and focus groups with key project stakeholders
- Managing relationships with internal and external colleagues delivering elements for the project
- Reviewing and reporting on existing literature regarding fostering and the Muslim faith
- Developing key project material including questionnaires, written and statistical reports in conjunction with internal and external colleagues
- Attending events associated with the project
Hours / 28 per week
Location / Flexible location
Status / Fixed term to 31 March 2018
Does the post involve contact with children/young people / Yes
Disclosure required / Yes
RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Support the recruitment and project participation of local authority fostering services
1.1 Create and agree scope for service’s participation in the project.
1.2 Shortlist participating fostering services against agreed criteria.
1.3 Communicate with all successful and all unsuccessful services.
1.4 Ensure participating services are effectively communicated with throughout the duration of the project, and support them to develop action plans containing SMART actions, signed off by all relevant parties.
2. Co-ordinate and lead meetings with key project stakeholders
2.1 Develop a plan for meetings and focus groups to achieve project outcomes.
2.2 Identify and liaise with key stakeholders to ensure all meetings and focus groups are held in accessible locations at mutually convenient times.
2.3 Develop agendas for meetings and design content of focus groups to ensure all information required is obtained and all stakeholders’ needs are represented.
2.4 Lead focus groups, and develop process for capturing and reporting on content generated.
3. Manage relationships with internal and external colleagues delivering on the project
3.1 Ensure the overarching project plan is communicated with all project stakeholders.
3.2 Ensure all personnel delivering content for the project have key deliverables/actions/milestones so that the project is delivered to the agreed specifications.
4. Review and report on existing literature and statistical information
4.1 Collate, report on and evaluate existing literature and statistical information regarding foster care, in the context of the Muslim faith.
4.2 Identify gaps in current literature and statistics for areas of development.
5. Develop key project material
5.1 Create a system to effectively evaluate, analyse and report on the impact of events, focus groups, and action plans implemented by participating services.
5.2 Work with the finance team to develop and maintain effective finance systems and controls.
6. Attend project-specific events
6.1 In partnership with Mercy Mission and participating services, identify all project-specific events and opportunities to engage with the target audiences, ensuring attendance and representation as appropriate.
7. Evaluation
7.1 Provide bi-weekly reporting to project sponsors on the progress of the project, including identifying any issues raised, barriers to achieving actions and new risks to project completion.
7.2 Support the formal project evaluation process.
8. General
8.1 Ensure The Fostering Network website and intranet is kept up to date and reflects progress of the project.
8.2 Maintain The Fostering Network’s database, Integra, with the relevant contact information for members participating in the project.
8.3 Ensure that all of The Fostering Network’s project materials promote equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice, as well as adhering to brand guidelines.
Additional duties
It is the nature of the Fostering Network that tasks and responsibilities are in many circumstances unpredictable and varied. All employees are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises and undertake tasks that are not specifically covered in their job description.
Values
As an organisation, we believe that we make a difference to foster care and our people values are expressed in the work that we do:
· Passionate
· Leading
· Catalyst for change
· Collaborative
Person Specification
Important note: candidates are assessed on their ability to meet the criteria listed in the person specification. It is essential that you refer to the person specification below and demonstrate how you meet each of the criteria listed when completing the application form.
ESSENTIAL
Knowledge/Experience/Understanding
1. Experience of delivering projects to tight timescales and budgets.
2. Experience of managing complex stakeholder relationships.
3. Experience of leading meetings and workshops
4. Experience of working with CRM systems.
5. Experience of conducting a literature review.
Skills/abilities/competencies
6. Ability to collect, manipulate, evaluate and report on data.
7. Ability to produce project evaluation documentation.
8. Excellent presentation skills, with an ability to connect with a range of audiences.
9. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to prepare internal reports and also present information clearly for a range of audiences.
10. Ability to work independently, undertaking a high level of personal responsibility and initiative as required within the role.
11. Well organised, with an ability to plan and manage work, and prioritise competing demands.
12. Confident and personable, able to communicate with different audiences.
13. Ability to manage budgets and to plan and deliver work within agreed budgets.
14. Ability to travel and work flexible hours.
Attitudes
15. Commitment to working within the Fostering Network’s equal opportunities and diversity policies and practice.
16. Collaborative approach.
DESIREABLE
Knowledge/experience/abilities/qualifications
1. Knowledge of foster carer recruitment and retention.
2. Prince II or similar project management qualification.
3. Experience of working with local authorities.
4. Personal experience of fostering.
5. Examples of developing innovative solutions to existing processes.
Additional Information
Pay and conditions of service
Grade / The Fostering Network Band 4 – salary point 32.Salary / £28,884 pro rata (plus £3,522 London Weighting if applicable) pro rata
Annual Leave / 25 Days plus 5 Fostering Network days pro rata.
Probationary period / 6 calendar months.
Notice period / Four working weeks
One week during probationary period.
Hours of work / 28 hours/week
Pension / Money-purchase scheme and salary sacrifice option is available with Aegon:
Employee’s contribution 3% of gross pay, Employer’s contribution 5% of gross annual salary.
Season Ticket Loan / An interest free season ticket loan is available to all staff immediately.
Trade Union / The Fostering Network recognises the trade union Unite
and members of staff can join if they wish
1