Didsbury Good Neighbours (DGN)

BEFRIENDING MANAGER

JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

DGN is a befriending charity working with older, vulnerable people in Didsbury, South Manchester. By using the skills and time of a team of volunteers who undertake home visits and initiate a range of social activities to meet the needs of older people DGN hopes to enhance the lives of isolated and housebound older people in the area, helping them to retain health and independence.

Trustees are seeking a Befriending Service Manager to develop and expand our service.

Befriending Service Manager salary £19,000 - £20,000

Full time – 35 hours per week, flexible by agreement with Trustees

Fixed term (eighteen months) to end March 2015 continuation subject to funding

Responsible to the Trustees the Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the service.

The Manager will take responsibility for establishing the quality of the befriending organisation, ensuring DGN meets client needs and achieves target numbers of individual clients and volunteers.

The main tasks of the role will be to:

1. Manage the operational performance and delivery of DGN client-facing

services to ensure it meets the needs of our clients

  • Actively facilitate client and volunteer engagement, increasing both client and volunteer number.

2. Expand DGN user numbers

  • Work with local health and social care professionals to increase the number of referrals.
  • Receive referrals, visit and assess older people referred to DGN.
  • Identify leisure opportunities and respond to requests..
  • Identify opportunities for older people in the area, to enable volunteers to introduce older people to new social and leisure opportunities..

3. Volunteer management

  • Recruit, induct, place, train, manage, develop and support volunteers to visit isolated and housebound older people, ensuring they deliver effective and efficient services, operate as part of a team and perform to the best of their ability at all times.
  • Be a source of information and advice to volunteers, referring to other agencies where necessary.

4. Implementation, monitoring and review of strategic business plan

  • Implement a quality assurance process.
  • Meet the quality standards across all DGN activities and volunteer schemes, assuring vetting and barring checks are in place, maintaining records, providing reports and supervising volunteers as required.
  • Develop, review and implement DGN policies, procedures and practices.
  • Work with Trustees to plan, manage and monitor the performance and delivery of the Charity’s business plan.
  • Manage the day to day running of the service, ensuring effective financial management, people management, administration, office and IT management.

5. Finance

  • Manage DGN’s operating budget and report regularly to the Trustees on performance against budgets and financial plans.
  • Work with Trustees to deliver the Fundraising Strategy, maximising funding opportunities and supporting them to identify and apply for funding for the continuation of the service.
  • Assist with bids forgrant funding, commissioned services, fundraising activities and donations.

6. Data gathering

  • Keep up-to-date records and undertake general administration in relation to the operation of the service,
  • Manage a database of service users and volunteers.
  • Produce reports, statistics and case studies as required.
  • Research the needs of older people developing a service to meets needs.

7. Networking

  • Build and maintain effective networks with the health and care professional community, other partners and the wider local community, representing the work of DGN and in line with DGN priorities.
  • Attend relevant partnership organisation meetings – e.g. Manchester Neighbourhood Care Group Association, Valuing Older People groups, to contribute to the work of the befriending network as a whole.

8. Contribute to the marketing and promotion of DGN

9. Work with DGN Trustees to meet the overall objectives of the Charity.

  • Report to Board meetings and attend other Trustee meetings as necessary.

Approach

The Befriending Service Manager will:

  • Focus on users
  • Be outcomes oriented
  • Empower users to take control of their lives and the decisions affecting them
  • Be proactive, spotting opportunities and making things happen
  • Promote diversity
  • Continuously develop their skills and the service
  • Work strictly within the resources available
  • Promote reflective practice and shared learning between Trustees, staff, volunteers and the wider befriending and Good Neighbours network.

The Befriending Service Manager will play a key role with:

  • Clients, carers, volunteers, professionals, partners, funders, Trustees.
  • Other South Manchester Befriending Services for peer support and idea-sharing
  • Other service providers and community groups in Didsbury and Manchester

The manager will meet regularly with the designated Trustee line manager for supervision and a joint appraisal review will take place annually.

The manager will attend Board meetings and will be a member of the Trustee Operations and Quality sub-group.

Objectives

In the first year the post holder will be responsible for:

  1. The recruitment of 30 new clients across all activities
  2. Recruiting or re-engaging 14 new volunteers across all volunteering tasks.
  3. Building a programme of DGN activities in the new Pavilion Community Room up to four activities per week.
  4. Implementing new administrative, monitoring and evaluation systems and reviewing their effectiveness with the Trustees Operations and Quality group.

The specific objectives of this post may change over time to reflect new developments and new funding contracts.

This post is initially for a period of 18 months continuation is subject to funding.

DGN 10/2013

Person Specification – Manager Didsbury Good Neighbours

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS AND KNOWLEDGE:
Good standard of general education, degree or equivalent
Relevant professional qualification e.g. health, social care, education, community education or equivalent
Knowledge of good practice in community engagement and involvement
Current driving licence /
ESSENTIAL
x /
DESIRABLE
x
x
x
EXPERIENCE:
A minimum of 2 years experience of working (paid or unpaid) with elderly and vulnerable adults.
Experience of working successfully alongside a Board of Trustees/Management Committee
Experience of maintaining a virtual office system, using drop-box
Recruiting, managing and working with volunteers
Implementing quality assurance system and performance management systems
Implementing, monitoring and evaluating processes and systems
Proven track record of successfully delivering projects/contracts
Experience of planning, managing and working within a budget; providing regular reports and forecasting
Working within a safeguarding regulatory framework
Working within the principles of the Data Protection Act
Contributing to fundraising activities
Promoting equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice
Experience of working independently, and as a member of a team. / x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x / x
x
x
WORK BASED COMPETENCIES:
Understand the nature of befriending relationships
Understand the needs of elderly people and of the issues affecting them
Understand the health, social care and other services for elderly people
Relate well to older people to assess their needs and monitor their progress
Work effectively with social care and health professionals, with the ability to build networks and partnerships
Recruit, train, match and support volunteers
Manage and develop the programme of activities run by the charity
Select appropriate resources and materials for use by volunteers and elderly people
Understand a person centred approach and its impact on service quality
Manage the service base
Communicate well, both written and verbal communication, with good presentation skills
Organise and plan their own workload
Use IT systems competently / x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Tact, diplomacy and good people management skills
Able to work on own initiative
Flexible and adaptable
A willingness to learn
Good interpersonal skills
Friendly and professional manner
Desire to provide services to a high standard
Empathy
Non judgmental communication
Commitment to and understanding of equal opportunities
Understanding of the inclusion agenda and its relevance within a diverse society / x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS
A commitment to the work of the charity
Willingness to undertake training as required
A commitment to and understanding of working with volunteers
A commitment to promoting equal opportunities at work
An awareness of personal responsibility to health and safety at work. / x
x
x
x
x

Approved Trustees meeting 12/8/2013