Local Groups Development Officer: Scotland

Transcription

1 The National Deaf Children s Society Job description Local Groups Development Officer: Scotland Reports to: Department: Salary range: Hours: Location: Head of Local Groups Early Years and Family Engagement 25,442-30,127 (to be pro-rated) per annum Grade N4 21 hours per week Glasgow office or home-based Contract: Fixed term - until end of March 2020 Disclosure check: Not required Principal contacts a) Internal Local Groups team Scotland and Northern Ireland team Children and Families Support Officers: Scotland Volunteer team Children, Young People and Partnerships team Early Years and Family Engagement team Finance team Fundraising team b) External Local groups Local group committee members Third sector organisations Statutory organisations The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR)

2 Main purpose of post a) To support the network of deaf children s societies* and local parent groups in Scotland, to achieve increased positive impact on the lives of deaf children and young people. b) To build the capacity and sustainability of local groups by helping them to reach new families and providing advice and training for committee members. c) To share good practice and contribute to the development of new, innovative models, including digital models, which connect families and offer peer support. d) To enhance communication between local groups, the Scotland team and the UK Local Groups team. *Deaf children s societies are affiliated to the National Deaf Children s Society but are charities in their own right. We refer to these organisations as local groups. Key tasks 1. To deliver and consistently review a project plan, based on an assessment of local groups needs, delivering support to local groups in Scotland to increase reach and impact. 2. To work with colleagues in the Scotland and Northern Ireland team to engage local groups in our policy and campaigns work supporting them to influence, develop and protect local services. 3. To develop strong local networks with statutory and third sector organisations and UK-wide colleagues to improve impact and quality of services for deaf children and young people in Scotland. 4. To develop systems to measure and evaluate the impact of local groups on the lives of deaf children including building up a library of best practice and case studies. 5. To support local groups to fundraise locally and engage with and be aware of relevant Scottish fundraising strategies and funders. 6. To empower local group committees to achieve their aims through: attendance at group meetings; provision of information resources; support to plan and organise events; and sharing best practice.

3 7. To deliver or arrange access to training for local groups, including safeguarding, running events, marketing and promotion, and use of membership databases. 8. To support local groups in Scotland to: implement and regularly review their safeguarding procedures; comply with data protection and GDPR requirements; acquire adequate insurance; join and maintain membership of the PVG scheme; and ensure that all other safety and compliance duties are upheld. 9. To contribute to the UK wide work of the Local Groups team and also ensure that Scottish local groups are aware of and comply with new developments/policies. 10. To work with the central Local Groups team and the Scotland team to pilot and review new informal groups in Scotland. 11. To collect data and evidence to feed into the Scotland business plan to influence future work and practice. 12. To attend Local Group team meetings and Scotland team meetings to update on progress and to identify opportunities to work with colleagues to enhance support for local groups. 13. To inspire and energise local groups to work together with National Deaf Children s Society, including providing regular updates on local groups for newsletters and other publications (online and print) to highlight and celebrate their work. 14. To be able to travel regularly within Scotland and work some unsociable hours including weekend events. 15. To abide by and promote our Policy of Informed Choice, its Vision and Values and Equal Opportunities Statement. 16. To take responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. This list of tasks is not exhaustive and will be reviewed from time to time in discussion with the post holder. The National Deaf Children s Society is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young adults and expects staff and volunteers to share that commitment.

4 The National Deaf Children s Society Person specification Local Groups Development Officer: Scotland Essential skills and experience 1. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate effectively and enthusiastically with a wide range of people e.g. children, parents, volunteers, professionals, funders and colleagues. 2. Experience of using community development approaches to help people with a shared interest or experience come together, set objectives and achieve outcomes. 3. An understanding of the issues facing families with deaf children and young people living in Scotland. 4. Ability to work predominantly on your own initiative as well as being an effective member of the Scotland team and Local Groups team. 5. Experience of planning, organising and leading a variety of projects, training packages and events. 6. Ability to work flexibly and innovatively to meet agreed outcomes, covering a large geographical area. 7. Experience of collating and presenting information about work undertaken to colleagues and management and sharing best practice. 8. Experience of working with committees/voluntary/community groups and an understanding of the impact of group support (online and offline). 10. Excellent written and numerical skills, including experience of contributing to reports and evidence bases to further the work and learning of an organisation. 11. Knowledge of/willingness to learn about the issues affecting deaf children, young people and their families in Scotland and to link these issues to events planned. 12. Excellent organisation skills with an ability to deliver all work on time and within strict deadlines. 13. Experience of delivering services and activity within an agreed budget.

5 14. Excellent computer literacy skills, including familiarity with all standard office packages (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and Access) and experience of using databases to support your work. 15. Willingness to work flexibly, with occasional overnight stays and weekend work. Desirable skills and experience 1. British Sign Language Level 1 or higher, or willingness to learn. 2. Community development qualification or experience. 3. Understanding of the issues currently affecting families of deaf children and young people. 4. Understanding, or willingness to learn, about the regulatory environment in Scotland including OSCR registration. 5. Experience of working in the voluntary sector ideally within organisations focused on children, families or disability. 6. Confident in using digital tools to communicate with stakeholders and willing to learn new digital skills relevant to the role. 7. Confident in using Customer Relationship Management databases with a good overall understanding of the applications of such systems. 8. Full driving licence or willingness and ability to travel.