Chief Executive CANDIDATE BRIEFING PACK DECEMBER 2017
CONTENTS 3 5 6 7 10 13 Message from the Chair Background About us What we do About the role How to apply Timetable Chief Executive Candidate Pack 2
MESSAGE Message from FROM the Chair THE CHAIR Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Executive at Contact the Elderly. Contact the Elderly exists to relieve the loneliness affecting older people, one of society s most pressing issues. Since 1965 Contact the Elderly has sought to address this issue with the simple solution of free monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties. Over 50 years later and with the support of over 10,500 volunteers throughout England, Scotland and Wales, the positive impact of Contact the Elderly s simple hand of friendship is more significant than ever. As a volunteer myself, I know just how rewarding the tea parties are for everyone involved. The care and dedication of all our volunteers brings vital human contact and friendship back into the lives of the older people we help, while the context of a monthly tea party allows guests to mark an event into an otherwise empty or sparse calendar. In many cases firm friendships form that go far beyond the one-sunday-a-month gathering, with the long-term nature of groups creating lasting bonds between young and old. Crucially, our guests also report improvements in health and wellbeing as a direct result of joining our service. Over the last few years, Contact the Elderly has seen substantial growth in our income, presence and service delivery. This is a testament to how our profile has grown and the great support our work receives from our network, corporate organisations and the general public. Alongside these successes, there is the challenge of an increasingly ageing society and the growing need for our service to reach ever more communities across the UK. Contact the Elderly s next CEO will be tasked with leading, inspiring and managing an enthusiastic team, based throughout the UK, with many home-based staff delivering the service along with National Office staff located in London, where the Administrative, Communications, Fundraising and Operations teams work. They will direct the charity s efforts in achieving its significant growth targets, assist in the promotion of the organisation, and support and collaborate with the board of Trustees. Our outgoing Chief Executive has overseen an amazing period in the charity s history, meaning the next CEO will join a great organisation with a truly exciting future. I am therefore really looking forward to this period of recruitment, as we seek to appoint a dynamic, inspiring individual, with the strongest skillset and experience, who can take our essential work with older people forward into the coming years. Christian Grobel Chair, Contact the Elderly Chief Executive Candidate Pack 3
Contact the Elderly is a superb organisation from every angle: it gets you out of the house, it gives you the opportunity to meet new people and for people like me, living on their own, it s so important. Chief Executive Candidate Pack 4
BACKGROUND I received a Christmas card from one of the old ladies simply saying at last I have something to live for! In the early 1960s, Trevor Lyttleton MBE met an older lady who lived near him in Marylebone. She had no electricity in her house and was entirely alone. He discovered from the Welfare Department that she was one of many hundreds in the borough in a similar position. Together with a few friends, he decided to do something about it. They visited twelve older people whose names they had been given by the Marylebone Welfare Department and invited them to come to Hampton Court on the first Sunday in March 1965. From this small start, Trevor decided to set up further groups and in September 1965 they were granted charitable status to enable them to raise funds to advertise for volunteers. Trevor says: I received a Christmas card from one of the old ladies simply saying at last I have something to live for! and I think this, more than anything else, made me realise how much more we could do and so we decided to set up other groups. This small act of kindness grew into what is today a national charity with groups throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Trevor remains a keen supporter of the charity and the group he started in 1965 is still going strong! Chief Executive Candidate Pack 5
ABOUT US As people grow older, they can become invisible in society. Issues such as illness, reduced mobility or bereavement can significantly affect their ability to leave home, socialise and feel part of the community. A lack of family nearby, dissolving care services and the disappearance of community spaces can exacerbate this. The detrimental effects of loneliness on both mental and physical heath have been welldocumented. Depression, anxiety and a lack of confidence are just some of the health problems that plague lonely and socially isolated people. Founded in 1965, Contact the Elderly is the only national charity solely focused on tackling one of the greatest challenges facing society; loneliness and isolation among our rapidly ageing population, through face to face contact. ed by a volunteer network of thousands, the charity organises free monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people in the homes of volunteers across England, Scotland and Wales. With over 770 groups nationwide, the charity provides a regular, consistent and vital friendship link every month to around 6,000 older people aged 75 and over, who live alone, without family or friends nearby. At the same time, the charity also encourages over 10,000 volunteers to find enjoyment and fulfilment in achieving the charity s aim and making new friends. OBJECTIVES To encourage very elderly people living alone to develop social interests by bringing companionship into their lives; to help such people to establish social contact with those who are similarly placed; to encourage volunteers to devote some of their spare time to these purposes. MERGER WITH NBFA ASSISTING THE ELDERLY On 31st December 2016, following a strategic review by its Board of Trustees, the assets and liabilities of NBFA Assisting the Elderly (charity number 1147446) who have been working with older people across the UK since 1957, were transferred to Contact the Elderly (charity number 1146149), under a Deed of Transfer of Charitable Undertaking. Chief Executive Candidate Pack 6
WHAT WE DO The Contact the Elderly model is based on a simple yet very effective concept: supported by a network of volunteers, the charity organises monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people, aged 75 and over, who live alone. Offering a regular and vital friendship link every month. Each older person is collected from their home by a volunteer driver and taken to a volunteer host s home for the afternoon. The group is warmly welcomed by a different host each month, but the drivers remain the same which means that over the months and years, acquaintances turn into friends and loneliness is replaced by companionship. Our tea parties are a real lifeline of friendship for our older guests who have little or no contact with family or friends. They bring people of all ages together, develop fulfilling friendships and support networks, and give everyone involved something to look forward to each month. The setting of a Tea Party is integral to Contact the Elderly BE OUR GUEST CAMPAIGN Launched in October 2016, this was a publicity campaign aiming to seek out new older guests who would benefit from attending our monthly tea parties. The campaign aims were to raise awareness of Contact the Elderly among local communities, to encourage older people to try a tea party for the first time, to mobilise members of the public to invite neighbours in their community to a local tea party, or to engage healthcare professionals with the benefits of referring older people to Contact the Elderly s service. Highlights from this campaign include: On the launch day, we had 5,401 visits to our website - 77% were new visitors and the highest spike of visitors we had in the whole year; The campaign was featured on ITV s This Morning programme, which reaches a daily audience of 1.2 million people; In the 7 months following the launch of the campaign we received 1,615 enquiries about older people joining our groups compared with 1,057 in the same period the previous year; For the first time, we received funding to take out some adverts on buses in our hot spot target areas. We also work closely with healthcare professionals who can directly refer their older patients to our service. Our service has been proven to be an effective form of social prescribing, simultaneously relieving pressure on the healthcare sector and helping older people to re-engage with their community. 55% of Contact the Elderly guests say their general health and wellbeing has improved since attending our tea parties. Chief Executive Candidate Pack 7
Why is the Contact the Elderly model so effective? Our tea parties take place on Sunday, which has been highlighted by 76% of our guests as a particularly lonely day of the week for older people living alone. Weekends can be especially challenging for isolated people as other services and groups are less available, as well as public transport options being limited. Contact the Elderly keeps its groups small, with the same individuals meeting every month, which means that guests and volunteers make lasting and fulfilling intergenerational friendships in the warm and welcoming environment of someone s home. We are currently launching, on average, two new groups every week of the year but we also have many long-standing, established tea parties; around a third of our groups have been running for over 10 years. The benefits extend well beyond the one- Sunday-a-month gathering, with the long-term nature of groups making them an integral part of a guest s life. Real friendships are formed and many volunteers go above and beyond in helping their guests with their weekly shopping, taking them to and from hospital appointments or just checking up on their general welfare through the month. The groups also help guests with their social and emotional needs. Many older people wish to remain in their own home as long as they can, but their lessened mobility makes it nearly impossible for them to maintain regular social contact. With over 50 years of experience of developing and supporting groups nationwide, Contact the Elderly knows that the regular friendship links produced through our work provide a simple but profound solution to a complex problem. 95% say they have something to look forward to as a result of Contact the Elderly 77% feel happier as a result of their involvement with Contact the Elderly 85% say that what they enjoy most about our tea parties is the company 56% report that they feel more confident as a result of coming to our tea parties 63% feel more a part of their community again since attending our tea parties For more information, please visit our website on www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk 90% of our guests have become friends with volunteers, while 81% have found friendships with other older guests 73% of our guests say they feel less lonely as a result of Contact the Elderly 28% of our guests report that they have now also started doing other social activities since joining one of our tea parties (having done none, or next to none, previously) 60% believe that their general wellbeing has improved as a result of our tea parties Chief Executive Candidate Pack 8
OUR TEAM President Lady Jasmine Cavendish NATIONAL OFFICE CEO Head of Service Founder Trevor Lyttleton MBE Chief Executive Candidate Pack 9 Head of Communications Communications Offficer Media and PR Communications Offficer Digital Office Administrator National Develpment South England Head of Service Special Projects Trusts and Grants Trusts & Statutory Fundraising Corporate Partnerships Head of Fundraising National Develpment North England Head of Operations (acting CEO) Exec Assistant/ Office Manager Head of Service Wales Head of Service North & Central England (changing to Head of Services Head of Service London & South England Head of Service Scotland The Trustees Christian Grobel Chairman Claire Harris Treasurer John De Trafford Philip Kelvin Sally Wilkinson Sarah Reed Stewart Gil illan OBE William Barney Chief Executive Candidate Pack 9
ABOUT THE ROLE JOB DESCRIPTION JOB TITLE: REPORTS TO: Chief Executive (CEO) The Trustees, via the Chairman SALARY: Up to 65,000 LOCATION: London JOB SUMMARY Contact the Elderly ( CTE ) is a UK wide charity whose sole purpose is to relieve the loneliness of the elderly by providing them opportunities to meet other older people and volunteers at a monthly tea party. The Chief Executive leads an enthusiastic team based throughout the UK, comprising service delivery staff and head office staff in London where our fundraising team and administrative functions are based. Recent years have seen strong growth in the number of older people reached, and CTE s volunteer base has exceeded 10,000 for the first time, in 2017. The charity has ambitious growth plans and the CEO plays a vital role in expanding CTE s service even further to meet the challenges posed by our increasingly aged society. AIMS OF CONTACT THE ELDERLY 1. Relieve the loneliness of frail, isolated elderly people, who live alone with little or no support from family, friends or social services. 2. Encourage volunteers across all ages to find enjoyment and fulfillment in achieving our purpose, by providing a unique and valuable nationwide service of regular companionship for lonely elderly people. PURPOSE OF THE JOB: 1. Inspire the national team of staff and volunteers to meet our Aims. 2. Direct the Charity s efforts to achieve its significant growth targets. 3. Be responsible for the management and administration of CTE in accordance with the Trustees overall strategy, ensuring agreed targets and objectives are met, and that CTE remains financially stable. 4. Contribute with the Trustees to regular reviews of the CTE s mission and strategic & operating plans. 5. Ensure the Trustees receive appropriate advice and information on relevant matters to enable them to fulfil the Charity s regulatory and governance responsibilities. Chief Executive Candidate Pack 1010
ABOUT THE ROLE PRINCIPAL TASKS 1. Leading and managing the Charity day to day a) Take overall responsibility for ensuring volunteers are motivated and enthusiastic to offer their talents to the service of CTE. b) Produce and maintain a business plan in accordance with the Trustees overall strategy. c) Ensure CTE has the resources, human, material & financial, to operate effectively. d) Be responsible for the overall financial health of the Charity in liaison with the Chair and Treasurer; ensuring expenditure is controlled in line with budgets. e) Ensure that CTE discharges its constitutional, legal and governance obligations. f) Ensure that all reasonable efforts are made towards fund-raising to the agreed budgetary target. g) Ensure that staff are trained, motivated and supported and that the work of all staff is appropriately reviewed against objectives and expected standards of performance. 2. 3. Promotion of the Charity a) Act as an ambassador for the Charity, providing the public face of campaigns, building and maintaining relationships with all principal supporters and stakeholders. b) Seek opportunities to expand and promote the role of CTE. c) Ensure that CTE is promoted and presented in an appropriate and professional manner to all stakeholders. the Trustee Board Consult with the Chairman and the Treasurer, on all relevant financial matters, and work with the Chairman and the Trustees to: a) Ensure appropriate presentation and reporting on the progress of CTE and on matters relevant to the discharge of its responsibilities. b) Develop policy proposals for Trustees discussion and decision. c) the continued engagement and involvement of all Trustees. e) Ensure an annual calendar of meetings of the Board of Trustees and any subcommittees is in place and that meetings take place in accordance with this calendar. f) Agree your own objectives with the Chairman and Trustees and be responsible for ensuring that the targets therein are subjected to regularly self-monitoring prior to review by the Chairman and Trustees and more formally in an Annual Appraisal process. Chief Executive Candidate Pack 111
PERSON SPECIFICATION ESSENTIAL CRITERIA Proven success in strategic leadership; experience of developing and delivering growth strategies in an organisation. Sound management abilities with demonstrable success in leading and motivating people to achieve and exceed strategic objectives. Strong financial and business acumen. Experience of working closely with a Board of Trustees, advising and guiding robust decision making. Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to handle the demands of dealing with a range of older people. Evidence of being a clear and persuasive communicator capable of delivering complex messages to a variety of audiences, raising the profile of Contact the Elderly. Well-developed networking skills; experience of building high-level relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, both internal and external to the Charity. Successful track record of raising funds from a range of donors including private, corporate, public and charitable sources. Strong understanding and experience of volunteering issues and an ability to inspire volunteers of all ages. Excellent organisational skills and ability to prioritise multiple tasks. Passionate about and committed to the values and ethos of Contact the Elderly. Chief Executive Candidate Pack 1212
HOW TO APPLY To apply for this position, please provide the following two pieces of information: A comprehensive CV, including details of your achievements in each role and including details of two referees. A supporting statement, explaining how you believe your skills and experience match the requirements of the role, directly addressing the criteria as outlined in the person specification. Applications should be submitted at the following website page: Application link. For an informal and confidential discussion about the role, please contact: Melissa Baxter Director of Executive Search: 07789 985229 melissa.baxter@russam-gms.co.uk Marsha Gosling Executive Search Consultant: 07818 509690 marsha.gosling@russam-gms.co.uk TIMETABLE Closing Date: Monday 15th January 2018 Preliminary Interviews with Russam GMS: Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th January 2018 Final Interview: Week commencing 5th February 2018 Chief Executive Candidate Pack 1313
contact-the-elderly.org.uk russam-gms.co.uk