Home-Start UK Director of Northern Ireland

Home-Start is a federated network of local organisations which provide community based support for families and children.  Home-Start UK provides support to local Home-Starts in a number of ways, including: training for staff and trustees, HR and legal advice, help with fundraising, and representing Home-Start’s work to governments across the UK.  Over the past four decades Home-Start has supported over a million children and has become one of the leading family support charities across the UK. And Home-Start’s reach has not been limited to the UK; there are now independent Home-Starts in 23 other countries around the world.

During the past twelve months, 18,000 Home-Start volunteers have supported 30,000 families and 63,000 children in the UK and with British Forces in Germany and Cyprus.  In Northern Ireland our 16 independent Home-Starts saw a growth in demand for their services, together with increases in the number of families coming forward for help with multiple, complex and long term problems. In 2014-15 Home-Starts in Northern Ireland provided support to 2,000 families and were at the heart of developing community solutions to many of the critical social issues affecting the areas where they work.

At Home-Start our ambitions for the future are clear.  We want to create a strong and vibrant Home-Start network in Northern Ireland.  We want families in more communities across Northern Ireland to benefit from Home-Start support. During this time of political and policy change we want to be working closely with government nationally and locally to influence the support provided for vulnerable families and volunteers. And, above all, we want to work alongside our different partner organisations to make sure that families in Northern Ireland have the support they need to give their children the best possible start in life.

Achieving these ambitions isn’t going to be easy and if you don’t relish a challenge then this job isn’t for you.  You will be someone who understands the big picture of early years, volunteer management and family support and yet be able to roll up your sleeves and do what is needed to strengthen and develop an established federation of family support organisations across Northern Ireland. You will need to have strong leadership and interpersonal skills.  You will be experienced when it comes to influencing the national policy agenda and you will have the ability to maximise opportunities for funding and partnerships to grow and develop Home-Start’s work in Northern Ireland. 

If this sounds like you then we would love to hear from you.

With best wishes

Rob Parkinson, Chief Executive

Home-Start UK

With its central office in Leicester, Home-Start UK was established in 1981 to provide training, information, guidance and support for a network of local Home-Starts and to ensure consistency and quality of service for families. It is an independent charity constituted as a company limited by guarantee.  

Last year Home-Start UK staff worked with 288 local Home-Starts in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Guernsey. It also supported 12 Home-Starts based with British Forces Germany and Cyprus. Home-Start UK employs 40 staff.

 In Northern Ireland, there are currently 16 independent Home-Starts supporting 1,500 families each year.

 Home-Start UK’s annual report and accounts are available via our website at: http://www.home-start.org.uk/about_us/what_we_do/publications_resources

 Home-Start UK is governed by a board of trustees, chaired by James Sainsbury OBE. The board meets 4-5 times a year and holds its AGM in September each year.

 A Northern Ireland National Committee meets four times a year to support and shape Home-Start UK’s work in Northern Ireland. The National Committee report to the Board of Trustees.

 The strategic leadership team comprises: Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive, Director of Finance and Resources, Director of Policy and Research

Job Description

Job Title

 Director of Northern Ireland

Based in Belfast

 Main Purpose and Scope of the Job

The post holder will have strategic responsibility for the leadership and development of Home-Start UK’s work in Northern Ireland.

Working closely with the Northern Ireland National Committee and local Home-Starts, the post holder will play a pivotal role in informing and influencing policy both in political parties and Government Departments on behalf of the Home-Start network in Northern Ireland. The post holder will work to maximise opportunities to secure the funding and partnerships needed to deliver Home-Start UK’s strategy for Northern Ireland.

Position in Organisation

 Reports to: Director of Policy and Research

 The post holder will initially have no direct reports. It is anticipated that this situation will change as additional resources are identified by the post holder to support the development of Home-Start UK’s work in Northern Ireland. All future staff appointed to work in Northern Ireland will therefore report to the Director of Northern Ireland.      

 Salary

18 hours per week

NJC Scale Points 44 - 47 pro rata

£18,684 -£20,016 per annum

Benefits

• Generous Annual Leave entitlement
• Contributory pension
• Death in Service
• Equal Opportunity Employer
• Friendly working environment
• Excellent Induction
• Flexible working
• Counselling helpline
• Childcare vouchers
• Eyecare Voucher Scheme
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Further Study Scheme and Study Leave

To have strategic responsibility for the leadership and development of Home-Start UK’s work in Northern Ireland

•  Work with the Northern Ireland National Committee and local Home-Starts to develop Home-Start UK’s national strategy for Northern Ireland.
• Ensure delivery of agreed strategic objectives and provide effective performance reports to the Northern Ireland National Committee, Senior Leadership Team and Home-Start UK Board of Trustees.
•  Raise the profile of Home-Start in Northern Ireland, ensuring that the charity’s work is recognised both by the general public and a full range of interested stakeholders.
•  Represent Home-Start externally, actively networking and maintaining regular contact with key contacts across all political, public, private,  charitable sectors in order to maximise opportunities for influence and development.
•  Manage Home-Start UK’s relationships with local Home-Starts in Northern Ireland, ensuring that strategic planning is informed by their views and that Home-Start UK provides Home-Starts with the best infrastructure support possible given available resourcing.
•  Maintain a keen awareness of matters affecting local Home-Starts, ensuring that Home-Start UK responds to key emerging challenges and issues facing the Home-Start network in Northern Ireland.
•  Ensure the proper management of any delegated budgets and deliver financial controls and financial reporting as required by the charity’s finance team.
•  Provide line management support to all staff recruited to deliver Home-Start UK’s work in Northern Ireland, nurturing the talent and capability of direct reports so that they excel against their strategic objectives.
•  Provide the secretariat to the Northern Ireland National Committee and work with the chair of the committee to ensure that Home-Start UK’s work in Northern Ireland is effectively governed.
•  Take the lead on strategic child protection and safeguarding matters in Northern Ireland working closely with the charity’s designated Head of Child Protection and Safeguarding.

To lead Home-Start UK’s campaigning, influencing and public policy work in Northern Ireland

•  Develop Home-Start UK’s influencing strategy in Northern Ireland, ensuring that the charity achieves its public policy and campaigning objectives.
• Identify campaign priorities and new areas for the development of influencing activity, ensuring that all campaigning, influencing and public policy work is based on evidence of need and the views of the Home-Start network.
• Maximise all relevant opportunities to influence public policy and practice on behalf of Home-Start in Northern Ireland, working in partnership with other organisations wherever this supports the furtherance of policy objectives.
• Keep the Northern Ireland National Committee, Senior Leadership Team and Board of Trustees informed of key external policy developments and work with relevant colleagues to formulate the charity’s position and responses.
• Represent Home-Start UK’s policy positions to external audiences, including the media, civil servants and politicians. In particular, establish effective and ongoing dialogue with MLAs, relevant Ministers and civil servants in order to represent policy positions.
• Advise senior colleagues on policy positions and ensure that these are communicated effectively across the organisation and to external audiences.
• Respond to relevant national consultation on issues affecting Home-Start’s work and the families and children we support.

To maximise opportunities to secure new funding and partnerships to grow and develop Home-Start UK’s work in Northern Ireland

•  Identify and pursue new opportunities for funding which support delivery of the charity’s strategic objectives in partnership with the charity’s fundraising and income generation team.
• Maintain relationships with key funders and prospective supporters, managing the delivery of all funding agreements entered into by Home-Start UK for the delivery of work in Northern Ireland.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with organisations involved in the delivery of family, early years and related support and develop joint projects and initiatives which benefit families and children in Northern Ireland.
• Adopt an entrepreneurial approach to project and service development in order to encourage, pilot and develop new types of Home-Start services which support families and children living in Northern Ireland.

General responsibilities

•  Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Work collaboratively with staff across Home-Start UK and with local schemes as appropriate, in accordance with the Home- Start Agreement
• Work to administration, communication, health and safety protocols and policies to ensure that organisational systems and procedures are implemented.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practice as described in the Staff Handbook and on the Home–Start Intranet.
• Support and promote diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
• Treat with confidentiality any personal, private or sensitive information about individual organisations and or schemes or staff etc.
• Carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the post.

Person Specification

Essential

• Experience of strategy development and delivery
• Experience of policy and campaign development
• Excellent all round communication skills
• Entrepreneurial approach to service development and income generation
• Leadership and motivational qualities
• Well developed networking, representational and negotiating skills
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to produce quality work with minimal supervision
• Ability to work confidently with the press and broadcasting media
• Track record of working in partnership with other organisations
• Good people, project and budgetary management skills
• Computer literacy, including experience of social media
• Significant knowledge of the strategic and practical issues affecting organisations involved in early years and family support in Northern Ireland
• Understanding of the structures and working of the Northern Ireland National Government, Northern Ireland Assembly, Health and Social Care Trusts and Local Government Districts
• Degree level (or equivalent) qualification
• Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities. An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
• Ability to travel throughout the UK and stay away overnight when required

Desirable

• Experience of lobbying politicians and working successfully with Government Departments.
• Understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in running federated charity structures.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please send us a comprehensive CV, explaining any gaps in your employment, along with a supporting statement which fully addresses the appointment criteria in the person specification. Please ensure that you have included your telephone contact numbers as well as any dates and times when you will not be available for interview or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable.

You should give the names, positions, organisations and email and telephone contact details of two referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer. References will only be taken up once your express permission has been granted.

Completed CVs and supporting statements should be emailed to: [email protected].

They can also be posted to:

Roberta Bruno

The Home-Start Centre

8-10 West Walk

Leicester LE1 7NA

If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact Elizabeth Young, Director of Policy and Research on 0116258 7900.

Timetable

Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 12th June 2016

Interviews: Monday 20th June in Belfast

The interview date may be subject to change and applicants will be advised in advance should this be the case.

Home-Start UK, a charitable company limited by guarantee.  Company No. 5382181.  Charity No. in England and Wales 1108837 and in Scotland SC039172.  Registered Office: 8-10 West Walk, Leicester LE1 7NA.

 Home-Start is committed to Equality of Opportunity and Diversity.  We wish to encourage applications from all parts of the community irrespective of gender, race, colour, age, sexual orientation or disability.  Appointments will be based on merit, following an open and clear selection process.