OVERALL PURPOSE

The Functional Skills Support Work will contribute towards the smooth running of a new Big Lottery Fund (BLF)/European Social Fund (ESF) Building Better Opportunities (BBO) funded service. This service is designed to increase wellbeing, resilience and skills, and to provide a pathway to work, volunteering or work-like activities for people who have had mental health issues which have been a barrier to work. Aspirations for Life, will include partners from the voluntary sector, arts, sports and community groups and will be delivered across Kent and East Sussex.

This role will involve providing dedicated one to one support to help learners improve their English & maths skills. This project will deliver a new service for people who have had mental health conditions, which have become a barrier to finding work. As the project will involve helping those who are often hardest to reach, the right candidate will need to be comfortable with working in residential and remote locations.

The post holder will ensure frequent and effective communication with the Project Manager. Monitoring and evaluating the services will be a big part of this role. You will be responsible for shaping service delivery, building strong relationships with partners and maintaining Runway Training’s strong reputation.

MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• To deputise for the Project Manager in their absence.
• To be a point of contact for all Aspirations partners
• To provide information and support to Aspirations staff both within Runway Training and in partner organisations where relevant and necessary e.g. participant eligibility and evidence collection, risk assessment, support plans, referral to call on / call off partners etc.
• To be the first point of contact for Aspirations staff with queries regarding how to most effectively engage and support clients with their English & maths needs.
• To ensure that all policies and procedures are implemented effectively and efficiently
• To promote service user involvement within Aspirations
• To conduct regular meetings with the Aspirations Team and other staff working on Aspirations as appropriate
• To ensure service participants receive a consistent service with personalised learning & support plans and are supported through periods of transition
• To ensure effective delivery of the service
• To proactively contribute to team and organisational meetings and events
• To attend relevant meetings and feedback to the team
• To be responsible for keeping accurate and up to date records, ensuring data protection and confidentiality policies are adhered to at all times.
• To continuously review systems, processes and procedures and implement improvements efficiently and effectively
• To monitor the recording of information and prepare reports where required, e.g. monthly reports, quarterly reports etc.

Development
• To be responsible for own professional development
• To be involved in broader workings of the organisation (e.g. through involvement in working groups such as English standardisation meetings)

General
• Undertake all duties in accordance with Runway Training’s policies and procedures with particular reference to Health & Safety and Equal Opportunities.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

We want the post-holder to be able to demonstrate the following competencies to a high level and want to use these to the full in their work. This is more important than having a great deal of direct experience of the job content, and we will be looking for evidence of all the following key competencies during the selection process, if you are shortlisted

• People focused • Positive and enthusiastic
• Communication and influence • Teamwork
• Quality focused • Adaptable
• Problem solving • Creativity and innovation

QUALIFICATIONS

Desirable
• Level 2 qualifications in English & maths or the willingness to undertake them

EXPERIENCE

Essential
• Experience of working with vulnerable people and people who have had mental health issues

Desirable
• Experience of working in employability programmes for vulnerable people
• Experience of assessment and IAG processes with vulnerable people
• Experience of mediation or advocacy on behalf of service participants
• Experience of delivering / facilitating group work.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering English & maths to vulnerable people located in diverse geographical locations
• Experience of working in a complex, inter-agency service

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Essential
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• An ability to organise your own workload including the capacity to handle pressure and to be adaptable to changing or conflicting demands
• The ability to guide and support colleagues working directly with vulnerable people
• An ability to understand, implement and construct professional boundaries
• An ability to initiate and maintain constructive relations with clients, colleagues and other professionals from a wide variety of cultural and social backgrounds
• Good English, maths & ICT skills.
• Excellent IT skills (i.e. email, Word, Excel etc.)

KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING

Essential
• Knowledge of the complex needs of vulnerable people with mental health issues
• An understanding of the needs of employers when employing people with mental health issues
• The ability to understand and communicate the monitoring, evaluation and service requirements of the Aspirations service

PERSONAL QUALITIES

Essential
• Commitment to the practical application of Equal Opportunities and Environmental Sustainability
• Commitment to developing and maintaining a high level of service to colleagues, service participants, partners and other stakeholders.
• A positive, self-motivated and enthusiastic attitude to work and problem solving
• Excellent communication and influencing skills (i.e. written and verbal) through interagency liaison, meetings, groups, minutes, reports, proposals, providing feedback, appropriately sharing information or maintaining confidentiality as required, working towards mutually beneficial outcomes and maintaining excellent joint-working relationships
• Commitment to identifying solutions to problems and implementing them
• Commitment to actively contributing ideas and suggestions that improve quality of service
• Flexibility to work around the needs of the clients and staff, including evenings and weekends if required
• In addition the post holder will also require a full driving license and the use of a vehicle, subject to the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and must be willing to undertake extensive travel across Kent