Background Information on the Charity
Job title: / National Director Asthma UK Cymru (maternity cover) / Date profile updated: / February 2009
Department: / Nations Regions & Services / Location: / Cardiff
Band: / E / Current job holder: / Vacant
Name of employer: / Asthma UK/Asthma Enterprises Limited
Reporting structure
Reports to: / Executive Director, Nations, Regions and Services
Job
Purpose of job:
To take the lead operational role in delivering the charity’s aspirations in Wales, managing staff, resources and premises and to work with the Executive Director, Nations, Regions and Services and other executive and senior directors to develop the charity’s strategic approach in Wales. In collaboration with colleagues across Asthma UK, oversee the delivery of a programme of work, which ensures relevant aspects of the charity’s work are delivered in order to raise awareness of Asthma UK and to influence policy and standards of care for people with asthma in Wales. This programme of work will include public affairs, policy development, communications, health promotion, user and carer involvement, stakeholder relations and volunteer development.
Key accountabilities:
Accountabilities also include a responsibility on behalf of the job-holder to undertake any other duties that are relevant to the job as requested by the line manager.
1. Input into the overall strategic direction, planning and development of the organisation through the Executive Director, Nations, Regions & Services.
2. Take responsibility for planning and delivering detailed objectives for Wales, in conjunction with the Executive Director and in line with the charity’s overall strategy and aspirations, policies and priorities. Also manage additional ad hoc time-limited projects, providing technical expertise and experience where relevant.
3. Lead, motivate and develop the staff of the Wales team, ensuring they are clearly focused and competent to achieve the team’s operational plans and activities in line with the agreed strategic direction, policies and priorities of the charity.
4. Take responsibility for setting and maintaining the Wales budget, within organisational parameters set by the Executive Team, including the allocation of resources necessary to deliver against agreed work plans and working with the Finance Team to ensure availability of actionable management information. Oversee management of physical and financial resources, including health and safety.
5. Take responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation of the charity’s external affairs strategy in Wales, building links with Welsh policy makers and key individuals in order to understand and influence the wider policy environment and to develop effective working relationships with key partner organisations. Brief staff internally on key policy developments and opportunities.
6. To act as the main spokesperson for the charity in Wales with the media, to represent the charity in Wales and present evidence to external bodies as required. To work with the Marketing Team to support the delivery of agreed marketing strategies in Wales including media relations and fundraising.
7. Take responsibility for overseeing all other areas of work in Wales as it develops including health promotion, user and carer involvement, volunteer development.
8. Work in partnership with Executive and Assistant Directors across the organisation to ensure an integrated cross organisational approach to service delivery and strategy development in Wales.
9. First line resolution of cross organisational issues impacting on Asthma UK’s work and reputation in Wales.
10. Demonstrate a commitment to and willingness to work within the charity’s equal opportunities policy, health and safety policy and other policies as set out in Asthma UK’s staff handbook.
Person Specification – National Director Asthma UK Cymru (maternity)
Qualification
/ § Educated to degree level (desirable)Knowledge
/ § Knowledge of the changing external environment in Wales, specifically Assembly procedure and activities, local government and the health sector§ Understanding of political and policy-making processes and how to influence them
§ Knowledge of how the media work and how to work with them
§ Understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity
§ Knowledge of asthma policy and related issues (desirable)
Experience
/ § Experience of working in a public affairs environment§ Experience of working in a policy or communications environment (desirable)
§ Experience of working with volunteers
§ Experience of dealing with the media
§ Experience of managing staff and resources
§ Experience of working in a health-related area (desirable)
§ Experience of working with users, carers (desirable)
§ Experience of partnership working (desirable)
Skills
/ § Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal with a high standard of presentation in both.§ Ability to think and act strategically
§ Ability to develop and deliver annual plans and budgets.
§ Strong planning and organisational skills
§ Strong managerial and risk management skills
§ Ability to work simultaneously on a range of different projects and topics
§ IT Skills (Word, Excel, Outlook and internet)
§ Ability to work on own initiative
§ Strong facilitation, negotiation and influencing skills
§ Ability to analyse and synthesise information in order to produce accurate briefs and policy, tailored to the audience.
§ Ability to speak Welsh (desirable)
Background information on the charity
Asthma UK is the charity dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people with asthma in the UK by building and sharing expertise about asthma.
Asthma is one of the most common long-term conditions among children and adults. Although it can be well managed, enabling people to lead full and active lives, asthma still kills three people and hospitalises over 200 people every day and prevents many from fulfilling their full potential.
Asthma UK works towards our vision by providing services, funding medical research and acting as a champion for people with asthma. Our vision is:
‘Control over asthma today, freedom from asthma tomorrow.’
Asthma is serious One person dies every seven hours from asthma in the UK, yet experts tell us that 90% of these deaths are preventable.
Asthma is widespread 5.4 million people have asthma in the UK – 1 in 5 households is affected, and if you don’t have asthma yourself, you will know someone who has.
Asthma is controllable 69% of people with asthma do not have their symptoms under control.
Asthma UK
§ is the charity dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people with asthma
§ is funded by voluntary donations
§ brings together the views of people with asthma and professional experts to address the key concerns over asthma
§ funds approximately £3m of asthma research each year
§ is the source of independent advice and information on asthma for everyone.
The charity was formed in January 1990 from the amalgamation of the Asthma Research Council (Est. 1927), the Asthma Society (Est. 1980) and Friends of the Asthma Research Council (Est. 1972).
Our 2008-11 strategy
We continue to believe in the relevance of our vision of ‘control over asthma today, freedom from asthma tomorrow’, and re-affirm our approach to achieving that vision through research, services and influencing.
The strategy sets out five key goals for the charity, which are to:
§ grow the capacity of Asthma UK to make a difference for people with asthma
§ advance knowledge and treatments for asthma, through research
§ ensure that people with asthma get access to high-quality services
§ give people with asthma the knowledge, confidence and motivation they need to manage their condition, through excellent health promotion
§ be an influential champion for people with asthma and achieving change on their behalf.
We propose to take this forward through a rolling strategy, which is reviewed every year. Over the next three years, we want a greater focus on a small number of big ambitions. Some of these are already set out in out in our research strategy, which continues to be an active strategic document for Asthma UK. Others include:
1) To improve the standard and consistency of asthma services across the UK and substantially improve the quality of care in the worst performing areas.
2) To significantly improve prospects and health outcomes for those in greatest need, including those with difficult asthma, through our research, services and influencing work.
3) To ensure that every child with asthma receives the best quality care and support and is given the chance to realise their full potential.
The plan includes an ambitious but feasible growth strategy for Asthma UK, which will see our income increase from around £10 million a year today to £12.5 million a year in three years’ time. We are proposing to explore new sources of income too, for example by bidding for contracts to provide some of our services to health bodies or employers. We expect to grow in other ways, for example by increasing the number of volunteers who support us in our work, and increasing the range of opportunities there are for volunteering.
The Asthma UK Cymru Team
Following a period of development by staff in other offices and volunteers on the ground, the national office for Wales was established in summer 2005.
The priorities of the team in Wales are to represent the interests and needs of people with asthma in Wales by influencing health policy and practice; raising awareness of asthma and of Asthma UK Cymru in the media; promoting Asthma UK products and services in order to raise standards of care; supporting and developing volunteers in Wales.
The Wales team is part of the Nations, Regions and Services Directorate within Asthma UK, which is led by the Executive Director, assisted by the Directorate Administrator. The team has three staff members – the Director, the Asthma Services Development Officer and an Administrative Assistant. The Northern Ireland team was also established in 2005 and has the same structure, while the Scotland team, which is longer established, currently has seven staff members - the Administrative Assistant, the Directorate Administrator, the Volunteer Development Officer, the Public Affairs and Communications Manager, the Asthma Policy Officer, a Community Fundraiser (managed by a Community Manager based in London) and the National Director.
National Director Asthma UK Cymru
The successful applicant will be confident working with minimal supervision while ensuring continuous accountability to the Executive Director, and enjoy a varied workload where a flexible approach is important. Direction and support will be provided regularly by the line manager (the Executive Director), with input available from a number of teams based at the charity’s head office. The role is self-supporting, however there will be some administrative assistance provided, for example with mail-outs. The post holder will be required to travel to London from time to time and occasionally to other parts of the UK.
Terms, conditions and benefits
This is a fixed term, part time post for a period of approximately 13 months to cover maternity leave. The salary range for this position is £36,286 to £38,196 per annum (pro rata from £39,688 to £41, 777 per annum for 32 hours) depending on skills and relevant experience. The charity is committed to paying competitive salaries that are based on appropriate market data.
Staff development is viewed as a priority and Asthma UK successfully achieved the Investors in People standard in October 2001 following the implementation of effective training and development methods and consistent standards in terms of people management. The charity successfully achieved re-accreditation in October 2004 and November 2007.
Contractual hours of work for full time staff are 35 per week. This is a part time role for 32 hours per week and there is a certain amount of flexibility around when those hours are worked, according to the needs of the charity and the successful candidate.
Annual leave entitlement for full time staff is 22 working days per calendar year, rising to 24 days after 2 years’ service, plus 1 further day for each year’s service thereafter. Staff are entitled to additional annual leave entitlement covering all working days between Christmas and New Year, when the charity’s offices are shut. In addition all statutory and bank holidays are honoured. Annual, bank/public and compulsory leave days are calculated on a pro rata basis for staff employed on part time and/or fixed term contracts. The charity also operates a time off in lieu (TOIL) arrangement whereby staff who have worked additional hours for a specific reason have an opportunity to take compensatory time off in the interests of their health and well-being.
Asthma UK has a stakeholder compliant group personal pension scheme, which all employees are entitled to join after three months of employment. Employees must contribute a minimum of 3% of their salary in order to join the scheme and obtain an employer contribution. Where the employee is paying less than 5% of salary into their pension, the charity will match their contribution. If the employee makes a contribution of 5% or more, the charity’s contribution will be 7.5% of salary, rising to 10% (regardless of the level of employee contributions being made) after 5 years service.
The charity has a wide range of employment policies and procedures that provide favourable conditions in areas such as:
§ maternity, parental and special leave
§ sickness absence
§ fair treatment and representation of staff on employment matters
Both as an employer and a service provider, the charity is committed to equality of opportunity. This commitment is demonstrated by developing and reviewing employment policies and procedures that ensure recruitment, training and development and promotion decisions are made on the basis of competency, performance and ability and by working towards providing equal access to the Asthma UK’s services for all people with asthma.
The charity has received public recognition for its flexible, family friendly and work-life balance policies and its commitment to staff development, most recently returning as top 'not for profit' employer in the UK bybeing placed 3rd in the Financial Times 2008 list of best workplaces in the UK and 23rd in the 50 best small and medium sized workplaces in Europe. We also won the title of London and South East Employer of the Year in the 2001 Parents at Work Employer of the Year Awards, supported by the Department of Trade and Industry, and in November 2003, Asthma UK was awarded a Greater London training award and a special award from the London Learning and Skills Council in recognition of our management development programme.