RESTORE: Head of Recovery College

JOB DESCRIPTION

RESTORE: Head of Recovery College

Job title: Head of Recovery College

Hours: 37 hours per week

Salary: £30,178 per annum

Base: Oxfordshire

Responsible to: Director of Volunteering and Training

Annual leave: 33 days inclusive of bank holidays

Notice: Two months

Pension: Employers contributory pension scheme (4%) for eligible employees

Aims of RESTORE

We believe that everyone has talents and abilities, and the capacity to make a valuable contribution to the community. We believe that people with mental health problems have the right to work and the right to the support they need to become and remain employed. We believe that the stigma associated with mental health problems damages the whole community and we work to challenge this discrimination.

Restore works in Oxfordshire with people who have mental health problems. We support people in their journey of recovery to enable them to achieve their maximum potential with a focus on meaningful employment.

Restore is a medium sized charity. We employ about 40 staff, involve about 100 volunteers, and deliver services to about 1,000 people in Oxfordshire each year.

The Recovery College is an exciting new development in our service, using an educational model to support people to become experts in self-care and their recovery. All Recovery College courses are co-produced and co- delivered by Peer Tutors who have their own experience of mental health challenges alongside mental health professionals.

Overall Aims of the Post

Restore is working in partnership with Oxford Health, Response, Oxfordshire Mind, Connections Floating Support and Elmore Team to establish and deliver a Recovery College for people using the service, carers, staff and volunteers from these organisations.

The Head of Recovery College will be responsible for the establishment and running of the Recovery College using a hub and spoke model. Central to this role is service user and carer involvement as the Recovery College will be based on the empowerment and transformational approach promoted by ImROC. This approach espouses involvement of service users to inform the strategic vision for the college, design and deliver training, and quality manage the delivery of courses in an educational rather than therapeutic setting. The Head of Recovery College will engage stakeholders, agree the terms of reference, establish the operational requirements, and commence delivering courses in April 2015.

Specific Responsibilities

·  To become the expert in Recovery College principles and practices and to model these throughout the partnership

·  To engage and involve stakeholders (service users, carers, volunteers, and staff from all the partnership organisations) in the Recovery College through events and communications

·  To work with the Recovery College steering group to develop the Recovery College according to the guiding principles of the IMRoC Recovery College

·  To establish the Recovery College as part of the Oxfordshire Mental Health Partnership and be the specialist lead at the Recovery College in the management and delivery of services

·  To recruit, train and lead the Recovery College team (tutors, peer trainers and volunteers) in delivering all aspects of the college core business with a focus on principles of recovery and social inclusion

·  To create and deliver project work plans and revise as appropriate to meet changing needs and requirements, ensuring that all courses/workshops are based on a coaching paradigm and adhere to the core principles of adult learning

·  To co-facilitate courses/workshops with Peer and Mental Health Practitioner trainers

·  Identify resources and assign responsibilities

·  Manage day-to-day operational aspects of the Recovery College

·  To prepare the venue to be used for the Recovery College base and arrange venues for the delivery of courses in other settings

·  To engage in the Recovery College network events and share good practice

·  Develop, deliver and monitor quality assurance systems

·  Ensure consistent policies, procedures and good practice are established

·  To meet financial objectives by forecasting requirements; adhering to the planned budget, scheduling expenditures, analysing variances and initiating corrective actions

·  Ensure the efficient administration of the project, including maintaining progress and financial records and submitting project status reports to meeting the reporting requirements of funders

·  To maintain annual registration with relevant professional body and where relevant, ensure Recovery College staff do the same

This job description is likely to change over time, subject to discussion with the post holder, and in line with the expectation of funders and the strategy for the organisation agreed by theChief Executive and Trustees.

PERSON SPECIFICATION: Head of Recovery College

An understanding of the sector, a commitment to recovery practices and empathy with people with mental health problems is vital. Restore needs people who have the ability to cope with limited resources, seize opportunities and think creatively. Awareness of the stigma and other issues surrounding mental illness is important, as is the ability to remain impartial, as this role may involve working in potentially sensitive areas.

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

·  An understanding of the principles of recovery from mental illness and the barriers that people with mental health problems may face when attempting to or accessing education

·  Project management experience and skills

·  Excellent listening skills and communication skills (both written and verbal) with clear evidence of ability

·  Initiative and decision making ability

·  Ability to motivate and inspire others and translate learning into effective and committed practice

·  Excellent time management skills with an ability to manage and monitor a range of objectives

·  Awareness of and commitment to all aspects of anti-discriminatory practice

·  Resource management ability

·  Willingness to undertake professional qualifications if required

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

·  Either a professional mental health qualification or a recognised education qualification

·  Experience of representing an organisation to a range of external audiences

·  Experience of delivering training in educational settings

·  Personal experience or understanding of mental health issues

Other work related criteria

·  Willing to undertake evening and weekend work when required

·  Willing to undertake regular travel within the county and occasionally elsewhere in the UK

Supplementary Information

DBS Check: Any offer of employment is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service check. A criminal record is not necessarily a bar to employment.