May 2011
Dear Candidate,
Job Ref: Press Officer - 1105
Thank you for your interest in our post, please find attached:
· Some information about NCB - see also our website at www.ncb.org.uk
· The job description and person specification
· The terms and conditions of the job
To apply please submit a completed application form that clearly addresses all the essential and desirable criteria listed in the person specification. Failure to do so will considerably lessen your chances of being selected for interview.
Please return your application by either email to , Fax 0207 713 5497 or post to the address at the top of the page. The closing date for receipt of completed application is 9am on 24 May 2011.
Interviews dates are to be confirmed. In the interests of economy we will only notify those candidates who are short-listed.
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully
Mandy Raghib
Temp HR Advisor
NCB
Vision:
To have a society in which children and young people are valued, their rights are respected and responsibilities enhanced.
Mission:
To advance the well-being of children and young people across every aspect of their lives
Aims:
• To reduce inequalities in childhood
• To ensure children and young people have a strong voice in all matters that affect their lives
• To promote positive images of children and young people
• To enhance the health and well-being of all children and young people
• To encourage positive and supportive family, and other environments
Organisational principles:
• We involve children and young people in all aspects of our work
• We are a listening and learning organisation
• We work from an evidence-informed perspective
• We work collaboratively and across multidisciplinary partnerships
• We work within good governance
Operational objectives:
• To identify and develop new work areas in response to the needs and views of children, young people and families
· To influence and inform policy, practice and service development
• To undertake high quality research
• To disseminate accessible information to all
• To further develop partnership working
• To ensure efficient and effective operation of NCB
• To strengthen NCB’s financial situation and diversify our funding base
Long-term outcomes - For all children and young people to:
• Have equality of opportunity
• Participate in all matters affecting their lives
• Are respected by society
• Are physically and emotionally well
• Are confident, safe and secure
NCB
Job Description
Post: Press Officer
Grade: F
Reports to: Head of Public Relations
Department: Policy, Research and Information
Scope and objectives
This frontline role makes a vital contribution to raising the profile of issues that affect the lives of children and young people, as well as promoting the research, practice development and campaigning work of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB).
The post-holder will support the Head of Public Relations in delivering an integrated and strategic media strategy to raise the political and public profile of NCB. Using your advanced media skills, knowledge and experience, you will create positive, meaningful and sustained news coverage and media opportunities for NCB and the many councils, fora and networks that operate under our charitable status.
Specific responsibilities
1. Playing an active part in NCB’s Media team, ensuring that a timely, professional and efficient service is provided to both external and internal stakeholders
2. Leading on the production of NCB’s fortnightly pages in the Haymarket publication, Children & Young People Now, including arranging editorial meetings and coordinating the planning and preparation of content
3. Creating and identifying opportunities to promote NCB in print, broadcast and online media, and writing and developing news, features, letters-to-editors and opinion piece articles
4. Working with NCB’s various teams and departments you will plan and coordinate media activity on specific projects and activities, such as Anti-Bullying Week and Playday
5. Responding to media enquiries, liasing with NCB colleagues and anticipating opportunities and demand
6. Developing relationships with key journalists, media professionals and internal colleagues, and ensuring our contacts database is kept up to date
7. Monitoring and evaluating NCB’s media coverage, including managing the relationship with the press cuttings agency, maintaining the press cuttings report and media notice board, and distributing relevant articles to NCB staff
8. Supporting the Head of Public Relations in the overall delivery of NCB’s Public Relations Strategy.
General Responsibilities
9. Writing reports on behalf of the Head of Public Relations
10. Developing and maintaining an awareness of NCB policies and areas of expertise within the organisation
11. Developing and maintaining an awareness of issues concerning children and young people, including government legislation
12. Promoting the voices of children and young people in the media
13. On-call rotation and occasional out of hours working
Special conditions
There may be occasional out of hours working for which Time off in Lieu will be given.
This is a fixed term post until 30 September 2011.
NCB is committed to anti-discriminatory policies and practices and it is essential that the postholder is willing to make a positive contribution to their promotion and implementation.
Last Revised: 4 May 2011
NCB
Person Specification
Press Officer
Essential criteria
1. Knowledge & Abilities· Educated to degree level within a Journalism, Communications, English or Politics discipline
· Sound working knowledge of the UK media, with significant experience in a journalism/campaigning/public relations/media role
· Strong understanding of the media relations tools and channels used to engage audiences
· Understanding of how media and public relations fits into strategic and integrated communications
2. Working Relationships
· Proactive and enthusiastic
· Flexible and adaptable
· Tactful and diplomatic with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information
3. Work Complexity and Mental Demands
· Excellent verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex issues to diverse audiences
· Excellent IT skills, in particular website content management systems, html, social media and other specialist media packages
· Excellent planning and organisation skills
· Able to work unsociable hours, including on call on rotation
4. Decision Making and Innovation
· Creative and curious with a desire to find new opportunities to promote NCB
· Ability to think fast and work effectively under pressure
5. Valuing Diversity
· Interested in the issues that face children and young people
· Personal commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practices
Desirable Criteria
1. Knowledge & Abilities· Experience of working within the charity, voluntary or public sector
· Knowledge of UK government systems and social policy
· PR agency experience welcomed
· Experience of acting as a media spokesperson
Last Revised: 4 May 2011
NCB
Summary of Terms and Conditions of Employment
Salary
The salary range for this post is £25,520 - £29,575 per annum inclusive. This is related to Local Government salaries that are incremental on an annual basis until staff reach the top of the scale. Appointments are usually made at the bottom of the scale.
Where appointments are made further up the scale, they are based on the appointee's present or most recent salary as well as the experience and skills the successful candidate is able to offer.
Nature of Contract
This is a fixed term post until 30 September 2011. The contracted hours are 35 per week and there is one unpaid hour for lunch each day.
There may be out of hours working and some travel for which notice will be given.
Base
The post is based at the National Children’s Bureau offices in London.
Holidays
Leave entitlement is at the rate of pro-rata 30 days per annum. In addition to the statutory and Bank Holidays, NCB gives three fixed non contractual "extra statutory" days' holiday which will be taken over the Christmas period.
Probationary Period
NCB has a standard probationary period of 6 weeks for posts of this nature.
Pension
NCB is an admitted body to the Local Government Superannuation Scheme. Alternatively, staff have an option to join their own personal pension plan to which NCB will contribute.
Staff who do not choose to join Superannuation or NCB's scheme will automatically be included in the State Pension Scheme for which higher National Insurance deductions are made.
Season Ticket Loan
NCB has a scheme for providing an interestfree loan for the purchase of an annual season ticket from the relevant rail company or London Underground Ltd.
Smoking Policy
NCB has a no smoking policy.
Equal Opportunity Policy
NCB has an equal opportunity policy and implements a programme of positive action to make this policy fully effective by ensuring that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, colour, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, HIV status, marital status, nationality, religion or sexual orientation.
Pre-employment checks - Information for applicants
To ensure we safeguard the children and young people that we work with, NCB will carry out a number of pre-employment checks as part of our recruitment and selection process to enable us to make informed recruitment decisions. This information sheet gives a brief outline of the process and further information can be obtained from NCB’s Human Resources section.
NCB’s pre-employment checks
After interview we will ask potential staff members for consent to a Disclosure check which will be carried out by the Criminal Records Bureau, an executive agency of the Home Office*.
What is Disclosure?
A Disclosure is a document containing information held by the police and government departments and will assist NCB in making safer recruitment decisions.
There are three levels of disclosure: Enhanced, Standard and Basic and NCB will carry out Enhanced Disclosure checks on all potential staff after the interview process has been completed.
Disclosures will provide details of a person’s criminal record including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer (PNC). It will also provide details from lists held by Government Department’s and information held by local police forces.
A copy of the Disclosure document will be sent directly to the applicant and to a countersignatory at NCB who will have been registered with the CRB and, as such, has agreed to comply with the Criminal Records Bureau Code of Practice.
Please note that you do not have to consent to these checks being carried out. However, if consent is withheld, NCB will have to withdraw any offer of employment.
With some exceptions having a criminal record will not necessarily bar an individual from working at NCB (see Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders enclosed). This will depend on the nature of the position sought and the circumstances and background of the offences.
Proof of identification
In order to process the Disclosure check, NCB is required to confirm the identity of any potential staff members. For this reason we will seek documentation as evidence of identity and a list of the documents required will be discussed with the potential staff member by the Human Resources Unit.
Please note that any information supplied will be treated in confidence and in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the Criminal Records Bureau Code of Practice.
www.crb.gov.uk or telephone 0870 90 90 844
Hr/recruit/cr/pre-employment
March 2002
For staff based in NCB Northern Ireland offices
Staff based in our Northern Ireland Office will be required to complete an Access Northern Ireland disclosure instead of a CRB disclosure.
What is Access Northern Ireland? AccessNI was established by a joint programme between the Northern Ireland Office, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the Department of Education and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
AccessNI enables organisations in Northern Ireland to make more informed recruitment decisions by providing criminal history information about anyone seeking paid or unpaid work in certain defined areas, such as working with children or vulnerable adults.
AccessNI is part of central government and operates under the provisions of Part V of the Police Act 1997.
Further information
www.accessni.gov.uk or telephone 02890 259100
Access Northern Ireland
Brooklyn
65 Knock Road
Belfast
BT5 6LE
Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders
As an organisation using the Access NI/Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Disclosure service to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, NCB complies fully with the Access NI/CRB Code of Practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly. It undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a Disclosure on the basis of conviction or other information received.
All recruitment packs will contain a statement that a Disclosure will be requested in the event of the individual being offered the position as well as a copy of NCB’s Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders.
We encourage all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record at an early stage in the application process. We request that this information is sent under separate, confidential cover to a designated person within NCB and we guarantee that his information is only to be seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process.
We ensure that all those in NCB who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. We also ensure they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex-offenders, e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
At interview, or in a separate discussion, we ensure that an open and measured discussion takes part on the subject of any offences or other matter that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to the withdrawal of an offer of appointment.
We make everyone that will be subject to an Access NI/CRB Disclosure aware of the Access NI/CRB Code of Practice and make a copy available on request.
We undertake to discuss any matter revealed in a Disclosure with the person seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.
Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of your offences.