The ONE Programme
Host Information Pack
For churches/projects looking to apply to host a One Programme Participant in 2014/15
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for expressing an interest in becoming a ONE Programme Host Project.
This is a very exciting part of the Methodist Church’s commitment to young people, as individuals aged 16-23 years have the opportunity to be employed on a part-time basis to help with the development of the mission and ministry of the Church at a local, regional and national level.
By applying to be a host project, you are offering a placement for a young person to be employed on a part-time basis for a year. The salary for this employment will be paid by the Methodist Connexion. The One Programme is more than just a job for the young person – it also includes training (delivered by the Connexional Team) and other opportunities for personal development. As part of your commitment you will be expected to provide a Project Supervisor*, who will be responsible for the day to day supervision of the young person.
Each year, we receive applications from possible host projects across the whole of the UK. These applications will be looked at by a panel of young people and Connexional team members, who will then work together to select the ten successful projects. To give yourself the best chance of selection, you are encouraged to read through this pack before carefully completing the application form.
This pack contains:
· General information about One Programme Participants (OPPs)... page 3
· Information on the Cost of an OPP Placement (for projects looking to self-fund)... page 5
· A guide to the recruitment process for a ONE Programme Participant... page 6
· Frequently Asked Questions... page 8
· Criteria for project selection for the One Programme 2014/15... page 10
· Timescales for Host Project Selection... page 11
*The Project Supervisor must be DBS checked if the OPP is under the age of 18.
If your project decides that it would like to apply to host an OPP in 2014/2015, then you will need to complete and submit a copy of:
· The Host Project Application Form.
· The One Programme Participant Job Description and Person Specification (you will need to tailor the local project tasks on the Job Description to your project, as well as the project-specific requirements on the Person Specification) .
· The recruitment advert template.
All three items need to be sent, via email, to before midnight on Monday 3rd March 2014.
These should have been sent to you with this pack but, if not, please contact your Regional Coordinator for the Learning Network (see below). The information can also be found on the Children and Youth Website at www.childrenandyouth.org.uk and also on www.methodist.org.uk.
Contact details of the Regional Coordinators for the Learning Network:
Scotland & Shetland: Helen Wareing, 07799 900465,
North West and Mann: Alison Parker, 07799 900474,
North East: Tricia Mitchell, 07799 900454,
Yorkshire Plus: Michael Noble, 07799 900456,
East Central: David Syson, 07799 900468,
East of England: Richard Armiger, 07799 900490,
Bristol and the West Midlands: Geoff Bond, 07799 900486,
South West: Sharon Rowe, 07791 425501, (in lieu of Coordinator)
London: Joanne Cox, 07969 292581,
Southern and Islands: Rachel Quinlan, 07929 503937,
Cymru Wales: Luke Curran, 07799 900485,
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ONE PROGRAMME PARTICIPANTS (OPPS)
Details of position:
· OPPs will be employees of the Methodist Council of Great Britain, but attached to a local project.
· The One Programme will run September 1st – August 31st each (academic) year.
· Individuals will be employed for an average of 65 hours per calendar month for one year only.
· The post will be based within the chosen local project for the majority of these hours, although the OPP will need to be released (with reasonable notice) for Connexional commitments. These include but are not restricted to:
o Induction weekend, 5th – 7th September 2014 (approximately 30 hours).
o Second training weekend, 17th – 19th October 2014 (approximately 26 hours).
o 3Generate Children and Youth Assembly, 14th – 16th November 2014 (approximately 35 hours).
o Third training weekend, 13th – 15th February 2015 (approximately 26 hours).
o Final training weekend, 26th – 28th June 2015 (approximately 26 hours).
· A living wage of approximately £8.34 per hour will be offered (a salary of £14,213 pro-rata).
· A Connexional Line Manager for the OPP will be assigned from within the Methodist Connexional Team but the project will also be expected to identify a Project Supervisor to take the lead on day to day supervision (this person must be DBS checked if the OPP is under the age of 18). It is a requirement of the position for regular recorded meetings to occur between the Supervisor and the OPP.
· All Connexional travel expenses will be reimbursed at agreed rates when such travel has been authorised in advance with the Connexional Line Manager. All host project travel and other project expenses need to be covered by the project.
Training
Four residential training weekends will be provided for all OPPs. Attendance at these is a requirement of the position. Please see above for a list of these dates.
Project requirements
Your project should have a connection with the Methodist Church. Maybe it is funded by the church, or in a church building, or set up or run by church members. It can be a small local charity or part of a larger national organisation. It needs to have sufficient infrastructure to support the work of an OPP.
The project will need to complete a Host Project Application Form. This will tell us all about your project, its aims and objectives, what you actually do and the reasons you are applying to host a One Programme Participant. When completing the form, please make sure you pay close attention to the project criteria given on page 10. This will help the panel decide if your project is the right one for this year.
The project will also need to write an OPP Job Description and Person Specification, using the template provided with the Host Project Application Form, with particular attention given to the main tasks the OPP will be expected to carry out within the project. This should be included with your application form.
As part of the application process, we ask each project to adapt our standard template for the recruitment advert. This should be also included with your application form.
NB. The ONE Programme is a one-year programme, if you wish to be a host project for the following year you must begin the process from the beginning.
INFORMATION ON THE COST OF AN OPP PLACEMENT
Ten OPP placements will be paid for from the Connexional Budget. Decisions on which projects are funded this way are made by the One Programme selection panel (a group comprised of young people and adults).
However, there is the opportunity for projects to self-fund a placement or apply to their Circuit or District or other source of funding to pay for an OPP placement. Some projects in the past have also added funds to the Connexionally funded salary to make the OPP placement full time.
The costs for this type of arrangement are set out below:
Salary costs / Travel costs / Weekend training costs / Management costs / TOTALPart-time placement
(15 hrs a week) / £7,000 / £350 / £1000 / £700 / £9,050
Full-time placement
(35 hrs a week) / £16,333 / £350 / £1000 / £750 / £18,433
To increase a part-time funded placement to a full time placement / £9,333 / £0.00 / £0.00 / £75 / £9,408
Please note, all self-funded projects also need to be approved by the selection panel.
All arrangements need to be confirmed before the advertising of the post has begun. Payment must be received a month after the OPP has started in post (end of September 2014).
A GUIDE TO THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS FOR AN OPP
If successful in your application to be a host project you will be expected to advertise the job opportunity as widely as possible to recruit your OPP, and cover the cost of this. To do this you will need to work with the Connexional Line Manager and the Development and Personnel Team at Methodist Church House to ensure the recruitment and selection procedure complies with Methodist Church policy and the law.
An application form, interview question score sheets and other necessary paperwork will be provided by Development and Personnel.
Please bear in mind the following:
· Your project needs to assign someone to deal with the recruitment administration (responding to enquiries and sending out application packs).
· The interview needs to be arranged by you and the Connexional Line Manager.
· The panel should ideally consist of the following:
1. The Connexional Line Manager (who will chair the panel).
2. A representative from your project (ideally the Project Supervisor).
3. A young person.
4. One other relevant person (optional).
If you need any advice or help don’t forget you can ask the Connexional Line Manager and you also have all the expertise of the Development and Personnel Team at Methodist Church House at your disposal.
As part of the process of applying to be a One Programme host project, you will need to customise our standard One Programme recruitment advert, which is available to download from www.childrenandyouth.org.uk and/or will have been emailed with this host pack.
Once your OPP is offered a place what will you, as the host project, need to do?
As a host project you are responsible for ensuring that your Methodist District Chair is kept informed of the OPP’s involvement with your project.
As a host project you are expected to support the Connexional Line Manager to ensure an application to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for relevant pre-employment screening is completed and submitted for processing as soon as possible after the successful candidate has been chosen. The DBS application must be verified by a Methodist approved verifier (usually a Circuit Superintendent).
As a host project you must also complete a risk assessment of your OPP’s working environment.
As a host project you will be required to provide a Project Supervisor for the OPP (who must be DBS checked if the OPP is under 18). Training and support for this role will be provided but, ideally, it should be someone who has experience in line management/coaching and who understands and is sympathetic to the specific issues, challenges and benefits of employing young people.
Once your OPP is in place what do you, as a Host Project, need to do?
Regular meeting between the OPP and the Project Supervisor must be held and a record of these meetings must be completed.
Regular meetings (at least once a quarter) of the Project Supervisor and the One Programme Connexional Line Manager should be held.
As a host project it may be necessary at times to complete written reports/feedback.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What age can an OPP be?
OPPs are young people aged 16-23 (at the start of the OPP year, which is 1st September).
Does the host project need to be a children’s or youth work project?
No. This is about young people doing the work! The OPPs should be involved in meaningful works of service but could be based in a family centre, arts or worship project, fresh expressions initiative, old people’s home etc.
But what about OPPs under 18? Surely that’s not old enough to ‘serve’?
This is an opportunity for the OPP as a young person. They will not be doing the work of a professionally qualified worker or volunteers, but will be carrying out work appropriate to their age and ability.
How long is an OPP’s appointment for?
OPPs will be appointed for one year only (September to August).
What hours will an OPP work?
OPPs will be employed for an average of 65 hours per calendar month (approx. 15 hours per week) for one year only. The post will be based within your project for the majority of these hours, although the OPP will need to be released (with reasonable notice) for Connexional commitments. These include but are not restricted to:
· Induction weekend, 5th – 7th September 2014 (approximately 30 hours).
· Second training weekend, 17th – 19th October 2014 (approximately 26 hours).
· 3Generate Children’s and Youth Assembly, 14th – 16th November 2014 (approximately 35 hours).
· Third training weekend, 13th – 15th February 2015 (approximately 26 hours).
· Final training weekend, 26th – 28th June 2015 (approximately 26 hours).
How large an area can the OPP cover?
Young people will apply for an OPP role within the District where they live. OPPs will not be expected to be mobile across their whole District. Appointing projects cannot say that OPPs must drive and have a car. But OPPs will be expected to travel independently to their project.
Does an OPP need to be a Methodist or a Christian?