7th April 2015

Dear Applicant,

Re:Right Here - Young Men’s Health Champions Co-ordinator

Thank you for your interest in the above post.

Enclosed is a job pack containing the following:

  • Welcome to Applicants
  • Job Profile
  • Policy on the Recruitment of Ex Offenders
  • Guidelines for working with Young People and Vulnerable Adults
  • Aims & Purposes of the YMCA

I have also enclosed an application form for your completion. Please be aware that the closing date for this vacancy is Friday 24th April 2015 at 9am and the interview date is Tuesday 5th May.

Please return email applications to or hard copies by hand or post to Human Resources, Reed House, 47 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2BE.

When completing the application form, make sure you refer to the requirements of the role as set out in the job profile, as short listing for interview rests on how well you meet these criteria.

We look forward to receiving your completed application. If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application was not successful on this occasion.

YMCA DownsLink Group requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Yours faithfully,

Emily Whiter

Recruitment & HR Systems Co-ordinator

Job Pack

Job Title / Right Here Young Men’s Health Champions Coordinator
Reporting to / Right Here Young Men’s Health Champions Coordinator
Service Area / Care & Support Services
Location / Blatchington Road, Hove
Contract Type and Employment Period / Fixed term contract until 31st March 2016
15 hrs per week
Salary (FTE) / £22,500 per annum (pro-rata) (B2)

Job Purpose:

Right Here Brighton & Hove has been contracted by the Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to consult young men around their experiences and views of NHS funded health services.

The Coordinator will support a team of approx. 12 male volunteers aged 16-25 as Young Men’s Health Champions. The Champions will design creative methods of engaging and consulting other young men around their experiences of using, and views of, NHS funded health services in Brighton & Hove. Their findings will be reported and presented to the CCG, Brighton & Hove Healthwatch, and other forums, to influence improvements to how health services are delivered to young men and ensure young men’s health issues remain high on appropriate agendas. Young men from particular communities will be particularly, but not exclusively, targeted – gypsies and travellers; deaf and hard of hearing; having learning disabilities; Black and Minority Ethnic; and young trans men.

Right Here Brighton and Hove is a project managed by YMCA DownsLink Group (YMCA DLG)

This post is funded by the Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group.

Responsibilities:

  • Coordinate the delivery of Right Here’s young men’s engagement and consultation contract with the Clinical Commissioning Group
  • Recruit, supervise, support and develop a team of young male volunteers (aged 16-25) as Young Men’s Health Champions, who will:
  • plan, design, promote and deliver (approximately 9 per year) engagement and consultation activities with their peers around health services and health issues
  • target their consultations to young men who identify as Black & Minority Ethnic; deaf or hard of hearing; have learning disabilities; gypsies & travellers; or trans, but not exclusively to these groups
  • write briefing papers and reports of their findings
  • give presentations to the CCG, Healthwatch and other forums to influence service improvements.
  • Facilitate regular meetings with volunteers
  • Risk assess all engagement and consultation work, including through outreach and into the night-time economy, and ensure all work is compliant with Health & Safety regulations
  • Use social media to communicate with and engage young men and volunteers
  • Develop and maintain networks with youth and specialist service providers, health professionals, and young men
  • Identify any child protection / vulnerable adults at risk issues - informing line manager and taking appropriate action
  • Undertake monitoring and evaluation processes; and write progress reports for the CCG
  • Attend monitoring and review meetings with the funders
  • Ensure all administrative tasks are completed accurately and on time
  • Work with the Adolescent Health & Wellbeing Manager to ensure the budget is adhered to
  • Work with the Right Here team to ensure the full and active participation of young people within the whole project
  • Attend and participate in Right Here project meetings and funders events
  • Promote Right Here both within YMCA DLG and externally – attending other organisations team meetings and professionals forums, and events, i.e. college wellbeing days
  • Work collaboratively with other CCG commissioned engagement gateways
  • Work flexibly and be available for regular evening and occasional weekend work, and occasional work in the night time economy if appropriate
  • Work to the Hear by Right participation standards
  • Participate in training, supervision and appraisals
  • Undertake travel across Brighton & Hove and regionally/nationally, as required by the project
  • Work within and actively promote equality of opportunity in accordance with YMCA DLG policies and procedures
  • Work in accordance with all YMCA DLG policies and procedures
  • Promote and work within the YMCA DLG aims and purposes
  • Carry out from time to time, any other appropriate duties as directed by the line manager to support and promote the work of YMCA DLG, in accordance with the post holder’s capabilities

Person Specification
Knowledge, Job Related Skills, Qualifications & Experience:

Experience / Essential / Desirable
Recruiting, supervising and developing volunteers / *
Youth participation - young people planning, designing and delivering services and involved in decision making / *
Working with young men aged 16-25 yrs, and from diverse communities, in group settings and one-to-one / *
Working with young men aged 16-25 years who may be experiencing mental health issues / *
Community engagement and consultation / *
Managing or delivering outreach work to young people / *
Undertaking surveys and facilitating focus groups / *
Analysing research data and writing reports / *
Working in a community/voluntary sector setting / *
Partnership working with different organisations from statutory and voluntary sector / *
Skills & Abilities
Confident and positive approach to engaging young men / *
Able to effectively organise and prioritise work with good time management skills; able to meet deadlines / *
Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills / *
Excellent presentation skills – able to confidently engage an audience when giving presentations / *
Ability to develop and maintain networks of professionals and young men / *
Can identify child protection and adult safeguarding concerns and act appropriately / *
Work flexibly and be available for regular evening and occasional weekend work, and occasional work in the night time economy / *
Manage difficult or unusual behaviour effectively / *
Proficient use of IT systems including office, word, etc / *
Education and Training
Good level of education (minimum level 2 equivalent maths and English) / *
Mental Health training / *
Supervision training / *
Group work skills training / *
Knowledge
Significant knowledge and understanding of young men and their lives / *
Demonstrable awareness of issues facing young people, especially those who are socially excluded or from hard to reach groups / *
Demonstrable understanding of barriers to young men engaging in consultation activities / *
Demonstrable awareness of Equality and Diversity best practice / *
Awareness of good practice in conducting outreach work to young people / *
General
A commitment to the Aims and Purposes of YMCA DLG / *

Key Competencies for this role

  • Planning and Organising Activities

The post holder will be expected to organise and prioritise their own and their volunteers’ tasks and activities, and to plan the work to ensure that the project meets the requirements of its commissioners and contractors and YMCA DLG

  • Team working and Co-operation

The post holder will be expected to achieve and where possible exceed, project goals and objectives, demonstrating a co-operative and flexible attitude and being enthusiastic and responsive to new challenges.

  • Communication Skills

The post holder will be expected to have excellent verbal and written skills, and to produce accurate guidance documents, promotional materials, policies and information and to give presentations as required. They will be expected to influence and negotiate positively with colleagues, partner organisations and service users.

  • Customer Focus

The post holder will be committed to providing and developing services that are responsive to the needs of their service users and to encourage and demonstrate a commitment to participation, auditing and regularly seeking feedback on service provision.

  • Integrity and Ethical Behaviour

The post holder will be expected to understand and respect the Christian aims and purposes of YMCA DLG, and our values and mission, including our commitment to equality and diversity, and to improving the lives of young people, children and families.

  • Self Management

The post holder will be expected to set a good example of excellence in day to day conduct at work, understanding their own strengths and weaknesses and being committed to their continually improving their own professional development.

  • Interpersonal and Relationship Building

e.g. developing and maintaining effective working relationships both internally and externally, use of discretion, provision of support and guidance, negotiation, developing networks and promoting change.

Policy on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders:

YMCA DownsLink Group actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, with the right mix of talent, skills and potential, and applications are welcome from a wide range of candidates.

We undertake not to discriminate unfairly against any applicant on the basis of a criminal record or other information revealed. Criminal records and other information will be taken into account for recruitment purposes only when they are relevant.

We select all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience. We ask all applicants called for interview to provide details of their criminal record. Depending on the nature of the position applied for, YMCA DownsLink Group may request details of your entire criminal record or only of ‘unspent’ convictions as defined in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

We request that this information is sent under separate, confidential cover to a designated person within YMCA DownsLink Group and we guarantee that this information is only seen by those who need to see it as part of the recruitment process. We would point out that for the successful candidate, this information will be verified by requesting a Disclosure[1] statement from the Disclosure and Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed.

Failure to reveal information that is relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment or subsequent dismissal.

We ensure that all those in YMCA DownsLink Group who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences. We also ensure that 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 separate discussion, we ensure that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matters that might be relevant to the position.

For those positions where a Disclosure is required, application forms and guidance notes will contain a statement that a Disclosure will be requested in the event of the candidate being made a conditional offer of employment.

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 YMCA DownsLink Group. This will depend on the nature of the position and the circumstances and background of any offences. However, as the nature of the YMCA DownsLink Group’s work brings its employees & volunteers into contact with young people (those under 18 years old) and/or vulnerable adults, a criminal record or other information which makes an application unacceptable for a position of trust will render the applicant unsuitable.

As an organisation using the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Disclosure service to assess applicants’ suitability for positions of trust, this policy complies with the DBS Code of Practice.

Declaration of Criminal Background & Guidelines for Working with Young People and/or Vulnerable Adults

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 sets out to help people who have been convicted of a criminal offence and have not been convicted again in a specified period. This period is known as a rehabilitation period. Once a rehabilitation period has expired and no further offending has taken place, a conviction is considered to be ‘spent’. Once a conviction is spent, the convicted person does not have to reveal it or admit its existence in most circumstances.

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions Order) gives some exemptions from the Act, whereby details of ‘spent’ convictions have to be declared. One of these exemptions is working with young people and/or vulnerable adults. When recruiting people to work in such positions of trust an employer is entitled to ask for details of all convictions, spent and unspent.

If you are invited to an interview please bring with you a completed Declaration of Criminal Background Form which is enclosed in this application pack. It asks for details of spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings. You should complete the form and place it in an envelope marked ‘Private and Confidential’, addressed to the Interview Panel. Your name should be clearly stated on the front.

The information relating to criminal convictions will only be seen by the interview panel if we are considering offering you employment. If you wish to discuss the information that you have given, please mention this to an interviewer. Having made its selection, the panel may wish to discuss any information given with you. Having a conviction will not necessarily bar you from consideration for the post. Criminal records will be taken into account only when they are relevant to the position for which you are applying. The information you provide will remain confidential.

If you are made a conditional offer YMCA DownsLink Group will apply for an Enhanced DBS Disclosure depending on the nature of the job.

The DBS offers organisations a means to check the background of job applicants to ensure that they do not have a history that would make them unsuitable for the post. DBS Disclosures are provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service, an executive agency of the Home Office. Enhanced disclosures provide details of a person’s criminal record including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings; they also contain details from lists held by Government departments of those considered unsuitable for this type of work. Organisations using the DBS process must comply with the Code of Practice, a copy of which is available on request.

If you have any queries, please speak to a member of the HR team.

Vision, Mission & Values

Vision

To be an effective Christian charity creating a better future for children, young people and families.

Mission

To provide high quality services that meet children, young people and families at their point of need, enabling them to raise their aspirations and achieve their potential.

Values

  • An acceptance of each individual who will be treated with respect
  • A belief that everyone has the capacity to change
  • Acting at all times with integrity, justice and fairness
  • A belief that people who work for us are our most valuable resource
  • A willingness to persevere with individuals
  • Being brave and confident about what we do
  • A humility that accepts that we sometimes get things wrong
  • A belief in the values of working together with local communities and partners
  • Building a sustainable organisation
  • A commitment to care for and help sustain our environment

These Values Will be Achieved Through:

  • Developing services based on local needs and delivering those services in a person-centred way
  • Creating environments that are safe, welcoming to all, and culturally relevant
  • Treating our staff fairly and equally – encouraging their personal growth and development
  • Being a learning organisation where all staff are encouraged to share their views and help shape the organisation
  • Challenging injustice at all levels and delivering services that promote equality in our community
  • Helping children, young people and families to raise and realise their aspirations and develop confidence and self-belief
  • Reflecting Christian values in all that we do
  • Developing partnerships that are able to meet local need and add value to local communities
  • Finding creative ways of meeting needs that are not being met by other agencies
  • Listening to what others, particularly service users, say about us and being prepared to change
  • Developing services and policies that educate and contribute in practical ways to protect and sustain our environment
  • Building a robust and responsible organisation for the future

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[1]Applicants for certain positions who are made a conditional offer of employment will be subject to a criminal record check – known as Disclosure – from the Disclosure and Barring Service