Head of Finance and Resources

Dear Candidate,

Head of Finance and Resources

Thank you for showing an interest in the above vacancy. As advised within the advertisement, we welcome applications by receipt of CV with a covering letter which includes a statement explaining why you are interested in this position. Please address your application to my attention.

Within the Head of Finance and Resources job pack you will find a letter from our Chief Executive Brian Horner, a Voluntary Norfolk Background Information article, Job Description, and a CRB information sheet.

As part of our commitment to equal opportunities and to help us ensure we recruit from all sections of the community, we would appreciate your completing the Equal Opportunities form enclosed. The information provided by you will stay confidential under the Data Protection Act.

If you have been successfully shortlisted to the first round interview stage, which is due to take place on Monday 12 September 2011, you will be notified by telephone on Wednesday 7 September2011.

I wish you good luck with your application.

Yours faithfully,

Michelle Winmill

HR Manager

Dear Candidate,

Thank you for the interest that you’ve shown in this post.

Edward Murrell, our Head of Finance and Resources, will be retiring at Christmas after working for Voluntary Norfolk for almost 16 years. We are now looking for someone to succeed him at a time of significant change for Voluntary Norfolk and the voluntary sector. Ideally, we would like there to be a handover period prior to Edward leaving, hence our advertising this position so early in the year.

Voluntary Norfolk has grown significantly in recent years and is now one of the largest local support and development organisations in the country employing over 70 staff with an income in 2010/11 in excess of £3M. Like many charities in the sector we are facing some difficult challenges ahead but we have many things going in our favour. I have a knowledgeable and supportive Board of trustees, a committed, creative and energetic senior management team and a great team of people who work for Voluntary Norfolk. We also have a clear Financial Strategy designed to anticipate and manage change over the next 2 years and beyond.

You will see from some of the supporting information that Voluntary Norfolk is a forward-thinking organisation. We have often been at the forefront of developments such as supporting voluntary groups to cope with changes around the personalisation agenda, enabling the sector to be better prepared for opportunities to deliver public services through commissioning and procurement, and securing the involvement of the sector in the Local Area Agreement.

Nothing that is happening to the sector at the current time is coming as a surprise to us which is why we’ve been preparing for this day over the last 3 years. We’ve set up our own HR and training operation and taken over the business of an existing social enterprise. We’ve established our own social enterprise, Charity BackRoom, to deliver back of house support services to the sector, and recently created a new Enterprise and Funding Development team.

The person specification for this post is demanding. Do please take time to read it carefully along with the job description. If this sounds like you we would really like to hear from you. As a member of the senior management team you would play a key and influential role in helping Voluntary Norfolk successfully navigate this difficult period so that we can continue to deliver our commitment to supporting volunteers and voluntary organisations.

If, after reading all the supporting information and looking at our website, you are still interested and want to follow this up with an informal chat then please get in touch with my P.A. Julia Creusson on 01603 883817 or via who can arrange for us to speak.

I look forward to hearing from you and reading your application.

With best wishes

Brian Horner

Chief Executive

Background to Voluntary Norfolk

Voluntary Norfolkis the leading voluntary sector support and development organisation in Norfolk and one of the largest in the UK, as well as being the major volunteering organisation in the county.

Originally established in 1969 as Norwich Organisation for Active Help, Voluntary Norfolk’s mission has remained unchanged throughout the ensuing decades: to support volunteers and voluntary organisations. In 2009 we celebrated our 40th Anniversary and were honoured to be named as the City of Norwich’s Civic Charity for 2009/10.

We support the work of voluntary and community organisations through a range of free and paid-for services and by providing a voice for the voluntary and community sector within key partnerships in the county.

We employ around 70 paid members of staff. We have a growing membership of over 300 local voluntary and community organisations and are in contact with a further 1,500.

Voluntary Norfolk provides a range of support services to local voluntary organisations and groups, including our newsletter, “Voluntary Norfolk News,” a regular e-bulletin, and information and advice on funding, start-up and management issues. We have a well stocked public resource base in our Norwich head office, with books, journals, databases, Internet access and information sheets for voluntary groups wanting to build their organisations and develop their services. Members enjoy the benefits of many free or reduced price services from us, including news and information, free places at events and conferences, reduced price CRB checks, free advertisement of volunteering opportunities and more.

In early 2011 we launched Charity BackRoom, designed to help third sector organisations to save money and free up time by providing them with a single point of contact for all the back office services and expertise we offer. Charity BackRoom now encompasses Payroll, Accounts, Insurance, Recruitment Advertising, Training, HR and Employment Law and CRB Checks. Voluntary Norfolk members receive generous discounts on most of the services provided by Charity BackRoom.

We manage four Volunteer Centres,in Norwich, Thetford, Cromer and Great Yarmouth, providing an effective volunteer recruitment service for local organisations. 8,846 volunteers were recruited and brokered through our services in 2010. Volunteers are placed either with local organisations providing services to people with a wide range of needs, or directly with individual clients, via the unique community-based network of Voluntary Services Co-ordinators (VSCs).

Voluntary Norfolk manages staff teams which support development of the voluntary and community sector in Norwich, Great Yarmouth and North Norfolk.

Great Yarmouth Voluntary Sector Partnership and VCSTogether North Norfolk both have steering groups drawn from local organisations and are working successfully to develop the collective strength and voice of the sector locally.

Voluntary Norfolk represents the interests of the voluntary and community sector on local and county strategic partnerships, ensuring that the concerns of the sector are heard and that local organisations are not forgotten in respect of their ability both to influence and shape local provision of services and to be direct providers themselves. We work with statutory sector colleagues to try to ensure that processes follow best practice and are fair for all in their implementation.

Another area of major progress has been the on-going development of the Norfolk Compact, an agreement between organisations in the voluntary and community sector and those in the public sector aimed at improving relationships and working practices. Voluntary Norfolk employs the Norfolk Compact Officer and there is a developing programme to raise awareness and understanding about The Compact.

As the personalisation agenda develops, the need for the voluntary sector to keep abreast of changes and to adapt to them becomes ever more pressing. In order to assist in equipping them to meet the challenges, Voluntary Norfolk employs a Personalisation Development Officer who delivers a programme of training and offers ongoing support and advice.

In late 2009, in order to help to build the skills base of the third sector in the county, Voluntary Norfolk set-up the training and consultancy company SM Associates, which has developed a series of sector-specific courses and a specialist HR and Employment Law service.

Voluntary Norfolkhas been involved in tackling the worklessness agenda, working with TNG and local job centres to support jobless people into volunteering opportunities and taking on eight young people under the Future Jobs Fund.

Voluntary Norfolk hosted the Norfolk LINk and now hosts LINk Transition, set up as an interim stage prior to the change to Healthwatch. LINk and LINk Transition were set up to give communities in Englanda stronger voicein how their health and social care services are delivered and they are the successors to Patient and Public Involvement Forums which, in their time, were also hosted by Voluntary Norfolk.

Voluntary Norfolk is a company limited by guarantee, with an elected Board of Trustees and is registered as a charity.

Major funders and supporters of Voluntary Norfolk include Big Lottery Fund, Breckland Council, Broadland Community Partnership, Broadland District Council,Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Norfolk County Council, Norfolk County Strategic Partnership, North Norfolk District Council, North Norfolk Strategic Partnership, Norwich City Council, Primary Care Trusts in Norfolk, South Norfolk District Council,Victory Housing.

Voluntary Norfolk’s headquarters are located at:

83 – 87 Pottergate

Norwich

NorfolkNR2 1DZ Telephone: 01603 614474

Further information about Voluntary Norfolk can be found on our website:

Voluntary Norfolk

Job description

Title: Head of Finance and Resources

Reporting to: Chief Executive

Responsible for:

Finance Manager and staff

HR Manager and staff

Admin Team Leader and staff

Main Relationships:

Voluntary Norfolk Heads of Departments, Voluntary Norfolk Finance Committee, Voluntary Norfolk and SM Associates staff and external consultants as appropriate, external Auditors, commissioners and contract managers from funding bodies

Main Purpose of the Job:

To be responsible for the effective management of all internal "back of house" services and the use of resources

Main responsibilities and tasks:

To act as the Company Secretary for Voluntary Norfolk

To act as the Company Secretary for SM Associates; the wholly-owned subsidiary company of Voluntary Norfolk

To be responsible for financial planning and the monitoring of individual budgets in conjunction with senior managers

To be responsible for the provision of HR services and health and safety

To have overall responsibility for IT strategy and technical support

To manage Voluntary Norfolk’s use of all premises that it occupies but in particular the Head Office at Pottergate

To be responsible for contract compliance matters

To manage and ensure effective implementation of the risk management register

To manage the delivery of some support services to Voluntary Organisations

To be a member of the Voluntary Norfolk Senior Management team

To be responsible for the development and implementation of new projects and services

To deputise in the absence of the Chief Executive

All Voluntary Norfolk post holders are responsible for:

Working to the policies of Voluntary Norfolk

Promoting equal opportunities and respecting diversity within all aspects of their work.

Complying with Heath and Safety regulations

Carrying out additional duties where appropriate which may be allocated from time to time by the Chief Executive

PERSON SPECIFICATION

We are looking for someone to fill this important position who:

• has the ability to understand and work within the subtleties of a complex and changing environment for the voluntary and community sector
• is an entrepreneur who can see beyond the present and help to make change happen
• has considerable personal integrity and can be trusted as a “safe pair of hands”

The person appointed to this post would normally be expected to meet the following:

(Essential and Desirable)

• Degree or equivalent standard of education

• A professional qualification relevant to the responsibilities of this post

• At least three years relevant management experience within a voluntary, public or social enterprise organisation or private company

• Previous experience of working at a senior management level within the voluntary and community sector

• Experience of working in a project management role

• Experience of working with both funding and public bodies; nationally and regionally

• Excellent financial literacy skills combined with a positive approach to making the most effective use of resources

• Experience of preparing and managing budgets so as to secure the most effective use of available and potential resources in conjunction with budget holders

• Experience of preparing business plans

• Understanding of the “politics” of working with statutory funders and partners as well as an ability to work effectively within this framework

• An ability to act as an effective advocate for the organisation and its work within partnership settings

• Skills in negotiation, including the ability to differentiate between the relative importance of short and long-term objectives, with an understanding as to when (and when not) to compromise

• Well organised with an appreciation of the importance of forward planning

• IT competent in the use of MS Office suite

• Experience of managing and implementing quality systems

• Experience of being a champion for an organisation or cause

• A commitment to working collaboratively with other members of the Senior Management Team whilst accepting the personal accountability which goes with being a senior manager

• The ability to gain the confidence of trustees, senior managers and other staff in performing this role

• Constructive approach to problem solving

• Energetic, resourceful and self-motivated

• Understands the importance of giving attention to detail whilst not losing sight of the bigger picture

• Personal commitment to equal opportunities and diversity

• Access to own transport as this post will require some travel throughout the county and region

• Able and willing to work unsocial hours if necessary to meet the needs of this post

EMPLOYING PEOPLE WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD

Voluntary Norfolk aims to promote equality of opportunity with the right mix of talent, skills and potential. Voluntary Norfolk welcomes applications from diverse candidates. Criminal records will be taken into account for recruitment purposes, only where the conviction is relevant. Unless the nature of the work demands it, applicants will not be asked to disclose convictions which are 'spent'. This is in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

Voluntary Norfolk meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. As a Regulated Activity Provider all applicants who are offered employment into a regulated post will be subject to a criminal record check by the Criminal Records Bureau before an appointment is confirmed. The CRB enhanced disclosure will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings, as well as convictions. Having a ‘spent’ or 'unspent' conviction will not necessarily bar applicants from employment. This will depend on the circumstances, background and nature of the offence(s). However, Voluntary Norfolk will not employ anyone in a regulated position who is currently barred, or who is later found to be barred, from working with either children or vulnerable adults.

Updated April 2011

Equal Opportunities

Post Applied For: Head of Finance and Resources

Voluntary Norfolk is committed to both the principle and the practice of Equal Opportunities. We welcome applications from all parts of the community regardless of gender, physical ability, nationality, race, religion, or sexual orientation. We are keen to receive applications from every candidate with relevant skills and qualifications.

To monitor the effectiveness of our Equal Opportunities Policywe would appreciate your completing the attached form.

(please tick one box):

Age 16 -30 31-45 46- 60 61-70 70+

Gender

Female Male
Disability

YesNo

Care of Dependents
YesNo

How did you learn of this vacancy?......

The information you supply will be used to produce statistics evidencing the application of the Equal Opportunities Policy and will be treated confidentially. This form will be kept separate to your application documentation and the information you have shared will not be made available to the people involved in shortlisting or to members of the interview panel.

Thank you very much for co-operating in completing this form.