Whist Chief Executive Job Description

WHiST Chief Executive Job Description

Introduction

WHiST (Women’s Health in South Tyneside) was set up in 1986 to “improve the health, wellbeing, education and quality of life of women” living and working throughout the Borough of South Tyneside. The organisation has since flourished into its current model of providing integrated holistic (wrap around) services which includes supported volunteering opportunities, counselling services, courses, self-help groups, exercise sessions, listening ear service, crèche support, drop in coffee bar and employability support.

Over 250 different women a week access our services. The majority of women accessing services are dealing with long term and complex issues around their mental and physical health and social needs.

WHiST currently employs 11 staff members in job share, part time and full time posts and 10/12 sessional workers and tutors. There is a group of volunteers (approx. 45)supported by the Volunteer Coordinator post (job share) and a ManagementCommittee /Board of 9 members/trustees.

The position is one of leadership and key responsibility within the organisation. The post holder is the person accountable for the day to day management of WHiST holding overall responsibility for the delivery of high quality services offered in response to local needs and ensuring that the organisations strategic and business plans are delivereddeveloped and reviewed. The role involves developing and managing all support functions of the organisation, ensuring that WHiST is fully funded to carry out its work, that resources of the organisation are best utilised, that financial and performance systems are in place and that all legal requirements are met including human resources.

WHiST has been based in purpose built accommodation in South Shields Town Centre since 1999.

This is a challenging opportunity within a renowned and respected charity for an

enthusiastic candidate committed to women’s organisations and workingcooperatively with an experienced mixed team.

Job description: Chief Executive

Pro rata on a job share basis

Salary: Point 42 -44 on NJC pay scales £36,937.00 – £38,789.00 depending on experience per annum.

Contract: 2.5 days a week ongoing subject to funding.

Hours: 17.5 hrs a week

Holiday: 29 days (pro rata) annual leave and public holidays

Responsible to: The Management Committee/Board of Trustees

Line Management Responsibilities: Counselling Services Coordinators posts, Volunteer Coordinators Posts, Finance and Admin and Office Management, Childcare Support Workers, Teaching and Facilitator staff, Employability Coach.

The Chief Executive Officer will:

Together with the management Committee and job share partner, work towards ensuring WHiST’s strategic development, sustainability, and effectiveness in relation to its objectives
Hold overall responsibility for day to day governance and operational issues
Lead the staff team
Actively promote a positive attitude to women’s well-being
Develop and maintain high quality services in response to local women’s needs.
Support Management Committee members and ensure they receive the information they need, including appropriate training, attend Management Committee meetings and events.

Key responsibilities:

1. AchieveWHiST’s charitable objectives, through:

Ensuring that all work is underpinned by the overall aimsand values of the organisation
Promoting and protecting gender specific delivery of services
Implementing strategic planning
Producing, monitoring and reviewing work programmes
Producing reports for a range of audiences
Ensuring that all work delivered by WHiST is of a consistently high quality

2. Sustain WHiST as an independent organisation, through:

Ensuring that contractual obligations are met and commissioned work is completed on time and to the expected standard
Taking responsibility for overall fundraising, and exploring potential sources of income
Working with/supporting the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer as appropriate
Managing and developing organisational systems as appropriate.
Ensuring that the organisation is operating within the correct policies and procedures and that these are effectively followed and acted upon in accordance with our legal requirements.

3. Leading the WHiST staff team, through:

Overseeing the operational management of services by providing overall leadership, and direct line management to the staff and project workers, including staff recruitment and professional supervision of staff where relevant.
To provide line management, weekly team meetings, and annual appraisals for all staff.
To ensure staff training is addressed and sourced and that any changes in legislation and key issues relating to work with women is addressed on an ongoing basis.
To have overall responsibility for staff recruitment. To ensure all staff and volunteers receive adequate and appropriate induction, supervision, appraisal and training

4. Sustaining WHiST’s position as a respected and effective organisation through:

Developing and maintaining positive relationships with a wide range of partners including those in the women’s, community, voluntary, charitable, statutory and business sectors.
Conducting stakeholder and user surveys to inform provision
Ensuring effective communication across all networks
Ensuring that partnership and collaborative work with other agencies is developed appropriately and effectively.
Ensuring that all work delivered by WHiST is of a consistently high quality.
Deliver, develop and review WHiST’s strategic plan.
Ensuring that marketing including the use of social networking, website management, publicity and use of the press are explored and used to their full potential

5.Building and Premises Management

To work alongside the Finance, Admin workersand other staff members to;

Oversee the management of WHiST premise’s ensuring that it is a safe space for users and staff.

Ensure that all maintenance work complies with current legislative frameworks.

Ensure that all contracts with external suppliers are maintained.

To apply best practice with regard to health and safety, risk assessment and safe guarding at all times and in accordance with legal standards.

6.Fundraising

To identify and source appropriate funding opportunities.
To oversee WHiST’s fundraising, developing plans to ensure that the charity’s work is fully funded.
To build strong relationships with existing and potential funders.
To lead in the development of bids to major trusts and statutory funders.
To plan new project opportunities, managing staff resources and capacity.
To keep abreast of developments and trends in voluntary, statutory and business sector funding
To ensure compliance within all contracted and grant funded projects, including financial probity, service monitoring, evaluation and reporting.

7. Financial Management

To oversee financial and performance management.
To manage and improve all procedures and systems around financial management such as budgets, forecasts, income and expenditure.
To oversee financial reports for the management committee.
To ensure that reporting to current funders is timely and accurate and that all grant conditions are met.
To ensure the appointment of external auditors in the preparation of annual accounts.
To oversee the financial administration delivered by the Finance and Admin worker, including;

Petty cash, bank reconciliation, payroll.

Maintaining financial records to meet legal and tax requirements.

Overseeing the annual returns to Company’s House and the Charity Commission.

Ensuring the organisation’s compliance with data protection.

To manage the effects of changes in the availability of funding.

To manage the organisation’s assets including buildings and financial reserves

8. Professional development

To participate in performance appraisals, and undertake training and professional development as required to fulfil the requirements of the post.
To ensure that all staff and volunteers involved in the delivery of services are supported in addressing their continual professional development.

managing an appropriate structure of staff supervision and appraisal
taking overall responsibility for the recruitment, selection and induction of staff
taking overall responsibility for performance and disciplinary procedures, and investigations, as required
maintaining organisational policies and procedures that are in keeping with the values of the organisation and that meet legal requirements

The post holder is expected to ensure adherence to the policies and procedures of the organisation, and to take on other duties commensurate with the role that may reasonably be expected by the Trustees, as required.

Personal specificationWHiST Chief Executive

1. Attributes;
The post holder willneed to demonstrate the following attributes:

have a positive attitude focused on solutions and a commitment to fully involving team members in all developments
have a commitment to keeping up to date with developments in the health, community, statutory and businessand gender specific environment and in the area of inequalities
be a flexible team player
be a confident decision-maker willing to take ownership of issues while working to the organisational plan
have a commitment to their own professional development
have a proven commitment to partnership working
have an ability to effectively maintain and manage a job share position
excellent communication skills
experience of fulfilling a leadership/senior management role
the ability to resolve conflict
an understanding of social enterprise and sustainability in a changing environment

2. Management and Governance
We will be looking for understanding and/or proven experience in the following areas

•Organisational governance
•Strategic planning
•Inclusion issues
•Fundraising and contract negotiation
•Project management, monitoring and evaluation
•Staff management, including recruitment, induction and continuing professional development
•Budget management and financial planning
•Community development work, and awareness of the impact of intersectional issues as they affect specific protected groups
•Researching, including focus group facilitation and interviewing
•Delivery of training and presentation skills
Ability to undertake administrative tasks as required by the post

3. Specialised knowledge
Display a good knowledge of the following:

The importance of sustaining and developing women only services in the public, private and third sector
Gender issues in relation to inclusion and progression
Mental health and wellbeing issues affecting women across and from different cultures and communities
The current health and funding environment

4. Ability
It is essential that the postholder has the ability to:

Raise awareness of health and gender inequalities with people across a wide range of groups, communities, organisations and sectors
Identify and address gaps in services for women
Sustain and nurture the position and reputation of WHiST as an organisation that encourages and facilitates the engagement of women regardless of class, sexual orientation, ethnic background, age or disability in service commissioning, design, development and evaluation
Liaise productively with a range of organisations across sectors, effectively managing the opportunities and challenges of partnership work
Prioritise tasks, work well under pressure, and meet completion times
Maintain integrity in challenging situations
Hold on to, and follow through on, important issues
Effectively manage a team, with responsibility for day to day running of the organisation, and accountable to the board of trustees

5. Skills
It is essential that the postholderhas the following skills:

Qualifications equivalent to degree level
Proven leadership experience
Excellent organisational skill, including ability to work, and deliver, to agreed timelines
Computer literacy
Excellent verbal communication skill
Excellent written communication skill, including report writing for a range of audiences
Ability to undertake research to support WHiST’s priorities and strategy
Ability to perform all required admin tasks

Feb 2017