Volunteer Development Officer

Candidate briefing pack

Dear Candidate

Thank you for your interest in becoming our new Volunteer Recruitment Administrator at The Children’s Trust.

The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury. We are unique, with an international reputation for the work we undertake to improve the lives of the children and families with whom we work. We provide information and support to thousands of children with brain injury and their families annually, through education, care, therapy and research. We provide expertise and experience in meeting the needs of children and young people with acquired brain injury, neuro-disabilities and complex health needs.

As a Volunteer Development Officer, You will work alongside the Head of Volunteer Development to deliver a new volunteer strategy, implementing new programmes and identify other innovative ideas to grow volunteering across the organisation.

This is a chance for an outstanding candidate to make a significant and lasting difference to the lives of thousands of children and families.

Kind regards

Jennie MannHead of Volunteer Development

thechildrenstrust.org.uk

Registered charity number 288018. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1757875.Registered office : Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU.

The CharityThe Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with brain injury and complex health needs.

The charity provides rehabilitation, medical care, special education, community services and expert information.

Our key services are: Rehabilitation for children with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) A residential non-maintained special school for children with Profound and Multiple

Learning Difficulties (PMLD) Support for children with ABI and their families in the communities across the UK,

through our Brain Injury Community Services. Online information and support via our publications and braininjuryhub.co.uk

Our residential services based at our national specialist centre in Tadworth, Surrey, work in partnership with the NHS and local authorities to provide a step-down pathway of care between hospital and home. The centre is entirely child and family focused to ensure that their needs are appropriately supported.

In the community, we provide clinical support to complement local services and give children and young people with ABI the best chance of succeeding at home and in school.

We are the only paediatric centre with a national specialised commissioning contract (through NHS England) to provide brain injury rehabilitation for children with severe brain injury. Our other services are funded through local health commissioners (such as clinical commissioning groups), social care and education authorities, together with the millions raised through voluntary fundraising.

Thanks to the generosity of The Children’s Trust’s supporters, our 24 acre Tadworth site features a modern hydrotherapy pool, accommodation for parents, specially adapted equipment, soft play areas and a wheelchair-accessible treehouse.

We run a non-maintained residential special school for children with PMLD. The Children’s Trust School supports children and young people from 3 to 19 years old and is dual-registered with the Care Quality Commission (the school residential houses) and Ofsted.

Registered charity number 288018. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1757875.Registered office: Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU.

The Children’s Trust is a charitable organisation with approximately 595 committed staff and 560 volunteers with a range of expertise across nursing and care, education, therapy, operations and centralised support functions such as finance, HR, fundraising and communications. A number of these staff are based off site around the UK as part of our community work or in our charity shop

Registered charity number 288018. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1757875.Registered office: Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU.

Job Description

Job Title Volunteer Development OfficerReports to Head of Volunteer DevelopmentDirect reports VolunteersLevel OfficerLocation Based in Tadworth, SurreySalary £28,000

Job Purpose

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, passionate and results driven individual to join us as our Volunteer Development Officer at The Children’s Trust. You will work alongside the Head of Volunteer Development, to deliver a new volunteer strategy, implementing new programmes (such as graduate internships / student placement schemes and corporate volunteering) and identify other innovative ideas to grow volunteering across the organisation.

Your role will be key in supporting our existing staff and volunteers, by delivering training and managing volunteer communications (including through the use of email and social media). You will be responsible for recruiting new volunteers to support you in your role and across the organisation and as such you will have a strong understanding of volunteer best practice.

Duties and Responsibilities

Volunteer Program Management and Development: Manage the implementation of new volunteering initiatives which support the growth of

volunteers across The Children’s Trust and specifically within our community fundraising, events, and retail teams.

Develop and manage a new volunteer recognition programme. Manage the development and delivery of training to our staff and volunteers. Organise events for volunteers and various social functions Review and develop our volunteer role profiles, providing exciting and engaging

opportunities for people to volunteer with us. Build strong relationships with managers, providing advice and guidance with regards

to any volunteer issues they may have. Support with our Investing in Volunteers accreditation. Recruitment and management of volunteers As required, write and collate timely, detailed and well written reports on progress.

Partnership development:

Registered charity number 288018. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1757875.Registered office: Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU.

Manage relationships with key external organisations such as corporate partners, universities, colleges, schools, community groups and other charities, to fill the various volunteer opportunities provided by The Children’s Trust.

Coordinate The Children’s Trust’s attendance at volunteer recruitment fairs, fresher’s fairs and other relevant events to promote our volunteering opportunities where necessary.

Communications: Write copy and manage our online presence on our website, social media and internal

intranet. Coordinate recruitment campaigns to increase our volunteer numbers Coordinate the development of marketing materials to promote various volunteer

opportunities Write copy and manage the volunteer communications (including the use of e-newsletters

and social media), ensuring The Children’s Trust’s volunteers are kept informed of relevant news and opportunities.

Responsible for ensuring all volunteer communications are accurate, kept up to date and in keeping with The Children’s Trust’s brand guidelines.

Compliance and policy: Comply with organisational health and safety policies, completing mandatory training as

required. Uphold the organisation’s commitment to diversity and equal opportunities. Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and regulation in relation to volunteers. Develop appropriate policies and procedures in relation to the volunteer programme. Uphold the organisation’s commitment to diversity and equal opportunities.

Data Management: Work with the Volunteer Recruitment Administrator to keep volunteer data up to

date and ensure our use of data complies with The Data Protection guidelines at all times.

Prepare volunteer statistics as and when required. Utilise the database, tracking systems, and personnel files used in the department;

in line with legislation and internal policies.

Health and Safety: Assess and manage risk for any events that you organise. Ensuring that all relevant

paperwork and risk assessments are complete. Ensure personal and people team compliance with Health and Safety policies.

General Responsibilities: Comply with all policies and procedures especially around confidentiality. Undertake all mandatory training on an annual basis or as required. Promote at all times and uphold the Charity’s core values. Any other duties that maybe reasonably requested.

Person Specification

Registered charity number 288018. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1757875.Registered office: Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU.

Selection CriteriaEducation & Qualifications

Educated to degree level or possess a relevant qualification or appropriate experience in a related post

Experience Proven experience of recruiting and managing volunteers. Experience of designing and delivering training Experience of working with partner organisations to deliver

shared objectives. Experience of organising events and/ or projects

Skills & Abilities Effective communicator with excellent writing skills, good attention to detail and the confidence to give presentations.

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to persuade, guide and motivate others.

Highly motivated, positive and solution focused. Excellent customer service skills; able to respond proactively to

the needs of our internal and external customers. IT literate with the ability to adapt and learn new IT systems that

may not be familiar. Well organised with the ability to work autonomously and

prioritise without direction. Ability to work to under pressure and to manage competing

deadlines.

Knowledge Excellent understanding of volunteer best practice, possible challenges, and motivational factors to volunteer.

Proficient in Microsoft Office: Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook

Registered charity number 288018. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1757875.Registered office: Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU.

Safeguarding

The Children’s Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. To achieve our commitment, we will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust safeguarding processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce.

Applicants for this post will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) (previously Criminal Records Bureau). The Children’s Trust operates within the Disclosure and Barring Service Code of Practice.  The Children’s Trust has a policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, a copy of which is available on request.  A criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position at The Children’s Trust.  This post is, however, exempt from the provisions of Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exemptions) Order 1975.  Applicants are, not therefore, entitled to withhold information about convictions, however long ago these occurred, including those which for other purposes are ‘spent’ under the provisions of the Act.  In any event of employment, any failure to disclose such convictions could result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the Trust.

Equality and Diversity

The Children’s Trust recognises the value of diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity. We expect staff to be treated with dignity and respect and solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, political beliefs and affiliations, family circumstances or other irrelevant distinction. We expect all staff to share this commitment and promote equality and diversity amongst their teams.

Registered charity number 288018. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1757875.Registered office: Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU.

Values

The Children's Trust is the UK's leading charity for children with brain injury. Our vision is for all children with brain injury to have the opportunity to live the best life possible. Our ambition is to provide a professional service where the children and families are at the centre attention of what we do.

For us to be able to use this opportunity and to achieve this vision & ambition, we require all of our staff to be actively promote and share our values that bring us closer to achieving our goal.

Our values are: Child and family focused, collaborative, can do, fun, caring and supportive.

Registered charity number 288018. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales number 1757875.Registered office: Tadworth Court, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 5RU.