FareShare South West recruits over 350 volunteers from a myriad of backgrounds, who make up 91% of our team. The volunteers help with every aspect of the operation from driving our vans, picking orders to administrative duties. People volunteer their time for many reasons. We have built a Volunteer and Employability Programme to support a wide demographic of people with personal and professional support within the context of our operation. Our aim is to formalise and strategically expand this support into specific programmes to kitemark standard, modelled on our flagship employability programme FareChance. This role will take a lead on all aspects of safeguarding for volunteers, staff and beneficiaries.

In this role you will:

1. Lead on the volunteer strategy and develop a volunteer recruitment and retentionworkplan with robust onboarding processes and a strong EDI focus.

2. Design and deliver a ‘Safeguarding Policy, Processes, and Best Practice’ training plan for all staff as the Safeguarding Lead and oversee reviewing and updating safeguardingdocuments.

3. Create a series of employability programmes based on our FareChance model, supportingdifferent demographics of NEET people seeking personal and professional development.

4. Build and work with our volunteer, employability and warehouse teams to ensure that they have the skills, knowledge, support and training opportunities needed to managethe volunteer workforce and deliver the employability programmes across the charity.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Line Management:

• -  Line management of Volunteer Managers based at all three locations, Bedminster and StJude’s in Bristol and Sisna Park in Plymouth

• -  Line management of two Employability Programme Leads based at both Bedminster andInner-city Bristol office and any future Plymouth based Employability staff

• -  Recruit and contract for any staffing gaps in the Volunteer and Employability Teamsbased on skills and expertise required

• -  Design and deliver a ‘Safeguarding Policy, Processes, and Best Practice’ training plan forstaff and trustees across the organisation, where appropriate

Volunteer Recruitment & Retention:

• -  Review the Volunteer roles in conjunction with the Operations Teams and develop metrics on volunteer shortages

• -  Collaborate with the Volunteer Managers to create a recruitment and retention plan to build a reliable voluntary workforce

• -  Work with the Fundraising Manager and Volunteer Managers to develop corporate relationships across Bristol and Plymouth, which generates a flow of committed corporate volunteers and income

• -  Maintain a map of potential partners and recruitment routes

• -  Progress the volunteer FSSW journey and experience to promote retention

• -  Ensure all Volunteer Policies and processes are up to date and training is given to staffto withhold them

•   Employability Programme Development:

• -  Working with the Volunteer Managers and Employability Programme Leads to design programmes working with diverse demographics of people seeking professional and personal development

• -  Working with experienced regional centres in the FareShare Network to develop accredited training programmes

• -  Working with Warehouse Managers to ensure there is capacity to develop and deliver employability programmes within the operation 

• Communications and Reporting:

• -  Work with the Comms Manager and CEO to design an ongoing internal communications plan to ensure staff and volunteers are up to date with plans, development and activities

• -  In collaboration with the Communications Team, ensure there is continuous engagementwith external audiences

• -  With the Communications Team build a schedule of promotional activity

• -  Work with other Regional Centres to share and learn best practise across the network.

• -  Support the fundraising team to develop future funding proposals and reports

• -  Collate reports from each centre to submit to the Senior Leadership Team and/or Boardof Trustees covering all Volunteer and Employability activities, plans and developments 

• Systems, Processes & Reports

• -  Develop and action the updated FSSW Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy

• -  Working with the Volunteer Managers, CEO and HR function, develop/update theVolunteer and FareChance Handbooks and other key documentation

• -  Support consistent practices and procedures across the south west as well as sharingbest practice

• -  Lead on the FSSW relationship with FSUK regarding volunteering, employability, andsafeguarding, including policies, best practice, innovations, and systems

• -  Support the development of the FSSW Corporate Volunteering Policy (FSSW corporatesand FSUK)

• -  Identify, monitor, and action specific needs and risks of the programme, regularly updating the risk register; sign-off risk assessments to ensure safety in the workplace

• -  Lead on and support the development of a MEL (monitoring, evaluating and learning) framework of primary data collected from IT systems to measure, analyse and report on impact. 

• Person specification – knowledge, skills, experience and values:

It is not expected that the successful candidate will necessarily have all the following criteria. FareShare South West is committed to helping individuals develop professionally and personally, and your application is encouraged. The following are desirable criteria:

• -  High level of organisational and time management skills allowing for managing multiple priorities

• -  Demonstrable experience of leading a team and working in a senior role within a charitable fundraising or business development environment

• -  Knowledge and experience of developing processes and policies around safeguarding vulnerable adults

• -  Experience of recruitment, either volunteers and/or employees

• -  Experience of writing strategies and accompanying workplans around programmedevelopment working with a variety of demographics

• -  Experience of process development around on-boarding

• -  Experience or knowledge of developing outreach programmes to increase our diversity,social impact, and community engagement

• -  Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills

• -  Ability to build effective relationships at all levels, externally and internally

• -  High level budgeting and financial monitoring skills

• -  Ability to produce high-quality written reports for internal management purposes andfor Trustees

• -  Ability to travel between Bristol and Plymouth

• -  Good IT skills 

Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining why you would be a good fit for the role to recruitment@faresharesouthwest.org.uk 

If you have any questions about the post please contact Amy Sinclair, Simon Jarvis and Josie Forsyth at recruitment@faresharesouthwest.org.uk