GENERAL

The post holder may be required to perform duties other than those given in the job description for the post. The particular duties and responsibilities attached to posts may vary from time to time. The post holder must comply with and implement relevant health, safety, security and welfare processes as required by statutory or the charity procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS

Hold a Level 3 or equivalent qualification
Recognised Advice or Debt qualification
Degree level qualification - Desirable
Recognised Management qualification - Desirable

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Proven and strong experience in managing people and leading teams
Detailed knowledge of data collection methodologies, analysis, principles and techniques - Desirable
Awareness of national, regional and local priorities in relation to poverty and its effects - Desirable
The ability to lead, plan, track and reporting on key team priorities.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and experience working with data collection, analysis, and reporting tools.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

Ability to work effectively in a team and build positive working relationships with partners and stakeholders.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audience and areas with conflicting priorities.
Excellent project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
Ability to use CRM / Data systems as appropriate to the post
Strong planner with outstanding attention to detail, time management and data analysis

TO APPLY ITS ESSENTIAL TO HAVE RELEVANT CV AND A FULL COVERING LETTER OF ONE OR TWO PAGES OF A4, THAT IDENTIFIES HOW YOU MEET THE CRITERIA AND WHY YOU WOULD BE THE IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS KEY ROLE. UNFORTUNATELY FAILURE TO PROVIDE A FULL COVERING LETTER WILL MEAN YOU WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED.

Role Overview:
This role will lead and develop an expansion of our Income maximisation, benefits advice, debt service and community advice offer to help prevent the need for foodbanks and address potential dependency. Part of the role will oversee the St George’s Foodbank Hub volunteer team to ensure the smooth running of the foodbank hub element, support volunteers, coordinate activities, and manage the hosting of partner agency drop-in sessions. In that regard this role will look to develop an Advice Café model for a range of these services, initially within the Garden Rooms Café on the same St George’s site and then looking to support the model at our other partner Church sites where possible
In order to best serve our community, we want to develop our capacity and breadth of services. At the St George’s hub in Boscombe, we want to increase our provision of support for both foodbank customers and others who would benefit from in person connection and support.
We require a consistent presence to ensure each contact counts and the full spectrum of support can be offered, along with appropriate signposting to other key agencies who can help.
Our wider vision is to end hunger and food poverty in Bournemouth and across BCP by supporting people into financial independence and resilience. Tackling the root causes of poverty in the local area and influencing change at the highest level of local and national government. We are committed to ensuring everyone visiting a foodbank hub is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity. Volunteers take time to share a warm drink, discuss food requirements, offer a listening ear and, when appropriate, signpost people for further support.
You will be responsible for delivering the strategic vision and improving capacity and capability within the team, managing the change between old and new ways of doing things, ensuring coherence/coordination between the different strands of work, and creating a seamless pathway of support for people who come to our sites.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE JOB HOLDER:

1. Overseeing the running and development of the Bournemouth Foodbank Hub and Advice Café model at St Georges’ site furthering the aims of seeing Bournemouth without the need for Foodbanks.
2. Recruit, lead, train, manage and support a team of volunteers to serve our customers and local community so we can deliver Welfare benefits and Money Advice sessions at every session a Hub is open at all church partner sites
3. Maintain a continuing current knowledge of the benefits systems and options and best calculator processes and a high quality well trained team of staff and volunteers
4. Ensure people are accessing all of the income that may be available with particular emphasis on the Welfare benefits system including Universal Credit
5. Ensuring that debts people may have are under control and any repayments leave people with sufficient to meet wider Household essentials
6. Investigate potential for a support first and cash first model for occasional users of a foodbank
7. Develop strong working relationships with the Garden Rooms Café and Conferencing team to ensure Hub customers / guests enjoy some hot food and drink and time to chat with Hub volunteers.
8. Ensure accurate recording of data and processing of food vouchers by all volunteers and from time to time analysing data and trends to inform future decisions and demands
9. Identifying key and regular referral agencies and individuals in those agencies to hold to account for the support they should be providing their clients, and advocate for customers who are becoming dependent on the foodbank
10. Encouraging and being the liaison between the different hubs to create a network of relationships and shared vision between referral agency partners, designing pathways to improve support to ‘help people out’ of needing the food bank.
11. Coordinating the Financial Inclusion, Energy Advice and CMA debt teams at the Hub and working with our other hubs to increase and maximise the support offered to customers
12. Organizing and facilitating participation workshops and working with other agencies to provide more drop in support on site for housing, mental health, employment and training.
13. Gathering feedback from customers of lived experience and stories to evidence gaps in services in the locality. Reflecting the impact of the Foodbank in the community and liaising with the Fundraising & Partnerships team to use research and stories to inform bids and external communications..
14. Communicating the vision & mission within the hub network and working with volunteers to drive forward change, encouraging development of new pathways and culture
15. Improving capacity within the team, managing the change between old and new ways of doing things, ensuring coherence/coordination between the Hubs, and creating a seamless pathway of support for people who come to the food bank.

IMPACT OF YOUR ROLE

– Helping to ensure a dignified experience to anyone visiting the foodbank.
– Helping to ensure volunteers are supported and valued.
– Reducing the need to use a Foodbank and increase financial resilience
– Contributing to the smooth running of the foodbank hub.
– Increased efficiency and efficacy of running of foodbank hub.
– Significant impact on wider community to reduce loneliness and isolation through events and social canteen.
– Influencing change in local and national governments and institutions, lobbying for change through the collection and uplifting of beneficiary/lived experience stories/data/opinion.