ROLE DESCRIPTION Senior Management Group - Lived Experience Advisor (advising on experiences of Young People from BME communities)
1. Background Time to Change is a growing movement of people changing how we all think and act about mental health problems. Our campaign is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and thousands more organisations have joined us to make change happen. Our voice is stronger and louder thanks to funding from the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.
The role of the Senior Management Group will be to help Time to Change reach three programme outcomes:
Public behaviour and attitudes towards people with mental health problems improves; People with lived experience are empowered to take action to challenge stigma and discrimination (in their communities, in workplaces, in schools and online); People with lived experience report reduced levels of stigma and discrimination (in their personal relationships, in their social lives, at work and at school).
These three outcomes sit underneath our overarching goal for phase 3: to embed Time to Change’s work within schools, employers and local communities to create a self-sustaining movement for change.
Purpose of the Senior Management Group To ensure that all Time to Change activities contribute towards the achievement of the programme’s outcomes.
To provide governance, strategic management and leadership across the whole Time to Change programme.
To set the strategic direction of the programme, to monitor delivery and performance and to take remedial action as required.
To maximise the co-ordination of projects across the whole Time to Change programme and foster a culture of joint responsibility for meeting all Time to Change outcomes.
1 To engage Mind and Rethink Mental Illness staff, trustees and networks in contributing towards Time to Change outcomes.
To maximise the programme’s reach to people with lived experience of mental health problems and especially children & young people and those from Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) groups.
2. Responsibilities
The Senior Management Group (SMG) will have collective responsibility for strategic delivery of the whole Time to Change programme, with Mind and Rethink Mental Illness individually responsible for delivery of their own projects. The SMG will be responsible for the governance and oversight of Time to Change and have full power and authority to act in the names of Mind and Rethink Mental Illness concerning the implementation of the Programme, subject to the conditions of the Partnership and Collaboration Agreement. To ensure that Time to Change complies with charity law and the terms of funding as specified by the Department of Health, Comic Relief, Big Lottery Fund and any additional funders. To ensure that all Time to Change activities and expenditure are in pursuit of our three outcomes and our overall goal of embedding Time to Change within local communities and organisations to create a self-sustaining movement for change. To approve the Annual Activity Plan (developed by the Central Management Team). To attend a minimum of three SMG meetings per financial year. To ensure that all management strategies and policies, including risk, exist, are fit for purpose, implemented and reviewed. To respond to, and make decisions on, issues brought from the Central Management Team. To monitor performance of the programme and take remedial action where required. To challenge delivery of the programme where members feel projects are not sufficiently contributing to the programme’s outcomes. In the final year of Time to Change Phase Three, the SMG will be responsible for preparing a strategy for continuing or winding down the programme.
Budget setting & financial decision making To be responsible for approving the Time to Change budget, as recommended by the Central Management Team on an annual basis, and ensuring it provides the best approach for meeting the Programme’s outcomes.
2 To ensure the appropriate use of Time to Change funds in pursuit of its three outcomes and to oversee the effective management of Time to Change resources. To use all reasonable endeavours to ensure a balanced budget. To ensure that quarterly management accounts are prepared and delivered, showing all income and expenditure against budget. Make recommendations for annual and quarterly budgetary decisions on under- spend for funders to approve and ensure all decisions are taken in line with compliance to the funders’ terms & conditions. To ensure that all expenditure is within the funders guidelines. SMG must not incur or approve any expenditure not specifically provided for in the budget. To consider additional funding opportunities as relevant and plan approaches to ensure income targets are met.
Joint working To ensure shared understanding and knowledge between all projects, including lessons learnt. To ensure that staff are co-operating with each other to ensure shared ownership of relevant outcomes. To maximise buy-in and ownership between Mind and Rethink Mental Illness staff, trustees and networks.
Monitoring & Evaluation To ensure timely analysis of evaluation reports to support operational delivery. To be responsible for rectifying under / non delivery projects as identified and escalated by CMT. Where an individual project is not being delivered in accordance with the budget or project plan to such an extent that would breach the terms & conditions of the funders and also the reputation of Time to Change, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, the SMG will endeavour to bring the project back on plan. To be responsible for ensuring that respective trustees are updated, as appropriate, on Time to Change activity and decisions.
3 3. SMG Membership
The membership of the Senior Management Group will comprise:
Mind CEO (Chair) Rethink Mental Illness (Director of Communications, Campaigns, Information & Research) Director-level representative from Mind with managerial responsibility for Time to Change Director-level representative from Rethink Mental Illness with managerial responsibility for Time to Change Adult with lived experience Adult with lived experience from BME community Person with lived experience representing views of children and young people Person with lived experience representing views of children and young people and BME communities a fundraising lead from both partner organisations
4. Expectations and Code of Conduct
To attend Senior Management Group meetings (in the first year 2016-2017, the SMG will meet for four hours, on a quarterly basis). To read minutes and papers in preparation for meetings. Members will be expected to remain in their positions throughout the lifetime of Time to Change Phase 3 (until March 2021). To ensure equality of opportunity is promoted and sustained through all aspects of Time to Change’s work and relationships. To act in good faith with due care and diligence for the best interests of Time to Change, working within Time to Change four outcomes and values. To contribute to forging consensus, working in mutual respect for the benefit of Time to Change. To participate in meetings and to make a strong contribution to discussions. To respect confidentiality of matters discussed at SMG meetings Members are expected to be supportive of Time to Change in external discussions, and to discuss any public commentary in advance.
4 5. Person Specification – Time to Change Senior Management Group, Lived Experience Advisor (advising on experiences of young people from BME communities)
(a) Personal competencies All potential members of the Senior Management Group need to demonstrate the following competencies: 1. Ability to think and apply knowledge strategically 2. Ability to think creatively 3. Ability to keep mission-focused 4. Ability to take decisions independently (good independent judgement) 5. Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively and to take part in discussions 6. Ability to influence and engage 7. Ability to work effectively in a group 8. A willingness and ability to devote the necessary time and effort 9. Willingness to listen and learn 10. Able to manage difficult and/or challenging situations 11. Able to challenge constructively and ask questions appropriately 12. Able to maintain confidentiality on confidential and/or sensitive information 13. Ability to analyse information 14. Willingness to make and stand by collective decisions 15. Willing to express own opinion
(b) Skills and experience
The following skills and experience are specific to this role of Lived Experience Advisor (advising on experiences of Young People from BME communities) and need to be demonstrated by applicants Personal experience of mental health problems [Essential] Reflect current experiences of people aged between 18-25 [Essential] Reflect the experiences of Black & Minority Ethnic communities [Essential] Recent experience of working with children and young people [Essential]
In addition, the Senior Management Group as a whole needs the following skills, knowledge and experience - so we will be looking for individuals who can demonstrate expertise in as many of the following areas as possible: Expertise in behaviour change Recent experience of engaging people with lived experience of mental illness Anti-stigma research Strategic planning General management skills Mental health policy/issues Policy influencing/implementation Campaigning
5 NHS/LA/Voluntary sector Familiarity with budget management and associated processes Service provision Communications Understanding of impact data Experience of advisory and/or management groups
6 Additional Information
Successful candidates will be provided with a full induction into Time to Change.
Timing
Interviews are scheduled to take place in late January 2017. Candidates will be invited to an interview with a panel in London.
Payment and expenses Lived Experience Advisors will be paid a rate of £200 per meeting, up to four meetings a year. This includes: reading of papers prior to the meeting attendance at the meeting
Travel and subsistence will be reimbursed within Mind’s expenses policy.
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