Recruitment Pack s2

Recruitment Pack

Operations Assistant

September 2017

Elizabeth House Community Centre 2 Hurlock Street, London N5 1ED Recruitment Pack

Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in working with us at Elizabeth House Community Centre. This pack will give you the information you need to consider the role including background information about the charity, the role, the skills we are looking for, and how to apply.

Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust is a small charity that works hard to make Elizabeth House a centre for the community and to provide the best services possible in partnership with other groups. We receive core funding from Islington Council, which offers us the opportunity to focus on strengthening our partnerships and developing our services.

The Operations Assistant is a new, part-time role, starting on an initial one-year fixed term contract, renewable subject to funding. Working as part of a small team, we are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive and well organised person who is keen to play a central role in making the community centre a place for all.

Introduction to HVBT

Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust is a registered Charity, which was founded to save Elizabeth House Community Centre and to manage it. Our vision is to improve the quality of life for everyone making up the local community, working flexibly to provide services and support available to all. Our aim is to contribute towards building a stronger and more resilient local community. Our priority is to respond to the needs of the local community, especially people with high needs or who are underserved.

Elizabeth House has served the local community for over 100 years in a number of guises. First used as a Mission Hall, the building was later converted to a Community Centre run by Save the Children Fund. The building fell into disrepair in the 1980’s and was at risk of being lost to the community. Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust (HVBT) was founded in 1993 to save the building. Elizabeth House continued to provide services to local residents until, in 2000-2001, HVBT focused on a major renovation programme. The building reopened in September 2001 as a modern Community Centre, where a range of services and activities are provided.

For more information on Elizabeth House and the charity, visit www.elizabeth-house.org.uk.

Facts and figures

We have a small team of paid employees, led by the Director, and supported by sessional workers and a small team of volunteers.

Board of Trustees

Centre Director

Centre Operations Children’s Activities Senior Premises Bookkeeper Administrator Assistant Coordinator Youth Worker Caretaker

Playworkers Youth Worker

Funding comes from a range of sources, including: Islington Council, charitable trusts and foundations, and earned income from room hire and charging for services such as our childcare provisions. Our turnover in 2016/17 was £275,450.

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Job Description

JOB TITLE: Operations Assistant

HOURS: 21 hours per week, Wednesday to Friday

SALARY: £20,000 to 23,000 (depending on experience) pro rata + pension

TERM: Fixed-term 1-year contract, renewable subject to funding

RESPONSIBLE TO: Director

ANNUAL LEAVE: 20 days per annum (pro rata) ______

Summary of Job

The Operations Assistant plays a key role in the day to day operations of the community centre and is involved in all aspects of running it. The role includes general office administration and reception duties, as well as assisting with facilities and services management at the Community Centre.

Main Tasks and Duties:

1. General Admin i. Reception duties, which include welcoming users and visitors, answering telephone and email queries, and providing information about services. ii. Perform general office administrative and clerical duties. iii. Maintain files and ensure the office is well organised. iv. Maintain stocks of stationery and other supplies, and order from suppliers.

2. Facilities Coordination i. Assist the Centre Administrator to ensure premises, equipment and supplies are well maintained. ii. Assist in the implementation of Health and Safety procedures – e.g. carrying out and recording risk assessments and implementing remedial action. iii. Negotiate good value contracts with our suppliers. iv. Oversee routine repairs and maintenance of our premises and equipment. v. Support the administration of room hire, support hirers whilst using facilities and promotion of facilities to the wider community.

3. Information and Communications i. Develop and maintain our systems for collecting, analysing and filing information. ii. Assist in the development and dissemination of publicity materials. iii. Update information on the Elizabeth House website. iv. Publicise Elizabeth House’s services using social media and other available platforms.

4. Project Support i. Assist in the development and implementation of procedures for the collection and analysis of monitoring and evaluation data. ii. Assist in the organisation of events. iii. Assist in the development and implementation of new activities and services.

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5. Other duties i. Ensure that all HVBT policies and procedures are adhered to, particularly those relating to Health and Safety. ii. Assist Director with HVBT Board meetings. iii. Manage business admin volunteers and work placement. iv. Participate in regular supervision and team meetings, and attend training and networking events and conferences as necessary. v. Undertake any other duties that may be required which are adequate to the role.

Person Specification – Operations Assistant

1. At least 2 years’ experience in an administrative role in a small organisation.

2. Good IT skills, including MS word, email and the internet. Ability to troubleshoot, upload content onto websites, use databases and spreadsheets, and produce publicity materials.

3. Excellent communication skills, including good customer care skills, exceptional telephone skills, as well as the ability to negotiate with suppliers, take minutes and represent Elizabeth House in marketing and outreach situations.

4. Highly organised with the ability to learn and follow instructions, take initiative and start/complete tasks with basic direction.

5. Ability to multi-task and manage competing deadlines.

6. Knowledge of health and safety requirements, and previous experience of implementing good practice around health and safety.

7. Ability to work flexibly as a member of a team and willingness to perform a variety of jobs as requested.

8. Ability to gather and analyse monitoring and evaluation data.

9. A commitment to the Charity’s aims and objectives around supporting people of all ages and backgrounds to lead positive fulfilled lives as part of the community.

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Summary of Terms and Conditions of Employment for Operations Assistant

The remuneration for this post is £20,000 to £23,000 pro rata, depending on experience, plus pension contribution if matched by the employee.

Hours and Annual leave The post is offered on a fixed-term contract for 1 year, starting as soon as possible. The contract is renewable subject to funding. The contracted hours are 21 hours per week, which must be worked Thursday and Friday, plus a third day which is negotiable. Paid leave entitlement is 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays, pro rata.

Place of work The post will be based at Elizabeth House Community Centre, 2 Hurlock Street, London N5 1ED.

Probationary period, pre-employment checks and proof of identification The probationary period for this post is 2 months. After interview we will take up references. The post is subject to a DBS check.

In order to verify the right to work in the UK, HVBT is required to confirm the identity of any potential employees. For this reason we will seek documentation as evidence of identity and right to work. Please note that any information supplied will be treated in confidence and in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

HOW TO APPLY

Please complete the Job Application Form below. CVs will not be accepted.

In Section 4 of the Job Application Form, please list all requirements of the Person Specification, and provide examples to evidence how you have the required experience, knowledge and skills. Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet all criteria will not be shortlisted for interview.

Please send your application back to us by email or post:

Email: [email protected] Post: Nathalie Renaud, Director Address: Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust Elizabeth House Community Centre 2 Hurlock Street, London N5 1ED

Due to our limited resources, we will only contact you if we wish to take your application further.

Closing date for applications: Monday 9 October

Interviews: week of 16 October 2017

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

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Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust - Job Application Form

Please complete this form accurately, giving as many details as possible of your skills and experience relating to this job application. Shortlisting for interview will be based on the information gathered from the form, read in conjunction with the person specification.

Please ensure the completed form is returned by the closing date to the address given in this pack. We are unable to accept late applications.

1. Applicant’s Details

Title First Name Last Name Address

Mobile Telephone Email address Is there anything in your medical history Yes ☐ No ☐ or state of health that is relevant to your application? *If you answer Yes please refer to the Equality of Opportunity Questionnaire enclosed Are there any restrictions regarding your Yes ☐ No ☐ employment? e.g. do you require a Work Permit? *If you answer Yes, please supply details on a separate sheet. How much notice do you need to give to your current employer? 2. Employment / Volunteering Record (starting with your most recent employment)

1. Current / most recent employer Name of the organisation Job title Brief description of duties

From/to Reason for leaving/changing 2. Employer/organisation Name of the organisation Job title Brief description of duties

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From/to Reason for leaving/changing 3. Education and training (please start with the most recent)

Educational and professional qualifications

Dates Name of school/higher education Qualifications taken college/university/place of study

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Training / courses attended (relevant to the role)

Dates Description

4. Experience / skills This section is for you to give specific information in support of your application. Please use a maximum of two sides of A4 paper.

After reading the Job Description and Person Specification carefully consider to what extent you have gained the skills and experience necessary for the post. Your experience need not have been gained in paid employment and may include special interests relevant to the post. It is important that you provide evidence of your achievements by giving examples to support your application. You are encouraged to use the headings in the person specification in order to set the information out clearly.

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5. References Please give name, address and position/occupation of two referees. One must be your present or most recent employer. References will only be taken up for the successful candidate. Testimonials or references from friends and relatives are not acceptable.

1. Reference Name Position Organisation Address Telephone Email 2. Reference Name Position Organisation Address Telephone Email

6. Declaration and signature

The information supplied in this application form is accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Signature:

By signing and returning this application form you consent to Highbury Vale Blackstock Trust using and keeping information about you provided by you – or third parties such as referees – relating to your application or future employment.

This information will be used solely in the recruitment process and will be retained for six months from the date on which you are informed whether you have been invited to interview, or six months from the date of interview. Such information may include details relating to ethnic monitoring and disability: these will be used solely for internal monitoring and will not be disclosed to any third party.

Thank you for completing the form. Please print your completed form for your records. You can return your completed application together with your completed Equality of Opportunity Questionnaire (below) to [email protected] or Nathalie Renaud, Director, Elizabeth House Community Centre, 2 Hurlock Street, London N5 1ED.

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Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form

We are committed to equal opportunities in our recruitment process and in order to find out how well we are doing with this we need to collect monitoring data. This monitoring form is voluntary but the information we collect here is very useful to us as it helps us to make sure that we are an inclusive employer and to find out if our workforce is diverse. The information you supply on this form will be kept confidentially. The monitoring form is not sent to the recruiting panel and has no part in the shortlisting process.

How did you find out about this post? Elizabeth House website Online publication (please state): Local networks (please state): Social media (please state): Other (please state):

Your ethnic origin These categories are based on the Census 2011 categories and recommended by the Commission for Racial Equality. Asian, Asian British, Asian English, Asian Scottish, or White Asian Welsh British Asian / Asian British English Bangladeshi Gypsy or Irish Traveller Chinese Irish Indian Scottish Pakistani Welsh Other Asian background (specify if you wish): Other White background (specify if you wish):

Black, Black British, Black English, Black Scottish, or Mixed Black Welsh White and Asian African White and Black African Caribbean White and Black Caribbean Other Black background (specify if you wish): White and Chinese Other mixed background (specify if you wish):

Other ethnic group Prefer not to say Arab Other ethnic group (specify if you wish):

Your gender Male Female Prefer not to say Have you ever identified as transgender? Yes No Prefer not to say

Your age Date of Birth: 16 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65+ Prefer not to say

Your sexual orientation Bisexual Gay man Lesbian

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Heterosexual/straight Other (specify if you wish): Prefer not to say

Marriage and civil partnership Single Married/in a registered same-sex civil partnership Separated, but still legally married/in a registered same-sex civil partnership Divorced/formerly in a same-sex civil partnership which is now legally dissolved Widowed/Surviving partner from a same-sex civil partnership Prefer not to say

Your religion or belief No religion Jewish Buddhist Muslim Christian (including Church of England, Catholic, Sikh Protestant and all other Christian denominations) Other (specify if you wish): Hindu Prefer not to say

Your experience of mental health problems Would you describe yourself as someone who is experiencing or has experienced mental health problems? Yes. Please state how Mind can support you in your employment: No Prefer not to say

Disability The Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse affect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Do you consider yourself to be disabled? Yes. Please specify: No Prefer not to say

Please return this form along with your application form to [email protected].