PLEASE NOTE - TO APPLY FOR THIS ROLE YOU WILL NEED TO SUBMIT A CV AND A COVERING LETTER AND HAVE AT LEAST 2 YEARS RELEVANT EXPERIENCE. WE WILL NOT CONSIDER APPLICATIONS WITHOUT BOTH OF THESE ELEMENTS IE COVERING LETTER AND CV.
Wirral Ark is a homeless charity formed in 1991 originally as a temporary night shelter operating over the Christmas period. We have expanded our services significantly and now operate 5 housing projects, a Nurses Clinic, Floating Support Service, Trauma Informed Care Programmes and an Activity Centre.
We are a small and ambitious homeless charity who has enjoyed significant growth over the past 5 years. We have expanded our services to meet the multiple and complex issues homeless people face, which trap them in a cycle of homelessness.
Our services are designed to make a positive change in the lives of homeless people. We offer support and accommodation to ensure people can reach their full potential and live independent and fulfilling lives.
Our supporters include individuals, community groups, churches, schools, companies, and trusts and foundations. The funds we raise support our work to deliver a range of accommodation, support and projects to address the complex issues people face such as mental health, substance misuse, social exclusion, loneliness, and physical ill health.
RESIDENT WELLBEING.
We are seeking a dedicated and proactive Resident Wellbeing and Engagement Officer to lead initiatives aimed at enhancing the overall wellbeing and engagement of our residents. This role is instrumental in creating a supportive and inclusive environment that promotes mental, physical, and emotional health through the delivery of initiatives, events, workshops etc.
The successful candidate will develop and implement wellbeing programmes, foster relationships across support networks, and ensure all administrative aspects of the initiatives are efficiently managed.
Homelessness is a damaging and isolating life event that does not stop at providing a roof and a bed. For Wirral Ark, we must always prioritise our residents at the core of our mission and actions and every step we take must be aiding them on their road to recovery and out of homelessness.
Resident wellbeing and engagement are vital to the success of Wirral Ark and our residents as providing comprehensive support and a wide range of activities encourages and nurtures better relationships between residents and staff and fosters a more positive outcome for our residents.
Main Duties
As the Resident Wellbeing and Engagement Manager, you will be on the frontline of our services and working closely with the Digital Marketing and Fundraising Department and Front Line staff to generate the best possible outcome for our residents.
We wish to bring together different elements of our business to create an effective and cohesive wellbeing and engagement programme. Bringing staff, residents and supporters together in support of events, activities, initiatives, anniversaries, campaigns, and causes will enable us to deliver value for Wirral Ark. Combining these elements also provides us with a vehicle which will enable us to give back to the communities, individuals and businesses that support us.
Each year the charity will look to organise an annual plan built around a range of initiatives, campaigns and national / local anniversaries. This role is expected to contribute and shape this plan and take the lead on certain initiatives where appropriate or needed but fundamentally the role has the responsibility of engaging, involving, co-ordinating, and encouraging volunteers, residents and external agencies into taking part in all the organised opportunities.
Residents
The most important group of people for the entire charity are residents. Due to the nature of their situation and current journey, their issues are multifaceted and complex, and this role requires an aspirational and positive mindset that can rise to these challenges and offer consistency and routine to their lives.
It will also be necessary to develop strong working relationship with case management workers (CMWs) to secure resident engagement and involvement.
We expect this role to develop and promote additional sessions/activities that are appropriate, whilst helping to build the confidence and skills of our residents and listening to their thoughts and feedback and where appropriate responding with new programmes and learning opportunities.
Volunteers
Wirral Ark has a long history of being approached and supported by volunteers, but a formal point of personal contact is needed. Our Direct Marketing and Fundraising Manager undertakes the digital engagement with these individuals eg e-mail dialogue, information gathering and processing, social media discussion and awareness raising etc but this role will lead on the personal contact.
Working with the volunteers, understanding their skills and capabilities will allow the role and Wirral Ark to align their resources and areas of interests in support of our initiatives, services and campaigns. It will be vital for this role to form strong working relationships with our volunteers and also the Direct Marketing and Fundraising Manager to ensure a coherent and organised ‘welcome’ as they become involved with Wirral Ark.
This role will also work closely with Corporate and Community volunteers organised through our Fundraising Team to deliver volunteering opportunities for these teams including the painting of properties, organisation of donations or delivery of activities.
Volunteers in this setting can become a very reliable and cohesive additional workforce for Wirral Ark which must be nurtured and cared for, this role will lead on this ambition for the business.
External Agencies
Finally, the engagement and co-ordination of partners in the development, support and education of our residents will be an important element of this role. For example, CRISIS and other agencies of this type have used Wirral Ark facilities to work alongside our clients.
This role needs to engage and co-ordinate access for these types of organisations, whilst as previously mentioned being mindful of our core annual plan. It will be important for the role to take a co-ordinating, orchestrating role in involvement and engagement of these external organisations. Once set-up and organised these sessions should look after themselves and not need the hand holding of this role.
Working Location / Environment
As we look to deliver our annual plan of initiatives, campaigns and actions in support of national / local anniversaries it expected the role will be active across our entire accommodation base, and hence travel is expected.
A key part of our delivery base is also the IKC (Irene Kennedy Centre) in Mary Cole House (MCH). It will be expected that the role will operate from the IKC a large part of the time in co-ordinating external partner delivery, drawing in volunteers to support our initiatives and through engaging with clients.
However, the base for this role will be Mary Cole House (MCH), although as indicated above, because the job has a range of elements and stakeholders the day-to-day working pattern will be varied. Although the role is based at MCH the role must look to realise on-going and easy daily engagement with other staff involved in the initiatives / campaigns etc eg Digital Marketing and Fundraising Department, Supported Accommodation Manager and CEO.
Evidence
It is massively important we develop an evidence base to enable us to be able to evaluate the success of our actions, initiatives, events, campaigns etc. This will be in liaison with the Digital Marketing and Fundraising team who will need accurate reporting for trusts and grants that are applied for to fund activities.
For example, it will be important to record the number of volunteers we work with and also the amount of time they spend with us.
We also want to know how many clients engage, in which activities and for how long. Working alongside 1 or 2 customers, volunteers or external agencies will not develop a sustainable base for our collective endeavours.
Detailed duties
Overall
· Develop and manage comprehensive wellbeing programmes tailored to meet the diverse needs of Wirral Ark residents and align with the delivery of the annual plan which is built around a range of initiatives, campaigns and national / local anniversaries.
· Implement initiatives that align with organisational goals and resident feedback to promote overall engagement and empowerment.
· Promote the service within WCAP and outside of the organisation, fostering strong relationships with residents, support staff, and external supporters to encourage participation in wellbeing activities.
· To ensure the safety & security of the service users/clients, volunteers, partner agencies, staff and the building.
· Observe and comply with WCAP policies and procedures for Health & Safety, Risk Assessment, Equal opportunities, Diversity & Equality, Customer Care and Service User/Client involvement and participation.
· Ensuring that supplies are purchased/ordered where appropriate and equipment maintained.
· Conduct regular assessments and evaluations of wellbeing programmes to measure effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
· Document and capture content that highlights services and activities that can be used externally and internally to demonstrate the value to staff and supporters.
· Administration duties
· General Duties
Annual Plan
· Contribute to the design, development and delivery of the annual plan which is built around a range of initiatives, campaigns and national/ local anniversaries.
· Engage, involve, co-ordinate and encourage volunteers, residents and external agencies into taking part in all the planned opportunities.
· Be the formal point of contact for volunteers and external supporters engaging with the charity in any particular way.
· Working with the volunteers to understanding their skills and capabilities and therefore align their resources and areas of interests in support of our annual plan.
· Develop a strong working relationship with Digital Marketing and Fundraising Team to ensure a coherent and organised annual plan is delivered.
· Work closely with volunteers to develop a reliable and cohesive additional workforce for Wirral Ark.
IKC
· Lead on the management of the IKC and the programme of work planned
· Manage the diary for room bookings to ensure the room is used appropriately.
- To liaise, facilitate, organise and take part in (where appropriate) engagement and development sessions provided by external agencies / partners or internal teams
- Ensure sessions delivered by external agencies or internal staff/teams are informative, fun and inspiring, and build up confidence/skills but also tie into the themes and aims/objectives of our annual plan.
· To ensure that the centre is cleaned on a regular basis and health and safety and hygiene standards are adhered to.
· Promote the values and vision of WCAP in a responsible and positive way on all occasions.
- To ensure Disclaimer and appropriate risk assessments are complete
- To participate in the monitoring and evaluation of the effectiveness of the sessions
- Liaise with appropriate service providers in co-ordinating joint activities
- Involve service users and partner agencies in the design and delivery of services creating choice and participation wherever possible
- Involve service users and partner agencies in the design and delivery of services creating choice and participation wherever possible
- To publicise/promote the centre to service users and support staff within WCAP
Examples of initiatives, events, workshops, programmes etc include:
· Organising external organisations to deliver training / learning eg CRISIS / Life Long Learning
· ½ day / Full Day trips out eg visiting museums, cycling, other sites
· ½ day / Full Day organised events eg fishing
· Support for other Wirral Ark initiatives eg waking events
· Organising volunteering opportunities eg painting/decorating, supporting Chef in MCH, delivering meals from MCH, gardening, site clearance and tidying
Reporting, Recording and Evaluation
- To maintain records and monitoring systems.
- To participate in the evaluation and planning process, which must include participation by the people who use the centre and partner agencies.
- To record and collate information in order to produce reports as requested.
Other
- To attend supervisions with manager and work towards personal development including identifying training needs and attending and participating in training and learning
- To attend regular team meetings and monthly organisational staff meeting.
- To attend other meetings as requested by the Support Manager
The function, duties and responsibilities identified are not necessarily exhaustive or restrictive. Other duties may be further advised by the Head of Finance and Fundraising, CEO, which are also commensurate with the post.
PERSON SPECIFICATION – About YOU.
Item
Essential
Desirable
· Experience working with people experiencing homelessness or similar complex needs backgrounds, including mental health, addiction, offending.
- Essential
· Proven ability to develop and implement wellbeing initiatives that have a positive impact on individuals and communities.
- Essential
· Strong leadership and supervisory skills, with the ability to manage teams effectively while fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.
- Essential
· Excellent relationship management skills, with the ability to engage effectively with residents, staff, volunteers, and external stakeholders.
- Essential
· Be empathetic, non-judgemental, strengths-focussed, proactive, motivating.
- Essential
· Experience of designing and delivering events or initiatives for clients, staff, other individuals.
- Essential
· Committed to driving change both within people and within our society.
- Essential
· Strong written and verbal communication to a wide range of stakeholders, including Wirral Ark staff, clients, statutory bodies, community groups, and volunteers.
- Essential
· Ability to manage own time and complete multiple tasks at once, with a case load of people at different points in their journey.
- Essential
· Ability to build strong relationships both within and outside the organisation, a good understanding of the local community is also helpful.
- Essential
· Driving licence and access to a vehicle as this role will require travel.
- Essential
· Awareness of support agencies, community groups, etc., around Birkenhead and the Wirral more generally.
- Desirable
· Understanding of trauma-informed approaches and mental health support strategies.
- Desirable
· Knowledge of funding applications and grant management processes.
Desirable
Job Types: Part-time, Permanent
Pay: £15,288.00 per year
Expected hours: 21 per week
Schedule:
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 18/04/2025
Reference ID: WA10472
Expected start date: 02/06/2025
