Join us! Exciting new job opportunity with Longford Trust

Author: | 2 Mar 2022

 

New: Employability Manager (Part-time)                                                                                                                             

Since its founding in 2002, the Longford Trust has grown organically. Its five current core team members all work virtually, with regular face-to-face and on-line team meetings and phone calls.  We do not have a shared office.

However, we believe there is a strong team spirit and collective ethos allowing the trust to deliver a high standard and to develop  programmes in higher education for young people in/after prison.  The new role of employability manager reflects the trust’s decision – after a pilot programme for the past year– to help prepare scholars for degree level careers after graduation. The employability support is in addition to the existing financial and mentoring support for our award-holders.

Ideally, we would like to recruit someone with lived experience of the criminal justice system and a good knowledge of the higher education system, graduate recruitment and an understanding of the Longford Trust, and what it does.

Pay and conditions

  • one day per week, but time could be split over two half days
  • pro-rata of £30,000 pa, with annual pay review
  • paid monthly in arrears by bank transfer
  • The Longford Trust has no employees. Each member of the team is a freelance consultant and invoices the trust monthly for their agreed fee. Each member is responsible for paying their own tax and National Insurance. A designated mobile can be provided to undertake trust calls, for which the trust would pay. And a contribution can be made towards office equipment.
  • If, in exceptional circumstances, extra days are required, they will be paid at a day rate of £250.
  • There will be a three-month supported probationary period, followed if your appointment is confirmed by regular appraisals from your line manager and/or the director.
  • Your consultancy contract with the trust can be ended at one month’s notice.

Scope

The trustees have identified four specific areas which together will make up the employability area of our work:

  • Training: organising regular day-long workshops during the year that are offered to past and present scholars, run in partnership with another charity.
  • Introductory service: through existing and new supporters build a range of internships, placements and volunteering roles. Also develop international study travel scholarships. Organising references where appropriate.
  • Coaching: short-term, one-to-one pairings, of career-focused mentors to help build scholars’ confidence, networks and resilience.
  • peer-support and networking: ‘Career Club’– led by demand from our current and ex-scholars, the creation of an on-line community (including potential face to face meet-ups) among job-seeking scholars to boost support and connectivity during a job search.

 

What You Will Be Doing?

  • Work to agreed goals for each quarter, set with your line manager and the director, you will focus on these four areas.
  • Key to success will be getting to know award-holders who are making their post-graduation career plans
  • guiding scholars into the various supports that the employability programme can offer and guide towards other sources of support to help realise their potential
  • responding on an individual basis, listening to what they are saying (and not saying), all within the boundaries of the employability scheme.
  • building links with existing supporters and new contacts, especially employers, who show an interest in offering our award-holders work placements and internships
  • supporting scholars into those work placements and internships.
  • Liaison point for coaches, mentoring manager and scholars.
  • Creating an engaged career-focused community–this element offers most scope for creativity, taking a germ of an idea and trying to build something robust and helpful, based on scholar feedback. Use Linked-In, perhaps.

 

 Who Will You Work With Closely?

 You will be line-managed, initially, by our scholarship manager, who has run the employability pilot and will continue to be the ongoing first point of contact in relation to scholars and their requirements.

You will also be supported by the office manager who will guide you on how the Trust’s systems work – in terms of finance, record keeping, key policies around how we work and the data-base.

When tackling the coaching aspect of your work, you will liaise with our mentoring manager.

And in such a small team as we are, you will also be talking and exchanging ideas with the director, who plays an active role in the scholarship and mentoring programme.

What we are looking for:

We would like to recruit someone with lived experience of the criminal justice system and a good knowledge of the higher education system.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

  • good communications skills
  • empathy
  • a passion for prison reform and second chances
  • effective team working whilst also taking the initiative
  • strong planning and administrative skills
  • an ability to organise your own work time, exercise self-discipline and be effective at working alone,
  • good judgement about when to collaborate with colleagues for support and guidance on the way forward and issues that present themselves.

 What Next?

If you are interested in the role and want more information, contact Peter Stanford, director of the Trust: director@longfordtrust.org.  To apply send an up-to-date CV, and a letter setting out why you think you are right to Peter at the same email address. Closing date: 18th March 2022.

Important: Please include the name and contact details of two referees

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview from the week beginning 21st March 2022 (by zoom or in person) with a starting date of early/mid April 2022 preferred.

 

 

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