Centre Director

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, one week on call per month. Hours worked between 8am and 6pm, Monday – Friday. Occasional evening and weekend work requiredSalary: £42,000 - £46,000 per annum. Night shifts and weekend cover paid extraTerm: 3-year contract with possibility to extend - subject to fundingLocation: The Hut, Llwyn Deri Hall, Ravenhill Road, Swansea SA5 5AW

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About The Roots Foundation Wales

We are an award-winning charity supporting children and young people in care, kinship care, those transitioning to independent living, and care leavers. We also provide support for foster and kinship carers.In 2017, we featured on a BBC1 DIY SOS & Children in Need special, which resulted in our beautiful centre with three semi-independent living flats attached. Our bespoke and holistic Transition to Independent Living programme helps young people aged 16-19 gain essential independent living skills as they prepare to leave care.

Our dedicated team of youth workers, night staff, and volunteers run a variety of activities and clubs for young people aged 4-25, including coffee mornings for carers, playgroups for young parents, and activity groups ranging from crafts and cookery to youth clubs and movie nights.

A message from our Youth Panel:

“Roots is our home from home. It's a place where we can share personal experiences and always be supported. Building good relationships with staff and other young people is essential to us. We need someone who is honest, responsible, and appreciates that Roots is like our family.”

About You

Are you ready for your next leadership challenge in a workplace full of life and passion? You'll be surrounded by inspiring young people and colleagues who love their jobs. You should be able to lead collaboratively, speak confidently to promote our work, manage multiple projects, and oversee budgets and operations efficiently and strategically.

You will work closely with the Board of Trustees to deliver our strategic plans for growth, managing budgets, finances, and operations while ensuring the best possible outcomes for the young people and carers who rely on us.

Your Main Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Management: Build strong working relationships, providing leadership and management for the staff team of 12 plus volunteers.
• Operational Management: Oversee the day-to-day management and running of the Centre.
• Service Delivery: Ensure high-quality activities and programmes are provided, seeking and acting on feedback from service users.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Raise awareness of our work and build our profile with key local and national stakeholders.
• Accommodation Oversight: Manage the development and running of the semi-independent living accommodation.
• Reporting to Funders: Manage robust monitoring and evaluation processes for timely reporting to funders and commissioning bodies.
• Fundraising: Support the Board of Trustees to secure new funding avenues in line with the charity’s objectives.
• Safeguarding: Be the main point of contact for safeguarding concerns and ensure processes are followed.

Due to the nature of the role, flexibility is required. The Centre is staffed on a 24-hour basis, and you will support safeguarding issues that occur outside of working hours (on a rota basis). Out of hours work may be necessary to meet the charity’s needs.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria:

• Experience in operations management and/or strategic leadership, ideally within a health and social care, childcare, or education setting.
• Proven leadership and people management skills.
• Highly numerate with a successful track record in managing budgets and delivering value for money.
• Excellent IT skills with the ability to learn and use new software and packages.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience managing safeguarding and an understanding of Wales Safeguarding Procedures.
• Experience working with our beneficiary group, including children in mainstream care, secure residential settings, kinship care, Special Guardianship care, and foster carers.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement and/or public speaking.
• Service development and management of commissioned services experience.
• A recognised qualification in management and leadership or programme/project management.
• Experience working in the charity sector with a good understanding of governance requirements and the challenges in the sector, particularly in Wales.
• Experience in applying for and securing funding at national, regional, or local levels.
• Understanding and experience of implementing a trauma-informed approach.

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and covering letter explaining your motivation for applying and your relevant skills and experience. Generic cover letters that do not specifically refer to The Roots Foundation and its work will not be considered.

Interviews will be conducted the week commencing 11th November 2024.

You may have experience in the following roles: Centre Manager, Operations Manager, Programme Director, Service Manager, Child Welfare Director, Community Services Manager, Youth Services Director, Social Care Manager, etc.

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