Strategy And Development Manager (Whole Family Equality Project)

Capital City Partnership (CCP) are looking for a Strategy and Development Manager to lead the Whole Family Equality Project.

The Whole Family Equality Project started in 2022 and developed an ongoing approach to holistic working with families to address the impact of poverty and disadvantage. In Scotland, 38% of minority ethnic families live in poverty, compared to 24% in the population as a whole (Scottish Government, 2022).

Capital City Partnership has developed a change project which works with ethnic minority communities to address poverty and disadvantage and to bring about significant and measurable improvements led by these communities. We also want to produce evidence-based learning and a change management toolkit that can be replicated and expanded across our local and regional influence.

Community involvement is at the heart of this project and individuals’ voices and experiences are shaping how it develops. The project acknowledges that it is people who are experiencing disadvantage in our communities who have the power to identify those problems and develop solutions. We are therefore seeking someone for this manager post who is empathetic to the needs of this community and who can demonstrate the leadership and team management skills to empower effective and measurable change.

Working with our delivery partners (Children 1st and CHAI, LinkNet, Volunteering Matters and Passion4Fusion) we use a holistic Whole Family support model to deliver transformational change for ethnically minoritised families in Edinburgh, providing wraparound support that addresses family wellbeing needs, money worries and employability support simultaneously, to ensure each family has the capacity to move out of poverty, and achieve their goals and aspirations.

The main duties are as follows:

• With the Deputy Chief Executive, further develop and modify the final year of the Whole Family Equality Project delivery plan with milestones and a clear timeline of achievement.
• To develop and promote the core service offer for 120 BAME families to engage in a one-to-one support service, including links to other support from trusted wider networks for a rounded holistic offer that includes welfare advice, housing support, life skills coaching, social confidence, and progression towards volunteering, training, and sustainable employment with long term career aspirations.
• Contract manage delivery partners’ funding agreements. Provide support and ensure good performance.
• Oversee the evaluation of the project by an independent evaluator and contribute to the Robertson Trust’s evaluation of the Partners in Change programme.
• Work with the Citizen’s Panel chair/s to develop the Citizen’s Panel to amplify expertise and lived experience to inform and oversee all aspects of the project.
• Manage a small team of officers and develop and support their specialisms for the successful delivery of the project aligned to each funding element that makes up the portfolio of offers within the project.
• Report to the project steering group and Local Employability Partnership using a suite of key performance indicators including increasing income and reducing poverty in ethnic minority households, closing the ethnic pay gap, increasing school attainment, and improving employment outcomes.
• Explore innovative recruitment methods to support potential employees from the BAME community to link to employers and achieve better job outcomes.
• Creation of a learning toolkit to capture and disseminate good practice and to promote this through a series of learning events.
• Oversee budget expenditure of £300,000 per annum including all budget monitoring and tracking and reconciliations with support from CCP’s Finance Manager
• To produce reports for a senior audience where required, and to meet the reporting requirements from funders.

Supervision and Management

The post holder is required to manage a small team of officers for this project. There may be additional staff added if other development opportunities arise.

Contacts and Relationships

The post will have a range of contacts, both internal and external, reflecting the varied nature and diversity of the poverty and income maximisation network, landscape, and partnerships. Strong partnership working is essential to the success of the project aims.

Decisions

The postholder will make a range of senior decisions relating to the delivery of the project, including budget management. The post will ensure relevant legislation, regulations, policies, procedures, and other relevant conditions are applied appropriately.

Resources

The post will be hybrid with home-working, visits to delivery projects and our office in Edinburgh. Occasional evening and weekend meetings will be required and time off in lieu will be offered for these.

A company laptop will be provided for business use and either a company mobile phone or a contribution to personal mobile phone bills will be offered. Training will be offered in appropriate areas; likely to be safeguarding, child protection etc.

Person Specification

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

• Three years minimum senior experience in one of the following areas: employability, welfare rights, diversity and inclusion, housing, substance abuse, family support or poverty prevention with a focus on supporting vulnerable groups.
• Qualifications or skills and experience to SCQF Level 9 including, for example, Bachelors/Ordinary Degree, Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Apprenticeship, Technical Apprenticeship or SVQ.
• Ability to demonstrate an appropriate level of senior relationship building and networking to bring together stakeholders and partners for agreed objectives and service enhancement.
• Understanding of the issues and challenges facing people in poverty and the trauma around this.
• Understanding of national and local policy drivers around poverty and employability and their impact on families.
• Understanding of the complexities faced by ethnic minority communities in moving out of poverty and achieving better outcomes.
• Understanding of working directly with vulnerable groups and service users, supporting them to a better and more positive destination.
• Knowledge of community empowerment and facilitating communities to have an active role in their journey and for under-represented voices to be heard.
• Experience in grant management and assessment processes
• Ability to manage a small team of officers, including setting work targets and managing performance.
• Knowledge of developing marketing strategies to promote and engage effectively with related audiences.
• Excellent presentation, verbal, and written communication skills, including report writing for a senior audience and funders.
• Understanding of website and/or MIS systems development.
• Meticulous approach to record keeping and recording of information.
• Analytical, numeracy and excellent communication skills
• Confident in the use of a wide range of software packages, including MS Office.
• This role is regulated work and a PVG will be required.

Desirable:

• Qualification in child protection
• Geographical knowledge of Edinburgh and particularly areas of high deprivation
• Experience of engaging with schools
• Experience of racialisation
• Data analysis skills.

Please find the full job description, equal opportunities, and application form below.