Vacancy – Wales Development Officer – Closing Date Friday 3rd June 2022

Shared Lives Plus is the UK membership charity for more than 6,000 Shared Lives carers, 150 Shared Lives schemes and a growing network of over 25 local Homeshare organisations. Our vision is a kinder, stronger society built on sharing our lives and our homes. We help build communities where everyone lives a full life, regardless of the support they need. We do this by turning Shared Lives and Homeshare into thriving, mainstream options, with all the right structures in place to support and guide those who want to share their lives and homes.

The purpose of this role is to drive the development of Shared Lives in Wales. With a focus on growing the numbers of people with a learning disability that are supported you will work with Shared Lives schemes to help them to grow, and you will create, and present a case for new schemes to commissioners across Wales.

As well as a competitive salary, you will benefit from flexible working, 27 days annual leave (pro rata), birthday leave, and health and wellbeing support via Care First. At Shared Lives Plus you will join a dynamic, passionate, and inclusive team who believe that everyone should be able to choose who they spend time with and do what matters to them.

Shared Lives Plus is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we are committed to ensuring that all staff are motivated, skilled and rewarded by their work.  We welcome applicants regardless of race, religion or belief, colour, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age and other protected status as required by law. We promote and protect human rights; they are the foundation of what we do.

We want to be an inclusive place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come and contribute their unique strengths and perspectives.  We are focused on equality and believe that all the fascinating characteristics that make us different, make us more able to deliver our life-changing work with passion and creativity.

The overarching objectives of this role include:

• To support growth, diversification and development in the Shared Lives sector for people with learning disabilities and supporting the formation of local partnerships.
• To support our members to maintain the quality and safety of the Shared Lives sector during a period of growth and change.
• To raise awareness of the Shared Lives model.

• To support growth, diversification and development in the Shared Lives sector for people with learning disabilities and supporting the formation of local partnerships.
• Work with health and social care commissioners to promote the business case for Shared Lives in order to secure commitment to support the development of Shared Lives schemes locally.
• Ensure that our own work and our members work engages with and empowers Shared Lives carers, people who use Shared Lives and their families.

• Support members wishing to develop, diversify, and grow existing Shared Lives schemes, ensuring that our support to members is effective and sustainable.
• To work with key stakeholders, commissioners, and policy makers to raise awareness of the Shared Lives model.
• To support our members, who are Shared Lives scheme managers and individual Shared Lives carers, safeguarding the values, quality and safety of the sector during a period of growth and change.
• Develop new resources, training, and guidance for Shared Lives carers and schemes based on needs identified by our members, identifying good practice and sharing learning.
• Support members with the recruitment of Shared Lives carers
• Support members to implement the Quality Framework, and My Shared Life outcomes measuring tool within their practice.
• Support members to develop new local partnerships.
• Raise awareness of the value of the Shared Lives model with a range of stakeholders, contributing to the planning and delivery of events, and working with our Communications team.
• Support the development of our evidence-based practice and outcome/ impact monitoring approaches, including reporting to external partners.

• Contribute to the completion of funding applications and reporting.

• To contribute to the effective administration of Shared Lives Plus.
• Engage in continuous self-development and training.
• Work in a way which promotes diversity, equality of opportunity, and anti-discriminatory practice.
• Operate at all times in a way that is consistent with Shared Lives Plus legal responsibilities including health and safety legislation, and guidance.
• Work in accordance with Shared Lives Plus aims and objectives and policies and procedures and to promote a positive image of the organisation and its members.
• Undertake such other duties as may reasonably be required, commensurate with the level of the post and the needs of the organisation.

Shared Lives Plus considers its culture to be a supportive, encouraging and empowering one. The culture is based on our values – these are listed below along with we feel this would look like for this role:

Authenticity

We take time to understand from different perspectives

We seek and give both positive and constructive feedback, ensuring our feedback is authentic and relevant – both praise and learning

We can be relied upon to do what we say we will

We take responsibility for our teams, maintaining a ‘no blame culture’, while ensuring staff are accountable and can learn from their mistakes

We are open when we cannot meet expectations and give an honest explanation that builds mutual trust

Integrity

We are respectful of colleagues and their perspectives

We are open about our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions, seeing these as opportunities for learning

We take responsibility

We listen and seek to understand colleagues and customers, including when their priorities and thinking is different from our own

Sense of Purpose

Our mission is at the heart of everything we do, and we work co-operatively with colleagues to achieve our joint purpose an objective

We portray a positive image of the organisation

We learn and develop and help others to do so

We recognise that all behaviour is meaningful, whether positive or negative

Meetings – we are punctual, we have read the agenda and prepared my thoughts, we have addressed any actions

Zest and Energy

We look for opportunities to innovate and to make positive change happen

Our doors are always open, and we support colleagues if they have problems

We respond positively to new situations and opportunities

To find solutions we have to recognise the obstacles to see the way to solving the problem/issue

To apply

Please submit your CV along with a supporting statement based on all the details in the job description and person specification telling us why you feel you’re the person for us to recruitment@sharedlivesplus.org.uk

The closing date is: 5pm on Friday 3^rd June 2022

We envisage that the successful candidate will take up the post ASAP

You can find out more about what it means to work at Shared Lives Plus via this link Working for Shared Lives Plus – Shared Lives Plus

More information about Homeshare UK and our network of providers can be found on the HSUK website. www.homeshareuk.org