Vacancy – Homeshare UK and Nations Development Support Officer – Closing Date Wednesday May 22nd

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.

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.

This post will be part of the membership team which supports both Shared Lives and Homeshare UK network and will:

• Provide support and guidance to Shared Lives Schemes in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and the UK Homeshare network.
• Coordinate the Homeshare UK Network and provide support to Shared Lives schemes across the Nations to deliver high-quality provision in line with the Homeshare Good Practice Guide and Shared Lives guidance framework
• Supporting growth, diversification and development of the shared living sector in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland
• Provide support to influence policy makers and other key stakeholders and support members to make local connections
• Contribute to the effective administration of Shared Lives Plus.

1. Respond to enquiries, provide telephone, email and on-line support to members
2. Provide information and advice to all members on areas of regulation, legislation and good practice
3. Support development of further guidance on practice, quality, and safety issues.
4. Co-ordinate the collection of data for the annual sector reports
5. Coordinate the Homeshare network online meetings including developing agenda, co-ordinating presence from Shared Lives Plus, chairing and minuting meetings.
6. Co-ordinate the Homeshare Network Your Voice meetings including setting agenda with the trustee Chair, minuting meetings etc
7. Co-ordinate the Scotland and Wales national committees including setting agenda, chairing and minuting meetings as necessary
8. Help promote the Shared Living model to wider communities and diverse groups through the delivery of workshops, seminars and talks.

1. Support programmes to align practice and process to those outlined and defined in the Homeshare Good Practice Guide and the Shared Lives guidance pack.
2. Co-ordinate the meetings of the UK Homeshare Network
3. Lead on the development of information and new guidance for the Homeshare Network
4. Develop and monitor a delivery plan for the Homeshare Network
5. Ensure that actions at key meetings are captured and managed effectively

1. Identify and develop new national partnerships with external organisations.
2. Support members to develop local partnerships.
3. Working with the Communications team raise awareness of the value of shared living models with a range of national and local stakeholders.
4. Co-ordinate case studies and provide material for PR and media opportunities.

1. Provide support to membership to reach out to other local and national organisations which may help them increase their potential to grow or diversify
2. Develop an evidence base and outcome/impact monitoring for our work in Wales and Scotland to evidence the need, value, and potential of shared living.
3. Support members of the Senior Management Team to make representations to Minsters and other senior stakeholders.

1. Engage in continuous self-development and training.
2. Promote diversity, equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice and Human Rights
3. Undertake such other duties as may reasonably be required, commensurate with the level of the post.

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

If you would like to be considered for the role then please submit your CV along with a covering email/letter based on all the details in the job description and person specification telling us why you feel you’re the right person for the role to Stephanie Cryer, HR Business Partner at recruitment@sharedlivesplus.org.uk by Wednesday 22^nd May 2024,   Interviews will be held will be during week commencing 27^th May 2024.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 22nd May 2024 at 5:00pm.

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