Gloucestershire Young Carers, Chief Executive Officer

All Opportunities

Chief Executive Officer

Gloucestershire Young Carers

Chief Executive Officer

Gloucester

c£52,000 pro rata

Ambition

Ambitious for the future and supporting over 1,000 young carers countywide. Gloucestershire Young Carers (GYC) is keen to consolidate the growth and progress of recent years.

They want to prepare for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and, with the support of their staff, volunteers, and their current leadership team, appoint a new CEO. A role which will ensure that GYC has the capacity to engage constructively with existing and new partnerships while continuing to deliver the highest quality services possible for young carers and young adult carers.

Intro

Founded in 1993, Gloucestershire Young Carers is a dynamic charity constantly growing and developing to meet the ever-changing needs of young carers and young adult carers in the county.

Pivotal to their work is ensuring that young carers are recognised as ‘experts by experience’ and that they have the opportunity to influence services and policy.

They provide support to young adult carers aged between 16 and 24, helping them to transition successfully to adulthood.

Following the undertaking of a young carer’s assessment, they provide access to a raft of services that meet the needs of each young carer and their family; with the focus and overriding aim to reduce the impact that a caring role can have upon a young person and support each young carer to reach their full potential.

All their services – wellbeing groups, fun activity breaks, specialist groups, participation, advice and guidance – are delivered in a child / young person-friendly way, which targets a wide range of needs – whether the young carer is supporting a family member with mental ill health, long-term illness or disability, affected by substance misuse or whether they are experiencing the impact of having a sibling who requires care.

A major part of their work is to ensure the identification of hidden young carers – to this end, they work extensively with all agencies and community groups to raise awareness and improve their response to young carers.

They recognise that many young carers may have multiple needs, which may, in certain circumstances, be the result of having more than one person in their family needing support. They also know that the support offered to a young carer and their family may come from more than one agency working in partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies.

Purpose

Heading up, and in collaboration with their Leadership Team, you will:

Ensure that the voice of young carers and young adult carers is at the heart of the delivery of GYC services.
Promote awareness of the issues faced by young carers and young adult carers.
Assume overall responsibility for the delivery and development of the range of services provided by Gloucestershire Young Carers, ensuring quality and performance standards are met.
Develop and manage partnerships and networks locally and nationally, promoting GYC’s profile as a leader in the support for young carers and young adult carers.
Take overall responsibility for the delivery of GYC strategy, developing the business plan and setting objectives.
Oversee the good governance of GYC, ensuring financial stability and compliance with charity and company law.
Inspire and lead the GYC team, co-ordinating the senior management of GYC and providing line management to the Directors.

Career Level

Leadership

Qualification

Degree (or postgraduate) qualification or equivalent role-based attainment, together with evidence of continuing professional development.

Specialisation

Children & Young People

Responsibilities

Working collaboratively with young carers and their families, staff members, volunteers, trustees, professionals within the statutory and voluntary agencies, partners and potential future partners, organisations in the voluntary and private sector, funders, and local and national government to develop and deliver support and services to meet the changing and evolving needs of young carers.

Leadership

Hold overall responsibility for the charity, service delivery, all major decision-making with the support of the Board, reporting, monitoring the delivery of plans, and achieving the required financial and quality outcomes.

Strategy

Regularly review GYC strategy in consultation with the Board, staff team, and key stakeholders (including young carers), ensuring it remains relevant and fit for purpose.
Maintain an awareness of risks and changes in the external environment that affect the organisation, proactively managing identified risks across all areas of strategy and operations, liaising closely with the Chair and Board.

Service Delivery

Ensure that the voices and needs of young carers are heard and acted upon to inform service delivery.
Ensure that all staff and directors develop and maintain the expected high level of performance and practice in providing quality services.
Ensure that effective monitoring systems are in place and that the results are analysed and inform the ongoing development of services.
Oversee the maintenance, innovative reshaping, and design of services to deliver positive outcomes.
Ensure the highest standards of safeguarding are maintained.

External

Prospect, initiate and develop new partnerships in an innovative way to promote support for young carers and raise the profile of GYC.
Nurture existing local and national partnerships, acting as an ambassador, to maintain GYC’s position as a leader in the field (for example, Gloucestershire County Council, NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board, Carers Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation).
Act as a trusted adviser and thought leader and, where appropriate, participate in local and national forums and boards.
Oversee the development and implementation of Gloucestershire Young Carers’ marketing strategy.

Finance

Oversee the preparation of a business plan, annual budget, and monthly management accounts for approval by the Board.
Ensure and assist the full and timely annual audit of GYC’s financial records and the preparation and filing of statutory annual accounts and returns.
Ensure the effective management of all finances, including fundraising, tendering, grant applications, reporting and auditing, and budgeting and monitoring.
Work with the Board and Directors to ensure the financial sustainability of GYC.

Fund Raising

Work with the Senior Management Team and Fundraising Manager to spot and develop income and business opportunities with existing and new partners.
Develop strong partnerships with existing and new funders, including Trusts & Foundations, local Government, businesses, and high net worth individuals.

People

Nurture and lead a culture of respect and inclusivity, flexibility, shared commitment, personal development, and learning, with a central and constant focus on the needs of young carers.
Ensure all staff are supported to succeed and develop through regular review and annual appraisal.
Line manage and support the Senior Management Team to deliver against defined performance objectives and standards.
Ensure effective internal communications, using a variety of media, with staff, Trustees, and young carers.

Compliance

Ensure that GYC meets all the obligations and legal requirements under charities and company law.
Ensure that all the necessary policies across all areas of activity are developed and implemented in line with governmental policy, legal requirements and the needs of the organisation.
Plan and prepare for future needs and changes within a medium to long-term time horizon.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

Promote equality, inclusion, respect, and fairness and manage diversity in all areas of planning and service delivery through an active involvement in implementing our Equality and Diversity policy.

Governance

Provide regular and timely reports to the Board, prepare for, attend, and record regular Board meetings, and oversee annual general meetings.

The list above should not be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. There will be other duties and requirements associated with the role, and you may be required to undertake various other duties as may reasonably be required.

Person Specification

Our expectations are high. Our new CEO will need to demonstrate the following:

Attributes

A palpable passion, personal commitment, and an interest in the work of GYC towards empowering young carers to find support, a connection, and a voice of their own.
A sound understanding of the challenges faced by young carers and the impact of caring responsibilities on young people.
An ability to engage with young carers and a commitment to promoting a whole family approach to supporting young carers.
A commitment to working in a collaborative way with senior and middle management to maintain the democratic culture of GYC.

Skills

Strong organisational, advocacy and people management skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
An ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with vulnerable children, young people, and their families.
An ability to build and maintain effective relationships and partnerships.
An ability to manage own workload, prioritise tasks and hit deadlines while motivating, leading, and supporting staff and volunteers.

Experience

Significant leadership or management experience within the voluntary / charity sector and a track record of success throughout your career.
Direct experience of working with children and young people within the youth, health or social care sectors.
Strong experience of financial and risk management, including budgeting and cost control, with the ability to draft strategies and annual business plans.
A successful track record of attracting income from statutory and grant funders and individuals, with the ability to think creatively about achieving significant increases in funding to support our valuable work.

Knowledge

Possess a good working knowledge of:

Safeguarding in relation to children and young people, and procedures in relation to vulnerable adults.
HR policy and practice at a non-specialist level with an understanding of how to promote equality and diversity objectives.
Governance and how effective and efficient charitable organisations operate, with experience of reporting to Boards and supporting trustees to perform their roles.
Fundraising Regulator, Data Protection / GDPR principles, and other relevant law and best practice guidance.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check.

Organisation Profile

Gloucestershire Young Carers (GYC) is an award-winning charity with an outstanding reputation and 30 years expertise developing innovative services with, and for, young carers.

2024 presents an opportunity for GYC to develop their service offer and realign their organisational structure whilst beginning their preparation for contract renewal in 2026.

Their awareness of the impact of caring on young people’s lives continues to increase and informs their work. However, there is still much to be done to ensure young carers are identified and supported by agencies they encounter and in the community.

Young carers face widespread inequality in relation to education, employment, mental health, social inclusion, and relationships compared to their non-caring peers. The pandemic impacted young carers and their families not only by dealing with the challenges of Covid restrictions but also with increased anxiety for vulnerable family members, and that legacy is still visible.

Industry Category

Company Size

Apply Now

If you would welcome the opportunity to apply, please forward:

A CV outlining your employment history, voluntary activities, achievements, and academic and professional qualifications.
A supporting statement (maximum 2 x A4 pages) providing details on your motivation, background and experience relevant to the role and your skills and attributes, which will ensure that you are successful as our CEO and which potentially distinguish you from other candidates.
A completed copy of our equalities and monitoring form.

Please ensure that you have included a telephone number and any dates when you will not be available or might have difficulty with the recruitment timetable, and if you require any adjustments to be made should you be invited for an interview.

Applications should be forwarded to philip.nelson@thehiringdept.com.

Recruitment Timetable

Closing Date: Monday 15th January at 10.00 am

Preliminary Interviews: Friday 19th January

Young Carers Panel: Thursday 25th January (late afternoon / early evening)

Final Panel Assessment: Tuesday 30th January

Queries

For an informal and confidential discussion, please get in touch with our advising consultant, Philip Nelson, on 020 3590 9978 or via email at philip.nelson@thehiringdept.com.

We would particularly welcome applications from individuals with lived experience as a young carer or who have a close connection with someone who is or has been a young carer.

Chief Executive Officer