Buckinghamshire has a fast-growing older population who are the heart and soul of our communities – for example as employers, workers, volunteers, mentors, carers and child-minders. They help make our worlds go round. But when the challenges of older age feel overwhelming, and someone’s own world shrinks, Age UK Bucks is there to support them. Based in Aylesbury and working across the county, our services support older residents to maintain their independence and well-being, especially when times are difficult, helping local older people age batter and access support they deserve.
Current services include:
Charitable services (Empowerment, Community and Connection):
Independent, free information and advice
Maximising client income through Welfare Benefits advice and application support
Addressing isolation and loneliness through in-home companionship and befriending and reconnecting older people to local community clubs, groups and activities
Coffee Cake and Company programme of social groups across the county
The Age Friendly Bucks programme which gathers insight and learning from older people across the county, and delivers practical support and programmes to improve how people age
Commercial Services (Health, Wellbeing, Resilience and Independence)
A Dementia Support Bucks service supporting those with dementia and their carers
An Age Better Bucks service aimed at supporting over 65’s experiencing age-related decline
Hospital Discharge Support Service which features transport home after a hospital stay and short-term community support for those recently out of hospital
Help in the home by referring clients in need of support to a team of self-employed and verified housekeepers, gardeners, toenail-cutters and handypeople
We have grown as an organisation recently, expanding our services and increasing staff numbers and income as we endeavour to meet the needs of older people in the county, who are struggling to cope with the cost‑of‑living crisis, after the lasting impact of the pandemic.
As we grow and adapt to demand, we need to maintain and develop our offering to meet client needs and preferences, demonstrate our impact more effectively, improve our income performance and longer‑term sustainability, and support and collaborate more with partners, funders and commissioners. We also want to ensure our people have the tools, training and systems with which to deliver great service and self-develop.
The Head of Charitable Services is a new role and will play a pivotal part in leading this change and supporting and developing the teams and culture that deliver them. Alongside this, a key priority is person‑centred support and empowerment, and a focus on staff, volunteer and client safety and safeguarding, and skills development. We’ll also be looking to engage service users more dynamically to measure impact and co‑produce new services they need and want.
With growing demand for our services and ambition to be an even more effective voice and empowering champion of older Bucks residents across our communities, there has never been a more exciting time to join Age UK Bucks.
Job purpose
Lead services and teams that support, champion and empower older Bucks residents to meet the many challenges and opportunities of ageing, through charitable services that have high impact and that are sustainably funded, working with all communities in Bucks and through partner collaboration.
The role
Will oversee the development and delivery of high quality, person‑centred, compassionate and effective support and services for older people across Bucks that has demonstrable impact and quality – building community connection and championing older people’s needs and opportunities. You will help shape the charity’s charitable approach, work on developing new services, funded from grant applications and community collaboration, and build cases for support and demonstrable impact case studies. Reporting to the CEO, you will work closely with the Head of Commercial Services and Development, dovetailing referral pathways and aligning practice and processes.
Key tasks and responsibilities
Meet the needs of older Bucks residents through effective, high quality, safe and compassionate support and services that can demonstrate impact and are sustainable financially, meeting appropriate quality standards where required
Maintain and develop our current service offering, improving efficiencies and operational processes, and developing the services in line with our mission and client needs
Create and develop new offerings and services that meet client needs, exploring best practice across the Age UK Network and wider VCSE sector, and collaborating with clients, partners, funders, commissioners and stakeholders
Develop our people and volunteers, including supporting our safeguarding lead on best practice supervision, risk assessment and mitigation, case work guidance, safeguarding, line management and people development
Support volunteer recruitment, training and engagement
Work with SLT to support our Trustee Board, Board Officers and Sub‑Committees to enable them to guide and steward the charity appropriately, including developing reports and information/KPIs
Budgeting, income and fundraising
Develop and deliver financially sustainable services, planning and managing income and costs in line with strategy and budgets, working with the Finance leadership and SLT
Play a leading role in improving our income performance and service profitability, and in developing grant and trust applications for charitable services, working with the CEO and grant and trust writer
Comms and outreach
Help develop and transform our data collection and story‑telling, enabling the organisation to create and share compelling and inspiring impact and outcome reports for stakeholders
Support the maintenance and development of our website and social media strategy and assets to support our work and programmes
Optimise and raise awareness of our services and impact, through developing effective outreach and presentations to key stakeholders, groups, communities and funders
Act as a champion of older people and an Age Friendly Bucks, representing the charity at key forums, Boards and activities in order to achieve our mission and strategic goals, bringing the voice and needs of older people to the fore.
Strong and demonstrable people leadership and management skills
Strong operational delivery experience and skills
Empathetic to the needs of older people and their families
Significant Adult social and/or health care experience and knowledge, including
Safeguarding
Budget planning and delivery
Significant impact and outcomes reporting and data collection experience
Service creation and mobilisation experience
Experience managing and liaising with commissioners/funders/partners
UK driving licence
Worked in or with the charity sector and with Trustee Board
Understanding of advice‑related processes and controls
Experience devising and writing funding bids and tenders
Excellent presentation and writing skills, and communications skills across website, social media and offline materials/tools (e.g. Canva)
Competent in the use of computer systems and databases (MS Office, Excel, CRM/database systems).
Adherence and embodiment of our values
Commitment to the aims of the organisation and the ability to demonstrate the following values:
Enabling: We assist older people to live independently and exercise choice
Influential: We listen to older people, represent their interests and ensure their voices are heard
Dynamic: We are innovative, driven by results and consistently deliver for older people
Caring: We are passionate about what we do and care about each individual
Expert: We are authoritative, trusted and quality orientated
Age UK Buckinghamshire strives to meet the needs of all older people in Bucks but is also aware that some communities could be better served by us. We therefore want to become more representative of the community we serve. We encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and encourage applications from our wonderful rainbow of talent in Bucks and people of all ages.
The position is office‑based, but with flexibility to work from home and in the community
Minimum of 22.5 hrs per week (option to extend to 4 days a week), with flexibility regarding working hours - the post‑holder will though, be required to work regularly during core service‑delivery hours
Employees are entitled to 28 working days holiday per full‑time role per calendar year. In addition, you will also be entitled to all Public and Bank holidays in England
The Charity meets the current legislation by providing a pension scheme. All employees are enrolled in the opt in scheme but can opt out if they wish.
NOTE: This job description may change from time to time according to the needs of the organisation.
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