Trust Links grows communities and transforms lives. Through our seven Growing Together community gardens across Essex, REACH Wellbeing Hub & Recovery College, children and youth projects, and environmental workshops, we work with more than 4,500 people each year. We work in a person-centred, grassroots and recovery-focused way, helping to save lives every day and move people on to better lives, with the support of their peers and the wider community.
Growing Together is a therapeutic community garden project with sites in Westcliff, Thundersley, Shoeburyness, Rochford, Basildon, Cressing Temple and Canvey Island and plans to expand to Chelmsford and Thurrock. Growing Together provides positive and therapeutic activities, meaningful social interaction, training and wellbeing support. The inclusive project aims to improve mental health, wellbeing, physical health, social connections and employability. Growing Together employs a transformative approach, shifting people’s identity from ‘service user’ to becoming a ‘member’ and ‘gardener’. Growing Together hosts other Trust Links projects and services at its sites for a range of beneficiary groups. Our Greening and associated community gardening projects bring therapeutic gardening and positive horticultural activities out to people in the community. The St Laurence Community Orchard is a haven for nature and a wonderful space for positive educational and conservation activities with people of all ages. Our Let’s Grow Together programme is an educational resource to support organisations in other parts of the UK and internationally to replicate the learning from Growing Together in their own areas.
The postholder will be required to:
* Operationally manage and develop the Growing Together projects, to ensure they provide effective support to adults with mental health problems, learning disabilities and other disadvantages
* Lead the development, implementation and management of associated gardening projects in community settings e.g. Greening Projects, St Laurence Orchard
* Provide line management and supervision to Growing Together senior staff and ensure effective line management and supervision is in place across the team
* Ensure appropriate systems, processes and procedures are in place and adhered to, which promote best practice including case management, delivery of training and positive activities and health and safety in the garden environment
* Support the recovery of Growing Together members, by overseeing case management and support, assessment, induction, care planning, risk assessment, reviews, case closures and referral to other agencies
* Be responsible for the health, welfare and safety of all staff, members and volunteers within the gardens and associated areas
* Work with colleagues on the development and establishment of new Growing Together sites in Essex
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST:
Operations Management
* Oversee the day to day operation of the Growing Together projects and related horticultural projects and sites, including the planning and development of the projects and provision of activities
* Lead the development and implementation of associated gardening projects in community settings
* Provide line management supervision, support and development to Growing Together staff
* Ensure the effective management of Growing Together volunteers, matching volunteers’ skills with appropriate activities and support opportunities
* Schedule and co-ordinate appropriate delivery at all Growing Together sites including ensure a rota for staff and placement students is in place
* Ensure the provision of one to one and group support for members at Growing Together sites, supporting members to improve their mental health, wellbeing and recovery
* Support the recovery of Growing Together members, by ensuring the screening of all new referrals and ensuring assessment, induction, risk assessment, case management and support, care planning, reviews, case closures and referral to other agencies is in place
* Ensure appropriate training is in place for members including employment support programmes
* Ensure risk assessments are in place for all Growing Together sites and for all member and volunteer activities
* Ensure effective horticultural and environmentally-friendly practices and maintenance of the Growing Together sites
* Undertake quality assurance exercises to ensure a high standard of service delivery
* Ensure appropriate management and maintenance of Growing Together properties, including liaison with contractors
Project Management and Funding
* Ensure the effective delivery of funded projects and services within the remit of Growing Together and associated community gardening projects, striving to achieve agreed targets and ensuring expenditure is within the budget envelope
* Ensuring funding is in place for all members wherever possible i.e. Self Directed Support/Personal Budgets, funded programmes – maximizing income for the projects
Impact Monitoring
* Monitor progress of members, collating quantitative and qualitative data and reporting outcomes in a systematic way, and sending to funders as appropriate
Partnership Working
* Work with other professionals as required external to Trust Links
* Promote the work of Trust Links to partner agencies and at external events as required
* Represent Trust Links at appropriate meetings and events
Growing Together Expansion
* Work with colleagues to plan the design and implementation of new Growing Together sites in Essex
* Operationalise the new Growing Together sites, including supporting the recruitment of staff and volunteers, and training them in the systems and processes
* Network with local agencies to ensure effective partnership working in new areas and appropriate referrals are made to the project
* Support the delivery of the Let’s Grow Together programme to share the learning about the Growing Together projects nationally and internationally
Other
* Devise, plan and deliver training courses and workshops within areas of knowledge
* Support the planning and delivery of community events
* Ensure that all staff are fully conversant with Trust Links policies and procedures and that these are fully implemented, ensuring that staff work to agreed standards, regulations and legislation
* Ensure safeguarding and Health and Safety requirements are met in line with Trust Links policies and escalate concerns as appropriate
* Ensure that services offered are accessible to all appropriate service users of the local community, promoting an inclusive approach
* Ensure that members are able to contribute to the design, delivery and evaluation of services
* Participate in regular supervision with the Head of Operations and take responsibility for continuing self development, participating and training and development activities as appropriate
* Support the effective marketing of Trust Links activities and events including online and offline communications
* Undertake any other appropriate duties that may be required which are commensurate with the grade of the post
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
* Experience working with adults with mental health problems in the statutory or voluntary sector
* Person centred, with a flexible approach in meeting client–centred objectives
* Good documentation and report writing skills and effective verbal communication
* People management skills and experience including staff support and supervision
* Good computer skills e.g. word processing, databases, email and Internet
* Excellent work ethic, team player and good interpersonal skills
* Ability to prioritise, work under pressure and organise time to meet project targets
* Experience of data collection and analysis
* Experience of multi-disciplinary and multi-agency working
* Ability to bring about change
* Excellent communication and people skills
* Ability to build networks and make connections
* Commitment to self-development
* Willingness and commitment to undertake further training and development.
* Knowledge of using positive activities to improve outcomes
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