Leeds Centre Manager (maternity cover – up to 12 months)

Together Women Project

PLEASE NOTE – Applicants will only be considered if you provide both a CV and Cover Letter

The role is only open to women, in accordance with the sex-based exemptions of the Equality Act 2010 pursuant to Schedule 9, Part 1.

Leeds Centre Manager

Salary: £37,075 – £36,523 (depending on experience)

Location: Leeds

Hours: 37 hours full-time.

Contract: Maternity Cover (up to 12 months)

Closing Date: 5:00 PM, 22nd January 2025

Interview Date: 3rd February 2025

Together Women is looking for an experienced manager to take on an interim role of up to 12 months, managing our busy and vibrant Women s Centre and provide leadership and guidance to our talented Leeds team.

We are an award-winning organisation, led by and for women. If you are passionate about working to support women every day, and advocate for a future where women and girls live empowered, safe and fulfilled lives, we d love you to join our brilliant team.

We offer 25 days annual leave increasing by one day per year to a max of 30 days, plus bank holidays, flexible working, 5% pension scheme (rising with length of service), access to employer assistance programme and the opportunity to work as part of a dynamic and growing organisation.

Role Summary

Together Women Leeds provides holistic wraparound support to women and girls and specialises in supporting women involved with the CJS, through 1:1 Keywork, group programmes and access to specialist gender-specific support via TW Women s Centres.

We are seeking an individual with a proactive, compassionate, collaborative approach. We are looking for someone who is adaptable and highly organised, brings strong reporting skills, and is a great relationship builder. Experience of working in the women s sector or the criminal justice system is desirable, but not essential most importantly we re looking for an outstanding manager.

At Together Women, staff wellbeing is a priority. With the support of a Deputy Manager, you will ensure our talented staff team are effectively managed, supported and encouraged to develop within their roles, enabling them to provide high quality, trauma-responsive support.

You will be responsible for the management of a range of services, ensuring high quality standards are consistently met and partnerships are established and maintained. You will lead the strategic development and operational effectiveness of numerous services, including the West Yorkshire women s contract supporting other districts. The Leeds centre is funded via a range of commissioners both statutory and non-statutory, and you will lead on the contract and performance management including relationships with commissioners. Alongside the Director of Services and wider management team you will also contribute to the effective leadership of the organisation, ensuring our operational and strategic objectives are met.

Key Accountabilities:

Service Delivery and Management

• Lead the operational management of TW services in Leeds ensuring intensive high-quality, trauma responsive support is provided to women and girls accessing the services
• Develop and manage a service plan for Leeds that incorporates key milestones and ensures delivery of project outputs and outcomes
• Monitor delegated budget responsibility, ensuring that the services operate within the agreed budget

Staff Management

• Line manage direct reports and ensure that all staff receive regular support, supervision and performance review, case management, training and development in line with TW policies and procedures
• Deliver team meetings, reflective practice, and staff learning and development opportunities
• Effectively manage a dispersed team ensuring team cohesion and consistency in approach and practice.

Communication/Contracts and Partnerships

• Take overall responsibility for establishing and maintaining effective partnerships and referral pathways
• Lead on the contract and performance management including all relationships with commissioners
• Organise and attend external meetings/events as appropriate, actively participating and disseminating information to colleagues. This includes sitting on steering groups and attending multi-agency panels to discuss the needs and challenges facing TW customer group, develop robust sector-wide responses, inform, and improve internal services to ensure they are fit for purpose.
• Design and deliver training for professionals in the region to improve responses to women and girls affected by the social justice system

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure that all project staff maintain accurate, confidential customer records, following TW policies and procedures, and contribute to the maintenance of the projects monitoring and recording systems
• Produce monitoring and evaluation reports in line with funder and other key stakeholder requirements

Funding

• Identify relevant fundraising opportunities and support TW senior management team to prepare funding applications, identify commissioning opportunities, which support the long-term sustainability of existing and new services
• Attend meetings with potential new funders to secure new funding streams, ensuring that the project outcomes are achievable and measurable
• Work with colleagues within TW and/or external partners to establish new services/projects when funding applications are successful

Role Requirements

Experience

Essential

• Leading and managing service delivery in the charity sector, preferably services for women and/or in the criminal justice system.
• Strategic and operational planning and implementing organisational change.
• Delivering monitoring & evaluation systems and auditing service quality and performance.
• Leading, motivating and developing staff and responding to complex staffing issues.
• Embedding involvement of those using services in development, delivery and evaluation of services.
• Developing and implementing best practice and strategies on equality, diversion and inclusion.

Desirable

• Experience working in the women s services aector and/or in the criminal justice system.
• An understanding of issues impacting on women in/at risk of entering the criminal justice system
• Embedding involvement of service users in development, delivery and evaluation of services.

Skills and Abilities

• Strategic planning and the ability to translate strategy into achievable goals
• A solution-focused approach and the ability to make effective and timely decision
• Highly collaborative, flexible, diplomatic and assertive with good influencing/negotiation skills
• Strong spoken and written communication skills
• Ability to troubleshoot and problem-solve difficult situations calmly and effectively Ability to oversee and manage budgets
• Fluent use of standard office equipment and information & communication technology Manage risk and recognise potential impact of decisions across all parts of the organisation
• Ability to manage own time and workload efficiently, prioritise and meet tight deadlines
• Comfortable with ambiguity and working in a fast- paced, rapidly changing environment
• A desire to respond quickly and positively to change, continuously improve performance by learning quickly from mistakes, celebrate successes and constantly develop people and processes
• An understanding of issues impacting on women in/at risk of entering the criminal justice system
• Practical operation of performance and quality requirements in contracts
• No specific qualifications are required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development relevant to the post is required, e.g. Coaching training and experience, Management and leadership; Quality systems; Monitoring and Evaluation

Other Requirements

• Able to travel locally, regionally and nationally as required
• Able to work some evenings and weekends and stay overnight where necessary
• Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities
• Ability to apply awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion issues to all areas of work
• Commitment to upholding the rights of people facing disadvantage and discrimination in the CJS.

We actively encourage applications from women from a variety of backgrounds, and with a range of skills and experiences. We are particularly interested to hear from Black, Asian and minority ethnic women and women who have personal experience of the criminal justice system. This post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Closing date: 5:00 PM, 22nd January 2025

Interview date: 3rd February 2025