Team Leader: Community Navigators

Hours per week: 21 hours: ideally Monday, Wednesday & Friday but flexible depending on candidate;

Salary: £28,000 pro-rata

Annual leave: 30 days pro rata + 3% pension

Contract: Fixed Term (1 year) with the possibility of extension depending on project needs

Location:TheMaya Centre,

Unit 8, 9-15 Elthorne Rd, London N194AJ

Reports to: Women’s Hub Project Manager

Job purpose

The Maya Centre is a unique women-only charity based in Islington, offering free specialist counselling and holistic support to women on low incomes whose mental health and wellbeing have been affected by experiences ranging from deprivation and isolation to racism, exploitation and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). 75% of our clients come from Global Majority, migrant or refugee backgrounds and we adopt specifically intercultural and intersectional approaches in supporting them towards greater voice, choice and control in their lives. We offer our trauma-informed services in over 14 different languages, including:

• 1:1 psychodynamic and integrative counselling

• Group work including psychoeducation and arts therapies

• Complementary therapies including Reiki, Massage and Yoga

• Targeted support – Irish Women’s Project and Black Women’s Therapeutic Group

• Women’s Hub: support, advocacy and co-designed wellbeing workshops

We are looking for a creative and inspiring Team Leader to join our Women’s Hub Community Wellbeing project, supporting our 3 Community Navigators as they reach out to women in the community and build effective partnerships with Islington voluntary and statutory sectors.

Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, this three-year project engages minoritised women before crisis point, offering 121 signposting on issues relation to welfare, health or family issues and working alongside them to co-design wellbeing activities which best suit their needs.

Working closely with the Project Manager, you will be a passionate advocate for minoritised women with a good understanding of either women’s mental health or violence against women and girls (VAWG). You will ideally have worked in diverse community settings, have an interest in the principles of coproduction or community organising and be ready to lead by example as you inspire your team towards the best possible outcomes for women.

Please note 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.

We want our organisation to reflect the diversity of the women we serve, and we particularly welcome applications from those with lived experience, and from under-represented groups within the mental health sector including women aged 18-25, women from Black, Asian, LGBTQ+ and other minoritised identities. We are especially keen to hear from speakers of the following languages: Turkish, French, Bengali, Arabic, Albanian, Dari & Pashto as well as Eastern European languages.

Job Description – Key Responsibilities

Community Work

1. Build trusting and empowering relationships with diverse women, both within individual and group settings;

2. Partner with other services in the borough to link/ resource women, identify local issues and enhance our wellbeing offer;

3. Support women to access, engage and complete therapy by identifying and addressing barriers to engagement;

4. Collaborate with Leader Group and Women’s Hub team to support women in developing and running creative wellbeing activities.

Team Leading

5. Inspire and motivate a small team towards exceptional performance using mentoring and constructive feedback;

6. Coordinate service including setting rotas, communication channels and systems which support good teamwork.

7. Ensure the team’s work is client-led and that client feedback is sought, recorded and responded to;

8. Ensure the team adhere to safeguarding, lone-working and other policies at all times.

Recording, Monitoring and Evaluation

9. Ensure team activities and targets are delivered using accurate and up-to-date recording;

10. Ensure all clients have individual Wellbeing Plans which are client-led, regularly reviewed and updated;

11. Support PM to monitor caseloads, collate and analyse quarterly data ready for project learning and reporting;

12. Carry out any other duties consistent with the efficient and effective delivery of the Women’s Hub Project: some evening or weekend work may be required for which Time Off in Lieu (TOIL) will be given.

Person Specification

Essential Skills & Experience

1. Experience of working or volunteering with minoritised people within a diverse community setting e.g. mental health, homelessness, VAWG or refugee sector.

2. Experience of both 121 and group work which is client-centred and trauma-informed.

3. Good understanding of community development and coproduction principles.

4. Experience of leading others, within paid or voluntary context.

5. Highly organised with excellent verbal, written and IT communication skills.

6. Demonstrable commitment to the spirit and practice of Equality & Inclusion within mental health and wellbeing services.

Desirable Skills and Experience :

1. Community language in addition to English.

2. Mental Health First Aid or equivalent training.

3. Experience of community organising

To apply for this post please send us a CV and cover letter that demonstrates how you meet each item on the person specification: please illustrate with examples from either paid or voluntary experience.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 1st March 2023 at 5.30pm.

Please note we advise that you submit your application as soon as possible as we will interview as we are receiving applications, and should we find the right candidate we might close the application process early.

Job Type: Part-time
Part-time hours: 21 per week

Salary: £28,000.00 per year

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location

Application deadline: 01/03/2023
Reference ID: Team Leader: Community Navigators