Vacancy – Homeshare UK Communications Officer – Closing Date midday Friday 18th November

Salary Scale: £27,162.13
Accountable to: Communications Manager
Hours: Full Time at 37 hours per week
Contract: Fixed term contract, to cover maternity leave for 9-12 months
Location: Home-based with travel

Background

Shared Lives Plus is the UK membership charity for more than 6,000 Shared Lives carers, 150 Shared Lives schemes and a growing network of over 25 local Homeshare organisations. Our vision is a kinder, stronger society built on sharing our lives and our homes. We help build communities where everyone lives a full life, regardless of the support they need. We do this by turning Shared Lives and Homeshare into thriving, mainstream options, with all the right structures in place to support and guide those who want to share their lives and homes.

As well as a competitive salary, you will benefit from flexible working, 27 days annual leave (pro rata), birthday leave, and health and wellbeing support via Care First. At Shared Lives Plus you will join a dynamic, passionate, and inclusive team who believe that everyone should be able to choose who they spend time with and do what matters to them.

Shared Lives Plus is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we are committed to ensuring that all staff are motivated, skilled and rewarded by their work.  We welcome applicants regardless of race, religion or belief, colour, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age and other protected status as required by law. We promote and protect human rights; they are the foundation of what we do.

We want to be an inclusive place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come and contribute their unique strengths and perspectives.  We are focused on equality and believe that all the fascinating characteristics that make us different, make us more able to deliver our life-changing work with passion and creativity.

Job Objectives

The overarching objectives of this role include:

Main duties and responsibilities

To raise awareness of Homeshare UK, it’s members’ services and work, Homeshare services and social franchise offer through effective communications, PR and media relations and marketing.

Key responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for delivering communications plans and tactics for colleagues leading Homeshare UK’s new programme of work and membership network. The role will drive national, trade and regional media interest and growth for Homeshare services in Liverpool and Newcastle, and its social franchise model, developing marketing to support services’ growth, along with maintaining and updating our digital platform and social media channels.

Responsibilities include:

• Advising Homeshare UK colleagues and members on the most effective forms of communication for their target audience
• Creating, editing and uploading content for the web, social media communities, print marketing collateral and internal communications
• Sourcing stories about Homeshare for news articles for regional, national and trade media
• Collating and maintaining regional press and media lists
• Copy writing, editing, proof reading for publications and internal bulletins
• Editing the website and other digital platforms
• Assisting in the management of the story, image, video and design libraries
• Developing and delivering communications channels and processes to ensure consistency and delivery of work on time to internal clients and external audiences
• Organising and developing creative marketing campaigns with online and print marketing collateral, sourcing quotes and liaising with designers
• Regularly monitoring and evaluating engagement in communications channels which can provide insight into current trends and contribute to the Communication team’s operational planning
• Working with people who participate in Homeshare and their local organisation to bring Homeshare to life with key audiences
• Contributing to the team’s strategic planning with ideas to improve communications and engagement based on evidence
• Building strong internal relationships to support colleagues across the organisation to promote brand consistency, tone of voice and facilitate robust communications internally and externally.

Person specification:

Criteria
Qualification	Educated to degree level or similar or have significant relevant experience and transferable skills that                     you can demonstrate Strong commitment to own personal and professional development at work is essential
Experience and skills	2 – 3 years in house or agency experience, previous experience in a membership, social care, charity,      housing or social franchise organisation – Desirable Experience in a communications role – Essential Experience of managing multiple projects and delivering to a high standard – Essential Experience of building strong relationships with internal and external colleagues – Essential Demonstrable experience of working effectively on own initiative and taking responsibility for planning      and delivering projects – Essential Experience of using Google analytics, Facebook insights and Twitter analytics – Desirable
Knowledge	Good knowledge of project management – Essential Good knowledge of how and when to use different communications channels – Essential Good knowledge of how to use analytics to inform communications work – Essential Good knowledge of how to edit websites and manage social media – Essential Good level of understand of branding and advertising – Desirable Knowledge of trends – Desirable
Values and Behaviours	Authenticity Integrity Sense of Purpose Zest and Energy
Attitudes	Possess a positive, problem-solving approach to work Commitment to empowering people who use services and their families, promoting their rights and services which are user-led, personalised and self-directed Tolerant and understanding with a positive attitude Energetic, tenacious, and friendly, a person who enjoys meeting new people and building relationships Confident, positive, and innovative A true team member who is willing to help and support colleagues in a small team Demonstrable commitment to working in ways which promote equality of opportunity and diversity Commitment to continuous professional development.
Practical	Ability to work the hours dictated by the needs and demands of the job (occasionally including evenings) Able to travel as and when required by the job, including some overnight stays across the UK.

 

Values and Behaviours

Shared Lives Plus considers its culture to be a supportive, encouraging and empowering one. The culture is based on our values – these are listed below along with we feel this would look like for this role:

Authenticity

• We take time to understand from different perspectives
• We seek and give both positive and constructive feedback, ensuring our feedback is authentic and relevant – both praise and learning
• We can be relied upon to do what we say we will
• We take responsibility for our teams, maintaining a ‘no blame culture’, while ensuring staff are accountable and can learn from their mistakes
• We are open when we cannot meet expectations and give an honest explanation that builds mutual trust

Integrity

• We are respectful of colleagues and their perspectives
• We are open about our mistakes and take responsibility for our actions, seeing these as opportunities for learning
• We take responsibility
• We listen and seek to understand colleagues and customers, including when their priorities and thinking is different from our own

Sense of Purpose

• Our mission is at the heart of everything we do, and we work co-operatively with colleagues to achieve our joint purpose an objective
• We portray a positive image of the organisation
• We learn and develop and help others to do so
• We recognise that all behaviour is meaningful, whether positive or negative
• Meetings – we are punctual, we have read the agenda and prepared my thoughts, we have addressed any actions

Zest and Energy

• We look for opportunities to innovate and to make positive change happen
• Our doors are always open, and we support colleagues if they have problems
• We respond positively to new situations and opportunities
• To find solutions we have to recognise the obstacles to see the way to solving the problem/issue

To apply

Please submit your CV along with a supporting statement based on all the details in the job description and person specification telling us why you feel you’re the person for us to [email protected]

The closing date is: 12 Noon on Friday 18 November

Interviews will take place during week commencing 28th November

We envisage that the successful candidate will take up the post ASAP

You can find out more about what it means to work at Shared Lives Plus via this link Working for Shared Lives Plus – Shared Lives Plus

More information about Homeshare UK and our network of providers can be found on the HSUK website. www.homeshareuk.org