About FareShare Sussex & Surrey
We rescue surplus food from businesses, farms and supermarkets. This food is nutritious, in-date and safe, and includes a high proportion of fresh vegetables and fruit. If we did not rescue this food, it would be at risk of going to waste. Instead, we deliver it to charities, community kitchens, community pantries and fridges, food banks, schools and other organisations serving vulnerable people. Our food is a vital lifeline for children and families, people on low incomes, people who have lost their jobs, the homeless, refugees, domestic abuse survivors, the elderly and key workers.
We operate out of two depots; Guildford (Surrey) and Brighton (Sussex) as part of 35 Regional Centres, working as a network across the country with FareShare, a national charity. The Guildford warehouse is new and enables us to receive, store and deliver more fresh, frozen, chilled and ambient food across the region.
Last year, we delivered enough food for 2.14 million meals to help vulnerable people in our community. We receive and deliver around 80 tonnes of food every month, currently to 147 organisations, including homeless shelters, community pantries, food banks, clubs, children’s centres and lunch clubs across 3 counties. FareShare Sussex & Surrey also works to improve the lives of vulnerable people far from the workplace through our successful employability programme.
City Gate Community Projects (registered charity 1093245) is the employer, delivery partner and franchise holder for FareShare Sussex & Surrey.
Main purpose of this role
The Employability Coordinator will form part of a project team with the Employability Programme Manager. The project team will be responsible for delivering all aspects of the Employability Programme. The Employability Coordinator will deliver Employability and skills-based training, as well as monitoring participant progress and providing effective information, advice and guidance. The role will deliver the day-to-day activities of the programme in the Guildford depot, supporting individuals looking to enter employment, education or training. Therefore, the right person would need to have the skills and confidence to deliver sessions to groups of 3-10 individuals and provide one-to-one mentoring sessions to participants. We are looking for someone dynamic and engaging, with excellent training, coaching and mentoring skills, as well as a commitment to delivering a high quality service in line with our mission and core values. In addition to working with the Employability Programme Manager, you will work closely with the team at FareShare Sussex & Surrey and be supported by the national FareShare Employability Team. You will be part of an upbeat, skilled, supportive team within an ambitious, values-led organisation that has a fantastic leadership team and is focused on the wellbeing of its staff. You’ll make a strong contribution to our culture of togetherness, inclusivity, respect and passion in our mission to see no good food going to waste in Sussex & Surrey.
Duties and responsibilities
Programme Delivery
● Work with the Employability Programme Manager to meet the overall project target for employment and training.
● Deliver coaching and other relevant training as required.
● Ensure that detailed participant records are filed and maintained.
Working with Trainees
● To effectively maintain a caseload of Trainees ensuring their attendance during their work experience, regular one to one support, group sessions and other programme activities.
● Implement and monitor Individual Learning Plans for Trainees and volunteers to support them back into work, through certificates, work experience, building confidence and other soft skills.
● Offer appropriate information, advice and training to help Trainees improve their employability.
● Devise and monitor the Trainee’s learning plan, within their Individual Development Plan, set SMART targets and regularly review.
● To motivate Trainees, to ensure continual engagement.
● To work with Trainees holistically and encourage, support and enable them to achieve defined training and wellbeing goals.
Working with FareShare Sussex & Surrey
● Attend team meetings with FSSS and the FareShare UK Employability Team
● To attend supervision and appraisal meetings as specified by the post holder’s line manager
● Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the local labour market and sector developments
● Maintain up-to-date knowledge of issues, trends, policy developments and legislation relating to the role
● Work in accordance with Equality, Diversity, Health & Safety, Food Safety and Safeguarding policies
● Working closely with the Employability Programme managers to nurture existing and secure new commercial employment partners.
● Attend recruitment and employment forums to represent FareShare Sussex & Surrey
Person Specification
As an employer committed to Equal Opportunities, we will assess applications in line with the criteria we consider either as being essential or desirable for this post. Please explain in your Covering Letter why you meet the points in the
Qualifications and/or experience
Essential Criteria
● A Level education or equivalent
● Experience in training, coaching and/or mentoring
● Engaging with a wide range of people
● Building/maintaining relationships with external organisations and associations
● Working to an outcome-based model achieving ambitious targets
Desirable Criteria
● Working with volunteers/adults with additional needs
● Coaching/Motivational Interviewing Qualification
● Knowledge of the benefits system and experience of supporting people with benefits-related issues
● Knowledge and experience of the Third Sector in the UK.
● Coaching/Motivational Interviewing experience
Skills, Abilities and Knowledge
Essential Criteria
● Excellent knowledge of the employment system and local labour market.
● Enthusiastic and self-motivated, with strong people skills.
● Employability skills - confidence building, CV writing, job applications and interview practice.
● Ability to plan, multi-task and manage your time effectively.
● Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation skills.
● IT literacy including word processing and database use.
● Adaptable to the needs of a developing project.
● Ability to work on own initiative and organise caseloads.
● Team player able to motivate and develop people through positive approaches
● Knowledge of equal opportunities, inclusivity, diversity and safeguarding
Desirable Criteria
● Employability Skills- confidence building, CV writing, job applications and interview practice
● Experience in tailoring Individual Learning Plans.
Relationships (internal and external) values and behaviours
Essential Criteria
● Work collaboratively with internal and external partners building successful and productive relationships.
● Brilliant people skills
● Desire to work for the region's largest surplus food rescue charity, to subscribe to the culture, vision and mission of our charity
● Commitment to continuous professional development
● Empathy with and non-judgemental attitude to Trainees and an understanding of their needs.
Circumstances
Essential Criteria
● Willing and available to work outside normal working hours occasionally if required
● Proof of the Right to work in the UK
● Satisfactory DBS check
Desirable Criteria
● A UK driving licence and access to your own car might be useful but not necessary
Benefits ● Ethical pension scheme ● Daily lunch provided (Guildford depot) ● Access to learning and development opportunities ● Access to Telus Health ● 33 days Annual Leave, including all public bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time employees) ● Staff-led wellbeing programme ● Flexible working ● Bike to work scheme
Safeguarding statement FareShare Sussex & Surrey is committed to safeguarding and protecting the adults we work with. As such, all posts are subject to a safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We ensure we have policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and a safe working environment.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion We want to be open to everyone. A diverse voice is a more powerful voice. Diversity in our people brings new viewpoints, and this drives debate and creativity which is key to success and an ability to engage new audiences. As such, we encourage applications from people who belong to groups which are often marginalised in society. We strive to engage an ability-based workforce which reflects the diverse nature of our local communities. We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and it is important to us that this is reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us. We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates. LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities because we would like to increase the representation of these groups in the team. Please call or email if you’d like to chat about the FareShare Sussex & Surrey community in more detail.
Application Process and Further Information Please submit a CV and Covering Letter (one side of A4), explaining how you meet the Person Specification. before 9am Monday 11th November 2024. For an informal chat about the role, please contact our Employability Programme Manager, Brenna Taylor
Employability at FareShare Sussex & Surrey FareShare Sussex & Surrey has run a pilot employability programme through its Brighton Depot for 4 years and has taken these learnings to relaunch our programme across both our depots in Brighton and Guildford. This project will work with long-term unemployed people and those from the probation service (Brighton) and 18-25 year olds who are far from education, employment or training (Guildford) to provide the support they need to successfully secure and sustain meaningful employment.
The project will work with 60 Trainees a year across the 2 depots and will provide an integrated, person-centred employment service for the long-term unemployed in Sussex and Surrey. The project will be designed based upon the best practice currently within and external to the FareShare Network. These are the 3 core project elements of Employment Support, Work Experience and Training & Wellbeing.
Due to the nature of the job market in the region, our programme will focus on the hospitality industry. Utilising our commercial kitchen space at Brighton and clean room at Guildford, we will provide a varied package of kitchen skills, barista training and stock control across both depots.
In each element, Trainees will receive a tailored programme of 1-2-1 and group support. Activities will include coaching Trainees in important work skills and supporting them through the processes of searching for, securing and sustaining employment. Each Trainee will be taken through an assessment process to identify what is required to support them to secure sustainable employment. An individual development plan will be created for each Trainee. This will also include developing links to employers and educational establishments to source employment and progression opportunities for Trainees.
Creating and managing partnerships with other local community assets to bring wellbeing services into the regional centre or encourage, support and enable Trainees to access additional wellbeing support in the community will also be vital to the success of the programme. Each Trainee will have a limited personal development budget to engage with other services.
Trainees will be engaged in utilising strength and asset based approaches and the aims of the project encompass improving Trainee wellbeing and personal development in addition to skills training and the overarching aim of enabling Trainees to secure employment.