Salary: £24,000
Hours: 35 hours (full-time)
Location: Glasgow based, with remit across central belt of Scotland
Contract Period: Three-year contract
Accountable to: Community & Development Manager Scotland
The Work
The BDA is currently providing local support to Deaf people through empowerment and advocacy. Our aim is community advocacy, community empowerment and the development of local campaigns to ensure that local public service providers carry out BSL Charter pledges. We also provide BSL related projects for Deaf young people, children and their families.
With funding secured from the Big Lottery Fund, BDA Scotland is seeking to develop our work among children and young people through our Deaf Roots & Pride Scotland project. The vision of this project is to engage Deaf children and young people (aged 8-20) who are transitioning from primary to secondary education, or from secondary education to external environments, and to offer empowerment, skills and mentoring support. This support will be achieved through information sessions, training courses and mentoring.
The successful candidate will be an individual who is passionate about promoting the BDA, working with Deaf children and young people and has experience of holding a mentoring role.
The Role
The role is to work in conjunction with the Community & Development Manager Scotland to see that the aims of the project are achieved. The Project Mentor will have a particular focus on resourcing, equipping and managing mentors. The project will be very closely linked to the Deaf community.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Market and promote the Deaf Roots and Pride Scotland project.
- Research, set up and deliver training where required.
- Organise and set up forthcoming training and information sessions in conjunction with the team, and facilitate and observe all other DRP Training and Information Days.
- Establish and maintain databases.
- Identify and target groups and schools in which to launch the programme and run activities.
- Recruit, train and ensure the accreditation of a team of mentors from the central belt of Scotland.
- Provide support, training and supervision to mentors.
- Establish and implement targets/plans with and for the mentors, and conduct progress reviews with mentors against their mentee action plans.
- Work alongside mentors to reach Deaf children and young people.
- Liaise with parents to ensure parental support for mentoring relationships for their Deaf children.
- Maintain regular meetings with stakeholders.
- Produce promotional materials to advertise the programme.
- Recruit volunteers to assist in organising, setting up and running events.
- Monitor, review and evaluate the programme, reporting difficulties/delays to the Community & Development Manager Scotland.
- Raise and maintain the profile and status of the organisation within the local community, amongst current and potential users, the public, charitable and business organisations.
- Ensure that the organisation’s obligations under health and safety legislation are fulfilled.
- Actively implement all of the organisation’s policies.
- Any other tasks as identified by line management.
PERSON SPECIFICATION – PROJECT MENTOR
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Knowledge of British Sign Language and what the British Deaf Association provides/promotes in the Deaf community.
- Knowledge of the Deaf community and its culture.
- An understanding of issues affecting Deaf children and young people.
- An understanding of the role of mentoring and what it involves.
- An awareness of the appropriate boundaries expected in a mentoring relationship.
- Good knowledge about disability rights, equality issues and responsibilities, their relevance to Deaf people and how to access them.
- Knowledge of word processing, databases and spreadsheet packages.
Desirable
- An awareness of youth culture.
- Knowledge of education, health and social services, how they work and the services they provide.
- An understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities and safeguarding.
SKILLS & ABILITIES
Essential
- Fluency in British Sign Language, with good communication skills.
- Ability to engage with Deaf children and young people.
- Ability to motivate others.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, contributing towards the overall work of the BDA in Scotland.
- Highly committed and flexible.
- Ability to identify and solve problems in a resourceful way.
- Good listening skills and the ability to relate to Deaf children and young people.
- Good IT and organisational skills.
- Ability to prioritise and meet deadlines.
- Supervisory skills – must be able to demonstrate experience of using skills in a youth work setting.
Desirable
- Good administration and record keeping skills.
- Activity planning skills: organising and managing events.
- Ability to work as part of a team and contribute towards the overall work of the BDA in Scotland.
EXPERIENCE
Desirable
- Experience of working with young people in a group or on a one-to-one basis.
- Involvement in forums and/or committees.
- Some experience in recruiting and selecting.
- Experience of providing mentor or advocacy services for Deaf children and young people.
OTHER
- Must be available for some overnight stays and flexible working hours, with some weekend or specific event commitment required.
- Willing to undergo a Disclosure Scotland check.
- Willing to use own car (and provide details of insurance) or public transport for the purposes of mentoring.
- Willing to undergo relevant training and work towards being an accredited mentor.
- Patient and non-judgemental.
- Respect others’ beliefs.
All posts will be based in Glasgow and will cover the whole of the central belt of Scotland (including Glasgow, Falkirk and Edinburgh). The project must start by September 2016.
Download job description and person specification (PDF)
Download application form (PDF)
Download application form (MS Word)
Closing date for application: Friday, 15 July 2016 at 12 noon
Interview date: Wednesday, 27 July 2016
For further information and an application form, please contact:
Peter Modestou – Administrator
Email: bda@bda.org.uk Tel: 020 7697 4140
