Salary: £35,824 – 41,598 plus benefits

Cheshire West and Chester were established in 2009 and we have come far.  Against considerable challenges for improvement we have made good progress, and all the indicators show we have turned a corner.  We now have a strong foundation on which to build, and we need the very best people to continue to tighten our practice and help us build teams that can support vulnerable young people and their families in a way that exceeds every expectation.

Our new staffing structure means that as a Team Manager at Cheshire West and Chester you will have a small team of social workers, including a senior practice lead. We have halved case loads in each team so that we can all do our work well and help others to grow and develop.  Our leadership, corporate infrastructure and performance information is now highly effective and a real support to our Team Managers.

Cheshire West and Chester are one of four pilot areas for community budgets. We are a bold, modern and innovative organisation always seeking positive new ways of working. Come and be part of it, be supported and develop your career.

For more information please visit www.thebeststartinlife.co.uk in the first instance.

We are having an open day on Tuesday 13^th March; please contact our retained consultants Peridot Partners for more information about meeting us.  Sarah Engerer, Dawar Hashmi or Grant Taylor will also be delighted to offer additional insight and a confidential discussion.  Peridot Partners can be contacted on 0207 866 5455.

We are a wonderfully diverse organisation with the age range of students from 14 to over 70.  Over two-thirds of our student population are from Derby or neighbouring counties and currently 34% students are mature classified as mature.  This presents interesting opportunities and challenges for student engagement.

UDSU is a genuinely open and friendly place to work. Relationships between staff, elected officers and volunteers are positive and we are a cohesive and supportive team. We are particularly proud of our excellent relationship with The University of Derby and as a result the student voice and participation in university decision making is outstanding.  We have an approach to co-producing the student experience and influencing everything from facilities to academic quality that is quite outstanding.

A key measure of success for our next Chief Executive is the development of ever stronger relationships internally and externally to ensure that UDSU is increasingly influential in shaping the student experience and developing student services.  Building on the progress we have made in recent years and ensuring that UDSU is run efficiently and professionally, particularly from financial, commercial, strategic and people management perspectives, is also critically important. Having achieved The Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative (SUEI) Bronze award, we have a template for moving to the next level which can be picked up as a guide for positive change.

Ideally, our next Chief Executive will have an understanding of the complexity of a students’ union, however, your values and ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, political and values based organisation, and to successfully balance charitable and commercial business objectives, is more important.    We are looking for you to bring creative ideas and innovation, strong motivation, experienced leadership and a proactive edge to make things happen and keep them moving.

Ultimately, the role is about ensuring that UDSU delivers for its members year after year, but it is your understanding, empathy and leadership style that will enable success.

For a detailed information pack with more about UDSU, the Chief Executive role and details of how to apply, please contact tanya@peridotpartners.co.uk.

For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact our recruitment consultants at Peridot Partners, Tanya Stevens (07581 576679) or Grant Taylor (07958 690184).

Closing date for applications: Noon Monday 19^th March 2012

In today’s tight financial climate, students’ unions face increased pressure from students and universities to deliver value for money and innovative new commercial services that capture the interest and fulfil the needs of an ever-evolving and increasingly diverse student population.

With this challenge comes opportunity.  Students’ unions can enhance their standing with the university and develop the overall student experience by bringing in people with new ideas and different experience.  With the rise of new trading schemes such as student letting agencies, IT repair centres, nursery services, taxi collection schemes and lucrative retail and food & beverage partnerships, students’ unions increasingly want to hire people who can drive their existing commercial offer forward in new and exciting ways.  There are of course some excellent people working for students’ unions, but they are in demand and too few in number.

As recruiters we’ve seen a couple of consistent issues emerge when students’ unions seek to recruit commercial talent.

The first is an over-reliance on seeking candidates from other students’ unions because of the perception that ‘external’ candidates don’t understand the nuances of the sector.  The democratic and political elements as well as the complexity of stakeholder relationships take time to understand, but they are not insurmountable challenges and with a little support often they are easily understood.

The second issue is remuneration.  Experienced commercial people with the right values, attitudes and skills may be prepared to reduce their package for the benefits of joining a students’ union, but they still want to be realistically remunerated.  We must be realistic if we want to attract the best and compete effectively with town centres and high streets.

So how do you attract the best people from elsewhere into your students’ union?

Steps for Success

Define the priorities for the role and pitch it realistically – Before you take a commercial role to market, consider the key factors and salary matrix (below) as a guideline.  We generated this material by collating our findings from recruiting to three different commercial roles in three different students’ unions geographically dispersed throughout England.

Widen your talent pool – Actively seek candidates with relevant commercial experience from outside the students’ union sector.  Managers with highly commercial and customer focused backgrounds from the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors may bring fresh ideas around commercial management and business development, yet be quite familiar with providing services to students.

Candidates who have already transitioned from a private sector commercial organisation to the not-for-profit sector should be of particular interest.  Such individuals often bring political acumen, partnership experience and have softened their hard commercial approach with one that balances a financial return with values and other aims.

Choose a recruitment consultant with an established headhunting track record – Your recruiter should be capable at selling the benefits of the sector and widening your candidate pool to bring in new candidates from outside the sector to benchmark against the best candidates in the sector.  This is not simple.

Targeted headhunting is critical to engaging high performing candidates with transferable skills and experience who may not actively be seeking a job move and have likely never considered a students’ union as a future employer.

One of the biggest challenges for ‘external’ candidates is their lack of understanding of what a students’ union is and how it operates. Your recruiter needs to be adept at conveying the commerciality, charitable aims, politics, values and dynamism of the sector alongside specific opportunities presented with each role.  Our experience shows that the current socio-economic climate makes opportunities within the students’ union sector highly attractive to candidates, but only once they have become further informed about the operating environment.

If you recruit your leading commercial role at under £40k, headhunting may prove less effective / appropriate however an experienced recruiter will still be best placed to provide you with important candidate attraction support that will thoughtfully and informatively pitch your opportunity to relevant candidates.

Consider your advertising carefully – Unless you have a large creative advertising budget, it is very difficult to convey the complexity and excitment of the students’ union sector through advertising.  Common online and affordable routes such as the Guardian and Third Sector often yield a high response rate, but in our experience very few candidates will prove to be strong contenders.  We suggest minimising advertising spend by using limited online media, and investing in targeted headhunting as your main source for attracting candidates.  The personal approach is critical.

Nurture understanding in candidates – Selling the benefits of working in a students’ union to candidates from different commercial backgrounds is critical.  Almost always when we approach an ‘external’ candidate they say that they had never considered working in a students’ union.  After a conversation they are almost always intrigued and interested to explore the opportunity.  Whether you use a recruiter or not, how much do you educate and help ‘external’ candidates to build knowledge and therefore credibility as they move through the process?

Developing mini case studies that describe the success and complexity of your current commercial offer as well as stories about other senior managers who have effectively transitioned into the sector, can be powerful aids to engagement.

We also advocate developing a rounded candidate pack and / or recruitment website with your recruiter that can be used to broadly educate candidates about your opportunity.  Consider including your students’ union history / governance arrangments, strategic plan, recent financials, organisational chart and details of your institutional relationship.

Key factors to consider when developing the profile & package for commercial leadership

Organisational Context –Where are you located?  How well are your current services performing?  Do you need someone to make a major step change in performance?

Scope of role – What is the current size / turnover of your students’ union?  Does the role oversee trading services as well as marketing and new business development? How many staff will the role manage? Is there room for the appointed candidate to develop?

Management– How effective are the managers?  How well does the team function, are there performance issues? Are effective control and reporting mechanisms in place or do they need to be developed?

Strategic Leadership – Do you require strategic leadership experience and somebody  who can make an active contribution at the senior leadership team level?

Ambition for Growth – Are you entering a period of significant growth or change?  Are you looking for an established and credible commercial innovator?  Are you able to reflect your ambition in the package offered?

Package Enhancement

When considering the salary band in which to recruit, bear in mind that additional package enhancement such as a relocation premium or travel subsidy may make a given geographical location or package increasingly attractive to candidates without adding to core salary costs.

Key Factors & Salary Matrix

Please download our key commercial factors and matrix as a .doc – Commercial Factors & Matrix

For more about how Peridot Partners can collaborate with you on senior staff and commercial recruitment, please contact Tanya Stevens on 0207 866 5455.  Peridot Partners is a NUS affiliated preferred supplier for senior staff recruitment.

As a part of the Senior Management Team you will be a collaborative leader who will facilitate organisation-wide initiatives and enable capable managers to develop and thrive.  More specifically, we are looking for strategic leadership, people management, and commercial and new business development skills.  You will also need to demonstrate the ability to successfully engage customers and shape responsive services, particularly as we have a diverse membership group, which spans socio-economic groups, a wide age demographic and international cultures.

A background in leading retail, hospitality or similar fast paced commercial services is highly desirable.  Exposure to running trading activity and new business services within a charitable context or membership organisation will be helpful.

For more information on this exciting opportunity and details of how to apply, please contact tanya@peridotpartners.co.uk.  For a confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact our recruitment consultants at Peridot Partners, Tanya Stevens (07581 576679) or Grant Taylor (07958 690184).

Closing Date: Friday 27^th January 2012

Salary: Up to £44k per annum

You will bring a firm strategic financial control and operations background, but may be stepping up to Director level. Please get in touch with Tanya Stevens (tanya@peridotpartners.co.uk) for more information.

Closing Date: Friday 20th January 2012
Starting Salary: £40-45k

When we see individual rioters looting or being destructive, or listen to people who have lost their homes or businesses, it is not surprising we want the wrong-doers punished. We seek retribution. The courts working around the clock seem to be doing that.

Some politicians seek catch-all answers and scapegoats as part of their reaction. If we can find a convenient enemy then this serves as a focus for quick knee-jerk activity. It would seem ‘gangs’ are the early nominees. Now clearly some gang activity is very damaging and negative.

However, as is often the case, the picture is more complex than the initial reaction suggests. Hopefully the debate on gangs over the next few weeks – and even more crucially any responses in terms of new funding – will focus on the evidence not opinion.

But my point here is wider than that. If we just focus on individual rioters we may focus on retribution. But does that hold up when we start running into the hundreds and then thousands of rioters? Surely we have to look beyond the individuals to the trends, to the patterns. This does not mean I believe individual rioters can be excused or should not take personal responsibility for their destructive acts. It does mean, though, that we need to think about causes not symptoms.

Violence, knives, rioting – and, yes, gangs – are symptoms not causes.

These riots seem different from those in the 80s which were more of an angry clumsy protest. The looting that has been the significant feature this time round is all about materialism and the belief that the individual has a right to whatever shiny prizes they want and they deserve these things immediately and violence along the way is acceptable whatever the cost to others. So it is about values and what we are seeing acted out are the values of the individual above everything, that happiness lies in owning material things, immediate gratification, and the ‘me’ generation. If you have little money or power, at times these values lead you to take what is not given.

Where does this come from? It’s from politicians saying ‘there is no society’, from the destruction of communities through economic policy and the devaluing of community values and the glorification of the individual. The dissatisfaction being physically expressed comes from being denied – as individuals in terms of esteem and in terms of fair returns and social justice. If its all about ‘me’ and I can’t deliver then maybe I will react. I may be poor, and have no hopes, no vision, and all I am told is that where I am and who I am is worthless and I should only ‘aspire’ to be someone else, in another class, in another place. If it’s all about me and I don’t have the individual badges of success then I have failed. And I may lash out and grab.

What would have stopped similar behaviour in the past and what stops it for most people now?  Stronger communities, stronger positive values of what is right and wrong, more respect for other people, more empathy for others.

What can do to improve things? Firstly, we have to keep things in perspective. Many young people, for example, demonstrate these positive values every day. Many communities do work. Britain is not all ‘broken’

at all. London generally certainly is not, nor is it ‘sick’.

Secondly, we have to work on the positive.

At the Mayor’s Fund for London, when we started two years ago, we started with engaging London Citizens to help build and develop community leadership in the initial area we were focusing on – in east London. The poor parts of London have had things done to them for hundreds of years. It’s one of the reasons the solutions do not stick despite the millions and millions spent. As a new Fund we wanted to hear from local people what they wanted, what their priorities were, not impose ours. Through London Citizens we developed ‘Shoreditch Citizens’. When it was launched in May at the Shoreditch Citizens Assembly over 400 people turned up at Shoreditch Town Hall. They were from churches, mosques, schools, businesses, colleges, residents groups and trade union branches. They felt like a community. Many community leaders have been trained now as to how they can effectively make a difference. One priority identified related to housing conditions, for example.  A delegation has since met with the local housing association and action has been taken. It’s early days but London Citizens have done this many times before in many places with good results. Of course, such community development work and a focus on community values is very old-fashioned and even out of fashion. Very few funders invest in such work now.

It is not a quick fix. Building communities and building on community values is not new, it is not an ‘innovation’. But it works. It takes time but it builds a different set of values and responses. It is so much easier to just find someone to blame and it is a shame we are seeing that happen again.  Invariably it seems this type of lazy response ends up with the poor being found to be at fault in some way.

Or you can look deeper and build stronger. It’s not actually about more money. It’s about using what we do have more wisely, more thoughtfully, more based on evidence of what works as opposed to what seems like a good idea. It’s about building positive reasons to belong, not keeping kicking people away and down.

We can react and recriminate. Or we can rebuild.

As Peig Sayers, the Irish storyteller said: ‘the people survived in the shelter of one another.’

What do you want to do?

With thanks to Chris for allowing Peridot Partners to publish and share this article.

Flexible location

£40K + excellent benefits

Established in 2000 East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA)  is quite simply a life saving charity. It is the region’s foremost provider of life-saving medical expertise, delivered rapidly by helicopter and with highly qualified crews of specially trained doctors and paramedics, to the victims of accidents and emergencies.  In just over ten years the charity has built a strong reputation, providing a vital service 7 days a week, 365 days per year to the communities in a predominantly rural region. Despite receiving no government or National Lottery funding it has been successful in raising its annual revenue costs (£4.5m in 2010-2011) and is one of the region’s best loved charities.

As EAAA enters an exciting next phase of its development it now seeks a Head of Communications with flair and creativity who can reposition our brand in our target markets. You will play a vital role in enabling the charity to build its profile across the region, enhance its fundraising activity, rationalise  internal communications, and engage more effectively with its key stakeholders and partners. You will work across the organisation and in particular with the Fundraising Director and their team to plan and drive a communications strategy which maximises the impact of marketing and PR but also supports effective fundraising.

To be successful in this role you will have experience of working across a diverse range of disciplines, including internal communications, brand development, external stakeholder engagement, overseeing print and online communications, maximising social media tools and developing strong relationships with the media. With a firm and decisive leadership style  you will bring experience of devising and delivering communication strategies that have delivered impactful results and the ability to develop high performing teams.  You will also be experienced in the implementation of rigorous processes and systems to underpin all communications activity, particularly in the area of CRM.

This is unique opportunity to build the profile of a highly regarded and thriving charity. If you feel  you have the drive and skills to make an impact we’d like to hear from you.

For an application pack with more information about the role, please contact Adam Merrin at adam@peridotpartners.co.uk. If you would then like to have an informal conversation about the role you can contact Julia Roberts on 07891 377458, or Philippa Fabry on 07772 902071.

Closing date for applications is 12:00 on Friday 20 January 2012

Flexible Location

£60K + car and excellent benefits

Established in 2000 East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) is quite simply a life saving charity. It is the region’s foremost provider of life-saving medical expertise, delivered rapidly by helicopter and with highly qualified crews of specially trained doctors and paramedics, to the victims of accidents and emergencies.  In just over ten years the charity has built a strong reputation, providing a vital service 7 days a week, 365 days per year to communities in a predominantly rural region. Despite receiving no government or National Lottery funding it has been successful in raising its annual funding requirement (£4.5m in 2010-2011) through public donations. There is however huge scope and opportunity to do much more.

With the recent appointment of a new Chief Executive and a clear vision to extend its service EAAA now seeks an inspirational Director of Fundraising with the gravitas and expertise to transform our fundraising programme.  With two new helicopters coming into the fleet and the opportunity to provide the UK’s first night-time flying service, EAAA is now leading the way in emergency air ambulance services in the UK.  The Director of Fundraising will be instrumental in helping us achieve our ambitious vision.

You will develop and implement a fundraising strategy, providing clear direction and strong leadership to a team dispersed across the region. Building on our success to date you will diversify and increase our income streams with a particular focus on developing activity, although not exclusively,  in the areas of Major Gifts, Trusts & Foundations, Legacies and Corporate Giving. You will also develop and implement a robust donor stewardship programme for all supporters.  Furthermore you will work closely with the Head of Communication to develop the EAAA proposition to ensure clear and consistent communication to our key audiences.

We are looking for a very strong track record as a fundraising leader, demonstrating success across a range of areas of fundraising with a proven track record of developing and delivering innovative strategies and delivering change. Performance oriented and energetic you will have developed high performing teams and possess an enabling and empowering style.  A tactful and diplomatic communicator and politically astute you will be skilled at building relationships with supporters and key stakeholders at all levels.

This is a unique opportunity to make your mark and create a step change in our fundraising activity. If you feel you have the drive and skills to make an impact we’d like to hear from you.

For an application pack with more information about the role, please contact Adam Merrin at adam@peridotpartners.co.uk. If you would then like to have an informal conversation about the role you can contact Julia Roberts on 07891 377458, or Philippa Fabry on 07772 902071.

Closing date for applications is 12:00 on Friday 13 January 2012

Our client is forecasting a large financial deficit for 2011/12 (estimate c.£170K on c.£1.2 million turnover) and has concerns about future funding due to an unpredictable external environment.

There are likely to be further reductions in funding and operations in 2012/13.  Various financial scenarios in the future, including deficits, mean that  unrestricted reserves could be exhausted by March 2013.

This requires a fundamental review of key aspects of service delivery, and with the current strategy being reviewed potential scenarios include:

- continuation with substantially reduced operations, funding and staffing;

- “soft” landing  involving closure over 12-24 months with assets and operations transferred to other organisations;

- “hard” landing involving closure in c.6 months with assets and operations transferred to other organisations.

In light of the current situation and high-level of uncertainty about the future of the organisation we are looking for somebody with the following experience:

- Chief Executive experience in complex service provider environment;

- Proven ability to lead an organisation (staff and trustees) towards a new strategic direction – including potential closure;

- Proven external leadership experience to appropriately manage partners, funders, members, tenants, other stakeholders;

- The ability to successfully transfer continuing projects/activities to alternative hosts;

- Experience of successfully transferring assets and responsibilities to other organisations;

- Strong financial and business acumen;

- Strong analytical skills;

- Able to provide evidence of entrepreneurial leadership – financially, socially and through partnerships;

- Personal flexibility to lead the organisation forward over next 2-24 months in the context of various continuation, merger and closure options;

- Located in South East of England.

We are looking for the successful candidate to start by mid January 2012.  For further information and a confidential conversation please contact Grant Taylor 07958 690184 or Philippa Fabry07772 902071.

Allison is a founder member and former chief executive of the Bromley-by-Bow Centre, an integrated health and community regeneration organisation in Tower Hamlets. Allison was responsible for setting up the Centre’s Community Care Programme and used learning from this initiative to develop the distinctive approach to community ownership and participation which underpins the Centre’s leadership model.

Allison has worked with the following clients:

• National Skills Academy for Social Care: leadership development adviser 2010; Director of programmes for New Directors of Adult Social Services and Top Leaders Programme.

• NCSL (National College for School Leadership): Associate Consultant including leadership programmes for school leaders including a pilot systems leadership programme for national leaders of education.

• Kings Fund: Associate Fellow. Faculty for a range of leadership development programmes including the Top Managers Programme (TMP) for senior NHS and Social Care Leaders and the Kings Fund/GSK IMPACT programme for community leaders.

• SCIE: leadership development programmes for senior social care managers and front line managers in the Independent social care sector.

• CIHM (Centre for Innovation in Health Care Management), Leeds University Business School: OD Associate including Leading Systems Transformation Programme in Yorkshire and the Humber, an SHA programme for 75 senior NHS leaders across the region.

• South East Coast Strategic Health Authority: Proof of concept project into barriers to inclusive leadership in the NHS, a national DH pilot plus follow up leadership programme to build equalities and diversity capability in SEC NHS organisations.