Programme Lead – Health and Wellbeing

Background:

We’re here to help people in horticulture create better futures.

Perennial has been helping people in horticulture for over 185 years. We are the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping everyone who works in horticulture, and their families.

At Perennial we understand the devastating impact bereavement, money worries, ill health, homelessness, redundancy and family breakdown can have on lives and that everyone can experience financial difficulties.

We have a real focus on improving health and wellbeing outcomes of people working in horticulture and have an ambitious preventative strategy to create better futures for people working in horticulture.

Programme Lead – Health and Wellbeing

This post provides an exciting opportunity to influence and deliver a long-term preventative health strategy. The focus is to develop health and wellbeing activities and deliverable this at scale across the whole of the industry, contributing to Perennial’s overall prevent strategy.

We are looking for someone with experience of designing, developing and delivering key preventative health strategies based on credible research evidence. A health and wellbeing specialist to raise awareness of key health issues and reduce the effects of existing health problems affecting the horticultural industry. Working across a small team you will support the identification and evaluation of contributory factors, working to develop influential partnerships, raising awareness of key health challenges and improving ways health information is communicated, distributed and accessed.

You will be responsible for creation and delivery of health and wellbeing programmes, including events, activities, focus groups, volunteer recruitment and supporting the development of new opportunities with local and national health and wellbeing partners. You will be required to develop and work in partnership with service users, service providers, statutory and voluntary sector organisations to develop relevant strategies and action plans as well as delivering, monitoring and evaluating progress.

You will coordinate activities on different topics in support of the health activities; this might include raising awareness of key health issues, promoting health services and providing information on subjects linked to key strategic objectives and related activities through an annual project and budget plan.

Working as part of the wider Preventative Services team and alongside our Development Team, your work will contribute to growing Perennials reach, allowing more people to access our services and guidance.  Work will be carried out via various channels including online, social, in-workplace and at in-person events around the UK, so adaptability and a willingness to work in different ways is expected.

About you

We are looking for a proactive, energetic self‑starter, someone who is enthusiastic, creative, visionary and passionate about making positive changes to people’s lives. The ability to interact well with people from a wide range of backgrounds, together with good problem solving and project and time management skills are essential. Excellent communication skills are vital, as is the ability to motivate, engage and influence stakeholders at all levels. Someone who is driven, positive and highly organised individual with natural people skills. A proven self-starter, confident and able to develop, assess and evaluate different project options and be able to implement these, adapting where necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities typically include:

• Analysing and understanding Horticultural sector behaviour and adapt health programmes and messaging to meet the needs of key groups (support social mapping, use of specific tools to measure and follow up activities)
• Leading the development of our preventative health programmes
• Contributing towards the development, implementation and monitoring of health promotion and prevention strategies and programmes
• Overseeing a roadmap of health activities
• Identify and explore the viability of new health initiatives and/or partnerships and how these could work in a horticultural setting
• Running pilots and projects through to successful conclusion
• To plan and implement training for professionals and develop appropriate resources
• To create and communicate clear health promotion messages to allow the industry to understand the challenges faced and also where possible solutions may be found
• Be able to interpret and occasionally undertake research of both a qualitative and quantitative nature in regard to health issues
• Developing partnerships which can support Perennial’s work and provide expert advice to other voluntary, charity and statutory organisations
• Consider usage of various media forms to convey health promotion messages
• Work alongside our frontline Caseworkers and Money and Debt team to ensure consistent and relevant messaging for our Service Users
• The ability to deliver information digitally or in-person at industry events
• Develop, train and supervise a team of volunteer health champions team
• Keeping up to date with current health promotion trends and acknowledge any social, economic, political or environmental changes that may impact people working in horticulture

Person Specification

Essential

• Relevant experience in health promotion/prevention work, ideally in a mixed audience setting
• A general interest in both physical and mental wellbeing, knowledgeable about current key issues and with a desire to help manage these issues
• Experience of working to strategic plans and overseeing the successful implementation of said plans over a long-term period
• Experience of designing, developing, delivering and evaluating training in relation to health and wellbeing initiatives
• An ability to use data to assess successes and failures and the knowledge of how to use this data to pivot and create better outcomes where necessary
• Successful track record in developing successful, effective partnerships
• Excellent project skills with experience of keeping to strict timelines whilst working towards specific targets and financial budgets
• Experience of engaging key stakeholders across a business such as marketing
• Experience of giving oral presentations digitally and/or in-person
• Understanding of safeguarding principles and practice and ability to apply this in practice as appropriate
• Ability and willingness to work both independently and as part of a team
• Role includes occasional travel and overnight stays as required.

Desirable

• A degree level qualification (ideally related to, but not limited to, Public Health, Health Promotion, or other Wellbeing-related subject)
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating the social impact of health promotion campaigns
• Experience of reporting to committee and being able to accurately describe successes and learn of ongoing projects
• Ability to manage and work compliantly to a set budget
• Experience of working with, managing volunteers, and managing volunteer programmes
• A full UK Driving License would be preferred.

Personal Attributes

• Able to manage and prioritise workload
• Calm and confident
• Good attention to detail
• Proactive self-starter with a desire to develop all areas of the role
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries
• Willing to work within the policies and procedures of Perennial
• Willingness to work flexibly will involve UK wide travel and occasional evenings and weekends, including overnight stays
• Commitment to personal development including keeping up to date on all subject areas relevant to the role
• Commitment to upholding the mission and values of the charity
• Understanding of and, commitment to, the principles of safeguarding, equality and fairness

Key Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions are provided for information only and in no way represent a contract.  In the event of an appointment if there is an anomaly between the contract and these terms, the contract is deemed to be the correct version.

Full information on terms and conditions is contained within a Staff Handbook, issues upon appointment.  Enquiries on specific matters are welcomed – the following are the key issues.

Location: Home based in North West, South East or the Midlands

Salary: Circa £34,000 per annum pro rata (depending on experience)

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week – including some weekends and overnight stays. Part time (minimum 3 full days) working arrangements also considered.

Pension: Perennial operates an auto-enrolment pension scheme and will match employee contributions up to the statutory amount.  Details of the scheme will be available following a formal offer of employment.

Holidays: 25 days per annum pro rata, plus bank holidays (with increases for long service)

General: Sick Pay, Death in Service Benefit (3x salary).  Perennial has a number of well-established, family-friendly policies, including ‘buying’ extra (unpaid) leave, time off for dependents, variations to normal working hours.  Further details available on request.  Company car/car benefit

General Considerations: All Perennial jobs are subject to a probationary period (6 months) and a periodic review.

Smoking: In the interests of health and safety, Perennial operates a non-smoking policy on its premises and expects staff not to smoke in company vehicles.

The outline of terms and conditions are provided for information only and do not represent a contract.

Closing date: Midnight on 13 March, first interview will be 18 March.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we receive sufficient applications.