Head of Services, full time 35 hours p/w (permanent)

Are you an accomplished leader with expertise and experience in supporting growth and development? Are you passionate about making sure people get the support they need to transform their lives?

If so, Back Up could offer you an inspiring and fulfilling role making a significant difference to the lives of people affected by spinal cord injuries.

About the role

We understand that a spinal cord injury can be devastating, but we believe it shouldn’t prevent anyone from getting the most out of life. And we’re here to help make sure that can happen through our range of services that are designed by, and delivered for people affected by spinal cord injury.

The role of Head of Services is a new one and reflects the growth and diversification of how we reach our audience and offer them support. We want to reach everyone affected by spinal cord injury across the UK.

As our Head of Services, you will lead the development, quality and sustainability of an award-winning portfolio including our Mentoring, Digital, Courses and Vocation Services – as well as providing support to oversee our vital Volunteer Development Programme.

As the only charity in the UK with dedicated services for children and young people with spinal cord injury, you will also use your expertise to guide this key area of our work.

Reporting to then Director of Services and working with the Head of Strategic Engagement, you will play a key role in the strategic leadership of the directorate.

You will be naturally driven to achieve the best outcomes for people affected by spinal cord injury. Above all, you will be passionate about being able to demonstrate the impact of what we do, and you will see for yourself how Back Up quite literally transforms lives every day.

About us

At Back Up, we have big ambitions. Over the next few years, we’re going to be transforming the lives of even more people affected by spinal cord injury.

Together we’ll be working hard to make sure everyone affected by spinal cord injury has access to the support they deserve; and we are the only spinal cord injury charity in the UK providing dedicated services to children and young people.

At Back Up, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. Please read our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy Statement. We are committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all our employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from those from black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds orthose with higher level spinal injuries.

In 2024 Back Up won The Times and The Sunday Times Spotlight Award for Best place to work for disabled employees. As well as this, Back Up has been voted one of the top ten charities to work for (Third Sector Best Charities 2020). The enthusiastic, inclusive and supportive spirit of our very skilled staff ensure excellence in the services we deliver.

How to apply

Please apply by emailing recruitment@backuptrust.org.uk by midnight on Sunday15thSeptember 2024 with:

• A CV detailing salary information for your most recent post and two referees, one of whom should be your present or most recent employer. We will contact them after interview.
• A (maximum) two side A4 supporting statement, saying why you want the job and explaining how you meet the criteria in the job description. This statement is crucial; CVs alone will not be accepted.
• A completed equal opportunities form. This form will be kept separate from your application, and not viewed by the recruiting manager. It is used to help us assess the diversity of our applicants to ensure our processes are fair to all. It is optional to fill in but it will help us improve and maintain high standards.

We will acknowledge receipt of your application, and then let you know if you are to be invited to interview. First interviews will be held from the week beginning Monday 16 September 2024. If you cannot make any of those dates, please indicate this when you apply.

What will the process involve?

The process will involve at least one interview round which will be either in person or online. There will be a panel interviewing you and you may be asked to complete at ask beforehand to present to the panel. If you need any support or adjustment to the recruitment process at any step, do please ask and we’d be pleased to work with you to put these in place so that you can perform to the best of your abilities throughout the process and demonstrate your suitability for the role. Please email recruitment@backuptrust.org.uk.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As a ‘Disability Confident’ employer we are committed to the inclusion of candidates and employees with disabilities. If you have a disability and meet the minimum criteria of the role, set out as essential criteria in the job description, we will invite you to interview. Please let us know if you would qualify and want to take advantage of this scheme by emailing: recruitment@backuptrust.org.uk.

Don’t meet every single requirement?

At Back Up we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every criteria in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at Back Up.