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Stage 1 - 1 minute job application

    A full application form will be sent out to those that have been selected to go through to stage 2 



Jobs at the Volunteer Network

1 x Full Time reAction Project Manager - South West
1 x Full Time and 3 x Part Time (0.6) 
reAction Worker to cover
 Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset

Postholder duties will include developing partnerships with voluntary organisations, recruiting and supporting volunteers, supporting the training and development of young people supported by the project.

All applications to be made via this web page 

Closing date for all posts is noon on the 2nd February 2012.

Job title  reAction Project Worker (Somerset) – Full Time
What will this person do on your project?
 They will be responsible for recruiting people to take part in the information and training sessions, delivering training, devising suitable training programmes, organising volunteering placements, supporting young people to volunteer, supporting young people to become housed, to apply for jobs and to apply for and register on acredited training programmes.  They will also be responsible for undertaking part of the evaluation process.  This workers duties will be mainly based in, but not limited to the county of Somerset.
Who will this person report to?   reAction Project Manager
Number of hours worked per week 37.5
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Job title  reAction Project Worker (Somerset) – Part Time
What will this person do on your project?
They will be responsible for recruiting people to take part in the information and training sessions, delivering training, devising suitable training programmes, organising volunteering placements, supporting young people to volunteer, supporting young people to become housed, to apply for jobs and to apply for and register on acredited training programmes.  They will also be responsible for undertaking part of the evaluation process.  This workers duties will be mainly based in, but not limited to the county of Somerset.
Who will this person report to? reAction Project Manager
Number of hours worked per week  22.5
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Job title  reAction Project Worker (Wiltshire) – Part Time
What will this person do on your project?
  They will be responsible for recruiting people to take part in the information and training sessions, delivering training, devising suitable training programmes, organising volunteering placements, supporting young people to volunteer, supporting young people to become housed, to apply for jobs and to apply for and register on acredited training programmes.  They will also be responsible for undertaking part of the evaluation process.  This workers duties will be mainly based in, but not limited to the county of Wiltshire.
Who will this person report to? reAction Project Manager
Number of hours worked per week 22.5
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Job title  reAction Project Worker (Dorset) – Part Time
What will this person do on your project?
They will be responsible for recruiting people to take part in the information and training sessions, delivering training, devising suitable training programmes, organising volunteering placements, supporting young people to volunteer, supporting young people to become housed, to apply for jobs and to apply for and register on acredited training programmes.  They will also be responsible for undertaking part of the evaluation process.  This workers duties will be mainly based in, but not limited to the county of Dorset.
Who will this person report to? reAction Project Manager
Number of hours worked per week  22.5
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Job title reAction Project Manager – Full Time
What will this person do on your project?
In addition to being a full project worker the reAction Project Manager will be responsible for project planning, ensuring that targets are being met, the allocation of staff and other resources and the production of reports for trustees, the project steering group, funders and other interested parties.  As a project worker they will be responsible for recruiting people to take part in the information and training sessions, delivering training, devising suitable training programmes, organising volunteering placements, supporting young people to volunteer, supporting young people to become housed, to apply for jobs and to apply for and register on acredited training programmes.  They will also be responsible for undertaking part of the evaluation process and for summarising the findings of the evaluations and for ensuring that these findings are acted upon.
Who will this person report to? CEO of the charity and the Board of Trustees
Number of hours worked per week 37.5 
   General Notes for Potential Applicants for the Current Vacancies with the  Volunteering Network

In no particular order

  1. Full time means 37.5 hours a week including work at weekends and in the evenings.
  2. 20 days holiday per year plus bank holidays or additional days off  if working on a Bank Holiday (which happens regularly).
  3. Part time scales are proportional to their full time equivalents.
  4. Over time is not paid, but a time of in lieu system is run by the charity.
  5. History The charity was set up in 1998 with the agenda of supporting all young people to take an active role in volunteering, community action and citizenship. Initially we worked only in Mendip but during 1999 we extended to cover all of Somerset and now work across the South West .
  6. Currently we support around 2000 young people a year with around 300 active volunteers being supported at any one time.
  7. Unlike a lot of projects that see young people as clients, we see them as partners. Over the last few years, we have developed a number of projects that have won us regional and national recognition for dynamic and cutting edge work with young volunteers. These have been in areas such as mentoring, young trustees and youth led projects.
  8. Current situation The charity has been growing  rapidly and is currently going through a stage of refocusing and growth.  In 2006 we  made a conscious  decision to withdraw 25% of the resources we had traditionally put into direct work with young people and refocus those resources on supporting staff and key volunteers in other organisations, so that they can work with young volunteers in their own organisations. Over the next 5 years we expect to expand our services to young people. With this in mind we expect to continue to develop an holistic approach to the support of  young and old  volunteers over the next few years.  
  9. We support around 2000 young people a year to take part in volunteering as diverse as one off conservation days, through to full time CAB Advice Workers.
  10. A key element of the charity is to engage with young people and ‘sell’ volunteering to them when they sign up and then support them to get the most out of their volunteering. To this end we go to them when they want us not the other way round. Hence we work a lot of evenings and weekends.
  11. One of the largest time-consuming parts of all the jobs in VN is paperwork. Every young person being key worked  has their own file which holds information on every time they have been seen, talked to or written to as well as information about their needs and aspirations. This information helps us monitor the quality of our work and gives a full accreditation trail so that we can issue awards and certificates as they become appropriate to the individual. As a member of staff at VN everyone is expected to keep the records up to date and input data as it comes in.
  12. We expect that the work of VN is different and innovative and therefore, we expect that sometimes we will need to train and induct the successful candidate into the way we work. Therefore we will consider someone who has the relevant building blocks to fill the post and the commitment to make it happen.
  13. All posts will need individuals with a highly flexible approach to their roles and responsibilities, as they will be expected to ‘pitch in’ with all aspects of the work undertaken by VN as and when needed.
  14. All posts are based at our Glastonbury office.
  15. The worker will be expected to work all over the South West and sometimes the UK.
  16. Due to access to young people, posts are subject to Criminal Records Bureau Enhanced Checks, a satisfactory probationary period and work history checks including references.
  17. Own reliable car is a necessity of the job for which a mileage rate is paid. Though not a regular occurrence,  there will also be times when you will be needed to help get volunteers to and from events in your own car. 
  18. A full driving licence will be required.
  19. As we work directly with young people, when and where they volunteer, this post will include extensive evening and weekend work, every week.
  20. No overtime is available but a time off in lieu system is run within the charity.
  21. You will regularly be expected to work bank holidays for which you will be paid at normal rates and be given an additional days holiday in lieu of each bank holiday you work. 
  22. Each year VN runs a number of residential or away day activities for which staff are paid 7.5 hours a day. In recompense for this staff salaries include an additional 2% in their standard pay to make up for the usual 7 to 10 days a year that this affects normal duties.  
  23. One of the under pinning philosophies of VN is that young people control/shape as much of the work of the charity as possible. Therefore, another key element in this post is supporting the involvement of volunteers themselves in shaping and designing their own events and programmes


Key things that we are looking for to short-list for these posts:

1.      Relevant paid or voluntary experience and/or qualifications to show an ability to carry out the job.

2.      Personal experience of volunteering or community action.

3.      Experience of supporting young volunteers

4.      Experience of empowering young people to reach their potential.

5.      Competency in keeping appropriate records.

6.      A good sense of humour and a willingness to get stuck in.

7.      A clean and legible application form that gives us a clear understanding about who you are.

8.      Applications not submitted on a VN form will not be considered.