Head of Development / Operations

To manage the development and operational delivery of our Rite to Work school age programme as we aim to

grow this significantly across Scotland. We require a dynamic self-starter who can manage the development of
our Rite to Work programme, leading and inspiring a team of Project Coordinators. This is a multifaceted role,

that requires an ability to understand our on-ground delivery, whilst putting structures and processes in place that

support the team in successfully delivering positives outcomes for the young people we support.


With significant investment recently received to grow Rite to Work, the ability to manage and engage and report

on its progress internally and to key stakeholders including local authorities, education authorities and other key

partners is key. The successful candidate will play a key role in driving the organisational strategy forward and
developing the Rite to Work programme as a recognised progression route for secondary school pupils across, The post holder will be responsible for:

1. Development of RTW programmes in WorkingRite's current operational authorities; Glasgow, Aberdeen,
Edinburgh, Argyll and East Ayrshire. Including establishing and developing relationships with schools,
education authorities, local authorities and other key partners

2. Working alongside schools and education authorities to support identify and engage with young people who
will benefit from the Rite to Work and our core WorkingRite programme.

3. Responsible for ensuring WorkingRite provides a quality programme to young people and to drive
continuous improvement across the organisation with a consistent framework for RTW programmes


4. Responsible for all monitoring and evaluation and impact reporting to our key external partners.


5. Responsible for the line management and project support of staff currently and those new to delivering our
school age Rite to Work model., 6. Manage all direct reports to meet all operational objectives and targets e.g. number of young people

completing the programme and progressing into positive destinations and achievement of relevant

qualifications


7. Ensure that projects are fully compliant with any contractual obligations and both the post holder and Project

Co-ordinators (PC's) build sound relationships with contracting bodies.


8. Promote WorkingRite to prospective, schools, partner organisations and appropriate agencies


9. Support reporting and monitoring of operational tasks including case studies, archiving and day to day wider

operations of the charity


10. To be a fully contributing member of the WorkingRite management team, attending any relevant meetings

and working with colleagues to support the running of the charity

11. Bring staff together as teams and build strong relationships amongst projects and carry out regular team

meetings and 1:1s

12. Build a strong working relationship with other our other Operational Managers for the core WorkingRite

programme and our On Your Side Mentoring programme


13. To carry out annual appraisals of reporting staff


14. Directly support any cover requirements where possible e.g. during annual leave


15. Ensure the maintenance of confidentiality and security of all documentation and information as required by

company policy and GDPR guidelines, and keep comprehensive records to meet the requirements of

funders and best practice


16. Afford equal opportunity and access to all users of the services and those involved in its delivery in

accordance with the Equalities policy


17. Safeguard children and vulnerable adults from harm and report concerns in accordance with WorkingRite's
Child Protection Policy


18. Ensuring WorkingRite's operations are fully compliant with Health & Safety legislation

19. Travel regularly across Scotland and a willingness to work some evenings or occasionally at weekends as

• Desire to work with and support young people




• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills




• Solution focussed




• The ability to build and manage professional relationships at all levels




• Experience of effectively planning and managing people and projects across multiple locations




• A track record of successful performance, managing and delivering against targets




• Proven experience of developing and sustaining effective partnership work




• Ability to manage and report to key internal and external stakeholders




• Experience of successful line management of individuals to achieve the programme deliverables




• The ability to analyse and interpret data and make required decisions




• Excellent IT, data management and Excel skills




• An ability to work calmly under pressure and to manage competing priorities and deadlines to achieve


operational objectives


• Knowledge of current GDPR guidelines




• Knowledge and experience of the safeguarding of vulnerable young people and adults, Experience of establishing new initiatives or setting up projects in new areas




• Experience of managing geographically dispersed staff




• Experience of provision and delivery of training




• Knowledge of employment support for young people




• Knowledge and experience of the variety of accredited learning opportunities available to young people

in Scotland.



• Excellent working knowledge of excel and other Microsoft office packages




• Experience in financial budgeting




• Experience of working in local authorities




• Experience in working within an education setting



• Full driving licence and use of own car
  
  WorkingRite has been delivering a work-based mentored training programme for hard-to-reach young people

across Scotland for nearly two decades. Our model is built on creating a one-to-one mentoring relationship
between a trainee and an adult working mentor, selected from within the workforce of a local business - any kind
of business. We also work throughout schools in Scotland, offering support to selected young people as they
transition from the school environment.

Our work is with young people from challenging situations, who have not engaged with school. We currently have
a staff of 13 project co-ordinators, each of whom supports between 20 and 30 young people a year into these
mentored work placements and then on to jobs and apprenticeships. That's around 300 a year. At the same time
the complexity of the barriers faced by our young people has also increased meaning our support is hugely in
demand. We expect to grow the number of young people we support year on year going forward.

Our strategy is to work with young people earlier, in more depth and for longer.

Earlier: reaching young people earlier in their lives and providing access to a vocational pathway while
in the S4 year at school (Rite to Work programme)

More depth: more in depth support for the young people that have already left school. More flexible lengths
of participation, multiple placements where necessary, community level partnership work to
explore the needs of the wider family (WorkingRite programme)

Longer: every young person that achieves a destination through a WorkingRite programme will have
the option of being matched with an adult, volunteer mentor to help them navigate the
transition into working life - and beyond (On Your Side Mentoring programme)


Additional background information on WorkingRite

Over the last few years WorkingRite has worked hard to diversify our funding mix and have recently secured
significant investment that will see us grow our work across the country. We have also recently appointed a new
CEO who has a vision to see us increase our work in the 5 local authorities we already work in and expand into
new areas of Scotland where the needs of young people are greatest.

All this means it is a very exciting time to be joining WorkingRite.

Additional background information on Rite to Work

It has long been an ambition of WorkingRite to start to reach the young people we support earlier, i.e. before they
leave school. For 16 year-old school leavers who did not succeed at school academically and are put off by the
idea of college or any kind of classroom training, the availability of support to achieve a working adulthood straight
from school is illusive. It is to plug that gap in the system that Rite to Work was set up to fill.

We have already successfully piloted the Rite to Work model in Kilmarnock and Edinburgh with strong
partnerships in place. In Kilmarnock over the past 3 years, we have supported over 70 young people from five
schools via Rite to Work with over 75% achieving a job, apprenticeship or a vocational college course. In
Edinburgh, in the 2021/22 academic year we launched a pilot with eight of Leith Acadamy's most disengaged S4
pupils and achieved positive destinations with seven. The next year Castlebrae Community School in Craigmillar
joined. Both schools have now embraced the Rite to Work model and seen over 70% achieve positive outcomes.

In the last year word of our success has spread with schools from across many local authority areas expressing
interest. In Argyll a new Rite to Work project has been established with Lochgilphead Secondary School and is
currently producing similar positive outputs with eight of their most disengaged S4 pupils.