Teesside Hub Manager

Open Country is a Yorkshire-based charity that seeks to enable people with disabilities to access and enjoy the countryside. Our new role of Teesside Hub Manager is
permanent and full-time, based on 40 hours per week.

The successful applicant will be responsible for the establishment and day-to-day running of our work on
Teesside, including eventual line management responsibilities. You must be an inspirational team player with a
great capacity for personal creativity and flair. The role is a roughly 50:50% split of
hands-on-get-stuck-in activity delivery, with time also allowed for Teesside Hub development
and admin. You will work alongside adults with all sorts of disabilities and be out in all
weathers, in all manner of countryside settings. There would be a need to work one weekend each
month, plus some evening work. We can guarantee you will find the work fun,
well-respected and very rewarding.

The job includes minibus (and occasionally trailer) driving. Thus, it is desirable that
candidates have D1+E entitlement. Your job will involve some administrative duties, so familiarity with computers is essential.

The role would suit a countryside, recreation or disability professional who is energetic,
hard-working and able to work unsupervised.

If you like the cut of our jib, send a detailed covering letter and your CV to David Shaftoe, Chief Officer, on [email protected]. Please refer to our employee specification and other material when doing so –
if we say something is essential or desirable we mean it!

JOB PROFILE: TEESSIDE HUB MANAGER

JOB PURPOSE: Responsibility for Open Country’s work on Teesside.

RESPONSIBLE TO: Chief Officer (also Open Country Trustees)

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Day-to-day running and development of the Teesside Hub.
2. Line management responsibilities for Teesside Hub staff.
3. Co-ordinate Teesside Hub volunteer recruitment, training and resourcing.
4. Publicise and promote the Teesside Hub. Liaise with stakeholders.
5. In partnership with the Open Country fundraising team, work to ensure the long-term future
   of the Hub through contributing to fundraising.
6. Produce an interesting and enjoyable programme of Countryside Activities.
7. Co-ordinate and lead at least two weekday activities per week.
8. Lead up to two weekend activities each month.
9. Undertake general Teesside Hub administrative tasks, including managing petty cash and
   other receipts responsibly.
10. Undertake training as required, in particular ILM, MiDAS, Safeguarding and First Aid.
11. Abide by all our policies, paying particular attention to Health & Safety.
12. Undertake whatever duties are allocated by the Trustees and Chief Officer, to ensure that
    Open Country offers a high quality and caring service at all times.

EMPLOYEE SPECIFICATION: Teesside Hub Manager

SKILLS

• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people. Essential
  
• Ability to organise time effectively. Essential
  
• Ability to work mainly on your own but also as part of a team.  Essential
  
• Ability to cycle and drive vehicles safely. Essential

KNOWLEDGE / QUALIFICATIONS

• A degree or equivalent or work experience in a countryside management related subject. Essential
  
• Full driving licence. Essential
  
• Full driving licence with a D1 + E entitlement. Desirable
  
• Current First Aid at Work qualification. Desirable
  
• Computer/IT/Web literate. Essential

EXPERIENCE

• Paid work experience in an outdoors or countryside discipline. Essential
  
• Experience of managing people. Desirable
  
• Work experience within a disability organisation (can include voluntary work). Desirable
  
• Experience of working with volunteers. Desirable
  
• Experience of driving a minibus. Desirable

BEHAVIOURAL AND OTHER RELATED CHARACTERISTICS

• Sense of humour. Essential
  
• Physically fit and active. Essential
  
• Resourceful, self-motivated and inspiring to others. Essential
  
• Willing to abide by Open Country’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy in the duties of
  the post. Essential
  
• Willing to carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Open
  Country’s Health and Safety Policy. Essential

OPEN COUNTRY – BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Open Country was established in Harrogate in 1990, as a three-year pilot project. Its remit was
to help anyone with any disability, be it learning or physical disability, sensory impairment
or mental health issue, to access and enjoy the countryside. After the initial three years were
over, such a level of expectation had been raised among local disabled people that we have
continued ever since! Over the intervening years, we have expanded our activities, so that we
currently have over 25 activity clubs working in Harrogate, Barnsley, Ripon, Selby, Wakefield,
Wetherby and York. This year we will launch our third hub on Teesside.

Our countryside activities include walking, tandem cycling, outdoor pursuits, wildlife study,
nature conservation work parties and countryside outings. Our activities now welcome around 550
people, most of whom have disabilities, on roughly 10,000 people/activity days annually.

Through our Countryside Advice Service, we are involved with the dissemination of
information, training and advice on countryside access. We have produced six Breakfree
packs, detailing local accessible walks and cycles. We have also produced Countryside
Directories for Disabled People for much of Yorkshire and the North East. With these publications, Open Country truly has regional
influence in the field of disability and countryside matters.

For a small charity, we punch well above our weight! For example, we have received the
Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service and visited No.10 Downing Street!

Since 2004, Open Country has been a Company Limited by Guarantee (05155859) and a Registered
Charity (1107331). We have two Patrons – Air Commodore Simon Bostock and Lord Willis of
Knaresborough and a board of 8 proactive Director/Trustees. There are 16 other staff posts
(12.4 FTE) and we are heavily reliant on our 150 fantastic volunteers. Join us!