Programme Support and Engagement Officer - Shrewsbury, United Kingdom - Dog A.I.D.

Description

Role
Dog A.I.D. is recruiting for the exciting new role of Programme Support and Engagement Officer. The post holder will play a key role across client support and volunteer engagement functions within the charity.

They will work alongside our operations and training teams to support and engage our existing network of volunteer trainers and support them effectively to ensure their long-term retention.

As well as providing administration for our existing volunteer CPD offer, the post-holder will support the roll-out, administration and evaluation of two crucial new projects, a trainer mentoring programme and an in-house assessor's course.

The Programme Support and Engagement Officer will also develop trusting and empathetic relationships with our clients, engaging and supporting them as they navigate the Assistance Dog training programme.

Dog A.I.D.

has a small staff team so it is essential that the post-holder is a strong team member who is proactive and self-motivated.

They need to be able to see "the bigger picture", identify priorities and use their initiative to "get on and do" what needs to be done.

These are exciting times for our charity so we would want someone who is passionate about what we are trying to achieve and comes with us on the journey.

About Us
Dog A.I.D.

was established in 1992 to assist people with physical disabilities, improving their quality of life by helping them train their own pet dogs to provide assistance with day-to-day tasks and in some circumstances providing life-saving interventions.

In 1996, the Dog A.I.D.

Scheme was launched nationally at Crufts and today benefits from a team of over 85 trainers and assessors working on a voluntary basis across the U.K.

from its base in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. As of May 2024, there are currently 98 fully qualified Dog A.I.D. partnerships throughout the country, with 78 more in training with 95 volunteer dog trainers.

The training takes up to two years with both dog and disabled owner (our 'client') receiving specialist education from our network of trainers and attaining a fully qualified Assistance Dog status through three distinct stages.

Dog A.I.D.

is a member of Assistance Dogs UK, a voluntary coalition of eight Assistance Dog charities that aims to promote the freedom, independence and rights of people with Assistance Dogs across the UK.

All Assistance Dogs UK dogs adhere to the highest training and welfare standards as set out by Assistance Dogs International and International Guide Dogs Federation.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Supporting the Training Team with the project management, delivery and evaluation of our new volunteering projects: mentoring scheme and inhouse assessor's course.
• Supporting the Operations Coordinator and Operations Manager with the administration and delivery of the Dog A.I.D. programme
• Coordinating inperson trainer and client workshops including booking venues, arranging refreshments, preparing and distributing delegate packs
• Collating internal information and presenting this in an appropriate format for reporting purposes.
• Researching suitable channels/events where Dog A.I.D. might promote its volunteering opportunities to qualified and experienced dog trainers
• Administering mandatory and optional training for volunteer trainers through the Charity Learning Consortium (CLC platform) including acting as key point of contact for volunteers and ADUK's Learning and Education Officer.
• Developing and distributing monthly communications bulletins for our trainer volunteers
• Supporting online trainer CPD events (including webinars and trainerdrops ins) by undertaking communications and administrative functions related to the events.
• Administration of the annual volunteer trainer engagement survey
• Developing and distributing monthly communications bulletins for clients intraining and qualified clients
• Arranging and facilitating regular client engagement events online and inperson
• Administration of the annual client engagement survey
• Development of resources to support client engagement with the Dog A.I.D. programme.

Other Key areas of activity

• Contributing to team meetings, away days and training events both online and inperson
• Attendance at workshops, conferences and volunteer training events when required
• Contributing to development of organisational processes to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

Person Specification

• Experience in a customer facing role.
• Experience in an administrative and/or programme/project support role.
• Confidence with working with IT including a good working knowledge of Microsoft 365 and using CRM's.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Empathetic and personcentred with the interpersonal skills to build great relationships with clients and volunteers.
• Highly organised with the ability to manage and prioritise a heavy workload.
• Ability to work with a high level of acc