Head Of Senior Support

Job Title: Head of Senior Support Service

Date of Issue: December 2024

Responsible to: COPE Galway Assistant CEO

The ultimate aim of COPE Galway's Senior Support Service is to support healthy independent ageing at home.

We do this by:

(1) delivering and developing a suite of services & supports including;

a. a home delivered meal service suited to the dietary needs of older people and those with chronic illness;

b. a range of community support programmes promoting healthy and independent ageing at home;

c. and supporting communities to promote positive ageing through the development of lunch clubs

(2) advocating with and on behalf of older people in Galway to support independent and healthy ageing at home. COPE Galway works with local and national organisations to promote Galway as a great place in which to grow old and will work within a community development approach to best meet the needs of Galway's ageing population. COPE Galway will also promote the positive aspects of ageing and the value and contribution of older people

Overall objectives of the post:

The Head of COPE Galway's Senior Service is responsible for the ongoing management and further development of the range of services and responses of the organisation to the needs of our ageing population in Galway. The post holder shall continuously appraise the developments and functioning of the services, to ensure that they are achieving the best impact, meeting identified needs, and supportive of COPE Galway's strategy and other relevant national strategic policy frameworks. Also as a member of the Senior Leadership team of COPE Galway, the role involves supporting the overall management and development of the organisation.

Main Responsibilities of the post

The Head of Senior Support Service will

1. Oversee the delivery and further development of COPE Galway's Senior Support Service focused on identifying and addressing the needs of older people in Galway in the context of the range of other services available

2. As a member of the Senior Leadership Team of COPE Galway will support the Management and development of COPE Galway in achieving its vision and mission with reference to Senior Support Services

The role oversees the management of the various aspects of the COPE Galway Senior Support services including:

Community Catering & Meals4Health

Responsibility for the management and delivery of the meals service/ social enterprise rests with the manager of Community Catering.

The main areas of responsibility for the Head of Senior Support service is to line manage and support that manager in areas such as -

a. Planning and development

b. Financial management

c. Staffing & Volunteers

d. Contingency planning

e. Client support, in ways complimentary to the work of COPE Galway across our Senior Support services ie information sharing, welfare issues, and supports as appropriate.

Community Support Programme

To work closely with and supervise the work of the manager of the Community Support Programme to ensure:

• The delivery of services responsive to identified needs
• Best impact and reach in our work with clients across all the community support services

Service Development and inter agency Liaison

• Maintain an overview of the changing needs of Galway's ageing population and in particular drawing from opportunities to understand these needs directly from older people themselves, and bring forward service development proposals to help address these as appropriate.
• Contribute to and develop opportunities for older people to advocate for themselves
• Contribute to and develop opportunities to promote positive ageing including in the years preceding older age
• Promote intergenerational opportunities in support of strong communities
• Seek and promote opportunities to promote the positive aspects and contributions of older people and ageing
• Oversee the implementation and further development of policies, procedures and practices of the services focusing on achieving high standards of service delivery in line with best practice and quality standards for the sector and ensure adherence to the range of COPE Galway organisational policies, procedures and practices.
• Keep up to date on relevant legislation, policies, strategies and developments within the sector and address any implications for COPE Galway services.
• Support the development of any COPE Galway capital projects relating to older people, and promote and support a housing policy suited to the needs of older people in Galway
• Establish, promote and maintain positive working relationships with statutory, voluntary and community groups and other relevant agencies focused on helping achieve better outcomes for older people and develop routes of referral appropriate to the client's needs and to ensure best possible impact in our work.
• Represent COPE Galway on relevant interagency and other forums and on policy bodies locally and nationally and internationally and keep abreast of relevant research, academic papers, and representative organisations

Promotion of services

• Ensure a continuous profile for both the issue of positive ageing and COPE Galway's Senior Support Service through internal publications, public awareness activities, media interviews, and press releases as required.
• Oversee the development and roll out of awareness raising and other campaigns relating to positive ageing in conjunction with other relevant post holders within COPE Galway and the sider Galway community and act as a spokesperson on these as necessary.

Staff Leadership

• Lead and manage the staff team in the delivery and development of services in accordance with the vision, mission and strategic direction of the organisation.
• Ensure that staff participate constructively in the overall work of the team by facilitating an effective and positive team dynamic.
• Ensure good communication between staff by holding meetings at regular intervals, informing staff of developments within the organisation as appropriate and ensuring relevant reports and information are provided and regularly updated
• Oversee the supervision, support and professional development of the staff involved in the delivery of services and mindful of the challenging nature of their work, and adopting a Trauma Informed Practice approach in their work
• Ensure the provision of induction and other appropriate ongoing training and development for staff.
• Operate in accordance with the COPE Galway Human Resources Policies in respect of all aspects of staff recruitment, management and development.
• Oversee and/or participate in reflective practice while ensuring outcomes from this are integrated back into practice and service provision to ensure maximum impact for clients

Finance

• Continually review the funding model in place to support COPE Galway's Senior Support services and work towards sustainable and secure funding arrangements
• Assume responsibility for the liaison with state funders of our Senior Support service, and manage the requirements of funders in line with Service Level Agreements and other requirements, in association with the Head of Finance
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with other grantors and philanthropic entities to maximise support for our older peoples services
• Support the development of Meals4Health as a financially viable social enterprise
• Set budgets in agreement with the Head of Finance, and ensure that expenditure is regularly monitored and maintained within budget levels agreed.
• Exercise appropriate control over authorisation of expenditure so as to ensure budget adherence, providing and when necessary, reviewing clear guidelines for staff.
• Inform the Head of Finance of any situations in which expenditure may run in excess of budget, and take appropriate action in a timely manner to minimise any such eventualities.

Health and Safety

• Ensure that best practice in relation to standards of health and safety are maintained at all times.
• Adhere to Health and Safety policy and procedures as outlined in the COPE Galway Safety Statement.
• Ensure that systems are in place and adhered to so that Health and Safety procedures are understood by staff, volunteers and clients, and are fully complied with.
• Ensure that hazard audits and risk assessments are carried out on a periodic basis and that new hazards identified are risk assessed and action taken to address or manage them as appropriate.
• Liaise as appropriate in respect of the Health and Safety maintenance requirements of the service, meeting agreed response targets.
• Ensure that domestic, health, and hygiene standards in buildings and projects are maintained at the highest standards.
• Be familiar with the safety features of the various premises including the fire alarm system, fire safety equipment and the panic alarm system
• Make every effort at all times to ensure your own personal safety and the safety of other staff, clients and visitors
• Ensure that details of all incidents and accidents are recorded and reported appropriately
• Participate in Health and Safety training

Information Management

• Ensure that the necessary administrative and data collection systems are in place and operational and further developed as required
• Ensure that data protection and confidentiality policies are adhered to, in accordance with relevant organisational policies and data protection legislation.
• Ensure that the day-to-day recording of information is adequate and accurate, and that good practices in regard to communication within the services are maintained.
• Ensure that detailed and comprehensive reports on the service are produced and presented when required

General

• Participate in supervision provided by the Ass CEO or designated person.
• Seek support and resolution for any issues arising in your work and be pro-active with regard to your own self-care
• Undertake any other duties as may be reasonably required

Vision and Mission of COPE Galway

COPE Galway's vision is a community where every person is valued, cared for, and supported at every stage of life.

We work to achieve this vision by providing essential supports for people at challenging times in their lives, and by advocating for systemic change to remove the root causes of inequality and disadvantage that constrain the wellbeing and development of individuals, families and communities.

Our mission is to make a positive difference by empowering people, creating change and strengthening communities

We understand, respect and respond to the needs of those who struggle with the challenges of homelessness and domestic abuse, and we support older people towards healthy and active ageing.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will be passionate about promoting positive and healthy ageing at home, and committed to advocating strongly towards making Galway a great place in which to grow old; Will have the ability to think big and deliver what is needed, while also managing the day to day issues; Can mobilise effective networks and funding to support service delivery; Can advocate effectively at local and national levels and make a real difference to the quality of life of older people in Galway, with an emphasis on two of the most important determinants of healthy and positive ageing - good nutrition, and strong social connections and support.

Essential Criteria

Education:

3rd level Qualifications in a life science of relevance i.e. Health Promotion, Occupational therapy, community development, Social Sciences or other related areas.

Evidence of management / business level qualifications

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years staff and organisational management experience including human resources policies and practices and experience of developing and delivering significant services at a management level
• Experience of working in the area of healthy independent ageing at home or a related field
• Experience of developing and applying best practice in a human services industry context based on legislative, regulatory and other requirements
• Demonstrated business acumen sufficient to support the development of social enterprise
• Experience of liaising with relevant statutory and voluntary agencies at local and national levels in the development of services and cultures that support positive ageing
• Experience of developing successful funding models including grant applications.
• Experience of motivating a team in the effective and impactful operation of a service.

Competencies

• Is visionary in terms of ambition, and capable of bringing about change incrementally towards the achievement of goals aligned with stakeholder needs
• Strong financial planning and strategic management abilities and business acumen
• Is focused on impact and outcomes through continuous evaluation of services
• Can create a team environment that is forward looking, holding clients at the centre of the work while consistently seeking to improve and develop practice
• Can drive and maintain a culture of expected standards of behaviour within an organisation
• Can act as a mentor and role model for staff to enable them to carry out their role to the highest standards of integrity, trust and respect
• Can remain optimistic and resilient with a strong work ethic, while facing challenges associated with the funding and delivery of services for older people
• Can reframe challenges in positive terms as learning opportunities for individuals and the organisation
• Committed to developing the capacity of older people to advocate for themselves
• Committed to building effective working relationships with statutory and voluntary organisations, and relevant communities on behalf of older people
• Can project management multiple and varying sizes of projects simultaneously and effectively

Additional requirements:

• Garda Clearance
• A full drivers licence and own transport
• Good computer skills

Key Terms and Conditions of Employment:

Hours of Work: 37 hrs per week full time role, with flexibility re hours as required

Salary: TBD

Place of Work: Based across all relevant services

Salary Starting at: €77,912 per annum