Marketing &
Communications
Officer
Information for applicants
Contents
Welcome
Advertisement
Context
Organogram
Job description
How to apply
2
3
4
5
6
10
Contact for enquiries
Jenny Buckley, Consultant
T 020 7096 9639
E jenny.buckley@nfp-resourcing.co.uk
Welcome
We have a great story to tell and I am seeking someone who can shout it from the roof tops.
As soon as you visit our website you will see that we have a need to up our game on the
communications front and I’m not afraid to admit it.
But then here’s the opportunity for you.
Our brand needs a re-fresh both in terms of the visuals and messages, which offers you the
scope to develop the marketing and communications strategy as you would like to see it done
rather than have to work with things that are difficult to change.
Be reassured that this new role is not being established as a sticking plaster remedy to arrest
and reverse poor business performance.
In actual fact the position is quite to the contrary.
Throughout the very worst of the economic downturn and the austerity cuts in public
funding, we have continued to go from strength and attracted financial support from a
variety of sources.
And this has been achieved with little in the way of pro-active marketing of our services and
engagement with the organisations who fund us and who we collaborate with.
The scope for further growth is easily within our grasp and this new role is central to our
ambition and determination to achieve this.
We’re an unqualified success that not enough people have heard of.
Let’s you and I talk.
Miles Larmour
Chief Executive
May 2015
2
Valley House – Marketing and Communications Officer – Information for Applicants
Marketing and Communications Officer
£28,000, full-time, Coventry
Your first visit to our “new” website will quickly tell you that has been a long time indeed
since it was “new”.
And this is where you come in.
We are seeking to appoint a Marketing & Communications Officer who can lead us through a
fundamental review of our brand that will lead to the production of a genuinely “new”
website along with all the other marketing and communications collateral we need to be
consistent in what we say and to promote the vital work that we do both internally and
externally.
Valley House is a local success story but not enough people have heard of us.
So, who are we looking for to join our team?
You will bring the technical skills and the flair for communications that the role requires as
well as the ability to take people with you on the crafting of the story that we want to tell.
This is not something that can be done in splendid isolation.
People are at the heart of everything we do and it is the individual stories of inspiration that
will be essential in breathing life into what we have to say.
Your marketing and communications experience will be appropriate to the level and scope of
the role. However, your skills may have been gained in the third sector, possibly in a similar
setting to Valley House, or you may bring a commercial sector background.
What will be essential is that you bring a genuine empathy for the work that we do, the
people we work with and the ability to understand the perspectives of our partners and
funders.
Without all of this you will not be able to get the story right. What we do matters to us and it
has to matter to you.
The role is subject to an Enhanced DBS check.
How to apply
Application is by way of CV and a Supporting Statement. For more information and to apply
online, please visit: www.nfp-resourcing.co.uk
Closing date: 10.00 a.m. Monday 15th June
Interviews Thursday 2nd July
If you feel that your skills and experience are a good match with this role, please feel free to
call us for an informal, confidential conversation before you apply:
Jenny Buckley, Consultant
W 020 7096 9639
E jenny.buckley@nfp-resourcing.co.uk
3
Valley House – Marketing and Communications Officer – Information for Applicants
Background
Opened in 1977, Valley House is a multi-service hub operating from its community campus at
the Navigation Centre in Courthouse Green in the deprived North East part of the city. Its
community and volunteering history continues to be central to the organisation's values and
ethos. It sees itself as based in and serving its local community as well as the city.
Opportunities for local people including employment and volunteering are a continuous
aspect of all its services.
Download an overview of our current services
Our mission
"Valley House believes that given the right opportunities and support, each of us would
wish to develop our potential and take control of the quality and independence of our lives.
Valley House puts these beliefs into action by developing services that meet individual
aspirations through partnership working with individuals, families and their communities."
Valley House today
We have prospered in the last 5 years and during the deepest economic recession in over one
hundred years, perhaps ever.
In 2011/12 we had a turnover of £1.4m and 40 staff.
By the end of 2014/15, turnover is calculated to be £2.1m+ and 72 staff.
All this has been achieved in a period of unprecedented ongoing government/local
government cuts, increased competition and a lack of clarity in social policy at a national and
local level.
It’s a great achievement and a huge credit to everyone involved.
Highlights over the past 2 years include:

Secured contracts for all our main services (Domestic Violence / Homeless Families /
Teenage Parent) for the next 3 years – including establishing the Safe and Supported
Partnership with Panahghar

Established the nursery as a social enterprise

Successfully piloted opportunities to integrated our counselling and support service
with services delivered by partners – Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund (Cyrenians
and Midland Heart), Groundwork and Whitefriars

Secured our first funding / commissions from Clinical Commissioning Groups
(Homeless Hospital Discharge Fund) and Public Health (Community Wellbeing) – with
Community Wellbeing being extended to 15/16.

Secured Reaching Communities to expand and develop Whole Shabang (our main
youth programme)
4
Valley House – Marketing and Communications Officer – Information for Applicants

Established new partnerships with Coventry City Council, CSWP and Henley College to
deliver employment and training programmes – including Evolution 3 and Talent
Match

Been appointed by Midland Heart, Orbit and Whitefriars to deliver Boot Camp – a
development programme for NEETS – and secured DWP funding to deliver the first
Boot Camp for young parents.

Secured funding from the Police and Crime Commissioner to expand our ‘Power to
Change’ programme for DVA victims

Secured funding from charitable trusts to develop services – including funding for
detached youth work and Come Cook with Me

Secured our first service outside of Coventry – providing a financial support service in
partnership with Coventry Law Centre for Warwick District Council

Built on our established relationship as a managing agent to develop new partnership
opportunities with the main RSLs (Midland Heart, Orbit and Whitefriars)

Established new partnerships with other charities to secure future opportunities –
such as Grapevine and Coventry Law Centre

Developed our partnership with Coventry University to enable students and staff to
conduct research and support monitoring and evaluation to provide new learning
opportunities and strengthen our evidence base
Valley House tomorrow
Over the next 2 years we will remain focussed on our business strategy and continue to seek new
opportunities to apply our model of ‘enhanced support’ to enable individuals to achieve increased
levels of independence.
Specifically we will build on previous success by continuing to develop new opportunities within
the ‘health’ and ‘employment/training markets’, and by developing new opportunities within the
‘crime’ market (including Transforming Rehabilitation), focusing on opportunities to apply our
skills and experience to complement and enhance existing services and meet gaps in provision
particularly by enabling the most isolated and vulnerable to access the support they need.
Some of the key objectives that we have set ourselves are:

Expand our counselling / support service (and particularly HY² - Helping You Help
Yourself) by securing commissions from Housing Associations (Orbit, Midland Heart
and Whitefriars) for programmes of support, charging NHS (including IAPT) for
support provided on a per client basis, securing new grant funding (including seeking
an extension of current National Lottery Funding), maintaining current volunteer
placement agreements with Universities and piloting new approaches (including
partnership with Coventry Food Bank)

Further develop the nursery and children’s centre by developing new funding
opportunities including holiday schemes and provision of childcare for partners
including Coventry City Council and through new partnerships with Coventry City
Council, NHS and Schools

Further develop the youth and community services to provide new opportunities to
access employment and training, increase mental wellbeing and address isolation and
vulnerability – including securing new funding through European Social Fund to
5
Valley House – Marketing and Communications Officer – Information for Applicants
expand Boot Camp and establish new support programmes across Coventry and
Warwickshire, expanding Community Wellbeing and re-establishing Unwind, and
creating new provision to address issues such as sexual exploitation and radicalisation
in partnership with others such as Kairos

Expand our support programmes (DVA and families/children) in partnership with
Housing Associations (Fry, Midland Heart, Orbit and Whitefriars), the Police and
Coventry City Council – including seeking funding from charitable trusts to pilot new
programmes
More information
Download our latest Annual Report and Accounts
6
Valley House – Marketing and Communications Officer – Information for Applicants
Job Description
Accountable to:
Salary:
Hours:
Main Purpose:
Chief Executive
£28,134
Full Time (40 hours per week)
To support the Board, Chief Executive and Senior Managers to:

effectively market Valley House and generate new
business opportunities – including research and data
collation/analysis

ensure clear and consistent internal and external
communication - including the development and
implementation of a communications strategy
Main duties
Marketing and communications strategy

Lead the development and implementation of a communications strategy including
the development of the brand.

Producing brand guidelines and disseminating across the organisation

Work with the Board, SMT and staff to agree and implement key internal and
external messages

Conduct ongoing media monitoring and proactively create opportunities to promote
Valley House

Produce external proposals including business plans to develop new business
opportunities – including using data to demonstrate the effectiveness of Valley House
services, programmes and projects.
Relationship management

Managing relationships with media representatives and appointed suppliers.

Support the development of existing and future partnerships – including representing
Valley House at external events.

Prepare and issue press releases, respond to media enquiries and organise events
including photo calls and interviews

Organise and facilitate events to promote Valley House
Market research and administration

Identify, prioritise, and collate monitoring and evaluation and other data held by
Valley House and external partners – including undertaking networking and research.

Conduct data analysis to increase understanding of the external market, identify
specific issues and emerging trends, and recommend future opportunities.

Ensure Valley House maintains confidentiality when sharing and managing data
including compliance with the Data Protection Act and (when working with partners)
the Freedom of Information Act.
Marketing material and digital content management

Support the development and ongoing management of our website and contact
database and the production and distribution of organisational literature in
conjunction with the Operational Services Manager

Maintaining the social and professional networking platforms that the organisation
includes in its marketing and communications strategy

Developing the range of traditional marketing materials on and ongoing basis and for
specific projects and initiatives as required.
Teamworking

Provide support to staff, students and volunteers to enable them to effectively
promote Valley House

Support the development and implementation of our Fundraising Strategy – including
identifying and recommending future opportunities and assisting with preparing
proposals, business plans and bids

Develop and implement opportunities for service user and partner consultation and
feedback to inform future strategy
Other

To participate in and take personal responsibility for own relevant training and
personal/professional development, including their own individual supervision, line
management and appraisal.

To work within Valley House values, aims policies and procedures, good practice
guidelines and comply with all relevant legislation.

Undertake any other duties and responsibilities within the range of the salary grade
as agreed with the Management Committee.
General

Whilst every endeavour has been made to outline all the duties and responsibilities of
the post, a document such as this does not permit every item to be specified in detail

Workers should record any additional duties they perform that are not included in
the Job Description and these will be taken into account when the post is reviewed.

Valley House is an Equal Opportunities Employer and requires its employees to
comply with all current equality policies both in terms of equal opportunities for
employment and access to services.

Valley House is committed to making any necessary reasonable adjustments to the
job role and the working environment that would enable access to employment
opportunities for disabled job applicants or continued employment for any employee
who develops a disabling condition.

All posts at Valley House are subject to continued funding.
8
Valley House – Marketing and Communications Officer – Information for Applicants
Person specification
Selection Criteria
Qualifications

Evidence of education and/or professional development relevant to the level and scope
of the role.
Knowledge and Experience

Working in a marketing and communications capacity for a comparable organisation in
terms of complexity and that engages with a variety of stakeholders and audiences.

Responsibility for website content management and Web 2.0 content management, e.g.
Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.

Contributing to new business development activity.

Representing an organisation to external stakeholders and managing those relationships,
including with media representatives.
Demonstrable Skills and Abilities

Developed research skills and effective analytical ability

Good organisation and planning

Excellent copy writing ability

Relationship development and management skills

Effective team working

IT skills, including database and desktop publishing
Professional Ethics

A commitment to working in an anti-discriminatory way to ensure equality of
opportunity

A commitment to and ability to respect and value uniqueness and diversity and to
enable people to build on their strengths

A commitment to and an ability to practice in a manner that does not stigmatize or
disadvantage either individuals, groups or communities

An ability to identify and question own values and prejudices and their implications for
good practice and ethical working methods.

An ability to identify, analyse and take action to counter discrimination, racism,
disadvantage, inequality and justice using appropriate strategies

A commitment to promoting people’s rights to choice, privacy, confidentiality and
protection, while recognising and addressing the complexities of competing rights and
demands.
9
Valley House – Marketing and Communications Officer – Information for Applicants
How to apply
Applications should be submitted no later than 10.00 a.m. Monday 15th June and should
include:

Your CV, detailing your full career history; and

A supporting statement with evidence of your suitability for the role, taking into
account the role description and particularly the essential knowledge and experience
in the person specification. Throughout the recruitment process we will be looking
for examples and evidence of your experience, knowledge and skills.
For an informal conversation about the role please contact:
Jenny Buckley, Consultant
W 020 7096 9639
E jenny.buckley@nfp-resourcing.co.uk
Selection process and timescales
Stage 1 – Interviews with a panel including Trustees. Candidates will be asked to prepare a
presentation in advance. There will also be the opportunity to have a tour.
Date: 2nd July
Stage 2 – Interview (if required)
Date: TBC
Accessibility
Please let us know if you have any special requirements which we might need to consider in
relation to the selection process, e.g. attending interview, completing the online exercise.
Any requests will not be taken into account in the selection process.
10
Valley House – Marketing and Communications Officer – Information for Applicants