Job description
Job Title
Department
Employee Champion Officer
Time to Change (TTC)
Responsible to
TTC Employer Manager
Remit of post covers
England
Salary
Grade D of Mind’s salary scales
Hours of work
Part-time: 14 hours per week
Based
Stratford, London
Length of contract
Fixed term contract to 31 March 2016
Purpose of job
Time to Change is an ambitious programme to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people
with mental health problems, and is a partnership between the charities Mind and Rethink Mental
Illness. The first phase of the programme ran between 2007 and 2011 with funding from the Big
Lottery Fund and Comic Relief. The second phase, funded by the Department of Health, Comic
Relief and the Big Lottery Fund, runs until 31 March 2015. Funds have been secured from all three
funders for the programme to continue for a further year, until the end of March 2016. The oneyear programme will focus on developing and supporting local and regional networks to run antistigma activities across England and includes: a social marketing campaign; up-skilling and
empowering individuals with lived experience of mental health problems; and events and activities
that bring together people with and without experience of mental health problems, promoting
social contact. In addition, some targeted work will be undertaken with the following audiences:
employers and employees; children and young people; African and Caribbean communities; and
mental health professionals.
You will have lead responsibility for embedding social leadership within organisations engaged with
Time to Change by supporting people with lived experience of mental health problems within these
organisations to take on a Champion role in order to ensure continued activity to tackle stigma and
discrimination. You will ensure employees with lived experience are able to connect with one
another and support others to do the same in their organisations.
Scope of the job
You will work within the Employers Team, which is part of the Time to Change programme,
working closely with the two Employer Managers and linking with organisations that have made a
Time to Change pledge, including their employees with experience of mental health problems.
Your work will be supported by the Employer Team Assistant. You will also work closely with the
Social Leadership team to ensure Employee Champions access training and other opportunities.
The Employers Team will also link with the managers on the Mind-funded Blue Light programme,
which supports emergencies services to make a Time to Change pledge.
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Mind aims to ensure that the needs and interests of people with mental health problems, people
with disabilities, women, men, black and minority ethnic communities, lesbians, gay men,
bisexuals, transgender and people of all ages are reflected in all its activities. You will be expected
to contribute to this aim.
Key responsibilities
1.
Work with the Employer Managers and contacts at organisations that have signed the Time to
Change pledge to encourage employees with lived experience to sign-up as Employee
Champions, making use of organisations’ existing communications channels.
2.
Draft plans to set out how to communicate and engage with Employee Champions. Regularly
review plans as part of routine progress reviews and as required.
3.
Work with the Social Leadership team to develop targeted support, training and
communications for Employee Champions, whilst ensuring they can also access support and
communications aimed at all Time to Change Champions.
4.
Organise networking events that bring Employee Champions together. The events could take
place within large employers, specific sectors and/or in regions.
5.
Work with the Social Leadership team, and other teams across the whole Time to Change
programme, to identify and promote opportunities for Employee Champions, including media
volunteering, writing blogs and speaking at events.
6.
Identify and support key Employee Champions who will have a lead role in taking forward
work to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace, including
organising and facilitating their own networking events, taking an active role at events, and
providing peer support to other Employee Champions.
7.
Support Employee Champions to effectively engage with the evaluation of the Time to Change
programme.
8.
Ensure that the Employee Champions work meets the aims and objectives of the Employers
project, working within a framework of targets, outcomes and milestones, reviewing these on
a quarterly basis and as required.
9.
Work within the project and budget guidelines, providing regular updates and reports for Time
to Change and funder/s as required.
10. Collate and write-up learning from Time to Change’s work with Employee Champions,
including examples of good practice and where mental health stigma and discrimination have
been successfully addressed in the workplace.
11. Undertake other duties that may from time to time be necessary, that are compatible with the
nature and grade of this post.
Expectations
1.
Attend and contribute to team and programme-wide meetings, training and the supervision
and appraisal process.
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2.
The nature of the post will require some flexibility in terms of ways of working and revising
priorities.
3.
Occasionally to work unsociable hours, for example, attending evening or weekend
meetings/conferences or travel to/out of London.
4.
Ensure that all responsibilities and activities discharged within this post are consistent with the
terms and spirit of Mind’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
5.
Contribute to working towards making Mind a greener workplace.
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Person specification: TTC Employee Champion Officer
Essential criteria
1.
Relevant and demonstrable experience of working with people with mental health problems
and an understanding of the extent and impact of mental health discrimination.
2.
Excellent verbal communication and interpersonal skills, with proven experience of
developing effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders, including people
with lived experience of mental health problems, and encouraging and supporting
collaborative working.
3.
Direct or indirect experience of mental health problems.
4.
Experience of organising and facilitating events, including booking venues, setting agendas,
organising workshops and sourcing speakers.
5.
Excellent written communication skills, with experience of writing communications aimed at
an external audience.
6.
Experience of evaluating, or supporting the evaluation of, a project, and the ability to
support others to contribute to an evaluation process.
7.
A knowledge of and understanding of the aims of equalities policies and a demonstrable
commitment to challenging inequalities.
8.
Knowledge of the principles of meaningful consultation and involvement of experts-byexperience and how to apply these in practice.
9.
Excellent time management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively and work to strict
deadlines.
10.
Excellent IT skills, in particular Microsoft Outlook, Word and PowerPoint.
11.
Willingness and ability to occasionally travel throughout England and to occasionally work
outside normal working hours.
12.
Commitment to Time to Change and Mind’s aims and objectives.
Desirable criteria
1.
Good knowledge of HR and employment policies and practices.
2.
Experience of mentoring or coaching people and proven ability to develop and support
people to increase their skills and confidence.
3.
Understanding of the importance of empowering people with mental health problems to
take a leadership role in challenging mental health stigma and discrimination.
4.
An understanding of Mind and its networks, or similar structures within the voluntary sector.
5.
Prior knowledge and understanding of the Time to Change programme.
2014 11 26 TTC Employee Champion Officer JD+PS Grade D
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