155a Kings Road London SW3 5TX
Tel 020 7351 4948 Fax 020 7823 3301
Email wlchc@wlchc.eclipse.co.uk
Website www.wlchc.org
Project Manager (Ref: PM)
£26,500 p.a. (pro rata) for a 37.5hr week
Contract period: 25th October 2010 to 22nd April 2011
WLCHC is small independent charity who is looking to recruit 2 Project Managers for London’s
largest winter night shelter project, which will run from 8th November 2010 until 17th April 2011.
The working week will require each Project Manager to spend 3 or 4 days/evenings on duty, setting
up and managing a night shelter (building and maintaining strong teams of staff and volunteers at
each shelter venue is an essential and key part of your work). Our shelters run from a different
church venue, every night of the week throughout the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, the
borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and Barnes, Richmond. The remainder of your working week
will see you undertaking the logistical day-to-day management and administration of the shelters.
You will start most days at our office in Chelsea Methodist Church, before driving the van to the
shelters in the early evening.
You will be fully supported by the Charity and will have a two week induction. Come and be part of
something special and help us to relieve poverty amongst the street homeless of west London.
Job description:
The 2 Project Managers are jointly responsible for:
1. The day-to-day operation and management of 7 emergency cold weather shelters in churches
in West London (one per night in different venues), accommodating up to 35 people per night
2. Maintaining strong volunteer team at each venue to ensure the smooth running of the project,
and in particular developing good communication with the (volunteer) Facility Co-ordinator.
This will involve taking an active role in team briefing sessions each evening. It also includes
involvement, by supporting the Senior Project Manager, in the induction and co-ordination of
up to 200 volunteers
3. Provide supervision and management to a team of paid overnight staff
4. Ensuring all project activities meet health and safety requirements, including food preparation
5. The logistical management of the night shelters including, when necessary, the purchase of
items needed to ensure that adequate catering, health and safety and welfare provision is
maintained
6. Ensuring best practice procedures for the security and safety of the guests and volunteers are
maintained.
7. Monitoring staff, volunteer and guest welfare
8. Signposting and referring guests to WLCHC’s casework service.
9. The maintenance of good relations with the venue providers
10. Attending meetings with external service providers when necessary
11. Ensuring the security of the venue is maintained to the highest possible standard at all times
12. Administering petty cash
Registered in England as a company limited by guarantee
Company no. 3950659 Registered Charity no. 1083203
13. Maintaining good communication with the other Project Manager and Senior Project Manager,
meeting regularly to report on progress and concerns.
14. Undertaking any other duties to aid the good running of the project, as required by the Senior
Project Manager or Night Shelter Management Committee.
Person Specification:
Essential
Experience of working with - and awareness of the needs of - homeless people or similar
disadvantaged client groups
Ability to work independently and take the initiative to make important and well-judged
decisions.
Confident approach to, and experience of, dealing with challenging behaviour
Knowledge of the welfare issues affecting homeless people
Effective, flexible and supportive team member
Highly organised
Excellent communication skills
Empathetic approach to people in difficult circumstances
Ability to adhere to and implement Health & Safety, HR and operational policies
Valid clean driving licence and willingness to drive the shelter van
Willingness to work anti-social hours and weekends
Understanding of and commitment to Equal Opportunities
Desirable
Knowledge of relevant support services available to homeless people
Experience of voluntary organisations and ability to recognise the importance of the role of
the volunteer
Experience of staff line management and conducting supervisions
Experience of liaising with external agencies e.g. social services, outreach teams, police
Application form to arrive by 17th September 2010. Please put on the envelope the reference
‘PM’.
You will be expected to attend a First Aid training day (unless already trained) in early
November.
Interviews: 22nd – 23rd September with a start date of 25th October.
Employment is subject to the provision of adequate references and an Enhanced Criminal Record
Check.
WLCHC encourages applicants from all sections of the community.
Registered in England as a company limited by guarantee
Company no. 3950659 Registered Charity no. 1083203
Registered Charity No. 1083203
WLCHC’s objective is the relief of poverty among street homeless people in the Royal Borough of
Kensington & Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and the surrounding
areas by the provision of accommodation, advice and assistance.
Each winter for the last twelve years, ten to twelve churches of different denominations have provided the
venues for our emergency winter night shelter project, working in close co-operation to ensure that our
homeless guests received the best service possible.
In particular, our charity provides:
London’s largest winter night shelter – 35 bed spaces every night between November and April
year-round daytime services including laundry, clothing, washing facilities from its base at
Chelsea Methodist Church Pastoral Centre
a caseworker service – offering advice, advocacy and practical support to shelter guests
We are now the largest such service in London. Local churches provide the venues and the 300
strong volunteer teams. Up to 35 guests are accommodated each night from 8pm until 7am and
receive a cooked evening meal and breakfast and a safe, warm and welcoming place to spend the
night. We also provide food and company to many others outside the venues who cannot access
the shelters because they are full.
We also operate a drop-in casework service at Chelsea Methodist Church as well as providing a
café and clothing, laundry and shower facilities. We work closely with local statutory and non-
statutory agencies to provide guests with a formal key working programme. This enables us to
respond to the varying support needs amongst our client group such as accommodation and
benefits issues, drug and alcohol dependency, mental and physical health concerns and much
more.
WLCHC provides its staff a full induction as well as training opportunities. We operate an equal
opportunities policy and welcome applicants from all sections of the community.
Registered in England as a company limited by guarantee
Company no. 3950659 Registered Charity no. 1083203