DADvocate Programme Manager

Job purpose To lead and manage the Dad Vocates project, a four-year National Lottery-funded programme training volunteer young dads as peer advocates for young fathers in children’s social care proceedings; delivering professional training to social workers; and working towards the embedding of father-inclusive practice across children’s social care teams in five local authorities.

Hours - Full-time (35 hours per week), Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm, with some evening and weekend working expected to meet the needs of the project Location - Hybrid, with travel across the North East required and activity based in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Gateshead/Newcastle and County Durham Key responsibilities 1.

• Project management
• Take day-to-day responsibility for the management and delivery of the Dad Vocates project across all strands of activity
• Manage the project budget, monitor expenditure and liaise with the CEO and Finance Officer
• Update and maintain NEYDL’s Evaluation Framework with Dad Vocates-specific indicators and methodologies within the first two months of the project start date
• Ensure the project meets its funder milestones and KPIs, maintaining accurate records of outputs and outcomes
• Produce quarterly progress reports for internal review and contribute to annual funder reports
• Commission and manage the external evaluator for the four-year evaluation
• Identify and escalate risks and challenges to the CEO, recommending solutions 2.
• Steering Committee
• Chair and manage the project Steering Committee, which meets every two months and comprises young dads, NEYDL frontline staff, the safeguarding lead, social work professionals and academic partners
• Induct Steering Committee members, including young dads, into their roles, providing tailored support to ensure they can contribute confidently alongside professionals
• Use Steering Committee meetings to review progress, identify challenges and agree recommendations for the next period of delivery 3.
• Co-creating the Dad Vocate training programme
• Work with training and research providers, young dads and Steering Committee members to co-create a 100-hour peer advocacy training programme for volunteer Dad Vocates
• Deliver the Dad Vocate training programme alongside NEYDL staff and delivery partners
• Lead annual reviews of the training programme and update content in response to learning and feedback 4.
• Managing and supporting volunteer Dad Vocates
• Recruit and train 10 young dad volunteers per year (40 over four years), all with lived experience of young fatherhood
• Provide ongoing mentoring, supervision and wellbeing support to all active Dad Vocate volunteers: at least 50 hours per volunteer per year
• Set clear objectives for each volunteer, conduct regular appraisals and team meetings, and support their professional development and progression
• Recognise that Dad Vocates are young dads with lived experience rather than professional backgrounds, and provide the high level of structured support this requires, including supporting them to navigate professional environments with confidence
• Support the progression of volunteers into employment, further training and community leadership roles 5.
• Matching Dad Vocates with young dads in CSC proceedings
• Build and maintain referral pathways with social services, midwifery, Family Nurse Partnerships, Family Hubs and other local networks across target local authorities
• Match 100 young dads over four years with a volunteer Dad Vocate (10 in year 1, rising to 40 in year 4)
• Work closely with NEYDL’s Senior Young Dads Workers, who hold cases, to coordinate peer advocacy support within CSC proceedings
• Maintain oversight of active advocacy arrangements, ensuring Dad Vocates are appropriately supported and that safeguarding obligations are met at all times
• Engage directly with young dad beneficiaries through steering committee meetings, evaluation sessions and project learning events 6.
• Professional training for social workers
• Co-create professional training content with social workers and young dads on the Steering Committee, drawing on national research and NEYDL’s practice experience
• Deliver half-day induction training to 15-20 social workers per local authority at the outset of each area’s involvement, co-facilitated by young dads or Dad Vocate volunteers
• Deliver annual refresher training in each local authority
• Facilitate quarterly case review and learning meetings with social workers in each local authority, involving Dad Vocate volunteers
• Co-design guidance on what father-inclusive practice looks like within children’s social care teams, with social workers and young dads (first version in year 2; updated version in year 4)
• Organise and host two information-sharing events for social care professionals in years 2 and 4 (approximately 100 professionals per event) 7.
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning
• Coordinate data collection with young dads, Dad Vocate volunteers and social workers using NEYDL’s evaluation tools and new instruments co-designed for this project
• Produce annual evaluation reports and disseminate learning through NEYDL’s wider networks, events and conferences
• Share learning through stakeholder events, professional networks and NEYDL’s regular sector-facing activity 8.
• Safeguarding
• Ensure robust safeguarding arrangements are in place for all project activity, particularly for Dad Vocate volunteers operating within CSC proceedings
• Work closely with NEYDL’s Safeguarding Lead to ensure policies and protocols relevant to the project are current, understood and followed by volunteers and partners
• Act as first point of contact for safeguarding concerns arising within the Dad Vocates project 9.
• Collaboration and partnerships
• Work closely with NEYDL’s Senior Young Dads Workers as case holders, ensuring a joined-up and consistent approach to supporting young dads involved in the project
• Build and maintain relationships with academic, statutory and voluntary sector partners
• Work with the Business Development Manager to help secure longer-term Local Authority funding for Dad Vocates, using evidence of impact from the project to support conversations with Local Authorities and expand the project’s reach beyond the areas and targets in the original funding bid
• Represent NEYDL and the Dad Vocates project at external meetings, networks and conferences
• Contribute to NEYDL’s wider communications and engagement activity 10.
• Other
• Deputise for the CEO as required
• Report to the Board of Trustees in person or in writing on a quarterly basis as required 11.
• Standard clauses
• The post holder must carry out their responsibilities at all times with due regard to NEYDL’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, policy and statement, and Safeguarding Policy
• The post holder is responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures relating to health and safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times
• The post holder must respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically and by other means, in line with NEYDL’s Data Protection Policy
• This role requires satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance prior to appointment
• This job description is not exhaustive.

NEYDL reserves the right to reasonably add to or revise it at any time in agreement with the post holder.