West Dartmoor Mission Community Administrator, Minute Secretary, & Safeguarding Officer

Our Administrator has started a new business venture which means that she is stepping back from her role as Mission Community Administrator.

We are looking for someone who can fulfil this role. The role will require you to undertake our safer recruiting procedures including a DBS check.

Please contact Revd Preb Nick Shutt if you would like to apply for the position. Closing date 31 July.

Here is the Role description – please don’t be put off by the length – I know it looks like the Archangel Gabriel should be applying but please do consider the role:

West Dartmoor Mission Community Administrator, Minute Secretary, & Safeguarding Officer

Purpose

As a post holder working for the Mission Community Council and reporting to the Rector, you will be working primarily from your own home but also at the Mission Community office at St. Paul’s Yelverton.
The post holder is responsible for providing a range of secretarial and administrative duties to ensure the smooth running of these busy Church of England parishes and for providing administrative and secretarial support to all churches mainly, but not exclusively at Mission Community level.
The Rector is keen to see the streamlining of procedures in the parishes of the Mission Community, in order to maximise collaboration, economies of scale and effective communication, while continuing to honour the distinctive ethos of each church community.
The Post Holder will be the key person responsible for Safeguarding Administration across the Mission Community.

Job Description

The administrator will be responsible for the following:

General

To provide administrative support to the Rector and secretarial support to the other clergy and officers of the church in connection with Mission Community business.
To staff the parish office at regular weekly hours, dealing with emails and enquiries from callers, answering or forwarding correspondence, and passing on messages.
To develop and maintain an efficient and accessible church office system – including paper filing and PC filing, as well as managing password protected data in accordance with data protection legislation
To create and maintain secure databases to be used for congregational mailings, communications and diocesan returns.
To develop and maintain efficient, effective and open communications systems across the parishes, using traditional and electronic means. (Website, Mailing lists, email groups, social networking inc Facebook & Twitter etc.)
To manage and account for a small quantity of petty cash.
To provide such other secretarial and administrative tasks as required from time to time by the Rector.
To develop and maintain environmentally-friendly practices in the office environment.
To order supplies for both the parish office and the Mission Community – including arranging maintenance of printer/photocopiers – and to order service requisites (wafers, wine, candles etc.) as requested.
Where necessary, to apportion costs (e.g. of photocopying, or supplies) between the parishes and issue invoices for payment to suppliers or reimbursement to Treasurer.
To implement Health and Safety Procedures.

Paperwork & Publicity

To prepare and distribute duty rotas for the Mission Community, with input from various sources. (This will include electronic delivery to the appropriate church officers.)
To assist in reviewing the Website to ensure it is kept up to date and relevant
To maintain Church diaries for the Mission Community online, to include services and events.
To produce and distribute attractive and clearly laid-out service sheets for the Churches – for Mission Community Services and for special occasions.
To collate and produce weekly Church notices with input from various sources – and publicise, where appropriate, across the churches.
To design and produce publicity and posters for Church events.
To design and produce other Church literature, as requested.

Occasional Offices:

To keep accurate records of baptism and wedding bookings.
To maintain accurate records of Funerals to enable on-going care of the bereaved
To maintain smooth running of administration for weddings – e.g. reading of banns, preparation of registers and quarterly returns to Registrar [if requested by the Rector].

Safeguarding

To be the Mission Community Safeguarding Officer responsible for all areas of administration in relation to our safeguarding and safer recruitment procedures including all paperwork relating to DBS checks
To report to the Rector not less than every 6 months or as required and audit the safeguarding files to ensure compliance with our procedures.

Mission Community Council & Committees

To attend and take minutes at Mission Community Council meetings.
To support the PCC Secretaries in dealing with correspondence arising from their role – including typing up and sending letters.
To produce and duplicate minutes and any extra papers as required for Mission Community Council Meetings, and to distribute them in electronic form at least 10 days before the meeting.
To store and archive copies of agendas, minutes and other Mission Community Council paperwork in an appropriate and accessible fashion.
To ensure the smooth running of the Annual Parochial Church Meeting, by becoming familiar with the timetable for preparation and ensuring that all necessary paperwork, notices etc are produced, distributed and displayed at the appropriate time.
To support the Rector, Church Wardens, Treasurers, PCC Secretaries and other contributors by typing up and collating the Annual Review and other reports in the appropriate format.
To assist Electoral Roll Officers in reviewing, compiling, publishing and circulating the Electoral Roll as required

Key Working Relationships:

The Rector will be the post-holder’s line manager. The post-holder will be expected to meet on a weekly basis with the Rector either at the Rector’s home or at the parish office to plan work priorities and to “synchronise diaries”
The post-holder will be expected to liaise with the Church Wardens, Treasurers and PCC Secretaries in the normal course of his or her work.

Expenses

The post-holder is not an employee. The payment of expenses is made without deduction of NIC or PAYE and it is the duty of the post-holder to advise HMRC and to be responsible for liabilities in that regard if they arise
Expenses of £2,400 are paid as an acknowledgement that the post-holder’s computer equipment, broadband, telephone and own home will be used from time to time to discharge the duties of the post.

West Dartmoor Mission Community Person specification

Personal Skills

Excellent planning, time management and organisational skills
An eye for detail and high work standards
Confidence to see and get on with doing what is within their remit – and the discernment to pass on what is not, to the appropriate person.
Good interpersonal skills – and a friendly and helpful manner both verbally, and in writing
Discretion to respect confidentiality
A willingness to learn from mistakes, to accept constructive criticism and, if necessary, to undertake training
Willingness and ability to travel between churches (e.g. to drop off service sheets, consult registers, deliver service requisites etc.)
An ability to “see the big picture” – to encourage and initiate good communication and collaborative working across the parishes.
An ability to pick up and work with new concepts quickly – and to develop creative solutions as problems arise.
A Christian faith – or at least to be in sympathy with Christian values.

Technical skills and knowledge

A quick and competent grasp of word processing (MS Word) database use (MS Excel) and Church Support Hub
Confidence using Internet, web storage (Cloud) and email technology.
Skill and experience in using MS Word to produce publicity materials, manipulate images, and produce booklets.
Familiarity with mail merge techniques in MS Word
Previous experience in a secretarial / administrative role
Familiarity with the referencing system of the Bible, with the Church’s liturgical calendar, and commonly used terms
A working knowledge of the Church of England, both its public worship and organisational structure, and in sympathy with its mission and aims

Hours & Payment:

The post-holder will be paid expenses of £2,400 per annum by bank transfer, monthly in arrears, and will be responsible for arranging their own tax and NI contributions, if necessary.
Hours as Parish Administrator are to average 5/6 per week – at least 2 of which must be a regular weekly daytime session in the parish office – day and time to be agreed with the Rector. The remaining 3/4 hours are flexible and may be worked from home if desired – but include the PCC Minute Secretary responsibilities below.
The Mission Community Minute Secretary responsibilities will require a further 4 evenings (usually 2 hours max) every quarter to attend and take minutes at MCC meetings, plus a meeting in the autumn when the MCC reviews its aims and objectives (may be daytime or evening – again usually 2 hours max)
Attendance at occasional extraordinary MCC meetings may be requested on an ad hoc basis.