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The Love Tank CIC – London, UK
Under-the-radar (UTR) Vaccine Programme Coordinator
Start date – January 2023 (6-month post)
0.8 FTE
Overview
We’re looking for an exceptionally well-organised programme coordinator to lead our work on under-the-radar and community monkeypox vaccination. Based in London, the programme will work in collaboration with other community organisations, sexual health clinics, local authorities, commissioners, other NHS partners, and events and venues to implement community vaccination events. The successful candidate will be able to multi task, whilst remaining focused. They will need to be able to navigate the settings in which the vaccination events will take place (including sex on premises venues), and understand the needs of and be able to connect with the key target groups of this programme – including queer men of colour, and queer migrants.
As a lived experience organisation, we urge and encourage applications from those who have experience of, and are from, the communities that this programme of work is most seeking to serve.
Some background
Over the summer of 2022 a number of monkeypox super-vaccination events took place in London, as well as vaccination via routine sexual health services. Research shows that key groups of eligible people were less likely to take up monkeypox vaccination at the super-vax events, or through clinics. This included queer men of colour, queer migrants (including those who do not have English as a first language), some trans and non-binary people, people who are not ‘out’ about the sex they are having, people not linked-in to (sexual) health services, and people without secure housing.
In response, a number of community vaccination events were held, that took vaccination to community settings and events. These included ‘under-the-radar’ events: events where vaccination was not pre-announced or advertised in advanced. In addition, outreach has been undertaken that links people through to specific clinics, via booking systems and processes that allow fast-track access to vaccination.
This programme of work – and the new coordinator role - takes the UTR and community vaccination on to its next phase.
What the Programme Coordinator will do
- The UTR Programme Coordinator will work with a wide range of partners to organise and coordinate UTR and community vaccination events in London for key target groups including those listed in the background section above. Note: the coordinator will NOT administer vaccines
- This activity will involve working with and liaising with vaccinators, venues, and other community-based organisations. Vaccination events might take place in settings such as sex on premises venues; commercial venues; parties; social and community events; and in specific clinical settings
- The programme will involve coordinating vaccination events where there are a lot of moving parts – and sometimes several events a week
- The coordinator will liaise with and work with other borough-wide and pan-London outreach programmes, to ensure joined-up and non-duplicative activity
- It will be necessary to liaise with venue and events, ensuring that appropriate spaces are available for vaccination, and ensuring key health and safety areas are covered
- The coordinator will attend vaccination events – or ensure that other appropriate community outreach staff attend – to provide information, support, and onward referral to other (health) services as necessary
- The post holder will undertake outreach and activity to promote community vaccination events, and/or specific vaccination clinics
- The coordinator will attend multi-agency meetings, and report on progress and learning of the programme to key stakeholders, including funders and partner organisations
- They will keep records of programme activity, and collate and distribute case-studies from vaccination events and activity
- The post holder will attend weekly staff meetings of The Love Tank, and other necessary meetings and events
- They will be familiar with and adhere to all necessary organisation and statutory procedures and policies, including safe-guarding policies, and confidentiality and professional boundary policies
What the Programme Coordinator will be able to do (knowledge, skills, experience, ability)
- Experience of coordinating stakeholders to plan and implement events, including community-based events
- Good programme planning skills, including meeting milestones and deadlines, and the ability to be focused, and solution orientated
- Excellent verbal communication skills
- Ability to take initiative and self-manage
- Ability to engage with diverse ranges of people in a supportive and non-judgemental way
- Ability to be empathetic, calm and reassuring to those with concerns or anxieties such as about needles or vaccination
- Knowledge of, and/or the ability to reach into the ‘scenes’, venues, and settings in which the key target groups can be encountered, and to be comfortable working in a wide range of settings
- Knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, key information about monkeypox; vaccines; sexual health services; and referral pathways to NHS and other relevant services
- Good understanding of the needs of key groups of queer people, and the importance of addressing health inequalities
- It is advantageous for the post-holder to have lived experience of the challenges of accessing health services, and to have lived experience as a member of one, or more, of the groups listed in the background section above
- Verbal fluency in one or more language other than English will also be advantageous, particularly Portuguese or Spanish
An applicant will need to have the right to work in the UK to be offered this post
Where and when you’ll do it
As this is a London based programme, the postholder will need to be based in or close to London for much of the work. The role will involve a lot of evening and weekend working. We have hot-desk space in Farringdon for at least 2 days a week (more if virtual working is not possible). Access to the office space is up two flights of stairs (no lift), and work in venues and events will involve regular use of stairs, and sometimes working in venues with low light and loud music levels.
Salary and benefits
The annual salary for this 0.8 FTE post is £35,200 (pro rata). We pay 3% employer pension contributions, provide monthly staff support grants towards well-being (e.g. therapy), and 25 days of paid leave per year (pro rata) plus statutory bank holidays. Travel remuneration is provided between work sites. This is a 6-month post.
What to do next
If you’re interested in applying for this post please email an up-to-date CV (resume) to hello@prepster.info putting the job title in the email Subject line. Please do NOT use a photograph on your CV.
In addition, please briefly answer the following question and send your response, along with your CV.
Based on the knowledge, skills, experience and ability section above, outline in no more than 2 pages, why you are suitable for this post.
Please send this information by no later than 1700 on Monday 5 December 2022.
What happens next
We recognise that applying for posts can be time consuming and stressful – we want to do our best to keep these to a minimum. You are taking time to apply, and we want to ensure that we’re as clear as possible about the time scales for shortlisting, interviews, and follow-up.
We will read all applications and aim to shortlist within 48 hours of the deadline.
If you have not been shortlisted, we will contact you by email and let you know. If there is a delay in shortlisting, beyond 48 hours, we will also let you know.
If you have been shortlisted, we will contact you by email and provide you with a time for a short online interview. If there is a delay in shortlisting, beyond 48 hours, we will also let you know.
During this interview, you will be asked to respond to a number of questions. We will provide you with those questions at least 24 hours in advance of the interview.
Following interview, if you are not appointed for the post we will contact you – either by email or phone – to let you know. We aim to do this within 24 hours of the interview taking place. We will be able to provide short feedback on why you were not appointed, if this is helpful to you.
In some circumstances we may ask shortlisted candidates to undertake a further interview and/or to undertake a further interview task.
If we would like to take you through to the next stage we will contact you – either by email or phone – to let you know. We aim to do this within 24 hours of the interview taking place. We will ask you to provide two current references for us to contact, and will only be able to offer a contract of employment once those references have been received. A recent DBS certificate will also be required.
If you are not successful for this post, we will delete your CV and application within 6 months of application. Your information (including your email) will not be kept or stored on any of our systems after this time.