NOT JUST KICKSTARTING , BUT CRUISING ! PIONEERING CHARITY EXPANSION ALL ACROSS DERBYSHIRE

KICKSTARTING YOUNG PEOPLE, THEREFORE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES!

RIVER NETWORK has continued to move forwards with innovation and creative new ways of developing Young People , families and communities. RIVER NETWORK CHARITY, offering information, guidance, signposting & support. Our Board, Leaders and team come with decades of credibility, Professional experience and qualifications. With this experience, heart and local need are looking to expand our services.

A Derbyshire Charity reaching out and helping the community through Christian concern via:

 

We have pioneered and adopted a unique interviewing and presentation, says Terry Eckersley CEO.

We have had to look at new ways of recruiting, inducting, and developing staff , post lock downs and restrictions. If businesses and government has had to and can innovate, how much more should the voluntary sector ?

We advertise and start with Presentation & interview process – We present & explain the ; a. Organisation b. Team , structure, role & opportunities.

An experienced Kickstarter is involved in the process – sharing the journey, experience and opportunity- and taking part in the recruitment and induction process.

After successful candidate is job made offer,  contract is signed by both parties.

Most people are now working on phones and tablets now – most candidates have devices, if the candidate doesn’t we will offer and provide , we are here to offer what’s needed for the highest quality job placement and continuous improvements of this.

The job starts with a mixture of remote , as the last two years have dictated, and in person as restrictions have lifted.

The new employee then starts induction. A follow up call is made, with email. And also Training needs analysis ( TNA ) begins and continued throughout Job Placement- for working with us and also developing and encouraging employability.

The employee is given and supported through a “ Research and administration task “. This covers all the generic aspects and departments of Charity work, not just River Network- also the wider Charity sector. This not only helps the new staff with understanding the sector – this also helps us with understanding the level of admin, presentation, skills etc to inform TNA. Also we are getting people at entry level and degree level and Post Graduate. This written text also helps us with material for funding bids, website, promotion and marketing etc. Exceptional support is given throughout. Templates and past documents are also sent for exceptional and supportive induction.

Whilst this induction is started and progressing we are busy organising and setting up new email accounts, payroll , HR etc with our IT and other departments.

Another induction & now team  meeting is then organised in the local area, consolidating the induction into the organisation and team. Ice breakers take place, TNA is done to make aware of best placements of team members. Lunch is provided by River Network.

At this stage everyone is put on a Community Youth Work course which we have found accessible to all candidates and all candidates completing with lots graduating with higher distinctions. We then start identifying other areas of training and qualifications we can start employees on, again not just for time with us , but always with employability in mind.

We then have  to get everyone DBS checked to work in person with young and vulnerable people. This is a legal requirement before any in person work can take place.

When DBS clearance comes back people are then further trained and supported into in person work in one or more of our departments.

As part of induction and generic nature of role many and varied opportunities are given.

Whilst even in induction we have promoted workers and increased pay.

Executive Assistant  Lauren, who has been promoted twice and reemployed said,” I am really pleased to be a part of this project and looking forward to seeing the final result and build community relationships.”

Community development worker Tasha said “this is an amazing opportunity to help develop within the community”

We have a culture of development.

We have started these Community Development Workers opportunities in very successful projects in two of our pilots in Matlock and Chesterfield- with us acquiring more outside funding at Chesterfield and started additional work.

We can’t just kickstart , we must keep sustainable.

Regular Youth Nights and Community Development Coffee mornings are flourishing , again – seeing whole communities engage and start developing again.

We then have started to duplicate this into  other local  areas. MATLOCK, CHESTERFIELD, ASHBOURNE , ALFRETON, DERBY, GLOSSOP AND BUXTON.

This Development plan allows us to potentially employ the Kickstarter after there contract!  which we have and will , if capability and funding allow this. Two of our Kickstarters have been promoted and already one reemployed!

We also again according to gifting and training,  work with other partners towards personal Community Development.

We are constantly going through TNA and  again have successfully seen our whole workforce develop and thrive with new qualifications and experiences evidenced.

All new staff also go through Media training in our state of the art three TV set studio – in presentation, interviewing, leadership and team building. We also train and give opportunities within and across  our Social Media platforms.

We have and continue to train in Press Media – building on our excellent relationships with the local and wider press, with regular press releases -affirmed and endorsed by our local MP/MPs.  Sarah Dines MP says,  I am absolutely delighted that River Network have employed their first Kickstarter jobs in Matlock. We cannot allow young people to be left behind as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and schemes like this will be vital for creating jobs and giving young people the skills to access them.

Im delighted that the Conservative Government are putting young people are the heart of its plans to build back stronger after the pandemic and I am so glad to see businesses in Derbyshire Dales taking part. Well done River Network!

Leadership, communication and team building days are also part of the induction plan and really help with confidence, communication and team building. These are done again at local, credible outdoor centres such as Lea Green Outdoor Activities Centre.

We have also continued outdoor team  induction at Matlock farm park with our Alternative Education group. Other similar opportunities will avail themselves.

This is what Charities and communities should be doing ! In fact Rishi Sunak Says : I want the next generation to be remembered as the Kickstart generation “

River Network agrees not just in principle but in action .

As in person opportunities have continued to open up – we are now also engaging in new Community Development work initiatives with not just the young and families but the older and wider communities all across Derbyshire and beyond. We are now  operating out of an ever increasing number of areas, venues, community buildings and locations.

We also work with Access training and continue to work with all our Kickstart Employees offering exceptional Employability training  – we continue to go above and beyond.

For partnership and volunteering opportunities please see,

 

https://www.RIVERNETWORKCHARITY.org