Main Purpose of Job

As Head of Diversity & Inclusion you will play a leadership role in creating positive change across the Samaritans family by championing a collaborative approach to Diversity & Inclusion within Samaritans, working closely with staffing and volunteer colleagues across the charity to drive our diversity and inclusion agenda. The postholder will provide central coordination and oversight as well as have direct responsibility for implementation of certain activities and importantly working closely with colleagues to ensure we are collectively committed to achieving transformational change through our next strategy with EDI woven into its fabric.

Key Responsibilities

Diversity and inclusion strategy and planning

• Review progress to date on diversity and inclusion within Samaritans and develop and introduce a short-term plan of action whilst also working with Senior Leadership Group colleagues to ensure the next organisational strategy has EDI integrated throughout

• Provide leadership expertise and guidance as part of the Senior Leadership Group on matters associated with diversity and inclusion

• Support our volunteer leaders in identifying and delivering ways to enhance inclusion and diversity within the volunteer network

• Support our Trustees to identify and introduce a culture of diversity and inclusion accountability at governance level of the organisation

• Work with the HR, planning and performance and finance teams to ensure our work in inclusion and diversity is planned and resourced appropriately

• Working closely with communications colleagues to ensure that EDI is reflected in our internal and external comms

• Work to embed diversity and inclusion appropriately in project and programme management at the charity, to ensure it is at the heart of decision-making

Developing and maintaining our evidence-base

• Lead our organisational approach to defining and measuring the success of inclusion and diversity at Samaritans, ensuring we have the right performance metrics and that these are used to scrutinise and challenge our EDI performance

• Monitor and report on inclusion and diversity and support formal monitoring required by other teams.

Developing networks and communities

• Championing a culture of inclusion throughout the Samaritans family

• Develop and support diversity and inclusion networks and communities at the charity, developing a framework to facilitate this important work within staffing teams and branches • Develop an approach to communicating our work on inclusion and diversity, supporting people to be part of this work and the change we want to create as a charity

• Celebrating diversity through organised events and awareness sessions

Developing capabilities to enable inclusion and diversity

• Ensure diversity assessments of wider organisational practices and processes are in place including EIA

• Creating positive action interventions to support under‐represented groups within Samaritans

• Work with key stakeholders, including the Learning team and HR team, to ensure the identification of learning needs in relation to diversity and inclusion, and support the design and delivery of learning interventions

• Identify areas for collaboration that enable us to benefit from the expertise of others outside of our organisation

• Ensure Samaritans is participating effectively in external events and forums relating to inclusion and diversity, and sharing knowledge and resources with others

General Duties of a Samaritans’ Staff Member

• Adhere to Samaritans’ values, policies, and procedures.

• Treat all colleagues, volunteers, and members of the public with dignity and work within and adhere to Samaritans’ equal opportunities statement and policies.

• Participate, as appropriate, in staff forums and meetings

• Represent Samaritans appropriately across the organisation

• Carry out reasonable requests made that are within the broad remit of the role.

Person Specification Skills, knowledge, and experience

• Experience of diversity and inclusion strategy development and delivery, leading systemic change regarding practice, behaviours and attitudes.

• Experience of influencing and leading change on diversity and inclusion at all levels in an organisation.

• Experience of managing and leading projects, including leading others without authority.

• Strong knowledge of equality legislation and formal guidelines. Fluent in concepts such as power, privilege, unconscious bias and intersectional injustice Personal attributes

• High degree of emotional intelligence coupled with the ability to build trusting respectful relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders

• Skills to influence, motivate and inspire cultural and behaviour change across the charity

• Passionate about creating a fully inclusive environment where people are valued for their unique contribution

• A capacity for innovative thinking and the ability to translate this into meaningful action This job description is a statement of requirements at the time of writing and is not contractual. It should not be seen as precluding future changes after appointment to this role.

• Strategic thinking with the ability to analyse and interpret both written and numerical information and to communicate effectively at all levels, engaging and empowering individuals and team to take appropriate responsibility

• Strong interpersonal skills with a high degree of cultural sensitivity. An example setter in promoting an environment of empathy, dignity and respect and the elimination of bias and discrimination

• Strong team working approach using collaboration to encourage diverse perspectives and a genuine valuing of difference

• An ability to analyse complex data and situations relating to diversity from an organisation perspective

• We especially welcome candidates who bring lived experience