The Inclusive Workforce Lead is a new role at Active Partners Trust (APT). It will play a key role in enabling the Making our Move plan. More specifically, the role will help us progress on the work set out within our Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) and the ambition to: 

‘Build a diverse *workforce that understands and is reflective of the communities we work with and develop the skills of this workforce to be confident, competent and committed to inclusive and equitable practice.’  

*What we mean by ‘workforce’ – within this work we are focusing on our delivery workforce that includes anyone leading physical activity sessions, classes or groups. For example, this could be walk leaders, Zumba instructors or football coaches and these might be paid or unpaid roles.  

This role will focus on people and communities who experience the greatest inequality and where this overlaps with different communities of people. We understand for example that people from culturally diverse backgrounds, those living with health conditions and/or disabilities and females are underrepresented in our delivery workforce. We also understand that this connects with how likely these communities of people are in being active.   

If you’re passionate about addressing inequalities and physical inactivity, we welcome your application. We encourage people to join our organisation with from all walks of life you don’t need to have worked in the sport and physical activity sector to work for us. Disabled people and those from culturally diverse communities are underrepresented in our workforce and are particularly encouraged to apply. For this role, we are encouraging those with lived experience and a level of understanding of the communities we are focusing on to apply. We would like to work alongside this person to make the most of the opportunity that this role provides.    

*What we mean by ‘lived experience’ – the knowledge and understanding that you get when you have personally lived or living through something e.g. someone who lives with a physical health condition and has personal experience of how that impacts their life.   

The Inclusive Workforce Lead will have the following areas of responsibility: 

• Lead our work across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in specific neighbourhoods experiencing the greatest inequalities; to understand how accessible it is to be part of the delivery workforce. In these neighbourhoods, there are often multiple factors (e.g. ethnicity, gender, culture, faith, low income, disability) that contribute to inequality and inactivity. 

• Use insight gained to work alongside organisations to help diversify and retain the existing workforce and develop confidence and competence around inclusive practice.    

It is important that we consider the *intersectionality of these groups and protected characteristics and how this impacts people’s lives. We will be working in communities where these groups are intersecting.  

The Inclusive Workforce Lead needs to seek to understand our communities, connect with people and enable change.  

What you will do  

Grow our understanding of people and communities 

• Work with our team and partners to build relationships with community organisations, in our neighbourhoods to develop our understanding about what supports or stops people being part of the delivery workforce.  

• Capture what you are seeing and hearing through written updates. Share this insight internally and externally with local partners.     

Support and develop people and organisations  

• Encourage and enable people to be involved in designing workforce development opportunities that are right for them. For example, this might be formal or informal training.  

• Work alongside organisations and groups to develop their approach to creating inclusive delivery and recruiting a workforce that represents their community.    

• Create opportunities for community organisations to share their experiences together. For example, this might involve bringing different partners together and facilitating group discussions that help bring out this learning.  

• Share this learning with APT colleagues and local partners to help improve future approaches. For example, working with the APT marketing team to create a story that shares an approach to diversifying the workforce. 

Target and align investment 

• Support community organisations to focus their time and energy on diversifying their workforce and embedding a culture of inclusive practice through their delivery.    

• Support new and established organisations to apply for funding to help make this work happen. This will involve working alongside APT’s Funding Lead.  

Who we’re looking for: 

Must have  

• Believes in the value of physical activity and is committed to reducing inequalities. 

• Believes in APT’s values and behaviours. 

• Has lived experience of the communities we are focusing on through this work – this could be working with or being part of.  

• Is an excellent communicator – writing and speaking.  

• Is a good listener and good at asking questions.  

• Experience working with different types of people and developing great relationships.   

• Organised, can prioritise and lead own workload.  

• Is self-reflective and self-aware. 

• Understands the value of being humble.  

• Understands the value of learning.  

• Can travel to meetings across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.  

• Has the IT skills to work competently.   

Nice to have 

• Experience leading group discussions. 

• Comfortable working flexibly, sometimes without set plans.  

• Able and willing to challenge positively.  

• An understanding of inclusive recruitment practices.  

If you want to find out more about the role to help you decide whether to apply, you are welcome to email Rachael.Dyer@activepartnerstrust.org.uk