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Jobs at Speaking Up

Speaking Up is working to give disabled people across the UK a voice and control over their lives so that they can move away from a position of disadvantage and exclusion.

If you believe in our approach and in helping people with learning difficulties, mental health problems and disabilities to play a leading role in shaping their life then Speaking Up could be the ideal organization for you to work for.

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Current Vacancies

Speaking Up is based in a variety of locations around the country and often has opportunities in a variety of different projects.

If you like what you've read about working for us, take a look at our current vacancies and see if any are appropriate for you.

If there are no suitable positions at the moment, keep an eye on these pages as our vacancies change regularly and there will be more opportunities advertised soon.

Please note that we do not accept CVs as part of our recruitment process - you will need to complete our application form.

If you would like an easy-read or audio application pack, or would like to apply for a job using other formats such as DVD or audio please contact:
Laura.Wedd@speakingup.org

Working At Speaking Up

As an Investor in People organization, Speaking Up provides its staff with access to a range of training and personal development opportunities, including a comprehensive induction programme, and a tailored four-day professional training course for all staff joining us as Advocates. Each staff member is encouraged to complete a personal development plan that is appropriate to them.

Each year Speaking Up runs a staff conference called the 'Big Day Out' which provides staff with personal development opportunities, the chance to network with colleagues and trustees from across the nationwide Speaking Up team as well as having a fun day out with dinner and evening entertainment provided.

In terms of financial benefits, we offer competitive salaries and contribute an additional 5% of a staff member's salary into a group stakeholder pension scheme, to which the staff member can make additional contributions if they choose.

Our Recruitment Process

Speaking Up is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all groups within the community.

Speaking Up encourages all applicants to complete the equal opportunities form when applying to enable us to monitor how effective we are in attracting people from all areas of the community.

The 2007 staff survey revealed that employees at Speaking Up felt that the organization recruits to a very high standard. In order to ensure this, we use a two stage interview process for most positions.

Stage 1:

This is an initial interview usually lasting around 30 minutes and is a chance for the organization to get to know you better and for you to understand more about the role. You will be asked a variety of questions relating to your experience and the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification for the role.

Stage 2:

This stage usually comprises a panel interview, which often includes one or more service users, together with the line manager for the role, a member of the Senior Management Team, and often, members of the team you would be working directly with. For senior management positions, a member of our board of Trustees will also be on the interview panel.

We involve service user volunteers in the recruitment process for all our roles, in order to gain their opinions about how you would perform in the role. At this second stage you will often be asked either to carry out a practical task on the day, working with service users, or to prepare and deliver a presentation for which service users will be members of the audience.

Other details you need to be aware of:
When looking at our current vacancies please pay close attention to the closing date and interview dates. Although Speaking Up tries to be flexible in these areas it is often difficult or not possible for us to accept late applications or to change interview dates, particularly where a panel of interviewers has been arranged.

If you submit your application and meet the criteria for the position we will contact you shortly after the closing date for an interview. We do try to contact all applicants even if they are not successful, however if you have not heard from us by the first interview date you can assume that you have been unsuccessful in your application.

All successful applicants will be required to complete a Criminal Records Bureau check and all offers of employment will be subject to this and a minimum of two employment references.

Our robust recruitment process helps Speaking Up ensure that we recruit fantastic staff with the right skills to ensure that Speaking Up will continue to deliver services at a high standard.

If you have any questions or comments about our recruitment process please contact the Human Resources Department at 1a Fortescue Road, Cambridge, CB4 2JS or 01223 566213 / 214 or email recruitment@speakingup.org.

Opportunities for people with learning difficulties, mental health problems and disabilities

Speaking Up particularly welcomes applications from people with a disability, or direct experience of mental health problems or learning difficulties, as this helps us to ensure that we put people with disabilities at the centre of the work we do.

At least 26% of our paid staff and a third of our trustee board consider themselves to have a disability or have personal experience of mental health problems.

When applying for roles, your personal experience and / or knowledge of disability will be seen as an advantage.

Please contact us if you would like to apply for a job with us, and you would like to receive information in a different format, such as large-print or easy-read.

Speaking Up currently has several members of staff who we employ through the government's permitted working scheme. This scheme is a benefit arrangement which allows people who are in receipt of incapacity benefit because of illness or disability, to test their own capacity for doing some work and perhaps gain new skills.

Kerry works for Speaking Up Next Steps as a Peer Coach supporting people on the Next Steps course. She works about 15 hours each month and can still claim her benefits as the money she gets paid is at the Government's Permitted Earnings limit. Kerry's salary is paid into her bank account and she gets a payslip showing how much she has earned from Speaking Up each month.

Speaking Up also has a variety of voluntary opportunities for people with learning difficulties, mental health problems and disabilities. Volunteering can be a good way to learn new skills and gain confidence. Having a disability does not prevent you from learning and achieving a great deal and volunteering can be one way to do this.

Michael works for Speaking Up Next Steps as a volunteer, writing booklets for people with learning difficulties. He works for around half a day each week and he doesn't get paid. He is still an important member of the team and he gets to learn new skills and meet new people.

If you are interested in volunteering for Speaking Up please contact us and we will try to find an opportunity to suit you.

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