My Job Matters – 2019
Image by Daniele Riggi, Unsplash
The 10th June 2019 marks ‘My Job Matters Day’, a campaign by Social Enterprise UK that recognises the moments within our working lives that really make a difference to our service users across the third sector.
We all make a difference, delivering our social mission, those impactful outcomes and changing sociality and lives for the better. We asked our teams to share their perspectives and the ways they make a difference, big and small to mark the day.
Two of our Contract Performance Managers shared the ways their roles make a difference to our partners:
“My role as a Contract Performance Manager has allowed me to work with many partners over the last 5 years on many contracts… by listening and discussing the support with my partners it has given me some wonderful opportunities to be able to share best practice within the supply chain. One example is where a partner engaged with an organisation called the ‘Lions Club’ who happily donated a free laptop for the customer and also provided part funding towards the IT software that is required.
This good practice was shared, and the end result meant that the customers can become more independent in job searching and IT use for future employment etc.”
“One of our partners found a funding opportunity for a new project at the last minute. We worked with them for 2 days intensively to ensure the bid went in on time for an innovative and new service offer. It was very challenging but the passion and determination the team showed meant we were committed to getting it in on time, to a high standard and to give the teams the best chance of changing so many more lives.”
3SC is part of the Purple Futures Partnership managing organisations that provide services to help stop re-offending across the five CRCs. One of our team stated:
“We support a family service contract to family members of service users who are on an Intensive Community Order (ICO). Every 6 months a family forum is held where the families are invited to share their experiences, stories and the difference that the team has made to their lives through their interventions. Some of the circumstances or issues that families are having to deal with can be quite complex and heart-warming to listen to. This is where I can clearly see, especially through my audits, the contribution that 3SC brings in ensuring we deliver a quality service that benefits these family members and wider society through the social impact of our interventions that also prevent other statutory agencies having to get involved or working with them to reduce their involvement, e.g. children’s services etc.”
Some of the comments from the family members are as follows:
“Our support worker is helping me as much as she possibly can”
“My problems are now halved”
“It is just about having someone to talk too”
“At first, I didn’t feel I needed them, but by the 3rd appointment he helped me. He listened and understood. He is easy to talk too. He understands about Autism”
“I get moral support and I need that”
“I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have Jane”
“Steve has given me so much help with housing, he has built my confidence”
“Its private, I don’t feel judged”
“I feel like a weight has been lifted”
One of our other Senior Contract Performance Managers on our Transforming Rehabilitation contract shares his perspective;
“My job matters because – I feel I am in a position to influence the growth of small organisations and support opportunities that ensure their businesses/services have a better chance of being accepted and contracted by Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) This gives me a great sense of purpose and satisfaction within my role as a Senior Contract Performance Manager. I engage with innovative services such as equine therapy, family value programmes and arts and drama programmes. These are far from the normal intervention that assist in the rehabilitation of men and women who have committed offences and are serving community sentences in the community. These small innovative services are key to supporting ex-offenders to a position where they are able to improve their chances of positive change, engage effectively with their relationships and settle in their local communities. A win-win for me as I see the positive outcomes from all sides.”
Of course, our contracts don’t run without back office support and that is where our Operations Co-Ordinators come in:
“Working for 3SC as an Operations Co-Ordinator means that I have heavy involvement in the IT aspects of contract delivery, ranging from the design, user interface and management of databases and web portals. One of the key aspects we focus on for contract delivery is the implementation of IT as a simple and robust IT solution can contribute to a much greater and effective result on the contract. It can also provide a much more streamlined experience for customers and service end users.
When designing what we call “Web Portals”, which is effectively a contract management system, I place keen attention and detail on the user interface and the type of individuals that will be interacting with it. By creating each web portal bespoke for each contract, we can allow for changes to be made to streamline the service based upon the requirements of the contract and the organisations using it.
Having a robust, effective and streamlined IT solution in this modern era does not only have an impact on major tasks but also minor ones. The effects of which can be felt by not only users but also individuals whom are receiving support from the users.
By focusing on the user’s needs and the requirements on the contract, we can create a web portal that is both minimalistic and easy to use. Doing so results in only the relevant information being presented, allowing quick access to the information that organisations and customers require. Using a minimalistic approach allows users to easily pick up and navigate the system, making it quicker to not only update information but also complete various requirements on contracts. The less time spent on admin related duties such as this, the more time that can be spent on meeting the customer’s needs and providing them with a high-quality service. Delivering a higher quality service as a result leads to better outcomes for customers and improves the skills they learn from the contract.
For example, helping customers gain employment. By spending less time on admin related tasks, advisors can spend more time face-to-face with customers helping them with job search, improving interview skills, improving soft-skills and other needs for the customer. The customer will therefore have more tools at their disposal to help them ascend through day to day and lifetime goals effectively.”
Finally:
“On the strategic side, the launches of our papers at Westminster and at the Senedd displayed the important role we play in trying to steer government in the correct direction, reminding them of their duty towards the greater social good is imperative. The alternative is a move towards using large commercial multinationals rather than the focussed, expert, mission driven local third sector. The current political climate is volatile, and our sector’s voice is more important than ever. I’m proud to be a part of an organisation that stands up for what is right and fights to make the biggest social impact it can for service users and for our members.”
To find out more about how you can contribute go to Membership.
Gareth Snaith, Contract Performance Manager, 3SC