Planning and Delivery Manager

Purpose of the role

To lead, develop and support a high-performing community-based development team that grows and strengthens Kinship’s peer support groups and wider community connections.
To drive continued, inclusive growth and outreach through relationship building, and working with the Hub to ensure existing peer support groups are sustainable and independent – able to thrive without direct staff involvement or attendance.
To provide strong, boundaried and compassionate people leadership, clear planning and quality assurance, consistent use of case management systems (Salesforce) across the team, and high-quality impact evidence through regular reporting.
To act as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead, contributing as an active member of the safeguarding team and strengthening safeguarding culture and practice across peer support and community, and Kinship.
To ensure we are effectively using systems to monitor our performance and understand our impact.

Peer support group development and sustainability

• Accountable for the set-up, growth and transition of peer support groups to independence supported by the Hub, using clear milestones and support plans.
• Responsible for ensuring volunteer group leaders have high-quality training, guidance and ongoing coaching to deliver safe, supportive peer spaces.
• Responsible for embedding strengths-based, trauma-informed approaches and clear boundaries across all peer support activity.
• Responsible for managing external delivery partners or commissioned provision to support growth in specific communities, ensuring quality and delivery to agreed standards.

Inclusive growth, outreach and relationship building

• Accountable for the identification and nurture of new group leaders and volunteers, ensuring groups are welcoming, accessible and inclusive.
• Accountable for ensuring a proactive outreach approach that builds relationships with kinship carers and local partners, prioritising under-served areas and communities, ensuring that learning is captured and shared across the team to build further confidence and competence in supporting under-served communities (minoritised ethnic kinship carers).
• Collaborate with Policy and Communications and other colleagues to help support and develop local engagement and promotion tools.
• Work closely with the Hub and Peer Support Community Innovation Manager to maintain active relationships with existing groups, including in-person visits where appropriate, ensuring they feel connected to Kinship and have the resources they need.

Planning, delivery and continuous improvement

• Accountable for the creation and development of plans and maintain clear project plans, growth pipelines and roadmaps and ways of working that support consistent delivery across the peer support and community offer.
• Responsible for developing, reviewing and ‘manualise’ processes, training materials and toolkits so practice is clear, shared and easy to embed across the team.
• Accountable for quality assurance across the development team, including regular checks on delivery standards and group sustainability.
• Responsible for the creation of feedback loops and learning cycles so insights from carers, volunteers, partners and staff drive service improvement.

Salesforce, monitoring, impact and reporting

• Champion consistent, accurate use of Salesforce across the team, including training, support and clear expectations for timely and high-quality records.
• Accountable for defining, monitoring and reporting against KPIs and outcomes, producing regular internal performance reporting and external reporting for funders and partners as required.
• Use data and insight (alongside qualitative feedback and case studies) to evidence impact, identify trends and inform decision making and improvement.
• Accountable for compliance with data protection and GDPR requirements, ensuring these are embedded in all data collection, storage and reporting processes.

Staff leadership and line management

• Responsible for the line management of Senior Peer Support Officers, supporting them to lead and develop their teams effectively, including other roles that may arise in the future.
• Responsible for the provision of high-quality supervision, coaching and pastoral support, building confidence, capability and good professional curiosity and judgement.
• Responsible for setting clear objectives and expectations, support staff wellbeing, and hold accountability for delivery standards and documentation.
• Responsible for providing strong induction, learning and development plans, and contribute to a psychologically safe, high-performing team culture.

Partnership working across Kinship and with external stakeholders

• Responsible for managing interdependencies and ensure clear communications and collaboration so delivery is joined up and responsive.
• Represent Kinship confidently and professionally with external stakeholders, building partnerships that support outreach, volunteer development and group sustainability.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues responsible for volunteering, participation, digital delivery and policy and campaigns to strengthen the overall carer experience.

Safeguarding leadership

As a deputy safeguarding lead at Kinship, your specific roles and responsibilities will include:

• Helping colleagues plan for and manage risks, including sign-off for risk assessments.
• Providing reflection and support for colleagues for areas of emerging risks.
• Responding to safeguarding risk and allegations with clear actions and ensuring appropriate records are kept in a responsive and timely way.
• Communicating with other safeguarding leads to identify areas of training for the organisation and identify improvements in delivery or processes.
• To offer cover to other areas of the organisation when other leads are on annual leave.
• To join an on-call rota (to be agreed) for any out-of-hours delivery.
• To ensure all safeguarding data is collected so reports can be provided to SLT and trustees on the effectiveness of our safeguarding processes.
• Support a learning culture to ensure staff feel able to develop knowledge and are confident in embedding excellent safeguarding practice and our policies.
• Joint organisational responsibility for our safeguarding practice and culture.
• Required to complete a minimum of Level 3 designated person safeguarding lead training and ongoing learning and development to unlock salary remuneration.

General duties

• Act at all times in the best interests of Kinship and in line with our values.
• Participate in team meetings, supervision, appraisals and organisational events.
• Engage in training, reflective practice and ongoing professional development.
• Contribute to organisational initiatives, including activities that raise awareness of kinship care.
• Undertake other reasonable duties required to support the work of the team and organisation.

Peer support, community development and service delivery

• Experience leading peer support, community development, volunteering or relational support services at scale.
• Experience of project management.
• Experience of evaluating the impact of services and projects.
• Proven track record of growing and sustaining community-based groups or networks, including supporting leaders and volunteers to independence.
• Experience embedding strengths-based, trauma-informed approaches, with clear boundaries, risk management and inclusive practice.

Monitoring, impact and performance

• Experience using case management or customer relationships management systems (e.g. Salesforce) and performance data to drive improvement and demonstrate impact.
• Experience developing or contributing to reporting cycles (monthly/quarterly), including combining quantitative insight with learning from carers and volunteers.
• Experience supporting quality assurance and continuous improvement, including building clear processes, toolkits and feedback loops.

Staff leadership and supervision

• Substantial experience of line managing and coaching practitioners or development staff, including reflective supervision and performance management.
• Experience leading high-performing dispersed teams, supporting wellbeing and maintaining consistent delivery standards.
• Experience translating strategy into practical plans, processes and day-to-day delivery.

Safeguarding

• Safeguarding background, including confident decision making, consultation, recording and escalation.
• Trained in safeguarding to Level 3 or willing to work towards.
• Experience acting as a safeguarding lead, deputy lead or key escalation point, contributing to organisational safeguarding culture.
• Experience of supporting colleagues in effectively dealing with safeguarding concerns, including encouraging professional curiosity and ensure quick, effective reporting and follow-up.

Collaboration and partnership working

• Experience building effective relationships with local authorities, voluntary and community organisations and other partners to support outreach and delivery.
• Experience representing a service externally, influencing stakeholders and negotiating practical solutions that improve outcomes for families.

People leadership

• Skilled at creating psychologically safe, reflective environments where staff feel supported and guided.
• Confident at setting expectations, maintaining boundaries and coaching staff to improve.
• Strong ability to model professional behaviours and Kinship’s values.

Planning, systems and delivery grip

• Strong planning skills and attention to detail, with ability to build workable project plans, operational rhythms and clear ways of working.
• Confident designing and embedding systems and processes (including ‘manualisation’) that support consistent delivery and learning.
• Good data literacy and confidence using technology to improve effectiveness, efficiency and impact evidence. behaviours and Kinship’s values.

Communication and relationship building

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to represent Kinship professionally.
• Skilled at building rapport quickly with staff, partners, volunteers and kinship carers.
• Able to communicate insight clearly to inform operational and strategic decisions.

General characteristics and attributes

• A real commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion within your role
• A respectful approach to working with people from a range of backgrounds
• Understanding of safeguarding particularly around vulnerable families
• Commitment to the values, aims and objectives of Kinship
• Flexible and willing to travel for work across England, including overnight stays
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Permission to work in the UK

• Lived experience of kinship care
• Understanding of trauma-informed approaches
• Demonstratable experience using Salesforce (our CRM) and Notion (manualisation platform)
• Experience of using project management tools, such as Asana
• Demonstrable experience of delivering government-funded or commissioned services and reporting to funders