Operations Support Manager for Cymru, North Staffordshire and HampshireWorking closely with the National Operations Manager, to lead, manage and motivate a team of delivery staff to ensure the effective delivery and quality of services across Relate National. Contribute to the management, monitoring and reporting for all aspects of activity and performance (including financial targets and measures) within a given set of services and geographical area. Develop relationships and alliances with critical stakeholders, and be prepared to act as spokesperson. Support the National Operations Manager in developing and growing quality driven, cost effective and profitable Relate services.

Choose2Change is a Domestic Abuse Intervention Service, offering a perpetrator programme and parallel partner support service across North Wales. Our key priority is to increase the safety of victims and children who are, or have been, experiencing domestic abuse. Perpetrators that we work with are offered an opportunity to attend a group work programme to address their abusive behaviour to reduce the risk of further abuse in their relationship. As a Facilitator, I run weekly group sessions with male perpetrators, with the course running for approximately 24 weeks. In that time, 12 different modules are covered, and work is undertaken through group discussions, role plays, sharing experiences, board storming, and presentations.

My role involved overseeing a number of projects, line managing staff involved in those projects and conducting regular reviews, completing regular reports, as well as undertaking promotional activities, attending meetings, conferences and assisting the Chief Executive in several other aspects. I also had first aid and fire marshal duties, translation work, annual leave authorisation and completing staff weekly schedules. The projects I managed in this role included: North Wales Financial Capability Forum – jointly with a colleague at Citizens Advice Ynys Môn, we organized a very successful event at Conwy Business Centre, Llandudno Junction. Organisations and individuals across North Wales who work in the field of financial capability were invited to attend the event under the title of ‘What Could We Do Better?’, with guest speakers from the Assembly Government, Aberconwy Mind, Conwy Housing Solutions, the Trussell Trust, the Illegal Money Lending Unit, and local Citizens Advice offices;Active Inclusion – an ESF project, with the aim of engaging with over 54 year olds who were economically inactive, or individuals over 25 years old living in jobless households;Scams and Rogue Traders – an educational project, delivering workshops to groups regarding the dangers of fraud, and how to protect themselves; Communities First – overseeing the running of open door advice surgeries across the Conwy Communities First areas; Moneywise – a financial capability project, delivering one-to-one and group sessions; Jobs Growth Wales – providing employment opportunities for under 25 year olds; Working Links – a Work Programme project, providing a dedicated advice telephone line to Working Links clients; Conwy Housing Solutions – providing advice to Conwy Housing Solutions clients; Flood & Storm Damage project – providing support and advice specifically for people whose properties have been affected by flood or storm damage.

On a part-time basis, I worked at the Halfway House public house in the capacity of bar person and waiter. I managed the pub when the owners were away on leave, dealing with reservations on the hotel side of the business, cashing off the tills at the end of the night and organizing till floats for the next working day. I also organised and ran a monthly karaoke night at the pub. This employment ended due to the building being sold on to a property developer.

In the role of Team Manager, I led a successful team of bilingual customer service officers delivering outstanding service to a wide range of customers, answering enquiries and dealing with customer complaints for the Welsh call centre of the NatWest Bank, and achieving their individual targets in sales and customer service. My role also involved delivering daily reports to senior management to tight deadlines, organizing and hosting question and answer sessions between staff and Directors / senior managers, conducting job interviews, undertaking disciplinary interviews, staff appraisals, Building Fire Officer duties, Property Management duties, and First Aid Officer. This employment ended due to redundancy.