National Leader, L'Arche UK

Job Description

Use your leadership skills to serve a remarkable charity where people with and without learning disabilities build community together to help make society kinder and more human.This is a role in which you will provide leadership to LArche UK, help make society kinder and more human, and you can expect to be profoundly changed too.LArche is a worldwide federation of people, with and without learning disabilities, working together for a world where all belong. We believe that people with learning disabilities have much to teach us and contribute to the world.In the UK there are 10 communities where 258 adults with learning disabilities, 550 employed members and more than 250 volunteers with and without learning disabilities create vibrant places of welcome, belonging and celebration. LArche communities are incubators for a model of change: Mutual relationships lived across differences like disability, ethnicity, faith traditions and education transform us to become partners together in our mission to make society kinder and more human.Within the context of shared life together, each of our communities also offer high quality, person-centred support for our members with learning disabilities enabling them to lead fulfilling and empowered lives.We go beyond supporting peoples basic needs to attend to their emotional and spiritual lives, too.It is this focus on building ongoing relationships and cultivating friendship and belonging with all our members, not just those with learning disabilities, that makes us different from other service providers. We are committed to the personal growth and development of all our members.LArche is unique, with faith and inclusive community values at our heart. We are rooted in our Christian faith, and welcoming to people of all faith and none.This appointment is being made in a challenging context: reductions in statutory funding; Brexit, a global pandemic that has created complex operational challenges; and the report into Jean Vaniers historical abuses of his position.So while 2020 is perhaps one of the most challenging years in our history, LArche Communities across the UK have responded in extraordinary ways: finding new ways to communicate and sustain community digitally, raising money to make up shortfalls in statutory funding, ensuring that we have effectively managed Covid infections and facing up to our international founders failings.The work we have been doing over the last five years to strengthen our governance, develop clearer lines of authority and stronger accountability has been tested and accelerated. The quality of our care and support is better than ever before. It is an immensely exciting time to join and take the organisation forward.We seek a person of unique quality, someone who:

can further enhance collaboration across LArche UK and Internationally;

can raise the profile of LArche and strengthen the impact of our mission in partnership with people with disability across the UK;

embodies LArches fundamental principles in the way they live and lead, and inspire others to do the same.

The outcome will be a renewed unity around our mission, a society that recognises the gifts that people with disability bring and a better resourced network. This will require a leader with integrity, conviction and empathy. Someone who has outstanding ambassadorial, strategic and communication qualities. And someone who is thirsty for our mission and values as the role will ask more of you and change you more than any other role you have encountered.If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. Please find the job pack which includes details of how to apply attached. Applications to be received by 15th October.