About the Role

Fixed Term/Secondment (18 months)

Help shape the future of women's safety in Maidstone

This is not a role that's replacing someone. It's a role that has been created because local people told us change was needed.

Through one of the borough's most significant recent engagement programmes, residents, partners, councillors and community organisations helped shape a new vision for improving women's safety and preventing violence. They shared experiences, challenged assumptions and identified practical actions that could make a real difference in Maidstone.

In response, Maidstone Borough Council and the Safer Maidstone Partnership have developed an ambitious Women's Safety and Violence Prevention Action Plan, secured funding and established strong partnerships to turn those recommendations into action.

Now we need someone to lead that work.

As our Women's Safety and Violence Prevention Lead, you will be responsible for driving delivery across a complex partnership landscape, ensuring commitments translate into meaningful improvements for residents. This is an opportunity to build momentum, influence policy and practice, and help shape how local agencies work together to prevent violence and improve safety.

This 18-month post offers a rare opportunity to take ownership of a high-profile programme at a pivotal stage of its development and leave a lasting legacy for women and girls across Maidstone.

The role is full-time, working 37 hours per week, and offers the benefit of hybrid working, combining office-based and home working in line with business needs.

Flexibility is required to attend external meetings and events, including occasional evening meetings and travel, to represent the council.

About Maidstone Borough Council

Maidstone Borough Council is a confident organisation with ambition and aspirations to deliver high quality services to our residents and local businesses. We strive to make the borough an attractive place for all and secure a successful economy. We continue to build on our strengths - assets, knowledge and expertise and our track record for innovation and improvement to create a financially sustainable future so that we can continue with our undiminished plans.

We will only achieve the results we are aiming for through the talents and hard work of all our people. You are encouraged to become part of our vision and in return you can expect support, training, and fair reward from us. We will give you the opportunity to develop the skills to do your job well and create a positive working environment where your ideas about improving how we do things are valued and we manage the changes needed for new ways of working well.

At Maidstone Borough Council we recognise the importance of flexible working and the benefits this can bring to both our staff and the Council. We know that by offering employees a range of flexible working opportunities we can positively impact their wellbeing and engagement, and drive productivity in return. As such we have developed a highly flexible hybrid working policy, alongside our flexi time and flexible working policies, enabling staff to shape their working patterns around building a greater work life balance.

Our Offer:

A range of benefits including:

Highly flexible hybrid working opportunities
7am to 7pm flexi time to suit personal circumstances for most roles
Generous holiday entitlement which increases after 5 years LG service plus bank holidays with the option to buy additional leave.
Additional 3 days leave given to enable a close down of the offices between Christmas and New year.
Free parking
Range of flexible working opportunities to accommodate people’s home/work life balance including compressed hours, 9-day fortnight, part time.
Invitations to staff events to celebrate success and support wellbeing that include holistic therapies and outdoor activities
Employee Assistance Programme which provides confidential & independent information and access to counsellors
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with valuable life cover and financial protection for your family.
Life Assurance – three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand-new car. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax.
Annual flu vaccine
Cycle to work scheme
Staff benefits discounts on leisure, eating out, holidays and shopping
Excellent learning and career opportunities for committed individuals
A professional fee payment, if required for the role

About You:

We're looking for someone who can combine strategic thinking with practical delivery.

You may come from a community safety, violence prevention, safeguarding, public health, criminal justice or related background. Most importantly, you'll understand how to bring organisations together around a shared goal and turn ambition into action.

You'll have experience of:

Leading or coordinating complex partnerships, programmes or projects.
Influencing stakeholders and partners to achieve outcomes.
Developing and monitoring delivery plans and action plans.
Using performance information and intelligence to drive improvement.
Producing reports and providing advice to senior leaders and partnership boards.

You will be passionate about prevention, committed to improving outcomes and motivated by the opportunity to create meaningful change.

Selection Process:

Following the submission of your application form, it will be reviewed by the recruiting manager. Those that are successful in securing an interview can expect job specific interview assessment, followed by an interview.

Maidstone Borough Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employee and volunteers to share this commitment.

The Council considers that the successful applicant will have access to young people and/or vulnerable adults and it is a requirement under The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 that you hold an enhanced disclosure and barring scheme check. Upon successful appointment, you will be required to provide evidence of an enhanced DBS check if you subscribe to the DBS Update Service or complete the process to obtain a DBS check.

If you would like to discuss this position, please contact Martyn Jeynes, Safer Stronger Communities Manager on 01622 602110 or Anna Collier, Head of Policy, Transformation & Insight on 01622 602253.

Interview Date: TBC