Mencap is a leading UK charity that focuses on supporting people with a learning disability and their families. Since Mencap’s inception in 1946, they have driven genuine change around how people with a learning disability are valued, heard, and included in society. Working with individuals, communities, and society, the breadth of their focus demonstrates their ambition to drive genuine change to lives in both the short, medium and long term.

This deep understanding of the individuals they support, allows them to influence at both grassroots and policy level. They place the people they support at the heart of Mencap. The focus of the organisation is determined by the views, needs, and dreams of people with a learning disability.

Mencap will be led by Chief Executive, Jon Sparkes. It is one of the largest social care providers for people with a learning disability, with total income of £239m (FY21/22), over 8,000 employees across the UK and 90 registered locations. Their offering covers personal care services, campaigning, information and advice, research and evaluation and working directly with communities. The four key care services they provide include care homes, domiciliary care, supported living and ‘shared lives’ assistance, providing tailored approaches to the specific and complex needs of the people supported. Mencap works with 109 local authorities, delivering quality care and support to communities across the country.

In the last financial year, Mencap supported 4,141 people with a learning disability through their social care services across the country. 636 people with a learning disability have had support from the employment and training services, and they have worked with 543 employers to get people jobs, work experience, and skills. Furthermore, they have supported 104 children and their families in the Early Years Centre.

Mencap has a strong brand and relationships with key external partners and within Government and the organisation celebrates its role as leading real change in how people with a learning disability are living better lives, but there is still much to do.

There are still people who have a learning disability and autism who are locked away in inappropriate hospital settings, often a long way from home. Life expectancy for people with a learning disability is poor compared to their non-disabled peers and, even after over 75 years of campaigning, many people who have a learning disability still feel discriminated against. These challenges are further amplified by a health and social care sector that is facing severe challenges around tightening government budgets, a reduced labour market, cost of living and inflationary pressures.

The Chief Executive seeks to appoint an Executive Director of People to help lead Mencap through its next phase of development, whilst respecting the legacy of the organisation and the history of supporting individuals in a service delivery and advocacy capacity. The new Executive Director of People will work for an organisation of national significance, with a clear mission to support people with learning disabilities to live the life they choose.

Key Responsibilities

As part of the SLT the Executive Director of People will:

• Act as a critical business partner to Mencap’s Chief Executive, the People and Culture Committee and the Board of Trustees.
• Play a key role in setting, monitoring and delivering our strategy.
• Role-model Mencap’s values in all that they do, and ensure the working culture is based on those values.
• Engage with Mencap colleagues to ensure that working at Mencap results in the very best experience for colleagues and the people they support.
• Empower and support teams in the People Directorate to advise on all people related issues for their 8000 colleagues.
• Champion equity, diversity, and inclusion across the organisation
• Create and leverage strong relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders internally and externally
• Support and lead change management.
• Use an agile mind-set to prioritise needs based on the analysis of complex business data and other evidence.
• Work within the scope of a framework that includes adherence to sector regulation and employment law.

The Individual

Mencap are seeking an experienced and well-rounded HR professional who has:

• A proven track record in a people leadership role in a large, complex organisation.
• Experience of being part of an Executive Team, with collective responsibility for leading the whole organisation and modelling values based leadership.
• The confidence to lead the organisation through change.
• Integrity and professionalism.
• Highly effective communication skills.
• An understanding of the political and wider environmental issues that impact on Mencap’s work.

To find out more about this exceptional role, please speak with our advisor, Basil leRoux on +44 7771 516 967 / basil.leroux@berwickpartners.co.uk