Director of People and Culture

Director of People and Culture, L’Arche in the UK

ABOUT L’ARCHE 

L’Arche is a worldwide movement of people with and without learning disabilities building community together. We aim to be a beacon for our society – of what social care can be, what life with learning disabilities can be, and what a human society can be.

L’Arche in the UK is a registered charity and a regulated provider of care and support. Our 11 Communities in England, Scotland and Wales offer a varied mix of adult supported living, registered care, and day services. 

Our UK annual turnover is about £20m. Well over a thousand people across the UK belong to a L’Arche Community, including about 300 people with learning disabilities and more than 700 employees and volunteers. 

ABOUT THE ROLE

Reports to: National Leader / CEO

Direct reports: HR Advisor, Head of Learning and Development

Salary: £72,800 (plus London weighting where appropriate)

Location: Hybrid, with 2-3 days a week in our London office, or in another L’Arche location. (If your base is outside London, you can expect to spend 2-3 days a month in the London office). The role includes regular travel to L’Arche Communities UK-wide, and to national meetings. 

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week, full time

Purpose of the role:

Lead people vision, strategy, systems and services that make L’Arche a great place to work, belong, and grow in Community – so that we live out our mission and values.

Key responsibilities:

Vision and values

• Lead L’Arche in our identity as a life-giving place to work, belong and grow, in line with our mission and values.
• Develop a coherent vision and strategy for L’Arche as a place where people can flourish.
• Integrate this people vision into organisation-wide ambitions, priorities and initiatives.
• Build clarity and confidence about how to bring together the L’Arche focus on community, mutuality, and spirituality.

Recruitment, retention, and belonging

• Build a L’Arche-wide focus on belonging, wellbeing and employee retention.
• Oversee recruitment strategy and processes across l’Arche.
• Lead on workforces strategy, pay and rewards.
• Support L’Arche Communities to welcome a new generation of volunteers and friends.
• Lead employee and volunteer engagement, and build a culture of co-creation, ownership, and voice for everyone.

Learning, development, and formation

• Oversee co-production and roll-out of a new Values, Skills and Behaviours Framework.
• Lead a new initiative on line management skills and culture.
• Oversee the national Learning and Development team in providing central programmes for assistant and leader induction and leadership development.
• Support Communities to identify and develop future leaders.
• Oversee development and implementation of an overall strategy for learning, development, and formation.

HR structures, strategy, and services

• Ensure L’Arche has the skills, policies, systems, and information for consistently good and compliant HR services and line management.
• Review and lead people functions across L’Arche, to ensure clear, coherent, and cost-effective HR services.
• Manage the HR team, Learning and Development team, and national HR and L&D budgets.
• Oversee the accuracy and relevance of admin and data systems.
• Oversee HR employee relations and whistleblowing across l’Arche.

Leadership

• Champion the mission of L’Arche and modle our values.
• Contribute expertise on HR, inclusion, employment law and learning and development to wider discussions.
• Maximise the voice, power, and engagement of employees and of people with learning disabilities.

A full role description and person specification can be found in the Recruitment Pack.

The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 16 June. 

The first round of interviews will be online, between 28 June and 5 July.

To apply, please answer the questions on our online application form. 

Please also read our privacy notice for job applicants.