Tag: staff

Recruiting now: Client Services Co-ordinator

Posted on by Donna

Are you excellent at record-keeping and enjoy making sure everything is accurate? Are you super organised? Interested in working with a social enterprise that supports third sector organisations? We are seeking a maternity cover for our Client Services Coordinator who will be responsible for organising a large number of training courses for new and existing clients.

Triangle is seeking a capable and organised Client Services Coordinator to support our clients, and provide excellent customer service. The successful candidate will be responsible for responding to, managing, and co-ordinating the large number of training courses that new and existing clients require.

We’re looking for a pleasant and self-confident professional with an ability to develop and build strong relationships with clients and collegues.

The Client Services Coordinator is a vital role in managing and co-ordinating the large number of training courses. Main tasks will include liaising with clients and the training team (across the UK and beyond) to find suitable training dates, and manage the booking process and administration of these courses, maintaining and keeping our CRM up-to-date, monitoring numbers and organising appropriate training. You’ll also be responsible for organising records and pre-training resources, information including quotes and invoices as well as generating and issuing personalised certificates using Adobe to trainees who have completed their sessions.

The successful applicant will be based out of our Hove office, and we are open to flexible working arrangements especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Find out more and apply

Visit our Careers page to find out more about us and the role.

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You can download the job description and application form from our careers page to see if this is the next step for you. If you’d like an informal conversation about the position, please email miranda@triangleconsulting.co.uk

Meet the team…Jane Borer, Client Services Manager

Posted on by Donna

We have a vacancy for another Client Services Advisor. Jane Borer shares some insights on her team and what her best piece of advice to her younger self would be

The Client Services team plays a vital role in achieving Triangle's mission and vision. We aim to listen and learn from our clients to support Triangle in creating effective tools which can support service providers to help people achieve sustainable change, whatever the future may hold.

Jane Borer

Firstly, tell us a bit about the Client Services team, and how it works with Triangle…

How has the Triangle and the Client Services team changed over the years? Why is this? 

Triangle has grown so quickly, when I started working with Sara and Joy back in 2010 I was covering maybe one or two calls a day, organizing training courses, sending out packs of Star materials to clients, and preparing invoices and licences. It soon became unsustainable, so more people were recruited, then we started to take on broader tasks and we became involved in many different aspects of client support as the business grew in response to the needs of our clients and demand for the Stars. We have evolved in to a thriving team, with skills that have added immense value to how Triangle has been able to both support existing clients, and attract new ones.

How does Client Services integrate with other teams at Triangle? 

As we are the first point of contact for the majority of interested and existing clients, and we provide planning and co-ordination support to the setting up of new accounts and the ongoing maintenance of existing ones,  we work closely with every other team – we have to liaise closely with the Training team, we are in constant contact with the Implementation team to share knowledge about clients, we work closely with the marketing and comms team to engage with new campaigns and disseminate important information about the Star, and we then respond to the follow up from that. We are also closely linked with our internal systems team as heavy users of the CRM, and of course our finance colleagues to ensure clients are receiving their invoices. Another aspect of our work is to share knowledge across the teams, especially for the Directors, so they can use it for making strategic decisions.

What qualities do you and the team have in abundance? 

We are a diverse team of professionals with varied backgrounds and skills, and we all complement each other – the main common qualities that I feel we all share are warmth, the ability to build relationships, empathy, flexibility, and we all have a VERY good sense of humour!

Where do you see the Outcomes Star and the Client Services team five years from now? 

I see continued increase in demand for the Outcomes Star, across many diverse sectors. In Triangle’s mission statement one of the goals is that we are “responding to a changing world” and I see the Client Services team as a key element in achieving this goal – we will listen and learn from our clients, and share this learning across Triangle so that we are continuing to produce tools that can support service providers to help people achieve sustainable change, whatever the future may hold.

And on a lighter note… we’d love to know more about you…

If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?  

I would want to help people to see the joy and fun in everything, and remember to always be NICE! 

If you could have dinner with three people dead or alive, who would they be and why? 

Oh easy –1) David Bowie – just because 2)  Clint Eastwood – for all the stories of Hollywood – and 3) Yootha Joyce – my favourite British comedy actress and one who is often totally underrated.

What did you want to be/do when you were growing up? 

I swayed between wanting to be a ballerina, an air hostess and a nurse. I didn’t do any dance classes as a child so the ballerina was not even a remote possibility! The air hostess and nursing options were probably more to do with the uniforms and the TV shows I watched at the time!

What book are you reading at the moment?

I used to read all the time when I commuted from Brighton to London for work back in the day, then I struggled to find the time when I had my son, but like so many other people lockdown has given me the chance to reignite my enjoyment, and I’ve read more since March 2020 than I have for the last 18 years! I’m currently reading  two books, “The Last Thing to Burn” by Will Dean which is excellent, and the latest autobiography of Michael J Fox, which is really inspirational, as he describes living with Parkinson’s Disease.

What’s your favourite film?

I have many – “Some Like it Hot”, “The Bridges of Madison County”, any of the Peter Sellers Clouseau/Pink Panther films, and Wayne’s World – 1 and 2 – a rather strange mix but one that pretty much sums me up!

Best piece of advice you’d give to your younger self? 

Stop caring so much about what other people think about you, and always do your own research and be confident to make up your own mind!

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For more information on our current vacancies please visit our Careers page. To find out more about the team and what it’s like working at Triangle take a look at our blog series and meet some of our other staff.

A day in the life of… the client services team

Posted on by Donna

We asked our Client Services Manager, Jane Borer what a day in the life of her team looks like...

One of the best parts of working in client services at Triangle is that I get to speak to people (keyworkers, managers and organisations) that really inspire me.

Jane Borer

What’s a typical day look like in Client Services? 

A typical day involves checking the new enquiries that have come in, both via email and the phone, and planning how to respond, also catching up with work in progress, arranging training and licenses, and having Zoom/Teams calls with clients or colleagues. It’s busy, and you have to be prepared to be sidelined away from something, it’s rarely possible to focus on one thing and get it completed. This can be frustrating, but there’s never a dull moment. I’m often heard to be saying “Now, what was I doing before I got distracted…”! 

How do you ensure you provide a first rate customer service to clients and colleagues? 

Client Care is our mantra, every email and phone call is either a potential new Star user, or someone who can be supported by Triangle to use the Star even better than they already do, and if we get that right, then the people THEY support are going to benefit. It’s all about ensuring we respond in a responsive and timely way. Any query that comes in to us is responded to within 24 hours if at all possible, at least with an initial contact, to arrange a conversation, which increasingly since lock down now happens via Zoom rather than the traditional phone call! We troubleshoot for our colleagues too, and have a similar approach in our responsiveness to their requests for support.

What top three things about the Outcomes Star do you get asked by potential clients? 

Mainly 1) – how does it work? 2) – what will the benefits be to my service and the people I support? and 3) – who are the other services just like mine who are using it, and how does it benefit them?

What’s the most challenging thing about working in Client Services? 

The pace is very demanding, you have to be responsive to whatever comes your way, and you never really know what that might be. You also have to be prepared to juggle many different tasks and keep lots of plates spinning.

What’s the most rewarding thing about working in Client Services? 

Hearing the back stories from clients about how they started their charities, what drives them, their passion for what they do – and gaining a huge understanding for the difficulties and challenges that so many people face on a daily basis. Also, when a client tells you how using the Star has had an impact on not only their service users but on them as a team, then that is fantastic and gives you that “this is why I do my job” buzz.

Make a difference in the world

Take a look and see what vacancies we have
Join the team

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Sign up for our newsletter for more information, updates and news about vacancies. Take a look at our our other blogs to find out more about Triangle, our other teams and their members. We are currently recruiting for a Client Services Advisor to work with Jane and the team: visit our vacancy page for more information and a job description or contact us for a chat about the role.

Making that change: new year, new role

Posted on by Donna
Jim Boreland

Changing jobs during a pandemic, just before Christmas, isn’t usually the best laid plan of mice and men. But for Jim Borland, Triangle’s Implementation Lead (Scotland), the opportunity to work at Triangle was too hard to resist…

“I saw the role of Implementation Lead as an opportunity to do something different and worthwhile, learn new skills and meet new people (albeit virtually), and help support others making big changes in their lives. That in turn would provide me with the motivation to look forward to each working day, instead of looking back with a degree of disappointment.”

When’s the best time to change jobs?

Just before Christmas probably isn’t an ideal time,  especially in the midst of a pandemic. I expect a lot of people would be more inclined towards the status quo and not opening themselves up to any more potential risk, but that’s the time I happened to start working with the team behind the Outcomes Star.

Prior to this, I was in a stable, well-paid job that utilised my skills, with working hours and a flexibility around them that was good for the work / life balance. Nevertheless, everything was very much the same day after day. Looking back, the phrase ‘Ground hog Day’ springs to mind, as each day merged into one, and I was left at the end of it thinking, “What did I actually achieve?” Generally, the answer was “nothing” or “not a lot” and, whilst there was no pressure on me to do any more than I was, I found myself becoming really de-motivated and wanting to feel as if I was contributing more during my working day, rather than just being present. So, something needed to change.

Making that change

When I reflect on the past 40 odd years of my working life, a lot of career changes have happened around Christmas time. The opportunity to move to Triangle was no different in timing, so maybe it was fate telling me to move on and do something different. So that’s what I did!

It was fascinating to me when speaking to former colleagues before I left, that the most common statements said to me were – “I’m really sorry you’re leaving” and “I wish it were me”. I think that speaks volumes and if anything gave me some justification about my decision to move on. 

I saw the role of Implementation Lead as an opportunity to do something different and worthwhile, learn new skills and meet new people (albeit virtually), and help support others making big changes in their lives. That in turn would provide me with the motivation to look forward to each working day, instead of looking back with a degree of disappointment.

Working with Triangle

After I started, the first thing that struck me was how welcoming everyone was and how willing they were to spend time with me to explain about their roles and their experiences (good and challenging) and help me to settle in and feel part of the team. I know that’s generally part of any induction, but for me, this felt very genuine and not just a thing that had to be done. I’ve never worked anywhere else, where everyone from the Directors down to staff on the ground (and everyone in-between) took the time to talk to me and welcome me to my new role.

That meant a lot to me and again, it’s interesting speaking to the other new members of the Triangle team who have felt the same about their own onboarding experience; I think it’s something that everyone should take a great deal of pride in.

As for my role, so far, it’s everything I thought it would be. It’s busy and at times challenging as I get to grips with new working practices and processes, especially the IT whilst working remotely!

But perhaps the biggest difference to how you would normally start a new job, is that this introduction to Triangle, and all the other meetings I’ve had since I started, have taken place remotely. That, is in no way strange due to the circumstances we find ourselves in. However, it does give me the opportunity of meeting people away from the traditional formal ‘face to face’ settings within an office. With our current ways of working, I get to see people in their natural environment, without any ‘professional’ trappings around them.

For me, being able to look past the person to see the art on their wall, what their workspace looks like, what’s out of their window and being able to speak to them when they’re sitting on a couch or at the kitchen table surrounded by their children and partners, rather than across an office table, gives me more of flavour of the ‘real’ person. In my opinion, that can only lead to more honest and open relationships, which in turn enhances the whole of the work experience.

As a result, this ‘positive’ impact of the pandemic, in causing us to change from the traditional working methods, has hopefully been beneficial and given us a better understanding of each other, rather than just a work ‘image’ of a colleague.

So, as I finish looking back over my first few months in my new job, I can honestly say I’m glad I made the move. It’s been a good start and provides a solid base from which I can build on.

*****

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates on Triangle, news on Outcomes Stars and new resources and more. Contact us to speak to Jim or anyone else on the team, or if you would like any more information.

Introducing Miranda Costin, Triangle’s Finance and HR Administrator

Posted on by Donna
Headshot photo of Miranda Costin

Miranda Costin joined Triangle in the role of Finance and HR Administrator just over 3 months ago. Here she shares why she joined the team, what it was like joining during lockdown and how her expectations have been exceeded in more ways than one…

How did I hear about Triangle?

I was sitting ’round my friend’s kitchen table (socially distanced, of course) when I mentioned to her that I would really like to work for an organisation that makes a difference, especially in the current climate. She said “Have you heard of a job site called Charity Jobs? It’s specifically for charities, not for profit and third sector organisations to advertise their vacant positions”. A cup of tea later and a quick boot-up of the laptop led me to Triangle’s ad for a Finance and HR Administrator. I applied…

Interviewing amid a pandemic?

A few weeks after applying, I was over the moon to hear from Triangle with a date for an initial interview. As there couldn’t be any face-to-face contact we arranged a Zoom call instead.
I had a total of three interviews.

  • The first was all about the position itself with the Finance and HR Director.
  • The second was with two potential colleagues.
  • The third was with the Managing Director.

 

Henrietta

“Three interviews?!” I hear you cry. Yes, and apart from the first one, which included some actual accounting tasks, the calls were more like informal chats. To give you an idea… I was in my son’s bedroom (the Wi-Fi signal is strongest there) and someone spotted the vivarium to the side of me. At first, I think they thought “Is it a snake?!”, but I explained it was my son’s pet bearded dragon and offered to show her to them. Afterwards I was sure me digressing from the task in hand meant I’d scuppered my chances. Who in their right mind would do that during an interview?! But I was wrong, the next day I was offered the job!

Meeting the team

The week before my start date I was invited to their annual “Away Day”, which due to COVID was more of a “Together Day” via Zoom. With presentations, a “who’s desk is this?” quiz and an afternoon conversation café/social it was a great way to meet the team. I also received a bottle of bubbles beforehand to raise a toast to Triangle’s achievements and the new year ahead.

Work-life, home-life

My first week and a half at Triangle followed a well-structured induction.  My predecessor moved on to pastures new, so I went solo fairly quickly, working from home. On top of this who could have predicted a third lockdown? My children were with me, at home and needing support with their home-schooling. Arghhhhh!

A day in the life as Finance and HR Administrator:

My day normally starts around 8:00am when I download the bank feed and let relevant departments know what monies have come in. I then work through my emails and any accounts related tasks I have in my diary for that day, raising sales invoices, bill processing, credit control, staff expenses etc. I’m soon to take on payroll and HR duties in the coming months.  A fair part of my week is taken up with Zoom meetings with colleagues but I’m sure this will subside when we’re back in the office, whenever that may be. I close making sure most emails (particularly the urgent ones!) have been answered.

What do I bring to the role?

Having worked in accounts for over 25 years I bring depth of experience an all-round good understanding of bookkeeping procedures and excellent time-management skills. Such a role is integral to an organisation, as is one that supplies the team with cake and baked goods – I’m hoping my daughter will keep up with her newfound lockdown skills of baking so I can bring her creations in for my colleagues!

Three fun facts about me:

  • At the age of 11 was advised by career advisor to become a bicycle repair (wo)man. I started studying English instead and ended up working in accounts.
  • Whilst working for an African Cargo Airline almost ended up on a flight from Shannon in Ireland to Tripoli in Lybia on a horse flight for Colonel Ghadaffi. Fortunately for me, I didn’t have my passport on me that day!
  • During Whalefest 2015 tried to convince Michaela Strachan that she used to present Big Cat Diary, completely mixing her up with Saba Douglas- Hamilton. So embarrassing!

Fast forward

It’s been a bit stressful at times, but overall, I’m really enjoying it. Working at Triangle and home-schooling! I can be on a Zoom call and my daughter walks in needing help with her schoolwork or my son starts playing his guitar in the room next to mine.  I’ve been able to get to know my colleagues really well having discussed tooth decay, digestion, art projects and various other school topics in parallel to doing my work! The team is really friendly and veery supportive of one other. They are an amazing bunch!

The “hopefully not too distant” future

So far, I have met two of my colleagues in person as well as my predecessor. While remote working hasn’t hindered my induction or onboarding experience, I’m really looking forward to being in the office and meeting the rest of the team. Until then, my cats will continue to walk over the keyboard and my daughter will remind me it’s time to log off!

*****

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates on Triangle, news on Outcomes Stars and new resources and more. Contact us if you would like any more information.

May you live in…2020/21

Posted on by Donna
Photo of Patrick Toland

Our newest staff member Patrick Toland gives us some thoughts on...

"May you live in interesting times" is an expression that can be taken, or given, as a blessing or a curse.

The blessing being – may you live in a time that is full of new experiences, innovation or the movement between epochs.

The curse being – may you live in a time that is filled with drama, turbulence and the kind of professional and personal upheaval that plays out within and beyond your own front door.

Of course, the blessed side of life for me, now, is bountiful.

The blessing

As someone who has a background in education and training, social enterprise, homelessness provision, support for care experienced young people, lived experience development, patient voice and mental health advocacy in Ireland – the chance and opportunity to work and learn within the leading provider of Outcomes tools and approaches has been a gift of good fortune – especially at a time when many capable and talented people are finding their career prospects profoundly contracted, through no fault of their own.

Even in such a short time of employ, I also consider myself lucky to be working with colleagues and clients who truly do ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to striving to make a difference in the lives of those who have the most challenged, troubled or marginalised lives themselves.

The curse

The blighted side of life (which is the slim, minority of things against what has been said above) is the paw thorn of not being out and about meeting new clients and getting the chance to drop in with other clients on the way home just so you can start to build those all-important relationships of trust and mutual comprehension.

It’s the challenge of starting the day with work to do but knowing that your own partner is downstairs straining the Wi-Fi signal with her own crucial meetings as a manager in the NHS. That there are the new cats to feed who really haven’t grasped the manners required to not walk across your keyboard when you are trying to make a good impression with a new client or colleague. Oh, and there is one son’s project on the French revolution to help do and the other son’s Zoom call with Mrs Ryan further to him building a working model of the arm with balloons and cardboard by tomorrow and he needs brass paper fasteners for the elbow joint mechanism…

…I mean, come on Mrs Ryan, we’re good but we’re not that good…who has brass paper fasteners at home during a time of non-essential shopping and travel – I mean we already did a model of the lung last week! And we ran out of rubber bands and double-sided sticky tape during last lockdown!…

Please note

Just because I have worked in mental health doesn’t mean I automatically garnered the wisdom of this sector for myself when it comes to mental bandwidth, balance of mood or the ability to remain resilient and zen or resist a self-centred whine!

Yet, the counterbalance to this has been how paramount all Triangle staff place well-being, good induction and on-going learning at the centre of their approach. From chances to chat with the Founders about the Triangle vision, regular team meet-ups, cool down sessions, drop-in sessions, messages of regard and support, opportunities to shadow, one to ones with team members to introduce yourself and learn more about their roles, flexible working arrangements, as well as the opportunity to blog about such – all these designed activities have made living and working in such interesting times much smoother, humane and uncomplicated.

Further to this, the professionalism, passion and ethos of mutual care that also exists between the Triangle team has certainly been the fuel I have drawn on for my own energy and drive in these interesting times – as well as the conviction and admirable tenacity of our partner clients as they push through their own pressures to remain committed to helping those they support to reach for impetus, change, progress and self-reliance in their own lives.

So, if my brilliant new colleagues can do what they do and our clients in Ireland can do what they do – well, I can find brass paper fasteners at 11pm at night, Mrs Ryan! 

*****

Sign up to our newsletter to get updates on Triangle, news on Outcomes Stars and new resources and more. Contact us to speak to Patrick or if you would like any more information.

Introducing our new Managing Director

Posted on by Outcomes Star

Triangle, the social enterprise behind the Outcomes Stars, has grown rapidly in the last few years, as more and more frontline services aim to support and measure change by implementing the Outcomes Star.

To help lead Triangle into our next exciting chapter, we have appointed Graham Randles in the new role of Managing Director.

 

Graham joins us from the New Economics Foundation (NEF). As Managing Director of NEF Consulting, Graham worked with organisations to prove and improve their impact by understanding and measuring outcomes, leading a team delivering consultancy, training and capacity building.

Graham brings to Triangle his significant experience in the fields of health and wellbeing, social care and environmental sustainability, such as his role in developing the first total contribution report for the Crown Estate and creating the 40-year impact report for the Prince’s Trust.  Throughout Graham’s varied career in the UK and internationally, he has focused on challenging the status-quo to unlock ideas and new ways of working.

 

 

Recently Graham has worked on projects to assess the implementation of the Public Services (Social Value) Act across the health and care sector for NHS England and to measure the value for money of FareShare, the UK’s largest charity fighting hunger and food waste.

Graham will work alongside Joy MacKeith and Sara Burns, co-founder Directors of Triangle and creators at the Outcomes Star, to lead our social enterprise – supporting our teams to support our licensed Star users, and building the presence of Triangle in the wider world.  Graham is an accomplished international public speaker with a focus on measuring impact, having recently spoken at the World Health Forum in Gastein and delivered workshops for Public Health Wales and the UK’s Care Quality Commission.

Graham has a BSc in business Administration and an MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice, both from the University of Bath, and he is also a trustee for the sight loss charity Sutton Vision.

 

If you have any questions about our new role, any queries about Triangle or the Outcomes Star or would just like to say hello, please contact us on info@triangleconsulting.co.uk or +44(0)207 272 8765.