Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations (DPULOs) play a significant role in promoting the role and value of disabled people in their local community. The Strengthening DPULOs Programme was launched in July 2011 to provide a range of practical and financial support to DPULOs to support them to be strong and sustainable. I am recruiting additional Ambassadors to further extend the Strengthening DPULOs Programme. For further information, please visit: http://odi.dwp.gov.uk/odi-projects/user-led-organisations/ambassadors-application.php

1. Strengthening Disabled People’s User-Led
Organisations (DPULOs): Ambassador Role
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May 2012

2. Contents
Strengthening Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations
(DPULOs): Ambassador Role ........................................................ 1
Contents ..................................................................................... 2
Background information .............................................................. 3
Overview of the Ambassador role............................................... 4
Person specification.................................................................... 6
Well-respected ........................................................................ 6
Understanding the community................................................. 6
Excellent communication skills................................................ 6
Experience of working in partnership and encouraging
partnership working between organisations ............................ 6
Support organisations to develop specialist projects and
submit associated funding bids ............................................... 7
Decision making ...................................................................... 7
Excellent understanding of disability ....................................... 7
Terms and Conditions................................................................. 8
How to apply ............................................................................... 9
The recruitment process ........................................................... 10
What the ODI does ................................................................... 13
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3. Background information
Maria Miller MP, Minister for Disabled People, recognises the role
and value of disabled people in the local community, and the role
that Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations (DPULOs) and
voluntary organisations play in enabling this.
The Strengthening DPULOs Programme was launched in July
2011 and provides a multi-layered programme which provides a
range of practical and financial support.
The programme’s layers are as follows:
National Lead - this role is delivered by a secondee into the Office
for Disability Issues from a DPULO and a member of staff from the
Office for Disability Issues. This shared role brings together skills
from inside and outside of government and provides a focal point
for the programme.
Ambassadors – DPULO Ambassadors work across England to
raise awareness of local organisations, promote projects which will
build sustainability and strengthen the role of disabled people in
the local community.
Underpinning this non financial support is the Facilitation Fund.
This is a pot of funding that enables DPULOs to bid for small
amounts of money to fund specific things that will make a
significant difference to their sustainability.
To further develop the programme we are looking to recruit
additional Ambassadors in Wales, Scotland and northern England.
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4. Overview of the Ambassador role
Ambassadors are well-respected people who, through their
position, experience, expertise and work can promote the value of
Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations to a variety of
stakeholders within their local area.
The Ambassador role can be described as one that: enthuses,
energises, open doors, engages, challenges, promotes, builds
relationships and facilitates.
This translates to the following objectives:
 To encourage partnership and closer working between
DPULOs, voluntary sector organisations and Local
Authorities.
 To work with local organisations to develop community
based activities for disabled people.
 To develop a range of projects and activities that build skills,
provide volunteering opportunities and create learning and
development.
 Strengthening the role of disabled people in the local
community.
 To participate in the decision making associated with the
programme.
This can be achieved in a variety of ways including, but not limited
to:
 Meetings with all relevant organisations including DPULOs,
commissioners within Local Authorities and other public
sector organisations, voluntary sector organisations,
employers etc.
 Establishing links and partnerships between local
organisations.
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5.  Capturing and sharing good learning and examples.
 Making full use of all forms of communication to promote the
work and value of DPULOs.
 Working with organisations to develop projects that meet the
needs of local disabled people.
 Ambassadors are independent of Government and work with
and report directly to the National Leads.
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6. Person specification
Below is the set of experience and expertise that Ambassadors
would be expected to demonstrate:
Well-respected
Ambassadors, because of their position or status (e.g. their “day
job”), will be able to contact people and places that voluntary
sector organisations or DPULOs can’t. Their profile, experience
and expertise will therefore enable them to “open doors”. The
intention is that Ambassadors would come from a variety of
backgrounds bringing to their role the skills, knowledge, credibility
and commitment.
Understanding the community
Ambassadors need to have a good understanding of their local
community and how Disabled People’s User-Led Organisations
(DPULOs) and voluntary sector organisations operate in their local
area. They should have a good understanding about what is
happening for disabled people in their area. They need to be
involved in the local community and understand the problems
within their community. Their key role will be promoting the value
of DPULOs and voluntary sector organisations and championing
them, particularly within the local community, elected members
and local authorities.
Excellent communication skills
Ambassadors would be expected to have excellent communication
skills and networks. This will enable them promote local
community organisations and their cause at every possible
opportunity, by using existing contacts, talks at conferences, or
through media opportunities etc.
Experience of working in partnership and encouraging
partnership working between organisations
Ambassadors will help and encourage DPULOs and community
organisations to work together. They will also encourage wider
partnership working between DPULOs, community organisations
and a wide range of other stakeholders – including commissioners
within Local Authorities and other public sector organisations,
employers etc. – to work together to share skills, knowledge,
experience and learning as well as facilitating partnership working.
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7. In addition Ambassadors will share experience and learning
between themselves, and also act as a means of linking up local
community organisations from further apart geographically (for
learning etc).
Support organisations to develop specialist projects and
submit associated funding bids
Ambassadors will have good experience of developing specialist
projects that are often complex and require the involvement of a
range of different stakeholders from different sectors. They should
be able to demonstrate the ability to translate these ideas into
robust projects, that include the ability to deliver to time and to
budget.
Decision making
Ambassadors will be used to taking part in decision making forums
and will need to demonstrate effective decision making when
applying the criteria of funding associated with the programme to
bids submitted by DPULOs and community organisations.
Excellent understanding of disability
Ambassadors must have an excellent understanding of disability
issues, including the issues faced by disabled people on a day-to-
day basis and the wider environment disabled people live in. They
must demonstrate an understanding of the Social Model of
Disability and what this means in practice.
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8. Terms and Conditions
Length of the appointment
The appointment will initially be for a period of 18 months, with an
option to extend thereafter.
Remuneration
Approximately 2 - 3 days per month at £200 per day (up to £7,200
per annum).
We will also pay reasonable expenses for the cost of travel
(fares/petrol/taxi), including travel time in line with DWP guidance.
Members will be office holders and not employees and will be
responsible for payment of their own income tax and national
insurance contributions.
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9. How to apply
If you are interested in being considered for one of these positions
please:
 Examine the Overview of the Ambassador Role Person
Specification carefully to assess whether you are suitable for
one of the roles.
 Complete the application form, including the enclosed
monitoring forms.
This application form is separated into 8 sections (16 pages) and is
available in easy read. It is important you complete the application
form in full.
This is to ensure the selection panel can easily find the information
they require in order to compare the responses from all candidates
equally and transparently against each other. For this reason,
applications from candidates who have not completed the
application form will not be considered, and CVs alone will not be
acceptable.
All information will be treated in strictest confidence. However, if
you are successful, the information provided on the political activity
form will be published with the announcement of your appointment.
The closing date for applications is Friday 8th June 2012 at
10.00am. Late applications will not be considered.
Accessible Formats
If you need to make your application in an accessible format, Easy
Read or have any problems at all in making your application then
please telephone contact Audrey Daft 0207 449 5025.
All applications will be acknowledged in writing, either by email or
post.
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10. The recruitment process
Based on previous experience, we anticipate a high level of
demand and high standard of applications for the role of
Ambassador.
The selection panel will identify from among the applications
received those candidates the ones suitable for a final interview
with the panel. All candidates will be informed of the results by
telephone. Those going forward will be invited to a formal panel
interview in London.
Please see the timetable below for specific dates.
Closing date
Friday 8th June at 10am
Panel Interviews
2nd July to 9th July
Please list on your application form any dates when you will
be unavailable during the recruitment process.
Expenses
Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed to candidates who
are required to attend an interview, against production of a receipt
Appointments
The DWP is committed to the principles of appointments based on
merit with independent assessment, openness and transparency
of process.
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11. Standards of Conduct and Conflicts of Interest
Successful candidates will be required to show commitment to the
Seven Principles of Public Life, as drawn up by the Committee on
Standards in Public Life, more usually known as the Nolan
Principles. These can be found at:
http://www.public-standards.org.uk/About/The_7_Principles.html
Public bodies are expected to maintain a register of members’
interests to avoid any danger of board members being influenced
or appearing to be influenced, by their private interests in the
exercise of their public duties. Candidates invited to interview will
be questioned about any real or perceived conflicts of interest.
These do not constitute an automatic bar to appointment, but they
must be manageable. Conflicts could include: financial
arrangements, e.g. fees or shareholdings, of the candidate,
business associates or close family; membership of organisations
whose aims might be perceived to be in conflict with those of the
DWP; and any activity which, if revealed after appointment, could
cause embarrassment to the DWP or the Minister.
Political activity question
You must also complete the political activity declaration in the
application form. On the recommendation of the Committee on
Standards in Public Life all applicants for these appointments must
answer the standard questions on political activity. The format of
the questions has been designed by the Commissioner after
consultation with the Government and the Committee on
Standards in Public Life. It must not be amended in any way. The
questions only ask for information that is already in the public
domain; it does not ask for personal or private information such as
membership of political parties or voting preferences.
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12. Definition of Disability
The Act defines a disabled person as a person with a disability. A
person has a disability for the purpose of the Act if he or she has a
physical or mental impairment and the impairment has a
substantial and long-tern adverse effect on his or her ability to
carry out normal day-to-day activities.
This means that, in general:
 The person must have an impairment that is either physical
or mental,
 The impairment must have adverse effects which are
substantial,
 The substantial adverse effects must be long-term, and
 The long term substantial adverse effects must be effects on
normal day-to-day activities.
Diversity and Equality
The DWP is committed to providing services which embrace
diversity and which promote equality of opportunity. We will not
tolerate discrimination on any of the following: gender, marital
status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, colour,
nationality, religion, religious belief or other philosophical belief,
age, disability, HIV positivity, working pattern, caring
responsibilities, trade union activity, community background or
political beliefs – or on any other grounds.
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13. What the ODI does
The Office for Disability Issues works directly with the departments
responsible for:
 Health
 Transport
 Children, schools and families
 Work and pensions
 Business and enterprise
 Communities and local government.
We work to make equality a reality for disabled people by:
 promoting joined-up government to improve the way policy is
made and services are delivered
 involving disabled people and their expertise in what we do
and encouraging others to do the same
 being a source of evidence and expertise on disability for the
rest of government
 promoting human rights and ensuring effective disability
equality legislation
 communicating what is happening across government on
disability.
For more information please visit the ODI website:
http://odi.dwp.gov.uk.
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