Community Connector

Involve Northwest is an innovative, community-based organisation with an approach that is grounded in our core belief that the services we offer are free, confidential, and are motivated for public benefit, and not profit.

Job Title:
Community Connector

Service/Project:
Connect Us

Contract Length:
Fixed term - Up until 31st January 2025 with a possibility of 6-year extension.

Salary:
£24,000 per annum

Working Hours:
Full Time: 35 Hours per week

Location:
The Community Village, Rock Ferry, and the Wirral community.

Reporting To:
Connect Us Head of Service

Direct Staff:
No direct staffing responsibilities

The Connect Us project recognises that there are inherent strengths in communities and on this basis that we are taking forward the ABCD approach, which subscribes to the belief that it takes a village to raise a child.

Job Purpose:

To connect with members of the community, engaging their talents and skills to identify what is important to the community.

Core Duties and Responsibilities:

• 80% of this job will involve connecting at a local (street & neighbourhood) level in the community.
• Door knocking is an integral part of the role, to identify community members that may be disconnected or isolated from their community.
• Support the identification of people's dreams and aspirations for the benefit of their community including families and children, and support people to identify the community assets that will help those goals be realised.
• Discover 'Connectors' across the community, provide opportunities to come together to exchange learning and map community assets.
• Working with individuals to help them to develop and work towards their goals.
• Connect people to and share information about services, activities, groups, and assets.
• Engage a multitude of individuals who are striving to build community; connect residents together in purposeful/meaningful activity, volunteering, and civic endeavour.
• Identify local informal groups and associations and build relationships, encouraging collaboration between organisations and residents.
• Support local connectors and act as a resource in bringing them together to form an ad hoc collective that's helps to weave community health activities and associations.
• Capture local stories from learning sites and share findings with key partnership stakeholders.
• Facilitate the development of appropriate community led action in relation to community building themes.
• Work in line with contract targets, and monitor/record all work to enable you to produce quality monthly reports.

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A connector is a community member who cares and has strong connections within the community._

Company Duties and Responsibilities:

• To work in line with set company policies and procedures, including ISO9001:2015 and GDPR 201
• To work to Involve Northwest's Safeguarding procedures.
• To always represent the charity in the best manner.
• To demonstrate a commitment to the vision, values, and strategic aims of Involve Northwest.
• To maintain high standards of professionalism and keep abreast of current legislation, standards, best practice and maintain a focus of continuous improvement.
• To work within the practice standards of the Connect Us Service.

Person Specification - Essential

Experience

• Working and empowering people within the community and supporting social isolation barriers.
• Experience of working within communities with a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Experience of "getting the best out of people" in a safe timely manner.
• Working with the challenges faced by the community.
• Setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries with community member and professionals.

Knowledge and Skills

• Community leadership and team building skills, strong facilitation skills.
• IT literate competent and ability to use a CRM system.
• Ability to research information from a range of sources.
• Managing a caseload with the ability to produce quality monthly reports.
• Understanding of social isolation and health and wellbeing.

Personal Attributes

• Be compassionate and empathetic with your client's situation.
• Act with integrity and respect when working with all clients, agencies, and Individuals.
• Flexible, adaptable, and strong team player and a good active listener.
• Be a team player with an open and honest manner, with the ability to build on effective relationships and work collaboratively with community leaders, local authority, and professionals.
• Ability to 'step back' and enable communities to do for themselves.
• Able to prioritise tasks, workload, and good time management skills.
• Be motivational and empowering.
• Political awareness with and ability to influence, challenge and support.
• Believe everyone has something essential to contribute to build communities regardless of their past experiences or the labels others have placed on them and are focused on the 'gift

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