Community Catalysts

West Devon CVS is the umbrella support charity supporting and facilitating community action and resilience across the Borough. We work with communities, groups, and people to help make things happen and improve the lives of people within communities.

We are seeking two Commnity Builders for the Okehampton and Tavistock areas of West Devon.

**Overall Purpose of the Community Builder**: To act as a catalyst through building relationships that enable people to act together for the common good creating more resilient communities working closely with Community Development and services support/Information staff within the CVS.

**Key Outcomes**
- Community activity and provision is mapped
- People are listened to and engaged
- Increased activity is happening within the community and as a result communities are inclusive, cohesive and more resilient
- People, groups, and organisations are being linked creating a more connected community
- Learning from the co-design process and implementation informs changes in practice, where necessary.
- Personal, team and programme objectives are met.

**Responsibilities**
- Maps and maintains awareness of formal and informal community activity and provision; sharing this information within the CVS to maintain currency of intelligence and locally to promote increased participation.
- Identifies community assets and resources and makes the information accessible using wide variety of platforms.
- Listens widely to people/young people of all backgrounds within the community to understand more about their lives and how they feel about their community
- Supports motivated individuals to transform ideas into action for the benefit of themselves and others. Utilises in-house expertise at appropriate times to progress these ideas.
- Identifies and encourages people who are natural connectors and natural leaders within the community
- Advocates for the community or underrepresented aspects of the community
- Engages effectively with partners/stakeholders to better understand their requirements and develop appropriate solutions or improvements
- Develops insight into power dynamics within a community and supports people to understand, manage and challenge these, where necessary.
- Maintains awareness of County and other initiatives and developments that present opportunities for citizens to be more engaged and have influence over what happens in their communities.

Provides a holistic service, signposting appropriate services as appropriate to maximise benefit for individuals and organisations
- Encourages participation in such initiatives and/or enables citizens to co-design their own initiatives.
- Co-operates with (or works to establish) a group of local activists to share ideas, learning and co-designing community led
- initiatives and encourages links between activists and community organisation networks
- Actively markets and promotes the programme within communities

WDCVS Team Responsibilities
- Collects evidence of outputs and outcomes, ensuring consistent implementation of the monitoring and evaluation process.
- Be aware of and follows policies and procedures, with particular attention to safeguarding, health and safety, and equality and diversity.
- Support fundraising and income generation.
- You are also required to undertake any other duties within your capabilities as may be reasonably required

**Skills / Experience**

**Essential**:

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills especially in initiating contact with people, and engaging and listening to people.
- Experience of developing and working with groups.
- Ability to treat people as individuals, to be understanding of the issues they face and see them as equal to you.
- Understanding of the principles and knowledge of the approaches to community engagement
- Ability to manage varying interest and potential conflict with confidence and sensitivity
- Experience of working collaboratively.
- Ability to work flexibly - both independently using own initiative and as part of a team
- Knowledge of statutory, private, voluntary and community groups in West Devon.
- Ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines
- Good knowledge of Microsoft Office
- Knowledge and experience of social media.
- Educated to GCSE level or equivalent

**Desirable**:
Understanding and experience of monitoring and evaluation

Community Organising or Community Development qualification

Understanding of professional boundaries and safeguarding

**Other**

Mobile working required

Evening and weekend working when required

**Job Type**: Part-time
Part-time hours: 12 per week

**Salary**: £12.82 per hour

**Benefits**:

- Company pension
- Sick pay
- Work from home

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday
- Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

- Okehampton, Devon: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

**Experience**:

- Voluntary & Community Sector: 1 year (required)

Work Location: One location

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