Link Up Community Development Worker - Job Description
Job Title Link Up Community Development Worker
Host Organisation and employer Crossroads Youth & Community Association
Hours 35 hours per week
Salary £23,699 to £26,234 depending on experience + 7½% Unsocial Hours Payment + 6% employer pension
Contract Fixed Term to July 2016, but with potential for extension subject to funding
Purpose Working from the grassroots, to reach out to and engage individuals living in the Gorbals and bring them together to have fun, share their skills, grow their confidence and self-esteem, and develop a positive sense of purpose.
Background Link Up is an innovative programme exploring a new approach to investing in and harnessing the capacity of local people and communities in Scotland. The programme focuses on the existing skills, knowledge and interests of individuals in the local community (the community’s assets), and aims to generate an environment where local residents can come together to create new activities and experiences that they enjoy and want to participate in (e.g. cooking, gardening, cinema, arts, crafts, sports etc).
Link Up aims to build new, and strengthen existing social connections in the community and at the same time, develop the confidence and capacity of the people involved. The programme has been running in the Gorbals since 2012 and is entering its third phase of funding. We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced community development professional to lead the next phase of the project’s development until July 2016 (and possibly beyond, subject to funding being secured).
Link Up is hosted in the Gorbals by Crossroads Youth and Community Association (CYCA) in partnership with Inspiring Scotland who funds the programme.
The project in the Gorbals is part of a national programme with eight other communities participating across Scotland, all of them having been operational for between 3 and 3½ years.
Principles of Link Up Link Up can be described as using ‘asset-based’ principles, but does not follow a particular asset or community development model. However, some common principles are used by the Link Up workers to guide their development of the programme locally. They are that Link Up:
sees residents as active contributors and participants in activity – not as recipients of services; actively supports engagement of all residents indiscriminately - engaged because they live in the community not because they have specific needs; values and promotes existing community assets (physical and human) and what works well in communities;
recognises the importance of social connections both for the individual and the community; understands the importance of intangible outcomes such as trust, self-esteem and self-efficacy; supports individuals and communities to sustain activity and connections.
Role Reach out to, engage with and support local residents to identify their interests, knowledge and skills (i.e. the community’s assets). Facilitate the development of social connections and trusting relationships across the community. Guided by local people’s own interests and wishes, and drawing on the assets identified, enable individuals to come together and create a range of mutually beneficial activities or ‘links’ (e.g. cooking, gardening, cinema, arts, crafts, sports activities). Harness the development of a shared sense of purpose and positive collective action, to increase the confidence and capacity of local residents to help themselves and to support others, thus beginning to improve the community’s effectiveness in addressing its own problems. Work with CYCA to plan and monitor activities and associated budgets. Work with Inspiring Scotland to develop, implement and report on outcome-focused monitoring and evaluation in line with the broader Link Up programme reporting systems. Work with Inspiring Scotland network and learn from other partners in the Link Up portfolio.
Key Responsibilities & Outputs Develop and implement a process of continuous community engagement (through one-to-one and group activities) to raise awareness of the Link Up project and get local people engaged in it. Develop effective relationships with key community stakeholders (i.e. service delivery organisations, local civil society organisations, community leaders and individuals, local residents) to harness their support and resources, and plan activities. For each link: o Support local residents to develop and participate in the ‘links’; o Manage budget and provide resources (financial and otherwise), information and advice early to enable links to form, function and operate; o Provide on-going support to help sustain, strengthen and potentially grow the links, address issues raised by participants, and where required, call on the support of other local support agencies; o Support planned continuation of link or other activities working towards a self-sustaining basis; and Monitor, record and report on the project’s impact, collating quantitative and qualitative data, and reporting back to Inspiring Scotland on the outcomes achieved and key learning points in establishing and managing the links.
Identify your own training and support needs in conjunction with your host organisation and Inspiring Scotland. Provide information for and participate in quarterly performance reviews with Inspiring Scotland looking at progress against agreed milestones and impact. Participate in Inspiring Scotland Link Up events. Report to the CYCA Line Manager.
The nature of the work undertaken necessitates contact with vulnerable adults and children on a ‘one to one’ basis. The successful applicant will therefore require an enhance disclosure certificate under the PVG Scheme.
Knowledge, Skills, Experience & Core Competencies Essential Sound knowledge of asset based approaches, values and principles. Experience of developing and facilitating community-led projects using an asset-based approach. Outstanding community engagement skills – must have experience of nurturing and supporting the development of positive social connections between individuals from diverse backgrounds and life histories. Relationship building skills – must have the ability to build and maintain relationships based on trust and respect. This includes the ability to communicate with and relate to people at all levels; to treat people with empathy; to remain neutral in dealing with conflict or disputes; to maintain professional partnerships; and to be open and responsive. Experience of working in partnership with, and where necessary, co-ordinating action across a variety of organisations/groups with differing vested interests. Skills in supporting and facilitating individuals and groups – requires the worker to be able to nurture and support individuals and groups to develop at their pace and to become self- sustaining. This includes providing support to individuals and groups, for example, listening skills, ability to signpost people to further help, being able to help groups focus on their task, and ability to motivate and empower people rather than doing things for them. Organisational and time management skills – must be able to juggle processes and tasks including the logistics and practicalities of events and activities; supporting groups and activities at different stages; and reporting, monitoring and evaluation tasks. Confidence, adaptability and resilience – must be able to work alone often in challenging local circumstances, as well as in close collaboration with partners. Confidence, adaptability and resilience are essential attributes to help take risks, to reflect on and address challenges and to try new approaches. Knowledge of evaluation techniques - particularly identifying indicators of more intangible outcomes and developing frameworks to record and analyse this information. Sound IT literacy and working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
Qualifications A degree in community development or equivalent.
Desirable
Knowledge of the Gorbals, local players and overall context
Process Completed job applications must arrive by midnight on Sunday 20th September, by email or post. Candidates who successfully pass the first sift will be invited to participate in an informal group exercise on Monday 5th October. Those subsequently selected for final interviews will be invited to attend on Thursday 8th October.
Please indicate in your application if you will be unable to attend on those dates.