JOB DESCRIPTION Job title: Project Support Worker – Aston Ward (Ladywood Constituency: Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS)) Salary: £21,000 per annum (pro rata) Hours: 21 hours per week (including occasional evening and weekend work) Based at: Birmingham Settlement – 359-361 Witton Road, Birmingham B6 6NS Pension: Group Personal Pension – employer contribution 5% Annual leave: 25 days per annum plus Bank Holidays (pro rata) Tenure: Initial contract to 31 March 2022 (extension subject to funding) Responsible to: Community Action & Wellbeing Manager Responsible for: No direct line management responsibilities but contributes to people development across all areas Role Purpose: As part of the partnership formed to deliver the Ladywood Constituency NNS commissioned by Birmingham City Council, the Project Support Worker is responsible for the effective gathering and sharing of information within their ward and more widely across the Ladywood Constituency and City Wide NNS programme. This will include: • Development and updating the NNS asset register • Mapping and engaging with community assets • Developing contacts, links and relationships between locality social work teams and community assets • Increasing older people’s engagement with local assets by working with groups and organisations to improve accessibility, identify gaps in provision, and encourage innovation and improvement to services including local commissioning in line with identified needs The post holder works as part of a small Ladywood Constituency Team to keep updated on, and contribute to city wide NNS developments and innovative activities. Allowances: This post qualifies for casual car user allowance. Page 1 of 5 Background Neighbourhood Network Schemes are Locality and Constituency based networks which enable engagement with, and investment in community assets. This is for the purposes of supporting older people (aged 50+) to connect to individuals, groups, organisations, activities, services and places in their neighbourhoods. This approach is integral to the new ‘community social work’ model and the overall investment by Adult Social Care in “Prevention First”. Community assets are considered as any group, organisation, place, activity or service which can contribute to the following outcomes for citizens: • Social participation • Healthy lifestyles • Maximised income • Living independently in their own homes • Carers feel more supported On behalf of the Adult Social Care Directorate, Birmingham City Council has commissioned a partnership of Birmingham Settlement, Karis Neighbour Scheme, Nechells POD, and Soho First CDT to deliver a range of outcomes in the Ladywood Constituency of Birmingham. The Ladywood Constituency comprises the wards of Aston (Birmingham Settlement), Ladywood (Karis Neighbour Scheme), Nechells (Nechells POD), and Soho (Soho First CDT). The project will employ four part-time Project Support Workers, one based in each of the Aston, Ladywood, Nechells and Soho wards who will be ‘hosted’ by the relevant partner in that ward. In Aston there will also be a part-time Project Coordinator who will take responsibility for coordinating the project. Further details about each community organisation can be found on their respective website: • www.birminghamsettlement.org.uk • http://karisneighbourscheme.org/ • www.nechellspod.com • www.sohofirst.org Key accountabilities/job purpose: The requirements listed below are broad definitions of the role. The employing organisation reserves the right to amend and/or change these as and when it sees fit in line with changing needs. The post-holder is expected, and agrees, as part of their role to be flexible to this end. Page 2 of 5 1. Corporate Requirements: a) To positively represent and demonstrate a commitment to the aims, objectives and values of Birmingham Settlement at all times. b) To work cooperatively with colleagues offering support, advice, and contributing to the development, induction and training of staff and volunteers. c) To work at all times in accordance with, and to assist the development and implementation of policies and procedures for service delivery and Birmingham Settlement as a whole including: a. Equal Opportunities and Diversity b. Safeguarding c. Health and Safety d. Confidentiality d) To be approachable and willing to go the extra mile to ensure the best possible outcome for service users; ensuring Birmingham Settlement is a provider of choice; recognising the value of, and delivering excellent customer care. e) To ensure all service users have the opportunity to feedback, shape, and develop services; to identify their own aspirations and goals, and to direct their own outcomes. f) To develop and contribute to integrated working through communication and coordination of service delivery across Birmingham Settlement and its partners. g) To contribute to the sustainability of Birmingham Settlement via fundraising and income generation activities. h) To be self-administering, and to accurately record and work towards the achievement of agreed organisational, departmental and individual KPIs and targets. i) To contribute to, and produce reports for funders and others as required and agreed with the Community Action & Wellbeing Manager. j) To undertake training to meet new and developing needs. k) To carry out any other duties commensurate with the post as required by Birmingham Settlement. 2. Core Duties a) To be the first point of contact for the NNS Project in Aston providing advice, guidance and signposting. b) To gather data relevant to the NNS project and ensure mapping of community assets is kept up to date on the NNS asset register database c) To engage with organisations, groups and individuals who deliver services, programmes and events for older people. d) To arrange opportunities for community consultation to ensure community assets are providing for the needs of older people; and analyse/ identify gaps in community offers. e) To liaise with social workers to ensure they have relevant information regarding services available, and assist in building relationships with e.g. citizens, social workers, GPs and other practitioners. Page 3 of 5 f) To work with the Ladywood Constituency NNS Project Team, with guidance and agreement from Adult Social Care Commissioning Team, to implement, manage and maintain a small grants scheme to invest in and commission community assets and activities based on identified gaps in provision. g) Develop and deliver communications and engagement plans in partnership with the Ladywood Constituency NNS Project Team to maintain engagement and knowledge of NNS. h) To attend steering group meetings, citywide forums and other meetings as required and to contribute to cross–city collaboration and learning. i) To develop volunteering opportunities locally and to manage and maintain a volunteer database. j) To work alone and in partnerships to support and develop events and activities to promote NNS and good practice in services for older people. k) To support and develop social media and wider communications and promotion e.g. for events and activities, volunteer awards, good news stories. l) To collect and collate data about participation in activities and projects with the aim of showing impact and difference for older people. m) To evaluate and monitor the impact of community assets through participant feedback and evaluations. 3. Value for Money A key driver for Birmingham Settlement’s sustainability must be the consideration of all aspects of value for money. All employees must contribute to this concept through: • Effective role fulfilment. • Effective joint working and integration. • Continual evaluation of personal performance, service user feedback, benchmarking, KPIs • Promotion of energy saving and cost reduction e.g. recycling, reusing, reducing; responsibility and commitment to energy saving utilities, lighting, PCs, reduced printing. • Promoting, encouraging and supporting volunteers. • Maximising accessibility for volunteers across all service areas. Page 4 of 5 PERSON SPECIFICATION Criteria Essential Desirable Experience a) Experience of working in a community setting with older people and/or X vulnerable groups b) Experience of working collaboratively with a range of stakeholders X c) Experience/understanding of working in an evidence based environment. X d) Understanding of the issues faced by individuals and groups from X varying backgrounds, and of the tensions/aspirations affecting them. e) Experience/understanding of asset based approaches e.g. asset X mapping, community engagement f) Experience/understanding of recruiting and supporting volunteers X g) Experience of event management X Skills and specialist knowledge a) Knowledge / awareness of Safeguarding procedures and legislation X b) Understanding of principles relating to Data Protection & Confidentiality. X c) Good IT skills, ability to use data bases and input data for record keeping X and evidence, email, word processing, powerpoint. d) Experience of project and/or budget management X People Management / Relationships a) Effective listening, communication, social and interpersonal skills. X b) Ability to work sensitively with a willingness to be pro-active and work X flexibly and creatively with colleagues and as part of a team. c) Respectful, open, and sensitive to others’ history and experience; X sensitive to local cultures and languages. d) An understanding of the needs of services users from different X backgrounds and cultures. Education/Training and Qualifications