Octopus is a Registered Charity: 1128394

Dear Candidate

Community Development Officer – Tackling Health Inequalities (Islington)

Thank you for your interest in the post of Community Development Officer, please find enclosed:

  • Information about Octopus Community Network and the Stay Well, Live Well project (you can also visit our website at –
  • The Job Description and Person Specification
  • Application Form and Equality of Opportunity Questionnaire
  • Basic Terms and Conditions of the job

To apply please submit a completed application form which clearly addresses all the essential and desirable criteria listed on the person specification. Failure to do so will considerably lessen your chances of being selected for interview.

Please return your application either by email to or by post to Julie Parish, Caxton House, 129 St John’s Way, Islington N19 3RQ. Your completed application should be received no later than 2:00pm on 3rd July 2017

Interviews will take place on Thursday 13th July 2017

As we are a small team with limited administrative support we will only be notifying those candidates who are shortlisted.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully

Julie Parish

Development Manager

Funded by the Big Lottery through the REACHING COMMUNITIES FUND

Funded by the National Lottery through the Reaching Communities Fund

Octopus Community Network

Established in 1999 the Octopus Community Network (Octopus) is a group of pioneering community organisations working collaboratively to provide services and opportunities that support the most deprived communities in London.

Our principal objectives are:

  • To promote the benefit of the inhabitants of Greater London by associating local authorities, voluntary organisations and other agencies and inhabitants in a common effort to advance education and provide facilities to improve social welfare, recreation and leisure-time occupation.
  • The promotion of the voluntary sector for the benefit of the public.

We do this by:

  • Engaging diverse communities in meaningful activities and services by reaching out to and supporting those most in need.
  • Inspiring our communities by developing activities that raise aspirations and a ‘can do’ mentality to advice social and economic integration.
  • Motivating our communities to live life to its fullest potential.
  • Equipping our communities with the skills, confidence and competence to seize a meaningful and rewarding place within society.
  • Supporting our communities into positive and relevant activities to ensure a better quality of life and greater opportunities.

About Stay Well, Live Well

Stay Well, Live Well (SWLW) is becoming a well recognised, established project in the borough of Islington. Now, moving into year two of a three-year project, we are stepping up a gear in terms of delivery and local partnership development. As a community-led project funded through the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund, SWLW is designed to put in place a community-led, model for reaching out to and engaging marginalized communities experiencing health inequalities in Islington. In year two and three, our focus will be strongly on devising and delivering health and wellbeing neighbourhood plans, which are linked to six of Islington’s Community Hubs and have are based on year one’s research, development and community consultations. Year two will get off to a flying start with our launch and networking event, which will bring together all of the partners we’ve work with and local partnerships we’ve developed in year one. Year two focus will also be on capturing and promoting impact. We will also focus on recruiting a minimum of 12 Community Health Champions to help address health inequalities in some of the most vulnerable communities in Islington.

In its development, Octopus drew from a plethora of research reports to establish the most common health concerns, identify communities that need the most support, and effective practice models. Therefore, we are confident that with the right people involved the project will help address some of the major health inequalities in Islington.

The project is aligned to Islington’s Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy, and research from the NHS Whittington Trust, which calls for a strong Third Sector approach to provision of preventative health care, and for facilitating access to mainstream support. The project model maximizes the joint working practices established through the ‘Community Hubs Network’. This will foster a strong neighbourhood approach and inter-agency working to ensure that individuals gain access to and are supported through a tailored signposting and support service.

The project has five key objectives, which are:

  1. To dedicate two new posts to fostering the development of outreach in marginalized communities, establishing information and service access networks, and to work with the Community Hubs to tailor-make health and wellbeing programmes at a local level.
  2. To empower marginalized communities in directing practical activities that will address health inequalities barriers in their community.
  3. To increase the participation of targeted communities in regular health and wellbeing activities.
  4. Develop the capacity of the Community Hubs so that they can interlink the project to complementary provision.
  5. Engage with key stakeholders to embed research into the project, so that we build a good impact evidence base.

Key delivery themes will focus on developing a strong neighbourhood approach to service delivery via the Community Hubs and their neighbourhood partners, these are:

  • Eat well: eat things that make your body feel good
  • Keep talking: value your social life and your friendships
  • Take it easy: take time to relax and recharge your batteries
  • Think positive: be aware of the power of positive thinking

The project requires two Community Development Officer (Health Promotion) posts to make it a success. The persons taking up those posts will play an integral role in taking the project forward over the next three years. The project team will also comprise the Octopus Development Manager, the Project Steering Group and Network member organisations involved in the project.

Octopus Community Network

Job Description

Job title:Community Development Officer – Tackling Health Inequalities

Salary:£10,400 pa (part-time) plus pension contribution

Reports to:Development Manager/Project Steering Group

Probationary Period:2-3 months

Scope and objective

The Stay Well, Live Well (SWLW) project exists to help address health inequalities and improve the health and wellbeing of the most marginalised communities in Islington. The post has four main functions, as follows:

  1. To support the Stay Well, Live Well delivery teams within the Community Hubs in terms of designing and developing user-led services and activities, especially those relating to the work of the Community Health Champions.
  2. Support the team in the design and delivery of Community Health Champion training and provide on-going support to those volunteers.
  3. To support the Development Manager, the SWLW team and the individual Centre Managers in implementing quality-assured and impact driven monitoring and reporting system, especially relating to the engagement, training and services offered by the Community Health Champion volunteers.
  4. To support the SWLW team in the design and delivery of project events that target communities experiencing health inequalities.

Specific Role(s) and Responsibilities

The post holder will help facilitate the reduction of heath inequalities experienced by marginalised communities by promoting health and wellbeing in targeted neighbourhoods. This will be achieved by fostering a community-led approach that features an approach that encourages individuals and communities to become ‘architects of actions that impact on their own health’.

  • Develop an agreed Volunteer Policy, which identifies the role that volunteers will play on the achievement of SWLW strategic goals.
  • Develop and implement structures, systems and procedures to support volunteers in line with the agreed Policy. This is to include but is not limited to:
  • Recruitment
  • Induction
  • Training
  • Deployment
  • Mentoring and support
  • Performance and impact measurement
  • Develop, facilitate and coordinate training and support offered to volunteer involving organisations.
  • Coordinate Stay Well, Live Well health champions’ campaigns and events such as Volunteers’ Week and Health Awareness Days.
  • Line management of volunteers as required.
  • Implement a sustainable structure of volunteer engagement, which will outlive the project life and meet industry ‘best practice standards’.

The post holder will work towards ensuring that all work provided through the project are fully inclusive. Therefore, the post holder is required to provide evidence that they meet both the Essential and Desirable Criteria by giving examples of their skills, knowledge and experience.

Community Hubs – Neighbourhood Network Development to help tackle health inequalities

  • Working directly with the project partners and the SWLW team in engaging targeted minority and BAME organisations, and other health providers, and engaging key communities leaders to ensure the access of minority and marginalised groups to the project.
  • Engaging with key community leaders to foster quality-led inter-agency working to facilitate greater access to health services, improved signposting to mainstream services, and health improvement activities.
  • Support the SWLW team in the implementation of ‘on the doorstep’ access to health information, especially those who are not easily accessing mainstream health and well-being support and services.
  • Develop an effective working relationship with the SWLW team and local providers to design and deliver a training and support programme for the Community Health Champions to be recruited and supported to deliver activities/services in targeted communities.
  • Work closely with the SWLW team to design and implement a recruitment campaign to engage and train a minimum of 12 Community Health Champions, on an on-going basis / for the next 12-months.

Evaluation, Monitoring, and Reporting

  • Contribute to the creation and take responsibility for the implementation of an Evaluation Strategy and Action Plan to ensure that impact achieved against outcomes is effectively evidenced.
  • Contribute to the analysis of information/data collected and support the production of internal evaluation reports and those required by our funder(s).
  • Contribute to and take responsibility for designing and implementing a Monitoring Strategy and Action Plan to ensure that performance against set targets is effectively evidenced.
  • Take responsibility for data input and database management to ensure effective reporting against outcomes and targets.
  • Take responsibility for the preparation of project performance reports for the Project Steering Group, and funder(s) and assist the Octopus Development Manager in collecting and collating project monitoring, claims, evaluation and satisfaction feedback.

General

  • To effectively engage in collaborative working within the team and externally with key partners.
  • To be pro-active in seeking opportunities to develop the project further, especially in supporting the Community Hubs to develop their services provided through the project.

Special conditions

This position is funded by Big Lottery, Reaching Communities for three years from the official start date of April 2016. This particular post will only be funded for 12-months from the start date of the employment contract.

Give the nature of the project it is expected that there will be out of hours working (including evenings/weekends).

Octopus is an Equal Opportunities Employer

Octopus Community Network

Person Specification

The Community Development Officer (Health & Wellbeing Promotion) will have a passion for community development and a deep understanding of health and wellbeing issues in inner-city and marginalised communities.

The post holder will help facilitate the reduction and in some cases the elimination of heath inequalities experienced by marginalised communities by promoting health and wellbeing in targeted neighourhoods. This will be achieved by fostering a community-led approach that features an approach that encourages individuals and communities to become ‘architects of actions that impact on their own health’.

The post holder will work towards ensuring that all health services provided through the project are fully inclusive. Therefore, the post holder is required to provide evidence that they meet both the Essential and Desirable Criteria by giving examples of their skills, knowledge and experience.

When completing your Personal Statement it is essential that you provide demonstrable evidence of you meeting both the Essential (E) and Desirable (D) criteria set out below.

Criteria / Essential / Desirable
Knowledge
  • Understanding of the health inequalities agendas
  • Awareness of the needs of different community groups
  • An understanding and commitment to equal opportunities, customer care and fair access to health care and wellbeing services
  • An understanding of potential barriers to accessing mainstream health facilities and services
  • A knowledge of data protection, safeguarding, and health and safety legislation
/ E
E
E
E
E
Experience
  • Experience of working on community-led programmes for different groups in the community including older people, women, people with disabilities, people living in deprived neighbourhoods, and those whose first language is not English
  • Experience in the recruitment, induction, support, motivation and management of volunteer workforce
  • Experience in the delivery of events or training.
  • Experience of monitoring and evaluation of small scaled projects
  • Experience of establishing and maintaining partnerships with external partners such as grassroots organisations
/ E
E
E
E
Skills/Abilities
  • Have a genuine interest in working with people in local community settings
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Effective written communication including writing of promotional material
  • Strong time-management, organisation, planning and problem solving skills
  • Competent IT skills using ‘Office’ software, and ability to use iMacs as well as PCs
  • Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines whilst maintaining high standards
  • Ability to work on own initiative and be self-motivated as well as part of a team
  • Ability to carry out duties in accordance with the Octopus’s Equal Opportunities Policy
/ E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
Qualifications/Training
  • Minimum of 1 year experience of volunteer engagement and management
  • Community Physical / Mental Health & Wellbeing
Community Outreach & Engagement, and Empowerment / E
E
E
Other
  • Ability to work flexibly, including evenings and weekend
  • Be willing to undergo an enhanced DBS clearance check
  • Ability to speak one of Islington’s more common community languages
/ E
E / D

Job Application Form

Please complete this accurately, giving as many details as possible of your skills and experience relating to this job application. Shortlisting will be based on the information gathered from the form and read in conjunction with the person specification.

Please ensure the finished form is printed out, signed, dated and returned by the closing date to the address given on the advert. We are unable to accept forms returned as email attachments without a signature.

Please either type directly in this form using Microsoft Word or print out and complete the form in black ink and BLOCK CAPITALS.

GGUIDELINES

Guidelines

Applicants will be treated in the same way whether they are external or internal candidates. Internal candidates should advise their manager that they have applied for another position.

Position Applied for

POSITION APPLIED FOR:

Job title:

Reference number:

Where did you see this post advertised/promoted? APPLICANT’S DETAILS

  1. Applicant’s Details

Title: Surname: First name:

Home address:

POST CODE:

Telephone Nos: please include full STD code

Home:

Work:

Mobile (where possible):

Email address:

Do you hold a current driving licence? Yes/No

Is there anything concerning your medical history or state of health that is relevant to your application? Yes*/No

*If you answer Yes please refer to the Equality of Opportunity Questionnaire enclosed

Are there any restrictions regarding your employment? e.g do you require a Work Permit? Yes*/No

*If you answer Yes please supply details on a separate sheet of paper

How much notice do you need to give to your current employer?

2. EMPLOYMENT RECORD

2. Employment Record

Please start with your most recent employment. Briefly describe the main duties and

responsibilities of your post.

1. Current/most recent employer/organisation

Name:

Address:

Job Title: From: To:

Brief description of roles and responsibilities highlighting major achievements and successes in this post:

Reason for leaving/changing:

2. Employer/organisation

Name:

Address:

Job Title: From: To:

Brief description of roles and responsibilities highlighting major achievements and successes in this post:

Reason for leaving/changing:

3. Employer/organisation

Name:

Address:

Job Title: From: To:

Brief description of roles and responsibilities highlighting major achievements and successes in this post:

Reason for leaving/changing:

4. Employer/organisation

Name:

Address:

Job Title: From: To:

Brief description of roles and responsibilities highlighting major achievements and successes in this post:

Reason for leaving/changing:

3. EDUCATION

3. Education

Please tell us about your education, qualifications and continuing professional development training that you consider are relevant to the post. Include relevant courses that you are currently undertaking. Please start with the most recent.

Name of school/college/university/training body / Subject Studied / Qualifications/Level / Date gained

4. TRAINING

Please list any training you have received or courses which did not lead to a qualification but which you feel are relevant to the advertised post.

Training Courses / Continuing Professional Development / Date
Volunteering Roles & experienced gained through these roles that is applicable to the post / Date

5. EXPERIENCE / SKILLS

5. Experience / Skills

This section is for you to give specific information in support of your application. Please set the information out on a maximum of three sides of A4 paper.