Job title:Project Coordinator(Walking Connects)Scotland x 2 Posts
Salary range:£25,119 - £31,743 per annum
Reporting to:Project Manager (Communities) Scotland
Management responsibility:No
Budget responsibility: Yes
Hours/ Location:35 hours per week - Flexible (Home based or Living Streets’ office in Edinburgh)
21 hours per week - Living Streets’ office in Edinburgh
Contract:Permanent (funding dependent)
MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:
The post holder will work with colleagues to coordinate the delivery of our Big Lottery funded Walking Connects project, as well as providing support across our community focused project work in Scotland.
Walking Connects aims to improve the wellbeing of older people through walking – by supporting people in later life to be more physically active through walking; by providing opportunities for increased social interaction; and by empowering older people to have more say in the planning, management, and maintenance of local streets and spaces.
The role will involve acting as a key contact for our project partners in the areas we work, including statutory partners, and older people and those supporting them in a range of settings, which may include sheltered and supported housing, care home settings, or day centres. The Project Coordinator will be responsible for engaging project partners to co-produce interventions that enable older people to have increased well being through walking. Interventions could include facilitating a street audit with older people to help improve conditions for walking, to setting up a regular walking group, to collaborating with older people to develop materials that encourage every day walking for short journeys. The types of intervention, and the activities supported, will depend on the needs and suggestions of the older people we work with. Part of the role will also involve collating and disseminating best practice to the project learning networks, and co-ordinating and facilitating workshops with key audiences including statutory partners.
This will be a varied role and an ability to work independently and embrace a broad diversity of tasks is essential.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Working independently at a community level, but in consultation with the Project Manager (Communities) Scotland, to ensure a professional relationships with local partners based on agreed governance and reporting mechanisms
- Recruit and work with statutory partners in various locations across Scotland, including local authority, health, and housing providers supporting older people
- Engage with older people, their families and carers, and groups representing older people, at a community level, supporting participation in the Walking Connects project
- Undertake activity in partnership with older people and their representatives locally, to identify barriers to walking and participating in local decision making; and to co-produce effective and impactful short term interventions that help deliver the outcomes of Walking Connects
- Coordinate the development and delivery of related resources, materials, and activities including workshops and research
- Effectively monitor and report on the experience of older people participating in our project, using the Communities Outcomes Star, or other appropriate monitoring tool.
- Contribute to the evaluation and improvement of the project through delivery of the project Evaluation Plan as required
- Support the dissemination of project learning to key audiences through the creation of case study materials, website content, via social media, and other channels
- Coordinate and deliver workshops or other events to disseminate project learning where required
- Reporting to the Project Manager (Communities) Scotland, contribute to managing a small budget for the delivery of project events and resources
- Identify opportunities to sustain the project or develop activities in related areas and work with the Scotland team to help secure them
OTHER DUTIES:
- Where required, support colleagues with delivery of aspects of our broader communities and schools work in Scotland
- Be an ambassador for Living Streets as required to external audiences, promoting the Living Streets brand and messages, including at public events, in interaction with stakeholders
- Be an active contributor to your Department to team meetings and away days
- Adhere to Living Streets policies and procedures, maintaining good liaison across the organisation
- Ensure the effective delivery of our Scotland strategy and overarching objectives
- Ensure our equal opportunities policy is understood and implemented at all levels
Due to the nature of the role, the post holder will be required to undertake reasonable occasional out of office hours work, and to travel to locations across Scotland, as well as some travel elsewhere within the UK.
NB: Enhanced DSC clearance will be required for this post.
Person Specification
Essential
Applicants must be able to demonstrate:
Criteria / From application () / At interview ()Experience
Experience of working on projects that deliver health/environmental/transport outcomes / /
Experience and confidence in engaging people from different ages and backgrounds to deliver project outcomes, including working with older people and their stakeholders / /
Experience of data management and monitoring, evaluation and report writing / /
Experience of managing activities with multiple deadlines and stakeholders / /
Experience of organising workshops and or training events / /
Knowledge and skills
Proven ability to work at a local level to co-produce develop and deliver projects with project beneficiaries / /
Ability to work remotely from head office and other team members and be administratively self-supporting / /
Good communication skills, including an ability to engage with and influence diverse audiences, and acting as a spokesperson for a project / /
A high level of competency with, Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook / /
The ability to write succinct reports, and develop and produce project materials and resources / /
Sound analytical skills andan ability to understand complex issues and communicate them effectively, orally and in writing to a non-technical audience / /
Good time management skills / /
Personal
Ability to work flexibly, including occasional travel or evening and weekend working / /
Commitment to equal opportunities and the ability to implement the Living Streets’ equal opportunities policy / /
Understanding of, and commitment to, the agenda of Living Streets / /
Positive, ‘ can do’ approach to tasks working under your own initiative / /
Desirable
It would be preferable for applicants to also demonstrate:
Criteria / From application () / At interview ()Experience
Experience of managing a small resource budget for projects / /
Collecting data to assist the evaluation of projects / /
Knowledge and skills
Ability to critically assess the public realm from an end-users’ perspective, and show an understanding of the issues that can affect the walking environment, particularly issues that can affect people in later life / /
Ability to work with local authority, health, or housing partners involved in the delivery of community planning and transport projects; and those supporting older people to improved wellbeing and health / /
Good understanding of the not-for-profit sector / /
Knowledge of the Outcomes Star tool, or other appropriate outcomes monitoring tools / /
Knowledge of the use of blogs and social media channels / /
What we offer
Terms and Conditions
- 25 days holiday in year 1 (in addition to public holidays and 2/3 days off at Christmas), rising by 1 day each year of service up to maximum of 30 days after 5 years (pro rata as per 17.5 hours per week).
- Pension - 5% employer contribution (employee contribution not compulsory).
After completion of 6 month probationary period:
- Annual interest-free Season Ticket Loan
- Cycle To Work Scheme (cheap cycle and cycle equipment purchase).
- Child care vouchers – effective on first pay date