NORTH ANTRIM COMMUNITY NETWORK
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:Community Development Officer
Ref No:DAERA CDO 2
Responsible To: North Antrim Community Network Manager and Board
Status: 35 hours per week
(contract to March 2019, 1 yr. extension subject to funding)
Evening work and a flexible approach will be expected.
NACN operates a system of time off in lieu and does not pay overtime.
Salary:£25,951 - £27,668 (SO1) gross per annum pro rata based on a 35hpw
Location: Throughout the Northern Area and NACN Office
Background:
North Antrim Community Network (NACN) is a community development
umbrella organisation which has been operating across County Antrim since 1995. We provide a wide range of support to communitygroups and currently employ 7 members of staff on a number of projects.
This post is largely funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs. The successful applicant will work with and develop rural groups across the Northern Area in conjunction with other community development staff.
Key areas of Responsibilities:
This post is designed to develop and deliver a wide range of initiatives that will increase the capacity of individuals and groups to participate at a local level, interface with statutory agencies and have a direct impact on rural communities in the Northern Area.
In general you will seek to:
Animate, develop awareness, build confidence, broaden levels of participation and promote good community development working practices in the area.
Work with local communities to identify their health, social, economic, housing and environmental needs and priorities and develop and deliver agreed actions to address these needs.
Increase the emphasis and opportunity for networking and partnership working within local communities and between community, voluntary and statutory organisations to ensure the design, development and delivery of initiatives and services which will best meet their needs and will contribute to the improvement of their quality of life.
Develop and deliver new and innovative ways of addressing inequalities where these exist and facilitating the local implementation of key strategies, programmes and approaches.
Ensure that activities are monitored and evaluated and that the needs and priorities of local communities are reflected in the plans and priorities of partner organisations.
Establish and develop close working relationships with communities and facilitate their full and active participation in the agendas to improve rural renewal and regeneration.
Facilitate a range of mechanisms and approaches which ensure that the health, social and economic needs of local communities are reflected and represented in the plans and priorities of voluntary and statutory organisations.
Develop initiatives and events that are designed to develop the confidence, capacity and skills of the community to become more actively involved in local and regional development.
Promote and develop understanding within the community of current policies and opportunities that are likely to have an effect locally and facilitate responses to consultation exercises that will represent the views of local groups and communities.
Promote good community relations and seek to proactively engage all sections of the community across the religious and ethnic spectrum in all relevant initiatives.
Work in partnership with local communities and organisations to identify and secure sources of funding that will realise new projects and programmes.
Maintain good communication links and facilitate networking between groups and others to ensure the sharing of information and learning.
Work with communities to maximise the development and use of local resources and facilities and therefore, contribute to the sustainability of local community infrastructures.
Prepare and maintain reports and other documentation that may be required.
Co-ordinate and facilitate the development and implementation of appropriate and effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the progress of initiatives in meeting agreed targets and priorities of all partners.
Participate in the provision of training and development programmes designed to further the aims and objectives of the project.
Link with local, area and regional networks to facilitate information sharing, networking and learning.
Attend meetings and conferences relevant to this project as requested by management and effectively relay back to stakeholder groups.
Undertake any project relevant activities, duties and contracts as directed by management.
Personnel Specifications - Minimum Requirements:
Essential Qualifications:
- A relevant 3rd level qualification in Community Relations or Community, Rural or Health Development anda minimum of 2 years paid work experience within the last 5 years in a relevant community, rural orhealth development or community relations discipline.
or
- A 3rd level qualification and 4 years relevant experience in paid employment in the past 6 years in one or more of the above disciplines.
Essential experience, skills and aptitudes:
- Direct experience of working with groups on development and capacity building.
- Demonstrate experience of formal project planning, management and delivery including: needs assessment, priority setting, action planning and securing funding.
- Experience of planning and organising community events and activities that are designed to improve the quality of life of communities and that utilise community development approaches.
- Evidence of a range of essential communication skills e.g. presentations, public meetings, group facilitation and group based training.
- Evidence of regular and in depth continued use of Computers with daily experience of using the Internet and email systems in addition to Microsoft Word, Access, Excel and Power point.
- The ability to work on their own initiative and to work unsupervised to achieve the aims, objectives of a work plan.
- A flexible approach to work and a willingness to work unsociable hours as the job requires.
- A full clean driving licence and use of a car for business purposes.
Desirable
- Evidence within their career to date of facilitating and training groups and individuals
- Evidence of good negotiation skills
- Evidence of working with groups in the Northern Area.
- Evidence of working withrural communities in the Northern Area.