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POST:Community Development Officer

RESPONSIBLE TO:Director of Corporate Assurance

RESPONSIBLE FOR: None

GRADE:Band 5

DATE:February 2017

VERSION:FINAL

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Job Purpose
  • Assist with the identification and delivery of wider role projects and funding opportunitieswith the aim of improving the quality of life of tenants and the wider community
  • Promote tenant participation in the Association’s work throughout all internal departments working effectively with staff and board to develop new resident involvement initiatives and maintain existing ones
  • Develop and assist with achieving the aims of the Tenant Participation Policy and Engagement Strategy
  • Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders involved in community development to include Councils, local voluntary agencies, grant funding bodies and local businesses and other agencies

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Customer Engagement

  • With Housing Manager ensure that the Association meets statutory and regulatory requirements with respect to customer & community engagement
  • Promote awareness of the requirement for, and importance of customer & community engagement in the planning, monitoring and delivery of services and benefits to the organisation
  • Respond to requests to facilitate involvement of customers in service provision
  • Develop Customer & community Engagement Action Plans to ensure the successful delivery of the Association’s objectives
  • Help initiate Shared Neighbourhood developments
  • With SMT develop and service resident’s associations and tenant scrutiny panels which allow tenants to exert meaningful influence on decision making processes
  • Identify and make recommendations in relation to resource, funding support and training requirements to encourage tenants scrutiny and participation
  • Carry out administrative tasks and processes in relation to community developments tasks and grant applications.
  • Organise, plan and deliver community events, meetings, training and consultations as necessary promoting the work of the Association and partners through a range of media sources.
  • Seek/encourage contributions from tenants to the Association’s newsletter, website and social media platforms monitor/regularly update content of same
  • Assist with and promote the completion of Customer Satisfaction Surveys
  • Develop action plans from satisfaction survey responses in conjunction with the Housing Manager and Senior Corporate Support Officer
  • Plan, deliver and maintain records of participation and engagement work with customers, identify changes and improvements to service delivery including researching and promoting examples of good practice in relation to customer participation and engagement activities
  • Develop strategies for consultation and engagement with hard to reach groups

Liaison and Team working

  • Liaise with external stakeholders with the aim of maximizing the Association’s contribution to the wider communities in which it operates
  • Promote opportunities for and benefits of customer engagement and participation throughout the Association and to all customers
  • Assist the Senior Management Team to develop and deliver effective customer participation in the design and delivery of services
  • Support staff across the organisation to develop methods to increase customer influence on the nature and quality of services
  • Monitor staff engagement with customers and identify training and support needs of staff in customer engagement activities and make recommendations to line managers in respect of training requirements

Other

  • Research statutory and best practice engagement activities in other jurisdictions and recommend improvements in the Association’s policy and practice.
  • Make funding applications to a variety of sources to support or match fund community development projects, ensure the adherence to terms and conditions of any such funding
  • Lead on potential social enterprise work including developing ideas and co-ordinating working groups
  • With Housing Manager review policy and strategy and make recommendations as necessary
  • Produce reports on resident involvement for the SMT and Board as required
  • Assist customers to exercise their right to appeal against decisions through the Association's Complaints Handling Procedure
  • Manage the customer engagement budget including administration of the Common Fund
  • Represent Connswater Homes in tenant participation networks and other relevant forums
  • Prepare material for inclusion in newsletters, annual reports, charter returns and other Association publications as required
  • Provide information for internal auditing purposes on customer engagement and participation activities in line with Internal Auditing programmes

General Duties

  • Assist with implementation of customer service standards
  • Demonstrate the highest levels of customer care
  • Plan and organise own workload
  • Attendance at occasional evening meetings
  • Competent use of office and IT equipment
  • Ensure all duties are carried out within the standards outlined in the Housing Association guide, Regulatory Framework and statutory requirements
  • Ensure adherence to the policies and procedures of the organisation, particularly those regarding equal opportunity, health and safety and confidentiality
  • Undertake any other duties, consistent with the post, which may be required from time to time.
  • Co-operate with the general work of the Association. Amendments to the job description may be necessary in order to adapt to changes in operational circumstances

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
The tools needed to do the role / Essential / Interview (I) of App Form (AF) / Desirable / Interview (I) of App Form (AF)
Educational Qualifications
and Employment History / Minimum of 5 GCSEs or equivalent including maths and English
and
3+ years’ experience in community development or similar / AF
AF / Membership of a relevant professional body / AF
Demonstrable Experience of / Working on community/
regeneration/economic/social development projects
Grant applications, the process and the management of funds
Liaison and engagement with tenants and/or community groups
Building and maintaining partnerships with a range of agencies
Preparing and presenting robust and balanced business cases to Board and SMT / AF & I
AF & I
AF & I
AF & I
AF & I / Working with a voluntary board of management
Working with vulnerable and challenging customers to promote community cohesion and social inclusion
Identifying training needs and sourcing/delivering/co-ordinating same / AF
AF
AF
Skills / Competencies / Networking and representing employer at public events
Ability to influence and negotiate with partners and potential funders
Highly developed communication, organisational and interpersonal skills
The ability to produce excellent written material / I
I
I
I / Using social media and other communication channels for positive promotion / AF
The tools needed to do the role / Essential / Interview (I) of App Form (AF) / Desirable / Interview (I) of App Form (AF)
Skills / Competencies / Superb accuracy and attention to detail
Ability to use own initiative
Proven track record of making recommendations for changes to policy and procedures
Ability to work jointly with a range of people of all levels in an inclusive and supportive team environment
Competent IT skills including Microsoft Office / I
I
I
I
I
Knowledge / Awareness of availability of grants for social and community development / I / Awareness of Department for Communities Regulatory Framework & Tenant Engagement Strategy
Awareness of Together: Building a United Community Strategy (T:BUC) / I
I
Other / Ability to attend evening meetings when required
Post-holder will be required to have a current driving licence for a manual car / I
AF
Core Competencies
Attributes/behaviours the role holder must possess to be successful in the role
Customer Focus / Actively pursues customer requirements, and focuses on customer satisfaction and standards for the service
Communication / Effectively communicates information in a variety of formats
Achieving Excellence / Creates a climate that relentlessly strives for excellence and continuous improvements
Equality and Diversity / Maintains the standards on Equality and Diversity and is viewed by all as demonstrating exceptional awareness
Results Orientation / Improves on standards and results

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COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER