Community connector support volunteer volunteer jobs

About Step Up MCR

Step Up MCR is the place-based charity supporting happier, healthier and more connected Manchester communities through the power of local giving.

Working hyper-locally in Ancoats & Beswick, Clayton & Openshaw and Miles Platting & Newton Heath, we:

• Connect with residents, community groups, businesses and place partners to improve local health, wellbeing and employment outcomes.
• Co-ordinate local giving of time, funding, resources, space and expertise.
• Increase the capacity of local projects and boost the skills of residents, staff and volunteers.
• Support pride in places with an arts-let approach, bring people together to make a collective impact, and give residents the tools they need to make changes in their neighbourhood.
• Deliver small community grants programmes and shift power to communities to make decisions on how local funding is invested.
• Improve civic engagement, participation and action.

About the role

Step Up MCR’s Neighbourhood Connector will work alongside our Director to engage communities and drive an arts-led approach to community building.

You will have a strong presence in the community at weekly drop-ins, engagement events and Peer Support Network meetings, supporting people to grow new and existing community-led initiatives. The post-holder will actively engage in local networks and develop a knowledge of referral partners and support pathways.

The Neighbourhood Connector will support with the development of a toolkit of helpful resources that combines Step Up MCR’s offer with those from local partners, which could be anything from training and opportunities, pro-bono support, or specific resources, skills and knowledge to give a local project the step up it needs to grow.

The role will provide a friendly and accessible approach to project development, checking in regularly with projects, tracking progress and connecting with other locally available support through our Advisory Panel and Peer Support Network.

Working with us, you'll benefit from...

• 27 days holiday per year (pro rata), plus bank holidays
• Flexible working
• City centre office location (hot-desking x2 days per week) with free breakfast on Tuesdays and a timetable of wellbeing, social and professional activities
• £100 per year personal wellbeing budget
• Ongoing professional development
• Employer Supported Volunteering, and x2 volunteering days per year.
• Pension scheme - with 5% employer contribution

To apply, please submit a CV and Cover Letter outlining how you meet the specification in the Recruitment Pack (press Apply to access the document) 

We're looking for a kind, empathetic and resilient Specialist Support Worker to join our Mental Health Service in Tower Hamlets.

£29,681.60 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

Our benefits include:
* Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
* Free DBS
* Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
* Fully paid induction programme and further training
* ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
* Online wellbeing resources
* A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
* Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

We are seeking a Support Worker with a focus on Community Connection to join our mental health pathway in Tower Hamlets. In this role, you will engage with Look Ahead customers, helping them harness their talents and skills to broaden horizons, build networks, and access vital community resources.

What you'll do:
* Champion co-production as a core principle, ensuring customer voices are central to service design and delivery.
* Work with customers to identify their aspirations and connect them to local resources, networks, and opportunities that help achieve those goals.
* Co-create a programme calendar of culturally relevant, social, and educational activities with customers.
* Maintain accurate and up-to-date information-sharing protocols and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
* Organise and facilitate educational and developmental training opportunities for customers.
* Provide coordination and line management for Peer Support Workers.
* Arrange and invite in-reach sessions at drop-in groups to enhance engagement.
* Build and sustain strong relationships with community partners to expand opportunities for customers.
* Develop partnerships to meet emerging customer needs, such as access to assistive technology for physical health.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:
* Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement.
* Exudes a warm friendly presence and open behaviour.
* Prefers working as part of a group or team.
* Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement.
* Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised.
* Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments.
* Is confident with high levels of self-esteem.
* Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication.
* Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude.

What you'll bring:
Essential:
* IT literate
* Experience of working within communities with a diverse range of stakeholders.
* Ability to research information from a range of sources.

Desirable:
* NVQ Level 2 or equivalent or experience within charity/social care sector.
* Experience and understanding of mental health and social care services.

About us:
Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Please see our website for full Job Description

Contract Type: Permanent 

Location: Southampton and Portsmouth with frequent visits and activity across both locations

Interviews: 25th of February 

Would you love to be the friendly and welcoming face and voice of The King's Trust, selling our great work to young people and partners in the Southampton area?

Picture yourself planning and attending incredible showcase events with our partners and young people. These gatherings will be the stage where we celebrate the outstanding achievements of The Trust. Whether it's an internal team gathering or an external event, you will play a pivotal role in energising and engaging the people we aim to support. Your enthusiasm will be contagious!

You’ll be passionate about finding creative ways to engage with young people and get them excited about our programmes. You’ll quickly be able to craft a recruitment plan for the Southampton area, working across a field-based team, to be the ultimate people connector. You’ll know how to cultivate, spearhead, and nurture fantastic relationships with agencies and partner organisations that can refer eligible young people to The Trust.

Get ready to take centre stage in our mission! You'll ignite enthusiasm in our potential customers, showing them how we can turn their goals into reality. You'll achieve this by delivering sensational sessions and engaging in one-on-one interactions, all geared towards promoting The Trust's remarkable programmes that will thoroughly captivate young individuals and partners alike. We're talking about creating excitement and making dreams come true! Let's make sure our young people have a consistently amazing experience when they come on board our programmes. Keep them engaged by staying in touch and referring them to the right support whenever they need it.

And now for the serious stuff! You’ll help to keep our records squeaky clean by accurately documenting information about our young people, volunteers, and partners. It's all about ensuring each step of their journey aligns with our funding contracts and accurately reflects on our systems.

At The Trust, we're strong advocates for fostering an inclusive workplace, and it would be fantastic if you share that passion too. So, we’d love it if you would be the voice for our Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity drive by crafting a local action plan that aligns with our big EDI goals.

Be ready for anything in addition to all these fantastic responsibilities, you might find yourself donning different hats and stepping up whenever needed. Join us at The King's Trust, where every day is a chance to create a brighter future for our young superstars!

Why do we need Youth Development Leads? 

Last year, we helped more than 40,000 Young People, with three in four young people on our programmes moving into a positive outcome in work, education or training. The young people we help face a range of challenges, such as unemployment, mental health issues or some who have been in trouble with the law. We believe all young people should have the chance to succeed, and that young people are the key to a positive and prosperous future for all of us. We want to continue having a positive impact on young people’s lives and we couldn’t do this without the important work of Youth Development Leads! 

Perks for working at The Trust! 

• Great holiday package! 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays. Office closure on the days between Christmas and New Year 
• Flexible working! Where operationally possible, our roles require a combination of office days and working from home (please speak to the hiring manager about this particular role)
• You can volunteer for and/or attend events – The King's Trust Awards, Pride, active events etc. 
• In-house learning platform! Develop your skills for your career and your role 
• Benefits platform! Everything from health and financial well-being support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas. 
• Personal development opportunities through our Networks – KT CAN (Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network), and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network). 
• Fantastic Family leave! Receive 13 weeks of full pay and 13 weeks of half pay for maternity and adoption leave. Receive 8 weeks of full pay for paternity leave. 
• Interest-free season ticket loans 
• The Trust will contribute 5% of your salary to the Trust Pension Scheme 
• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary)