Community connector support jobs

Introduction

East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) working with Mind CHWF and other voluntary sector partners is delighted to offer a secondment as a community connector to support the mental well-being of people with complex mental health and social needs in the Neighbourhoods in City & Hackney.

This is a new role and we are looking to work with individuals from the voluntary sector to help us co-design and test out the role.  You will help to shape the role, working closely with people in Neighbourhoods to reflect their strengths, interests and ideas for what matters to them about good mental well-being.

You will be a welcome member of the multi-disciplinary (MDT) mental health team, with day-to-day managerial and professional supervision provided within the team. You will also be able to access training and other staff support within ELFT during this time.

Background

In the autumn of 2019 ELFT was successful in securing funding from NHS England (NHSE) for community mental health transformation. It is one of 12 national pilot sites. City and Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets are all part of the ELFT pilot. The aim of the transformation is to develop a model of support for people with serious mental illness (SMI) that recognises complexity and social determinants over and above diagnosis, and supports them through a blended team of voluntary sector, mental health and primary care staff to connect better into a range of activities in their neighbourhoods. The new teams are organised around City & Hackney Primary care networks (PCNs) / Neighbourhoods, and will provide wraparound support for people with varying levels of need. These teams will develop a rich understanding of population mental health need, and work with individuals, families, and communities to develop capacity for self-management, and provide local treatment and support for individuals when they need it.

The teams include the new community connector role. This will be someone from the voluntary sector, well connected in the neighbourhoods and bringing expertise in wider social support and well-being. We are working with voluntary sector partners to design and test this role.

Responding to Covid 19

Since the Covid 19 emergency began in mid-March much of the transformation programme has had to be adapted. ELFT is keen that where the transformation can support the Covid 19 response it should continue. In particular the role of the community connector could be valuable during the Covid 19 emergency and recovery.

The role obviously needs to be different and we will work closely with the connectors and the voluntary sector to design and test out the role. The description here is intended as a starter for ten to give some idea about the shape the role might take.

During the Covid pandemic, the community connectors will be part of the ELFT community MDT team, making links to specific Neighbourhoods. Also the face to face work in terms of assessments, interventions, group work, partnership working may need to be carried out differently. The role will now include:

· providing support to service users by phone/virtually

· connecting service users to the fast developing range of Covid 19 resources in each neighbourhood and keeping the mental health and primary care teams up to date about these resources and how to refer people to the/access them. Including supporting the new Neighbourhood MDTs as these develop.

· developing a good knowledge of all the online resources in each neighbourhood and connecting service users and staff to these

· we will keep the option for face to face work and group work under review, depending on the government guidance on social distancing. As lockdowns are lifted there may be some possibility to offer this type of support

The following five design principles have guided our model development to date:

1. Service users and citizens will be active, equal partners: leading the design, implementation, governance, and delivery of our new mode

2. We will integrate mental and physical health, wellbeing and social care: our services will feel fully integrated to service users and carers

3. The right support in the right place and the right time: services will be delivered in the PCN footprint, and service users will not be “bounced around” services

4. A focus on what matters to service users: care planning will look beyond health goals to life goals and wider determinants of health; and we will work to connect people to each other and their communities

5. Evidence-based interventions: Service users will be confident that our services provide the latest evidence-based care, treatment and support.

The role

The Community Connectors will support individuals to connect within neighbourhoods, and use local assets to self-organise.

Who you will support

The post-holder will work closely with individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) and/or personality disorders (PD), developing an understanding of complexity in order to provide the most appropriate support. Some of the service users you will work with will have been supported by community mental health recovery teams, seen in outpatients and are not care co-ordinated, so could be better supported by their local neighbourhood team. Other service users will be on primary care SMI registers and likely to benefit from additional support, but do not meet the thresholds for traditional secondary care. Other people might not be known to our services currently, and could benefit from the more personalised, local, holistic offer you will be developing.

Your approach

The ethos of this work will be recovery focused, move away from a traditional referral model, blur the boundaries between primary and secondary care, explore needs through complexity (rather than diagnosis), focus on a person’s strengths and assets, and focus on the wider determinants of health and wellbeing. This approach is as important as your experience and expertise. You will develop a strengths based biopsychosocial assessment, and supportive approach, and work with colleagues and local people to develop the MDT approach in its infancy. 

Although not exhaustive, below is a list of the skills and responsibilities that may be required:

Individual Support

· Strong interpersonal and communication skills. It is important that you listen to service users and carers to find out what is important to them, and that you build open, supportive and trusting relationships (working with the challenges of not meeting face-to-face, at least initially, due to the current Covid-19 public health crisis. We will keep the option for face to face work and group work under review, depending on the government guidance on social distancing. As lockdowns are lifted there may be some possibility to offer this type of support.)

· A strong sense of what factors influence health and wellbeing.

· The ability to assist service users in setting goals and making changes that are meaningful to them.

· You will conduct regular innovative and engaging sessions (currently with individuals, over the phone) in order to work towards support plan goals.

· You will ensure ongoing assessment and management of risks within an attitude of 'positive risk taking'.

· You will give people time to tell their stories and focus on ‘what matters to me’, build trust, providing non-judgemental support, respecting diversity and lifestyle choices.

· You will use health coaching and motivational interviewing techniques, identify barriers to people accessing services, and work with service users to overcome these. You will support people to identify the wider issues that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, employment circumstances and unemployment, loneliness, isolation and caring responsibilities.

· Where people may be eligible for a personal health budget, help them to explore this option as a way of providing funded, personalised support to be independent, including helping people to gain skills for meaningful employment, where appropriate.

Community Development

· You will act as the ‘glue’, linking people in with experts and local assets, and undertaking support work in partnership with external stakeholders to complement their interventions.

· You will stay up to date with the constantly developing environment, local offer, and national policies, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Significant experience in local statutory and/or voluntary sector services.

· You will have a deep knowledge of City & Hackney (or a specific local area or demographic), what is available locally and how to signpost and support people (network creation, mapping).

· You will develop productive relationships with local partner organisations to improve service outcomes, and involve service users and carers in the design, development and delivery of the service.

· You will need to triage referrals and signpost to specialist support quickly where necessary, and deal with general queries to contribute to the overall smooth running of the neighbourhood team.

· Where appropriate, introduce people to community groups, activities and statutory services, ensuring they are comfortable.  Follow up to ensure they are happy, able to engage, included and receiving good support.

· Where appropriate you will connect people to each other through shared common interests and the need for mutual support.

· You will have the ability and drive to build networks with local community resources such as activities and services that may have an impact on health and wellbeing, and support individuals to access these. To be proactive in encouraging self-referrals, and connecting with all local communities.

· You will work in partnership with existing community navigation roles in City & Hackney.

Project Management

· You will monitor and record outcomes of all those accessing the service through the use of recognised assessment tools and outcome measures. With the wider team, you will gather and collate statistical and other information and data as required, reporting on activity and outcomes and ensuring effective qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation of the services.

· You will help to develop and adapt this role as the societal circumstances we are operating under change (as the Covid-19 public health situation develops and/or social distancing is relaxed).

General

· You will reflect on practice and participate in team meetings, practice development forums and peer supervision. You will identify own training and development needs in conjunction with your Line Manager and participate in training opportunities.

· You will develop an awareness of local and national developments and best practice in this area of work and to attend relevant conferences, meetings and training events as required.

· You will adhere to organisational policies and procedures relating to risk and personal safety. You will refer all safeguarding issues in line with local policy.

· You will manage volunteers and other team members as required.

· You will identify issues relating to systemic challenges and disconnects, and report these to the Programme Manager, developing an eye for service improvement opportunities.

Person Specification

As a community connector, you will become a local expert, gathering and sharing information about local opportunities, activities, and support, bringing people together and supporting them to remain confident and independent in their everyday lives.

We are looking for community connectors with experience supporting with people with their mental health, with significant experience in statutory and/or voluntary sector services, knowledge of City & Hackney (or a specific local area or demographic), and strong interpersonal skills.

Skills and experience:

Person Centred

- Enjoys social interaction and the company of others.

- Exudes a warm friendly presence and open behaviour. Is approachable and open-minded.

- Prefers working as part of a group or team.

- Has a practical and logical mind.

- Well organised and knows how to prioritise tasks. Able to plan own workload.

- Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments.

- Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication.

- Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person-centred support in a non-judgmental.

- Able to support people in a way that inspires trust and confidence, motivating others to reach their potential.

- Experience of supporting people, families and care in a related role (including unpaid work).

- Experience of supporting people with their mental health, either in a paid, unpaid or informal capacity.

Community Development

- Commitment to reducing health inequalities and proactively working to reach people from all communities.

- Able to work from an asset-based approach, building on existing community and personal assets.

- Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people, their families, carers, community groups, partner agencies and stakeholders.

- Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals.

- Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.

- Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude.

- Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviour.

- Demonstrates a desire for continuous professional development.

- Experience of working directly in a community development context, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work).

- Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations.

Knowledge:

- Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities and how adverse circumstances and structural barriers can affect people's relationships

- An understanding of the experiences of people who live with significant mental distress.

- Knowledge of community development approaches.

- Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports.

- Knowledge of motivational coaching and interview skills.

- Knowledge of voluntary and community services in the local neighbourhood.

Essential:

- Educated to GCSE level (or equivalent by experience).

- NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent.

- Significant experience in statutory or voluntary sector services.

- IT literate.

Desirable:

- Mental Health First Aid or willingness to work towards the qualification.

- Training in motivational coaching and interviewing or equivalent experience.

- University degree and/or professional qualification.

- Experience of delivering peer support groups.

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

The Community Connectors programme is an exciting partnership between Community Links, Aston Mansfield, Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge, and the NHS East London Foundation Trust (ELFT).

Community Connectors work alongside ELFT under what is called the Mental Health Transformation Programme. The ethos of the programme is recovery focused, exploring needs through complexity (rather than diagnosis), a focus on a person’s strengths and assets, and on the wider determinants of health and wellbeing.

The role involves providing holistic support to people suffering from a serious mental illness or SMI. Service users will have a single or range of diagnosed conditions, will be known to ELFT and will therefore have a range of needs, including symptoms of anxiety or depression, or have a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Specifically, the Community Connector will work with multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) who sit within primary care networks or PCNs (clusters of GP practices) across Newham, and will support people in accessing appropriate local services, embodying a true example of wrap around support.

Above all, the Community Connector will be a strong networker who is able to engage multiple stakeholders for the betterment of service user welfare and outcomes.

Qualifications

Essential competencies

• University degree and/or personal specification
• Local knowledge of services, provisions, and issues faced by people suffering from mental health
• Experience working with stakeholders and partnerships.
• A commitment in implementing the mission and values of Aston-Mansfield
• Any other duties deemed relevant to your role. 

About us 

Housing Justice brings together communities and finds solutions to homelessness by building personal connections, a sense of belonging, and creating justice in the housing system. We train and support volunteers to offer various accommodation options while building a network of local support. This includes providing personalised assistance to help individuals access relevant local services and address their other needs. Through compassionate, courageous, and collaborative action, we implement innovative solutions to tackle housing injustice, enhance the quality of housing, and elevate the voices and experiences of groups affected by housing injustice to both local and national governments. 

About Citadel 

 
Community Connectors forms part of the Citadel programme. Citadel is a volunteer-powered homelessness prevention project that supports people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness, to find a place to live, settle into a home, and feel part of a welcoming and supportive community. Coordinators recruit and train volunteers before matching them with a person referred for support. Coordinators and volunteers work closely with people who have been referred, to establish what matters to them and how best they can support them. 

About you 

We are looking for an outgoing, confident and skilled communicator, comfortable with building relationships, including for support, influencing people, and with public speaking. You will be a self-motivated, committed person with experience of working and/or volunteering in the homelessness, housing or voluntary and community sectors.
 
About the role 

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing our London projects, continuing and growing the support we offer and relationships we’ve built. The focus of the role is volunteer management and support coordination: specifically the recruitment, training, support and supervision of volunteers; and overseeing the support volunteers offer

Benefits 

• 29 days annual leave, 3 of which are fixed between Christmas and New Year. This is in addition to bank holidays and pro-rata if part time. 

• After 3 years of service you are entitled to one additional day of holiday for each additional year of service, up to a maximum of 5 additional days, pro-rata if part time. 

• We offer flexible working. Not all posts can be made flexible, but where possible we operate core hours of 10 – 3pm, with employees able to flex their working day around these. Any flexibility is at the discretion of the line manager and relevant senior manager. 

• As this role is offered as Home Working, we will provide some financial support to get you set up with appropriate equipment. 

• We offer an employee assistance programme, which can be used by you and your family for a range of advice and support. 

• We offer a cycle-to-work scheme.  

Community Development Officer

We are looking for three Rural Community Connectors / Community Development Officers to join our team, working across Devon in flexible, hybrid roles.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a leading rural community development charity and play a critical role in supporting thriving, sustainable and inclusive rural, coastal and market town communities.

Positions: Rural Community Connector / Community Development Officer (3 posts)

Salary: £28,828 per annum (FTE) - Pro rata: £8,648 (0.3 FTE) / £23,062 (0.8 FTE)

Contract: Fixed term for 3 years (subject to review thereafter)

Locations & Hours:

• South / West Devon – 0.3 FTE (10.88 hours per week)
• North Devon / Torridge – 0.3 FTE (10.88 hours per week)
• East Devon / Mid Devon – 0.8 FTE (29 hours per week)

Closing Date: 12 noon Monday 2nd February
 

The Role

You will work as part of the Delivery Team to support rural and coastal communities to develop, thrive and respond to local challenges. Across these roles you will contribute to the delivery of a diverse portfolio of projects, including the Vibrant Villages and Power in Place programmes, and wider community development activity across Devon.

You will:

• Work directly with communities and partner organisations to improve quality of life and community resilience
• Deliver community engagement, capacity building and community-led planning activity
• Support work tackling social isolation, health inequalities, fuel poverty and access to services
• Contribute to social enterprise development, training and skills building in community-led change
• Support Project Managers to deliver funded projects on time and to agreed outcomes
• Represent the charity within local partnerships and networks
• Research emerging issues affecting rural communities and help shape future projects and services

You will be primarily community-based within your locality, with some work across the wider county.

About You

We are seeking experienced, motivated and community-focused professionals who thrive in varied, people-centred roles and enjoy delivering tangible outcomes.

You will have:

• Experience in community engagement or community development, supporting community groups and partnerships
• A strong understanding of asset-based, inclusive and community-led approaches
• Excellent project management skills, including communication, facilitation, training delivery and impact evaluation
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic environment
• Experience of writing reports and delivering workshops or training sessions
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences

You will need to be flexible, as some evening and weekend work will be required. Travel across Devon is essential; mileage will be reimbursed. Due to the rural nature of the county, a full driving licence with access to a vehicle (or the ability to travel easily across Devon) is required.

About the Organisation

The charity is a leading rural community development charity working across Devon to support communities to become more resilient, connected and sustainable.

We are an equal opportunities employer and strive to create a working environment where everyone can make the best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment. Applications are welcomed from all sections of the community.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

Head of Donor Stewardship and Legacies

Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation

Devizes / Hybrid • £42,000–£46,000 Depending on experience •Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week

Are you passionate about building lasting relationships and seeing generosity make a real difference? Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation is looking for an experienced fundraiser to lead and grow our individual giving and legacy programmes.

This role is central to creating a vibrant culture of giving across the region while helping deliver our 2025–2030 strategy. You’ll develop meaningful, long-term relationships with supporters and strengthen our Friends of the Foundation offer, inspiring generosity through thoughtful stewardship and engaging communications.

Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation is seeking an experienced and motivated Head of Donor Stewardship and Legacies to lead and grow our relationships with individual donors. This role will be central to developing a culture of philanthropy across Wiltshire and Swindon, contributing directly to the delivery of our 2025–2030 organisational strategy. The postholder will build strong, meaningful relationships with supporters, develop a compelling individual giving programme (including strengthening our Friends of the Foundation offer) and legacy programme This role requires a confident fundraiser with strong stewardship skills, excellent communication, and a deep understanding of the Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice.You will be familiar with developing mailed and emailed communications but also with building relationships both face to face and over the telephone with supporters, specifically with older supporters.

Why join us?

You’ll be part of a small, supportive team who care deeply about what we do. We offer flexible working and a hybrid approach, with our office based in Devizes.

For more information about our current vacancies, and our commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, please visit our website. 

Closing date: 12 noon, Friday 30 January 2026

Please note, the full job description and person specification can be found in the recruitment pack, on the recruitment page on our website, where you can also apply for this role.

If you have experience in individual giving and want to help transform local communities, we’d love to hear from you.

This is an exciting chance to gain a full year of hands-on experience working with a place-based funder. You will be learning how funding decisions are made and how grants are administered to create real impact in local communities. You’ll not only develop practical skills in project delivery and grant management, but also build a strong understanding of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.

In addition to supporting grant administration, you will lead your own project from start to finish. This will involve conducting research, engaging with local organisations and sector leaders, and producing a clear, actionable plan that addresses a real need in the sector and how the Foundation can look to ease that need. You’ll have the autonomy to shape your project while receiving guidance and support from the Chief Executive and Grants and Programmes manager, giving you the perfect balance of independence and mentorship.

As part of this role, you will join the Rank Foundation’s Time to Shine Leadership Programme, a nationally recognised initiative designed to nurture future leaders in the charity sector. You’ll be part of a cohort of 55 emerging leaders across the UK, benefiting from tailored training, mentoring, and peer support. This programme will help you develop your leadership potential, grow your confidence, and prepare you for future roles within the VCSE sector.

If you are currently unemployed or under-employed, this opportunity offers a supportive and structured pathway to gain valuable experience, expand your professional network, and make a meaningful difference in communities

We all work flexibly between home, at our Redcar office or in the community. So you will need to be self-sufficient and able to manage your own workload. We encourage applications from people near the start of their career who want to develop with a new organisation, people who are currently underemployed looking for a change of career, or those returning or joining the workforce and are looking for a new challenge. We look for employees who have the ability to engage with a wide range of people, a supportive manner and a genuine passion for the work we do. This is a great opportunity for someone who is as excited as we are about making positive change across our area of benefit.

Please read the Time to Shine Programme guide on our website aswell as the Job Description before starting your application and ensure you meet the criteria listed.

The closing date for applications is 10am on Monday 2nd February 2026

Interviews will be held at our Redcar office in the Palace Hub TS10 3AE on 16 February.