Community Coordinator (North East and Yorkshire)

Hours: 30 to 37.5 hours per week available (salary pro-rated for fewer than 37.5 hours).

Contract: Permanent, subject to a 12-month probation period.

Salary Scale: starting at£24,784 and rising to £28,734 per annum through annual increments.

Home-based: all office equipment supplied & regular travel within the region covered by expenses.

Annual Leave: 27 days per year, plus bank holidays and Christmas Eve, rising by 1 day per year.

Pension: 7%employer contribution and 3% employee contribution, with Now Pensions.

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP): wellbeing support via Health Assured.

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About UK SMART Recovery

UK SMART Recovery (UKSR) is a registered charity that promotes choice in addiction recovery through a national network of structured, evidence-based mutual aid meetings, held in person and online. We empower meeting participants to recover from any type of addictive behaviour using our SMART 4-Point Programme which enables them to build a sustainable, balanced lifestyle. We run meetings for people in recovery themselves, and also for those affected by someone else’s addictive behaviours via our SMART Family & Friends meetings and programme. We also deliver our InsideOut programme in justice settings and offer SMART Recovery meetings for specific audiences, such as Veterans, Women Only, and LGBT+.

Meetings are run by qualified SMART facilitators, who we train. People become facilitators in one of two ways:

• Our own volunteers, who are peers in recovery and run SMART meetings in their local communities and nationally online.
• Staff and volunteers from partner organisations, nominated by their service to train as SMART facilitators and run meetings within their service.

Our partners include drug and alcohol treatment providers, the NHS, prisons, probation, rehab services, gambling services, supported housing services, and others offering addiction support. They buy licences from us, which permit them to run SMART meetings within their service. This is how we stay self-sustaining with very little external funding, and why this role matters so much to our growth.

Every SMART meeting gives people practical tools from our 4-Point Programme to help Build and Maintain Motivation, Cope with Urges, Manage Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours, and Live a Balanced Life. Your work helps make sure those meetings are available, safe and effective for people across your region. We currently have over 500 meetings being held every week, which is a figure that keeps growing.

We’re a small, passionate team of paid staff, responsible for the busy day-to-day running of the charity. Being part of a small team means that your work has real, visible impact and that we all have an active part in influencing the growth of the charity.

Whilst this is a home-based role, it doesn’t mean you’ll be working alone: you’ll have regular 1-1s with your line manager, monthly full team meetings, collaborative meetings with colleagues relating to specific projects, and the support of everyone across the charity. We also have a minimum of three team away days every year, where we meet in various locations across the UK to work together on the business, have some fun, and really connect. All hotel accommodation, meals out, and activities are paid for by the charity, plus your expenses.

What you’ll do

The role is varied with many different aspects to it. The core tasks are:

• Supporting our partner organisations with licence queries, training nominations, setting up and sustaining their SMART meetings, and any other queries.
• Interviewing potential volunteer facilitators and supporting existing volunteers with their SMART meetings.
• Delivering staff-led SMART facilitator training, both in person and via webinar.
• Facilitating your own SMART Recovery or SMART Family & Friends meeting.
• Representing UKSR at local and national events and conferences.
• Doing quality assurance visits to SMART meetings within your region and providing constructive feedback to facilitators.
• Helping us grow by building new partnerships and encouraging wider use of SMART.
• Contributing to projects that shape the charity’s future.

If you’re drawn to a particular area, such as training and quality, volunteer management, social media and marketing, fundraising, or business development, we’ll help you develop it as part of your role.

Your region

The Community Coordinator for the North East and Yorkshire will cover these specific counties, both in person and via Microsoft Teams or Zoom:

North East: Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham.

Yorkshire and the Humber: North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire.

You must live within this region and be able to travel regularly; a full UK driving licence and own vehicle are therefore essential. We operate standard office hours, with some occasional overnight stays when delivering training or attending events.

What we’re looking for

You'll be self-motivated, highly organised, able to manage your time, workload, and travel independently, and skilled at uplifting and empowering others.

Essential experience:

• Facilitating groups/meetings and an understanding of great facilitation.
• Working with individuals and professionals in a relevant sector (addiction services, behaviour change, wellness, mental health).
• Supporting and developing volunteers.
• Delivering training, ideally in peer-support or recovery settings.
• Building strong working relationships with relevant organisations.
• Giving and receiving feedback and reflective practice.

You will also need to:

• Have the ability to work autonomously to a high standard.
• Be driven to grow our footprint, diversify our partnerships, and encourage uptake of SMART.
• Be able to build meaningful relationships remotely, via email, phone, and video calls.
• Have the emotional intelligence to support people who've faced adversity within clear professional boundaries.
• Bring energy and adaptability to make remote working feel personal and productive.
• Have a stable internet connection and dedicated workspace.
• Hold a valid full UK driving licence and have a car for regular regional travel.
• Reside in one of the counties within the region.

We welcome applicants with lived experience of addiction, either your own direct experience or indirectly as an affected other, bringing empathy, authenticity, and compassion for others' experiences. Being a qualified SMART Recovery or SMART Family & Friends Facilitator, or former participant, is a distinct advantage, however applications from others with the relevant experience and skills are also encouraged.

Full training provided.

This role requires an Enhanced DBS check, which UK SMART Recovery will arrange on your behalf.

If you have the drive, energy, vision and passion to make a real impact with your work, we want you to join us. Apply now.