Community Development Worker (Information, Advice & Guidance)

We’re looking for a dynamic, creative and caring Community Coordinator to join our team. You’ll be primarily responsible for managing our programme of community activities, events and therapies at our wellbeing hub and garden in Camden. 

You’ll be helping to provide a place where people can find belonging and get support navigating life, as we continue to develop the Hub from its roots as a mental health day centre into an accessible, thriving community wellbeing hub.

About Us 

Likewise is an innovative social care and mental health charity working at the heart of the Camden community to support individuals experiencing loneliness, isolation and social exclusion.  

Putting relationships first, we help people navigate life practically and emotionally, feeling a sense of belonging and acceptance. 

At Likewise our culture is all about being human together. More human organisations do more human work. We put a lot into having authentic relationships, work hard to support each other’s sense of belonging and love learning together through the work we do. 

Our three strands of work are:  

• Community – building spaces where people feel safe to be themselves, and feel a sense of belonging, connectedness and acceptance  
• 1-to-1 Support – flexible, person-centred support to meet the complexity a person experiences in their day-to-day life, whether at home or out in the community  
• Shared Learning – providing experiential learning and formal training opportunities that support personal wellbeing and skills development, primarily through our volunteer and placement student programmes.  

We’re also trying to influence change in the local health and care system so that organisations and services become more human, adaptable and responsive to people’s lives. 

About the Community Hub 

The Likewise Community Hub offers a safe space for people to explore a range of wellbeing activities and events, whilst creating opportunity for connection, relationship, belonging and support. 

Our Community Hub and Garden is open to all with a particular focus on people who may feel lonely or socially isolated through mental ill health. It’s a place to access therapies, groups and activities supporting belonging and wellbeing. The hub is both a place to meaningfully contribute, and to feel supported, upholding the principle that we all have needs and we all have something to offer.  

Flexibility 

We believe in everyone’s intrinsic motivation to do their best work and trust each other to manage working time in the way that best serves the work we’re doing. Everyone is free to structure working hours and time in a way that both suits their life and their professional role. Everyone wants to get the most from both. 

Bring your whole self to work: It’s all welcome

Our hope is that every person who joins our community – whether as a staff member, client, volunteer or supporter – can feel safe to be themselves and our commitment is to creating working spaces and relationships where this is possible. 

We’re passionate about creating a workplace that promotes and values diversity, inclusion and belonging. Organisations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical and mental health, ethnicity and perspective are vital to our communities. 

We’re all learners and leaders

We are committed to our own learning, growth and development. We value being able to sit with the discomfort of being outside our comfort zone, engage in the diverse experiences of our work, and bring a learning attitude to everything we do.

We all need to be able to tap into our own leadership, take responsibility for finding the potential in ourselves and others, and have the courage, commitment and care to develop that potential.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about people – and keen to work in an environment where there’s connection with a diverse range of individuals
• Organised, detail focused and a great problem solver 
• Curious, reflective and open to learning – about our work, values, and about themselves
• Willing to step outside their comfort zone – and join a work culture that’s all about openness, challenge and learning
• Adaptable and keen to be part of our broader work – to join in a community event or sit and have a cup of tea with a client when the opportunities arise
• A good communicator and relationship builder – who can represent the organisation and hold relationships as someone, who will often be, the first point of contact
• Willing and able to meet people where they are at, engaging with sometimes challenging relational dynamics and diverse ways of relating

You’ll need to have some experience of, or feel very confident in: 

• Planning, delivering and co-ordinating community activities and events
• Supporting volunteers 
• Community engagement and co-production 
• Working in a people focused role
• Understanding and responding to the unique needs of people with mental health challenges

Key Areas of Responsibility and Focus: 

Coordination, Management, Planning 

Coordinating the curation, planning, scheduling and delivery of community projects, activities and events at the Likewise Wellbeing Hub and Garden

Coordinating the Likewise Creative Therapies service referrals and delivery

Making good use of our community facilities, garden and kitchen to support wellbeing in the community. 

Communication, Information and Relationship

Working with relationship building, conflict, rupture, and repair with, and between, community members 

Being a point of contact with community members and activity hosts

Coordinating placement student team to manage communication channels for the community, including social media, digital content and website updates

Working in collaboration and partnership with our Programme Lead, Learning Programme Coordinator and Office/Hub Administrator to realise the full potential of our Community Programme 

Community Engagement

Increasing access and engagement with the Hub from a diverse community through partnerships, informal and formal referral networks

Working with the Programme Lead to build engagement with the community programme through programming, marketing and communications

Developing and building on the participation, voice, and sense of ownership of community members in the Community Hub 

Learning, Monitoring, Evaluation

Ensuring accurate and useful data collection for the Community Programme

Implementing evaluation/learning tools and methods set up by Monitoring, Evaluation Learning Lead

Monitoring budget expenditure for Community activities, events and therapies

Community Hub Space

Working with Office/Hub Administrator to ensure the smooth running of community hub

Working with Office/Hub Administrator to ensure the hub is a welcoming, effective and well-functioning space for community members.

Supporting the function of front office and reception

Partnerships 

Maintaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including partner charities, volunteers, Camden Council and community members.  

Managing partnerships to support and deliver community activities and events for wellbeing 

Supporting the co-production of activities and events with community members.