Community Group Development Officer / Volunteer Support Advisor

Community Group Development Officer / VolunteerSupport Advisor who has experience working with groups, volunteers and organisations delivering events with an understanding of mental illness is required to join a well-established Charity.

SALARY: £29,981 - £39,743 per annum

LOCATION: Home-based with frequent field-based travel across the Yorkshire and North East region

JOB TYPE: Full-Time, Permanent

WORKING HOURS: 35 hours per week

KEY REQUIREMENT: Candidates must have a full UK driving licence and their own vehicle - Driving is essential to meet the requirements of this role as there will be frequent field-based travel across the Yorkshire and North East.

JOB OVERVIEW

We have a fantastic new job opportunity for a Community Group Development Officer / VolunteerSupport Advisor who will be responsible for overseeing and supporting the voluntary led peer support groups and other community peer led initiatives within the Yorkshire and North East area.

As the Community Group Development Officer / VolunteerSupport Advisor you will work directly with carers and people severely affected by mental illness who want to address the need for peer support provision in their local community. The charity support and empower those volunteers to establish their own peer support groups and embed them into their local communities, thus creating stronger and wider networks of carer and mental health support. These groups become a lifeline for many people reducing social isolation and loneliness, providing opportunities for learning new skills, improving feelings of wellbeing and confidence, and building new social networks; all of which contribute towards a better quality of life, not just for the members attending the groups, but the peer volunteers running them. The charity has more than 135 established voluntary led peer support groups across England, and this number continues to grow with many more in development.

Working as a Community Group Development Officer / VolunteerSupport Advisor you will build relationships with the volunteer group coordinators, providing them with direct support, advice, and guidance in all areas needed for running safe, sustainable support groups. You will create links between the groups and the wider work and initiatives of the charity. You will encourage and empower the coordinator to link and network with organisations and services in their local community, therefore increasing opportunities of further support, social connectedness and reduced social isolation for their group members, whilst also helping to drive improved service provision in their local community through effective patient user involvement.

As the Community Group Development Officer / VolunteerSupport Advisor you will also follow up new enquires to develop and establish new groups by working collaboratively with the volunteer to establish a framework for the group to operate safely under, whilst allowing the shape and growth of that group to come from the lived experience and needs of those leading and attending it. You will build and maintain relationships with the services in your area, provide support and guidance to them around peer support group delivery and where appropriate build links between them and neighbouring voluntary led groups.

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS

• Experience of working with groups, volunteers and organising and delivering events

• Lived experience and/or a good understanding of mental illness and its impact on individuals and families, or experience of working in the Mental Health sector or related services

• Ability to develop networks and build strong relationships with people from a wide range of communities, understanding the needs of diverse and underrepresented communities, services, community organisations and stakeholders

• Good time management and organisational skills, with the ability to work confidently alone and effectively as part of a widely dispersed team

• Working from home with the ability to travel across the Yorkshire and North East area frequently

Don’t meet all the requirements?

If the role sounds exciting to you but your experience, skills or qualifications don’t exactly match every single requirement, the organisation will still encourage you to apply, you may be just the right person for this position!

BENEFITS

• Rewards, wellbeing, and benefits platform: Providing access to thousands of discounts and benefits including cashback; reloadable cards; savings etc.

• Wellbeing support: A hub that gives physical, and mental health support. The company also have an Employee Assistance Programme with access to appointments

• Flexible Working - you get to choose where you work, managing your own diary. Generous annual leave, starting at 25 rising to 30 days, plus bank holidays, as well as your birthday off

• Contributory pension scheme

• Structured Induction: Onboarding you into the Charity supporting your wellbeing along the way

• Receive up to £300 when you introduce a friend or family member

Please note: we reserve the right to close any of our vacancies early.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

APPLY TODAY…

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JOB REF: AWDO-P11726

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