Date as postmark
Dear Applicant
Community Organiser – Shard End Settlement – Champions 4 Skills
Thank you for your enquiry about the above post, please find enclosed:
- Job description
- Application form and equal opportunities monitoring form. (The application form must usually be used. However, if you have a disability which prevents you from being able to use it please contact me to arrange an alternative method of application)
For more information on the Settlement please visit –
Please return your application and equal opportunities forms to the HR team (Faxes and CV’s will not be accepted) at the address above or by email to
The closing date for completed application forms is 12 noon, Monday 1st February 2016. Applications which arrive after this time will not be put forward to the selection panel.
Interviews will be held on Thursday4th February 2016
We do appreciate the time and effort candidates spend in completing their applications but as a registered charity with scarce resources will reply only to those candidates whom we shortlist. Therefore if you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date I regret your application has been unsuccessful.
Yours faithfully
Martin Holcombe
Chief Executive
Job title: / Community Organiser – Shard End Settlement – Champions 4 SkillsSalary: / £21,000per annum pro rata
Hours: / 14 hours per week (flexible – some evening / out of office hours including weekends).
Pension: / Group Personal Pension with employer’s contribution
Annual leave: / 25 days per annum plus 2 concessionary days and Bank Holidays. [Pro Rata]
Tenure: / Permanent
Based at: / Birmingham Settlement – Shard End Community Hub – 316 Kitts Green Road, Kitts Green, B33 9SB.
Responsible to: / Senior Community Action Worker
Responsible for: / No direct line management responsibilities. Support and recruitment of volunteers
Role Purpose: / To help residents, groups, associations, and businesses to develop individual skills and collective power to act together for the common good. Using dialogue and action-based programmes that support transformational change in individuals, groups, organisations and institutions; targeting individual volunteer recruitment, individual action plans and mentoring for change
Allowances: / This post qualifies for casual car user allowance
Birmingham Settlement tackles social disadvantage by working with individuals, agencies and communities to identify gaps and assets to develop and improve existing and new services.
Community Engagement & Wellbeing / Engagement activities e.g. support for older people, families, young people, service users and communities.Community Development / Community development and capacity building/infrastructure support.
Money Advice / Debt and welfare benefits advice and associated support.
The requirements listed below are broad definitions of the role. Birmingham Settlement reserves the right to amend and/or change these as and when it sees fit in line with changing needs. The post holder is expected, and agrees, as part of their role to be flexible to this end.
Key accountabilities/job purpose:
- Corporate Requirements:
a)To positively represent and demonstrate a commitment to the aims, objectives and values of Birmingham Settlement at all times including day to day activities and events.
b)To work at all times in accordance with Birmingham Settlement policies and procedures.
c)To work at all times in line with Birmingham Settlement’s commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity.
d)To be approachable and willing to go the extra mile, delivering excellent customer care.
e)To develop and contribute to integrated working across Birmingham Settlement and with partners as appropriate.
f)To support the induction, training, and development of staff, volunteers and colleagues.
g)To use initiative and be proactive e.g. to make suggestions for service improvement.
h)To contribute to sustainability via fundraising and income generation activities.
i)To be self-administering and maintain accurate records and reports of work carried out.
j)To achieve organisational, departmental and individual KPIs and targets.
k)To undertake training to meet new and developing needs as required.
l)To carry out any other duties commensurate with the role as required.
- Core Duties
a)Motivate and organise [targeted] individuals and groups using asset based approaches to support individuals through mentoring and other tools to take action to bring about sustainable personal development and local community change. Approaches to mobilise action will include:
- Listening widely to adults and young people and to help people to have conversations which motivate them to take action, to benefit their lives and communities.
- Sharing community organising skills and ideas, supporting key individuals to develop their skills and knowledge to be better able to participate in public and community life, to make their voices heard and enhance their personal prospects to achieve individual goals that will help bring improvements to their community
- Recruiting, developing and supporting individuals to enable them to take up volunteering roles that will contribute to social change to Shard End communities
- Supporting volunteers and Champions 4 Skills to listen, research, plan and take positive action in their communities.
- Providing support and mentoring to individual and groups of volunteers enabling and improving access to skill development and personal action plans
- Contributing to Birmingham Settlement Shard End Steering Group, sharing case studies and identified priorities but also enabling individual volunteers and Champions to contribute to forums direct
- Raising awareness and helping gain support of local business/employers, council officers, council members, faith groups, schools, colleges and other interested parties about local priorities and assets e.g. local skills and knowledge
- Supporting the development of local means of communication such as social media to raise awareness and enhance local social action
- Promoting the work of Shard End Settlement and Champions 4 Skills through establishing local story boards and information galleries in local places such as post offices, hairdressers, libraries and so on
- Value for Money
A key driver for Birmingham Settlement’s sustainability must be the consideration of all aspects of value for money. All employees must contribute to this concept through:
- Effective role fulfilment.
- Effective joint working and integration.
- Continual evaluation of personal performance, service user feedback, benchmarking, KPIs
- Promotion of energy saving and cost reduction e.g. recycling, reusing, reducing; responsibility and commitment to energy saving utilities, lighting, PCs, reduced printing.
- Promoting, encouraging and supporting volunteers.
- Maximising accessibility for volunteers across all service areas.
Person Specification:
ESSENTIAL:
- Experience:
a)Experience/understanding of supporting and mentoring individuals to develop personal skills
b)Experience/understanding of recruiting and supporting volunteers
c)Understanding of the issues faced by Individuals and groups from varying backgrounds, and of the tensions/aspirations affecting them.
d)Experience of asset based approaches such as ‘listenings’, local asset mapping, strength based working,
e)Experience of working with frontline voluntary organisations and/or individuals within a community setting including effective community and service user engagement.
- Specialist knowledge:
a)An understanding of the principles surrounding Data Protection.
b)Experience of dealing with power structures and supporting others with civic engagement
c)Understanding of issues affecting older people and/or social isolation
- Essential skills:
a)Able and motivated to develop Community Organising skills in others
b)Able to support the learning of individual volunteers and Champions 4 Skills and the wider community
c)Resilient and able to take challenge and criticism and cope with negative and apathetic attitudes.
d)Respectful, open, and sensitive to others’ history and experience; sensitive to local cultures and languages.
e)Able to develop an understanding of empowerment and disempowerment and willing to explore the root causes of issues affecting people in communities.
f)Able to work on own initiative, self manage time and priorities to meet challenging targets and deadlines
g)Effective Listening, communication, social and interpersonal skills.
h)Able to be analytical and reflective.
i)Good IT skills, ability to use data bases and input data for record keeping and evidence, email, word processing, PowerPoint.
j)Ability to work sensitively with a willingness to be pro-active and work flexibly and creatively with colleagues and as part of a team.
- Equality and diversity:
a)An understanding of the needs of services users from different backgrounds and cultures.
b)A high level of awareness, understanding and commitment to the principles of good practice in relation to equality and diversity.
c)A commitment to work for the benefit of individuals and communities in the area of work; ability to put aside personal agendas and listen without pre-judging.
- Other:
a)Able and willing to work some evenings and weekends.
b)Able and willing to travel across Birmingham as needed.
c)Able to assess data and experience
Desirable:
- General:
a)Experience of working in the voluntary/community sector.
b)Qualification in training, community development, mentoring/coaching.
Birmingham Settlement
Application form
Please complete in black ink, as this form will be copied
1. Post applied for: Community Organiser – Shard End Settlement – Champions 4 Skills- Personal details:
Surname/family name ……………………….…….…………Previous surname, if changed………………………
Home address ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………….……………….……………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………… Post code ……..….……
Telephone No..………….……… (Daytime)……………..………………… (Evening)………………………………
Mobile No……………………………………Email ……………………………………………………………………..
Do you need a work permit to work in the UK? Yes/No If yes please give date of expiry…………..
Have you ever worked or been a volunteer/trainee at Birmingham Settlement? Yes/No
If yes, please give details of dates and areas of work.
How did you learn of this vacancy?
If you are selected for interview which is the best way to contact you during work hours? Please give details.
- Current/most recent employer:
Address ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Postcode ……………………………………………Telephone No …….……………………………………………
Position held …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Date started employment ………………………………………Salary……………………………………………..
Date left/leaving ……………………………………Reason for leaving …………………………………………….
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Outline of responsibilities/duties ………………………………………………………………………………………
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4Previous employment, paid and unpaid – (Please enter most recent first)
Dates /
Post held
/ Employer / Reason for leavingFrom / To
5Education and qualifications
Please include vocational and academic courses and any relevant professional membership
School/college/university/ professional qualification / Dates / Subject/qualification/professional membership
From / To
6Training and short courses attended
Please put the most recent first and include any skills based courses, e.g. use of PC’s etc
Subject / Dates / Certificates/qualifications
From / To
7Relevant skills, knowledge and experience to support your application
Please give details of your relevant skills and experience and reasons for applying for this post. We will use the information you give us to make our shortlist.
You should look at the job description and person specification and show how you meet the criteria we are looking for. You may find it helpful to use the headings in the person specification and job description to do this.
Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary.
8Key interests and voluntary work
Please give details of any interests or voluntary work that support your application and show your skills, knowledge and experience for the job you are applying for.
9Miscellaneous information
Birmingham Settlement keeps a record of interests of staff of any clash between someone’s work at the Settlement and involvements outside. If you are offered a post you are expected to declare such interests.
Are you related to a current or former employee or Trustee (Committee Member) of Birmingham Settlement? Yes/No
If yes please give details
10Declaration under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
In accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act the Settlement will not discriminate its employment decisions against ex-offenders with criminal records if it is judged that the offence has no relevance for the post(s) applied for.
Please note that if you are applying for posts working with young people or vulnerable adults, both spent and unspent convictions must be disclosed. For certain posts at the Settlement we will also require your consent to obtaining information from the Criminal Records Agency prior to offering you employment.
Have you been convicted of a criminal offence (not including any convictions which are now spent under The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974)? Yes/No
If yes, please give details
11References
Please give the names of two referees; if possible one should be from your current or most recent employer. If you are not currently working please give the name of your last two employers. If you are currently studying and not in full time employment, you should also give the name of your college principal or tutor.
We will not request references without your prior consent and do not normally contact referees unless we make a job offer.
Referee 1 Referee 2
Name ………………………………………………….
Position ……………………………………………….
Address ……………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………
………………….…… Post code ……………………
Tel no ………………………………………………….
Fax no …………………………………………………
Relationship to applicant
………………………………………………………… / Name ……………………………………………………
Position …………………………………………………
Address …………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………...
……………………………Post code………………….
Tel no ……………………………………………………
Fax no…………………………………………………...
Relationship to applicant
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12Declaration
The information provided in this application will be processed (as defined under the Data Protection Act 1998) for HR Purposes and I consent to the processing.
I declare that the information given on this form is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge
Signature ……………………………………………………Date ……………………………………….…………Please return this form marked Job Application to: -
Birmingham Settlement359 – 361 Witton road, Aston, Birmingham B6 6NS
Or email to: -
Birmingham Settlement
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
Birmingham Settlement is striving towards the provision of equal opportunities in all areas of work. To help us monitor the effectiveness of our policy, please complete this form. The information is confidential and will be separated from your application before it goes to the short-listing panel. Your application will still be considered if you do not complete this form.
Post applied for: Community Organiser – Shard End Settlement – Champions 4 SkillsHow did you hear about this position?
Newspaper (please specify) ………………………………………………………………...Internet (please specify) ……………………………………………………………………..
Word of mouth ……………………………………………………………………………….
Other (please specify) ……………………………………………………………………….
Gender:FemaleMale
Do you have a disability:YesNo
If you have a disability please give brief details ………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Religion:…………………………………………………………………………………..
Sexual orientation:
HeterosexualGayLesbianBi-sexual
Age:
Up to 2525 – 3536 – 50
51 – 6060+
Ethnic origin:You can belong to any of the groups indicated, you are giving information about your broad ethnic group:
WhiteBlack CaribbeanBlack African
Black British Asian BritishMixed Race
Black Other – please specify…………………………
IndianPakistaniBangladeshi
ChineseIrish
Other – please specify…………………………………………