Community Development Project Officer

Community Development Project Officer

Praxis Community Projects is seeking an energetic and dynamic Community Development Project Officer to join our team and lead on the facilitation and strategic development of our thematic groupwork.

The ideal candidate

You will have an acute understanding of the issues faced by refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants. You will have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to facilitate group work with participants who are in complex and difficult personal situations.

You will be committed to building the meaningful participation of our clients and helping them have a voice in decision making processes that affect them. This will involve helping groups to establish long term goals, and building their skill sets to be able to realise those goals.

You will have the ability to communicate with a range of stakeholders, including clients, policy makers and funding agencies. You will have a high level of knowledgeand experience in community development and participation techniques.

For more information, including a full person specification, job description and application form, please visit our website:

Closing date: 12 noon, Monday 4thAugust 2014

Interviews: Thursday 14thAugust 2014

Job Description

Job Title: Community Development Project Officer

Responsible to:Community Projects Lead

Hours:35 hours per week, including evenings & occasional weekends

Status:Full-time, permanent

Salary:NJC point 27-30 (£26,259 - £28,770 inclusive of London Weighting for London based post).

Holiday entitlement:25 days per annum, pro rata, with 1 additional day per annum for every completed year of service up to a maximum of 5 additional days.

Praxis purpose:

To be with displaced communities, listening and acting through our common humanity to create and nurture reconciliation, human rights and social justice.

Job purpose:

This post will deliver two projectscentral to Praxis’ current strategy. The role will involve the following duties:

To regularly facilitate and strategically develop two Praxis groups: (1) a peer support and self advocacy group for young unaccompanied minors and young people with irregular immigration status, and (2) a peer support group for female survivors of trafficking and gender based violence. This will involve working with partners to design and run activities/discussions/workshops with both groups and analyse data from discussions.

As this role will be responsible for supporting female survivors of trafficking and gender based violence only female candidates will be considered for the full time position. However male and female candidates will be considered on a job share basis.

Staff reporting to this post:

Volunteers

Key responsibilities:

• To take responsibility and regularly facilitate and strategically develop two Praxis groups, working with partners to design and run activities/discussions/workshops with young people and analyse data from discussions;

• To maintain a high level of expertise in community development and participation techniques, including facilitating group work, action research, participative workshop techniques, community empowerment and building community voice;

• To support in the providing of management information and other detailed reports as required;

• To build effective partnerships with other partners funded in this initiative as well as with relevant community organisations, local authorities and other stakeholders;

• To ensure that work is monitored and evaluated and quality assured to meet internal and external requirements;

• To ensure innovation in providing appropriate models of work appropriate to the needs and aspirations of our target beneficiaries;

• To maintain compliance with policies and procedures of Praxis in relation to child and vulnerable adult protection;

• Work with colleagues in Praxis in maintaining its commitment to human rights, community development and best practice in working with vulnerable migrants;

• To carry out other duties as required.

EO = Expression of Interest

I = Interview

Person Specification / Essential or Desirable / Assessment Method
Education and qualifications
University level education
A relevant qualification in one of the following disciplines: Community or youth work, advice giving or social work / D
D / EO
EO
Knowledge
Knowledge of the immigration system and access to service forvulnerable migrants in the UK, including unaccompanied asylum seeking children, young people with irregular status, and victims of trafficking
Knowledge of issues faced by vulnerable migrants
Action research, participative workshop, group facilitation techniques / E
E
E / EO + I
EO
EO+ I
Skills

• Ability to work with individuals, including conducting needs assessments
• Facilitating youth work and/or ability to organise and run group sessions with service users including planning and presenting, dealing with conflict, problems and queries with sensitivity and tact, ability to empower, motivate and facilitate others in group settings

• Ability to problem solve and manage conflict
• Ability to plan and organise own work and meet deadlines
• Ability to work as an effective team member
• Ability to relate well and communicate with a diverse group of people
• Ability to communicate to an advanced level in spoken and written English
• Ability to work competently with Microsoft Office ICT packages
• Ability to speak a community language

/ E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
D / EO + I
EO + I
EO + I
EO + I
EO + I
EO + I
EO + I
EO + I
EO
Experience

• Minimum of two years experience working with migrants
• Experience of setting up and promoting a new project
• Working with victims of gender based violence, young people in the asylum process and undocumented young people and/or families
• Advice work, youth and /or community work or teaching experience
• Working in the voluntary or community sector
• Delivering training

/ E
D
E
E
D
D
D / EO
EO + I
EO + I
EO +I
EO + I
EO + I
EO + I
Other

• Commitment to working in a inter-cultural environment
• Commitment to Praxis aims, values and ethos
• Commitment to maintaining client confidentiality and delivering a high quality professional service

/ E
E
E / I
I
I

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