St Paul S Church, Leamington Spa

St Paul’s Church, Leamington Spa

COMMUNITYSUPPORT WORKER

JOB DESCRIPTION

Main purpose

To help the churchto be more effective in reaching out to those from deprived backgrounds and/or with significant social needs and integrating them into the church family, primarily by mobilising volunteers to provide friendship and practical help.

Accountability

The CommunitySupport Worker will be accountable to the PCC as employer through their line manager the Vicar.

Terms and Conditions

18 hours per week including occasional evening/weekend work.
Salary £19,800 (pro rata based on a 40 hour week) plus up to 5% matched pension contribution.
25 days annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays.
The contract will be for 3 years, with the potential to be renewed if mutually agreed
There will be a probationary period of 6 months
The post requires an enhanced CRB disclosure

Duties and responsibilities

Vision and values

To develop and communicate a vision for working with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, including those with significant social needs, in line with the overall vision and values of St Paul’s
To seek to engage the wider church community in prayerful support

Managing referrals
To maintain and develop a strong relationship between the church and Lillington Children’s Centre, liaising with them to ensure that appropriate people/families are referred to the church for help.
To develop a strong relationship between the church and other appropriate local agencies eg Warwickshire County Council, CAP Debt Centre at St Mary’s Leamington, sharing resources and working together as appropriate
To assess referrals from Lillington Children’s Centre and other agencies to determine what help the church could provide in each case
To take lead in providing support to referred people/families

Managing volunteers

To recruit, train and equip church volunteers to mentor and befriend people/families in need
To recruit and equip church volunteers to help people/families in need in practical ways
To oversee the process by which church volunteers are linked up with people/families in need.
To manage church volunteers to ensure good practice is followed (egassessing riskand maintaining good boundaries),volunteers are supported and cared for, and gospel opportunities are realised
To work with the Safeguarding Officer, Children and Families Minister, and others to ensure that St Paul’s meets the requirement of relevant legislation, Church of England Requirements, and general good practice regarding the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.

Links to church

To oversee the process by which referred people/families are invited to appropriate church activities, such as Tiddlywinks, Oasis, Family Time, The Marriage Course, Alpha and Sunday services
To work with the Children and Families’ Minister and Director of Youth Ministryto ensure effective co-ordination and continuity of work with children, families and young people.
To work with the clergy and other church leaders to identify and implement any changes that need to be made so that the church is accessible and welcoming to people from all backgrounds, including those with significant social needs.
To identify whether new church activities should be started (eg single parenting course), and if appropriate to assist in leading them

Monitoring progress

To maintain good contacts lists and accurate records of work undertaken, in compliance with the Data Protection Act
To manage the budget for community work
To develop clear plans and goals for community support work, and to monitor progress towards these goals
To provide reports of work as requested

General

To model a Christian lifestyle which engages effectively with those beyond the church, especially those with significant social needs.
To be a fully committed member of St Paul’s
To play a full role as a member of the staff team attending staff meetings, retreats and ‘all-church’ activities
To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required of this post holder

Project Name: Community Support Work at St Paul’s Leamington Spa

Project Co-ordinator: Rev Jonathan Jee Page 1