Job Introduction
Are you a dynamic and motivated individual with a passion for community development? Do you have the skills to build strong partnerships and lead impactful projects? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to join our team as a Community Independence Officer.
Here at Yorkshire Housing, we believe in creating thriving, sustainable communities where everyone has a home and place to be proud of. We’re passionate about making a positive impact on the social wellbeing of our customers. If you share our values and are ready to make a difference, we want to hear from you!
What’s this role all about then?
As our Community Independence Officer, you’ll play a crucial role in developing and implementing community independence strategies across South Yorkshire and the Wakefield district. You’ll work closely with our customers, colleagues, and internal and external stakeholders to improve the social and economic well-being of our communities. Your efforts will help regenerate community spaces, including green spaces and community buildings, creating vibrant and sustainable environments.
Sounds brill, tell me more! Here are some of the key responsibilities:
Transform communities: Lead the charge in developing and implementing innovative community independence strategies and projects that align with Yorkshire Housing’s vision, becoming a catalyst for change.
Build strong partnerships: Forge strategic alliances with colleagues, local voluntary and community organisations, local authorities, and other agencies to open up new opportunities for our customers and communities.
Develop local place plans: Work hand-in-hand with colleagues and partners to create and deliver local place plans, promoting the effective use of local assets to create vibrant hubs for social interaction, peer support, and learning.
Champion regeneration: Collaborate with colleagues to breathe new life into community spaces, including outdoor communal areas, while managing and maintaining these spaces to ensure they are welcoming and well-utilised.
Empower customers: Involve customers in shaping services, support community-based groups to develop their skills, and assist in securing funding through Yorkshire Housing opportunities, external agencies, and grants.
Adapt and support: Flexibly adapt to the needs of communities, including occasional evening and weekend work, and provide cover for community independence colleagues on leave to ensure continuity of service.
So, what do we need from you?
Communication extraordinaire: You’ll be a pro at keeping everyone in the loop with your exceptional communication and interpersonal skills that will help you connect and inspire.
Creative community champion: Experience in planning and delivering impactful community development initiatives. You’ll also be an advocate for utilising new creative ideas and have heaps of new ideas to bring to the table!
Middle name? Organisation: Highly organised with the ability to take the initiative and drive projects forward independently.
Relationship builder: Demonstrable experience in building strong internal and external relationships, creating a network of support and collaboration. You’ll also need to be comfortable with working alone and in a team.
Tech-savvy: Proficiency in ICT systems and Microsoft packages, ensuring you can leverage technology to enhance your work.
Value advocate: Naturally, your values will align with ours and you’ll have a commitment to promoting value for money and efficiency, making every resource count.
Mobile and ready: Access to a car for business purposes and a willingness to travel, ensuring you can reach and support our communities effectively.
Bonus points if you have:
Sector insight: An understanding of the social housing sector, giving you a head start in making a difference.
Volunteer experience: Experience working with and supporting volunteers, amplifying your impact through community engagement.
Fundraising skills: Experience in fundraising through events and grant applications, bringing in additional resources to support our initiatives.
Ability to speak another language: Enhancing your ability to engage with our diverse communities and broaden your impact.
What’s in it for you?
This is a permanent full-time role, with a salary of £34,219.38 plus £2,000 car allowance per annum for a 35-hour week, 25 days annual leave (rising annually to 30 days) plus Bank Holidays.
We offer a reward package to suit everyone. At YH, you can claim back for prescriptions, eye tests and more with our cash plan, make the most of a variety of retail discounts and take advantage of our pension scheme where we’ll match your contributions up to 9%, just to name a few.
Our people’s health and wellbeing are one of our top priorities, and you can make the most of our readily available wellbeing support package. This includes access to a library of free fitness classes, as well as an instant My GP service and free counselling sessions with a trained professional.
So, now you’re really interested?
At YH, we’re actively building a work environment that’s inclusive as well as diverse, where everyone can contribute their best work and be themselves. We believe difference is what makes us stronger and recognise the importance of our teams reflecting the communities we serve, so we welcome and encourage candidates from all backgrounds for this role.
We know that not all candidates will meet every single desired requirement. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you, please go ahead and apply!
If you require any additional support with your application, or have any further questions, please contact our lovely recruitment team via email at recruitment@yorkshirehousing.co.uk.
The fine print
The closing date for applications will be 28.07.24, but we might close it early if we get lots of fab candidates, so don’t hang around. We’re also hoping to conduct screening calls after the closing date (so keep your phone handy!) with interviews taking place w/c 12.08.24 in Leeds city centre.
If you’re applying for this role internally, you must inform your current line manager (it’s the right thing to do!).
