Job Purpose

*** 12 month Fixed Term Contract ***

We're the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways across Wales and England, because we believe that life is better by water. Every role across the Trust plays it's part in transforming our canals and rivers into spaces where local people want to spend time and feel better, bringing wellbeing benefits to millions.

The East Midlands regional team is pleased to have received funding to introduce the role of Community Wellbeing Coordinator. This funded fixed term opportunity will lead on Green Social Prescribing for the Trust in South Leicestershire. Your role will be to lead on developing and piloting new waterway-based interventions to improve mental & physical wellbeing in targeted communities.

Working primarily with those referred by Social Prescribing Link workers, the aim is to highlight and demonstrate the positive impact ‘being by water’ can have on individual and community wellbeing and embed our offer within local social prescribing systems. Working alongside other green providers and health and voluntary sector organisations, the post will seek to empower local people, encouraging volunteer and community-led activities and events to support the delivery of the green social prescribing project in South Leicestershire.

This role will involve lots of in-person delivery of community engagement activities, alongside administrative coordination. 

Look how we are aiding wellbeing on our waterways: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeI-l-KiWpI

Location & coverage

The role will be based working from home, with the allocation of a nearby Hub for collaborative working in Newark and/or Wigston. 

This is a regional role but there will be an expectation that the successful candidate will be able travel to attend meetings or  fieldwork 3 days a week when delivering activities across the South Leicestershire and associated waterway networks. 

See our network here (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/canal-and-river-network). 

Funding

Leicestershire Public Health and Oadby & Wigston, Blaby and Harborough District Councils have joined our commitment towards the development of a Waterways & Wellbeing social project across South Leicestershire, as part of their 'Active Together' campaign. 

Active Together Logo (doc) (2) (002)

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Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience

In this role you will support delivery of Green Social Prescribing and other related health & wellbeing activities and provide the Trust with an opportunity to ‘test and learn’ – delivering a number of new, innovative activities that we can scale up and roll out in other areas of the organisation. The project will take a place-based approach, supporting co-creation with communities and co-production with a range of local partners including nature-based organisations and the health & social care sectors. Supporting our insights team with evaluation of these models of working and sharing across the Trust is an important part of this role. 

Key Accountabilities:

Create and deliver a Green social prescribing offer of volunteering, physical activities and recreation to improve health and wellbeing and engagement along the canal.

Increase local engagement and engrain the canal network into local communities, maximising the benefit it brings. Transforming places, generate greater community engagement and cohesion and build stronger local networks.

Initiate, develop and maintain positive and strong relations with key stakeholders, partners and communities particularly across health and social care sectors.

In consultation with internal teams, external partners and local communities establish and implement local project plans for the successful delivery of the required outputs within the project area and set timescales. This will include the proposed financial spend required.

Ensure local groups and individual participants are embedded into the Trust’s regional teams for continued support and management.

Carry out Neighbourhood Analyses, mapping and consultation to understand the need within target areas and ensure planned interventions effectively meet these.

Prepare regular, planned progress and financial reports to allow for efficient and effective monitoring and evaluation of the project.

Work closely with internal and external stakeholders to ensure project delivers outputs, effectively captures outcomes and learning is shared across the wider partnership.

Develop effective delivery models that can be replicated across the Trust particularly around place-based approaches, co-creation and co-production models and social prescribing.

Assess the risks and make adjustments to work methods where appropriate.

Ensure that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of the project.

Promote and recognise the community contribution through press, media and appropriate communication channels and seek external recognition through awards where possible.

Investigate further funding opportunities which may enhance the project. 

About you

Knowledge, Experience & Skills:

Technical: 

Experience working within community engagement and volunteering environment.

Experience in facilitating community and volunteer-led projects and developing co-creation and co-production approaches.

Experience of youth engagement.

Experience of working within or in partnership with the health & social care sector, desirable. 

Experience of developing and delivering social prescribing models and interventions, desirable. 

Knowledge of budget management and control. 

Paddle sport instructor qualification and experience in leading canoeing sessions in sheltered water, desirable. 

Experience in towing canoe trailers, desirable. 

General: 

Ability to work with a diverse group of people, including minority or marginalised communities. 

Empathetic approach and attitude / good understanding of the loneliness, social isolation and health & wellbeing agendas.

Ability to communicate effectively both internally and externally to a wide variety of audiences and using a variety of methods suitable to different audiences.

Proven ability to be able to influence and collaborate with other departments/stakeholders. 

Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills. Ability to operate in a complex organisation and influence the delivery of others.

A proven ability to build robust relationships with key stakeholders to deliver excellent services, programmes or projects.

DBS

As this role is on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 Exception Order applicants must state the details of any cautions or convictions whether spent or unspent on the self-disclosure section of the application form.

This job involves regulated activity with children and adults at risk as defined by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. Therefore, an Enhanced Criminal Record check will be undertaken by the successful candidate prior to employment.

A criminal record is not necessarily a bar to employment with us. HR will advise and decisions made on a case by case basis.

To Apply:  click on the "Apply for this job" button and follow the process - complete the application form & upload current CV.

If you have any questions about the role please contact CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk

We are currently conducting our interview processes virtually as we continue to respect and follow necessary social distancing guidance to protect our team and our candidates. You may be invited to a face to face further stage interview which will always be conducted following strict social distancing guidelines.

What We Offer

This vacancy offers a salary of £25,000 - £27,500.  In addition, we offer a generous contributory DC Pension plan, and excellent holidays.  You can learn more about the employee benefits we offer here: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits

We aim to represent the diverse communities we are part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings with it a diversity of ideas, thinking and ways of working which enhances what we do. 

Find out more about the work we do and opportunities we have on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us