Community Engagement Project Co-ordinator

The Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind

Job Description: Community Engagement Project Co-ordinator

Hours:  37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday half hour lunch break. Some evening/weekend work may be required.

Salary:  £29,000

Background Information: Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind (SRSB) provides a range of services and facilities to support people with sight loss in Sheffield, including a residential care home (Cairn Home). We also support people with sight loss and/or hearing loss in Rotherham. Our services in Rotherham are delivered under the name of Rotherham Sight & Sound (RSS). Our overarching aim is to promote people’s independence through advice and subsequent referral to other services, both our own and other agencies.

General Information: The Community Engagement Project Coordinator will lead a high-impact project designed to bridge the gap between sight loss services and "harder-to-reach" communities. You will focus specifically on Ethnic Minority groups and individuals facing socio-economic deprivation. By building trusting relationships, you will promote eye health, demystify sight loss services, and ensure that those most at risk have the support they need to live independently.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Community Relationship Building

• Identify and Engage: Proactively reach out to grassroots community groups, faith leaders, and local organisations to build sustainable, trusting partnerships.
• Event Representation: Attend and host community events, festivals, and meetings to raise the profile of the charity and promote eye health awareness.
• Satellite Sessions: Organise and lead "Satellite Information Hubs" in community-centric locations to bring eye health advice directly to the public.

2. Volunteer & Team Collaboration

• Volunteer Support: Work alongside the Volunteer Coordinator to recruit, train, and mentor a diverse group of volunteers who reflect the communities we serve.
• Internal Liaison: Act as a bridge to the Training Team to facilitate Visual Impairment Awareness training for community leaders and staff.
• Referral Management: Work closely with the Community Services Team to ensure individuals identified at events receive a seamless handover for home visits and long-term support.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Data Integrity: Maintain rigorous records of engagement activities in line with National Lottery funding requirements.
• Impact Measurement: Collect qualitative stories and quantitative data to demonstrate the project's success and identify areas for improvement.
• Signposting: Provide expert internal and external signposting, ensuring service users can navigate the complex landscape of health and social care.

Person Specification:

Proven track record in community outreach or project coordination, particularly with Ethnic Minority communities or low-income communities.

Exceptional interpersonal skills; able to adapt communication styles for diverse audiences with a "confident and friendly" approach.

EDI Knowledge; Well-versed in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) principles and the specific barriers faced by marginalized groups in healthcare.

Strong IT skills for monitoring and evaluation; experience writing reports for funders.

A self-starter who can work independently while maintaining strong links with the wider internal team.

Why Join Us?

You will be the face of a project that changes lives. By breaking down barriers to eye health, you aren't just providing information - you are preventing avoidable sight loss and empowering individuals to reclaim their independence.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who reflect the diverse communities we aim to reach. We believe lived experience strengthens our work, and we are committed to building a team that represents the people we support.

Life Assurance: All staff are covered under a life assurance policy for twice their annual salary. However, please note that this is not a contractual obligation and whilst we have no intention of removing this benefit the Charity in its sole and absolute discretion reserves the right to discontinue, vary or amend the scheme (including the level of your cover) at any time on reasonable notice to you.

Pension: You will be auto enrolled in SRSB’s staff pension scheme immediately subject to you meeting the relevant criteria in terms of age and earnings. If you are auto enrolled you will contribute 5% of your gross earnings (plus employer contribution 3%). If you wish to contribute over and above this percentage you may do so, but SRSB will not match this extra contribution. 

Holidays: Pro rata to full time equivalent of 23 days per annum plus 9 days statutory/customary holidays. Up to 3 days must be reserved for the Christmas/New Year shutdown. Additional holiday entitlement starts to accrue after 3 years’ service. Our holiday year is 1st January to 31st December, holiday entitlement accruing pro-rata throughout the year.

This year we were delighted that we were able to acknowledge our 165 anniversary with another Sheffield institution, Hendersons Relish, that is 140 years old this year

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