Community Engagement Officer

Job Description

We are currently looking for a Community Engagement Officer to join our busy team in Liverpool!An exceptional opportunity has arisen to join one of North Wests leading housing associations. The Prima Group is an ambitious, forward thinking, and innovative place to work, and we recently made it into the Top 10 at the National Housing Digital Awards,recognising our success in innovation, technology, and transformation.As a member of the Neighbourhood Team, youll play a key role in making Prima visible in our communities. Working directly with our residents on community development projects the role helps us create places where people want to live, and you will set outthe framework for our neighbourhood plans so we can respond to local issues.The role is varied, and youll be developing a range of projects that improve the quality of life for residents and support them in sustaining their tenancy. Working in partnership with communities and local agencies there will be a focus on creating trainingand employment opportunities, increasing participation and engagement with residents and community groups, seeking opportunities to access external funding, and providing ways we can support residents through tenancy sustainment projects.Salary: £29,420 per annum + Essential Car AllowanceCommunity Engagement Officer Duties:

• Identify, support and work with residents who wish to be involved,supportingtheir development toenable them toparticipate fully at their chosen level of resident involvement.
• To work with partners to deliver programmes thatwill work with people to help them into work through additional advice, work placements and targeted training.
• Develop targetedspecific initiatives to support young people leaving care, and other vulnerable groups and people who are out of work with a health condition.
• To work withresidentsgroups tosupport and promote the work of the residents, arrange, and deliver trainingas necessary to enable tenant involvement.
• Work withNeighbourhoodHousing Officersand colleaguesto identify opportunities for involvement, toassist todeliver consultation and resident involvement on specific issuesand projects.
• Provide advice and guidance to colleagues on issues putting tenancies at risk, to enable officers to provide first point of contact support for customers, covering a range of factors such as rent arrears, anti-social behaviour, management of the property,unemployment, mental health issues, budgeting, and financial difficulties.
• Provide training and advice to colleagues to assist in new tenants successfully setting up and sustaining their tenancy and accessing the levels of support needed.
• Provide training and advice to colleagues in drawing up support plans with tenants and identify appropriate training and employment opportunities to contribute to tenancy sustainment
• Build effective relationships with external agencies, maintaining a directory of these to ensure that tenants have access to services both statutory and voluntary, and to share information where appropriate, to meet tenants needs, by developing links withservice providers.
• To build excellent relationships with both internal colleagues and external partners to facilitate the delivery of business plan objectives
• To contribute towards wider service improvement, including policy and performance reviews and highlighting best practice
• To undertake any other duties to achieve personal, team and organisational objectives

Community Engagement Officer Requirements:

• Good understanding of managing projects in the community
• Excellent understanding of good practice principles of resident and community engagement
• Good working knowledge of performance monitoring and management
• Experience of developing partnership and delivering projects with support agencies, local authorities, and community groups.
• Experience of working with residents and community groups
• Good understanding of the social, economic, and political context in the neighbourhoods in which we operate.
• Experience of working alone and organising workload accordingly
• Experience of securing external funding for projects
• Experience of working within a role delivering customer services/training events/pathways to work
• Experience of using ICT systems - housing management, CRM systems and Microsoft office software.
• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
• Full Driving Licence and access to own car for work (Mobile working is required)

Desirable:

• Understanding of an asset-based approach to working with people and communities
• Understanding of social return on investment
• Experience of using HACT resources
• Experience of delivering welfare to work initiativesEvidence of continued professional development

About the Company:With 2,800 properties in our portfolio, our Mission is to put customers and communities first by investing in people,