Provide strategic oversight for DWB’s neighbourhood outreach, engagement and volunteer programme. You’ll lead partnership development, ensure quality and inclusion, and help shape DWB’s role as a community anchor.
Purpose of the Role
Joining the existing Senior Leadership Team (SLT), with a primary remit to lead on our new Community Connectors Project, funded through The National Lottery Community Fund.
Key tasks will include supporting our Volunteer Coordinator to develop the volunteer programme, but with a broader community development remit to help us reach younger and more diverse members of the community, who are most in need of employability and social opportunities, knowledge and skills. The role will both revitalise existing links and help build new partnerships locally and across the city, that will enable us to support our local population more effectively.
The CDM will also have an advocacy role for DWB to ensure we are connected with available opportunities, have a voice in decision-making processes which involve or affect our community and supporting local organisations to come together. The role will help align with the city’s direction of travel (e.g. Sheffield City Goals), alongside DWB’s priorities.
Key objectives
The postholder will be accountable for delivering the following outcomes:
Working with SLT and Volunteer Coordinator to ensure volunteering is embedded across DWB projects, with clear expectations, roles and referral routes that align with DWB strategic priorities.
Neighbourhood outreach and engagement activity is strategically steered and quality assured, with volunteering at the heart of the approach.
Robust monitoring, reporting and quality assurance is in place for the volunteer programme, with systems and processes reviewed and improved on an ongoing basis.
The Volunteer Coordinator is effectively supported (including pastoral support), with clear oversight, priorities and development opportunities.
DWB maintains strong, productive relationships with external partners and funders (particularly local providers and community groups) and develops strategic local and citywide partnerships, including with specialist inclusion organisations, to strengthen volunteering pathways and support timely communication and collaborative problem solving.
The scale and reach of local volunteers is extended through joined up volunteer action and shared learning with other organisations.
DWB’s role as an anchor organisation is strengthened, with DWB represented in relevant decision-making spaces and the community voice brought into those conversations.
Opportunities are actively identified and connected across skills, resources, information and beneficiaries beyond DWB (“connecting opportunities”).
Engagement with younger and more diverse community members increases, including clearer employability and social pathways for young people aged 16+ through volunteering.
Community development activity is aligned with city direction (e.g. Sheffield City Goals, Communities Strategy etc.) and DWB priorities, without losing local responsiveness.
Embed co-design of our volunteer offer and how we measure success, with volunteers, beneficiaries and relevant stakeholders, ensuring inclusive practice is protected across relevant programmes, with evidence of learning and improvement.
The postholder contributes effectively to SLT, bringing insight from neighbourhood and volunteering activity into organisational decision-making.
Ways of working
Work in a strengths and asset based way with individuals, communities and partner organisations, supporting people to influence decisions that affect them.
Use co-design throughout: involving community members (including younger and more diverse residents) in shaping activity, testing ideas and reviewing what is working.
Build trusting partnerships: convene groups, collaborate and share information clearly to support joined up working across local and citywide networks.
Maintain high standards of delivery: plan work, set clear priorities, and embed quality assurance, safeguarding, and data protection within volunteering activity.
Take an outcomes focused approach: use monitoring and feedback to learn, report impact, and make improvements to systems and practice.
Represent DWB professionally with external stakeholders and funders, escalating risks and opportunities appropriately through SLT.
Person specification
Essential
Significant experience in community development, neighbourhood engagement or a closely related role.
Experience of building and maintaining effective partnerships with voluntary, community, statutory and/or specialist organisations.
Experience of overseeing or improving a volunteering programme, including monitoring, reporting and quality assurance.
Ability to provide clear oversight, consistency and support in a senior capacity, including line management and pastoral support.
Strong communication and facilitation skills, including the ability to convene groups and support collaboration.
Commitment to co-design and inclusive practice, including working with younger and more diverse communities.
Understanding of employability and social pathways and how volunteering can support them.
Ability to represent the organisation externally and ensure the community has a voice in relevant decision making spaces.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and confident use of CRM tools is essential to ensure accurate data management, effective communication, and smooth operational delivery.
Desirable
Experience working within an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach.
Experience supporting local groups with volunteering best practice, training or systems development.
Experience of chairing or co facilitating local network meetings.
Knowledge of, or experience working with, specialist inclusion providers (e.g., mental health, LGBTQ+, neurodiversity).
Experience developing pathways and opportunities for young people aged 16+ linked to volunteering, skills and employability.
Experience contributing at Senior Leadership Team level.
Experience of working towards a quality standard/kitemark
Own mode of transport for work purposes.
Additional information
Part-time role: 21 hours per week (working pattern to be agreed).
Where business needs allow, certain roles may be suitable for a blended working arrangement; as this is a front facing role, a higher level of office presence will be expected, and the specific working pattern will be agreed with the successful postholder.
Expected to attend relevant citywide and local networking opportunities as required by the role.
Role is a new post and new capacity on the Senior Leadership Team.
This role is subject to appropriate pre-employment checks. Where required for the post, a DBS check will be undertaken.
Some evening/weekend work may be required to support community events (time off in lieu as agreed).
DWB is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
All employed staff contribute to our underlying principles (Vision and Mission), and the involvement and contribution of everyone – staff, volunteers, wider community, funders – is valued and respected.
For an application pack:
Please download from our website: https://darnallwellbeing.org.uk/jobs/, contact Natalie on 0114 249 6315 or email dwb.enquiries@darnallwellbeing.org.uk
