Community Link Worker

JOB TITLE: COMMUNITY LINK WORKER

Role Purpose / Description:

This is a new post in South West Mayo Development Company (SWMDC) under the Community Connection Project (CCP), which is funded by the Department for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht (DRCDG).

Over an 18-month period, the Community Link Worker will work with local communities across Mayo and help build community resilience against misinformation and prejudice by working with the local community before, during and after the arrival of International Protection Applicants (IPAs) and where IPA Centres are already in use.

The focus of the work at a local level will be to directly engage with local communities to understand and tackle challenges and concerns in the context of migrant integration locally. Distinct from other roles operating in this space, the Community Link Workers will engage with residents already living in the local community as their primary focus, rather than providing services and support directly to IPAs.

The Community Link Worker will do this by using a community development and inclusion approach to address local concerns regarding International Protection Applicants and support communities to develop constructive responses to misinformation and disinformation in this space.

Reporting to: New Communities Coordinator

Key Responsibility Areas 

Community Development & Support

• Identify specific geographic areas in County Mayo that require support, and work to engage with residents in the area, to provide relevant supports through community development principles.
• Work with community leaders and structures to scope out local issues and co-create a solutions-focused approach to positive inclusion and integration.
• Help establish, develop and/or grow relationships between the community and International Protection Applicants, with the support of other relevant stakeholders in the area.

Partnership & Collaboration

• Facilitate a collaborative approach and develop a coordinated response with the community and other stakeholders in developing a clear annual plan including:
  • mapping out needs and services of the targeted area with associated resources.
  • putting required supports and structures in place to address any weaknesses and strengthen the capacity of the local community to engage meaningfully with migrant integration efforts.

• Engage, when required, with other Community Link Workers, the CCP Co-Ordinator and/or the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s (DCEDIY) Community Engagement Team to ensure work is complementing national Community Engagement efforts.
• Engage, when required, with the Integration Forum and the Local Authority Integration Teams (LAITs) active in Mayo to identify barriers to integration and highlight knowledge and service provision gaps for example.

Communication

• Establish and run a system to maintain regular communication channels with the local community, conveying information as it becomes available on the arrival of new community members, counteracting misinformation on immigration.

Reporting and Governance

• To ensure that the work plan is inclusive of all communities living in the targeted area and oversee work plan implementation, develop progress reports and flag challenges, delays and possible risk factors as they emerge.
• To provide progress reports and briefings on developments to DRCDG.
• Provide project activity updates submitted to the Department with the CCP Coordinator in LDCN, with a view to informing ongoing research and policy.

Training and Continuing Professional Development

• Complete all training programmes as directed.
• Participate in professional supervision, as required.

The above job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post, which may be assigned to them by their Team Lead to contribute to the development of the post.

Desirable Experience

• At least 3 years’ experience of engaging with disadvantaged people at a community/local level.
• Experience of delivering community development approaches, local needs analysis, planning and addressing social exclusion issues.
• Experience of communicating complex and frequently developing information in a succinct, easy to understand form.
• Strong communication and organisational skills, capable of liaising with a wide variety of stakeholders and conveying detailed information to relevant parties in a timely manner.
• Experience of mediating disputes, working with all parties to develop a mutually agreeable approach to resolving conflict.
• Understanding and experience of working with statutory and local /community development infrastructure and knowledge of the national/local policy context that they work within.
• Experience in design and delivery of capacity building supports within the community sector.

Desired Qualifications 

Relevant third-level qualification or equivalent in Community Development, Political Science, Sociology and/or Migrant Integration is desirable.

Other Relevant Information 

The successful candidate will:

• Have experience in project management and delivering projects with a defined timeline and work plan.
• Be able to demonstrate leadership skills.
• Have excellent communication, facilitation and report writing skills.
• Be proficient in MS Office packages including Word, Excel, Outlook, programme databases, and SharePoint for example.

Terms & Conditions of Employment 

1. Salary – Commensurate with qualifications and experience. 

2. Duration of Contract – The contract is based on a one-year fixed term contract, with a view to extending the post subject to satisfactory performance and the continued funding of SWMDC’s Social Inclusion & Community Activation Programme (SICAP) and other new communities’ programmes. 

3. Probation – A probationary period of six months will apply. 

4. Pension -Following successful completion of probation, the post holder will have the opportunity to opt into the SWMDC company pension scheme. 

5. Working Hours – 9am – 5pm (35 hours per week). Due to the nature of the role, some out- of-hours work is required. A company Time Off In Lieu (TOIL) policy applies. 

6. Annual Leave – Annual leave is 25 days per annum for new staff, increasing by one day per two years served, to a maximum of 30 days per annum. 

7. Travel & Subsistence – Travel and subsistence will be paid at public sector rates. 

8. Location of the position – I.P.I. Centre, Breaffy Road, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, F23 V125, with the possibility of remote working to be agreed in line with SWMDC’s Work Life Balance policy. 

9. Garda Vetting – The successful applicant will be required to be Garda vetted. 
10. Own Transport – A full driving licence and access to own transport is essential.

Selection Process

Selection will involve short listing of applicants for interview based on the criteria for the position as outlined in this job description and person specification. 

How to apply 

Please submit your Curriculum Vitae and cover letter by email to jobs@southmayo.com quoting New Communities Coordinator Application_YOURNAME in the subject line. 

Please save your CV as YOURNAME_CV and your cover letter as YOURNAME_CoverLetter. 

Please make sure that you check your spam and/or junk folders throughout this recruitment campaign, as SWMDC does not take any responsibility for missed communications. 

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 21^st February 2025. Late applications are not accepted.