CAFOD Community Participation Co-ordinator (Nottingham Diocese)

Job Profile

CAFOD’s work in the Catholic community of England and Wales is to inspire and resource Catholics to participate in the Church’s mission to overcome poverty and injustice in partnership with CAFOD.

The main purpose of this role is to recruit and support a team of committed, inspired and well-resourced volunteers working in parish and school communities to enable and equip Catholics to connect and understand, give, act and pray. Each Community Participation Co-ordinator is responsible for the participation of parishes in CAFOD’s work, enabled by the work of a well-managed team of volunteers within a diocese or dioceses within the regional team.

The Community Participation Co-ordinator (CPC) is part of a regional team working across a group of dioceses and whilst having a primary focus on one diocese, is responsible for the results of the regional team plans in relation to volunteer recruitment and retention and parishioner participation.

The role will be based from CAFOD’s Nottingham Diocese volunteer center currently in Bulwell, Nottingham, although it is expected that the post holder will be mobile and flexible to meet volunteers, clergy and other stakeholders as required. The post holder will also be meeting with other regional team members as required both virtually and face to face. The role requires a willingness to be adaptable to support the work of the regional team, deploying skills, knowledge and at times activity in other parts of the regional team area. This is likely to require some additional travel (which would be reimbursed by CAFOD). The post also requires weekend and evening work.

CPCs are accountable for delivering CAFOD’s annual participation plans locally across England and Wales. This focuses on growing parish participation through increased number and activity of parish volunteers and the development of volunteer co-ordinators. The plan is also focused on enabling parish communities to expand the breadth of their participation. Through greater numbers and activity of schools volunteers and volunteer co-ordinators, more schools will be visited by a CAFOD volunteer.

The post reports to the Community Participation Manager for the region.

Key Responsibilities

Delivering participation plans

• Share accountability for delivery of annual participation plans for the region (a group of dioceses) with a primary focus on one diocese, and for fundraising, education, campaigns, media targets, as delineated by the participation plan for the region. It is anticipated that the role will have an 80% focus on parish communities and a 20% focus on school communities
• Contribute to the development and delivery of a regional plan across a number of dioceses (5) in support of the annual participation plans and appropriate for local contexts
• Achieve targets for increasing parishioner and children & young people participation primarily through recruitment and retention of volunteers
• Produce monthly reports on recruitment, activity, development and retention of parish and schools and youth volunteers
• Closely monitor parish participation activity

Managing volunteers

• Be the local volunteer manager in a specific diocese or dioceses

• Hold the relationship with a targeted number of volunteers in order to achieve the annual participation plan in the region
• Contribute to increasing the number and activity of parish and school volunteers and volunteer co-ordinators in line with the regional team plan
• Contribute to development of volunteering opportunities especially the growth of volunteer coordinators
• Match the offers, skills, experiences and expectations of volunteers with opportunities and needs in relation to CAFOD’s plans for parishioners and children & young people
• Coordinate and support the work of a number of volunteers working in partnership with CAFOD to deliver CAFOD’s programmes of work within parish and school communities
• Ensure each volunteer is appropriately inducted, briefed, trained and resourced
• Increase and ensure volunteer retention through induction, support, affirmation and effective management of the volunteer throughout their involvement with CAFOD
• Organize volunteer briefings and training opportunities to be delivered either by national programme teams or self or members of her/his regional team
• Record and update volunteer records on the database

Managing relationships

• Build and maintain key relationships including with priests and others within a diocese as determined in the regional plan. Be point of contact with local Bishop.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with diocesan press and be a point of contact for local broadcast and print media, to increase opportunities for Catholics to hear about CAFOD’s work, working with and through media volunteers

All staff are expected:

• To attend and contribute to regular Team, Group and CAFOD-wide meetings and briefings
• To participate in training and other activities as requested by the line manager
• To work as a supportive member of the team, providing cover for and training of other team members and volunteers as required
• To be accountable for the achievement of objectives set by the line manager

This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required. This job description is subject to regular review and appropriate modification.

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. This post involves responsibility for people who will have contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults and applicants will be subject to specific checks related to safeguarding issues.  The post holder is required to present or obtain a Disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service).

Person Specification/ Essential Criteria

Understanding our context

A Understanding Catholic identity: sympathetic knowledge of the life, culture and structure of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and an ability to work effectively within it and especially an understanding of parish community life

B Understanding CAFOD: understand the contribution of each division to the delivery of our vision, mission and values

C Understanding international development

Working together

D Managing ourselves:  Strong interpersonal skills including an ability to develop personal relationships quickly and to inspire and convince others.  Ability to be self-motivated and able to work in isolation at times.

E Working with others: builds positive and fruitful partnerships particularly with volunteers; works effectively as part of a regional team to ensure sharing of good practice and shared workload; being willing and able to help other team members and be helped to achieve delivery of a regional team plan

F Communicating: can communicate strongly CAFOD’s vision for community participation and volunteer partnership; share knowledge and information across CAFOD

G Looking outwards: Collaborates with partners, supporters and donors to achieve the best balance between their objectives and CAFOD’s Mission

Making change happen

H Managing resources:  confident with analysing and using data for planning, monitoring and reporting:  Proven planning, time-management and organisational skills

I Achieving results:  Ability and willingness to focus on achieving results, especially for the delivery of shared regional plans for community participation and income growth

J Managing our performance:  Ability and willingness to work to targets and achieve results

K Taking the lead: Motivates others to get things done

Job-specific competencies

• A demonstrable commitment to volunteering and understanding of its potential as a force for change
• Experience of managing multiple relationships with volunteers and a wide variety of volunteers including recruitment and retention: managing volunteer performance.
• Need to be willing and able to travel extensively to all parts of the Diocese and to travel to other parts of the region as needed. At times it will be necessary to transport equipment and resources and to be flexible to work evenings and weekends.