Job Overview
Join Age UK Solihull as an Enabling Connections Coordinator and play a vital role in supporting people aged 50+ to reduce loneliness and build meaningful community connections. In this rewarding new role, you will work one-to-one with individuals to co-create tailored plans that improve wellbeing, match them with trained volunteers, and link them to local groups and services. You’ll collaborate with partners across the community, oversee volunteer support, and help deliver a person-centred service that makes a real difference. If you are organised, compassionate, and passionate about empowering older people, we’d love to hear from you.
Responsibilities
- To maintain an effective system for the receipt and acknowledgement of referrals from a range of referral partners and individuals.
- To ensure referrals are appropriate for the Enabling Connections Project, and if not appropriate discuss other sources of support with the client.
- To provide an excellent first point of contact for referrers, clients, carers and volunteers by telephone and email.
- To undertake initial assessments via telephone or home visits for potential clients, to assess their suitability and to undertake risk assessments as required, to ensure the health and safety of staff, volunteers and clients.
- Complete an initial strengths-based guided conversation (including baseline outcome measures UCLA, WEMWBS) and co-produce a tailored plan with clients including goals to maintain and develop social interaction, participate in their local community and improve wellbeing.
- To sensitively match volunteers to clients. To connect clients to existing community groups (or peer support) as appropriate to individual interests and preference.
- Review and develop individual client plans regularly, recording goal progress and attainment.
- Carry out impact assessments to measure, record and monitor client progress, assessing impact via conversations, surveys and questionnaires.
- When formal support comes to an end, lead a final 3 way review of goals and attainments, including their volunteer. Provide individuals with a summary of their outcomes and any further resources and contacts to enable them to sustain their community involvement.
- Accurately maintain databases and financial records, ensuring all data is accurately inputted in real time.
- Provide updates and information for internal and external monitoring and reporting as required.
- Take part in Enabling Connections Project meetings as required.
- To assist in the selection, induction, support, training and supervision of volunteers in conjunction with the Volunteer Manager and in line with Age UK Solihull policies and procedures.
- To provide ongoing support to volunteers ensuring they are confident in their roles, are adhering to policies and procedures and are maintaining professional boundaries. To undertake regular volunteer supervision and group meetings.
- To ensure volunteers are trained to an appropriate standard.
- To ensure volunteers are implementing the individual client plans, submitting weekly updates and monthly expenses and reports.
- To problem solve and be the first point of contact for volunteers and clients when issues arise or safeguarding needs to be reported.
- To proactively promote the Enabling Connections Project to existing and new partner organisations, and to residents themselves.
- Engage with the SMBC Community Development Team (CDT), and community groups, building relationships, establishing referral routes, identifying any gaps, working with the CDT to help the set up of new groups as needed.
- Ensure that gaps in service and unresolved operational difficulties are reported to the Older Peoples Service Manager.
- To ensure all Age UK Solihull policies and procedures are adhered to, with a particular focus on equality and diversity, safeguarding and Information Governance (Confidentiality).
- To undertake training as required ensuring that the service operates to best practice standards.
- To work as part of the staff team at Age UK Solihull, attending meetings and undertaking any other functions as dictated by demand.
Additional Notes: All staff are expected to work flexibly in terms of location and role. All staff have a particular responsibility for ensuring that Safeguarding Adults legislation and guidelines are adhered to, that the well-being of at risk individuals is promoted and that at risk individuals are aware of their right to protection from all forms of abuse.
This post is subject to a satisfactory DBS Check and references. All staff have an individual responsibility to comply with Age UK Solihull’s Policy and Practice on Health and Safety Matters. All staff are expected to support the fundraising activities of Age UK Solihull.
Experience
- Minimum of 1 years’ experience in a supervisory or management role.
- Minimum 1 years’ experience of working with volunteers including recruitment, training, development and motivation.
- Experience of working with statutory and voluntary organisations across sectors. Previous experience of delivering services suitable for older and vulnerable people. Experience of data collection and report writing.
- Experience of person-centred service provision.
Knowledge
- A demonstrable understanding and commitment to the work, vision and values of Age UK Solihull.
- Broad knowledge and understanding of the wide range of issues affecting older and vulnerable residents of Solihull, and of services to meet their needs.
- Good understanding of the experience of volunteering
- Good understanding of the importance of diversity and equality.
- Good understanding of Information Governance including confidentiality and data quality.
- Good understanding of Safeguarding Adults.
Skills
- Excellent IT skills
- Highly flexible approach.
- Highly organised, self-motivated, able to prioritise conflicting demands and meet deadlines.
- Good verbal communication, listening and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to develop and maintain effective and productive working relationships. Assessment and goal setting skills
- Service development and marketing skills
- Ability to be able to use and maintain systems
- Data collection and report writing
- Flexible and able to work confidently alone and on own initiative as well as being an active team member.
Other
- DBS
- Check Driving Licence and use of a car
Pay: £17,116.80 per year
Benefits:
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Experience:
- volunteer management: 1 year (preferred)
- working with older adults : 1 year (preferred)
- Community engagement: 1 year (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
