Community Cohesion Officer

BCP Council; Bournemouth; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government council in Bournemouth seeks a Community Engagement Officer to enhance community cohesion and tackle social issues. The ideal candidate will manage community-based services, work on refugee integration projects, and facilitate partnerships against hate crime. Candidates should have strong community engagement skills and experience in managing stakeholder relationships. This role offers a salary range of £42,839–£49,282, with potential for growth and a commitment to transforming community services.

Benefits

Enhanced pay and reward package

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in community engagement and development.
• Proven ability to manage multiple stakeholder relationships.
• Strong understanding of social issues affecting communities.

Responsibilities

• Manage community engagement services to improve quality of life.
• Develop and deliver projects for refugee integration.
• Facilitate partnerships to address hate crime and social issues.

Skills

Community engagement

Stakeholder engagement

Cultural competence

Project management

Job description

The pay range for this role will be £42,839– £49,282 (pro rata for part time colleagues).

We’re looking forward to welcoming new colleagues under this refreshed framework of pay, terms, and conditions. To promote fairness and consistency, all new starters will begin at the bottom of the pay band. This reflects our commitment to equity across the organisation and aligns with the approach taken with existing staff during the transition. While the starting salary is fixed, the role offers excellent scope for growth, meaningful contribution, and being part of a forward-thinking team.

You can also find out more about the new terms and conditions that we are introducing on our careers site on, 'More than just a job' brochure.

Role Purpose

This role supports cohesion by engaging diverse communities, facilitating multi-agency collaboration, and delivering targeted interventions that address social exclusion, hate crime, and integration challenges.

Main Responsibilities

This role will:

• Under the direction of the Head of Communities, Partnership and Community Safety manage community-based community engagement services to improve the quality of life of the people of BCP.
• Be responsible for the delivery of the community cohesion and community engagement service across BCP.
• Develop and deliver projects supporting refugee resettlement, integration, and inclusion, working with refugee and asylum accommodation providers, police, housing and the community and voluntary sector.
• Facilitate forums and partnerships that address hate crime, social isolation, and community tensions.
• Manage the community cohesion and engagement services with the aim of providing a high quality integrated provision to meet BCP’s objectives by maximising the potential of people and delivering value for money for our local residents.
• Act as an advocate for the residents and communities of BCP; ensuring that their voices are heard and taken into account when developing strategies and delivering outcomes.
• Using a range of engagement approaches and techniques, enable residents and communities to influence and act upon the decisions that affect their lives.
• Under the general direction of the Head of Communities, Partnerships and Community Safety, develop innovative, responsive, nationally outstanding approaches to community cohesion and engagement to ensure that everyone feels safe, engaged and included.
• Transform the way BCP Council engages with communities, developing multiple platforms for meaningful engagement which places the voices of the community in the heart of decision making.

The Ideal Candidate

Will Have The Skills And Experience To:

• Establish a BCP Anti-Racism Partnership Task Group, comprising representatives from schools, community groups, faith organisations, Dorset Police, and anti-racism campaigners, to oversee the development and implementation of anti-racist policies and initiatives and seek external funding to deliver a Hate Crime Action Plan.
• Support the creation of a publicly accessible Hate Crime Action Plan that outlines specific steps the Council and its partners will take to prevent and respond to racist incidents and support victims, with annual progress reports to Full Council.
• Shape the strategic direction of the Council’s approach to Community Cohesion by developing, consulting and implementing programmes of work, with the ambition to be national leaders in excellence and ensuring cohesive, united local communities.
• Develop a ‘whole council’ approach to community cohesion and ensure excellence in community engagement is standard across all departments. Develop community development and community engagement approaches and activities to deliver relevant actions in BCP Council’s Corporate Plan, ensuring that it is inclusive and embraces cultural, social, economic and environmental diversity.
• Develop an extensive stakeholder engagement network with wide ranging representation to enable BCP Council to be inclusive in identifying community priorities, responding to issues and need and communicating effectively across the BCP area.
• Manage the development of partnership work and delivery of projects working alongside residents, key partners and the Voluntary Sector.
• Support the organisation of cultural community events to break down barriers and maximise the areas existing assets – people, properties and places.

Please note, this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship and we can only consider applicants with existing right to work in the UK.

About BCP Council

BCP Council provides services to a diverse community of 400,000 residents and employs more than 5,000 people. Our area includes over 15 miles of beautiful world-renowned coastline. We can offer career defining roles to transform and improve services. By working with us, you can help deliver a vision of a thriving, word-class, prosperous and inclusive place for generations to come.

Our Benefits

A Place to Thrive – Join BCP Council

At BCP Council, we’re not just building a workforce— we’re transforming how we recognise and reward our people.

Check out our attractive enhanced benefits and find out more about the new Pay and Reward package at Employee benefits | Working for BCP link to careers page.

Be the difference - Join an organisation that values you More About us | Working for BCP

DBS

BCP Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the community and expects all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. Applicants to this post will be required to complete the appropriate level of Disclosure & Barring Service Check. Please refer to the Job Description or Role Profile for more details.