Community Connector

KO-NEKT; Stevenston; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Part time

Job summary

KO-NEKT is seeking a Community Connector in Stevenston Hayocks to build trusted relationships with families, connect them to local services and create a welcoming community space.

You will engage families affected by poverty, work flexibly including some evenings and weekends, and collaborate with local partners to deliver a wraparound, person-centred model of support that lasts beyond the project.

Qualifications

• PVG disclosure is required.
• Full UK driving licence and access to own transport.
• Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends.
• Experience in community engagement or youth/family work is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted, respectful relationships with families in Stevenston Hayocks.
• Establish and run a welcoming community space with a weekly programme of activities.
• Act as a familiar, approachable presence drawing on local knowledge and connections.
• Engage families in activities promoting connection, wellbeing and participation.
• Deliver or co-deliver parent and family sessions and community projects.

Skills

Community engagement

Relationship-building

Flexibility to work evenings/weekends

PVG disclosure

Full UK driving licence

Education

Community development qualification

Job description

Community Connector (Stevenston Hayocks)

Location:

Based at The Hub, 2 Vernon Street, Saltcoats with regular delivery at Hayocks Community Centre and throughout Hayocks area.

Hours:

28hrs per week. Work flexibly across daytime, evening and occasional weekend activity to ensure the programme is accessible to families around work, school and caring commitments.

Contract:

Fixed term for 12 months, funded through North Ayrshire Council Fairer Futures Partnership (Child Poverty Strategy Team)

Essential requirements:

PVG disclosure, full UK licence, access to own transport and flexibility to work some evenings and weekends.

Background

KO-NEKT is a Social Enterprise providing group and community support to children and young people throughout Ayrshire and Lanarkshire.

KO-NEKT has been funded by North Ayrshire Council, through the Fairer Futures Partnership with the Scottish Government, to deliver a 12-month test of change in Stevenston Hayocks.

The programme will be delivered by KO-NEKT, actively engaging with Hayocks Community Association (HCA) and in partnership with the Community Learning and Development (CLD) team, and will provide a community-based, person-centred, wraparound model of support, rather than a service-led one, to help local families meet their own needs through relational scaffolding.

The Community Connector is the key relationship-based role at the heart of this delivery, bringing local knowledge, lived experience, trust and a confident, approachable manner to engaging families and connecting them to the wider support available.

Purpose of the Role

To act as a trusted, visible point of contact for families in Stevenston Hayocks, with a particular focus on engaging families who are more likely to experience poverty or face additional barriers to employment, income, childcare and accessing support.

Aim of the Role

The aim is not to provide support during the funding period, but to help build something that lasts. The Community Connector will spend time getting to know the community, building trust, encouraging people to get involved and helping local connections and opportunities grow. Working alongside residents, HCA, CLD and community partners, the role will create the relationships, confidence and foundations needed for the community to continue to connect and thrive beyond the life of the project.

Key Responsibilities

Community presence and relationships

• Build trusted, respectful relationships with families in Stevenston Hayocks using a strengths-based, non-judgemental approach.
• Establish and run a welcoming, safe and nurturing community space, with opening times shaped around identified and evolving community needs, and supported by a published weekly programme of activities
• Act as a familiar, confident and approachable presence in the local community, drawing on strong local knowledge and connections.

Family Support and Engagement

• Build positive, trusting relationships with families across Stevenston Hayocks, using a strengths-based, non-judgemental and person-centred approach.
• Engage families in a range of welcoming activities and opportunities that promote connection, wellbeing, confidence, skills development and community participation.
• Deliver or co-deliver parent and family sessions focused on connection, wellbeing, practical skills and personal development, responding to the needs and interests identified within the community.
• Create and support opportunities for families to learn, volunteer and take part in skills-based community projects, supporting individuals to develop confidence, skills and pathways towards further learning, training or employment.
• Work alongside volunteers and, where relevant, people with lived experience, recognising the valuable contribution they bring to building trust, encouraging participation and strengthening community connections.

Connecting to services

• Act as a connector for families to key services, including benefits, employability, housing and early years support, tracking referrals on a monthly basis.
• Refer families to other agencies and help bring agencies into the community through partner outreach sessions on topics identified as relevant by local families, such as debt, benefits, housing, employability and crisis support.
• Help establish and maintain a referral network with key local agencies providing advice on benefits, housing, employability, health and early years.
• Support families to access practical cost-of-living support and opportunities that can help reduce household costs, including food and household essentials, energy-saving initiatives, clothing and uniform exchanges, repair and reuse activities and other community-based resources

Partnership, data and reporting

• Work closely with HCA, CLD and North Ayrshire Council's Child Poverty Strategy Team.
• Attend partnership and committee meetings as required, and contribute to co-designing activities with local parents, children and families.
• Maintain accurate records of engagement, referrals and outcomes to support KO-NEKT's data and learning systems and quarterly reporting.
• Work in a trauma-informed, rights-based way that keeps the programme stigma-free, dignified and respectful at all times.
• Maintain accurate monitoring and reporting systems, meeting agreed programme targets and collecting and reporting both quantitative and qualitative data to evidence impact, learning and progress.

Person Specification

• Lived experience and/or a strong understanding of the challenges faced by families experiencing poverty, social isolation, trauma or other barriers to accessing support.
• Strong knowledge of, and connections within, the Stevenston Hayocks community (or familiarity of Three Towns area).
• A confident, warm and approachable people person, able to build rapport and trust quickly with families from a range of backgrounds.
• Experience of working or volunteering with families, children or vulnerable groups.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A non-judgemental, empathetic and trauma-informed approach, and an understanding of the barriers facing families experiencing poverty.
• Ability to work flexibly, including evenings, to fit around family and community life.
• Good IT skills for researching, record-keeping and monitoring.
• A relevant qualification in community development, youth work, social care or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Knowledge of local services and agencies covering benefits, housing, employability and early years and beyond.
• Experience of multi-agency or partnership working.