COMMUNITY WELFARE LEAD

Jewish Care; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Jewish Care is seeking a Community Welfare Lead to support wellbeing, inclusion and connection for older people across our Community Centres, including the Dementia Community Centre.

The role combines welfare support, safeguarding, outreach and community engagement to help older people access the right support and participate meaningfully in our centres. You’ll work across the Michael Sobell Centre and Dementia Centre, providing supervision and building strong community links.

Qualifications

• Experience of supporting older people and individuals with welfare, wellbeing or social care needs.
• Experience of outreach, community engagement or helping people access services.
• Ability to identify barriers and find practical ways to improve participation and inclusion.
• Knowledge of safeguarding principles and best practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead outreach activity to bring older people into our centres and strengthen connections with the wider community.
• Act as a key point of contact for welfare across both centres.
• Support members with welfare needs through practical guidance, signposting, referrals and follow-up.
• Build positive relationships with members, families, carers, volunteers, referrers and external professionals.
• Support older people, including people living with dementia, to engage meaningfully with Jewish Care’s services.
• Identify barriers to attendance and work with colleagues to implement practical solutions.
• Monitor members’ wellbeing and report changes in mood, mobility, cognition or engagement.
• Contribute to safeguarding by recognizing, recording and reporting concerns and ensuring appropriate follow-up.
• Support member reviews, referrals and risk-related discussions.
• Work closely with Social Work, programme teams, transport teams and external agencies.
• Help members navigate between centres and access services and support.
• Develop and update care plans and organisational databases and records.
• Develop relationships with community organisations to strengthen referral pathways.
• Support intergenerational activities and community projects.
• Provide supervision to the Community and Welfare Officer.
• Support a culture of inclusion, dignity, equality, and respect.
• Experience of working with people living with dementia would be an advantage.

Skills

Welfare support

Outreach

Community engagement

Safeguarding

Relationship building

Intergenerational

Team collaboration

Empathy

Record keeping

Education

Health and social care qualification

Job description

Connect people. Champion wellbeing. Make a difference.

Hours: 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday

We are looking for a Community Welfare Lead to join our team and play a key role in supporting the wellbeing, inclusion and community connection of older people across our services.

This is a varied and rewarding role combining welfare support, safeguarding, outreach and community engagement. You’ll help older people access the right support and services, build strong relationships with families and professionals, and ensure that people can participate meaningfully in the life of our centres.

Working across our Michael Sobell Community Centre and new Dementia Community Centre, you’ll be an important link between our two services and the wider community, helping people overcome barriers to accessing support, activities and opportunities.

About Jewish Care

Jewish Care’s Community Centres are at the heart of our strategy, providing safe, stimulating, engaging and supportive environments where older people can connect, participate and thrive.

Our Campus model brings together a range of services, including independent living, care, our new specialist Isaacs Community Day Centre and services for older people who are not living with dementia.

The Michael Sobell Jewish Community Centre provides activities, wellbeing support and community engagement opportunities for older people in our community.

Our centres are also a vital source of respite and reassurance for families and carers, knowing their loved ones are supported, valued and engaged in a warm and inclusive community.

About The Role

As Community Welfare Lead, you’ll be a key point of contact for welfare and safeguarding matters within our community centres.

You’ll support members with a range of welfare needs, providing practical guidance, signposting and referrals, while working closely with colleagues, families, carers and external professionals to ensure people receive the right support at the right time.

You’ll also lead on outreach and community engagement, helping to strengthen links with the wider community and encourage older people who may be isolated or facing barriers to access our services.

An important part of the role will be developing and supporting intergenerational activities and projects, creating opportunities for different generations to connect and strengthening our community relationships.

You’ll work closely with the Hub Manager, Centres Coordinator and wider Community Services team and will provide supervision to the Community and Welfare Officer.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading outreach activity that helps bring older people into our centres and strengthens connections with the wider community
• Acting as a key point of contact for welfare matters across both community centres.
• Supporting members with welfare needs through practical guidance, signposting, referrals and appropriate follow-up.
• Building positive and trusting relationships with members, families, carers, volunteers, referrers and external professionals.
• Supporting older people, including people living with dementia, to engage meaningfully with Jewish Care’s services.
• Identifying barriers to attendance and participation and working with colleagues to find practical solutions.
• Monitoring members’ wellbeing and reporting changes in behaviour, mood, mobility, cognition or engagement.
• Contributing to safeguarding by recognising, recording and reporting concerns and ensuring appropriate follow-up.
• Supporting member reviews, referrals and risk-related discussions.
• Working closely with Social Work colleagues, programme teams, transport teams, families and external agencies.
• Helping members and relatives navigate between the two centres and access the most appropriate services and support.
• Contributing to the development and updating of care plans and relevant organisational databases and records.
• Developing relationships with community organisations and professionals to strengthen referral pathways and engagement.
• Supporting the development and delivery of intergenerational activities and community projects.
• Providing supervision and support to the Community and Welfare Officer.
• Supporting a culture of inclusion, dignity, choice and respect across our services.
• Providing personal support to members when required.

About You

We’re looking for someone who is warm, compassionate, confident and community-focused, with experience of supporting older people and individuals with welfare, wellbeing or social care needs.

You’ll be confident building relationships with a wide range of people and working collaboratively with families, carers, colleagues and external professionals.

You’ll also have experience of outreach, community engagement or helping people access services, and be able to identify barriers and find practical ways to improve participation and inclusion.

You’ll be someone who can listen with empathy while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries. You’ll also be confident recognising and responding to safeguarding concerns and knowing when to escal or refer.

You’ll Be

• Experienced in working with older people.
• Experienced in supporting people with welfare, wellbeing or social care-related needs.
• Experienced in outreach, community engagement or connecting people with services.
• Confident working with individuals, groups and as part of a wider team.
• Experienced in working collaboratively with families, carers and external professionals.
• Knowledgeable about safeguarding principles and good practice.
• Able to build positive relationships and communicate sensitively.
• Able to work independently and use your own initiative.
• Organised and confident maintaining accurate records and documentation.
• Compassionate, approachable and able to listen sympathetically.
• Calm and positive, even when dealing with challenging or sensitive situations.
• Committed to inclusion, dignity, equality and respect.
• Willing to undertake training and continued professional development.
• Committed to working in line with Jewish Care’s values.

Experience of working with people living with dementia would be an advantage, as would a relevant qualification in health and social care, community work or equivalent experience.

Knowledge of Jewish values, culture and festivals, and awareness of intergenerational approaches, would also be beneficial.

Why join us?

This is an exciting opportunity to take a lead role in our Community Services team as we develop our new Dementia Community Centre alongside the Michael Sobell Community Centre.

You’ll have the opportunity to make a genuine difference to the lives of older people — helping people who may be isolated, need additional support or face barriers to accessing services to feel connected, valued and part of their community.

Whether you’re supporting someone to access the right service, helping a family find additional support, responding to a welfare concern or creating a new community connection, your work will have a direct and lasting impact.

Jewish Care is the largest provider of health and social care services for the Jewish community in the UK. Every week, we touch the lives of 10,000 people. We provide services to a range of people including older people, people with mental health needs and people living with dementia.

Our five values are at the heart of the way we work. They drive how we act as individuals and as an organisation and shape our culture. We value Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Compassion, and Inclusivity.

Jewish Care operate a rolling recruitment process and reserve the right to close the advert once a suitable candidate has been identified.