• Home
• Vacancies
• Outreach Officer

• Outreach tags

Closing date: Friday 21 April 2023
Location: Earlsdon, Coventry with frequent remote working at other locations in the city
Hours: 22.5 hours per week
Salary: £14,625 per annum (£24,375 FTE)
Contract: Fixed Term: 1-2 years
Interview date: TBA

Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind provides practical and social support to people with visual impairments from across the city. The charity offers a range of activities including the opportunity to learn new skills, take part in hobbies and other interests, to get a bit of exercise or simply just to gather for a cuppa and a chat. With more than 100 service users and around 80 volunteers, it is a friendly, welcoming environment where remarkable people achieve remarkable things.

The charity is growing: we are looking for an Outreach Officer to help us reach further into the city. We are looking for a confident, creative, conscientious people-person, who wants to love the work they do.

Job Role Summary

The Outreach Officer role will be to reach further into the various communities of Coventry to provide general information about sight loss, raise awareness of the challenges it presents for people and to signpost clearly further sources of support, including and especially the services provided by Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind. The role includes casework as required through the CRCB Helpdesk.

• To hold information/contact sessions in local community groups around Coventry
  • Develop consistent, comprehensive and accessible presentations
  • Present clear signposting/referral routes
  • Record events & attendance
  • Provide advice and support to individuals as required
  • Open case records for those requiring further support
• To hold monthly contact groups/coffee mornings in outer and underrepresented areas of the city
  • Identify and hire space using our existing relationships with local community venues and others
  • Undertake risk assessments as appropriate
  • Develop a programme of activities to meet identified needs
  • Accept referrals from general events (as above), from opticians, GPs, supported living settings etc, self-referrals
  • Provide advice and support as required
  • Open case records for those requiring further support

Key Responsibilities and Tasks

• To support the CRCB helpdesk service responding to enquiries via telephone and email, in-centre and at-home appointments, drop-ins and community contact sessions. Specifically:
  • Deal with small issues & fixes
  • Provide support with form filling etc
  • Advise on referrals and processes etc
  • Advise on benefits
  • Advise on products
  • Deal with any other issues that arise

Person Specification

We don’t expect candidates to have all the attributes mentioned below and would welcome applications from people who fit most of our criteria, alongside an enthusiasm and ability to learn and develop. Training will be provided as necessary.

Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind is an equal opportunities employer and we particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience.

Experience & Knowledge

• Experience of speaking in public or to groups
• Experience of working with, enabling and supporting people with disabilities especially within the not-for-profit sector
• Experience of building and maintaining professional relationships with people and organisations
• Knowledge of benefits and the benefits system
• Knowledge of issues and support relating to sight loss

Skills

• Good communication skills, especially the ability to speak confidently and straightforwardly with people of all ages both individually and in groups
• Good organisational skills, including excellent time management, attention to detail and the ability to deal with multiple tasks and priorities
• Good IT literacy: the ability to use MS Office and willingness to learn the use of new software and phone packages
• Driving licence and access to a car (not essential, especially for VI applicants)

Attitude

• Passionate and enthusiastic in helping to improve people’s lives, especially those who face disadvantage
• Kind, compassionate, open and with a good sense of humour
• Creative, having a problem-solving, can-do approach
• Willing to pitch in in other areas of the charity’s work and to thrive within a small team
• Eager for feedback and to continuously improve and develop
• Committed to our organisational values of empowerment, accountability, entrepreneurialism, creativity, sustainability and respect for each other and those we support

Please apply by sending a CV with a detailed covering letter telling us why you are the person we need to the General Manager Hugh Sorrill: hugh@crcb.org.uk. Or post your application to Hugh Sorrill, General Manager, Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind, 33-35 Earlsdon Avenue South, Coventry CV5 6TH. If you would like an informal chat before applying, please call 024 7671 7522.

Just a note that the Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind website is currently down.

Coventry Resource Centre for the Blind is an equal opportunities employer and we particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience.