Community Connector’s Job Description
Equal Futures is a family led organisation for families who have a member with a disability. We believe everyone has the right to a good life.
To help make this possible we build Circles of Support around people who are vulnerable or at risk of isolation. The Circles of Support consist of a group of people who love and care for the individual and who are not paid to be there. The circles meet regularly to build friendships, provide support for the family, plan for the future and to campaign for change.
Purpose of job
To support members of Equal Futures (families and individuals) to build and maintain lifelong circles of support.
Key duties and responsibilities
1. You will spend time with focus person and their family to get to know them.
2. You will identify the individual’s hopes and dreams for the future as well as their fears and nightmares. You will create a work plan that will identify specific goals for the circle of support. This will be updated every six months.
3. You will identify relevant people who already have a strong connection to the focus person by visiting various places that the focus person frequents.
4. You will use a series of person centred planning tools to develop new community connections for the focus person.
5. You will invite identified people to an initial gathering to share the hopes and dreams of the focus person for now and the future.
6. You will facilitate regular circle gatherings and take notes at these meetings which will then be circulated to all circle members. You may be required to be involved in family celebrations.
7. You will support the circle to research information, to problem solve and to campaign when necessary on behalf of the focus person.
8. You will stay in touch with everybody involved in the circle.
Accountability
1. You will report to the Network Coordinator who, in turn, reports to the director.
2. You will be in touch monthly with the Network Coordinator to report circle development and for support
3. You will attend training workshops and support sessions with other Community Connectors as required.
Community Connector Person Specification
Essential
1. Strong interpersonal and group skills are essential. You will be outgoing, energetic, have a good sense of humour, be patient and persevering, a good listener and be able to communicate with people who may have communication difficulties.
2. You will be connected in focus person’s community and able to connect and to help excluded people to make connections in the community, able to ask and to invite people in.
3. You will be creative and curious - aware of possibilities.
4. You will be able to commit for one year on a part time basis to the circle – approximately 4-6 hours a month in the first year then gradually less in the future. You will be available to attend training events / workshops.
Desirable
5. A knowledge of issues that people with disabilities may face.
6. Experience of friendship, listening and spending time with individuals with labels of disabilities.
In addition, The Community Connector will share the values of the families and Equal futures. Particular matches will be made according to compatibility with the individual for whom the network is to be established.
Our Community Connectors range in age from their mid-twenties to their seventies. Some are parents or relatives of someone with a disability. Many have a background in community support. People usually have a degree of further education but formal education is not a pre-requisite. All have the gift of recognising the passions and contributions that people with disabilities have to give and the enthusiasm to inspire others to see these gifts.
Being a Community Connector is personally very rewarding and will enable you to share and enhance your skills with individuals who have a disability and their families. Working with Equal Futures will allow you to learn and develop new skills and you will in turn benefit by seeing individuals make decisions and feel included in their community.
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