Community Resilience Officer

Job Introduction

Lincolnshire Resilience Forum (LRF) 

Are you passionate about building stronger, more resilient communities? Do you thrive in a dynamic environment where you can make a real difference? 

The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum is seeking a dedicated and enthusiastic Community Resilience Officer to join our team and help us empower local communities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Although this post is funded by the LRF, it will be attached to the Lincolnshire County Council Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Team. 

About Us: 

The Lincolnshire Resilience Forum is a multi-agency partnership responsible for coordinating emergency planning and response across Lincolnshire. We work collaboratively with local authorities, emergency services, health organisations, voluntary agencies, and businesses to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our communities. 

In this role you will: 

Play a crucial role in developing and delivering initiatives that enhance community resilience. You will work directly with local groups, volunteers, and residents to build their capacity to prepare for and respond to a range of emergencies. As a consequence of this you will be expected to work some hours that are outside normal working hours as the groups tend to meet in the evening. Your work base outside of this provision will be in Lincoln at the County Emergency Centre, working alongside the rest of the Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Team. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• To work with communities to help them establish community emergency hubs which act as a community-led focal point of help and information in an emergency and to encourage engagement where there are no existing community emergency plans or arrangements in place. This will involve physical delivery of battle box's and the transportation of equipment.
• Engage with community groups, voluntary organisations, and residents to identify their needs and build their capacity.
• Organise and deliver community resilience training and workshops.
• Promote community preparedness through public awareness campaigns and events.
• Facilitate an annual conference for on-board community emergency groups.
• Support the maintenance of community emergency plans.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders.
• To develop and enhance the community resilience leadership role of Elected Members.
• Assist in the coordination of community response during emergencies.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of community resilience initiatives.
• Maintain accurate records and prepare reports.

Your Skills: 

In this role we are looking for someone who has: 

• Proven experience in community engagement or development.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Knowledge of emergency planning and community resilience principles.
• Proficiency in using ICT applications, including Microsoft Office 365.
• Flexibility to undertake the requirements of the role.
• Ability to prioritise workload and demonstrate effective planning, report writing and organisational skills.
• A valid UK driving licence and access to a vehicle – as travelling is required to deliver the service, attend meetings, deliver training across the county.

Desirable Skills and Experience: 

• Experience in delivering training or workshops.
• Knowledge of local community networks and resources.
• Experience in working with volunteers.
• Relevant qualifications in community development, emergency management, or a related field.

What We Offer You: 

• A rewarding opportunity to make a positive impact on your community.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Opportunities for professional development and training.
• Starting at £34,314 per annum.
• We’ll offer you a generous pension scheme and leave entitlements, eye care vouchers, a cycle to work scheme and other great benefits
• We are forward looking, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement. We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all we do and operates with mutual respect. If you share these values and behaviours and have the necessary skills then we look forward to hearing from you. 
• Fixed Term Contract for 2 years

We operate a talent pool scheme whereby candidates who are not successful on this occasion may be considered for a period of up to 12 months for equal positions.

A Smarter Working Employer

We have embraced new ways of working and hybrid working will be a feature of this role. You will be given a nominated contractual work base and you will be required to commute to this work base when necessary.  Working arrangements regarding hybrid working will be discussed as part of the appointment process.

Our technology platform and equipment is very good enabling you to connect and collaborate remotely. We require that you have in place good connectivity, and we will discuss during the recruitment process if support with this is needed.

Fluency Duty

In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.