Associate Organiser (Local Communities, Living Wage + Health Justice), South London

Job title:

Associate Organiser (Local Communities, Living Wage + Health Justice), South London

Company:

Citizens UK

Job description

Citizens UKCitizens UK is a people power alliance of diverse local communities working together for the common good. Our mission is to develop leaders, strengthen civic organisations and make change. Our 550 member communities are deeply rooted in their local areas and connect every day to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Through the method of community organising we enable people experiencing powerlessness to develop their leadership and come together with the power and strategy to make change.This leads to hundreds of neighbourhood improvements – from zebra crossings outside primary schools to renovated public toilets in cemeteries. And it leads to some of the biggest campaign impacts in the UK, such as winning over £2 billion of wages through the UK Living Wage campaign, securing a legal cap on the cost of credit to control exploitative lending, and ending the detention of children for immigration purposes. We enable local campaigns to grow into large-scale social change projects such as the Living Wage Foundation, Parents and Communities Together (PACT), Sponsor Refugees, and Refugees for Justice, that form an integral part of our theory of change. The most prominent of these is the rapidly growing Living Wage Foundation with a network of over 14,000 accredited Living Wage Employers across the UK.South London CitizensSouth London Citizens is a thriving chapter with a growing team of ~18 organisers and project staff. We are building the power of communities in South London through borough alliances (in Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Merton, Croydon) and the wider region by developing community leadership and supporting people to take action on what matters most to them. Over the past three years, we have worked in partnership with mental health trusts to deliver a pioneering organising project, South London Listens (SLL), to prevent mental ill-health, and more recently with wider South London NHS leaders to take action on a range of issues (from low wages to housing conditions) that impact our communities’ health.PurposeWe are looking for two Associate Organisers to join our thriving and dynamic team in South London building the power of local communities. These roles will support local organising, and have a specific focus on health and living wage organising.In this exciting and innovative role, you will work with community organisations, including faith institutions, schools, universities, and community groups. Your primary responsibility will be to1. build ‘Be Well’ teams to support the wellbeing of their communities, as part of the South London Listens partnership;2. find and develop new community leaders within their organisations; and3. take action to tackle the social determinants of health inequality (e.g. lack of migration status, racism, housing conditions, low wages and precarious work).One or both of the roles will also include specific organising with low paid workers to lead the fight for a real living wage and living hours.With your passion, energy, and commitment to democracy, you will support communities to build the power they need to win justice and make a real and lasting impact. Join us in the fight for a healthier and more equitable future for South London.A central focus of an Associate Organiser is their own development: learning the craft of Community Organising under the guidance of an experienced Community Organiser. An Associate Organiser is working towards becoming a competent practitioner of the craft of broad-based community organising methodology, and focuses on the building of relational power, the recruitment and retention of dues-paying institutions, the development of leaders, the strengthening of member institutions, leader-led public actions, and the winning of systemic change. Your learning and development will be paramount in the first few months as the responsibilities given to your experience and skills develop.We encourage you to apply even if you don’t feel like you fit all the criteria. We are particularly interested in people who are angry at issues of injustice, who have demonstrated taking action on that in some way, who can communicate effectively, who can build relationships of trust with a diverse range of people, and who believe in the capacity of ordinary people to make extraordinary change! We are less interested in whether you understand every word in the responsibility list below or whether you have worked as a professional organiser before. You are also encouraged to reach out if you have any questions about whether you might be suitable for the role.Main ResponsibilitiesWorking as an Associate Organiser in South London for Citizens UK your main responsibilities will be to:Grow and deliver on the priorities of South London Listens and our broader Health organisingBuild and support new Be Well Hubs in a range of institutions in your allocated boroughs. Including identifying new institutions, delivering training, and supporting them once they are established.Work with other organisers to deliver on the priorities identified by communities that are part of the South London Listens projectEnsure reporting and capturing of stories of the South London Listens project are captured and shared to celebrate and grow the project.At least one of the roles includes supporting our organising efforts for more just work and wagesIdentify and develop worker leadersTake action with South London Citizens leaders to increase the number of living wage and living hours employers in LondonDevelop and deliver community organising training for worker leadersBuild relational power to further the goals of CUKActively participate in the development of a comprehensive power analysis appropriate to the desired sphere of influence for each project/assignmentEstablish working relationships with identified leaders and demonstrate ability to move them into action, including as part of the wider alliance; taking the initiative to establish new relationships as requiredConduct one-to-ones to develop relationships with leaders and understand their concerns.Tell a wide range of Community Organising stories effectively to influence others and achieve CUK’s goalsIdentify and develop relational leaders prepared to act with others for the common goodIdentify and discern actual and potential leaders with the passion and ability to drive change in their borough alliance and through South London Listens.Proactively create opportunities for leaders to develop, in particular tertiary or new leaders; nominate for training on the core taster curriculum and Be Well Hubs training.Successfully deliver workshops in local institutions, South London Citizens community organising introductions and Be Well training.Strengthen institutions and develop Broad Based OrganisationsEnsure good understanding of the basic interests and traditions of typical member institutionsOrganise a small cluster of up to 5 standard member institutions or 1 strategic partner to work together for the achievement of common goalsSupport pre-existing core teams and create/develop new core teams to provide leadership at local level and in South London ListensSupport leaders through the Cycle of Action in order to create changeSupport member institutions and Be Well Hubs in running listening campaignsOrganise neighbourhood actions; demonstrating increasing independence in working without the need for close supervisionTake the lead in supporting groups of leaders through the cycle of action on neighbourhood issues; aiming to achieve neighbourhood and health winsEvaluate the effectiveness of actions; demonstrating ability to incorporate lessons learned into future actionsContribute to CUK’s financial viability through effective fundraising & financial managementContribute to fundraising to the value of at least £20,000 per annum through one or some of the following:WWritinge regular updates on the work to be shared with the funders and maintain a healthy relationship with themRecruit new dues paying institutions; work together with a more senior Organiser to negotiate annual membership fees and letters of understandingLiaise with the Finance & Operations team to update the membership database and ensure timely invoicing and fee collectionContribute to effective teamwork and live out our ‘Inclusion’ valueBe proactive concerning personal professional development and wellbeing: i.e. by reading widely, developing a healthy work-life balance and demonstrating ability to reflect on own organising craft & improve on self-identified weaknessesDemonstrate ability to work effectively with colleagues and participate in a teamProduce all required reports and follow CUK’s procedures on time and to the required standardsContribute towards an inclusive environment for all colleagues and community leaders, so that our spaces are a place where all are able to participateParticipate in the development of the craft of Community Organising and play a role in the Guild of COsSchedule an average of at least three 1-2-1 relational meetings into your daily schedule as a core part of your professional practiceCommit 10 working days per annum (pro rata) to the preparation, delivery, and evaluation of Citizens UK National Community Leadership Training or other local or regional trainings or other activities organised by the Learning and Innovation team.Participate in a Guild Team and help it develop as a Community of Practice that enables Organisers across the UK to develop their skills and experience.Personal Specification(D) Desirable, (E) EssentialEXPERIENCEPrevious campaign experience (D)Evidence of having acted in a leadership role with peers or in local community activities (e.g. within a faith institution or clubs/societies) (E)Experience of project management; evidence of having delivered work on time and to standard (E)Able to demonstrate previous experience of ‘learning by doing’ in a work or project environment; evidence of being open to feedback and comfortably coachable (E)KEY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGEAbility to speak additional languages, especially Spanish for one of the roles (D)Excellent interpersonal awareness – ability to listen well and appreciate a viewpoint or opinion that is different from one’s own (E)Excellent concern for impact – ability to adapt own behaviour to address the needs or concerns of someone else (E)Good communication skills – able to speak with conviction and passion; and to make a logical argument (E)PERSONAL QUALITIES & VALUESA self-starter with ability to take initiative and work independently (E)A passion for justice (E)A positive enthusiasm for working with faith congregations, trade unions, schools, and other community organisations (E)An interest in and experience of politics and public life (E)Able to work in a team (E)Willingness to work within accountable relationships (E)Self-motivated and adaptable (EThe successful applicant will be required to undertake a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check. DBS checks are renewed on a 3-year cycle.Interviews are planned to take place on Wednesday, 12th June (subject to change).Please note this is a 12-month fix term contract with a possibility to extend, funding permitting.

Expected salary

Location

London

Job date

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 07:24:48 GMT

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