Community development worker
A community development worker works collectively with a particular community or communities to bring about social change and improve quality of life. They work with individuals, families or whole communities to empower them to:
Community development workers often act as a link between communities and local government and other statutory bodies. They are frequently involved in addressing inequality, and projects often target communities perceived to be culturally, economically or geographically disadvantaged.
Community development work seeks to engage communities actively in making sense of the issues which affect their lives, setting goals for improvement and bringing about improvement through empowerment and active participation. A good deal of the work is project-based, which means that community development workers usually have a specific geographical community or social group on which to focus.
Tasks typically involve:
Community work can be generic or specialised. Generic community work takes place in a particular geographical area, focusing on working with the community to identify their needs and issues, and formulating strategies to address those issues. The setting is either urban or rural, with rural community development work increasingly attracting attention in recent years. Specialised community work focuses on either specific groups within a region (such as the homeless, the long-term unemployed, families with young children or ethnic minorities) or on particular concerns (such as public transport, mental health or tackling drug abuse).
Although this area of work is open to all graduates and diplomates, a degree/HND in social sciences may improve your chances.
Entry without a degree or HND is possible, although career development is more restricted. A degree in any subject will be an advantage in gaining higher level posts. Relevant experience is far more important than the subject area studied. Training varies between the devolved regions of the UK and a variety of vocational college or work-based training courses are available, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate-level study at a wide number of universities.
Employees will be required to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check before being allowed to work directly with children or vulnerable adults.
For many posts, postgraduate qualifications are essential in order to progress to more senior-level positions. This is particularly true in generic community work. A variety of full-time and part-time courses are available, with some open to diplomates. One or two years' relevant experience is usually required.
Community development is often linked to youth work and many training courses will reflect this. Youth work is more specialised and often involves a different agenda than community development work. For further information on courses in youth work, see The National Youth (NYA) - Guide to Youth Work and Youth Services . Scottish courses (and a few in other locations) often refer to community development as community education.
Pre-entry experience and/or voluntary work is crucial. People often become community development workers after working in teaching, youth work, the health sector or other roles within the community. Development work overseas may also be relevant. It is important to have a proven interest in community and social issues and at least a year's involvement in areas such as community work, women's projects, pressure groups or youth work is advisable. Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
Community work is challenging, exciting and at times frustrating. You need to be prepared to cope with inevitable conflict and setbacks. Results are long-term rather than immediate, so patience and perseverance are essential. Close involvement with the community group can deepen your empathy, your sense of identification and commitment. At the same time, you need to be able to switch off from your work. Above all, you need tact and diplomacy in order to negotiate your entry into a community.
Try to get involved in voluntary work as a student. Contact your local Volunteer Bureau (you can search for your nearest branch via Volunteering England or the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) ) to get community project experience.
Competition for jobs is keen, especially for the limited number of local authority posts, which often offer greater job security. Competition is also affected by political climate, current issues (e.g. unemployment, immigration) and the identification of groups within the community that need particular support.
Strong commitment to equal opportunities in the public sector creates a demand for ethnic minority applicants, particularly those with language skills. Life experience can be a factor.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Ongoing training is essential in community work and usually occurs on the job or as part-time study to gain a recognised qualification. Since projects and communities vary so much, community development workers must constantly develop new skills, update old ones and acquire specific knowledge. Training provision varies depending on the employer, but there are likely to be opportunities to develop relevant skills.
The voluntary sector is especially rich in interesting and relevant training opportunities, including accredited training programmes which are available at colleges and other learning centres. It is possible to take National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) or Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in Community Work, and City & Guilds offer related courses throughout the UK.
Social services and other organisations employing community development workers often offer programmes of in-house training, which usually focus on issues such as child protection and equal opportunities. It is also quite common for community development workers to pursue their own professional development by undertaking a Masters degree or other postgraduate qualification. Relevant subjects include voluntary sector studies, housing practice, business and community studies, legal studies, public health/community health and social services management.
Opportunities for promotion are limited in both the public and voluntary sectors, and you may have to move to another geographical area. Sideways movement into projects with a different focus, from generic to specific work (or vice versa) is common. Senior posts usually involve managing a larger number of staff, a larger budget or a wider geographic area.
As community development workers embark upon postgraduate study, there is the tendency to move into more policy-making positions, with a view to becoming directors of organisations, responsible for implementing large-scale and complex projects.
With substantial experience and expertise in a specific field, there is the possibility of freelance work in the role of a trainer, consultant or adviser. Due to the broad nature of community work, workers can develop their careers by moving into other fields such as education, environment, social work, youth work or the health sector. There are also opportunities for overseas development work.
The most common employers of community development workers are:
With reduced state provision (e.g. reduced benefit entitlement for young people, care in the community and general socio-economic changes), the need for community development workers has increased. The shift in recent years from central government funding to project-based funding, distributed by rounds of bidding, has led to an increase in workers employed on a short-term basis by voluntary sector organisations. There are also signs that central government is looking toward the voluntary unpaid sector for managing community projects and this might affect future funding.
Organisations within the voluntary sector are varied and include community associations, women's groups, environmental groups, children's charities, homeless projects, shelters, churches and other faith groups, and health and mental health organisations. Because of the broad remit of community work, a community development worker could be employed by any of these organisations doing a variety of different types of work.
Specialist recruitment agencies handle vacancies but many community organisations would not use employment agencies on ethical and/or cost grounds.
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