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Community development worker: Typical employers/vacancy sources

Typical employers

The list of organisations who employ community development workers is lengthy, but some of the most common are:

• voluntary sector organisations;
• local authorities;
• community education;
• rural community councils;
• social services;
• housing associations;
• NHS trusts.

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.

Organisations within the voluntary sector are incredibly varied and include community associations, women's groups, environmental groups, children's charities, homeless projects, shelters, churches and other faith groups, health and mental health organisations, and many more. It is feasible that because of the broad nature of the term 'community work', which encompasses almost anything with a community or outreach focus, a community development worker could be employed by any of these organisations doing a variety of different types of work.

Sources of vacancies

Search graduate jobs on this site.

• The Guardian (Wednesdays) - also offers a fortnightly page of adverts for volunteers in the UK and abroad
• New Statesman
• The Big Issue
• The Voice
• The Voluntary Agencies Directory
• Social Services Yearbook
• The Herald (Tuesdays and Fridays)
• The Scotsman (Wednesdays)
• Local Government Jobs - the official recruitment site for local government
• regional and local press
• local authority vacancy bulletins
• the ethnic press.

Specialist recruitment agencies handle vacancies but many community organisations would not use employment agencies on ethical and/or cost grounds.

See also job hunting tips and applications, CVs and interviews.

AGCAS

Written by Paul Gaunt, Liverpool Hope University

Last updated:

December 2008

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