Job Description: Community Outreach Lead

Organisation: Connect Community Trust
Location: Community-based outreach across the local area, with some office-based work at Dairy House, Stratton on the Fosse, and/or other CCT projects
Hours: Full-time (35 hrs) / Part-time considered – some evenings and occasional weekends required
Salary: £28,000 per annum, pro rata (full-time equivalent). Potential for review with the growth and expansion of the outreach service
Contract: Initially funded for 12 months, with potential for extension
Reporting to: Chief Executive

This is a unique opportunity to shape a growing outreach service and make a tangible difference to people experiencing homelessness in our community.

About Connect Community Trust

Connect Community Trust is a local charity supporting people facing homelessness, housing insecurity, and social isolation. We provide welcoming, relationship-based services rooted in the community, offering practical support, access to advice, and opportunities for connection.

Our work is values-led, person-centred, and inclusive. We believe everyone deserves dignity, compassion, and the chance to build a stable and hopeful future. Outreach and engagement are at the heart of what we do, meeting people where they are and supporting them to access the help they need.

Purpose of the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to build, develop, and shape CCT’s outreach services. As the Community Outreach Lead, you will be pivotal in establishing how the service operates and grows to meet local needs.

You will lead and coordinate Connect Community Trust’s outward-facing homelessness work, including:

• Setting up and managing community drop-ins

• Planning and delivering outreach activity

• Building strong partnerships across the local area

You will also provide line management and day-to-day leadership to outreach staff and volunteers, ensuring a safe, effective, and compassionate service.

Success in this role will include increased engagement with individuals experiencing homelessness, strengthened local partnerships, and the development of a responsive, accessible outreach service.

Key Responsibilities

Outreach & Community Engagement

• Set up, develop, and oversee regular drop-in sessions in community venues

• Coordinate planned and responsive outreach activity to engage people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness

• Build trusted relationships using trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches

• Identify unmet needs and adapt outreach provision accordingly

Team Leadership & Coordination

• Line manage and support outreach staff and volunteers through regular supervision

• Coordinate outreach rotas to ensure consistent and safe service delivery

• Promote staff wellbeing and reflective practice

• Ensure all work complies with safeguarding, health & safety, risk assessments, and organisational policies

Partnership & External Working

• Develop and maintain relationships with local partners, including housing providers, local authorities, health services, and voluntary sector organisations

• Represent Connect Community Trust at multi-agency meetings and community forums

• Act as a key point of contact for homelessness outreach activity

Casework & Support

• Support service users with appropriate signposting to partner services, depending on their needs

• Ensure accurate record-keeping and monitoring of engagement and outcomes

• Advocate for service users while respecting choice and autonomy

Monitoring & Service Development

• Contribute to service reports and monitoring for internal use and funders

• Support service development, quality improvement, and outreach strategy

Person Specification

Essential

• Strong understanding of safeguarding, risk assessments, and professional boundaries

• Experience working with people experiencing homelessness or multiple disadvantage

• Experience delivering outreach or community-based services

• Experience supervising or supporting staff and/or volunteers

• Knowledge of trauma-informed practice

• Excellent communication and organisational skills

• Willingness to work flexibly, including evenings and occasional weekends

Desirable

• Knowledge of local homelessness pathways or housing services

• Experience setting up or running drop-in services

• Relevant qualification in housing, social care, community development, or similar

• Experience of partnership or multi-agency working

• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle

Additional Requirements

• This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check

• The role is primarily community-based, with flexibility around administrative working arrangements

• You will line manage a small team of outreach workers and volunteers, with scope for growth as the service develops

What We Offer

• A supportive, values-driven team environment

• Opportunities for professional development and training

• The chance to shape and grow a service that directly impacts the local community

• Flexible working arrangements, where possible

We are particularly interested in applicants who share our commitment to dignity, inclusion, and person-centred support.