JOB DESCRIPTION – GRADE 4
Job Title
Development Worker: (Dementia Befriending Collaborative)
21 hours per week
Accountability
The Development Worker will be managed by the Deputy Director and through him/her will be accountable
to the EVOC Management Board.
EVOC Context
Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council’s (EVOC) purpose is to support, promote, develop and represent
the Third Sector. We play a key role in supporting pioneering, new and innovative ways of working for Third
Sector organisations and community groups that work in Edinburgh. EVOC actively promotes, participates in
and contributes to partnership working between the voluntary, public, private and community sectors at a
local and national level.
EVOC has set 5 strategic objectives in our three year plan. These objectives will be central to all potential
developments, team and individual work plans.
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Consulting, supporting and representing the Sector
Building the capacity of and developing the Sector
Developing partnership approaches, principles and practice
Providing improved services by supporting and developing our people
Being a high quality, effective and developing organisation
The post holder will work as part of the Service Team to contribute to the delivery of EVOC’s strategic
objectives.
Older People’s Services Context
EVOC offers a range of services to Third Sector Older People’s Service Providers which relate to both strategic
and practice level service delivery to enable them to meet their organisational objectives, endeavouring to
realise our shared aspirations for a resilient, professional and sustainable older people’s sector.
This includes:
 Strategic activities to influence policy and planning decision making and to consolidate the excellent
relations the Sector has built with Statutory partners.
 The Local Opportunities for Older People (LOOPS) Networks to strengthen cross-sector signposting,
professional network development and collaborative working.
 Delivering support and funding administration to the LOOPS Projects, whose aim is to improve uptake of
crucial Third Sector preventative services and social activities by Edinburgh’s older citizens.
 Administering the Prevention Investment Fund as part of the Integrated Care Fund, to support 16 Third
Sector organisations to deliver innovative work to improve preventative outcomes for older people and
people with multiple morbidities.
The work to develop a Dementia Befriending Collaborative is funded by City of Edinburgh Council’s Health
and Social Care Dept. and is a project of the Local Opportunities for Older People (LOOPs) initiative.
Job Role
The Development Worker shall primarily develop a collaborative to improve the availability of Befriending
services, in particular for people living with dementia, their carers, families and friends.
The role will involve:
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Development of a ‘Checkpoint Group’ of people living with dementia, their carers, families and friends,
to identify the most effective methods of service delivery and to ensure that the project is at all times
rooted in the needs of the community of people living with dementia.
Development of a collaborative of Third/Independent/Statutory Sector organisations to come together
to work to improve availability of Befriending services across Edinburgh, particularly for people living
with dementia, develop a range of share training, monitoring, support and recruitment processes.
Generate a collected set of policies and procedures, publications, leaflets and explore a common
referral system.
Work with key funders to identify ways to streamline and strengthen Befriending project applications
and reporting procedures.
Main responsibilities:
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Create, develop and sustain positive relationships with individuals and organisations;
Identify individual and organisational development and capacity needs within the sector;
Research and design interventions based on the sector’s needs and participants in older people
services;
Working with EVOC colleagues, ensure that voluntary and community organisations are kept up to date
with relevant developments around the delivery of the project and older people’s services more
widely;
Contribute to the collection, collation and development of accurate, current and relevant resources,
information and materials to support the work of EVOC and enable monitoring and relevant reporting;
Participate in and/or support development of other LOOPs Network activities as required.
Knowledge, skills and experience:
Essential knowledge, skills and experience required include:
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An understanding and knowledge of organisational development, capacity building, training and
support principles, policy and practice in the Third Sector;
Experience of designing and delivering support and bringing together individuals and groups;
Communication, research and presentation skills (reports, meeting management, presentations
etc.);
Team building and team working skills;
Facilitation and mediation skills;
Planning and work management skills;
Experience of evaluation techniques.
Posts at EVOC are graded within a Competency Framework (attached) which outlines Grade 4
competences required. The Framework gives context to the role, the scope of responsibility, authority and
professional behaviours endeavouring to realise our shared aspirations for a resilient, professional and
sustainable sector.