Community Connection Link Worker

County Kildare LEADER Partnership, one of over fifty local development companies in Ireland with responsibility for the delivery of a range of Rural, Enterprise, Social Inclusion and Community Development Initiatives, are seeking to employ a Community Connection Link Worker on a full-time basis.

Using a community development approach, the Community Connection Project (CCP) will work in communities across Kildare over an 18-month period to respond to changes in the demographic profile across the county, build community cohesion and identity, develop strategies to foster cross-cultural awareness, enhance inclusivity, and ensure smooth cultural integration. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of migration trends, cultural diversity, and community engagement strategies.

The Community Connection Link Worker will work closely with other members of the CKLP staff team, especially with the SICAP and Empowering Communities Programmes and will link in with the national LDCN Community Connection Project Coordinator.

Role overview:

The focus of the work at a local level will be to directly engage with local communities to respond to challenges and concerns in the context of migrant integration locally. This will include understanding the cultural and social impact of demographic changes within the community and developing policies, training programmes, and initiatives to promote cultural awareness and inclusion. Distinct from other roles operating in this space, the primary focus of the Community Connection Link Worker will be on-going engagement with local communities.

Engagement with the Kildare Community Integration Forum and other local agencies should also feature in the workload of the Community Connection Link Worker. It is important that the various parties are engaging collaboratively at a local level, when possible, to ensure consistency for communities as well as the best use of resources. It is further expected the Community Connection Link Workers will liaise with the Community Engagement Team of the Department of Integration along with other key stakeholders, including the SICAP & Empowering Communities staff based in CKLP, as well as the Local Authority Integration Teams (LAITS).

At national level, the aim of this programme will be to collate the multitude of approaches, challenges and other relevant information provided by Community Connection Link Workers across the country. This data will be gathered by led by the CCP Coordinator situated in the LCDN and used to inform policy decisions, provide an evidence base for any potential expansions of the programme in future and to develop tool-kits and best practice models on positive community-led approaches to integration challenges that may be rolled out and adapted for use.

Core Responsibilities:

  • The Community Connection Link Worker will engage with local communities across Co. Kildare over an 18-month period with a view to helping communities respond to the challenges in developing multi cultural awareness in the county.
  • The Community Connection Link Worker will design and deliver workshops, training sessions, and resources on cultural competency, sensitivity, and communication.
  • The Community Connection Link Worker will run training workshops for employees, community members, or stakeholders on best practices for engaging with diverse populations.
  • The Community Connection Link Worker will facilitate dialogue sessions to promote intercultural understanding and reduce bias.
  • The Community Connection Link Worker will work with all members of the communities in Kildare to support and build their resilience in order to develop a strong sense of community identity.
  • The Community Connection Link Worker will engage with members of Kildare Integration Strategy – Steering Group 2020 – 2026 and members of Kildare Integration Network for their experiences in supporting IPAs to settle in Co. Kildare.
  • The Community Connection Link worker will engage with existing Intercultural Community groups in Co. Kildare, to help ease the transition of IPAs moving into a new community.
  • The Community Connection Link Worker will meet with the CCP Coordinator and other CCP Link Workers at least 3 times in the 18 month period of this project, with a view to facilitating best practice sharing and discussions on tackling common barriers and challenges and inputting into the development of the whole-of-government response to integration of significant numbers of International Protection applicants

Essential Requirements & Qualifications:

  • A minimum of 3 years’ experience of working with community organisations and/or integration groups.
  • National recognised third level qualification in the relevant field.
  • Migrant Integration experience is desirable.
  • Experience of delivering community development approaches, local needs analysis, planning and addressing social exclusion issues.
  • Experience of communicating complex and frequently developing information in a succinct, easy to understand format.
  • Strong communication and organisational skills, capable of liaising with a wide variety of stakeholders and conveying detailed information to relevant parties in a timely manner.
  • Experience of mediating disputes, working with all parties to develop a mutually agreeable approach to resolving conflict.
  • Understanding and experience of working with statutory and local /community development infrastructure and knowledge of the national/local policy context that they work in.
  • Experience in project management and delivering projects with a defined timeline and work plan.
  • Experience of designing and delivery of capacity building supports within the community sector.
  • Be able to demonstrate leadership skills.
  • Have excellent communication, facilitation and report writing skills.
  • Proficient in IT applications.
  • The candidate must have a full, clean drivers licence and access to transport.
  • The candidate will be subject to Garda Vetting and reference checks.

This is a full-time position, based in County Kildare LEADER Partnership Offices in Kildare town with countywide coverage.

Salary: The salary will be on the CKLP Development Worker Scale starting at €43,157, commensurate with experience.

Travel expenses will be paid where appropriate.

Number of Hours: 35 hours per week (full-time position)

Contract: Fixed term contract for 18-month period and is subject to funding provision.

Reporting to: CEO, County Kildare LEADER Partnership.

To Apply:

To apply for the position, please submit your CV and letter of application to: olivia@countykildarelp.ie , clearly stating the position you are applying for.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 5 pm, on Tuesday 4th March, 2025.

Short listing will apply. A panel may be formed from which future temporary and permanent vacancies may be filled. Satisfactory references and Garda vetting will be required.

County Kildare LEADER Partnership is an Equal Opportunities Employer. The funding for this position is provided by the Department of Rural and Community Development.