Do you want to play a part in tackling the ultimate exclusion, that is homelessness?

If you are passionate about promoting sustainable and meaningful inclusion for all citizens of the West Midlands region, then this may be the role for you!

We are looking for a dedicated and personable individual who is driven by the desire to build strong connections across the faith and community sector to support our ambition to design out homelessness in all its forms.

As an integral part of the Homelessness team within the Strategy, Economy and Net Zero directorate, this role will contribute to our work to ensure that residents of the WMCA region can benefit from public service innovation that connects our communities and unlocks potential through insight and systems change - helping to create the conditions for new models of service delivery that can make a real difference on the ground.

This opportunity is being offered on a fixed term contract basis ending on 31^st March 2025. Please note, we can also offer this role as an internal or external secondment.

What you will be doing

In this role your key focus will be to work collaboratively with faith, community, and voluntary groups to plan, develop, and implement coordinated approaches to tackling rough sleeping.

Specifically, you will:

• Provide support and advice to faith, community, and voluntary groups to maximise their unique contribution to preventing rough sleeping.
• Partner with groups to develop new approaches, ensuring their active involvement in preventing rough sleeping.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of the support and prevention services offered by the region's faith, community, and voluntary groups.
• Work with management committees, trustees, volunteers, and frontline workers to encourage and facilitate coordination of voluntary and commissioned services, ensuring greater integration with local authority rough sleeping pathways and broader prevention strategies.
• Organise engagement events and training sessions to enhance skills, promote safe practices, and encourage innovative prevention-focused approaches.
• Keep updated on local, regional, and national best practice, developing relationships with relevant organisations.

About you

We are looking for someone that:
• Has experience of working within the homelessness sector, bringing a good understanding of the motivations, contribution   and challenges in the faith and community-based group sector.
• Has excellent knowledge of the issues relating to rough sleeping and homelessness prevention, as well as a good understanding of relevant policy agendas and their significance.
• Has the ability to work in partnership with and influence a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Is a confident and credible communicator, with experience of working with and presenting to a wide range of audiences.

Creating an Inclusive Workplace.

West Midlands Combined Authority is dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace that reflects the communities of the West Midlands region. We recognise that certain groups, such as women and people of colour, may be less likely to apply for roles if they feel they do not meet all the requirements. However, we encourage individuals who are passionate about the role and want to make a difference to still apply. We value potential and encourage applicants to highlight their skills, including transferable ones, even if they don't fit the traditional "perfect candidate" mould.

How to apply.

To apply for a position, we require applicants to upload an up-to-date CV and a supporting statement that demonstrates how they meet the essential criteria for the role. To ensure fairness and impartiality, our application process is designed to be anonymised. We ask that all applicants remove their name and avoid referencing protected characteristics, such as gender or age, when submitting their CV and supporting statement.

We advertise salary ranges for job roles, with new appointments typically starting at the lowest salary point. However, in exceptional cases where higher skill levels or experience are applicable, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees.

About us.

Our vision is to create a better connected, more prosperous, fairer, greener, and healthier region. We aim to achieve this vision by living our values, which include being a partnership organisation, valuing and respecting our people, fostering a can-do attitude, and encouraging innovation. WMCA holds diversity accreditations, such as "Leaders in Diversity," and has been recognized as one of the Inclusive Top 50 Employers and The Times Top 50 Employers for Women. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, committed to interviewing all applicants with disabilities who meet the essential role criteria. WMCA believes that building a team with varied backgrounds and experiences will benefit us as an employer and enhance our work.

WMCA operates a hybrid way of working, which involves a combination of office-based work and remote work. This approach allows for flexibility and adaptability to meet individual needs and preferences. We understand that not everyone can benefit from this way of working, and so we also promote flexible working options whenever possible to support work-life balance. We gladly consider part-time, flexible, and job share arrangements, so please don't let these factors deter you from applying. If your values align with ours and you are dedicated to working towards a future, we can all be proud of, we would love to hear from you.

Reasonable Adjustments.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please reach out to our Recruitment Team at careers@wmca.org.uk. We are here to assist and accommodate your needs.

Thank you for considering joining our team at WMCA. We look forward to receiving your application and the opportunity to work together towards our shared goals.

Supporting documents
Role Profile - Faith and Communities Development Officer - Homelessness.pdf