community facilitator

In Sheltered Homes, the role of the community facilitator is to assist the EAWA Coordinator, by providing an Outreach Service to bring people together by encouraging them to want to engage in activities in the residential lounges.

There is a method that we will use to do this:

EAWA will provide information/training on how best to approach people.

You will provide ongoing practical support to enable small groups of older people to meet and enjoy social contact or to share an interest or activity by:

• Hosting and creating a welcoming environment for small groups of older people brought together and to continue to enjoy social contact or share an interest or activity with peers.


• Using effective facilitation and listening skills to enable older people meeting together to feel comfortable, build relationships and feel included.


• Contacting older people who may be attending the group beforehand or on the day door knock, to affirm attendance, provide reassurance and encouragement to attend.


• Supporting the group to meet by setting up the room/providing refreshments (making tea and coffee) for the activity and tidying away.


• Helping the group/individuals to identify how/if they would like to meet again and provide support via the EAWA team to arrange this.


• Feeding back to the outreach team the outcome of group meetings and any follow up required with individual group participants/the needs of the group.


If you have undertaken outreach work with older people before and understand how to interact with maximum engagement, this will certainly be a huge bonus.


• Service design, Also, if you have experience in providing activities for older people that is also helpful.


• Personal qualities most suited to the role


• Good communication skills.


• Enjoy conversation and helping people to form social connections.


• A proactive approach to creating positive group dynamics.


• Confidence to encourage people to participate


• Good organisational skills


• Ability to plan to ensure the room and any refreshments are set up ready for thegroup/activity.


• Consistency and reliability


• Understanding of Confidentiality


• Empathy and sensitivity


What are we looking for?

Skills:

Being able to use effective facilitation and listening skills to enable older people meeting together to feel comfortable, build relationships and feel included.

Experience: Working with older people for 3 or more years in a community or health capacity.

• Personal qualities most suited to the role:


• Good communication skills.


• Enjoy conversation and helping people to form social connections.


• A proactive approach to creating positive group dynamics.


• Confidence to encourage people to participate


• Good organisational skills


• Ability to plan to ensure the room and any refreshments are set up ready for the group/activity.


• Consistency and reliability


• Understanding of Confidentiality


• Empathy and sensitivity


What difference will you make?

Social isolation is very damaging and 'EAWA believe in Older people having a fulfilling/good quality of life in their retirement years. '

You will help Older Isolated people to engage in activities, socialise, make new friends and overall help to 'create a community' within Sheltered homes. Many sheltered homes, have older people living alone in their flats. They do not know anyone and there are none or very few activities in the communal areas.

There is no sense of community or social interaction, hence this project and your role, within the EAWA team to counter that and 'create a very positive sheltered home community a reality' is very important.