Age Friendly Co-Ordinator in Newtownards

The Ards and North Downs Age Friendly Strategy provides a framework to help make Ards and North Down a great place to grow older and an area in which everyone, regardless of age, is valued and respected. The role of the Age Friendly Co-Ordinator is to be responsible for the delivery of the Community Plan, The Big Plan, in relation to Age Friendly; to oversee, promote, review, and monitor the implementation of the AF Strategy and Action Plan to ensure that older people can live full and healthy lives, participating in and contributing to their communities; and to represent the Council at regional AF network and other related events.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver a project plan that ensures the AF Strategy is updated as appropriate, including a 3-year review; monitor the implementation of the associated action plan and encourage increased participation in age friendly initiatives by utilising a co-production approach and engaging a range of stakeholders.
• Report progress to the Age Friendly Alliance, the Strategic Community Planning Partnership, and Public Health Agency via quarterly Progress Monitoring Reports (PMRs) and bi-annual Performance Scorecards.
• Facilitate quarterly meetings of the Age Friendly Alliance and ensure that stakeholders feel engaged and that it is representative of all relevant service providers.
• Establish and manage additional Age Friendly sub-groups, task and finish groups as appropriate, and report on their activities to the Age Friendly Alliance and community planning workstream groups.
• Identify and co-ordinate community planning workstream groups, as required, where age friendly is a prominent issue.
• Develop a mechanism to regularly engage with older people, for example via an Age Friendly Forum or Council, to enable effective co-production and consultation processes that ensure the voices of older people are heard through the Age Friendly Alliance.
• Establish links to other age-related groups, for example Youth Council, young mums, etc., to facilitate effective co-production and consultation processes that future-proof age friendly actions, and report on these to the Age Friendly Alliance.
• Liaise with internal council partners, particularly those that have a front-facing service involving older people, including Home Safety, Affordable Warmth, and Community Development, to develop joint working practices to maximise the outreach and impact of AF work.
• Establish a baseline for each area against the WHO Age Friendly checklist, using a range of sources such as the Big Conversation Panel, Age Friendly surveys, and NISRA statistics.
• Establish the indicators of success by which progress will be measured and gather performance information from partners to create an Age Friendly Scorecard that can be used to measure impact.
• Represent the Council on the NI Age Friendly Network and work closely with neighbouring Councils, particularly within the area of the SE Health Trust.
• Research and coordinate policy development in line with this work, particularly in relation to healthy ageing, and keep abreast of policy changes in NI, the UK, and the Republic of Ireland.
• Identify funding opportunities and secure necessary resources to support the work of the Partnership.
• Oversee the effective and efficient management of records and document retention procedures to ensure compliance with all council and funder policies and audit procedures, including financial expenditure.
• Prepare and deliver reports and presentations relating to Age Friendly work in the district for relevant elected member groups, management, and other groups as required.
• Co-ordinate communication of the Age Friendly Strategy and Action Plan across Ards and North Down to promote the health, well-being, and independence of older people.
• Provide a co-ordinated interagency response to issues and services directly affecting older people at a local level.
• Comply with and promote equality, health and safety in accordance with Council Policies and legal requirements.
• Undertake any other appropriate duties as may be allocated from time to time in accordance with the general nature of the post.

Person Specification

The person specification provides information on the qualifications, experience, knowledge, and skills required to carry out the duties of the post. The essential criteria will be used for shortlisting and as part of the selection process.

Qualifications

• A Level 5 qualification, HND, Foundation Degree, L5 Diploma, or higher qualification, and 2 years experience as detailed below.
• Or five years relevant experience, as outlined below, if a Level 5 or higher qualification is not held.

Experience

• At least two years relevant experience in all the following areas, or five years relevant experience in all the following areas if a Level 5 qualification or higher is not held.
• Previous experience of WHO Age Friendly programme.
• Successfully managing and delivering a variety of projects simultaneously and achieving results to meet timeframes, with external agencies.
• Experience of co-design.
• Monitoring and evaluation of funded programmes/projects.
• Previous experience of Outcomes Based Accountability.
• Development of successful working partnerships with a wide range of groups and individuals.
• Regular report writing and making appropriate recommendations.
• Previous experience managing budgets for funded projects.
• At least 6 months experience of each of the following: developing and facilitating workshops or similar; engagement with older people in a one-to-one and/or group setting.

Key Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of age-related issues and concerns affecting older people.
• Competence in the use of Microsoft Office applications including email, spreadsheets, and databases.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to prepare and deliver presentations to a wide range of audiences.
• Excellent organisational skills.

Other Requirements

• Be available to work outside normal office hours including evenings and weekends when required.
• A full current driving licence valid in the UK, minimum Category B, with access to a form of transport that will allow fulfilment of the duties of the post, or have access to a suitable form of transport which will enable the post holder to meet the requirements of the post.
• The above alternative access to a suitable form of transport is a reasonable adjustment specifically for applicants with disabilities who, as a result of their disability, are unable to hold a valid driving licence.