Groupwork Co-ordinator in Wolverhampton

The Good Shepherd has a long history of supporting the most disadvantaged people in Wolverhampton. Our mission is to end homelessness, support recovery, and create pathways out of poverty. We provide food practical support, 1-1 and group support for people who are homeless, have multiple complex needs, vulnerable families, and people on low incomes. We support people to obtain accommodation, move towards employment, access training or education and develop skills to build self-reliance.

Values

Our core values are hospitality, compassion, and respect. We recognise each person’s dignity and potential for growth, and we deliver services in a person-centred way.

Role Summary

The Groupwork Co-ordinator will play a central role in delivering the Connect for Change project, supporting inclusion health groups in Wolverhampton, such as people experiencing homelessness, addiction, vulnerable migrants, sex workers, and individuals in contact with the justice system. The Co-ordinator will be responsible for planning, facilitating, and overseeing a programme of groupwork and meaningful activities, collaborating with partner organisations (Good Shepherd, Changing Lives, Refugee and Migrant Centre, Wolves Foundation) to improve social connections, reduce isolation, and enhance wellbeing among service users.

The Co-ordinator will ensure effective partnership working, drive community engagement, and promote inclusion, supporting beneficiaries to build skills and confidence, and develop pathways to ongoing participation in community life.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Delivery & Coordination
  • Plan, schedule, and oversee group activities, peer support sessions, and community events across partner organisations.
  • Ensure all activities are mapped against the “5 Ways to Wellbeing” framework and co-produced with people from inclusion health groups.
  • Line manage the Groupwork Facilitator, ensuring all staff performance and outcomes are met.
  • Support keyworkers and volunteers in delivering groupwork, taster sessions, and structured workshops (e.g., budgeting, cooking, ESOL, mindfulness, arts, sports).
  • Deliver the Good Shepherd groupwork programme, including facilitating structured group sessions and meaningful activities for people accessing services.
  • Work with the Team Leader and Operations Manager to develop and expand groups and activities that support recovery and wellbeing.
  • Co-ordinate sessions and activities with external agencies to enrich the programme offering.
• Partnership Management
  • Maintain strong relationships and referral pathways between partner charities and agencies.
  • Facilitate regular communication, joint events, and working groups to maximise the project’s reach and impact.
  • Support the integration of diverse service models and interventions, ensuring comprehensive support for participants.
  • Promote the Good Shepherd’s groupwork programme to service users and external partners.
  • Support service users to access agencies across the city and build positive working relationships with partner agencies.
• Community Engagement & Inclusion
  • Engage service users through forums, outreach, surveys, and feedback sessions to shape project activities.
  • Promote accessible, inclusive opportunities that build confidence, skills, and social connections.
  • Support the recruitment and training of volunteers, prioritising those with lived experience relevant to the project.
  • Encourage and support service users to use their lived experience by contributing to the Good Shepherd service user forum, working with Expert Advisors, and engaging in local and national forums.
• Monitoring & Evaluation
  • Collect and analyse qualitative and quantitative impact data (e.g., attendance, wellbeing scales, participant stories).
  • Use tools such as Outcomes Star, GAD-7, and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale to monitor progress.
  • Prepare reports for funders and stakeholders, highlighting outcomes and areas for improvement.
  • Complete assessments, risk assessments and risk management plans, ensuring high standards of case management and confidentiality.
  • Collate and interpret information to report on outcomes and record service user activity in accordance with Good Shepherd Confidentiality Policy.
• Safeguarding & Compliance
  • Ensure all activities comply with safeguarding, equality, diversity, and risk management policies.
  • Support operational procedures for recruitment, induction, health and safety, and data protection.
  • Observe all Health and Safety regulations, maintain professional boundaries, and comply with Good Shepherd Policies and Procedures.
  • Ensure all Risk Assessments for group activity are complete.
• Sustainability & Legacy
  • Develop clear pathways for participants to access ongoing groups, volunteering, and wider community activities.
  • Support the project’s exit strategy, empowering beneficiaries and sustaining partnerships beyond the funding period.
• General Duties
  • Attend and contribute to working groups and operational meetings.
  • Deliver all services in line with Good Shepherd values (hospitality, compassion, respect).
  • Carry out any other duties as reasonably requested by management, in keeping with the grade and nature of the post.

Person Specification

Please refer to the full person specification for qualifications, experience, knowledge, and skills required. Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified. Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a Manager to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description.

Qualifications

• Essential
  • Relevant qualification in social work, community development, health and social care, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Desirable
  • Training in safeguarding, equality and diversity, and volunteer management is highly desirable.

Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• Essential
  • Experience coordinating multi-agency projects or community programmes.
  • Experience of facilitating groupwork, meaningful activity, or training.
  • Experience in project reporting.
• Desirable
  • Experience supporting vulnerable adults.
  • Understanding of recovery and strengths-based ways of working.
  • Knowledge of homelessness and related issues.

Abilities and attributes

• Essential
  • Strong organisational and communication skills.
  • Ability to manage own time, prioritise activities and maintain accountability for your work.
  • Ability to collate and write project reports.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with diverse partners and stakeholders.
  • Maintain confidentiality of all data and information.
  • Accurate record keeping.
  • Ability to work non-judgementally.
  • Cultural awareness.
  • Maintain clear professional boundaries.
  • Adopt a person-centred focus.
  • Work proactively with internal and external teams.
  • Liaise with other agencies to support service users.
  • Open minded and willing to develop professionally.
  • Competent IT skills and ability to use MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
  • Able to use a computerised database for case file management.
• Desirable
  • Experience working with marginalised or inclusion health groups is desirable.
  • Commitment to equity, inclusion, and trauma-informed practice.