Community Engagement Officer in Sunderland

Location: Work base is Milbank – however agile across stations. (The successful candidate will work across all locations in the area command, regularly linking in with local NPT teams in their sectors depending on organisational need.)

Hours/Contract: 37 Hours, Permanent

The role:

Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively. This could be the perfect time for you to join us as a Community Engagement Officer. Our Community Engagement team is evolving, and we need innovative, solution-focused individuals just like you! Join our dynamic team and play a pivotal role in engaging with diverse community organisations, especially those seldom heard. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including Neighbourhood Policing Teams, to tackle local issues and deliver innovative problem-solving services. Your goal will be to build trust and confidence by developing positive relationships with the community and neighbourhood partners and developing sustainable solutions for community issues.

In addition to this, you will have a real passion for current affairs, keeping up to date with local and national news to eagerly stay ahead of emerging community concerns and tensions. We need your enthusiasm to contribute to the completion of vital Community Tension Assessments. Be the driving force for positive change in your community!

What you’ll do:

• You will travel throughout South Tyneside and Sunderland attending a wide range of community groups and organisations, delivering presentations on subjects such as Hate Crime and Serious Youth Violence, as well as being heavily involved in projects and joint working with community partners.
• You must be able to establish meaningful links with community organisations and external agencies to promote partnership working, to create and implement solutions to local issues.
• Contribute to the Force’s objectives relating to community cohesion, by working in conjunction with Neighbourhood Policing Teams to research local needs.
• Coordinate support to under-represented victims of crime and disorder and vulnerable and repeat victims, by liaising with internal and external agencies.
• Identify emerging trends and issues in respect of victims, locations and offenders (including address checks processes) to develop sustainable solutions through community cohesion in conjunction with Neighbourhood Policing Teams and to allow regular intelligence reports on emerging issues to be created for the Force.
• You’ll also be responsible for reviewing, monitoring, and recording incidents of hate crime, helping to inform current community tensions by identifying ongoing patterns and trends.

This is an important role where you can make a very real, visible difference to the public, communities and individuals that you meet.

What you’ll bring:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both written and verbal.
• Proactive approach and ability to take initiative, capable of working under pressure and meeting deadlines, skilled in prioritising workloads based on importance and timescales, and adept at considering solutions to issues.
• Ability to engage and actively breakdown barriers in conflicting community groups.
• Demonstrable ability to present written information clearly and accurately, with excellent organisational skills, proficiency in handling sensitive information (information security), competency in keyboard, word processing, internet, and IT skills, and experience in clerical/administrative duties.
• Proficient in using social media platforms, electronic mail, and computerized diary systems, with the ability to manage a workload effectively.
• Experience of delivering engaging presentations to a range of audiences.

Candidates must have the capability to travel to different locations across the Force area to undertake all assignments in a timely manner. Due to the requirement to work flexibly, unsocial hours and personal safety for lone working; public transport may not be available or suitable at these times. For this reason, a full UK driving licence is considered essential. Candidates must be willing to undertake basic Police Personal Safety Training (PPST) to include First Aid.

We know it’s important for you to feel that you’re not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.

What we offer:

• 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays.
• NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme.
• Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave.
• Flexi time – allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs.
• Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours).
• Agile working – option to work from home, your team zone, and spaces across the force.
• Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution.
• Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts.
• Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers.
• Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets.
• Extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support.
• Access to gyms in some stations.
• Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Opportunity to volunteer in the local community.

Just so you know:

Candidates with priority status will be given precedence for this role over other applicants. We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, with whom we collaborate to improve the lives of disabled employees. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, therefore if you demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as stated in the advert, we will progress your application and offer you an interview. If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example, we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter). You can get in touch with us via careers@northumbria.police.uk for any support regarding the application process. If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.