Business & Communications Support Officer at Dorset Voluntary and Community

at  Dorset Councils

Dorset Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly
Job title: Business & Communications Support Officer
Salary: £31,120 plus travel expenses in line with HMRC guidelines.
Location: Home based with attendance at some in-person meetings and events across Dorset, and occasionally farther afield.
Duration: Fixed term to 30 June 26
This is a new post with the Dorset Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly presenting a unique opportunity for those passionate about community engagement and organisational support. The ideal candidate will not only possess strong administration and communication skills but also exhibit a genuine commitment to enhancing the health and wellbeing of residents across Dorset.
In this role, the successful applicant will be responsible for providing vital business and administrative support to both the Governance Board and the Programme Director, ensuring effective collaboration among various VCS organisations and stakeholders. By developing robust relationships grounded in trust, the officer will play an integral part in facilitating the work of the Assembly across the four operational areas of communication, networking and engagement, representation and collaboration, fostering a cooperative environment that aligns with the Assembly’s strategic goals.
Key aspects of the role include managing communications and administration, facilitating networking opportunities, and supporting project delivery. Ideal candidates will have a thorough understanding of the voluntary and community sector, as well as experience in administrative roles that encompassed project and stakeholder management.
The emphasis on sensitivity, integrity, and inclusivity signifies that the Assembly values a diverse range of perspectives and approaches, making this an appealing opportunity for those keen to contribute positively to the local community while building their own professional skills and networks.
If you have a strong background in community support or administration, along with a desire to make a tangible difference in people’s lives, consider applying for this impactful position.
To apply
Please see further information at foresthr.co.uk/recruitment/
Closing date for applications: Noon, Monday 18 November 2024
The Dorset Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly (VCSA) aspires to greater representation of issues that are experienced by the VCS, creates stronger connections within the VCS, and facilitates increased networking and collaboration with partners from other sectors in the community.
We are all involved in supporting one another in our communities – together we are the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS). Everyone in the VCS is a partner in the Assembly and everyone’s voice counts.
The Assembly works by bringing together people and organisations to work on issues as they arise. At any point there may be a range of activities happening in the Assembly, run by different people, but connected under the umbrella of the wider purposes of the Assembly. Central to its work is a mission to build trusting relationships within the VCS and between the VCS and other partners, and to provide a fair and equitable way for people to be involved in its activities.
Dorset’s Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly (Dorset VCSA / VCSA) was formed in July 2022 to enable the Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) across the whole of Dorset to work better together and participate fully in the new Integrated Care System (ICS) for the county. This followed from an extensive and thoughtful process of co-production which resulted in an initial Terms of Reference, setting out the values and principles that guide the Assembly and describe an initial structure (operating model) to carry out the work of the Assembly.
It formally agreed a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the new Integrated Care Board (NHS Dorset) and joined the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) in July 2022. The MOU ensures the involvement of the VCS in Dorset in the development of the Integrated Care System (ICS) and its full participation in the operation of the ICP, ICB, and the mechanisms that support these new integrated systems in Dorset.
The Assembly has been represented in a wide variety of settings within the ICP and the Integrated Care Board (ICB). Most recently this work has been carried out by the Assembly’s Interim Programme Director, with the Interim VCSA Chair also joining the ICP and ICB Boards.

Central to the formation and operation of the Dorset VCSA is that it should be built on trust. The values of the Dorset VCSA seek to assure and build that trust. Trust creates the context for collaboration, communication, and confidence in working together. The Assembly aims to be:

• open and transparent
• inclusive, fair, equitable and accountable
• accessible, representative and engaged
• respectful and humble
• honest

In May 2023, the Governance Board was appointed through an independent recruitment process. This group exists to ensure the VCSA runs in accordance with the Terms of Reference and upholds its standards and values. In the spring of 2024, a new Community Interest Company was set up to help to run the business of the Assembly. This allows the Assembly to pay for services, recruit staff, and trade as a business when it needs to. As a social enterprise with an asset lock, all money received by the Assembly is committed to carrying out the work of the Assembly. There are no shareholders, and no dividends paid. Governance Board Members are Directors of the CIC.
The company is set up to facilitate the engagement and involvement of the whole VCS in the activities of the Assembly, and to work with existing VCS groups and organisations to achieve this.
Funding has now been secured to recruit two staff members to facilitate the running of the Assembly. These roles will work hand in glove with the Governance Board to deliver the Assembly’s operating models which will in turn deliver the objectives and aims of the Assembly

Please refer the Job description for details