Overview
West Neighbourhood House, formerly St. Christopher House, is a multi-service, neighbourhood-based agency that has served the diverse communities of downtown west Toronto since 1912. The central purpose of West Neighbourhood House is to enable less-advantaged individuals, families and groups in the community to gain greater control over their lives and community.
Do you have a vibrant personality, great creativity, and the ability to lead a team in fostering and implementing new ideas? Can you think “outside the box” and bring your excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work with staff and community members in co-designing programming and initiatives that seeks to meet the needs of the community?
The Coordinator, Seniors’ Community Development (“Seniors CD”) is responsible for the program development, collaborative planning, coordination, delivery, monitoring and evaluation, and the direct supervision of Seniors CD staff, volunteers, and student placements.
The Coordinator plays a lead role in community development initiatives and outreach in the Older Adult Centre, as well as providing opportunities for training, education, and advocacy for, with, and on behalf of participants within the immediate community. The incumbent is key conduit in representing the interests of older adults who reside in the downtown-West of Toronto and may also represent West Neighbourhood House (“the House”) at external meetings, events and initiatives.
West Neighbourhood House is actively seeking applications from Indigenous, Black and People of Colour, persons with disabilities, women and persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities/expressions. Applicants with lived experience as a participant of West Neighbourhood House programs, or related programming from similar organizations, are also strongly encouraged to apply.
West Neighbourhood House will provide accommodation throughout the recruitment & selection process to applicants with disabilities. During any stage of the recruitment process, please indicate the nature of any accommodation(s) you may require. Any information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate and supervise a broad portfolio, including the West Active Living and Learning Centres (WALLC and WALLC-Parkdale), Health Promotion, Social and Congregate Dining, Visiting-Social and Safety, and the Portuguese Women (PW) 55+ group.
- Supervise and schedule the work of program staff, students and volunteers, that includes, but is not limited to, assigning workload and work objectives, facilitating regular team meetings, attending to day-to-day issues, and ensuring safe and comfortable operation of all activities and initiatives;
- Recruit, select and train new staff, conduct performance reviews, facilitate staff development and team building, and promote opportunities for cross-program and cross-House collaboration;
- Develop and maintain program and local unit policies and procedures;
- Lead the development, planning and implementation of diverse, equitable and inclusive programs, activities, outings and/or events in accordance with participant’s interests, community initiatives and House strategic goals. This involves assessing needs, soliciting input, estimating required resources or logistics, and assessing social and environmental changes within the immediate community;
- Create, co-ordinate and support the delivery of services with external providers, instructors or other Agencies to meet community needs;
- Monitor the activities of participants and staff within the programs areas to maintain an awareness of their needs and identify problems quickly; referring participants to other services or Agencies if required;
- Ensure the translation of relevant materials and information for participants and volunteers;
- Facilitate leadership development training with the Seniors’ Members Council (MC); assist MC Treasurer and President with: preparing financial reports, preparing monthly meetings and Annual General Meeting (AGM);
- Evaluate the success of programs/activities in meeting participant needs and aspirations as well as responding to funder’s requirements, standards and regulations;
- Work with the Manager, Home Care and Community Support Programs, to input, approve and review statistical data that meets and exceeds internal and external targets;
- Work with the Manager, Home Care and Community Support Programs, to prepare funder reports and statistics, draft grant proposals and funding applications, and liaise with funders as required;
- Prepare annual draft budgets for each funding source and monitor annual spending;
- Assist with program delivery especially during peak periods or to cover for staff absence(s);
- Participate as a member of the program and Older Adult Centre unit on long term planning initiatives, and on in-House committees, initiatives or activities as required;
- Represent the House with appropriate community networks to address issues involving older adults or any other issues as required by the House;
- Work in conjunction with other similar Agencies to deliver programs and develop strategies that assess and work to meet community needs;
- Provide other related support to the program and Older Adult Centre as required.
Qualifications:
- Experience and knowledge of working within a multi-cultural community setting as obtained through education or a university degree in Gerontology, Social Sciences, or Community Development or equivalent work experience;
- Broad knowledge of the health care and community support systems, community and program development, popular education, health promotion, special needs and abilities of adults, particularly those who are seniors and persons with disabilities, are vulnerable or experiencing social isolation and/or elder abuse;
- Very strong supervision experience working in community-based programs/using a community development approach with staff, participants and volunteers;
- Strong understanding of the effects of the ageing process on the individual, the family and the community;
- Knowledge of population needs and the community-based services available for a diverse population of participants in the central-west Toronto area;
- In depth understanding of the types of benefits and program available to seniors and persons with disabilities, and of the professional standards, regulations and policies governing such services;
- Experience in collaborative activity planning, design, testing and evaluation with participants group;
- Demonstrable knowledge and skill in problem solving techniques, needs analysis, conflict resolution, facilitating group work, and leading presentations;
- Experience in proposal development, report writing, budget preparation , and monitoring spending;
- Considerable interpersonal, written and verbal skills, exercised with tact and diplomacy, to interact with participants and liaise with community members, funders and advocate on behalf of the participants coupled with strong problem solving and conflict resolution abilities;
- Strong working knowledge of electronic databases (e.g., Alayacare), word processing, desktop and web publishing software;
- Ability to work effectively with participants, volunteers, staff and external stakeholders in a demanding work and program environment;
- Ability to seek new funding sources for existing or new community development initiatives;
- Strong expertise in multicultural, multilingual, cross-cultural communication, interpretation and translation methods to facilitate participation in civic engagement of all including those with low English language and literacy skills;
- Advocate on behalf of the House in the community in both English and a second language found in the immediate participant community, (e.g., Portuguese, Vietnamese or Chinese);
- Fluency in a second language (both oral and written) is required;
- Highly developed skills in community development, its approaches and strategies in non-mainstream communities;
- Demonstrable ability to think creatively, to take initiative and to be innovative while working with a limited budget;
- Ability to work evening and weekend hours as required.
Status: Permanent Full Time
Start Date: ASAP
Hours: 35 per week (including Saturday and evening hours)
Rate: $30.77 per hour
Unit: Older Adult Centre
Immediate Supervisor: Manager, Home Care and Community Support Programs, Older Adult Centre
Closing Date: February 16, 2024
Compensation
Rate: $30.77 per hour
How to Apply
Please send resumes by 5:00 pm on the closing date to:
Hiring Committee
248 Ossington Ave.
Toronto, ON
M6J 3A2
jobs@westnh.org