Community development worker

As a community development worker, you'll work with individuals, families or whole communities, empowering them to:

• develop activities and services to generate aspiration and confidence
• identify their assets, needs, opportunities, rights and responsibilities
• plan what they want to achieve and take appropriate action.

You'll do this by acting as a link between communities and other local authority and voluntary sector providers, such as the police, social workers, and teachers.

The role involves addressing inequality. The projects you'll work on will often be in communities perceived to be culturally, economically or geographically disadvantaged.

What does a community development worker do?

As a community development worker, you'll need to:

• work with groups, such as the homeless or the long-term unemployed, tackling specific issues, including mental health, public transport, and drug abuse)
• seek to actively engage communities in making sense of the issues which affect their lives, encouraging participation in activities
• set goals for improvement and respond to problems through empowerment and active participation, ensuring local people have their say
• identify community skills, assets, issues, and needs, as well as raise public awareness
• develop new resources in dialogue with the community and evaluate existing programmes
• build links with other groups, individuals, and agencies
• prepare reports and policies
• raise and manage funds, as well as carry out general administrative duties, such as planning and attending meetings
• develop and implement strategies
• mediate in matters of conflict and challenge inappropriate behaviour
• recruit and train both paid and voluntary staff.

Salaries in community development work

• Starting salaries for community development workers in the UK are £22,000.
• Average salaries are typically between £28,000 and £29,000.
• With more experience, this can rise to between £32,000 and £36,000.

For public sector posts, there are national pay scales and sometimes an allowance is awarded as compensation for unsocial hours. In the voluntary or charitable sector, pay varies considerably and often depends on experience and location.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Typical hours in community development work

Although you'll likely work a typical 37-39 hours a week, you need to be accessible to the communities you serve. This means the work will often include unsocial hours, such as evenings and weekends, so considerable flexibility is required.

As you'll be in frequent contact with agencies, groups, and individuals in the community, travel is to be expected, as well as some absences from home. However, you may also be office-based for a portion of your work.

Part-time or temporary work and career breaks are possible. Short-term contracts are also common, due to the nature of funding within the sector, as is self-employment or freelancing.

How do I become a community development worker?

Although the industry is open to all graduates and those with an HND in any subject, a qualification in a social sciences subject may improve your chances. Some examples may include:

• business management
• economics
• education
• law
• social policy.

Entry without a degree or HND is possible, although career development is more restricted. A degree in any subject will be an advantage in seeking higher-level posts, but relevant experience is far more important than the subject area studied.

A variety of vocational college or work-based training courses, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate university courses, are available throughout the UK.

Before being allowed to work directly with children or vulnerable adults, employees in England and Wales will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Community development workers in Scotland will need to join the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. In Northern Ireland, you'll need to be checked by AccessNI.

Depending on your role, postgraduate qualifications may be essential for progression to more senior positions. A variety of full-time and part-time courses are available, with some open to those with an HND. One or two years of relevant experience is usually required.

Search postgraduate courses in community development.

Community development is often linked to youth work and many training courses will reflect this. Youth work is more specialised, often involving a different agenda than community development work. For further information on courses in youth work, see the National Youth Agency (NYA).

For information on youth work and youth work training in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, contact:

• ETS Wales
• Community Learning and Development Standards Council (CLD) for Scotland
• Youth Action NI

Scottish courses and organisations (and sometimes those in other locations) may refer to community development workers as community education officers.

What skills does a community development worker need?

You'll need to show:

• advocacy and networking skills, along with excellent communication, interpersonal, and team-building confidence
• creative thinking and problem-solving ability
• good listening skills
• fundraising skills at management level, there's an increasing need to identify and pursue funds
• political, social, and negotiating skills
• research and report-writing skills, as well as the ability to interpret or present data in an impartial and empathetic way
• knowledge of community and social issues and an understanding of how public sector bodies work.

Language skills can also be an aid to this role, helping you make important connections with those you're helping.

Where can I get community development work experience?

Pre-entry paid or voluntary work experience is crucial. People often become community development workers after working in teaching, youth work, the health sector, or other similar roles. Development work overseas may also be relevant.

It's important to have a proven interest in community and social issues, along with at least a year's involvement in a relevant area, such as:

• community work
• pressure groups
• women's projects
• youth work.

Try to get involved in voluntary work as a student, in local community projects, youth groups, tenants' associations or women's groups. Contact your local volunteer centre to get community-project experience. You can search for your nearest branch or your region's equivalent via Doit.

Competition for jobs is fierce, especially for the limited number of local authority posts, which can offer greater job security. The level of opportunities can vary according to changes in the political climate, such as rises or falls in unemployment and immigration.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs community development workers?

The most common employers of community development workers in the UK are:

• community education organisations
• housing associations
• local authorities
• NHS trusts
• organisations set up with a specific aim, e.g. to help asylum seekers or to advise about drugs
• rural community councils
• social services
• voluntary sector organisations.

Due to the nature of funding, many positions are fixed-term contracts.

Some roles are managed by voluntary organisations, but these may not be paid positions. These include:

• children's charities
• churches and other faith groups
• community associations
• environmental groups
• health and mental health organisations
• homeless projects
• shelters
• women's groups.

Look for vacancies at:

• Big Issue
• Goodmoves
• LG Jobs - government sector jobs
• Jobs Go Public
• Third Sector Jobs

You can also check local authority bulletins for opportunities.

What are the career prospects for community development workers?

Opportunities for promotion in community development can be limited in both the public and voluntary sectors. As such, you may have to move to another area to progress. Senior roles usually involve managing more staff, a larger budget, or a wider geographical area. Sideways movement into projects with a different focus, or switching between generic and specific work, is common.

Postgraduate study is an option and may be necessary if you want to move into a policy-making position or progress to director with responsibility for implementing large-scale and complex projects.

With substantial experience and expertise, there's the possibility of freelance work in the role of a trainer, consultant, or adviser. Due to the broad nature of community work, employees can develop their careers by moving into other fields, such as:

• education
• environment
• health sector
• social work
• youth work.

Opportunities also exist for overseas development work. For more information, check out the websites of international charities, as well as the International Association for Community Development (IACD).

Ongoing training is essential in community work, usually occurring on the job or as part-time study. Since projects and communities vary so much, community development workers must develop new skills constantly, update old ones, and acquire specific knowledge. Training varies depending on the employer, but there are likely to be opportunities to develop your skills further.

The voluntary sector is especially rich in interesting training opportunities, including accredited programmes available at colleges and other learning centres.

It's possible to take National Open College Network (NOCN) Awards and Certificates or Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in community development.

Social services and other organisations often have their own in-house training programmes. These are usually focused on issues such as child protection and equal opportunities.

It's also quite common for community development workers to pursue their own continuing professional development (CPD) by undertaking a Masters degree or other postgraduate qualification. Relevant subjects include:

• business and community studies
• housing practice
• legal studies
• public health or community health
• social services management
• voluntary sector studies.