W3RT

CVS Lead- Watford

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)

Contract: Permanent subject to probation period and funding

Salary: £35,530

Place of work: This role will be based at Holywell Community Centre in Watford, with regular meetings throughout Hertfordshire and opportunities to work from home.

Summary

The post-holder will ensure the effective delivery of our CVS service. As part of our CVS Team, the post-holder will support Watford’s community organisations to be welcoming, accountable, effective and sustainable.

Specific responsibilities

• Build on community strengths to boost local capacity and resilience
• Support groups through the cost-of-living crisis with practical help and guidance
• Empower communities to understand local challenges, set goals, and act
• Help organisations be welcoming, accountable, effective, and sustainable
• Connect people through networks that meet community needs
• Recruit and support CVS members, maintaining accurate records
• Represent W3RT in key partnerships, forums, and networks
• Plan and deliver impactful training with partners
• Collect and report data as needed, ensuring accuracy and timeliness
• Gather regular feedback to improve services and respond to community needs

• Meet funder and W3RT targets and standards
• Provide expert advice to senior leaders and elected members on CVS matters
• Manage grant funding programmes and infrastructure support for voluntary organisations
• Monitor and evaluate the impact of CVS partnerships and funded programmes

Knowledge, skills and behaviours

The post-holder must demonstrate and maintain (or demonstrate their ability to acquire and maintain) the following knowledge, skills and behaviours:

Knowledge

• Solid understanding of legal and regulatory requirements for voluntary organisations, including employment law, fundraising, contracts, charity law, health and safety, equalities, and operations.
• Knowledge of funding sources, income generation, and relevant policy frameworks.
• Familiarity with national support structures, infrastructure services, and reliable information sources.
• Awareness of current policy discussions, such as asset-based community development (ABCD), social prescribing, and tackling loneliness.
• Strong grasp of project planning, management, branding, and marketing principles.
• Clear understanding of outputs, outcomes, and measuring impact.
• Knowledge of local voluntary, statutory, and business sectors.

• Experience in community development, voluntary sector leadership, or public sector partnership roles.
• Experience managing funding programmes and evaluating impact.

Skills

• Excellent skills in networking and negotiation: the ability to establish relationships, influence discussions and persuade or recruit people to your point of view
• Excellent people and listening skills: help people to speak truthfully and articulate their needs or views, confident that you will listen and respond
• Organisation, planning and administration skills (including time management)
• Skills in researching, analysing statistics and writing reports
• A high level of competency in W3RT systems and databases (currently Microsoft Office 365, Teams, NationBuilder and Access).

Behaviours

All W3RT staff and volunteers are expected to demonstrate and maintain the following behaviours.

Teamwork

• Remember you are a valued part of W3RT’s team – be proud of your role and of the trust
• Ask for support, guidance and training where needed – and wherever possible, offer the same when requested of you

Integrity

• Be transparent and avoid any direct or indirect conflicts of interest or loyalty
• Work to complete any project or commission you have agreed to undertake

Inclusion

• Be welcoming and supportive to all parts of our community, respecting everyone as a fellow human individual with their own beliefs, values, preferences and independence
• Respect the wellbeing, dignity and privacy of our service users – ensure vulnerable people are supported and share any concerns about their wellbeing

Innovation

• Continuously improve your skills and share and apply your learning
• Contribute to discussions to ensure that W3RT’s activities, programmes and services are the best possible

Impact

• Listen and ensure our services are personalised to deliver the best possible outcomes for everyone
• Record your work accurately to help us improve services and demonstrate our impact