Community Links is a community charity, rooted in East London, providing support and opportunities to thousands of people every year. We have been transforming lives for over 40 years and are founded on two principles: to find new solutions to old problems and to deliver them with the whole community.

Our Mission is to support people in coming together, overcoming barriers, building purpose and making the most of the place they live in. From our base in east London we apply the learning from our local work to influence and achieve positive national change.

Our Vision is of Ready for Everything Communities: groups of people who support each other to overcome problems, prevent them from occurring again and help each other to thrive and achieve their goals.

In Health, we deliver projects promoting early diagnoses of cancer by increasing the uptake of the NHS Cancer screening programmes and raising awareness

Community Links are looking for fluent Bengali-speaking men to act as Health Facilitators to help us increase the uptake of lung, bowel and prostate cancer screening in the London Borough of Newham.

Community Links holds several commissions to deliver national cancer screening promotion services and cancer early detection projects in the community.  This is now enhanced, with outreach work to promote cancer awareness in specific London Boroughs and to conduct surveys to capture the Patient Experience in Newham.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Raising awareness of how to detect cancer early, primarily lung, bowel and prostate cancer by:

• Giving health presentations to a range of community and faith groups, schools and sixth forms;
• Staffing health sessions at community locations or events;
• Approaching men in social spaces to discuss cancer information;
• Maintaining accurate records of monitoring information

2. Interviewing members of the community at different settings about their patient experience.

3. Contacting potential outreach locations to arrange for outreach visits.

4. Maintaining accurate records: the health promotion sessions will require consistent and accurate monitoring and reporting

Owing to the nature of this work, we can only accept applications from fluent Bengali-speaking men. This is a genuine occupational requirement, as covered by the Equality Act 2010.

Practical skills - Essential

• Fluent in Bengali (spoken and written)
• IT literate (Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint)
• Experience in delivering presentations in community settings, including schools

Person specification - Essential

• Ability to communicate verbally effectively.
• Ability to communicate effectively  in writing
• Ability to work with minimal supervision
• Flexible and hardworking
• Effective team member
• Able to sign a confidentiality agreement
• Ability to travel within the borough
• Outgoing and approachable
• Identify with and work to take forward Community Links mission and values

Person specification - Desirable

• Knowledge of the London borough of Newham
• Knowledge of health services in Newham
• Knowledge of bowel/prostate and lung cancer

• Salary: £10.20 x hour + travel expenses between locations
• Contract: Sessional
• Reports to: Programme Manager (Health)
• Hours: Up to 8 hours per week until April 2020

All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references.  There is a probationary period of two months. Please provide the following information: Evidence that you can work and stay in the UK. 

Salaries are paid directly into employees’ bank accounts at monthly intervals according to timesheets.

This post will be based at various locations across Newham and may involve some evening and weekend work.

Evidence of right to work in the UK will be checked upon appointment.  

You will be employed by Community Links as a sessional worker. Salaries are paid directly into employees’ bank accounts at monthly intervals, payment being made on the 25th of each month.

Before applying, please view the Work Availability Document and indicate the days and times you are available to work in your application.