Community Connector - GPA1 area
Salary £ 24,071 (Pro Rota)
Sheffield Mind Wellbeing Centre, Sharrow, Sheffield
Vacancy listed 24/09/2025
Application deadline 09/10/2025
Details
Overview 
 
Sheffield Mind is looking for an enthusiastic individual to work as a Community Connector in our innovative Community Connectors team.  This contract is due to end on the 31.03.2026. 
 
Working for Sheffield Mind, on behalf of the Primary & Community Mental Health Team, you will be expected to foster effective working relationships with the people you support and the integrated primary care mental health team. You will work as part of an integrated primary care mental health team, based within GP Practices and Voluntary Sector providers, to enable successful completion of mutually agreed support plans.  This role is based in the GPA1 area (covers S2 postcodes and surrounding area) with possible work across the City. 

Working hours:
22.2 hours a week (3 days)

Contract end date: 31.3.2026

How to apply:
  • Download the application form from our website 
  • Click 'apply' at the bottom of this page 
  • Enter your details 
  • Upload your application form and CV 

Community Connector 
 
Person Specification 
 
 The Person Specification outlines the experience, skills, and knowledge we think the successful candidate needs. 
 
Please number your answers. 

 Experience   
1 . Experience of supporting people with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), including case work.  | E
 
   Skills   
2 . Ability to liaise with health, social care professionals and VCF organisations in a confident, constructive, and productive way, using good social interaction and listening skills.  | E
3. Ability to maintain an active caseload and keep accurate records.  | E
4. Ability to manage and mitigate risk for service users experiencing significant distress.  | E
5. Ability to encourage and support people to engage in community activities.   | E
6. Good organisational, written and IT skills, including the ability to use databases and collect primary data for monitoring purposes.  | E
7 . Ability to work independently and as part of a team.  | E
8 . Ability to speak fluent English   | D
9. Ability to be non-judgmental and take a positive approach to all people, including groups which have been traditionally underserved.  | E
10. Car driver with access to a car  | D

Knowledge  
11 . Good understanding of serious mental health issues.  | E
12. Good knowledge of information governance, ability to maintain confidentiality at all times, within statutory guidance on safeguarding.   | E
 
Please Note: Recruited staff are required to evidence that they have worked in accordance with the person specification and job description in order to successfully pass their probationary period and as part of the annual appraisal process. 
 
Job Purpose 

Working for Sheffield Mind, on behalf of Primary & Community Mental Health, you will be expected to foster effective working relationships with the people you support and the integrated primary care mental health team, within designated Primary Care Networks.  You will work as part of an integrated primary care mental health team, based within GP Practices and Voluntary Sector providers, to enable successful completion of mutually agreed support plans. 
 
As a Community Connector you will be responsible for liaising with partnership agencies to support people who have mental health needs to access services, in order to reconnect with their communities.  To do this you will have, or be able to quickly develop, an in-depth knowledge of community assets and resources and build and manage a strong network of community-based contacts. You will engage face-to-face with service users to identify specific needs and appropriate interventions and refer them to the most appropriate services in their area. 
 
You will provide support to individuals who have serious mental illness, some of whom may be co-existing with other conditions such as frailty, cognitive impairment, neurodevelopmental conditions, or substance use.  Your role will be to ensure people can access the additional support they need at the earliest point of need, so that they can live as well as possible in their communities. 
 
There will be additional support provided within Primary Care Networks to service users who are receiving support from Community Mental Health Recovery and Older Adults Teams.   
 
Sheffield Mind are committed to investing in and developing our workforce. The successful candidates will: 
 
  1. Receive training on how to use appropriate clinical systems together with the service user application/software. 
  2. Be provided with Sheffield Mind’s core training opportunities for new staff. 
  3. Have access to our Employee Assistance Programme 
  4. Receive contributions to a workplace pension scheme. 
 
Successful applicants will receive ongoing support and regular supervision from their line manager (Community Connections Manager) together with day-to-day support provided by the integrated primary care mental health team, wider general practice staff and Sheffield Mind colleagues. 
 
The Community Connector will link with a variety of key stakeholders including. 
 
  • GPs and wider primary care staff 
  • Voluntary sector providers (including those based within designated Primary Care Networks and at a city-wide level) 
  • Sheffield Health & Social Care NHS Foundation Trust  
  • Primary & Community Mental Health (Integrated Primary Care Mental Health Team) 
  • Community Pharmacies 
  • Patients, family members and carers 
  • Staff working to provide physical health checks to individuals with serious mental illness. 

Values: 
 
Sheffield Mind has a set of core values which we expect all staff to demonstrate.  Building on these we have developed a set of expectations that we expect all team members to demonstrate. 
 
  • Share your knowledge and experience. 
  • Use appropriate language when communicating to others to ensure they understand. 
  • Be decisive. 
  • Be positive – focus on what you can do and why something will/could work. 
  • Actively seek feedback and act on it (where appropriate) 
  • Know when to step in and do it yourself and when to leave others to have a go. 
  • Be self-aware: know your strengths and development needs and look for ways to develop. 
  • Be visible. 
  • Take care of your own well being 
 
JOB DISCRIPTION
Supporting Service Users with Serious Mental Illness (SMI) 
 
  • Offer an initial assessment to individual service users in order to identify the different kind of activities/services they can engage with 
  • Enable people to access community resources, which may include accompanying them to groups and activities. 
  • Enable people to turn their assessed and co-produced plans and goals into actions by facilitating access and connecting them with the appropriate service. 
  • Offer support, guidance and help where possible for people to gain confidence, overcome initial fears, and seek solutions to any barriers inhibiting attendance – this may include working with other mental health professionals to identify and use coping mechanisms and grounding techniques. 
  • Carry a caseload. 
  • Build trusting and supportive relationships with people who use our services. 
  • Maintain positive relationships with people to encourage acceptable behaviour. 
  • Be proactive in reducing barriers to service user engagement in activities i.e., where appropriate arranging appointments and transport, and also accompanying service users to activities or helping with orientation 
 
Community Activity  
 
  • Utilise in-depth knowledge of the local voluntary and community services and networks within your respective area. 
  • Work with existing community groups in the designated community areas to ensure services are accessible. 
  • Identify ‘hard to reach’ groups and use creative and innovative ways to engage them in health promoting activities. 
  • Promote and publicise community activities. 

Managing Risk 
  • Adhere to pre-written risk assessments and ensure own personal safety. 
  • Raise concerns for people’s safety and work with colleagues to devise plans to intervene to protect people from harm. 
  • Attend training as required and comply with Information Governance, data protection and confidentiality policies, procedures, and code of conduct. 
 
Systems 
  • Record and report activity using a range of data systems, including inputting data into clinical systems in a timely and effective manner. 
  • Process referrals from various health professionals 
 
Relationships 
  • Work as part of a Multi-disciplinary Mental Health team in your designated PCN 
  • Work with colleagues to ensure consistent support is provided to everyone. 
  • Establish a productive working relationship with staff in designated GP practices. 
 
Organisation 
  • Plan your diary to optimise the delivery of support and activities. 
  • Manage your own workload, reporting any issues of concern to the Community Connections Manager 
  • Actively participate in supervision with the Community Connections Manager  
  • Demonstrate a commitment to continuing professional development. 
  • Travel around Sheffield, work in a variety of settings, and occasionally work unsocial hours such as evenings and weekends. 
  • Carry out such other tasks as are required to meet the aims and objectives of the organisation and contribute to the smooth running of the service. 
 
Benefits

As a Mindful Employer, we value our staff, and we work hard to make sure that employees enjoy their role and feel supported to do the best job they can.

If you join us at Sheffield Mind, you’ll receive access to a pension scheme, access to an Employee Assistance Programme and we have a staff Workplace Wellbeing Champion. All staff receive regular supervision and an annual appraisal.

Notes

Following the closing date, we’ll contact you if you have been shortlisted to go on to the next stage.
Please note that unfortunately we’re not able to contact you if you are not successful and we’re not able to give feedback on why you weren’t shortlisted.
Thank you for your interest and we hope to hear from you soon.

Interviews are expected to take place on the 15th and 16th of October.

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