Community Engagement Officer – Brent
Salary: £27,000 per annum
Working pattern: 4 days per week
Contract: Fixed-term until March 2028, with the possibility of extension subject to funding
Location: Brent, with flexible/agile working and community-based delivery
Why Join Cancer Black Care?
For 30 years, Cancer Black Care has supported people affected by cancer, working to reduce health inequalities and improve access to information, support and services for Black African, Black Caribbean, Black British and other ethnically diverse communities.
We work alongside the NHS, local authorities, voluntary organisations and community partners to ensure people have equitable access to cancer information, early diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support.
Joining Cancer Black Care means becoming part of a passionate, community-focused organisation where your work can make a direct difference. You’ll build trusted relationships, support individuals and families, develop partnerships and help shape how cancer support is delivered across Brent.
We offer:
- A meaningful role with the opportunity to make a genuine difference.
- A four-day working week.
- Flexible and agile working, combining remote and community-based delivery.
- Opportunities to work alongside NHS partners, community organisations and local leaders.
- A supportive environment that values collaboration, initiative and learning.
- Opportunities to develop your skills and professional networks.
- The chance to play an active role in tackling health inequalities.
About the Role
Do you believe everyone should have equal access to cancer information, support and life-saving services?
Cancer Black Care is looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Community Engagement Officer to improve cancer awareness, reduce health inequalities and increase engagement with communities across Brent.
This is a highly community-facing role. You’ll spend much of your time meeting local residents, developing relationships with community and faith organisations, working with healthcare professionals and voluntary organisations, and taking Cancer Black Care directly into the places where people live, work and socialise.
You’ll encourage people to access cancer information, screening and support services, organise community activities, identify barriers to accessing healthcare and ensure community voices help influence the development of our services.
We’re looking for someone who enjoys working with people, can build trust quickly and wants to make a visible difference within local communities.
Key Responsibilities
Community Engagement and Outreach
- Build trusted relationships with Brent’s diverse communities, including residents, community groups, faith organisations and local businesses.
- Deliver outreach in community centres, GP practices, libraries, workplaces, barbershops, cafés and at local events.
- Promote cancer awareness, screening, early diagnosis, healthy lifestyles and Cancer Black Care’s support services.
- Identify people who may benefit from Cancer Black Care and encourage appropriate referrals and engagement.
- Build ongoing relationships with service users and encourage participation in support groups, Coffee Mornings, workshops and other activities.
- Support the recruitment, induction and coordination of volunteers.
Partnerships and Referrals
- Develop strong relationships with GP practices, hospitals, social prescribing teams, local authorities, voluntary organisations and community leaders.
- Develop and maintain referral pathways into Cancer Black Care and relevant external services.
- Generate referrals through proactive community engagement.
- Represent Cancer Black Care at partnership meetings, networking events and community forums.
- Identify opportunities for collaboration that strengthen our reach across Brent.
Community Support and Service Development
- Facilitate support groups, Coffee Mornings, workshops and cancer awareness sessions.
- Provide appropriate cancer information and signpost people to relevant health and support services.
- Listen to community experiences and identify barriers to accessing healthcare and cancer services.
- Gather community insight and report emerging needs and health inequalities.
- Encourage service users to help shape and evaluate Cancer Black Care’s services.
- Contribute to the development of new activities and initiatives in response to community need.
Monitoring, Reporting and Digital Engagement
- Maintain accurate records of outreach, referrals, attendance, outcomes and follow-up activity.
- Collect feedback and evidence of impact from service users and community partners.
- Contribute to weekly, monthly and commissioner reporting.
- Monitor progress against agreed targets and outcomes.
- Support Cancer Black Care’s digital engagement through social media, online awareness activity and community communication channels.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role will mean:
- More people across Brent engaging with Cancer Black Care.
- Increased referrals into our services.
- Strong and sustainable community and healthcare partnerships.
- Increased participation in support groups, Coffee Mornings and community activities.
- Positive feedback from service users and partners.
- Clear evidence of community need, outcomes and impact.
- Accurate and timely monitoring and reporting.
What We’re Looking For
Essential
- Experience in community outreach, engagement or community development.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Experience engaging with diverse and underserved communities.
- A proven ability to build trust and develop strong relationships.
- An understanding of health inequalities and barriers to accessing services.
- Confidence working independently and within community settings.
- Strong organisational and administrative skills.
- Experience organising or supporting community activities.
- Good presentation and facilitation skills.
- Ability to collect, maintain and report information accurately.
- Ability to manage relationships with multiple partners and stakeholders.
- Willingness to work flexibly, including occasional evenings and weekends.
Desirable
- Experience delivering health promotion or awareness activities.
- Knowledge of Brent’s communities and local organisations.
- Experience working in the voluntary, community, NHS or wider health sector.
- Knowledge of cancer awareness, prevention or long-term health conditions.
- Experience organising community events or workshops.
- Experience supporting or coordinating volunteers.
- Knowledge of NHS and voluntary sector referral pathways.
- Experience supporting people affected by cancer or other long-term health conditions.
Professional Responsibilities
You’ll be expected to:
- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion throughout your work.
- Recognise and respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns in line with Cancer Black Care’s policies and procedures.
- Maintain confidentiality and comply with GDPR and information governance requirements.
- Work in accordance with Cancer Black Care’s policies and professional standards.
- Undertake other reasonable duties appropriate to the role, as requested by the Chief Executive Officer or Lead Cancer Information Officer.
What You’ll Be Doing Day to Day
No two days will look exactly the same.
One day you might be delivering a cancer awareness session in a community centre or speaking with residents at a local event. The next you could be meeting a GP practice, developing a new community partnership, supporting a Coffee Morning, following up referrals or gathering feedback from people using our services.
This is not a desk-based role. It’s about being visible in the community, building trust and turning relationships into meaningful engagement and support.
If you’re passionate about people, understand the importance of trusted community relationships and want to help tackle inequalities in cancer care, we’d love to hear from you.