Voluntary Action Surrey East VASE
Community Insight and Partnerships Officer
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Voluntary Action Surrey East (VASE) and Central Surrey Voluntary Action (CSVA) are establishing a new community insight Partnership. We are looking for a skilled relationship-builder who can bring people together, identify themes across different sources of information and turn community intelligence into clear, useful insight.
The opportunity
ESCIP is a one-year proof of concept designed to strengthen how community experience and VCSE intelligence inform local decision-making. It will connect voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations with health, local-authority and wider partners, creating stronger two-way feedback between communities and decision-makers.
This is not primarily an administrative post. You will build trusted relationships, coordinate a new quarterly forum, develop practical ways to gather and synthesise intelligence, and show partners how insight has influenced priorities and action. Because the programme is new, you will have genuine scope to shape how it works.
What you will achieve
By the end of the first 12 months, we expect the postholder to have:
- Established a functioning East Surrey VCSE and Community Forum that meets quarterly and enables purposeful collaboration.
- Built trusted working relationships with a diverse range of VCSE organisations, including smaller groups and organisations connected to under-represented communities.
- Developed and tested practical two-way feedback mechanisms between VCSE partners, communities and East Surrey system leaders.
- Mapped existing intelligence sources and introduced consistent, proportionate templates for gathering and synthesising insight.
- Produced concise briefings that identify emerging themes, evidence and implications for decision-makers.
- Maintained strategic relationships with health, local government, housing and neighbourhood partners without duplicating existing structures.
- Supported independent evaluation of the proof of concept and helped make a clear, evidence-based case for Year 2.
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Main Responsibilities
Partnerships and Network
- Coordinate day-to-day delivery of ESCIP, maintaining a clear workplan, milestones, risks and actions.
- Plan and support the quarterly East Surrey VCSE and Community Forum, including purposeful agendas, accessible papers, facilitation, follow-up and tracking agreed actions.
- Develop strong relationships across the VCSE sector and with NHS, local-authority, housing, primary-care and neighbourhood partners.
- Use targeted conversations, briefings and limited observer participation to maintain wider partner engagement while avoiding additional governance burdens.
- Represent ESCIP professionally at relevant meetings and act as an approachable first point of contact for participating organisations.
Engagement and Community Insight
- Plan and deliver proportionate insight activity, which may include stakeholder conversations, facilitated workshops, short surveys, desk research and analysis of intelligence shared by VCSE partners.
- Make it straightforward for organisations of different sizes and capacities to contribute, with particular attention to voices that are less often heard.
- Map existing data, engagement and intelligence sources; identify gaps, common themes and useful measures.
- Distinguish between individual feedback, recurring themes and wider evidence, and communicate the limits of available information clearly.
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Communication, Influence and Learning
- Turn varied qualitative and quantitative information into concise, accessible summaries, briefings and practical recommendations.
- Create visible feedback loops so contributors understand what was heard, what happened next and where influence was not possible.
- Prepare two to three stakeholder briefings during the year and contribute to programme and funder reporting.
- Work with the independent evaluator, maintaining appropriate evidence of reach, activity, learning, outcomes and influence.
- Contribute ideas and learning to the design, sustainability and possible development of ESCIP beyond Year 1.
Working arrangements
This is a part-time role based in Oxted with autonomy and variety. The normal pattern will be agreed with the successful candidate, taking account of programme needs. Some meetings and community activity will take place in person across East Surrey, so the postholder must be able to travel within the area. Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed in line with the employing organisation’s policy.
Occasional evening activity may be required by prior agreement, with time off in lieu. The postholder will work closely with senior leaders and colleagues from both VASE and CSVA and will have access to office space, HR support and appropriate IT equipment.
To apply please visit our website and download the recruitment pack: https://vase.org.uk/get-involved/vcse-community-insight-and-partnerships-officer/
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