Communities and Localities Lead - Secondment Opportunity

Directorate: OPCC

Service Area: Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership

Salary: £40,388 to £47,046

Location: The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9QJ

Closing date: 15th May 2026

Overview

The Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP) was established in 2019 to take a community‑led, public health approach to tackling violence and its root causes. The partnership brings together professionals from a wide range of sectors, including the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, Merseyside Police, local authorities, public health, education, youth justice, fire and rescue, probation, the Department for Work and Pensions, and health partners.

From the outset, community engagement and co‑production have been central to the development and direction of the programme. Maintaining and strengthening this relationship is essential to ensuring that our work continues to reflect the needs, experiences, and aspirations of communities across Merseyside.

A secondment opportunity is now available for a Communities and Localities Lead to join the MVRP and champion the voice of communities and young people. The successful candidate will need the skills, confidence, and credibility to drive partnership activity, influence decision‑making, and ensure that insight from communities is meaningfully embedded across the programme.

Job Purpose

To deliver a community development and engagement model for the MVRP, ensuring that the voices of communities and young people shape the MVRP’s strategic and operational work.

This secondment can be undertaken on a full‑time or part‑time basis, and flexible working is supported. The postholder will ensure that community and young people’s perspectives are embedded within needs assessments, strategies, monitoring, evaluation, and wider partnership activity.

They will act as the lead for youth and community voice in relation to serious violence, working directly with multi‑agency partners to strengthen community involvement, improve communication, and support the development of effective, community‑informed solutions.

Overview of the work/role (not exhaustive)

  • Act as a key liaison between the MVRP, Community Safety Partnerships, and wider multi‑agency violence‑reduction partners, ensuring effective two‑way communication and collaboration.
  • Ensure that the voices of communities and young people are heard, valued, and actively involved in problem‑solving, with a focus on building capability, confidence, and ownership.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with community‑based projects and organisations, ensuring they are informed about MVRP activity and able to engage effectively with violence‑reduction work.
  • Develop and maintain a detailed understanding of the current landscape of community and youth provision across Merseyside, including programmes that contribute to reducing the potential for serious violence.
  • Where appropriate, develop, facilitate, and coordinate youth and community voice forums to inform the ongoing development of the MVRP.
  • Contribute to the MVRP’s strategic needs assessment, strategy development, action planning, monitoring and evaluation, and grant reporting.
  • Produce briefings, presentations, and written updates as required.
  • Respond to emerging issues related to serious violence across Merseyside’s wards, offering insight and sharing examples of good practice.
  • Work closely with community organisations to understand current challenges, blockages, and processes, and support the development of new frameworks, documents, or approaches to address these.

Duration: Initially until 31st March 2028 and then pending future confirmation of funding.

Hours: We offer flexible working arrangements tailored to the successful applicant. While this role has previously been held on a full-time basis, we recognise the capacity challenges across services. As such, the role is now offered at 2 to 5 days per week, depending on the needs of the host organisation and the availability of the candidate. We are committed to supporting flexible working, and working hours can be agreed upon accordingly.

Location: MVRP The Plaza, 100 Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 9QJ

Payment: Appointee’s organisation will be fully reimbursed for the time they spend working with the VRP.

Reporting Requirements: Director of the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership.  

How to apply

If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to discuss further, please email MerseysideVRP@merseyside.police.uk