Community Liaison Officer Eo

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

**Main purpose of job**:
The British High Commission to South Africa oversees the UK Government’s operations in South Africa across the following locations:

- The British High Commission Pretoria (BHC)
- The UK Visas & Immigration Office in Pretoria
- The UK Department for International Trade in Johannesburg (DIT)
- The British Consulate General Cape Town

The Corporate Services Team, based largely in Pretoria with some staff in the locations above, is responsible for delivering corporate services to support the work of both British diplomatic staff and locally employed staff at all these locations.

The Community Liaison Officer (CLO) will work under the supervision of the Counsellor for Corporate Services and the Deputy High Commissioner, depending on specific tasks.

The jobholder will help ensure high quality support, service and advice in respect of British diplomatic staff, their families, where they live, the schools and health facilities they use and the community in which they live. The CLO will also help with wider work that: supports overall staff wellbeing, healthcare and welfare; helps deliver social, community and charitable events with staff; and, promotes effective communications on all these topics to staff across the British High Commission Offices.

The CLO will be an integral part of the Corporate Services team and will work closely with colleagues across the breadth of corporate services functions, especially in areas related to supporting Diplomatic staff - notably their arrival to and departure from South Africa, as well as their preparation for arriving and Corporate initiatives that relate to wellbeing, community, staff support and advice and other relevant areas.

The jobholder will work closely with other senior managers, especially on support for British diplomatic staff and their families, as well as wider staff wellbeing. The CLO will also develop a strong network of important contacts across a wide range of organisations including other Diplomatic Missions; healthcare establishments; schools; community groups and forums; charities; Expat communities and other contacts in organisations that work in areas of employee support, wellbeing and advice.

The CLO builds the trust and confidence of staff across the Mission, though the jobholder’s integral position within the Corporate Services team and close work with senior managers means that the role is an advocate of the organisation, its policies, and principles and values. This means the jobholder needs to be able to communicate, explain and promote sometimes challenging policies or decisions that relate to staff.

The jobholder will need to be willing to occasionally work flexibly to support staff in emergencies and / or events in the evenings and potentially the occasional weekend as well - although the CLO is never ‘on-call’ to staff. The CLO is expected to travel periodically to the High Commission’s other offices in South Africa.

The CLO will be under pressure frequently with many competing priorities, some of which will be of a personal and stressful nature among staff. The jobholder therefore needs exceptional self-management and organisational skills to manage the workload and competing demands; very strong resilience and the ability to communicate with colleagues in challenging situations, demonstrating skill in empathy.

**Roles and Responsibilities**:

- Supporting delivery of social, community, charitable and other team events for staff, for example potentially around: Easter, Christmas, Women’s Day, Youth Day, Heritage Day, Mandela Day, Spring Day, Halloween, Pride Marches / Celebrations among other possibilities.
- Advice, assistance and support to British diplomatic staff and their families considering postings to South Africa and when they arrive and depart the country, especially ensuring their arrival and settling-in is managed well and supported fully.
- Gathering / developing and disseminating information and guidance to British diplomatic staff and their families about living in South Africa.
- Provide a welfare, liaison and engagement role for diplomatic staff and their families.
- Gather information, produce guidance and provide returns to London on living costs in South Africa for diplomats, and on a range of other areas including, for example, education / schooling, healthcare, local employment and housing among others.
- Provide information, support and advice to managers and decision-making committees on diplomatic housing, support to diplomatic staff and their families, and on welfare issues (including welfare matters in crisis planning).
- Develop and help deliver regular events, initiatives and activities that help new arrivals settle, build the community sense, promote social opportunities and support staff and family engagement.
- Ensure staff guidance information and advice is readily available to staff and their spouses / partners and is