Temporary jobs

• ​Job Title - Communications & Engagement Lead
• Responsible to - Chief Executive Officer
• Salary - £23,000 actual (based on £31,500 full time)
• Contract - Part-Time (28 hours per week) - From time to time, you may be required to work some evenings and weekends. These are usually communicated well in advance and the time will be given back to you in lieu. We expect team members to work in-person 60% of the time whether that’s at our office in MediaCity or at our delivery locations in Greater Manchester. This is a one-year fixed-term contract, with the likelihood of renewal subject to funding availability.

Important dates

• Applications to be received by 11pm on Sunday 5 July 2026 
• Video Screening to be complete by 11pm on Thursday 9 July 2026 
• Interviews held on Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 July 2026.

ABOUT YOUTH LEADS UK

Youth Leads UK is an award-winning charity that believes young people matter. We support young people furthest from opportunity to build skills, create change, and shape the decisions that affect their lives – from classrooms to communities to boardrooms. We run leadership programmes, deliver social action projects, and publish Youth Leads Magazine – a platform for youth voice and creativity.

Working with thousands of young people across Greater Manchester for over a decade, we are experts in enabling young people to step outside their comfort zones, build real-world skills and grow in confidence. We back young people to lead, in our programmes, in policy spaces and in shaping Britain's future.

Please see our website ‘About Us’ page for more information about our vision, mission and values.

WHY WORK WITH US?

At Youth Leads UK, we believe in creating an environment that helps you thrive both personally and professionally. We offer 30 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) and a part-closure over Christmas and New Year. Our wellbeing programme includes regular socials and time for mental health initiatives, and our base at MediaCity, one of Greater Manchester's most vibrant and sustainable locations, ensures a positive and connected working environment.

We are deeply committed to diversity, equality, and inclusion. That’s why we are a Living Wage Employer, signed up to the Greater Manchester Good Employer’s Charter, and the #ShowTheSalary campaign. It’s important to us that our staff team reflects the communities we serve. We guarantee interviews for our Youth Leads UK alumni, care experienced or disabled individuals, so please let us know in your application if you meet this criteria. We promote equal opportunities and we value the unique perspectives of diverse team members.

As a youth-led organisation, we prioritise employing individuals under 30, aligning with our mission to foster strong connections and relatability with the young people we support. This is in accordance with the Equality Act and reflects our belief in empowering young voices to shape our work. 
 

ROLE SUMMARY

This is the lead communications role at Youth Leads UK - the person who holds our voice, shapes our stories, and makes sure the world hears what our young people are doing and why it matters.

Working closely with the CEO and eventually supported by two Youth Content Creators, you will own the communications and engagement function across all channels and audiences. You will set the tone, maintain the brand, lead our campaigns, and ensure everything we put out reflects who we are and what we stand for.
 

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

Strategy and brand

• Own the Youth Leads UK communications strategy, ensuring our channels, campaigns, and content are coherent, consistent, and purposeful
• Act as the guardian of our brand — maintaining voice, tone, and visual identity across everything we produce
• Work closely with the CEO to align communications activity with organisational priorities and the Generation:NOW strategy
• Analyse performance across channels and use insight to inform what we do next

Campaigns and content

• Lead the development and delivery of youth-led campaigns on issues that matter to our communities - from mental health and civic participation to cost of living and representation
• Oversee the planning and production of Youth Leads Magazine - three editions per year, created by and for young people
• Lead on long-form and strategic content including press releases, impact reports, website articles, and stakeholder communications
• Set the brief for social media content and oversee delivery by the Youth Content Creators, ensuring quality, consistency, and brand alignment
• Manage email communications including newsletters and stakeholder updates

Developing young people

• Provide day-to-day communications direction to two Youth Content Creators — setting briefs, reviewing content, and ensuring brand consistency
• Actively mentor and develop the Youth Content Creators, helping them build skills, confidence, and understanding of professional communications practice. The youth content creators will be line managed by the Head of Programmes, who you will work closely with
• Champion youth voice across all communications output, ensuring young people are authentically represented and genuinely involved in how we tell our story

Media and public profile

• Build and maintain relationships with journalists, editors, and media contacts across local, regional, and national outlets
• Draft and issue press releases, media statements, and reactive comments
• Identify and pursue opportunities to place youth voice in public debate - through opinion pieces, broadcast appearances, panel contributions, and more
• Support the CEO and young people to prepare for media appearances and public-facing engagements

Communicating our impact

• Work with the wider team to translate programme outcomes, data, and young people’s stories into compelling content for a range of audiences
• Produce materials that communicate Youth Leads UK’s impact clearly and powerfully to partners, funders, and the public
• Ensure our digital presence - website, social channels, email - reflects the quality and ambition of our work

OTHER AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Ensure young people play a strong leadership role across our work
• Keep up to date on new developments and trends within the youth sector
• Administrative duties as required, such as minute-taking, arranging travel and booking venues
• Representing Youth Leads UK at conferences and events
• Act as an ambassador for the organisation
• Ensure Youth Leads UK’s Health and Safety and Safeguarding and any other appropriate policies are adhered to where necessary
• Take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who might be affected by your work as required by law and described in the relevant operating policies and procedures
• Be committed to safeguarding principles and be willing to put the welfare of children and young people at the forefront of your work
• An understanding and belief in the inclusion of all staff, partners and young people irrespective of race, gender, sexuality, age, religion, ability, identity and experience
• Actively promotes and embeds an understanding of equality, diversity, and an inclusive culture
• Able to take personal accountability for key work areas

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIRED

ESSENTIAL

• Strong writing skills - able to produce compelling content across formats, from social media captions to press releases to long-form articles
• Experience developing and delivering communications strategies or campaigns
• Solid understanding of brand, voice, and audience - and how to maintain consistency across channels
• Experience managing or overseeing social media channels for an organisation or campaign
• Ability to use analytics to evaluate performance and make informed decisions about future activity
• Experience writing press releases or supporting media and press engagement
• Confidence building relationships with journalists, media contacts, or external stakeholders
• Excellent organisational skills - able to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain quality under pressure
• Genuine commitment to youth empowerment, social justice, and amplifying underrepresented voices
• Experience with video content production or editing
• Understanding of safeguarding principles when working with young people (training provided)

DESIRABLE

• Proficiency in Canva for creating and adapting branded content
• Experience with email marketing tools and understanding of what makes an effective newsletter or stakeholder communication
• Experience using Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or similar tools (training available)
• Experience working in or with the charity, public, or youth sector
• Understanding of civic leadership, social action, or community engagement
• Experience directing, briefing, or supporting others to deliver communications work
• Familiarity with website content management systems
• Experience mentoring or developing junior colleagues or young people

We recruit based on potential, not polish - so don’t worry if one or two of the above are missing - most things can be taught!

ORGANISATIONAL INFORMATION

Youth Leads UK has a small yet mighty team, so you may be required to take on other duties and responsibilities from time to time.

All staff are expected to:

• Adhere to the policies and procedures in the Youth Leads UK staff policy handbook.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times in line with organisational policies.
• Successfully complete an enhanced DBS check and provide two independent references before appointment.
• Actively promote an inclusive and diverse culture within the organisation.

The post holder must have confirmation of eligibility to work in the UK (the successful candidate will be required to provide documentary evidence before a job offer is confirmed).

Overall Job Purpose:

Seeds of Peace is an organisation which inspires and cultivates new generations of global leaders in communities divided by conflict by providing them with the skills, relationships, and community to transform conflict into progress. This Seeds of Peace Camp brings together young people from across Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, and US and UK to work collaboratively with peers in a multi-national setting. The program provides a transformative journey of personal growth through dialogue and leadership exercises, equipping participants to become effective agents of change in their communities.

The Camp staff team consists of counselors, facilitators, activity leaders and a leadership team, all working together to create and implement the camp programme and contribute to an environment of harmony at Camp. The role of Counsellor is to guide and mentor campers in their day to day experience of camp. Counsellors are by campers' side throughout their journey, encouraging and supporting them along the way.

This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of young people while developing your own leadership, facilitation, and intercultural communication skills as part of a dedicated team.

Main responsibilities include:

Camper Support and Supervision

• Supervise campers in residential and activity groups, ensuring you know where campers are at all times.
• Get to know each camper individually and provide the support they need to help them have a safe and successful camp experience.
• Support campers in their day-to-day needs, including proactively supporting campers emotional and physical wellbeing and managing camper behaviour.
• Mentor and prioritise the well-being of campers at all times, while acting as a role model and offering guidance and support to campers.
• Collaborate with other staff to address complex issues and ensure camper well-being.
• Maintain open communication with campers to uphold a supportive atmosphere.
• Facilitation of cultural exchange and understanding amongst campers by embracing and celebrating the diverse backgrounds of campers.

Programming and Activities:

• Encourage active participation for campers in all camp activities.

Additional Camp Support

• Contribute to an atmosphere of communication, trust and respect on Camp.
• Collaborate with the Dialogue and Group Challenge team (Dialogue Lead and facilitators) in all aspects of camp life.
• Adhering to all Seeds of Peace policies and procedures, in order to create a Camp environment that is physically and emotionally safe.
• Commitment to professionalism in an informal educational space.
• Provide support and encouragement to other staff members and maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment for participants.

Prerequisite knowledge, skills and competencies:

Required

• Spoken and written fluency in English
• Fantastic communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to establish strong relationships quickly
• Highly organised with an excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to motivate self and others
• Excellent collaboration and team work skills
• Patience, flexibility, and creativity.
• Ability to work with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Adaptability and willingness to learn
• Sense of humour and adventure
• Comfort with travelling and working in a demanding residential environment
• Belief in the potential and brilliance of youth

Desirable

• Experience in working with young people in education, peacebuilding or other in residential settings
• Knowledge of Seeds of Peace camp philosophies and traditions
• Fluency in multiple languages
• Significant experience working in a multi-cultural environment - knowledge of cultural sensitivities regarding Seeds of Peace delegations

Notes

• This position is residential, meaning meals and accommodation are provided during camp and staff training. Furthermore, the cost of travel to and from camp and cost of Visa Application Fee (if applicable) is covered by Seeds of Peace.
• All staff are required to commit to the full duration of the session July 18th - August 10th and participate in a mandatory staff training held both online prior to camp and in person on camp July 10th - 17th

Must also:

• Be entitled to work in the UK
• Hold a DBS certificate or be willing to let Seeds of Peace undertake a check on your behalf
• Have a recent safeguarding qualification from a recognised provider or be willing to undertake additional training in this area
• Comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, confidentiality, data protection and reporting concerns to an appropriate person

Seeds of Peace values the differences that a diverse workforce brings and is committed to inclusivity. We welcome all applicants from any race, ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, age, sexuality, or any other protected characteristic.

We can make reasonable adjustments throughout the application process and on the job. Please let us know, by contacting us separately if you need any adjustments or changes to be made during the recruitment process because of a disability or long-term health condition.

Seeds of Peace is an organisation which inspires and cultivates new generations of global leaders in communities divided by conflict by providing them with the skills, relationships, and community to transform conflict into progress. This Seeds of Peace Camp brings together young people from across Egypt, India, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, the US and the UK to work collaboratively with peers in a multi-national setting. The program provides a transformative journey of personal growth through dialogue and leadership exercises, equipping participants to become effective agents of change in their communities.

The Camp staff team consists of counselors, facilitators and a leadership team, all working together to create and implement the camp programme and contribute to an environment of harmony at Camp. The role of Activity Leader is to create activities that are intentional in featuring dialogic elements which complement the Camp dialogue curriculum and are fun, engaging and inclusive.

This is a unique opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of young people while developing your own leadership, facilitation, and intercultural communication skills as part of a dedicated team.

Main Responsibilities Include:

Camp Programming and Activities

• Design and lead activities as part of the arts, sports, or group challenge activity team.
• Running activities that complement the camp Dialogue programme and contain dialogic elements in line with the Dialogue curriculum.
• Plan, create and implement all camp programming for 120 campers.
• Developing a resource base of activities that meet the goals and objectives of the programme
• Preparing rainy day back up programmes which can be implemented at short notice
• Design, plan and run ‘Colour Games’ - a two day phase of camp with various individual and group activities.
• Creating an environment of fun, engagement and inclusivity in all activities

Additional Camp Support

• Contribute to an atmosphere of communication, trust and respect on Camp.
• Supporting Counsellors with bunk responsibilities after the camp day’s activities.
• Collaborate with the Dialogue team (Dialogue Lead and facilitators) in all aspects of camp life.
• Adhering to all Seeds of Peace policies and procedures, in order to create a Camp environment that is physically and emotionally safe.
• Commitment to professionalism in an informal educational space.
• Assisting with night patrol duties

Prerequisite knowledge, skills and competencies:

Required

• Spoken and written fluency in English
• Track record of running engaging activities with youth
• Fantastic communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to establish strong relationships quickly
• Highly organised with an excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to motivate self and others
• Excellent collaboration and team work skills
• Patience, flexibility, and creativity.
• Ability to work with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Adaptability and willingness to learn.
• Sense of humour and adventure
• Comfort with travelling and working in a demanding residential environment
• Belief in the potential and brilliance of youth.

Desirable

• Specialist activity expertise and significant experience offering and leading specific activities (instruction, direction of activities).
• Experience in working with young people in education, peacebuilding or other in residential settings.
• Knowledge of Seeds of Peace camp philosophies and traditions
• Fluency in multiple languages
• Significant experience working in a multi-cultural environment - knowledge of cultural sensitivities regarding Seeds of Peace delegations

Notes

• This position is residential, meaning meals and accommodation are provided during camp and staff training. Furthermore, the cost of travel to and from camp and cost of Visa Application Fee (if applicable) is covered by Seeds of Peace.
• All staff are required to commit to the full duration of the session July 18th - August 10th and participate in mandatory staff training held both online prior to camp and in person on camp July 10th - 17th.

Must also:

• Be entitled to work in the UK
• Hold a DBS certificate or be willing to let Seeds of Peace undertake a check on your behalf
• Have a recent safeguarding qualification from a recognised provider or be willing to undertake additional training in this area
• Comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, confidentiality, data protection and reporting concerns to an appropriate person

Seeds of Peace values the differences that a diverse workforce brings and is committed to inclusivity. We welcome all applicants from any race, ethnicity, colour, religion, gender, age, sexuality, or any other protected characteristic.

We can make reasonable adjustments throughout the application process and on the job. Please let us know, by contacting us separately if you need any adjustments or changes to be made during the recruitment process because of a disability or long-term health condition.

We're looking for someone special to join us in an exciting adventure of growing God's kingdom across 3 wonderful church communities in Worcester to lead our Unity Programme. If you're a natural connector, a team-builder, and someone who gets excited about empowering others to shine, we want to hear from you!

What You'll Be Doing

Children's Ministry: Creating spaces where the youngest members of our church family can encounter God's love in age-appropriate, creative, and fun ways.

Youth Ministry: Engaging with young people aged 10-16, helping them navigate faith in the real world, and building a community where they belong. We're looking for someone who's genuinely excited about youth work and ready to make it thrive.

Families Ministry: Connecting with parents, carers, and whole families, making church a welcoming place where everyone can explore faith together.

Stategic Leadership

• Developing a clear strategy for growing engagement across all three churches
• Identifying and developing volunteer leaders who'll carry the torch
• Thinking creatively about sustainability and long-term impact
• Finding innovative ways to ensure this ministry thrives beyond the initial funding period, this could include identifying grant opportunities, leading fundraising activities with our young people and families, and exploring creative income generation ideas
• Building partnerships that open doors for future growth

Community Connection

• Growing relationships with local schools (we have brilliant existing links!)
• Leading collective worship and assemblies
• Enhancing the relational pathways between schools and church
• Running holiday clubs, family events, and outreach activities
• Following up with baptism families and welcoming newcomers

Sunday Ministry

• Being present across our 3 churches on Sundays (you will be welcome to have one Sunday off a month, as part of your 2 days off per week, to worship with your own church family)
• Helping shape all-age worship that truly engages everyone
• Creating moments where children and young people feel they belon

Empowering Your Team

• Recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers (this is where the magic happens!)
• Helping people discover and use their gifts
• Building confidence in others so they can lead
• Creating a culture where volunteers feel valued and equipped

Practical Stuff

• Keeping up with safeguarding (we take this seriously, full training provided)
• Regular reporting and communication with the Joint Oversight Committee
• Regular supervision with both vicars
• Budget management and exploring funding opportunities
• Staying current with best practice in children and youth ministry

To read more of the job description, the person specification, and information about the churches please see the attached JD & PS.

Fearless Youth Coordinator - Cardiff

As a Fearless Youth Coordinator, you will help young people to understand different crime topics and break down the barriers to reporting crime. This will be done through the delivery of workshops in schools and other youth settings. The Fearless Youth Coordinator will also build partnerships locally with other organisations, to provide a coordinated response to youth crime and exploitation across Cardiff.

Reports to: Regional Manager

Location: Cardiff with travel

Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2027

Salary: £28,186 per annum

Hours: 37.5.hours – full time, fixed term contract

DBS required: Yes

Closing date: Wednesday 24th June 2026

This is a new role based on site within the Recruit Training School at RAF Halton, Buckinghamshire.  As an experienced and qualified Counsellor, you will work closely with recruits and staff at the school, supporting recruits to develop the required resilience to successfully complete their training. The focus of the role is to offer wellbeing and emotional support, including one-to-one sessions for recruits struggling with anxiety, low mood, or stress - and where capacity allows to offer these same services to staff.  You will work as part of a wider team of staff at RAF Halton, including military training staff, other pastoral support staff, and an on-site medical team. Importantly as a member of the RAF Benevolent Fund team, you will have access to a whole range of support and resources to call upon – for those you support, and for your professional development.

This role will require the post holder to be proactive and identify areas for enhancing and improving how the job operates.  Shaping strong relationships with the RAF team around you will be vital; as such, you will need to be a clear and confident communicator. Being able to understand the unique culture and challenges of a military environment is key – the Recruit Training School is an OFSTED inspected training school and is the entry point for all non-commissioned joiners to the RAF.  The youngest of these are aged 16, however trainees may also be older, and married with children. You will need to be flexible in your approach to supporting a range of ages and needs.

We are excited to be able to work in partnership with the RAF and offer vital support to new entrants to the service.  This role requires a flexible, experienced, and resilient practitioner who can work across teams, as well as delivering 121 support services.  If that sounds like you, then please get in touch if you have any questions or would welcome an informal discussion.  We offer an excellent package of benefits, and the salary for the role will be commensurate with your skills and experience.

Interviews will be held week commencing July 13th 2026.

About The Refugee Council

The Refugee Council is the nation’s refugee charity. Together with community groups, partners and volunteers, we help people who have escaped war and persecution to rebuild their lives, integrate into communities, and play their part in Britain. Born in the aftermath of World War II, our frontline services support over 14,000 refugees each year to find safety, get to know their neighbours, and enter education, training or work. We share our evidence and expertise with policymakers to help build integrated communities where everyone can contribute.

We have offices across the UK where our Services teams provide support to refugees at local level.

Inclusion and Accessibility

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.

Our Values

Our values underpin everything we do: 

• Inclusive: We are inclusive. We work with - not for - refugees and people seeking asylum, so they have an equal voice, co-producing projects and ensuring their expertise and experiences are at the heart of what we do.
• Collaborative: We are collaborative. Working with others is a priority in order to have the collective impact that is vital to achieve policy and practice reform. 
• Courageous: We speak out when we see injustice, cruelty and unfairness. We always stand up for what we believe is the right thing to do to transform the experiences of those seeking protection in our country. 
• Respectful: We are respectful of all those we interact with. We treat everyone – our staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, partners and people we disagree with – with the same respect, professionalism and understanding.

About the role

The Children's Adviser role is designed to provide advice and support to children in the area, both remotely and in person where appropriate. The aim is to ensure that children understand the asylum process, have access to quality legal representation, and are supported in accessing their rights and entitlements.

Contract and hours: Fixed term, full-time, 35 hours per week.

Staff Benefits

To reward our staff for the value they bring, we offer a variety of enhanced terms and conditions and a wide range of benefits, including:

• Training & Development
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Work Life Balance Policies
• Employer-Sponsored Volunteering
• And more.

Let’s work together to improve the lives of refugees in the UK - apply on our website today.

Closing date: 14 June 2026.

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.

Interim Senior FP&A Manager

Location: Thame (Oxfordshire) with hybrid working (minimum, 2 days per week in the office) and occasional travel
Contract: Interim, Fixed Term Contract until 31 March 2027
Salary / day rate: £60,000 per annum (pro rata)
Reports to: Head of Finance

Affinity Trust is looking for an experienced Interim Senior FP&A Manager to bring senior finance capacity, challenge and insight across a complex, multi-site organisation.

This is not a routine reporting role. We are looking for someone who can quickly get under the skin of operational performance, understand the financial drivers behind service delivery, and help senior leaders make better, faster and more informed decisions.

You will work closely with the Head of Finance, Finance Business Partners, Divisional Directors and operational leaders, providing high-quality analysis, forecasting, commercial insight and constructive challenge. The work will span income, workforce costs, agency and overtime spend, utilisation, fee rates, contract performance, forecasting assumptions and recovery planning.

This is a senior individual contributor role, adding experienced capacity where it is most needed, to help maintain pace across key priorities, and strengthen the link between financial insight and operational action.

The assignment

You will be joining at a point where strong financial planning, clear analysis and senior business partnering are critical to supporting sustainable services.

Your work will include:

• Leading robust forecasting and scenario modelling across a complex operational portfolio
• Providing senior finance business partnering to divisional and operational leaders
• Analysing key cost drivers, particularly workforce-related costs such as agency, overtime, sickness and staffing ratios
• Reviewing income, fee rates, local authority funding assumptions, utilisation and contract performance
• Supporting tenders, contract reviews, business cases and service sustainability analysis
• Helping identify whether financial pressure is driven by fee levels, operational delivery, workforce deployment or a combination of factors
• Translating complex financial information into clear insight, options and practical recommendations
• Supporting the head of finance and wider finance team with additional senior capacity during a period of increased demand.

About you

You will be a qualified accountant with ACCA, CIMA, ACA or equivalent, and substantial experience in senior FP&A, finance business partnering or commercial finance roles.

You will be confident working with senior stakeholders and able to bring both grip and judgement. You will know how to challenge assumptions constructively, explain complex financial information clearly, and turn analysis into action.

You are likely to have worked in a complex, multi-site or operationally demanding environment, where financial performance is closely linked to workforce planning, contract income, service delivery and operational decision-making.

You will bring:

• Strong FP&A, forecasting, modelling and management reporting experience
• Advanced Excel and analytical capability
• Credibility with senior operational and finance stakeholders
• Experience supporting budgeting, reforecasting, recovery planning and performance improvement
• The ability to work at pace, prioritise well and operate with a high level of autonomy
• A practical, commercial and solutions-focused approach.

Experience in social care, healthcare, supported living, charity or not-for-profit settings would be helpful, but is not essential. Experience with Local Authority funding, high-volume staffing models, workforce cost pressures or interim turnaround environments would be particularly valuable.

Why this role?

This is an opportunity to make a visible impact quickly.

You will be joining a values-led not-for-profit support organisation with national impact, where finance plays a central role in supporting sustainable, high-quality services for people with learning disabilities, autism and complex needs.

For the right person, this is a role with real substance: complex operations, senior stakeholder exposure, meaningful commercial analysis, and the chance to strengthen financial decision-making where it matters most.

Please note, if you are successful, we may need to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (Criminal Record) check at the relevant level for the role. This will be paid for by us.

We’re an award-winning charity running local learning centres in the heart of the communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide a high-impact education programme which includes practical learning support, pastoral care, and motivational and confidence-building activities for young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to enable students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to realise their ambitions and achieve their wonderful potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping over 60,000 young people each year at its 46 learning centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, and we plan to scale-up our provision to 50 centres over the coming years.

We are looking for someone who will enjoy working each day with young people and who will thrive in a frontline, community-based, fast-paced and rewarding role. You will be taking up a fixed-term contract as an Education Worker at our centre in Craigmillar (Edinburgh).

The role at a glance

Contract: Part-time, fixed-term until 28th August 2026

Start date: Early July 2026 (candidates must be available to start at this time)

Working hours

18.75 hours a week:

• Wednesday: 09:00-17:30

• Thursday: 09:30-18:00

• Friday: 09:00-12:45

 (Some out-of-hours work will be required from time to time - for example, early starts to deliver workshops in schools.)

Education Workers are based at one of our IntoUniversity learning centres and work directly with young people, schools and families on a daily basis. It is therefore not a hybrid role and is based full-time in our centres.

Salary

£28,250 per annum (pro rata)

Pro-rated salary is £14,125 per annum for 18.75 hours per week.

Location

We have positions available in Edinburgh,

The role requires intermittent travel in your region (usually within the day) this can involve journeys times of 1 hour+. Occasional travel out of your local area e.g. to London is also required, this may include overnight stays.

The main duties of the role

Centre Re-location

IntoUniversity Craigmillar is moving to a new centre location so a large part of this role will be to help the team with this move. This will include:

• To prepare and set-up, with the centre team, the centre space including preparing resources and organising tables and chairs as necessary.

• Moving furniture and building new furniture to furnish the space

• Create  IntoUniversity displays for the centre.

A large part of this role will require lifting of boxes and furniture.  If you would like further information on this (including reasonable adjustments that could be implemented), please contact us.

Additional Responsibilities

• To work with your team to plan and with the opportunity to deliver IntoUniversity programmes, including leading a group of 30 secondary students from the front, working with whole classes of primary-aged children and providing occasional one-to-one support.

• To play an active role in your regional cluster of centres, including sharing resources and supporting a new team member.

• The opportunity to  lead delivery of  IntoUniversity programmes effectively to children and young people in different settings, including schools-based workshops, Academic Support sessions and educational visits. This includes positive behaviour management and adherence to the IntoUniversity safeguarding policy.

• To assist with the organisation and delivery of the Academic Support, FOCUS and Mentoring Programmes.

• To champion diversity and inclusion at all times, referring to the Diversity and Inclusion staff responsibilities guide.

• To work with IntoUniversity Centre Leaders to recruit children and young people to the programme, including after-school Academic Support and FOCUS Weeks.

• To develop educational resources and worksheets for use across all IntoUniversity programmes.

• To ensure compliance with all necessary regulations and legal requirements, including the Children’s Act, Children and Young People (Scotland) Act, Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act, Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act, and legislation and policies related to Equal Opportunities and Health & Safety.

• To undertake any task that may be requested from time to time that may be consistent with the nature and scope of this post. 

• Please note: that there will be times throughout the year when you will be required to travel to London for meetings.

Application deadline: 9:00am Thursday 18th June 2026

Interviews: Thursday 25th June 2026

Our specialist children's practitioners provide child-led play therapy sessions on a weekly basis, usually for 6-16 weeks. Sessions give children the opportunity to process what has happened to them and make sense of the complicated and confusing emotions they may be experiencing.  Our practitioners work from our purpose-designed therapeutic playroom in Colchester or from some of our outreach premises in other areas, using a range of techniques including sand tray, art and imaginative play.

What we expect from our Sessional Counsellors/Play Therapists:

· Support up to eight CARA clients each week

· Maintain and update accurate database records of clients

· Diploma in Counselling or equivalent, with a minimum of 400 counselling hours.

· Certificate in Counselling Children, Play Therapy qualification or equivalent

· Experience of working therapeutically with children with psychological and behavioural problems.

· An understanding of how trauma affects children both physically and emotionally.

· An ability to work creatively to enable children to process their conscious and unconscious emotions.

· An ability to work collaboratively with parents, while protecting children’s confidentiality.

· To liaise with other agencies including social care, Children and Adolescent Mental Health service (CAMHS) and schools, and attend meetings and provide reports, where required.

· Attendance of one CARA Meeting per month and attendance of monthly point of contact meetings.

· Attendance of clinical supervision, provided by a CARA-approved supervisor.

· Attend annual safeguarding training and other relevant training

· An open and non-judgemental attitude.

· Demonstrable understanding of safeguarding, both in relation to children and to vulnerable adults;

· Sessional Counsellors/Play Therapists will be working with clients on behalf of CARA and not on a private basis.  As such, they will be bound by CARA’s processes, policies and procedures.

· Commitment to the feminist ethos of CARA

· Willingness to commit the necessary time to supporting vulnerable clients

· Membership of BACP, UKCP or equivalent professional body

· Abide by BACP’s Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy

· Owing to the nature of the role, we are only able to take on female candidates

What the Sessional Counsellor/Play Therapist can expect from us:

·Training and support

·Ongoing training opportunities

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and those with additional language skills, including BSL.

About CARA

CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs. 

CARA is a registered charity working with adults of all genders, young people and children from across mid and north Essex.  We have a head office in Colchester and outreach premises in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Great Dunmow and Harwich.  We also provide remote services.

CARA seeks to be an inclusive organisation that actively encourages, supports and values diversity amongst both our service-users and our workers.  We wish to create a culture in which discrimination, in all its forms, is recognised and addressed.

You can read more about CARA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion on our website.  We encourage and welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.

About Synergy East

CARA is part of Synergy East. We work closely with SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis) to deliver the contract for the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex for services for victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse across Essex.