Advocate jobs in whitehead, carrickfergus

Our passionate Regional Casework Coordinators are SSAFA’s front line of support for members of the armed forces community in need. They are the first point of contact for all beneficiaries into the Regional Office, assessing needs and allocating the case to one of our volunteer caseworkers.

You will sometimes handle complex problems from individuals who may be distressed, identifying the presenting and potential underlying needs to determine the best way to support the beneficiary. You will have ownership of cases from beginning to end, coordinating the casework process in a timely manner and ensure that the beneficiary journey is at the centre of the Service. You will have the opportunity to shape processes and procedures within the office which will lead to improvements in the service offered to clients.

To help you establish yourself in this new post you will receive excellent training and induction to SSAFA.

Whilst the post is homebased, to be eligible for this role you are required to live in the North East England or Yorkshire region, which includes North, South, East and West Yorkshire, Teesside, County Durham, Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. There will be occasional travel around these areas, and you may be required to travel at short notice for face-to-face meetings.

About the team

The team work remotely and pride themselves in maintaining a close working bond which ensures the smooth operation of the office. You will work closely with volunteers from the eight SSAFA branches in the Northeast and Yorkshire, supporting them to administer casework for SSAFA beneficiaries. The successful candidate will work as part of a team 8, which includes a Regional Casework Manager and a Regional Manager for Casework and Community Engagement.

About you

To carry out this role successfully you will have a track record of providing welfare advice in key areas such as housing, benefits, debt, disability, mobility or immigration issues. You will have knowledge of safeguarding and GDPR and experience in dealing with sensitive information and people in vulnerable situations. You will be able to provide excellent customer service by telephone, e-mail and face to face. You will have used Microsoft Office 365 to a high standard. It is important that you have experience of planning and managing your own workload, with minimal supervision.

It would be advantageous if you have an understanding of the way of life for today’s Armed Forces, veterans and their families and if you have experience of recruiting and supporting volunteers. An understanding of the voluntary sector and preferably the military charity sector landscape across the Northeast and Yorkshire would be valuable.

About SSAFA

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, has been providing practical, emotional, and financial support to our Forces and their families since 1885. SSAFA, is a trusted source of support for the Armed Forces community in their time of need; last year our trained teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 53,000 people in need, including veterans, serving personnel (regulars and reserves) and their families.

SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. We are here for that person and their family – any time they need us, in any way they need us, for as long as they need us.

Diversity and Inclusion at SSAFA

SSAFA exists to support a diverse range of beneficiaries within the armed forces community, and we believe diversity within our teams is key to ensuring we can deliver our services effectively. We thrive on differences and believe it is critical to our success as a worldwide charity. SSAFA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace that seeks to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We therefore encourage applications from all genders, races, religions, ages and sexual orientations, as well as parents, veterans, people living with disabilities, and any other groups that could bring diverse perspectives to our business.

SSAFA is committed to using the Disclosure & Barring Service to ensure we, as an employer, safeguard those we serve.

No agencies please. Any unsolicited submissions from agencies will be accepted as a direct application from the candidate and no fees will be payable.

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 23 June 2025.

Interviews: 30 June 2025

We’re looking for a well-organised person, with excellent attention to detail and a can-do attitude. You will enjoy undertaking a variety of work from project work to administration. You will have gained two-years work experience in grant making, so will be comfortable working with others and will feel confident using IT applications and databases.This role is remotely based, you’ll be in touch with the rest of the team on a daily basis, but you’ll also feel comfortable undertaking tasks yourself and will competently manage your own time.You will also have a passion for our values and our work. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

The Charity and The Vision.  

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting military children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. Founded in 2010 by Nikki Scott following the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, the charity offers a unique blend of emotional, practical, and educational support to over 700 young people, and we have big ambitions to support over 1,000 children annually by 2030.  

We are proud of our vibrant, non-traditional culture, which puts the needs of bereaved children and young people at the heart of everything we do. We embrace innovative approaches, are committed to creating smiles and believe in the power of community, resilience, and connection.  

Scotty’s is seeking an experienced bereavement counsellor to join our small but effective team. The role involves supporting children and young people affected by bereavement, which may include death in service, illness, or suicide.

We want every bereaved military child and young person to have:

• Access to the very best emotional health and wellbeing support.

• Outstanding development opportunities.

• The chance to smile again. 

We call these our Promises. Our promises align with our three programmes: SMILES, STRIDES and SUPPORT.

· The SMILES Programme provides children with the chance to smile again

· The STRIDES Programme provides children with outstanding development opportunities

· The SUPPORT Programme provides the very best emotional health and wellbeing support to children who are struggling to cope following a bereavement. 

Our Bereavement Counsellor will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT Programme, delivering online 1:1 and group support to those who need it most.  But all three programmes work closely together (we call this the Families team).

Role Mission:

The Scotty’s Bereavement Counsellor will work with our families who are struggling with their grief to help them understand their feelings, develop coping skills and build their new life.

This role will be accountable for:

Providing emotional support, counselling and therapeutic interventions to individuals and families coping with grief and loss. The role involves working compassionately and ethically with families affected by bereavement, helping them process their emotions and find ways to adjust to life after a loss.

The Bereavement Counsellor will work collaboratively with the SUPPORT team and the wider Families team to ensure that all work undertaken by Scotty’s is delivered in a supportive and sensitive manner and that Scotty families receive exemplary care.

What are the 3-month goals for this role:

· Within three months the Counsellor will have developed their knowledge of the range of services that Scotty’s offers to our families so that they can advise and support families in their case load.

· Will have begun to learn and understand the Scotty Values and the Scotty Way (we do things a little differently and our culture is very important to us and our families!).

· Would have begun supporting the families assigned to their caseload by the Head of SUPPORT.  This will predominantly if not entirely be online 1:1 delivery.

· Will have completed all necessary safeguarding training and be part of the Scotty’s Safeguarding team.

· Begun attending peer supervision sessions with the SUPPORT team.

What are the 6-month goals for this role:

· Will have established a caseload as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT which is likely to include 1:1 online sessions, and may also include online group sessions, drop ins or workshops.

· Will have begun to support the wider Families team by attending Scotty events.  At Scotty events, a SUPPORT team member often attends to provide support to any families in distress (this may require occasional weekend or evening work).

· Will be working cohesively with the Families team and the wider Scotty team to share your knowledge and skills.  Scotty’s values a culture of learning and strives to ensure team members can learn from one another’s expertise.

· Will be contributing to peer supervision sessions to ensure all SUPPORT team members are able to give the best support to families.

· Regularly meeting with your selected external supervisor.

What are the 9-month goals for this role:

· Will be supporting a caseload as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT, with emerging impact data showing the success of your support.  Scotty’s uses the Child Bereavement Service Questionnaire (CBSQ) developed by the CBN to monitor the impact of 1:1 support and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for pre-bereavement support.

· Will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT programme, Families and wider Scotty team. Providing first rate bereavement counselling and support directly to families but also indirectly helping families by working collaboratively with other team members.

What are the key responsibilities of this role:

· Managing a caseload and delivering one to one counselling sessions as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT. This will predominantly be online delivery using Teams video calling but also other formats as needed by families.

· Facilitate group therapy or support groups when appropriate.

· Conduct initial assessment to determine clients’ needs and suitability for counselling.

· Maintaining accurate and confidential case notes in a timely fashion using our Salesforce based system in accordance with data protection and organisational policies.

· Adhering to all safeguarding requirements and operating as part of the Scotty Safeguarding team to maintain the highest standards across the charity.

· Supporting the development of resources and materials as needed.

· Working collaboratively within the SUPPORT team, including peer supervision.

· Working collaboratively and effectively within the Families team to ensure that families are directed to the appropriate services in a timely fashion.  This could include directing families you are working with towards our educational grants, our respite breaks, our events, our school support or our advocacy.

· Liaise with healthcare and mental health professionals such as GPs, CAMHS and social workers or other professionals where appropriate to ensure holistic care and management of risk.

· Attending at least six (mandatory) face to face team days, normally located in the East of England.

· Participate in regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development.

Skillset and Experiences Required:

Essential

· Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).  We may consider applications from practitioners with HCPC or NCS membership too.

· Level 4 Counselling / Psychotherapy Diploma or above.

· Significant experience (post qualification) providing bereavement counselling, to children or young people (0-25yrs).

· Experience and training with NICE-approved talking therapies.

· Demonstrated knowledge of issues surrounding bereavement.

· Ability to manage caseload effectively.

· Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate children’s needs (this may include evening work to avoid school hours at times).

· Excellent computer literacy.

· Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with families.

· Ability to engage with peer supervision and Scotty’s funded external supervision effectively.

· Ability to engage with a culture of continuous learning and support the learning of others.

· Ability to work flexibly as part of a team and independently to meet the needs of the service.

· Commitment to professional standards and ethical practice.

Desirable

· Accredited member of BACP.

· Knowledge or experience of or with the military community.

· Experience of online counselling.

· Experience (post qualification) providing pre-bereavement counselling or support.

· Experience of supporting those bereaved by suicide.

· Knowledge of or experience using assessment tools such as SDQs or CBSQs.

· Knowledge of statutory mental health provision and systems including CAMHS and EHCPs.

· Experience of providing counselling or support to young people with SEND or additional needs.

· Ability to drive with access to own transport is an advantage as some team meetings can take place away from public transport routes.

· Experience working within a hospice, NHS or charitable setting.

Additional Information

- The role may require evening or weekend work

- Enhanced DBS check required

- Travel will be required to events and team training days

The Scotty’s Way

At Scotty’s, our personal performance is only 50% of what success looks like. Our culture is equally important. When you join our team, you sign up to The Scotty’s Way, rooted in our four core values:

1. Families Come First

2. Everyone a Supporter, Every Supporter a VIP

3. Love What You Do

4. Remember, Every Day

Our values are further supported by our four non-negotiable behaviours of Show Respect, Speak Up, Embrace Change and Actively Collaborate. We are looking for an individual who embodies these values and behaviours.

Thank you for your interest in joining our team, we are an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with respect and given equal opportunities for employment and advancement.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic.

We encourage all qualified individuals to apply for employment within our charity, and we are dedicated to providing a fair and inclusive recruitment process for all candidates.

Join our friendly and mission-driven team at NFER, where you’ll help bridge the gap between research and classrooms. This is your chance to bring vital insights directly to schools – raising awareness of the NFER Classroom brand and increasing the reach and impact of our research findings within the education community.

Pay: £36,000 - £40,000 (FTE)
Contract: 18-month fixed-term contract
Hours: Part-time (21 hours)
Location: Remote within the UK, with occasional visits to our Slough office (approx. 6 times per year)
Annual Leave: 30 days plus 4 paid closure days FTE
Pension Contributions: 10% employer contributions
Family Support: Enhanced maternity/parental leave and paid compassionate leave

What you’ll be doing
In this role, you’ll be at the heart of our mission to connect schools with powerful, practical research. You’ll take a leading role in shaping how NFER communicates with educators, using your creativity and insight to bring our work to life across digital channels.

One day you might be crafting social media content that sparks conversation among teachers, the next, you’ll be writing an email newsletter that lands just right with a headteacher seeking evidence-based ideas. You’ll help turn research into engaging, accessible summaries, so schools can quickly grasp key insights and put them into action.

You’ll also update and improve our For Schools website pages, ensuring every word is useful and user-friendly. Behind the scenes, you’ll track performance using analytics, learning what works and what could work even better. And throughout it all, you’ll collaborate with researchers, designers, and communications experts to deliver thoughtful, impactful campaigns that schools actually want to read.

PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential skills and experience:

• Experience in marketing communications or a related role
• Excellent writing skills and creative flair
• Confidence using digital tools such as social media platforms, Canva, Google Analytics and CRM systems
• Strong time management and the ability to work independently
• A collaborative approach and a clear focus on impact
• Experience working in or with schools is a bonus, but not essential.

If you meet only 70% of our essential skills, still apply; you may have skills we didn’t know we needed.

Other roles you may have experience of include: Marketing Executive, Marketing Officer, Marketing Assistant, Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Specialist, Brand Executive, Communications Executive, Digital Marketing Executive, Social Media Executive, Content Marketing Executive, Email Marketing Executive, SEO Executive

WHY NFER?
At NFER, we are recognised globally for providing trusted research, resources and insights that drive meaningful change. By joining us, you’ll contribute to a mission that prioritises impact over profit, working in an environment where collaboration, flexibility, and inclusion are valued.
What we offer:

• A supportive and inclusive workplace culture.
• Opportunities to develop your skills and advance your career.
• Flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance from day 1.
• The chance to make a real difference in the education sector.

APPLICATION PROCESS
We are reviewing applications on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply early. Shortlisting will commence from 23rd June 2025.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any adjustments or accommodations at any stage, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to support
you and ensure a positive experience. For further details, please review the Job Information Pack.

If you’re ready to bring your skills and passion to a role that makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now and start your journey with NFER.

School Engagement Coordinator - Northern Ireland
Hours: Full time, 35 hours Monday to Friday
Contract: Permanent, 5 days a week
Location: Belfast, UK. We operate in a hybrid pattern, combining home working with attendance at the office
Salary: £28,000 - £30,000 (GBP). Pro-rata plus Into Film benefits
Team: Activation Team
Seniority: Mid-level

About Into Film

Into Film is the UK’s leading charity for film in education and the community. We provide screen industry careers information and advice, support young filmmakers, and bring the power of moving image storytelling into classroom teaching.

We also run the annual Into Film Festival which enables more than 400,000 pupils to visit the cinema for free, and the Into Film Awards - the UK’s leading showcase for young filmmaking talent. 

The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings, thanks to support from the BFI, awarding National Lottery good cause funding, and through other key funders including Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen.

Our vision – Film enriches the life of every child and young person.
Our mission – To inspire and support young people to learn, and to realise their creative, cultural and career aspirations, through film and the moving image.

Role Summary

The main function of the School Engagement Coordinator role is to

• The School Engagement Coordinator for Northern Ireland serves as a crucial liaison for the Into Film programme in the region. This role involves actively engaging with schools and educators to promote and support their participation in various initiatives related to film, games, and creative media.
• The Engagement Coordinator will be instrumental in ensuring that schools and teachers have access to the full range of educational resources, training, and opportunities offered by Into Film. They will collaborate closely with the Northern Ireland team to provide tailored support and foster meaningful connections between schools, the creative arts, and the industry.

Given the nature of the role, the Co-ordinator may need to work occasional weekends and extended hours, as well as travel regularly to designated regions and occasionally elsewhere in the UK.

Main Responsibilities: 

• Proactively engage with schools, teachers, and educational stakeholders across Northern Ireland to raise awareness of Into Film's programmes and resources.
• Deliver a range of educational activities, including school workshops, screenings and industry events, tailored to the needs of the local area.
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with schools, creative organisations, and screen industry bodies to support the delivery of Into Film's initiatives in NI.
• Contribute to the planning and implementation of Northern Ireland-specific programmes, including Story Builder, Games, Teaching with Film, Careers and Progression, and Young Creatives.
• Collaborate with teams across Into Film to ensure a joined-up approach to programme delivery, KPI achievement, and budgetary oversight.
• Ensure that Into Film's programmes respond to local needs and reach across Northern Ireland, while also feeding into the organization's UK-wide initiatives.
• Manage local partnerships and relationships, utilising CRM (Salesforce) to input and analyse data, create reports, and inform programme design.
• Support the existing Northern Ireland team with the delivery of locally funded projects and initiatives.
• Any other reasonable duties assigned by Into Film.

General Responsibilities:

• Commitment to quality internally and in all dealings with Into Film’s stakeholders including teachers, children and young people, industry partners, funders, supporters, parents and carers, and members of the public.
• Commitment and active participation in helping Into Film live its EEDI values and ethos through everything it does.
• Contribute to long term planning to ensure growth in line with demand and resources.
• Contribute to the regular monitoring and evaluation of Into Film’s work.

Person Specification:

Minimum Requirements:

• Significant experience in designing and delivering engaging educational programmes, including youth workshops and industry-facing events.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Northern Ireland education system, curriculum, and the local creative/screen industries.
• A track record of establishing and nurturing partnerships with schools, organisations, and industry stakeholders.
• Proven ability to successfully manage projects, including cross-departmental collaboration, budget oversight, and timely delivery.
• Experience in using data to generate reports, analyse programme impact, and inform future initiatives.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse audiences.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the capacity to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• This role involves frequent travel to schools, including rural areas. Applicants must have a full, clean UK driving license and access to a reliable vehicle. Unfortunately, we cannot consider candidates who do not meet these requirements.
• A commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and a demonstrated understanding of how to reach and positively engage underserved and underrepresented individuals and communities.
• This position involves regular travel to various locations across NI and occasional travel to other parts of the UK.
• Experience and full understanding of monitoring, reporting and evaluation to ensure the programmes continually improve and evolve.
• All employees regularly working with children and member data are required to undertake and maintain enhanced DBS clearance and Access NI check, acquired at Into Film’s expense; employment is dependent upon this.

Desirable:

• Project management
• Event management
• Partnership management
• Delivering training/workshops
• Understanding the Northern Ireland education system
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Youth Engagement
• Independent travel
• Familiarity with the Microsoft Office suite
• A love and knowledge of film and or games 

All Into Film staff work in a hybrid pattern, combining home working with attendance at their local and national offices as required, along with some travel across the UK, as appropriate to the role. 

We are open to flexible working models wherever the role allows, including working compressed hours.  We also offer a range of staff benefits and perks which are detailed below

Into Film employees enjoy the following benefits:

• Annual Leave – 28 days (full time/pro-rata), including 3 days to cover office closure between Christmas and New Year.
• Additional long service holiday award – after 3 years at Into Film, staff are awarded one extra day of holiday for each additional year worked, with the total entitlement capped at 35 days, i.e. on your 4th anniversary at Into Film your leave entitlement will rise to 29 days, on your 5th anniversary, your entitlement will go up by another day to 30 days etc. 
• Pension – matched up to 5% of salary (2% above statutory employer contribution).
• Flexible working including compressed hours, job share etc. – all applications favourably considered, approval will be at the discretion of Into Film.
• Enhanced parental/paternity/shared parental leave.
• Support for professional qualifications – money towards courses and/or study days, if relevant to role.
• Interest-free non-essential study loans. 
• Interest-free bike/scooter/travelcard loan. 
• Career break – up to 4 weeks' unpaid leave, after 2 years’ service (at team director's discretion). 
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) – 24/7 confidential wellbeing support, advice and guidance. 
• Wisdom health insurance cover – non-contributory (apart from employee tax contribution).
• BenefitHub portal – offering discounts on healthcare, wellbeing products, and lifestyle products and services.

We are open to flexible working models wherever the role allows, including working compressed hours

All employees regularly working with children and member data are required to undertake and maintain enhanced DBS clearance (and/or Access NI check or Disclosure Scotland check, depending on working location), acquired at Into Film’s expense; employment is dependent upon this.

Closing: 8:00am, 10th Jun 2025 BST

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to Applied to complete your application for this position.

Applied aims to overcome unconscious bias in recruiting. The responses are anonymised, and reviewed in a random order by members of our team.

No agencies please.

The Ancient Tree Forum (ATF) is seeking a motivated and organised Technical and Engagement Officer to join our small, friendly and flexible team. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a charity dedicated to safeguarding the UK’s ancient and veteran trees, along with their wildlife, heritage and cultural values. 

This role is vital to achieving our strategic outcomes by providing expert technical advice, supporting and collaborating with the Technical Advisory Panel to develop authoritative guidance and publications. You will act as a key contact for public and stakeholder enquiries and contribute technical expertise to ATF’s communications across our website, newsletter, social media and press activity. 

You will engage with sector networks, collaborate with partners and support strategic messaging. This role will help strengthen the charity’s visibility and impact in ancient and veteran tree conservation and protection.