Advocate jobs

We are recruiting for a Housing Advocate to join our team in Hertfordshire; the scope on this job involves….

Job Title: Housing Advocate

Location: Hertfordshire
Salary: £28,857.12 per annum
Contract type: Full-time, Permanent

Hours: 37.5

We want kind and empathic people to work at Refuge, who believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion, are experts in their area of knowledge, want to make a positive difference and improve the lives of the women and children we support.

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Housing Advocate to support women and children who are impacted by domestic abuse. You will work closely with victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis, to provide high quality independent advocacy and support to survivors of domestic abuse at the highest risk and their children.

As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota. 

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing date: 9.00am on 7 January 2025

Interview date: 14 January 2025

Benefits

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

Job Title: Health Advocate Educator - Maternity Cover

Location: Warwickshire
Salary: £25,857.12 per annum
Contract type: Full Time, Fixed Term (from 1 March 2026 until 1 April 2027 - Maternity cover)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Domestic Abuse Health Advocate Educator supporting women and children who are impacted by domestic violence. You will work closely with victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis, to provide high quality independent advocacy and support to survivors of domestic abuse at the highest risk and their children.

The Health Advocate Educator will support healthcare teams to identify domestic abuse at an early stage and ensure appropriate responses and referral pathways are offered to female, male and non-binary survivors of domestic violence and abuse. In addition, the post holder will directly support survivors of domestic abuse and hold their own case load.

The post holder will collaborate with the local ICB and Service Manager to strengthen connections with healthcare teams and create effective partnerships that support survivors. 

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 6 January 2026

Interview Date: 15 January 2026

ob Title: Health Advocate Educator

Location: Warwickshire
Salary: £12,928.56 per annum 
Contract type: Part Time, Permanent

Hours: 18.75 hours per week. Monday and Tuesday – 9am-5pm and Wednesday – 9am-12:45pm. Occasional late shift: 12:30pm – 8:30pm on a rota basis (approximately 2-3 days a month) 

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Domestic Abuse Health Advocate Educator supporting women and children who are impacted by domestic violence. You will work closely with victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis, to provide high quality independent advocacy and support to survivors of domestic abuse at the highest risk and their children.

The Health Advocate Educator will support healthcare teams to identify domestic abuse at an early stage and ensure appropriate responses and referral pathways are offered to female, male and non-binary survivors of domestic violence and abuse. In addition, the post holder will directly support survivors of domestic abuse and hold their own case load.

The post holder will collaborate with the local ICB and Service Manager to strengthen connections with healthcare teams and create effective partnerships that support survivors. 

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 5 January 2026

Interview Date: 12 January 2026

Circa £66,000 per annum

Permanent

Part home/Part office (London) based

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is a great opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as Head of UK Policy and Advocacy and shape and lead the direction of our child rights work in the UK.

In this role you will oversee our domestic/UK-facing child rights policy work with an overarching focus on improving early childhood outcomes and reducing disparities between children across the UK. You’ll be joining at an exciting time for the team as it develops the next phase of our cross-organisational Early Moments Matter campaign and deepens its policy influencing work through the production of new evidence, briefings and engagement across the sector and government departments. You will play an active role in the Advocacy Leadership Team, ensuring our work is underpinned by robust strategies and analysis, and is undertaken in a way that reflects our organisational values.

To succeed in this role, you will have an in-depth understanding and experience of policy-making processes and influencing strategies in the UK. You will have an excellent understanding of the policy context of child rights in the UK, and be able to translate that knowledge and expertise into support for team members to deliver ambitious change for children. You will be passionate about centering lived experience, and be able to lead the team in strengthening engagement of rightsholders in the development and delivery of our policy work.

Act now and visit the website via the apply button to apply online.

Closing date: 9am, Monday 19 January 2026.

Interview date: Week beginning 02 February 2026 via video conferencing (MS Teams).

In return, we offer:

· excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)

· outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role

· impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

· an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.

· the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

Our application process: We use a system called "Applied" that anonymises your responses and focuses on your actual skills that are relevant to this role. This benefits you by giving you a greater chance of expressing your skills in this objective selection process.

We are gradually moving back to our offices on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and we anticipate most colleagues will work one or two days a week in the office and the rest of the time from home.  We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights.

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact the Supporter Care line during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)

The Head of Policy and Advocacy will lead the strategic development and delivery of MCF’s policy, advocacy and research agenda.Join the UK’s leading network for Muslim-led charities, strengthening the capacity, voice and impact of nearly 300 organisations.

Job role: Head of Policy and Advocacy

Employer: Muslim Charities Forum

Salary:£42,000 – 45,000 per annum

Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week (4 days office-based, 1 day hybrid/remote)

Position: Fixed Term Contract, 3 years.

Location: London SE1.Nearest stations Waterloo, Lambeth North

Closing date for applications:16th December 2025, 5.00pm or until a suitable candidate is identified.

About Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) 

Muslim Charities Forum (MCF) is the UK’s leading network for Muslim-led charities, strengthening the capacity, voice and impact of nearly 300 organisations. Guided by our pillars of Support, Connect and Represent, we champion excellence, transparency and social justice through resources, capacity-building, research and advocacy. 

We work to tackle structural and funding barriers, influence government, policymakers and the wider sector, and build a more sustainable, equitable Muslim-led charitable landscape. Through strategic partnerships and collaborations, we drive systemic change and amplify the contributions of Muslim-led organisations across society. 

Role Purpose 

The Head of Policy and Advocacy will lead the strategic development and delivery of MCF’s policy, advocacy and research agenda. The role involves shaping long-term strategy, building a robust evidence base, influencing government and policymakers, and representing MCF at senior levels across the charity, public and political sectors. 

The postholder will engage proactively with central and local government, devolved authorities, and regional mayors, ensuring that the voices and experiences of Muslim-led organisations are represented in policy development and decision-making. 

They will work collaboratively with MCF’s Communications, Partnerships, and Systemic Change and Sector Capacity teams to ensure a coordinated and strategic approach that delivers sustainable, long-term impact. 

Key Responsibilities 

1. Strategy and Leadership 

• Develop and deliver the next three-year Policy and Advocacy Strategy aligned with MCF’s organisational objectives. 

• Provide strategic advice to the CEO, Senior Leadership Team, and Board on policy opportunities and risks. 

• Lead and develop the Policy and Advocacy team, fostering a high-performing, inclusive and collaborative culture. 

2. Policy, Research and Insight 

• Monitor and analyse UK policy and regulatory developments affecting Muslim-led civil society. 

• Oversee research, consultations and data-driven insight to inform MCF’s policy positions. 

• Produce high-quality policy outputs, including reports, consultation responses and position statements. 

3. Influencing and Stakeholder Engagement 

• Lead MCF’s engagement with central government, local authorities, devolved administrations and regional mayors, as well as regulators and sector networks. 

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with ministers, parliamentarians, senior officials, think tanks and sector leaders. 

• Coordinate MCF’s public affairs activity, including roundtables, Select Committee and APPG engagement, and representation at high-level external forums. 

• Strengthen MCF’s profile as a credible and influential voice for Muslim-led civil society across all tiers of government and the voluntary sector. 

4. Sector Capacity and Member Support 

• Engage MCF’s members and Muslim-led organisations in collective policy development and advocacy. 

• Design and deliver tools, training and resources to build members’ influencing capacity. 

• Identify and advocate for structural solutions to sector-wide challenges, including funding inequality, regulatory barriers and intersectional disadvantage. 

5. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting 

• Develop and implement frameworks to assess the effectiveness and impact of MCF’s policy and advocacy work. 

• Provide regular progress reports to the CEO. 

• Ensure compliance with charity law, lobbying and regulatory requirements. 

Person Specification 

Essential Criteria 

• Significant experience (5+ years) in senior policy, advocacy or influencing roles within the UK charity or voluntary sector. 

• Demonstrable success influencing government at national, local or devolved levels, achieving measurable policy or funding change. 

• Strong understanding of the UK charity policy, funding and regulatory environment. 

• Knowledge of the UK Muslim-led and/or faith-based civil society landscape. 

• Experience amplifying marginalised voices and embedding lived experience into policy and advocacy work. 

• Proven ability to lead teams and deliver organisational strategy. 

• Excellent analytical, written and verbal communication skills, with strong political acumen. 

• Commitment to social justice, equity and strengthening Muslim-led civil society. 

Desirable Criteria 

• Experience working with Muslim-led, faith-based or minority-led organisations. 

• Understanding of intersectionality and its impact on underrepresented communities. 

• Experience of research collaboration with academic institutions or think tanks. 

• Proven track record in building partnerships for policy or advocacy initiatives. 

Values and Behaviours 

• Strategic and forward-thinking leadership. 

• Collaborative and inclusive approach to diverse stakeholders. 

• Resilience and adaptability in complex, fast-changing environments. 

• Integrity and credibility in representing MCF and the wider sector. 

• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

• Excellent communication skills, particularly in amplifying underrepresented voices. 

Additional Information 

This is a senior leadership position. Occasional evening or parliamentary activities may be required, along with UK-wide travel. 

What We Offer 

• The opportunity to lead impactful change within one of the UK’s most dynamic faith-based networks. 

• A collaborative, inclusive, and supportive working environment. 

• Opportunities for professional growth, leadership, and innovation. 

Application Information 

To apply, please send a CV (no more than 2 pages) and a covering letter (max 1,000 words) explaining how you meet the essential criteria and your motivation and suitability for the post.

We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are particularly keen to hear from candidates with lived experience of marginalisation and an understanding of Islamic ethos.  

We reserve the right to withdraw this role once a suitable candidate is identified. 

If you have not heard from us concerning your application within 6 weeks, please assume your application has been unsuccessful. 

Interviews: Initial online short interview (stage 1), face-to-face in-office interview (stage 2). 

No agencies.

UK residents only.Sponsorship is not possible for this post. References will be taken up prior to appointment including relevant ID checks. 

Job Purpose:  

To support the delivery of WIPs housing programme for unsentenced women, providing trauma-informed specialist support to women in HMP Bronzefield, and going through court processes, with a focus on improving housing outcomes for women affected by the criminal justice system.

Key Responsibility Areas

1. To deliver an effective housing intervention for women impacted by the criminal justice system.
2. To develop effective relationships with key stakeholders, such as housing departments, court-based and prison teams, to ensure a collaborative approach to women’s accommodation needs.
3. To provide expert advice and support to colleagues, including upskilling through information and training sessions, and supporting system change activities.

For the full list of responsibilities, please download the recruitment pack.

Terms & Conditions:

Start date: 2nd February 2026

Salary:£30,640 per annum (including £3,990 London weighting)

Location: Primarily based in HMP Bronzefield with some travel to South London.

Working hours: 35 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

Job Title: Associate Advocate

Service: Coram Voice

Contract Type: Freelance

Hours: Freelance

Salary: £16.00 per professional hour; £12.00 per hour travel time; £0.45 per mile for mileage

Location: Home based with travel to the locations of children and young people accessing Coram Voice’s services. We are looking for Associate Advocates able to travel to locations across Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole, and adjacent areas.

About Coram:

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.

We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

About Coram Voice:

Coram Voice is a national independent children’s charity established in 1975 and has grown to become one of the leading organisations for children and young people in the UK.

Coram Voice exists to enable and equip children and young people to hold systems to account, to challenge and support them to do their jobs properly and to uphold the rights of children and young people to actively participate in shaping their own lives.

Coram Voice strives for a society which recognises, and willingly accepts, its responsibilities to children and young people, where the inequalities and discrimination they currently face have been eradicated. Where those children and young people are fully engaged in all decisions that are made about their lives. Where the views, needs and feelings that they express are at the core of those decisions.

Our Advocacy services we provide advocacy direct to children and young people in a variety of situations. Advocates around the country support children and young people to get their voice heard in decisions about their lives. This may be through the telephone helpline or through an advocate working directly with a child, for instance, to support them at a review meeting or to help them make a complaint about their care. Coram Voice provides visiting advocacy services to most of the secure units nationally, to Secure Training Centres, Young Offender Institutions, psychiatric hospitals, residential special schools and children’s homes.

About the Role

You will work directly with care experienced children and young people and those who are involved in Child Protection processes. You will provide advocacy in the way that the child or young person prefers, which may include face to face support in the community and remote advocacy via phone or Teams.

You will empower and support them to ensure their voices are heard within decision–making processes that affect their lives.

You will be a capable ambassador for Coram Voice with the ability to engage effectively with professionals, carers, other stakeholders and, most importantly, children and young people.

If you have the necessary experience and skills, and a commitment to promoting the rights of young people, we would like to hear from you.

Recruitment process

Shortlisting will be undertaken by our Children’s Rights Managers. Successful candidates will then be invited for interview. The interview process comprises a written exercise and a panel interview. Successful candidates will have a further one to one interview in accordance with Warner recommendations. Internal candidates will need to notify HR of their interest in the post and they will provide further information on the internal application process.

Returning your application:

• We cannot accept general CVs.
• When completing your application form, you need to address each point of the person specification and demonstrate how you meet it.
• Applications must be fully completed.

Closing date: Accepting applications on a rolling basis until 1st January 2026

Interview date: TBC

General consideration for applications:

• DBS checks: all posts are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check.
• Training: All successful candidates are required to complete our compulsory training programme which includes training in Advocacy (Advocacy in Action), Safeguarding and EDI.
• Self-employed status: Associate Advocates are self-employed members of the Coram Voice team. Associates will be required to work using their own secure phone and laptop. They are also responsible for maintaining insurance to cover their work. Our HR team can advise further on this.
• Conflict of interest: the independence of the service is important to Coram Voice. Prospective applicants need to raise any other potential conflicts of interest when initially contacting Coram Voice about this post.

Coram Voice is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We actively encourage applicants from Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds to join our teams. Whilst we have a diverse team we recognise we are a predominantly white workforce and are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from diverse communities in order to improve the services to the children and families we help.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.