Assistant jobs in newhaven, east sussex

We are looking for an experienced and passionate Senior Programme Officer to work as part of our National Programmes Team.

This is a 25 hour a week fixed term position until July 2026

Imagine being part of an organisation whose common purpose is to help those who are severely impacted by mental illness. We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity – and that’s why equity is one of our core values. We draw on the expertise, unique perspectives and lived experience of our people – regardless of who they are or their background – to help us become inclusive and anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider that reflect the diverse communities we support as a mental health charity.

Mental Health UK brings together the heritage and experience of four charities from across the country who’ve been supporting people with their mental health for nearly 50 years.

With our local service delivery and national expertise in supporting people whose lives are affected by mental health problems, we have been able to mark a significant footprint in the areas that deeply challenge our mental health and stability.

We provide support and services for some of the biggest societal challenges that pose a threat to people’s mental health, including money problems, navigating through the system to get the right support, understanding mental health, loneliness and isolation, and resilience in young people.

The Mental Health UK programmes team is responsible for the delivery of high-quality programmes and projects that: meet the aims and objectives of Mental Health UK’s 2025-2030 Strategy, strategically align with the needs and expectations of our four founding charities, deliver for all stakeholders including funding partners and beneficiaries.

We design, deliver and measure the impact of our projects and services, ensuring that they meet the needs of people living with mental health problems and have a positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities across the UK.

One in four people in the UK have experienced a mental health problem. At Mental Health UK, we won’t stop until everyone has the tools they need to live their best possible life.

How you will make a difference

As Senior Programme Officer, I will support the Head of Commercial Insight & Development to ensure Mental Health UK delivers high quality projects and programmes that:

• Meet the aims and objectives of our 2025-30 strategy.
• Are strategically aligned with the needs and expectations of our four founding charities.
• Deliver for all stakeholders, including funding partners and beneficiaries.

In this role, I will support the Head of Commercial Insight & Development to identify opportunities to grow and expand our existing programmes. I will work with the Communications and Marketing Team to identify opportunities throughout our programmes to demonstrate our impact as an organisation.

I will oversee the day-to-day delivery of projects within Mental Health UK’s portfolio, supporting colleagues across Mental Health UK and the four founding charities to ensure outputs are delivered on time and to budget, and outcomes are achieved as planned.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion 

Diversity is important to us and we appreciate difference through difference, inclusiveness and belonging. It gives us a deeper understanding of the world, our society and the diverse communities we’re working with. By including everyone, we are able to draw on the unique experiences and expertise of our people to help shape and enrich our workplace and improve our services. One way we are doing is through our valued staff networks which play a critical and highly valued role in keeping us focused on creating a diverse, inclusive and engaged employer.  We recognise and support staff networks and support groups for our ethnically diverse and LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We are also proud to have been awarded Disability Confident Employer status and are a signatory to the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter. 

We aim for our workforce to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve; for those who work for us to feel heard, valued and feel they belong; and for our work to help tackle wider mental health inequalities. We therefore actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including applicants with lived experience of mental illness, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and any other gender identity not expressed here (LGBTQIA+); people who are neurodiverse, have a health condition, or a disability or hidden disability and people from an ethnically diverse background - regardless of your age, religious or spiritual belief, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, political view or socio-economic status.

Becoming a truly anti-racist organisation 

We have an ambition of become a truly anti-racist employer, campaigning organisation and service provider - and in our efforts to influence policy and wider societal factors impacting on mental health set out in our anti-racist statement . We have designed a multi-year anti-racist programme of work contained in our Race Equality Action Plan which demonstrates our intention to hold ourselves accountable and be judged on our progress on becoming a truly anti-racist organisation. You can read more about our progress here.