Blue light programme assistant jobs

Job Role: Assistant Retail Manager

Salary: £19,828 per year (full time equivalent £24,785)

Hours: 30 hours per week

Contract type: Fixed-term maternity cover until September 2027

Location: Bath, Walcot Street

Additional information:

• Availability to work flexibly, including weekends

About Alongside:

Alongside is the new name for Julian House. We work with people experiencing social exclusion across the South and West of England, providing outreach, accommodation and support. Our clients may be sleeping rough, fleeing abuse, rebuilding after trauma, leaving prison, recovering from addiction, or trying to settle safely in a new community. Whatever their starting point, we work alongside people to help build safety, stability and independence.

If you’d like a real sense of job satisfaction, great career prospects and a competitive benefits package, you could be who we’re looking for!

About the Role:

As an Assistant Manager, you’ll play a key role in the success of our charity shops, ensuring everything runs smoothly day to day. From leading and motivating our fantastic team of volunteers to managing stock and creating a warm, welcoming shopping experience, you’ll be right at the heart of our mission.

If you’re passionate about retail, enjoy working with people, and want to make a real difference by helping us raise vital funds for a great cause, we’d love to hear from you!

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborating with the Shop Manager to meet and exceed income and profit targets by optimising sales, minimising operational costs, and continually seeking innovative ways to enhance to shop.
• Manage donations, including the sorting, pricing and preparation of items for sale and effectively disposing of unwanted items.
• Assisting in the recruitment, training and development of the volunteer team and ensuring the shop has a built-up volunteer base.
• Support the Shop Manager in administrative tasks, including cash handling and banking.

Please note: Job descriptions are not exhaustive, and the successful candidate may occasionally be asked to take on other duties that align with the key responsibilities outlined.

You can view the full job description by clicking here.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Experience working within a retail setting.
• A proactive, customer-focused approach to work.

There are many great reasons to join our team!

• Access to our Rewards Platform, which includes an Employee Assistance Programme and Health Cash Plan
• 27 days annual leave, including an extra day off for your birthday, plus bank holidays - increasing up to 30 days after 4 years of continuous employment (pro rata for part-time staff)
• 30% staff discount at our charity shops
• A generous and competitive pension scheme
• A supportive culture where staff feedback is highly valued and regular supervisions with line managers are conducted
• Great opportunities for career development and free monthly training sessions from experienced facilitators
• For all the fantastic and valuable work, you’ll be doing, you’ll be eligible for the Blue Light Card which offers amazing discounts on thousands of brands

Our Ethos

As an Equal Opportunities employer, we have an Equality and Diversity Action plan in place showing our commitment in ensuring continuous improvement in creating an inclusive culture. We also have a committed group of Inclusion & Diversity champions who meet monthly to ensure progress is being made. We invite applications from people from all backgrounds and cultures, especially minority groups that are underrepresented in the workplace. We also welcome applications from those with lived experience. We embrace flexibility and are proud to be a Disability Confident and Mindful employer, as well as an Armed Forces Covenant Supporter.

If you have any special access requirements or other support needs throughout the application process (including interview), please contact us so that we can let you know how we can support you. We accept CVs and applications in all formats.

DBS Checks

We welcome applications from people with lived experience. All applicants working with our clients will be expected to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. A criminal conviction will not necessarily prevent you from becoming an employee, the decision will depend on the type of offence and its relevance to the role. If you would like to discuss any convictions you may have, please contact the person named in the advert. All information will be dealt with according to our Data Protection Policy.

Please note: We reserve the right to close our vacancies once the perfect candidate has been found. We recommend submitting your application as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out

Specialist Teaching Assistant – Autism / SEND

We are Ambitious about Autism, a national charity with a clear goal: to create a world where autistic children and young people are heard, included and supported.

We are looking for patient, empathetic and resilient STAs to join our Ofsted “Outstanding” TreeHouse School in Muswell Hill.

• Full time, permanent (term time only)
• Hours: 8.45am – 4.35pm
• Salary: £27,770 to £28,005 per annum
• Location: Muswell Hill, North London (N10 3JA)
• Start date: October 2026 (can be flexible depending on notice periods)

The role:

This is a role where no two days are ever the same! Some days can be very challenging, but they can also be incredibly rewarding. As a LSA, you will be working on a 1:1 basis with our autistic pupils and assisting them with:

• Responding to behaviours of distress with patient and supportive care
• Supporting pupils with personal care
• Access learning
• Developing  communication, confidence and independence
• Celebrate progress - however big or small
• Take part in community based activities like swimming, skiing and horse riding
• Helping our pupils feel safe, understood and proud of themselves

Why join us:

• This is a term time only role (yet you are paid across 52 weeks!)
• You will be placed on a training programme when you join the role with continued CPD
• Be part of a warm, supportive and collaborative team
• Progression opportunities to grow your career in SEND
• Be part of a national charity with a clear mission and shared values
• Varied, meaningful work with real impact
• Access to staff discount schemes, including Blue Light Card eligibility
• Full benefits package on our website

The official internal title for this role is Specialist Teaching Assistant, but it is advertised externally as SEN Teaching Assistant to reflect the nature of the role and maximise reach.

Ambitious About Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious About Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search may be carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The safeguarding responsibilities of the post are as per the job description and person specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance

At UHCW Charity, we believe everyone deserves the best possible care when they need it most. As the official charity for University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust - including University Hospital Coventry and the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby - we go beyond what the NHS alone can provide. With the support of our community and partners, we fund everything from state-of-the-art equipment and enhanced hospital environments to pioneering research and staff wellbeing initiatives.

We're now looking for an experienced and ambitious Fundraising Manager to help drive our fundraising to the next level. Leading our corporate, community and events fundraising, you'll build meaningful relationships with supporters, inspire new partnerships, oversee high-quality fundraising events and campaigns, and ensure every supporter has an exceptional experience. You'll also line manage our Fundraising Assistant and play a key role in shaping the future growth of the Charity.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small, passionate team where your ideas, leadership and expertise will have a direct impact on patients, families and NHS staff across Coventry and Warwickshire. Together with our supporters, we're proud to help create the best possible experience for every patient and their loved ones, every day.

Salary £30,000 per annum (pro rata £12,000 for part-time)

Hours of work 15 hours a week  (2 days), not including breaks

Base Chase Farm Hospital, 127 The Ridgeway, Enfield EN2 8JL

The role

The CF Therapist will report to the Senior CTS Therapist (CF & NM & Finchley).

The purpose of the role is to provide adaptive therapeutic massage to patients under referral from clinical teams, at the Chase Farm site within step-down, rehabilitation and chemotherapy infusion suite settings, supporting patients' comfort, relaxation, and well-being during recovery.

Key objectives and responsibilities of the post are:

· Provide gentle adaptive therapeutic touch to support relaxation and well-being

· Set the highest possible standards of care, respecting cultural preferences, touch, and privacy

· To ensure robust clinical pathways, assessments and review processes are followed, maintaining appropriate clinical records/document sessions as per policy

· Demonstrate safe delivery of best clinical practice

· Contribute to the development of evidence-based practice and be involved with research and case studies, where appropriate

· Assist senior CTS therapist NM & CF (Finchley) in the induction and mentoring of volunteers.

· Strict adhered to infection prevention

· Protocols the immediate escalation of adverse reactions

· Liaise closely with the nursing and medical team

· Be aware of current developments within complementary therapy

· Ensure sensitive information is managed in accordance with GDPR, Safeguarding and confidentiality policies and       guidance

· Always maintain confidentiality, which includes patients, relatives, staff and volunteers

· Monitor and maintain the complementary therapy stock and ensure oils and equipment are stored safely and correctly

• Work autonomously but in compliance with the relevant professional body’s code of ethics and professional conduct, national frameworks and trust policies and procedures specific to the role

The team

Patient support brings together volunteering, complementary therapy, and wider charity patient-facing support into one integrated, site-based team at each of the four main hospital sites. Each hospital has a dedicated “charity space” with a core team that works together to provide a consistent, responsive, and easy‑to‑navigate offer for patients and families. Patient support site managers work closely with NHS site teams to ensure support reflects the clinical needs and demographics of each hospital. Volunteering and therapy roles are embedded locally rather than operating as separate teams, enabling continuity, flexibility, and equitable provision. A small central social rights and benefits team provides targeted, discharge‑focused advice for financially vulnerable patients. Patient support delivered via the charity is designed to be clear, collaborative and patient‑centred, with charity staff working as one team to deliver high‑quality support tailored to each site.

Organisation

The Royal Free Charity stands at the threshold of its most important period of development.

Our vision is for everyone served by the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (RFL) to have access to world-leading healthcare, delivered by a thriving workforce, and driven by medical research that has a global impact. We support the 17,000 staff of the RFL and their two million patients across Barnet, Chase Farm, North Mid and Royal Free hospitals and more than 30 NHS services.

Through the services we provide and the programmes and equipment we fund, we make a profound and immediate difference to patients’ experiences of care.

The recruitment process

To apply for this post, send your:

• CV (please include your last employer and dates of employment)
• Cover letter addressing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description and person specification.

Please note, that applications submitted without a cover letter may not be considered for this role.

Closing date for application: 9 August 2026, 11 pm.

Interview date: week commencing 17 August 2026

Please kindly note that we may close the job advert before the closing date if we receive a large volume of applications.

• You must be eligible to work in the UK

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may require during the recruitment process. 

As an equal opportunities’ employer, the Royal Free Charity is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership.

We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join the Royal Free Charity and act in line with our values of dedication, innovation, partnership, energy and respect.

Benefits:

Core benefits

· 25 days of paid holiday, plus a three-day office closure rest period between Christmas and New Year, and UK bank holidays. This increases to 30 days' leave after five completed years of continuous employment (all leave is pro rata for part-time employees).

· A contributory pension scheme, where we match your 4% contribution towards your pension. If you choose to increase your payments into your pension scheme, we’ll match your contribution up to 9%.

· A sick pay package that offers one month’s full pay and one month’s half pay in any 12-month period if you’ve been with us for less than two years. This rises to two months’ full pay and two months’ half pay in any 12-month period after two years of continuous employment.

· Occupational maternity pay and paternity pay packages that provide more generous support than statutory pay alone.

· A flexible working policy to support our employees’ work/life balance.

Support for your financial wellbeing

As a member of the Royal Free family, you’ll be entitled to benefit from:

· Expert financial advice from our financial partner, the London Credit Union

· Savings on purchases with the Blue Light Card

· Our Death in Service benefit

Support for your health and wellbeing

· Subsidised gym, pool and classes at our Rec Club in Hampstead

· Secure bicycle parking and shower facilities at our Hampstead site

· Guided meditation

· Menopause peer support group

· Employee Assistance Programme offering 24-hour access to free confidential advice and support on work and personal issues.