Care service manager jobs

We’re seeking an experienced and driven Senior Trusts and Foundations Fundraiser to help change the lives of young carers. In this pivotal role, you’ll secure vital funding from charitable trusts and foundations, building strong relationships and crafting compelling cases for support. You’ll lead on high-value applications, identify new funding opportunities, and play a key role in shaping our income growth. Working with a passionate, mission-led team, you’ll see the direct impact of your work every day. If you’re persuasive, and inspired by making a lasting difference for children, we’d love you to join us.

High Value Relationships Lead

Are you a senior fundraiser who thrives on building deep, meaningful relationships, understanding what motivates people, earning trust, and working collaboratively to make real change? Do you want your work to help create a world where people with a learning disability are valued equally, heard, and included in every part of society? If so, we want to hear from you.

At Mencap, we’re proud of the long-term partnerships we’ve built with organisations like Sport England, British Gas Energy Trust, and Pears. These are thoughtful, values-led relationships that have already delivered significant impact, and we know there’s even more potential to unlock. 

This is an exciting moment to join us. Our new strategy, Mencap 2030, sets out a bold vision for the organisation, and high-value fundraising is central to making it real. We’re investing in our fundraising capability, with an engaged and supportive Executive team, and an active CEO and Board who understand the power of transformational partnerships and are committed to backing this work. 

We’re looking for a High Value Relationship Lead, a strategic, relationship-driven fundraiser who can take our high-value fundraising to the next level – securing multi-year, transformational support and deepening engagement across major donors, trusts and foundations, and statutory funders. You’ll lead a talented, committed team, shape our high-value approach, and build strong, credible pipelines that turn ambition into real, lasting impact. Equally importantly, you’ll ensure our fundraising feels authentic, keeping people with a learning disability at the heart of every conversation, proposal, and partnership. 

This is a full-time (37.5 hours/week), permanent role with flexibility on location.

If you are passionate about transforming lives through the power of high‑value partnerships, we encourage you to apply now with an updated CV. Applications close on 1st of March with interviews to be held shortly afterward.

Benefits

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.

Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.

For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.

At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.

Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

·Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.

· Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes

· Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We have embarked on our 10-year strategy for ending homelessness. We know it is not inevitable. We know together we can end it.

This is a new and exciting role at Crisis Skylight Birmingham to join a team of experienced and highly skilled staff supporting homeless people move into their own long term sustainable tenancies.

Job Title: Lettings Officer (Internally this role is known as Landlord Liaison Officer)

Location: Crisis Skylight Birmingham, 25 Heath Mill Lane, B9 4AE

Contract: Fixed Term Contract until July 2027

About the role

As Landlord Liaison Officer, you will join our team in Birmingham at an exciting time, delivering an outstanding property procurement service across the private and social rented sector. Working alongside our team of lead worker coaches you will identify appropriate matches of tenants and homes. It’s a role requiring commercial acumen and creativity as you partner with both social and private landlords to source accommodation for our members. You will work collaboratively with partners and staff across the organisation to ensure tenants receive the support they need to sustain their homes and landlord relationships are nurtured. There is scope for development of the role and plenty of support. It’s a fantastic opportunity to make the role your own and shape it from the beginning.

About you

To be successful in this role you will need to demonstrate the following skills, experience and knowledge:

• Experience of sourcing, procuring, and allocating accommodation and making tenancies work for tenants and landlords
• Knowledge of the Birmingham (and surrounding areas) housing market and the barriers and opportunities faced by people who are homeless
• Experience of working with homeless people and supporting them achieve a positive housing outcome
• Understanding of housing law
• Developing, building, and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders
• Experience of working in a lettings and housing procurement environment
• Creative approach to solving problems
• Showing resilience when dealing with difficult situations
• A self-starter who can work on their own initiative

Please see the full Job Pack linked below, for a full list of requirements for this role. We realise that long lists of criteria can be daunting, and you may not want to apply for a role unless you feel 100% qualified. However, if you feel you have relevant examples to answer the screening questions, we encourage you to apply.

We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds.

Working at Crisis

Our values, Bold, Impactful, Collaborative and Equitable, are at the heart of everything we do as we continue in our mission to end homelessness.

Our staff, members and volunteers are vital to getting the right government policies in place, providing breakthrough services, and building a supportive community. We’ll lead by example to nurture a positive and ambitious workplace guided by ending homelessness.

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:

• A competitive salary. Please note our salaries are fixed to counter inequity and we do not negotiate at offer stage
• Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy
• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%
• 28 days’ annual leave (pro rata) which increases with service to 31 days and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay
• Flexible working around the core hours 10am-4pm
• Wellbeing Leave to be used flexibly
• And more! (Full list of benefits available on website)

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career.

When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.

How do I apply?

Please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below. Our shortlisting process is anonymised as part of our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We do not ask for CVs, instead we ask you complete the work history section and answer the screening questions for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively. At least two members of staff score all applications.

Closing date: Sunday 22nd February 2026 at 23:59

Interview date: Thursday 5th March 2026, in-person at Crisis Skylight Birmingham, 25 Heath Mill Lane, B9 4AE

Interview process: Competency based interview

AI in Job Applications

We understand some candidates use AI tools when applying. Whilst we welcome the use of technology to support clear communication and structure, we want to learn more about you, so please ensure that your application reflects your own skills, knowledge and experiences

Accessibility

We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email our Talent Acquisition team to discuss how we can help.

Registered Charity Numbers: E&W1082947, SC040094

36 hours per week / £36,530 per annum pro rata / permanent / working two days onsite and three days from home, working pattern to be discussed at interview

At YMCA DownsLink Group,  is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, building life skills and self-confidence, and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections - guide and shape how we show up for children and young people we support and for each other.

 is delivered by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with YMCA DownsLink Group. We offer a variety of support including counselling and psychological therapies to children and young people within Brighton and Hove.

We are looking for a compassionate and experienced Wellbeing Children & Young People's (CYP) Lead to support and shape our therapeutic services for young people in Brighton and Hove.

Overview of key areas of responsibility:

Leadership

• Provide line management support and supervision to wellbeing workers (e.g. counsellors, practitioners, therapists, link workers and trainees).
• Work alongside a team of leads to support the running, development and management of the service.
• Lead induction, mentoring, and training of new staff, trainees, and volunteers.
• Foster a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement across the team.

Core Clinical

• Carry out individual general counselling assessments of children and young people and make appropriate referrals.
• Provide guidance and oversight for complex or high-risk cases.
• Ensure all interventions are evidence-based, child-centred, and trauma-informed.
• Develop and oversee counselling protocols, therapeutic pathways, and risk assessment frameworks.

Safeguarding and Risk

• Lead and give oversight for safeguarding concerns, embedding a safeguarding-first culture across the service.
• Work to ensure all counsellors, staff, and link workers, are trained, confident, and compliant in safeguarding practice.
• Implement robust risk assessment and management processes.
• Monitor safeguarding incidents, identify themes, and strengthen safeguarding practice.
• Liaise with schools, health, social care, police, and other agencies in safeguarding matters.

Service Development

• Work with the Service Manager, Leads and Clinical Leads to strengthen and expand counselling provision, including group work.
• Triage referrals and represent the service in multi-agency triage meetings.
• Promote and develop opportunities for community participation and youth voice in service design.
• Build strong relationships with schools, health services, local authorities, commissioners, and community partners.
• Represent the service at local and regional forums, influencing CYP wellbeing strategies.

Please download the job profile (below), which includes detailed role description and person specification.

Qualifications, knowledge, and experience

• More than 2 years post-qualified at graduate or post graduate level Counselling Diploma or equivalent [of two years minimum duration including personal counselling or psychotherapy].
• BACP Registration or Accreditation and/or other eligible Professional Accreditation e.g. UKCP/HPC.
• Strong team-management and line-management experience is required, including demonstrated experience in supervising, developing, and supporting staff.
• A good level of understanding in therapeutic or counselling theory and practice and working to short-term models.
• A sound understanding of child developmental processes, Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding issues and procedures, along with proven experience in safeguarding young children.
• Solid experience in delivering counselling and/or therapy and assessment, along with experience with dealing with complex cases.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary team working, with the ability to work within time-limited frameworks.

CLOSING DATE: Tuesday 24 February 2026 at midnight. Proposed interview date Thursday 19 March 2026.

Please note that we are unable to offer a work permit or visa sponsorship for this role; applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. 

Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, conducted by an accredited third-party provider. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity checks.

This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful frontilne impact with a London-based charity, supporting individuals affected by scocial exclusion, particularly those who are involved in or at risk of sexual exploitation as well as survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery. If you are driven to make a difference, thrive in a role where organisation meets purpose, please apply.

Lived Experience Recovery Worker

Location: Macclesfield and Crewe
Salary: £24,937 per annum
DBS: Enhanced with Adults Barred List

Are you passionate about making a difference for people severely affected by mental illness?
At Rethink Mental Illness, we believe in the power of lived experience to inspire hope and recovery. We’re looking for someone who has personal experience of mental illness and recovery to join our Involvement, Recovery & Wellness Centre team, working in partnership with Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

What you’ll do

• Use your lived experience to provide one-to-one and group peer support.
• Coach and mentor individuals to self-manage their mental health and achieve their goals.
• Build strong, respectful relationships and work within clear professional boundaries.
• Help people access local services and community resources.
• Promote recovery, wellbeing, and empowerment through practical and emotional support.

What we’re looking for

• Personal experience of recovery from mental illness.
• Empathy, understanding, and great listening skills.
• Commitment to Rethink values: Passion, Openness, Hope, Expertise, Understanding, and Equity.
• Ability to work as part of a team and contribute to service improvement.

Experience in mental health support or social care is desirable but not essential – what matters most is your lived experience and willingness to learn.

Why join us?

You’ll be part of a charity that CARES – we Connect, we’re Accountable, we show Respect, we Evolve, and we deliver Success. We offer training, supervision, and the chance to make a real impact in people’s lives.

Ready to use your experience to help others?

Apply today and help us lead the way to a better quality of life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.

Health and Safety Advisor

Salary: Band 6: £39,775.77 – £52,452.55 per annum

Contract: Permanent | Full-time

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week | Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm (flexible)

About the Job Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Health and Safety Advisor in our Estates team at St Joseph’s Hospice. We are looking for someone who has experience in managing and supporting the implementation of health and safety across an organisation. There will be a wide range of responsibilities, from policy to the operational level. Activities range from office and shop-based staff to health workers, outreach workers, and a small maintenance team.

About You

• NEBOSH trained
• Experience of implementing health and safety across an organisation
• The ability to influence and persuade to embed a strong safety culture
• Proactive and self-motivated

Where You’ll Work

St Joseph’s Hospice was founded in 1905 by the Religious Sisters of Charity and built on a rich Catholic heritage. Today, we are an Investors in Diversity-awarded charity, providing expert, compassionate care to people of all backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs across East and North London.

Our specialist palliative care services—delivered at home, in our in-patient unit, and through out-patient clinics—are grounded in respect for human dignity and guided by compassion, justice, and a deep commitment to quality. Our values guide us in everything that we do. We work to ensure that everyone receives the support they need, with kindness, understanding, and respect, by delivering individualised, responsive, and holistic support to patients and their families.

Please provide a supporting statement (no more than two sides) that sets out why you think this role is the right move for you and how you meet the knowledge and experience criteria in the person specification. Please note it is essential that you provide this statement, as it will be used as a basis for shortlisting.

Why Work for Us?

• 27 days’ holiday plus public holidays, increasing up to 33 days with service
• Subsidised café and early access to retail sale events
• Season ticket/welfare loans
• Continuation of the NHS Pension Scheme or an excellent salary-exchange pension scheme
• Santander Cycles discount and cycle-to-work scheme
• Health Cash Plan and access to EAP services

Join St Joseph’s team and find out more!

For further information, please visit our vacancies page via the Apply button.

Closing date: 22 February 2026.

Interview date: 5 March 2026.

We are an equal opportunity and a Disability Confident employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of race, sex, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or age.

The Opportunity:   

The Aspiring Professionals Programme Coordinator (APPC) role will be well-suited to someone who is focused on the best ways they can help the aims of the charity as well as those of our participants and partners. An APPC is responsible for supporting the delivery and development of the Social Mobility Foundation’s programme of activities for young people through their S5-6/sixth form and university years.   
The SMF offers in-person and online support and opportunities, so this role will involve providing virtual and in-person support to students and working with employers across the UK.

Key Responsibility Areas:
1. Project Delivery 

• Deliver key projects including recruiting and onboarding students, creating digital resources and student events  
• Support with programme pilots, scoping (and delivering on) new activity   
• Collaborate and build relationships with our employer partners, schools, and universities to support our young people in their applications for university, internships and graduate roles  

 2. Monitoring and Evaluation  

• Maintain accurate records across relevant databases, updating data accurately and in a timely manner  
• Contribute to evaluation for key work areas (residentials, events, internships etc), produce high quality evaluation reports where required.

3. Stakeholder Management

• Communicate to internal and external stakeholders in a timely and professional manner
• Proactively update external partners (i.e. employers) on your work areas, flagging risks in a timely manner with relationship managers
• Manage internal student queries and maintain consistent stakeholder (e.g. students) processes through regular communication

4. Activity Delivery  

• Coordinate planning and delivery of skills sessions, partner events, university visits, and other activities, both virtually and in person across the Social Mobility Foundation’s target cities across the UK  
• Create digital resources to support all provisions

Please see full job description attached for more details. 

Person Specification:

We need someone who will demonstrate our organisational skills-based competencies - as listed below: 

1.  Leadership
2.  Communication
3.  Adaptability
4.  Professionalism 
5.  Decision-making

Technical knowledge, understanding and experience required:

• Basic Microsoft Office, particularly Microsoft Excel  
• A basic understanding of the barriers young people face in accessing university and particular careers  

Ways of working:

• Most of our work is office based, but you will spend a lot of time collaborating with other teams and clients via email, telephone and other communications channels such as Teams or Zoom.  
• This role requires you to attend staff residentials for students on our Programme. This means that during the summer period (Jul – Aug) you will be expected to stay overnight on-site (in the UK - exact location to be confirmed closer to the time) for a period of up to two-weeks, help run the residential and be responsible for the welfare of the young people involved.

Travel:

• Some travel, to other offices and other locations, will occasionally be expected. 

Benefits:

• 36/37 days' annual leave (England & Wales and Scotland respectively - includes bank and public holidays), with 3 of these days reserved for the annual end of year office closure
• Cycle to Work Scheme
•  5% Salary sacrifice pension scheme with enhanced matching employer contributions
• Employee Assistance Programme available to staff and their family
• Flexible work options such as hybrid working, flexitime, part-time
• Regular staff team building and business planning “away days”

Young People Support Worker

We promise you that no day will be the same, and you will get so much out of working with our residents as you ensure that they are well-cared for, and empowered to make progress into Independence.

Location: Whitley Bay (Depaul House)

Salary: £24,136 per annum

Closing Date: 15 February, 2026

Employment Type: Permanent

Hours per week: 37.5

About the Role

You’ll play a vital part in delivering our mission: tackling homelessness, widening opportunity and championing fairness. Whatever your specialism, you’ll help create a safe, inclusive and empowering environment where people can thrive and move forward with confidence. 

As a Young People Support Worker (Whitley Bay), you will provide practical, emotional, and goal-focused support to young people, helping them develop the skills, confidence, and resilience needed to move towards independent living. 

You will manage a caseload of young people with a range of support needs, building trusted relationships and delivering structured, person-centred support plans. The role involves supporting young people through key transitions, including leaving care, sustaining accommodation, and accessing education, training, or employment.

Your work will be underpinned by the Depaul Endeavour Model, an assets-based and psychologically informed approach, ensuring young people are supported to build on their strengths and achieve positive outcomes. 

Please note that this job opportunity is offered as a full-time (37.5 hour per week), permanent role.

 In this role, you will:

• Provide safe, supportive accommodation and champion the wellbeing of every client.

• Deliver personalised support plans that empower individuals to achieve independence.

• Build positive, respectful relationships with colleagues, partners and the people we support.

• Encourage participation in education, training, employment, and volunteering opportunities.

• Contribute to a positive team culture and maintain a safe, welcoming environment.

• Commit to continuous learning and uphold Depaul’s values of respect, inclusion, and action.

About You

You believe in people — their strengths, their rights and their potential. You bring empathy, energy and a solution‑focused mindset to your work. You communicate clearly, stay organised and adapt well in a fast‑moving environment. You’re committed to inclusion, fairness and continuous learning, and you turn values into meaningful action, whatever your role.

What You’ll Receive

• Tailored training and development

• Flexible working options where suitable

• 26 days annual leave, rising with service

• Family‑friendly leave policies

• Pension scheme with employer contributions up to 7%

• Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 GP access

• Discounts across retail, travel, food, fitness and more

• Cash health plan for you and your family

• Death‑in‑service benefit

• Access to legal and practical support

Safer Recruitment

Depaul UK is committed to fair and inclusive recruitment, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. If a role requires it under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975, we will carry out the appropriate Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. We only look at information that is relevant to the role, and a criminal record will never be treated as an automatic barrier to employment. All DBS information is handled sensitively, confidentially and in line with the DBS Code of Practice, and we encourage applicants to discuss any concerns with us openly.

About Depaul UK

In the 1980s, high unemployment and steep inflation was contributing to a shocking rise in youth homelessness across London. Thousands of young people were sleeping rough every night, with many areas notoriously dubbed “cardboard cities” due to the visible rise in street homelessness. Appalled by the scenes playing out across the capital, a group of people came together to tackle the challenge head on. Led by Cardinal Basil Hume and Mark McGreevy OBE, in 1989 Depaul UK was born.

What began as a single housing project in North London soon expanded across London, Greater Manchester and the North East of England. Today, Depaul UK provides accommodation, prevention and support services to thousands of marginalised young people across the UK each year.

As our name suggests, the work of Depaul UK has been inspired by St. Vincent de Paul – a man who devoted his life to helping vast numbers of people throughout the 17th century. St. Vincent de Paul’s belief in the intrinsic worth of all people and his commitment to taking bold action remain central to our values today. Depaul UK now forms part of a family of Depaul charities around the world. We each focus on the specific challenges in our own countries, but we’re united by our shared values and mission to end homelessness.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

Call for Expressions of Interest

School Eye Health Rapid Assessment (SEHRA) Scoping Consultancy 

Anticipated timeframe: An initial 7‑day engagement, with the potential to extend up to 6 months.

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Budget: To be discussed at interview

Start date: The consultant is expected to be available to start on or around 2 March.

Background

Sightsavers, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, is implementing a two‑year intervention – the Boresha Macho Project – which aims to strengthen and integrate refractive error services across all levels of care in Kenya. The goal is to build sustainable systems, support long‑term government investment, and contribute to the WHO’s global eye‑care target of achieving a 40-percentage point increase in effective refractive error coverage (eREC).

As part of this intervention, the project will deliver evidence‑generation and learning activities to support accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement. This includes assessing the eye‑health needs of school‑aged children and evaluating compliance with the use of corrective glasses, with the findings informing the planning and monitoring of integrated school eye‑health programmes in Kenya. In line with this objective, Sightsavers intends to conduct a School Eye Health Rapid Assessment exercise in Makueni County, one of the six designated project implementation areas.

What the project will focus on: School Eye Health Rapid Assessment (SEHRA)

The Scoping Module of SEHRA identifies any policy, system or service‑delivery barriers that may affect the implementation of a school eye‑health programme and determines whether conditions are suitable for conducting a full SEHRA. It can be applied at national, sub‑national or district level, and is particularly relevant for public‑sector planning where school eye‑health is integrated into wider health and education systems.

Responsibilities
 

The consultant will support the initial Scoping Module of the School Eye Health Rapid Assessment (SEHRA), which examines the policy, institutional and service‑delivery environment for school eye‑health programmes in the intervention area. This includes reviewing existing school eye‑health activities, sectoral legislation and strategies, institutional structures, human resources, supply chains for glasses and equipment, and cross‑cutting barriers that may affect service delivery. In line with this, the consultant will:

• Conduct an exploratory desk review using key search terms relevant to each SEHRA module component, bookmarking relevant sources and collating documents into organised sub‑folders.
• Review identified sources to build an overall understanding of the policy, strategy, institutional and service‑delivery context for school eye health in the intervention area.
• Produce clear notes highlighting areas requiring deeper exploration through key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs).

This assignment is expected to take no more than seven days, culminating in a desk‑review report summarising findings and recommending areas for further investigation.

Timeline

The consultancy is expected to begin on 2 March, and the consultant must be available to start on or around this date. The initial assignment will span seven days, during which the desk review should be completed and the corresponding report submitted. Depending on project needs and satisfactory delivery, the consultancy may be extended for up to six months.

Skills and Experience

The consultant should bring strong experience in school eye health, public health, or education‑sector systems, with the following expertise:

• A solid understanding of Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education policies, strategies, institutional arrangements, and service‑delivery structures.
• Proven experience conducting desk reviews, key informant interviews (KIIs), and focus group discussions (FGDs).
• Working knowledge of programme development at national or sub‑national level, particularly in eye health, school health, education systems, and related organisational structures.
• Demonstrated experience in qualitative and quantitative research, including the ability to produce clear, analytical programme reports—ideally within the eye‑health sector.
• Credibility and familiarity with national eye‑health bodies, leading eye‑health organisations, and/or national education institutions.
• Sufficient clinical understanding to interpret school eye‑health issues and engage effectively with technical informants.
• Ability to work independently or as part of a local health or social‑policy research organisation.

Payment Terms

The agreed budget will be discussed at interview.

Next Steps

To express your interest to undertake this assignment, please read the complete ToR, and complete our Expression of Interest (EoI) which can be found via the application link by Thursday, 12 February 2026.

The EoI response should include a proposed workplan and indicative budget, including daily rates for the assignment and any other anticipated expenses.

Interested bidders are also requested to include an example of previous similar consultancy work.

The deadline to submit your EoI is Thursday, 12 February 2026 at 23:30pm GMT UK.

Please note: We intend to conduct on site interviews at the Kenya country office week commencing 16th of February 2026 onwards. The interview will last up to one hour and will be the only stage in the recruitment process.

Please note due to the high volume of applications it is possible, only successful applicants will be contacted. We reserve the right to close this ad early.

Selection Criteria:

Sightsavers is committed to running a fair and transparent tender process, and ensuring that all bidders are treated and assessed equally during this process. Bidder quotation responses will be evaluated against Essential Criteria, Capability Criteria, Sustainability Criteria and Commercial Criteria.  These criteria have been especially created to help SCI determine which bidder is able to offer the best quality and most commercially competitive solution to meet our needs and deliver the most effective programming to our beneficiaries.

36 hours per week / £36,530 per annum pro rata / permanent / working two days onsite and three days from home, working pattern to be discussed at interview

At YMCA DownsLink Group,  is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, building life skills and self-confidence, and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections - guide and shape how we show up for children and young people we support and for each other.

 is delivered by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust in partnership with YMCA DownsLink Group. We offer a variety of support including counselling and psychological therapies to children and young people within Brighton and Hove.

We are looking for a compassionate and experienced Wellbeing Children & Young People's (CYP) Lead to support and shape our therapeutic services for young people in Brighton and Hove.

Overview of key areas of responsibility:

Leadership

• Provide line management support and supervision to wellbeing workers (e.g. counsellors, practitioners, therapists, link workers and trainees).
• Work alongside a team of leads to support the running, development and management of the service.
• Lead induction, mentoring, and training of new staff, trainees, and volunteers.
• Foster a culture of learning, innovation, and continuous improvement across the team.

Core Clinical

• Carry out individual general counselling assessments of children and young people and make appropriate referrals.
• Provide guidance and oversight for complex or high-risk cases.
• Ensure all interventions are evidence-based, child-centred, and trauma-informed.
• Develop and oversee counselling protocols, therapeutic pathways, and risk assessment frameworks.

Safeguarding and Risk

• Lead and give oversight for safeguarding concerns, embedding a safeguarding-first culture across the service.
• Work to ensure all counsellors, staff, and link workers, are trained, confident, and compliant in safeguarding practice.
• Implement robust risk assessment and management processes.
• Monitor safeguarding incidents, identify themes, and strengthen safeguarding practice.
• Liaise with schools, health, social care, police, and other agencies in safeguarding matters.

Service Development

• Work with the Service Manager, Leads and Clinical Leads to strengthen and expand counselling provision, including group work.
• Triage referrals and represent the service in multi-agency triage meetings.
• Promote and develop opportunities for community participation and youth voice in service design.
• Build strong relationships with schools, health services, local authorities, commissioners, and community partners.
• Represent the service at local and regional forums, influencing CYP wellbeing strategies.

Please download the job profile (below), which includes detailed role description and person specification.

Qualifications, knowledge, and experience

• More than 2 years post-qualified at graduate or post graduate level Counselling Diploma or equivalent [of two years minimum duration including personal counselling or psychotherapy].
• BACP Registration or Accreditation and/or other eligible Professional Accreditation e.g. UKCP/HPC.
• Strong team-management and line-management experience is required, including demonstrated experience in supervising, developing, and supporting staff.
• A good level of understanding in therapeutic or counselling theory and practice and working to short-term models.
• A sound understanding of child developmental processes, Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding issues and procedures, along with proven experience in safeguarding young children.
• Solid experience in delivering counselling and/or therapy and assessment, along with experience with dealing with complex cases.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary team working, with the ability to work within time-limited frameworks.

CLOSING DATE: Tuesday 24 February 2026 at midnight. Proposed interview date Thursday 19 March 2026.

Please note that we are unable to offer a work permit or visa sponsorship for this role; applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. 

Successful applicants will undergo a thorough background screening process, conducted by an accredited third-party provider. This includes an Enhanced DBS check (with Children’s and Adults’ Barred Lists) as well as comprehensive reference and activity checks.

Reporting To: Education Manager

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Loughborough

Salary: £24,735 - £28,345 per annum pro rata

(Equivalent to £13,192 to £15,117 for 20 hours a week)

Working Hours: 20 hours a week

About Us:

We support young people who have been forced to flee their home country, because of war, persecution, or trafficking. We provide a safe home, education and therapeutic care that enables them to fulfil their potential and become thriving members of the community.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a passionate and dedicated ESOL Teacher to join our team. The successful candidate will deliver high-quality ESOL English, Maths, and ICT education to young people, helping them reach a standard where they can access local college courses. This role involves supporting volunteers, directing Learning Support Assistants, and contributing to curriculum development.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deliver creative and engaging ESOL English, Maths, and ICT lessons.
• Support and direct volunteers and Learning Support Assistants.
• Plan, review, and develop curriculum programmes.
• Maintain student records and contribute to education reports.
• Ensure safeguarding procedures are followed.
• Communicate effectively with team members and external partners.
• Support the holistic development of each young person.

Personal Specification:

Education and Qualifications:

• Relevant teaching qualification (Desirable)
• Willingness to work towards a CELTA qualification (Essential)

Experience:

• Teaching experience (Essential)
• Experience delivering ESOL programmes (Desirable)
• Experience with unaccompanied asylum-seeking and trafficked young people (Desirable)
• Experience in lesson planning and developing Schemes of Work (Essential)

Knowledge and Skills:

• Understanding of inclusion and differentiation strategies (Essential)
• Professional understanding of safeguarding (Essential)
• Ability to plan and deliver effective lessons (Essential)
• Excellent personal organisation and attention to detail (Essential)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills (Essential)
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines (Essential)

Personal Attributes:

• Alignment with Baca’s values and mission (Essential)
• Genuine concern for young asylum seekers/refugees (Essential)
• Resilience and ability to work under pressure (Essential)
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting welfare (Essential)
• Proactive and willing to take initiative (Essential)
• Ability to work creatively and collaboratively (Essential)

Other Requirements:

• Enhanced DBS check (Essential)
• Adherence to all organisational policies and procedures (Essential)

How to Apply:

If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young asylum seekers and meet the above criteria, we would love to hear from you. Join us in making a positive impact and helping young people build a brighter future!

Applicants will be shortlisted and interviewed as and when applications are received.

Please note: We do not offer sponsorship for this role.

Do you want to support people with mental health issues in a moment of crisis?

Are you calm, non-judgemental and able to work effectively with people experiencing distress?

If you can embody our values of Hope, Courage, Togetherness, and Responsiveness, and want to help others build resilience and manage their wellbeing, we’d love to hear from you.

Job title: Mental Health A&E Link Worker – Watford General Hospital
Reference Number: 327
Salary: £24,336 per annum
Reports to: Crisis Services Manager
Contract length: Permanent
Working pattern: 37.5 hours per week over a 7-day rota (typically 3pm – 11pm)
Woking bases: Watford Wellbeing Centre / Watford General Hospital

We have a vacancy for a Mental Health A&E Link Worker to join our team.

About the Project

Our A and E Link Workers help adults access alternative mental health crisis support, including our Nightlight Crisis Service. We focus on providing a calmer, quieter environment away from the hospital when it’s needed.

Service Objectives

The objectives of Hertfordshire Mind Network’s (HMN) A&E Liaison Service are to:

• Improve the mental wellbeing of people experiencing mental health crisis in Hertfordshire.
• Increase timely access to help for people experiencing mental health crisis in Hertfordshire, by providing a clear and effective pathway to services provided by HMN and other third sector and statutory providers.
• Contribute to an improvement in individual mental wellbeing.
• Remain a source of independent support for all clients.
• Provide an alternative pathway to people in distress and crisis to support better outcomes and reduce the demand on statutory crisis services, emergency services and A&E departments.

About the Role:

The Mental Health A&E Link worker will work closely with individuals in a mental health crisis currently in A&E, by using a person-centred approach to ensure that everyone is supported with dignity and respect.

They will encourage and facilitate positive steps towards management of crisis and recovery; through providing emotional support, signposting and completing onward referrals into mental health support. They will work closely with A&E clinical staff, integrated discharge teams, Bounce Back, and mental health liaison teams, to proactively identify referrals into the crisis alternatives service to facilitate timely discharges from A&E.

We offer:

• Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year pro rata, rising in increments to a max. of 29 days after 5 years employment (plus 8 days Bank Holidays)
• An additional day of leave each year for your birthday following completion of probation period.
• Ongoing training relevant to your role.
• An Employee Assistance Programme.
• Cash plan health cover (after 6 months employment) – compensation payment for Optical, Dental, Chiropody and Therapy Treatments.

A driving Licence with access to a car for the purpose of business use; or alternative means to travel reliably between places, outside of 9am - 5pm is essential for this role.

Closing date for applications is Friday 13th February 2026
Interviews will be held from the week commencing 23rd February 2026
N.B. Please quote reference number 327 when completing your application for this role.

Interested?

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

We welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.

Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. Our inclusive approach recognises the unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives that lived experience brings to our team.

No agencies please.

The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

Leading national policy strategy

As Head of Policy and Public Affairs, you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan.  Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall. 

You will hold relationships with the Department for Education and Ofsted and advise on policy priorities ahead, such as:

• Widening the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services

• Reducing perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits

• Expectations for multi-academy trusts in capturing and analysing data on lost learning, including how it disproportionately affects different groups

• Improving local alternative provision eco-systems, to improve outcomes for young people

• National standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level

• Professional development standards for school inclusion

Developing implementation expertise in the middle tier

In your first six months, you will advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders.  You will support the Programme team in its design, to plan strategically for the recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and you will plan the research and influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Building the evidence base

In your second six months, you will work with the CEO to build out our research function. Your influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates; alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

Raising your voice

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to inclusive policy change. The Difference has always punched above our weight in national and sector press reach. In post,  you will publish blogs and comment pieces, disseminating our shared ideas.  You will be a prominent voice on inclusion.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being highly autonomous, reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

The Role
This is an exciting time to join The Difference as we increase our impact, reach more schools, and develop our influencing strategy. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs you will: 

Design and execute an impactful influencing plan 

• Design an influencing plan - Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones. 

• Execute an influencing plan - Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.

• Relationship building - Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks. 

• Leadership - Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

Build policy capacity and credibility across the organisation

• Policy positions and solutions- Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives. 

• Thought leadership - Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert. 

• Generating income - Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability. 

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy, surrounding this policy topic. 

• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in identifying policy windows and designing activities that lead to meaningful national policy change. 

• Excellent relationship builder, who brings with them their own network of influential stakeholders and has a plan for building new relationships. Adept at navigating tricky situations and explaining complex, sometimes difficult, messages.

• Expert convener with a strong knowledge of the education sector, including which schools, trusts and local authorities are influential and experience in bringing a variety of perspectives together to generate consensus. 

• Persuasive and clear writing style for publication, including reports, press, blogs and ghost writing for members of the senior leadership team, often based on consensus positions, and designed to communicate key messages for impact. 

• Confidence and credibility in communicating nuanced messages in a contentious landscape, in writing, verbally and in public (e.g. on panels), to raise the profile of The Difference. 

• Strong project manager who can design systems and processes to keep self, team and other stakeholders on task and on time. Experience of designing programmes of work and monitoring their effectiveness. Flexible project management style that can adapt to a changing environment. Confidence in managing a variety of stakeholders and supporting them to deliver on time. 

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following: 

• Familiarity with The Difference’s programmatic work, theory and practice. 

• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people (e.g. those with experience of the care system, mental ill health, special educational needs, exclusion, and racism).

We know that some people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution, we warmly encourage you to apply. 
We actively welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are under-represented in the charity sector, including but not limited to: people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the case system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.