Children advocate jobs

✨Are you passionate about helping young people who are struggling to thrive in mainstream education? We’re looking for an experienced, dynamic leader to become our first Head of Alternative Provision and build this exciting new service from the ground up.✨

Our Charity

No Limits is the leading youth services charity in Southampton, supporting children and young people in the city and across Hampshire.

At No Limits, it is important our staff and volunteers reflect, represent, and have experience of the challenges faced by the children and young people we support. We are proud of and appreciate our many staff and volunteers who use their own lived experience to support the children and young people they work with.

With this in mind, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in all aspects of our work and organisational culture – and when recruiting, it’s important to us that we continue diversifying our staff and volunteer teams, with children and young people at the centre of everything we do. You can learn more about our DEI approach here.

When we talk about talent, we value the transferrable skills and experiences you can bring to No Limits, whether through work (in the same or a different sector), volunteering, or personal experiences. To make sure we get the best talent on our team, we are open to and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds and sections of the community, including diverse ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQIA+, disabled, and neurodiverse individuals.

Your Role

As our Head of Alternative Provision, you’ll lead the development and delivery of our new Alternative Provision service, supporting young people who are struggling to thrive in mainstream education. This is a hands-on role at the start, shaping the model, refining plans, and directly managing delivery. As the service grows, your focus will shift to leading its further development, maintaining quality, and expanding provision across sites.

You’ll be part of our Senior Management Team and play a key role in building strong partnerships with schools, commissioners and families, ensuring we provide outstanding, therapeutic and accredited learning opportunities. Through these relationships, you’ll also help identify new ways for No Limits to support schools and families to meet young people’s needs.

Your key responsibilities will include: 

• Leading the development, delivery and quality assurance of our Alternative Provision service
• Overseeing service design, safeguarding, risk management and outcomes for young people
• Building and maintaining strong partnerships with schools, local authorities and commissioners
• Acting as subject expert on Alternative Provision, SEMH and EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance)
• Managing teams, budgets, quality assurance, and resources effectively

We are committed to making a difference in the lives of the children and young people we work with, and as such, you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the No Limits ethos. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is paramount. 

We particularly welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and those who have had experiences similar to the young people we aim to support. We are committed to creating a diverse environment where people can be their authentic selves, where their experiences and opinions are valued, and we are all open to learning from each other. 

As part of our team, you’ll receive a comprehensive induction and access to learning and development opportunities relevant to your role, supporting your ongoing growth. 

You’ll have the essentials of: 

• Proven experience of developing and managing Alternative Provision, SEMH, or education-focused services
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and risk management within education/youth settings
• Experience of building partnerships with schools, commissioners, and external agencies
• Leadership experience, including managing and supporting teams
• Knowledge of EBSA, SEMH and attendance challenges affecting young people
• Ability to plan, deliver and monitor services that achieve measurable outcomes

Please let us know if we can support you with any reasonable adjustments at any point prior to, during or after the selection process, such as access arrangements, flexible working, or a suitable place to pray.

Interested?.. We’d love to hear from you 

We’d be happy to have an informal discussion and answer any immediate questions you might have.

Role Terms

Salary: Band G £40,270 to £47,828 per annum, full time equivalent (based on 37.5 hours per week all year)
Hours: 30 to 37.5 hours per week - happy to talk flexible working. We are happy to consider all year or term-time only plus 2-4 weeks, please let us know your interest.
Place of Work: Hybrid – Southampton base with opportunity for remote working
Contract: Initial 12-month fixed term (reviewed at the end of term linked to role success)
Essential Car User: No - The postholder must be able to travel across Southampton and Hampshire services

Our recruitment timeline:

• Applications close: 9am on Monday 6th October 2025
• Final stage selection and interview: Week commencing 13th October 2025

To apply for this role, please refer to the Head of Alternative Provision Applicant Pack and submit your CV and cover letter, outlining your motivation for applying and your relevant experience, qualifications and achievements. 

Benefits Advisor
Salary £27,000 FTE,  17.5 - 21 hours per week, 6.6 weeks holiday   
Remote working with occasional travel for events and meetings in West Sussex
 

Are you a skilled benefits advisor with a passion for maximising income for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities?  

We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join a rapidly growing caring charity with the benefits of flexible family friendly working (from home), generous holiday, pension scheme, travel expenses, laptop and phone provided.  

Reaching Families was established in 2008 to empower, inform and support parent-carers and families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in West Sussex.  We achieve this through the delivery of our services providing information, training and peer support.

Our Benefits Advice Service provides support to parents of children and young people with SEND in West Sussex applying for Carer’s Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and Personal Independent Payments (PIP).  Offering 1-2-1 advice sessions on the above benefits, support with claim checking of draft applications, information resources on benefits and other sources of financial support, and training workshops on DLA, PIP and Universal Credit.

We are looking to recruit a skilled and motivated benefits advisor to join our team
The post holder will be responsible for the delivery of advice and guidance on Carers Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment to parent-carers of children and young people with SEND in West Sussex.

Person Specification (essential):
• Proven experience of providing welfare and benefits advice preferably gained with either children or adults with disabilities
• Experience of using CRM databases 
• Experience of using MS Office including SharePoint
• Understanding of challenges facing parents and carers of children with SEND 
• In-depth knowledge of Carers Allowance, DLA and PIP)
• Passionate about improving the life chances of children with SEND and their parents/carers, and families
See attached job description for details and full criteria 

We welcome applications from all members of the community and value diversity in the organisation. Please contact us if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to the application or interview process due to any disability or health requirements. 

Closing date for applications is 6th October 2025 

Interviews to be held in Littlehampton on 16th October 2025 

To apply please complete the attached application form and share why you feel you fit the role and person specification (see attached documents) 

We are recruiting for a Refuge Worker to join our team in Barking & Dagenham; the scope on this job involves….

Job Title: Refuge Worker

Location: Barking & Dagenham
Salary: £25,971.41 per annum
Contract type: Part-time, Permanent

Hours: 33.75

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 Refuge Worker to provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and their children living in our refuges.

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 20 October 2025

Interview date: 29 October 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.

Circa £42,000 per annum

Fixed term (3-9 months)

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 Soccer Aid for UNICEF Talent Manager.

The Soccer Aid for UNICEF Talent Manager supports the development and implementation of the Soccer Aid for UNICEF campaign, recruiting, developing and managing celebrity support to allow the Soccer Aid for UNICEF talent team to scale up and maximise talent support across all elements of the campaign. This includes support across fundraising, extra programming, social media and appeal films.

The candidate will have experience of working in a celebrity environment – including long-term relationship management and a strong understanding of risk management. They will also have experience of supporting complex cross-organisational projects dealing with a number of stakeholders, preferably a broadcast / televised project.

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

Closing date: 9am, Friday 10 October 2025.

Interview date: Thursday 23 October 2025 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 anticipate most colleagues will work one or two days a week in the office on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London 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)

LGBT Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) Birmingham & West Midlands.

Full-time 37 hours per week.

Birmingham LGBT is seeking to recruit a full-time LGBT IDVA covering Birmingham and the West Midlands to ensure that LGBT victims/survivors of domestic violence have access to an IDVA who will offer support, signposting, advocacy, risk management and safety planning.

We recognise the importance and advantages of diverse workplaces and communities, and we acknowledge under-representation in our workforce of Black, Asian and global majority people; people with a Romany or Irish Traveller background, and people with lived experience of migration. We particularly welcome applicants from those backgrounds, identities and lived experiences

The successful applicant will join a motivated and enthusiastic team based at the Birmingham LGBT Centre in central Birmingham.

Salary: £27,506 per year, plus up to 5% matched pension contributions.

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week, with some evening and Saturday work;

Annual Leave entitlement: 25 days.

Two-year, fixed-term contract, may be extended subject to funding.

Birmingham LGBT is an equal opportunities employer.

Closing date for applications is 5pm on Tuesday 28th October 2025.

Applications should be sent by email 

Applications will be reviewed anonymously and candidates selected for interview will be invited shortly after the closing date.

Download an application pack from our website. 

For more details or an informal chat about this vacancy, please phone us and ask for your contact details to be passed on to Steph Keeble, Director.
 

Main Duties

 ·Provide independent advocacy and support to LGBT survivors of domestic violence.

·Work with survivors from the point of crisis and offer intensive support to help ensure short-term and long-term safety.

·Maintain multi-agency links and partnerships through protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of survivors of domestic violence.

·Empower service users by providing them with emotional and practical support, thus enabling them to access their rights, empowering them to make decisions and increasing their life options.

·Inform survivors of full range of civil, criminal and practical options that might increase their safety.

Casework Management

·To advise and support LGBT survivors of domestic violence.

·To undertake advocacy casework, working with survivors following an initial assessment of their needs, working within a structured key-working relationship.

·To provide one-to-one-emotional, practical, legal and advocacy support to survivors through the development of an individual support plan, including risk assessments, safety planning and assistance in accessing other relevant services such as the police, counselling, housing, and legal services.

·To support LGBT survivors of domestic violence who are going through the criminal justice system.

·To develop and maintain good working relationships and links with other agencies, referring service users to appropriate specialist agencies where necessary as part of a support plan and in consultation with them.

·To ensure that any issues in relation to child or adult protection concerns are responded to in line with Birmingham LGBT’s policies and are brought to the immediate attention of the line manager.

·To deliver training on LGBT domestic violence.

·To work within Birmingham LGBT’s policies and procedures.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Information Management

·To participate in the collection and maintenance of information on relevant referral agencies and local services.

·To ensure high quality and effective statistical monitoring is undertaken at all times in accordance with Birmingham LGBT’s procedures.

·To produce monitoring reports as requested by the Office of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.

·To maintain accurate, confidential service-user records of contact details and interventions, ensuring that personal information is up-to-date and that it is kept secure and confidential at all times in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Birmingham LGBT’s procedures.

·To ensure that feedback from service users and agencies is actively sought to inform the continuous improvement and development of the service.

Professional Development and Training

·To keep up-to-date with developments in legislation, policy and local and national government initiatives that address domestic violence.

·To attend and prepare for regular meetings with the line manager and to participate in individual appraisals in accordance with Birmingham LGBT’s policies and procedures.

·To attend internal or external training events, meetings or forums, as requested by the line manager and in line with the post-holder’s professional development plan.

·To attend regular team meetings.

·To carry out other duties as may from time to time be reasonably required by the line manager.

·To support colleagues with general duties at the Birmingham LGBT Centre.

Are you passionate about offering boys and men the best start in life by providing support to young fathers and families? This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a specialist and dynamic charity providing emotional and practical support to boys and men. We are looking to recruit Project Coordinator(s) (Fathers team) you will be responsible for delivering a range of services supporting Future Men’s work with fathers. The post holder will alongisde direct work with fathers support the Senior Leadership Team with formulating a strategy for developing work with fathers across localities, in line with FM’s vision, mission and values and Business Plan. A key element will be to support new developments, identify best practice in work with fathers and embed these in current services.

This full-time permanent role is based in south London and work alongside statutory services.

At Future Men, through our practice-led services, we work with boys and men from childhood through to Fatherhood, to help them become healthy, dynamic, future men. From structured school programmes and youth hubs, to individual one-to-one sessions and outreach work, we provide the vital support and advocacy that changes boys and young men’s lives for the better. We focus our work with boys and men who face structural discrimination and disadvantage, including of race, income, and community.

Location: Hybrid, Old Street, London
Department: Policy, Campaigns and Youth
Salary: £46,864 per annum
Hours: 34.5 hours per week
Contract Type: Fixed-term contract until end of June 2026

Plan International UK is a global children’s charity striving for an equal world. One where every child can reach their full potential and every girl can choose her own future.

We bring people together to protect children’s rights and keep girls safe, in school and in control of their bodies – even when disaster strikes. And we won’t stop until we are all equal.

Are you passionate about advancing girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) globally? Are you ready to make an immediate impact by influencing the UK Government and working with civil society and young people for greater change? Our policy and advocacy work is at a critical stage as we defend and advance girls’ rights in the face of global rollback.

We’re looking for an SRHR Policy and Advocacy Adviser (up to the end of June 2026) to play a key role in the final phase of a donor-funded programme as part of the Countdown 2030 Europe network. In this short but high-impact role, you will help deliver key influencing opportunities on the UK Government’s commitments to SRHR, while maintaining influential relationships across government, Parliament and civil society. You’ll also lead political influencing on major advocacy moments — including the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) and the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) — in meaningful partnership with young people.

In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with a fellow SRHR Policy and Advocacy Adviser and the Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager, combining strengths to maximise our influence and deliver real impact for girls’ rights.

As part of our dynamic Policy, Campaigns and Youth team, you’ll work collaboratively across Plan International UK and with our federation partners to ensure our influencing strategies remain credible, evidence-based, and rooted in feminist, anti-racist and decolonial approaches.

You’ll bring strong policy and advocacy experience, ideally with a track record of shaping UK Government policy and working on SRHR. Confident in building and managing high-level relationships, including with senior government officials, you’ll be quick to apply your expertise in producing persuasive policy positions and communications. You’ll also be a champion for youth-centred influencing, supporting young people to engage meaningfully in global advocacy spaces.

Experience of working within the UN system and knowledge of SRHR multilateral financing mechanisms would be an advantage.

You’ll be committed to Plan International UK’s positions and approach on promoting gender equality, diversity and inclusion and anti-racism and integrating this into all aspects of our work.

Please note: availability to travel to New York and prepare and follow-up activities on the Commission on Population and Development is essential (30 March – 24 April 2026).

We aim to provide an inclusive, friendly and supportive environment, where our values and purpose are at the heart of everything we do.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on 5 October 2025
First Round Interviews are scheduled for: 30 - 31 October 2025
Second Round Interviews are scheduled for: 5 – 6 November 2025

We are committed to the safeguarding and protection of children, young people and adults in our work. We, therefore, apply rigorous recruitment and selection processes to ensure that only those who are suitable are recruited to work for us. Accordingly, appointment to all our roles is subject to a range of vetting checks and for this role this will include an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check and a check of the Children’s Barred List. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working for us; this will depend on the circumstances of any offences.

Plan International UK is committed to being an inclusive employer and we welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

REF-223 924

Location: Hybrid, Old Street, London
Department: Policy, Campaigns and Youth
Salary: £28,525 per annum (i.e. pro-rata to full time equivalent of £46,864 per annum)
Hours: 21 hours per week
Contract Type: Fixed-term for two years

Plan International UK is a global children’s charity striving for an equal world. One where every child can reach their full potential and every girl can choose her own future.

We bring people together to protect children’s rights and keep girls safe, in school and in control of their bodies – even when disaster strikes. And we won’t stop until we are all equal.

In a fast-changing global context, Plan International is seeking to build its ability to strategically influence World Bank policy and practice on issues relevant to furthering gender equality and girls’ rights. This new role offers an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of this work, liaising with colleagues across the Plan International family and partner organisations to develop credible policy positions, design an impactful advocacy strategy and deliver meaningful dialogue and engagement.

You will bring your knowledge and understanding of World Bank policy and practice and wider current aid and development finance issues, along with strong analytical skills and significant advocacy experience. You will enjoy identifying opportunities to advocate for change and working with multiple stakeholders to create impact.

You will work closely with our international programmes team and policy and advocacy team, as well as colleagues in Plan offices around the world. The role will involve international travel several times a year to support engagement with World Bank stakeholders.

You will be solutions-oriented with an ability to work independently. You will be committed to Plan International UK’s positions and approach on promoting gender equality, diversity and inclusion and anti-racism and integrating this into our work.

As a part-time role this will suit someone looking to balance this role with other professional or personal responsibilities.

We aim to provide an inclusive, friendly and supportive environment, where our values and purpose are at the heart of everything we do.

Please note that this is a UK-based role and we are unable to offer international contracts.

Please note, this role is not eligible for sponsorship and therefore we are unable to provide sponsorship for this role.

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 12 October 2025
Interviews will take place on Friday 24 October 2025

We are committed to the safeguarding and protection of children, young people and adults in our work. We, therefore, apply rigorous recruitment and selection processes to ensure that only those who are suitable are recruited to work for us. Accordingly, appointment to all our roles is subject to a range of vetting checks and for this role this will include a Basic Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working for us; this will depend on the circumstances of any offences.

Plan International UK is committed to being an inclusive employer and we welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

REF-224 168

We are recruiting for a Refuge Worker to join our team in Southwark; the scope on this job involves….

Job Title: Refuge Worker

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

Hours: 37.5

We are looking for a Refuge Worker to provide specialist, high-quality support to women and children escaping domestic abuse. Based in Southwark, London, this role involves delivering practical and emotional support to survivors, ensuring their safety, and helping them rebuild their lives. Working 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, you will create a safe and welcoming environment in line with Refuge’s values and commitment to ending violence against women and girls.

As a Refuge Worker, you will support women through crisis, providing keywork sessions, safety planning, and advocacy. You will assist with accessing housing, welfare, legal support, and other essential services while maintaining accurate case records. You will also play a vital role in ensuring the effective operation of the refuge, managing referrals, and working collaboratively with partner agencies. The ideal candidate will be a compassionate and resilient individual with strong communication and organisational skills. While experience in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector is beneficial, we also welcome applications from those with transferable skills and a commitment to supporting survivors. Above all, we value individuals who are dedicated to making a difference, thrive in an inclusive environment, and are committed to their own personal development while supporting others.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause while developing valuable frontline support and advocacy experience. Refuge offers ongoing training, professional development, and a comprehensive benefits package, ensuring that our staff are valued and supported in their roles. If you are passionate about empowering survivors and want to be part of a dedicated, compassionate organisation, we encourage you to apply.

Closing date: 9.00am on 15 October 2025

Interview date: 29 October 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.

At Ambitious about Autism, we're currently looking for a Youth Engagement Officer – Autistic and OK to join our team on a 2 year fixed term contract.

The Youth Engagement Officer will play a central role in ensuring autistic young people are meaningfully involved in shaping and delivering the next phase of the Autistic and OK programme. You will support the co-design and development of new peer-led workshops for the schools toolkit and developing resources for a whole school approach, collaborating with colleagues in the Participation team and a diverse group of autistic young people.

You will coordinate the recruitment, induction and ongoing support of our autistic programme ambassadors ensuring that their contributions are valued, inclusive and impactful. The role will involve facilitating engagement sessions and workshops with autistic young people, enabling them to co-produce programme content and participate in media, advocacy and public engagement opportunities.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Considerable experience in youth work, participation, community engagement, or a related field.
• Experience of working directly with young people, particularly neurodivergent young people, and facilitating their meaningful involvement in projects, workshops or campaigns, including both in-person and online formats.
• Proven experience of co-design or co-production with young people, with a strong understanding of inclusive and accessible facilitation practices.
• Understanding of autism and the barriers that autistic young people may face in education and participation settings.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

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 maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment 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.

Cure Parkinson's Research Engagement Manager is responsible for ensuring that the lived experience and perspective of people with Parkinson’s (PwP) is embedded across our research activities. The role includes managing our international Research Advocates Council and supporting public and patient involvement and engagement (PPIE) initiatives. This is an exciting time to join the team as we develop our PPIE strategy and build on our expert voice, helping to drive scientific discovery forward and bring us closer to a cure.

As our Research Engagement Manager you will have experience of supporting or leading PPIE in research, ideally in health or clinical trials, along with experience of working in a patient facing role, including with diverse and underrepresented communities.

At Ambitious about Autism, we stand with autistic children and young people. Our Time for Ambition strategy envisions a world where every autistic young person can be themselves and realise their goals. Yet too often, they face misunderstanding, isolation, and poor mental health at school — with exclusions for autistic children tripling in the past decade.

In 2022, with support from Zurich UK and the Zurich Foundation, we launched Autistic and OK – a pioneering programme empowering autistic pupils to understand themselves, take control of their wellbeing, and feel supported in education. We're now entering Phase 2, expanding the programme to more schools, colleges, and communities across the UK.

We're seeking a Schools Engagement Officer to play a vital role in making this next chapter a success. As a delivery focused role, you will provide hands-on support to schools implementing the Autistic and OK Schools Toolkit.  You will coordinate activities for the piloting of our new Whole School Approach and ensure feedback from schools is captured and shared with the wider team. You will also contribute to dissemination activities, helping to raise awareness of the programme and demonstrate its impact.

About the Role:
As part of the delivery team, you'll:

• Support schools to implement our Autistic and OK Toolkit.
• Coordinate pilot activities for our new Whole School Approach.
• Act as the first point of contact for schools, offering practical advice and support.
• Gather feedback and stories from schools to showcase the programme's impact.
• Work alongside our Youth Engagement Officer to ensure autistic young people's voices shape everything we do.

About You:

• Experience of working in or with schools, colleges, or the wider education sector.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Great communication skills, with confidence engaging teachers, leaders, and young people.
• A genuine passion for inclusion and improving outcomes for autistic young people.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

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 maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment 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.

Role purpose

RISE strives for a world where people can lead safe, purposeful lives as a result of better relationships within families and communities; where harmful behaviour is marginalised and fewer people are victims of crime. In order to create safe communities, RISE empowers people to break their cycle of harmful behaviour. RISE’s programmes challenge attitudes and facilitate long-lasting behaviour change and are driven by the belief that people can make better decisions, given the right support. RISE are specialists in designing and delivering evidence-based, transformative behaviour change courses within the criminal justice system and wider community.

With the main objectives of reducing re-victimisation and reoffending, and helping to protect the public, the RISE practitioner will deliver a range intervention (individual and group), both in the community and in custody.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide a high-quality service to victims of domestic abuse, delivering a service to those at risk;
• Work collaboratively within a multi - agency framework consisting of the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARAC) and local partnership responses to domestic abuse;
• Identify and assess the risks and needs of domestic abuse victims using an evidence-based risk identification checklist.
• Focus on and prioritise high risk cases and provide a pro-active service through individual safety planning and personal support. 
• Work with victims of domestic abuse at all levels of risk to help them access services to keep them and their children safe.
• Liaise with Social Services and other professional agencies in relation to any child protection/ adult safeguarding risk issues highlighted;
• To ensure that any issues in relation to safeguarding children or vulnerable adults are brought to the immediate attention of the Safeguarding lead (or whoever is relevant).
• Maintain high standards of professionalism and keep abreast of current legislation, best practice and maintain a focus of continuous improvement;
• Work with victims of domestic abuse to help them access services to keep them and their children safe;
• Understand the role of all relevant statutory and non-statutory services available to domestic abuse victims, and work collaboratively with these as appropriate;
• Provide advocacy, emotional and practical support, and information to victims in relation to legal options, housing, health and finance;
• To record case work accurately and ensure administration of caseload is always up to date.
• To communicate internally within RISE, with victims and with partner agencies about the risks and needs of victims.
• To attend regular case review meetings with the DA Team Leader and Practitioners to share information around the identified risks.
• Manage a caseload of 60-70 service users ensuring each client receives a timely and appropriate service, individual to their needs;
• Support the empowerment of the client, and assist them in recognising the features and dynamics of domestic abuse, and help them regain control of their lives;
• Maintain knowledge of the organisation’s operating environment;
• Demonstrate and maintain a commitment to the organisation’s vision and values, strategic aims and objectives.
• To attend and participate in any and all internal and external training identified as necessary to meet the requirements of the role as identified by Rise Mutual CIC.

Main Duties:

• Establish timely contact with Victim/ Survivors of domestic abuse perpetrators who are referred to attend a DVPP,
• Carry out assessments with the Victim/ Survivors via telephone contact or community visit, using the Safe Lives DASH risk assessment tool;
• Carry out detailed safety planning with Victim/ Survivors;
• Manage risk by being pro-active with Victim/ Survivors, sharing information with other relevant agencies in a timely way.
• Refer and/or signpost Victim/ Survivors to other services/agencies to meet risk/wellbeing needs;
• Ensure Victim/ Survivors can access a place of safety e.g. refuge, if risk escalates to a dangerous/unsafe level;
• Maintain Victim/ Survivors contact and continuously monitor risk by keeping up with all available information while the perpetrator attends the programme;
• Attendance at Social Services Conferences (if appropriate), Risk Meetings and MARAC, advising on any safety planning for any risk issues highlighted;
• Undertake an end of case review, signposting Victim/ Survivors to external agencies for ongoing support where appropriate;
• To maintain up to date Victim/ Survivors records to ensure data is collated for all work completed.
• To offer 100% of Victim/ Survivors to complete service user feedback;

Confidentiality and Information Security

• To adhere to the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts and comply with the terms of RISE’s Privacy, IT and Data protection policies, and that of our partners where relevant
• To comply with security measures in accordance with RISE policies and our partner’s E-mail and Internet use.

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

• RISE is committed to keeping children and vulnerable adults safe. Post holders with direct service user contact are responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and vulnerable adults s/he is responsible for or comes into contact with. Post holders without direct service user contact have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.

Other duties:

• Undertake other duties as may be required which are commensurate with the grade and nature of the post.
• Cover for other posts as appropriate, and willingness to be trained in new interventions.

Person specification:

Experience

• Have experience of giving or undertaking advice, advocacy, counselling or casework within a domestic abuse setting;
• Have experience using an evidence based risk identification check list as a tool to aid risk identification and management for Victim/ Survivors of domestic abuse, as well as an understanding of the limitations of such tools.
• Have experience of working with people who have had to deal with difficult emotional incidents or events using a trauma informed approach;
• Possess good organisational skills with the ability to work methodically and accurately whilst meeting deadlines;
• Have experience of liaising with a range of professionals and agencies;
• Have experience of timely preparation of reports on behalf of users; preparing reports and submissions to statutory or professional bodies;
• Experience of case management and record keeping;
• Experience of delivering programmes/training and/or the willingness to be trained;

Skills​

• To work on own initiative and as part of a team without close supervision;
• To maintain professionalism when dealing with cases, which may be stressful and demanding;
• To work effectively under pressure including prioritising workload and meeting deadlines;
• To demonstrate empathy for the issues and barriers, faced by Victim/ Survivors and their families;
• To respond positively to change;
• To communicate with vulnerable clients;
• To communicate with external organisation professionals;
• To have excellent written communication skills to write reports;
• Proven communication and Interpersonal skills (both verbal and written).

Knowledge

• Proficiency in the use of case management databases to accurately record Victim/ Survivors information;
• Proficiency in MS Office skills (MS Word, Excel) to intermediate level and experience of using such skills in a busy office environment;
• Have an IDVA qualification or equivalent (Desirable).

Job Title: Domestic Abuse Helpline IDVA (Domestic Abuse Helpline Independant domestic violence advocate)

Location: Warwickshire 
Salary: £25,857.12 per annum
Contract type: Full Time, Fixed Term (Until 30 September 2026)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Domestic Abuse Helpline IDVA, supporting survivors of domestic abuse and their children, from the point of crisis, providing high quality independent advocacy and support.

Referrals to the Warwickshire Domestic Violence and Abuse Service (DVSW) will come via a single-point-of-access Freephone telephone number, or email, from professionals on behalf of victim survivors and victim-survivors who want to self-refer. Referrals can come through any agency, or self-referral, and pathways are well established with all local statutory and support services including the police, social care, housing, health, education, mental health, drug and alcohol services and the voluntary sector. The DVSW service will accept referrals for any survivor living in Warwickshire, at any level of risk, on a needs-led basis.

The Helpline IDVA will work closely with Refuge’s community outreach service support workers, the MARAC team, deputy managers, and the refuge accommodation team.  Refuge’s deputy manager for the community outreach will manage the helpline worker alongside the outreach workers, taking overall responsibility for monitoring, reporting, and meeting outcomes across the community outreach support service.

The Helpline IDVA’s post is an exciting opportunity to work in a collaborative way across all referring agencies and therefore it is an important aspect of this job that the post holder has experience of working collaboratively with a range of other agencies.

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 23 October 2025

Interview Date: 31 October 2025