Children and young people manager jobs

About Spear

We launched the award-winning Spear Programme over 20 years ago, and there are now 18 Spear Centres across the country, equipping unemployed 16–24-year-olds facing barriers to employment with the skills and mindset they need to secure work and thrive in the workplace.

About the role

This is an exciting role within Spear’s programme delivery team, leading and inspiring Centre Managers across a region to deliver high-quality coaching and strong outcomes for young people. The role combines line management, performance oversight and contributing to the ongoing development of Spear’s coaching culture and curriculum. It’s a great opportunity for an experienced coach and people manager to shape delivery and help more young people move into education, employment, or training.

Key information:

• Salary: from £36,000 dependant on location
• Location: London/South of England or West of England
• Full-time, Permanent
• 28 days annual leave (including Christmas gift days) plus bank holidays (pro rata)
• Regular staff prayer meetings, conferences and retreats (one residential)
• Closing date: Friday 10th August (We interview on a rolling basis and will close the role early if we find the right candidate)

We are an office-based organisation, working face-to-face with the trainees and value the collaboration and opportunities to work creatively and build community that this offers us. There is an expectation of travel and of spending time in the centres where the Programme Manager has oversight.

For more information please read through our Job Specification and Work with Us Pack.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Person Specification

• A practising Christian, passionate about personally representing the values and beliefs of Spear, and our mission to equip and support young people facing barriers to employment
• Excellent all-round coaching ability, with extensive coaching experience in group and 1-1 facilitation and/or other relevant transferable skills
• Highly experienced in line management and holding responsibility for others’ professional development and wellbeing
• Effective interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence, with the ability to relate confidently to church partners as well as a range of audiences, internally and externally
• Self-motivated forward planner who exercises initiative, with the ability to prioritise workload, including working well under pressure
• Good IT skills, with a working knowledge of Salesforce and Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint

Lead a space that changes young people’s lives

We’re looking for a bold, strategic and hands-on leader to take ownership of our Middlesbrough Hub — a vital community space supporting young people facing real barriers to opportunity.

As Hub Manager, you won’t just run a service. You’ll shape a high-impact environment, design programmes that change lives, and build partnerships that open doors for young people who need it most.

What you’ll do

As Hub Manager, you will:

• Lead and develop the hub as a high-impact community asset, responding directly to local needs of young people.
• Design and deliver programmes that support young people’s physical, emotional and social development, using youth voice to shape provision.
• Build strong local partnerships with organisations, funders and community stakeholders
• Drive impact and sustainability, using data, insight and storytelling to evidence change and secure future financial support
• Lead and inspire a team, creating a positive, accountable and high-performing culture
• Oversee operations, including budget management, facilities, safeguarding and compliance

You will play a critical role in ensuring the hub not only delivers for young people today — but is built to sustain and grow its impact over time.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll bring:

• Strong experience leading youth, community or place-based programmes
• The ability to turn strategy into reality
• A track record of building partnerships and influencing stakeholders
• Confidence in leading teams, driving confidence and performance
• A clear commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and young people’s outcomes

Most of all, you’ll be someone who sees potential — in people, in places, and in what’s possible

Why join us?

At the KFC Youth Foundation, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to thrive. This role offers the chance to:

• Lead a high-profile, purpose-driven community hub
• Shape innovative programmes that respond to real need
• Work as part of a mission-led organisation with national reach and growing impact
• Be part of a team committed to creating lasting change for young people

Benefits

• 28 days’ holiday + bank holidays
• Up to 9% employer pension contribution
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Private medical cover
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Ongoing training and development

Apply now

If you’re ready to lead a hub that makes a real difference — and help shape the future for young people in Middlesbrough — we’d love to hear from you. 

Interviews

This is a two stage interview process.

For Stage 1, this will focus on your experience, leadership style and approach to delivering impact.

You can expect:

• A structured interview with key stakeholders
• Questions exploring your experience in programme design, partnerships, leadership and safeguarding
• An opportunity to talk through how you would approach leading and developing the Hub
• Space for you to ask questions about the role and organisation

Please ensure you can be available for first round interviews online w/c 6th July

For Stage 2, This stage is designed to reflect the reality of the role and how you operate in a live environment.

You will be asked to:

• Deliver a short practical session or activity with young people, demonstrating your ability to engage, communicate and create a safe, inclusive environment
• Complete a scenario-based exercise or presentation linked to hub leadership, programme design or local impact
• Take part in a follow-up discussion with the panel, reflecting on your approach and decisions

This stage allows us to see how you balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, and how you connect with young people — a critical part of the role.

Second stage interviews will be held 4-6pm on either Monday 14thJuly, Tuesday 15th July, Friday 17th July in person and you must be available for one of these dates.

We are looking for a motivated and forward-thinking Operations Manager to lead our Victim Support Services across Warwickshire. This role is to provide maternity cover for a period of 12 months.

It is currently home based with an expectation to work from different office bases alongside team members when required as well as regular travel across Warwickshire to attend a range of in-person multi-agency operational and strategic meetings.

What we offer

At Victim Support, we are committed to attracting and retaining the best talent. Our competitive rewards and benefits package includes:

• Flexible Working Options: Including hybrid working.
• Generous Annual Leave: 28 days plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 33 days plus Bank Holidays, with options to buy or sell annual leave.
• Birthday Leave: An extra day off for your birthday.
• Pension Plan: 5% employer contribution.
• Enhanced Allowances: Enhanced sick pay, maternity, and paternity payments.
• Exclusive Discounts: High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment, and leisure discounts.
• Financial Wellbeing: Access to our financial wellbeing hub and salary-deducted finance.
• Wellbeing Support: Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support.
• Inclusive Networks: Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes.
• Sustainable Travel: Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans.
• Career Development: Ongoing training and support with opportunities for career progression.

About the Role

As an Operations Manager you will lead and manage the delivery of victim services supporting adults, children and young people, including specialist DA support for children and our Restorative Justice team. You will ensure the provision of high-quality services, as well as compliance with contractual and organisational standards, and supporting the Area Manager to identify opportunities for service development.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and monitor service performance KPIs and business plans.
• Lead and support your team through effective recruitment, training and performance management.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key external partners and stakeholders.
• Analyse data and produce reports to inform service improvements.
• Support strategic projects and represent Victim Support externally as required.

The role includes an additional £2,000 allowance for managing multiple service types or specialist services with distinct funding streams.

About You

Ideally, you will be someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, confidently managing a busy workload while building strong relationships with partner agencies. You'll bring proven leadership experience and a talent for inspiring others, along with the ability to drive positive change and make a real impact.

We are looking for someone with a strong understanding of government policy relating to victims and the Criminal Justice System, and an awareness of the impact crime has on victims and witnesses. You will share our commitment to organisational values, equality, inclusion, and a shared sense of purpose in everything we do.

You will need:

• Understanding of voluntary and statutory agencies in criminal justice, health and social care.
• Strong safeguarding knowledge and practice.
• Ability to analyse data and produce clear, evidence-based reports.
• Awareness of the impact of crime of people of all ages including children and young people.
• Experience of working directly with adults, children and young people.

This role involves regular travel and due to the location, a driving license and access to a vehicle is considered an essential requirement. If you are unable to drive because of a disability, please indicate this in your application in your personal statement so we can explore the feasibility of alternative arrangements.

About Us

Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. We put them at the heart of our organisation and our support and campaigns are informed and shaped by them and their experiences.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

At Victim Support, we're proud to celebrate diversity and create a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We're committed to being an antiracist organisation, and we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from Black and Asian and other minoritised communities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet all essential criteria for a job where it is practicable to do so. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment and selection process.

How to apply

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.

Job Title: Strategic Partnerships Manager

Salary: £21,000 to £27,000 per annum (pro-rata of full time equivalent £35,000 to £45,000)

Team: Transformation Team

Hours: Part Time, 22.5 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Christopher's, Guildford, Surrey, 1LP GU3

About the role

Your key purpose will be to build connections and manage relationships with organisations and policy makers, both at local level and across Integrated Care Systems. Working alongside partners and colleagues, you will engage with the communities we serve. To support our vision focused on ensuring every family gets the right support at the right time. You will undertake tailored engagement and communications to promote awareness of the hospice throughout our strategic partners. Supporting stakeholder forums and communities or practice to provide connections between organisations, services and practitioners.

Your role and activities will champion and support innovation, inclusion and excellence at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices. Embodying out values of respect, integrity and professionalism.

Please note - you will need to travel throughout Surrey, South West London and North West London, within the areas that Shooting Star Children’s Hospices serves. You must be able and willing to get to and work in both hospice locations. You should be prepared to attend meetings in different parts of the country. Some meetings may be during evenings or weekends.

About you

This role requires experience of systems relationship development and collaboration, with an understanding of soft systems methodology. You will have experience of community engagement, with understanding of health inequalities. You will be an effective communicator with experience of presenting information to a variety of sectors and practitioners.

Please see the attached job description for more information about this opportunity at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

What we offer

In return you will receive a competitive salary along with a range of benefits, which include:

Pension scheme

• NHS Pension Scheme (for eligible employees) or our stakeholder pension scheme, with up to 7% employer contributions

Annual leave

• 27 days plus Bank Holidays rising with length of service
• 2 weeks paid sabbatical leave after 5, 10 and 15 years’ service

Contractual benefits

• Generous sick pay scheme
• Enhanced maternity, adoption, and paternity leave pay
• Flexible working arrangements
• Death in service benefits
• Reimbursed professional membership fees
• Eye care
• Employee referral scheme
• Blue Light discount card

Health and wellbeing

• Employee Assistance Programme
• Occupational Health
• Mindfulness sessions
• Mental Health First Aiders

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff to share this commitment. Also, we are committed to equal opportunities and consider all applicants to be in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and a DBS check.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices is committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that getting things right is critical for us to live our organisation’s values: Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence.

We are always trying to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. Our vision is for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices to be a place where people of all backgrounds, groups and communities feel welcomed to work and volunteer.

Please contact Nicola Wood, [email protected] or +441483983784 (internal ext 1040) if you have any questions about this role.

Anticipated Closing Date: 29/05/2026

Interview Date: 12/06/2026

Please note that vacancies may close at any time once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We therefore recommend submitting your application as early as possible.

Job Title: Assistant Shop Manager (Maternity Cover)

Salary: £15,736 per annum (pro-rata of full time equivalent £26,227)

Team: Knaphill

Hours: Part Time, 22.5 hours per week

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Location: Knaphill Shop,2PP GU21

About the role

Your key purpose will be to support, and in the absence of the Shop Manager, lead a team of volunteers to maximise sales and deliver excellent customer service. You will also ensure the shop premises and assets are maintained to a high standard, in line with legal requirements and Shooting Star Children’s Hospices (SSCH) policies and procedures.

About you

You will be a proactive and organised team player, confident in supporting, and in the absence of the Shop Manager, leading a team of volunteers. With a strong focus on customer service, you will be comfortable dealing with enquiries and resolving issues professionally, while creating a welcoming and positive environment for both customers and volunteers. You will have the ability to plan and prioritise tasks effectively, including coordinating rotas, delegating responsibilities, and ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the shop.

You will bring a keen eye for detail and a commercial mindset, with experience or an interest in merchandising, stock management, and sales performance. You will be confident making decisions on pricing, product suitability, and display to maximise income. Working collaboratively with a wide range of internal teams and stakeholders, you will communicate effectively and contribute to achieving shared goals. Enthusiastic and adaptable, you will take pride in maintaining high standards across all areas of the shop, ensuring compliance with policies, procedures, and legal requirements.

Please see the attached job description for more information about this opportunity at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

What we offer

In return you will receive a competitive salary along with a range of benefits, which include:

Pension scheme

• NHS Pension Scheme (for eligible employees) or our stakeholder pension scheme, with up to 7% employer contributions

Annual leave

• 27 days plus Bank Holidays rising with length of service
• 2 weeks paid sabbatical leave after 5, 10 and 15 years’ service

Contractual benefits

• Generous sick pay scheme
• Enhanced maternity, adoption, and paternity leave pay
• Flexible working arrangements
• Death in service benefits
• Reimbursed professional membership fees
• Eye care
• Employee referral scheme
• Blue Light discount card

Health and wellbeing

• Employee Assistance Programme
• Occupational Health
• Mindfulness sessions
• Mental Health First Aiders

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff to share this commitment. Also, we are committed to equal opportunities and consider all applicants to be in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and a DBS check.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices is committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that getting things right is critical for us to live our organisation’s values: Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence.

We are always trying to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. Our vision is for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices to be a place where people of all backgrounds, groups and communities feel welcomed to work and volunteer.

Please contact Joe Tooze,[email protected] or 07973828895 if you have any questions about this role.

Anticipated closing Date: 23/06/2026

Interview dates: 1st and 2nd July

Please note that vacancies may close at any time once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We therefore recommend submitting your application as early as possible.

This is a hands-on role that moves between two registers: structured qualitative research with proper analytical underpinning, and fast-turnaround reactive policy work. You will need to be genuinely comfortable in both able to run a multi-month thematic publication and turn around a tight briefing or consultation response within 48-72 hours when a policy window opens.

The role will lead The Difference's qualitative research and insight function, including research workstreams tied to the Difference Schools Partnership's annual thematic priorities, and our Harmful and Abusive Behaviours (HaB) workstream convening a sector council to build a shared framework for how schools understand and respond to peer-on-peer harm. You will produce briefings, evidence submissions and publications, manage external research partners, and work with the CEO, Head of Policy and Communications team to launch research with real impact. The role reports to the Head of Policy and works closely with colleagues across Strategy, Research and Programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead The Difference's qualitative research and insight function, running research workstreams tied to annual DSP thematic priorities and emerging strands on MAT inclusion and LA working
• Design and deliver qualitative research with schools, MATs and local authorities interviews, focus groups, school visits and thematic analysis  translating findings into evidence and policy recommendations
• Lead the Harmful and Abusive Behaviours research workstream, convening a sector council, producing briefing material and managing the route from convening to publication
• Produce timely, citable evidence for policy influence  including drafting briefings, consultation responses and evidence submissions on fast turnaround
• Project manage publication cycles from scoping through to launch, working with coalition and media partners to maximise reach and tracking policy traction post-launch
• Brief, manage and integrate the outputs of external research partners where commissioned (e.g. FFT Datalab, Pro Bono Economics)
• Capture and develop case studies from DSP schools and the wider Difference network

About The Difference

• Every day, the equivalent of 5,500 children are suspended from England's schools, doubling their likelihood of being NEET by 24. The Difference is a young education charity founded to change this story through whole school inclusion. We train school leaders, carry out our own research, and turn frontline insights into policy recommendations lobbying Ofsted and the Department for Education to improve funding and support for inclusion. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030.

About You

Essential

• Dual capability across reactive and structured research : comfortable producing tight briefings on a 48–72 hour turnaround and running multi-month qualitative publications
• Experience in education research, policy research or applied social research, with examples of published, commissioned or internally-influential work
• Strong qualitative research skills : interview and focus group design, thematic coding, framework development, synthesis across multiple sources
• Persuasive writing for mixed audiences : able to write clearly and concisely for policymakers, school leaders, the press and the sector, and comfortable ghost-writing for senior colleagues
• Project management discipline : able to run multiple workstreams in parallel, manage your own deadlines, and keep colleagues and external partners on track
• Comfortable working at pace in a fast-moving environment where priorities shift as policy windows open and close : self-directed, flexible and able to make good judgement calls under pressure
• Shared values with The Difference and personal commitment to improving life outcomes for young people

Desired

• Strong working understanding of UK education policy, particularly around inclusion, exclusion, SEND, accountability and school improvement
• Confident data literacy and basic quantitative analysis : comfortable interrogating population-level datasets and translating findings into accessible policy language
• Understanding of why language matters when writing about behaviour, exclusion and vulnerability, and the ability to frame behaviour as a signal of unmet need consistently across all work
• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people
• Experience of working in or with schools, multi-academy trusts or local authorities
• Existing relationships in education research, policy or sector organisations

Please see the attached Job Description for full role details and person specification.

We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups in the charity sector. As part of our commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed with names and protected characteristics redacted.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Placement Manager to join our Business Commissioning and Placements Team. This role of Placement Manager is key to the successful management of children’s placements across school residential, neurorehabilitation and community rehabilitation services (UK and International).

You will provide centralised administrative support during a child’s placement, coordinating effective and timely communications between internal and external stakeholders from pre-admission through to discharge.

Staff benefits include, shuttle bus, and more… Read more below

This role is not open for sponsorship.

Role Requirements

• Work in collaboration with the Senior Placement Managers and multidisciplinary team to manage the child’s pathway from the time they are accepted for admission, through their care pathway and discharge.
• Work with Senior Placement Managers and Senior Business Development & Commissioning Manager to ensure the package and contract issued to funders is appropriate for the child’s needs and is regularly reviewed to ensure the care needs.
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams across school and child and family services to ensure that all clinical and contractual requirements for the child are comprehensively managed.
• Escalate complex and unresolved issues for support to ensure a positive outcome.
• Ensure the parents/guardians, multidisciplinary team are aware pre-admission and throughout the admission of the arrangements for the admission, including length of stay and discharge plans.
• Take on the lead role for discharge coordination for children and young people accessing neurorehabilitation and step-down placements. Proactively plan discharges including liaison with multiagency teams required to take over care. Where appropriate, chairing discharge planning meetings. 

For more detail, please see the Duties and Responsibilities in the candidate briefing pack.

Interview Date: Tuesday 7th and Wednesday 8th July 2026

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY – ‘How to Apply’

PLEASE NOTE: The Children's Trust Application Form MUST be completed and submitted, for your application to be considered. As part of the shortlisting process, gaps in employment will be examined and further explored during the interview process. 

Strictly no agencies, please.

As we often receive high levels of applicants for our roles, we regret that we will only be able to contact those applicants who are shortlisted for interviews. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the closing date, please assume you have not been shortlisted for an interview on this occasion.

Terms and Conditions

As a charity organisation independent of the NHS, we do not follow Agenda for Change terms and conditions. Consequently, we are unable to take into account NHS incremental dates or continuous service for salary, annual leave, or related entitlements such as absence pay at the point of recruitment. Whilst we do not directly match NHS terms, we offer a competitive salary and a range of staff benefits.

About Us

The Children’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity for children with acquired brain injury, providing expert rehabilitation, education, therapy, and care at our national specialist centre in Tadworth, and to children and their families across the UK, via our Brain Injury Community Service.

Boasting a beautiful 24-acre site in Surrey, we are located just outside of London, close to the M25 (accessible via Junction 8, A217 to Tadworth) and easily accessible via National Rail, by way of: Clapham Junction, Sutton, and Epsom.

Staff Benefits

The work we do is highly rewarding, and in addition to an attractive salary, we offer a valuable range of benefits, including our staff flexible benefits platform, on-site nursery, free eye tests, enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay, time out days for those experiencing menopause symptoms and time off for gender reassignment.

We also offer additional annual leave days for those with long service, with entitlements ranging from 35 to 41 days (including bank holidays) depending on your length of service.

Other benefits include free on-site parking; a staff shuttle service from Epsom and Sutton train stations to Tadworth Court, subsidised cafeteria, on-site staff accommodation (subject to availability), the ability to retain your NHS pension (where applicable), Teacher’s pension (where applicable) or the opportunity to join an alternative scheme, and the opportunity to develop your career in a supportive and collaborative environment.

Rehabilitation of Offenders

Many roles at The Children’s Trust are exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020) and as such, are subject to an Enhanced DBS check.  Successful applicants will be required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, which will disclose all unspent convictions and adult cautions and any spent convictions or adult cautions that would not be protected.  The exceptions to this are our retail roles within The Children’s Trust shops, which are subject to Basic DBS checks which will disclose unspent convictions or adult cautions.

Equal Opportunity Employer

To help us achieve our ambition to give children and young people with brain injury and neurodisability the opportunity to live the best life possible, we want to accurately reflect the UK’s diverse population. We want equity, diversity, and inclusion to be at the heart of everything we do, and our people, services, and culture to reflect the diverse needs of all. Through our diversity and inclusion strategy, we have made a commitment to increase the diversity of our charity and create an inclusive culture. We have networks across the organisation working to ensure that these aims are met - including an LGBTQIA2S+ group, Ethnic Diversity Group, and Spark – our broad EDI group. Read more about our EDI work here. We welcome applications from all who share our ambition regardless of background. We will strive to ensure that any reasonable adjustments are made in respect of interview and working arrangements.

Online Searches

In accordance with statutory safeguarding and child protection guidance, online searches will be conducted for shortlisted candidates before interview. The online searches will be conducted by a person who is independent of the interview and selection process and will focus on relevant information returned via searches of the candidate’s name (and variations thereof). Social media searches will be limited to professional platforms such as LinkedIn. Any concerns relating to suitability for work with children and young people will be forwarded to the interview panel, for discussion during the interview.

Service Manager 

Can you inspire and be inspired? Can you deliver great customer service? Are you looking for a chance to shine? We have fantastic opportunities for progression and development and the Freedom to nurture ideas and flair within a Framework of support to develop you.

At Barnardo's we believe in children, the funds we raise in store support the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK and now's your chance to play your part in this vital work. As well as maximising sales and profit in store you'll also ensure the very highest standards of presentation and customer services – your aim will be to make your store the best in town, for customers to visit and for your colleagues to work in.

You're an experienced people manager; you are creative and resourceful and can use this to generate customer, donor and colleague loyalty. You'll need to be well organised with great communication skills to lead your team of colleagues in store to maximise sales and profit and meet your stores targets.

In return you will work for one of the UK's largest charity retailers with benefits, including full training and development package, promotion prospects, pension and benefits.

Generating the money we need to make children's lives better is a truly fulfilling role so if you'd like to use your talent to make a positive difference then we would love to hear from you!

The full Job description and Person profile is available below. Please read this before applying to ensure that the job matches your skills and experience.

* As part of Barnardo's ongoing commitment to safeguarding, our retail recruitment process requires that successful candidates are asked to consent to a Basic criminal records check.

Interview Date: Where an interview date has been given in the advert, this will be the only date available. Please check this before proceeding with your application.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

Acorns Children’s Hospice provides specialist care and support for babies, children and young people who are life limited or life threatened. Supporting over 750 children and nearly 1,000 families annually, Acorns is a vital lifeline for families across the West Midlands and Gloucestershire during unimaginably difficult times.

Philanthropy is a core pillar of Acorns income strategy, delivering transformational income through Major Donors, high-level Family Trusts and Foundations, alongside their Celebrity Ambassador Programme.

Reporting to the Head of Philanthropy, the role will be responsible for securing gifts from high-net-worth-individuals and family foundations. Contributing to a team income target of £1.5m, you will drive the stewardship of existing relationships and cultivation of new prospects, building a robust pipeline of future supporters.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity with a clear fundraising strategy, ambitious future appeals and a compelling case for support. Working closely with senior leaders, trustees and ambassadors, the successful candidate will help inspire transformational investment in Acorns’ work while representing the organisation with professionalism, warmth and credibility.

Working arrangements: Hybrid, 2 days per week at preferred location (Birmingham, Worcester or Walsall)

As Philanthropy Manager, you will:

• Report to the Head of Philanthropy and manage a portfolio of existing (4- to 6-figure) and prospective major donors and family foundations, taking time to understand their motivations, interests and capacity to give
• Support a team major giving income target of c.£1.5m through securing five- and six-figure donations and multi-year commitments
• Shape and drive new business activity to secure new high-value prospects and strengthen the philanthropy pipeline
• Leverage networks across trustees, senior leadership and ambassadors
• Develop compelling, high-quality proposals, cases for support and tailored communications that clearly articulate Acorns’ impact and funding priorities
• Deliver an exceptional donor experience and stewardship journey, ensuring supporters feel valued, informed and inspired
• Feed into pipelines, budgets and forecasts, providing regular reporting on activity, performance against targets and KPIs
• Work collaboratively across Fundraising and the wider organisation to maximise philanthropic opportunities and supporter engagement

Essential skills and experience:

• Major donor fundraising experience is necessary to be considered for this role, with a track record of managing the full donor journey from research and identification through cultivation, solicitation and long-term stewardship
• Track record of personally securing 5-figure gifts, including some from self-generated prospects and new donor relationships
• Excellent relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to establish credibility and rapport with HNWIs and senior internal and external stakeholders
• Experience of developing and managing donor pipelines and maintaining accurate prospect plans
• Experience of writing compelling funding proposals and impact reports
• Ability to travel independently across the Acorns region
• A proactive, self-motivated and organised approach, with the confidence to represent Acorns externally and engage effectively with senior stakeholders

Desirable, but not essential:

• Experience of securing six-figure gifts from major donors and/or family foundations through relationship-led fundraising rather than application-led approaches
• Strong track record of identifying, cultivating and converting prospective donors, with experience building and developing major donor pipelines
• Experience of working with, managing or developing celebrity ambassador relationships and engagement programmes

Employee benefits include:

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• 5 days holiday buyback scheme
• 5% employer pension contribution
• Life assurance scheme (2 x annual salary)
• Retail discounts (including the Blue Light card)
• Discounted gym membership

Do a job that is amazing! 

We are looking for people with great energy and motivation to join our Short Breaks service which offers a chance for young people with an additional support needs or disability to have fun and take a break from daily routines, and helps families to enjoy quality time, local activities, and connections with others.

Our holiday and weekend activities give parents and carers a break while providing participants with a safe, welcoming space to have fun and receive the care they need. Our coordinators plan, arrange and deliver a programme of activities shaped around the needs of the young people, making the most of local opportunities, from heritage sites and outdoor adventures, to sports, arts and crafts, cooking, and team challenges. These sessions help children build friendships, grow in confidence, and express themselves in a fun, supportive space.

Family day activities bring families together to create special memories and enjoy time with others who share similar experiences. Coordinators develop and facilitate activity days which involve the whole family and provide opportunities to build friendships and connections with others. Activities take place at outdoor centres, local heritage sites and museums, as well as organised beach days and community centre-based workshops and activities.

Applicants should have relevant experience of working or volunteering with children and young people in education, health or social care, and have exceptional organisational and communication skills. 

Full and part-time positions available, and coordinators are required to work most Saturdays.  In school holiday periods, more activities take place on weekdays (instead of Saturdays), so flexibility is needed. Activities are delivered across Kent, so some travel is required.

It’s essential that applicants have their own car and preferably willing to drive a minibus (full training provided). Immediate start available.

Apply today.

We offer our employees:

· Inclusive values-based environment

· Competitive remuneration package

· Workplace pension scheme

· Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays

· Carers leave

· Opportunities for hybrid working

· Benenden Health Care

· Death in Service Benefit

· Cycle to Work Scheme

· Employee Supported Volunteering scheme

· Development opportunities

· and more

Imago is committed to Safer Recruitment practices, and the post is subject to references and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Please either submit your CV with a short covering note or visit our website for full details.

Imago recognises that many people in our society experience discrimination or lack of opportunity for reasons that are not fair. We aim to create a culture that respects and values each other’s differences, and see these differences as an asset, as they improve our ability to meet the needs of the organisations and people we work with. We proactively seek to increase opportunities for inclusion and celebrate diversity across our organisation and within communities.

Imago recognises its duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children, young people and adults at risk who access its services or with whom it comes into contact.

For over 60 years the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) has been building a better childhood for all.

Research and Policy Manager
Contract: Permanent
Work Pattern: Full Time, 35 hours per week (1.0 FTE) (We are open to flexible hours and working patterns, including accommodating part-time and compressed hours (0.8 FTE) where possible).
Salary: £44,167 per annum
Location: London Fields, E8. NCB promotes a hybrid, flexible way of working with 2 days working in the office.

The Vacancy

The Policy and Communications Manager will act as a driving force behind our visibility and impact across key policy areas, bringing lived and learned experiences to the heart of our influencing. This role will work to elevate our profile, transforming our evidence and expertise into impactful communications and influencing strategies to build a momentum for meaningful policy, legislative and social change.

This position will bridge the gap between NCB’s evidence-based policy development and national advocacy, translating complex policy issues into powerful narratives that resonate with decision-makers and galvanise wider support. The role will manage and deliver key elements of NCB’s core work across policy and communications, lead the delivery of funded projects and provide robust project management, and actively contribute to project proposals and income generation.

About NCB

For more than 60 years, the National Children’s Bureau has championed the rights and amplified the voice of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence, blending in lived and learnt experience to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families.

Bringing people and organisations together is fundamental to how we improve the systems that babies, children, young people and their families rely on to thrive. We push boundaries, even looking beyond childhood itself to consider transitions into adulthood and the impact of childhood issues on an entire lifespan. We are united for better childhoods and brighter futures.

The Benefits

• 30 Days Annual Leave
• Generous Pension Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible Working
• Winter Holiday Closure & Break
• Employee Assistance Programme

Closing date: 08:00am, Friday 10th July 2026
Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible.

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 are actively seeking to broaden the diversity of our staff group and warmly welcome applications from candidates underrepresented in the charity sector, including those from Black and Global Majority communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with lived experience of the issues NCB works on.

No agencies please.

About Us

Slade Gardens Community Play Association is a small registered charity that operates a 1.25-acre staffed adventure playground in the heart of Lambeth. Our open-access service welcomes children and young people aged 0-21, providing them with the freedom to come and go independently while enjoying a diverse and stimulating play environment designed to support exploration, creativity and development.

About the Role

This is a genuinely hands-on, hybrid role. In this small organisation, one person will carry operational playwork leadership alongside fundraising, safeguarding, finance, governance, line management and community partnership. If you’d love being out in the playground itself as much as building the plans and partnerships that keep it thriving, we would like to hear from you.

Please get in touch for the full job description, or if you have any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!

Are you enthusiastic about encouraging and supporting children, families or young people? If so, we would love to hear from you.

The Growing Younger Team is newly established in the Diocese of Salisbury, funded nationally, to develop a vision and strategy that will address and reverse the overall decline of the younger generations (0-50s) across the diocese. These are new roles within the Diocese of Salisbury, offering an exciting opportunity to deliver our bold commitment to make Jesus known in every place so that all may flourish and grow. 

As Growing Younger Advisor (Children, Families and Young People) or Growing Younger Advisor (Young People and Young Adults) you will help to embed a culture of intergenerational mission and discipleship across the Diocese, ensuring that a growing number of our younger generations encounter the love of God in Christ and live out their faith with confidence.

You will encourage, support and resource parishes in contextually appropriate ways to grow and develop sustainable ministry with either children, families and young people or young people and young adults, depending on the role you wish to apply for.

You will be someone who:

• Has significant experience and a proven track record with children or young people (preferably in ministry).
• Has a theological understanding of the faith development of children and young people.
• Is a passionate advocate for children and young people to be heard and able to fully participate in all spaces across the life of the Diocese.
• Has excellent communication and presentation skills, adaptable for a variety of levels and church traditions.
• Can manage their own workload but also works well in a team.
• Has a deep personal faith, spiritually mature, resilient, adaptable and reflective under pressure.

These roles will help to nurture courageous Christian leadership, deepen partnership between schools, churches and communities, and ensure that the voice and leadership of younger generations are at the heart of our shared life. If your heart beats faster at the thought of inspiring ministry with the next generation of disciples, cultivating a younger and more diverse church that is confident in the Gospel, and shaping the adventure of making Jesus known, we would love to hear from you. 

You can learn more about the role by following the link at the bottom of the page to our website.