Children and young people services manager jobs in hanwell, greater london

The Role:

As a member of the Work Experience team, you will play a key role in facilitating meaningful work experience placements for young people in Tower Hamlets. In this role, you'll work closely with local employers in Tower Hamlets and the City of London to support them in delivering engaging placements.

Responsibilities will include actively recruiting and onboarding new employers through phone calls, online meetings and carrying out on-site health and safety checks. In addition, you’ll support the Work Experience Manager in delivering school-based sessions, such as assemblies and Q&A drop-ins, to help prepare young people for their placements. You’ll also assist in coordinating placements at The Switch by creating schedules and supporting young people with their tasks. During delivery weeks, the team is responsible for providing responsive support to employers and schools. In case of any issues, you may be required to work from the office five days per week during these periods. 

Details:

· The role sits in the Work Experience team and reports to Work Experience Manager

· Working hours are typically 9am – 5pm Monday – Thursday, and 9am – 4pm Fridays

· Working from home (WFH) is typically 2 to 3 days a week, except on delivery weeks where you may be required to be in the office 5 days per week

· Flexibility may be required to cover meetings or deliver events outside of these hours and WFH days

· Start date end of June/early July 2025

What we offer you: 

• 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays, additional “Switch Off” Day and Christmas closure 

• Health cash-back package, including discounts on gym memberships and retail 

• Hybrid working

• Pension

• Learning and Development opportunities including Learning at Work Week activities 

• Volunteering days to spend on an activity close to your own heart.

The role of the Young Carers Programme Manager is to lead on the delivery of our employability and aspirations programming for young adult carers, to support positive transitions from education into employment. The role works in partnership with our network of local carer organisation, employers and wider sector stakeholders, to deliver an engaging and diverse programme of opportunities for young adult careers to meet with employers, experience work environments, and broaden opportunities to access careers of choice.

Our ideal candidate:

• We are looking for someone with strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities, regardless of the industry you've worked in.
• Skills such as project coordination, gained through professional roles, volunteering, or other responsibilities, will be highly valued.
• Excellent presentation skills and ability to speak engagingly in public to a range of audiences will be key.
• Knowledge and understanding of young carers issues would be beneficial, whether gained in a personal or professional capacity, such as policy and legislation affecting young carers, children, and young people generally.
• Familiarity of monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Competency in digital tools and social media which can be used to engage, promote activities and events for young people.
• Experience of delivering employability and/or skills development programmes would be beneficial.
• Demonstrated experience working with volunteers and coordinating volunteering programmes.

If this sounds like you, download the recruitment pack below to find out more about the role.

Salary: £28,000 plus London Weighting (£2,600) dependent on location

Location:Remote with frequent travel to projects in Hampshire, Berkshire and London. This includes projects in Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Havant, Portsmouth, Southampton, Slough and Reading. You can also work from FoodCycle’s office in Vauxhall, London

Hours: Full time, 37.5 hours per week

Contract: Permanent

If you love food and people, then this is the ideal job for you! We are FoodCycle, a multiple award-winning charity, with a vision to make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community.

In this role you will have the opportunity to manage and develop our community meals projects in your region. Our projects are spaces where volunteers are empowered to run their own community meals using surplus food. Our guests can look forward to a hearty weekly meal in their local community where they will make friends and feel well nourished.

You will manage recruit and train local volunteers to be empowered to run these projects. You will liaise with a network of charities, build local relationships and create the most incredible community meals in your area. You will also line manage a Project Support Officer working across London and the South East.

You will be an excellent communicator, with experience of recruiting and managing volunteers. Using strong organisation skills, you will ensure our volunteers are trained, supported and on-message with FoodCycle strategy, and are confident enough to self-organise and make a success of their projects.

You will live within Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey, or London with easy access to these counties (South, West, or North West London). You will be willing and able to travel within the region, and to work some evenings and weekends.

Benefits: We offer 26.5 days holiday plus bank holidays, and additional holiday for length of service (pro-rata for part-time). Our healthcare package allows staff to claim money back on healthcare bills and includes access to telephone counselling and online GP appointments.

How to apply:  Please upload a CV of no more than two sides, and a covering note/letter of no more than two sides explaining why you are suitable for the role, via our vacancy website.

Deadline for your application:  11.59pm on Monday 26th May 2025.

Interview process: Shortlisted candidates will need to complete a 30 minute task prior to interview.

Inclusivity: FoodCycle is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued and respected.

Safeguarding: Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – FoodCycle is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare / wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk. This role will therefore require a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check.

Please note that you will need to have existing Right to Work in the UK to apply for this role. We are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Job Title: Advocacy and Mobility Services Manager

Reporting To: Executive Director of Services 

Salary: £46,335 pro rata

Hours: 21 or 28 hours per week

Location: Hybrid with one day in the office in Kings Cross N1 9LG

DBS: This post is subject to an enhanced criminal record check under the arrangements established by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Context of Job

AFK is a national charity helping young disabled people develop their independence and find employment. Our vision is a world where all people living with a disability get to lead the life they choose. As part of this we provide bespoke employment skills training and organise work placements across North London.

At a national level, we provide mobility equipment not available on the NHS for disabled children and young people up to the age of 25. The Advocacy and Mobility Services Manager leads this service.

Overall Job Purpose

To develop and manage AFK’s Mobility Service including overseeing the progress of funding applications for mobility equipment, managing the waiting list and ensuring a quality service to our beneficiaries. The Advocacy and Mobility Services Manager will be responsible for providing advocacy support, enabling applicants to secure equipment from statutory services, where appropriate. They will also manage the maintenance and reallocation of AFK-owned powerchairs.

Working Conditions

The post is 21 or 28 hours a week, normally between 9am and 5pm. (We are Hybrid working organisation with 1 core day in the office and 2-3 days working from home, with core hours between 10am and 4pm).

The post holder may be expected to work some evenings and weekends as required by the job.

AFK operates a No Smoking policy.

Working Relationships

Line Manager to the Fundraising and Mobility Officer

Close working relationships with mobility equipment suppliers

On a day-to-day basis there will be regular contact with beneficiaries and their families, mobility equipment suppliers and health professionals, as well as Service Delivery and Fundraising Managers.

On-going contact with grant giving organisations and associated bodies.

Principal Responsibilities

1. To develop policies to support the direction of AFK’s Mobility Services, in relation to criteria for funding equipment, guidance on managing the waiting lists and the provision of loaned/ beneficiary owned equipment etc.

2. To identify applicants for mobility funding who could access statutory funds. To provide advocacy support to those families including submitting formal letters of complaint to NHS Trusts and/or taking legal advice. To monitor savings to the Mobility budget, as a direct result of advocacy intervention.

3. To ensure the mobility equipment budget is spent appropriately by developing and implementing funding criteria, negotiating competitive rates with suppliers, encouraging families to consider a range of options for high end equipment and ensuring statutory services support funding where appropriate.

4. To line manage the Fundraising and Mobility Officer to enable her/him to progress applications for mobility grants, from initial enquiry to order and delivery of equipment.

 5. To provide AFK’s Fundraising and Communications teams with data and feedback from families and to identify potential case studies.

6. To support selected applicants with individual fundraising, including applying to Trusts and charities and writing to businesses.

7. To monitor the funds raised by AFK’s individual fundraising activity.

8. To keep abreast of changes in the field for example: developments among competitors and pricing in the market; progress of the NHS England wheelchair campaign; and changes to Clinical Commissioning Groups’ criteria.

9. To provide families with information to enable them to make a decision about whether to apply for funding.

10. To liaise with other grant giving charities to keep up-to-date with changes in the field and to ensure part funding is provided effectively.

11. To ensure AFK’s equipment grant application form is clear and up-to-date and that the process is managed in a timely and efficient way.

12. To oversee the development and maintenance of systems for recording the grant application process.

13. To manage the maintenance and repair of loaned powerchairs, developing procedures for reallocating chairs and/or passing ownership on to beneficiaries.

14. To supervise the Fundraising and Mobility Officer to develop systems for monitoring and reporting on maintenance expenditure.

15. To undertake other relevant responsibilities as required by the Executive Director of Services.

First Interviews: Friday 23rd May (also Thursday 22nd May, if necessary) online

Second Interviews: Tuesday 3rd June in person

We are looking for an experienced and passionate direct marketing professional, or someone with relevant transferable skills, to join us as our new Direct Marketing Fundraiser. 

This is an exciting time to join the fundraising team with significant growth across multiple income streams, including individual giving. This role will be integral to developing our individual giving programme to support the growth and sustainability of our income, whilst also driving supporter engagement. You will be responsible for the hospice’s direct mail campaigns and maintaining and developing strong relationships with donors to maximise income generation. You will be involved in a range of individual giving activities including regular giving, appeals and lottery.

You will have excellent communication skills, being able to communicate effectively with staff, volunteers and supporters and will work closely with our Communications and Marketing team. We are looking for someone with an eye for detail, strong organisational abilities and a track record of delivering projects on time.

Based at our state-of-the-art children’s hospice just outside Maidenhead, this role is a brilliant opportunity for someone to add value to a growing fundraising team. If you are passionate about raising money to help, make our services available to all families that need us and will reflect our core values in all that you do, we would love to hear from you.

As well as a competitive salary, we offer a generous annual leave entitlement, access to a pension scheme as well as private medical insurance and life assurance. You will also have free on-site parking and will benefit from an Employee Assistance Programme.

Role: Young Person Advocate and Bereavement Support Practitioner
Hours: 35 hours per week
Rate: £31,500 per annum (plus £2k London Weighting if London based)
Reporting to: Bereavement Support Service Lead
Base: Flexible hybrid working between home and one of Child Bereavement UK’s Centres in Widnes, Birmingham, High Wycombe, London or Glasgow

About Us

Child Bereavement UK helps families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.

We support children and young people (up to the age of 25) when someone important to them has died or is not expected to live, and parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying.

We provide training to professionals in health and social care, education, and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.

About the Role

Child Bereavement UK has an exciting new opportunity for a Young Person Advocate and Bereavement Support Practitioner. This is a split post working primarily as a Young Person Advocate. The post holder will lead on the development and delivery of support for young people and the professionals that work with them by ensuring that young people have a voice and influence in the development of Child Bereavement UK’s Services across the UK.

In addition, as a Bereavement Support Practitioner, the post holder will be providing bereavement support to individuals, couples, families and in group settings, when a baby or child of any age has died or is dying, or where children or young people up to the age of 25 are bereaved.

Child Bereavement UK offers a generous package of benefits including an employee assistance programme, 5% pension contribution and life assurance scheme.

Applicants should have a recognised, health, social care, or counselling qualification, experience in working with children, young people and families, excellent communication skills and be passionate about supporting bereaved families and those whose roles bring them into contact with these families.

The successful candidate will be required to complete a DBS check.

Closing date: Monday 2 June 2025
Interviews: Wednesday 11 June 2025
First interviews will be held on Teams or Zoom.
Those candidates that are selected for a second interview will be required to attend an in person interview.

Applications will be reviewed, and interviews offered, on an on-going basis. We reserve the right to close the role prior to the closing date, should a suitable applicant be found, so please submit your application 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.

The Charity is committed to creating a safe and welcoming atmosphere for everyone, and one that challenges all forms of oppression or discrimination including those based on age, gender or gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity leave, disability, race (which includes nationality, citizenship, ethnic or national origins), religion/faith or belief, sexual orientation (collectively known in law as the ‘protected characteristics’), as well as any oppression or discrimination based on other physical characteristics or impairments, occupation, income, wealth, or unrelated criminal convictions.

No agencies please.

Linkable, an ambitious local charity is seeking a Head of Children's Services to directly lead on the delivery of our afterschool club, weekend and holiday playschemes for chlldren and young people with addtional needs.  The successful candidate will also oversee adult services. The role is offered on a 4 or 5 day per week basis.

LinkAble supports people with a learning disability and autistic people to create the life they want to live by providing opportunities that develop skills, confidence and lasting friendships. We operate from our accessible centre, The Link, in Woking, and within the community.

After a period of growth, we are forming a Senior Management Team (SMT) to guide our next phase of development. We are seeking a Head of Services (HoS) and a Head of Finance and Operations (HFO) to work alongside the CEO.

Overall Aim

We are looking for an exceptional individual to join our SMT as HoS. Working with the CEO and HFO, you will shape strategy, inspire positive change, and lead service delivery teams, fostering a culture of excellence and collaboration.

You will ensure services meet local authority contract targets, internal KPIs, and deliver outstanding outcomes for the people we support. You will drive continuous quality improvement and create fair, transparent processes that value and support staff.

About the Role

The HoS will lead on Children’s Services and oversee Adults’ Services, supported by an Adult Services Manager, CYP Services Co-ordinator and two Team Leaders. You will directly lead Children’s Services, including playschemes, social groups, teens sessions and afterschool clubs and oversee Adult Services.

Key priorities

Include building a skilled, motivated team of playworkers and sessional staff through training, coaching, and support. You will also oversee financial management of services with the HFO, ensuring sustainability and compliance with local authority contracts. You’ll gather data and feedback to evidence our impact and report on KPIs to the CEO and Trustees.

You will work with the Office Manager to embed our Health and Safety Framework and identify resources to enhance service user experiences.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

• Inspire a culture of continuous improvement.
• Contribute to strategic planning aligned with LinkAble’s mission to ensure sustainability of services
• Report quarterly to the Board on service improvements.

Services Management

• Oversee all services, leading the services management team.
• Directly manage Children’s Services and oversee Adult Services.
• Ensure clear communication, accountability, and staff development.

Team Development

• Work with the Talent Acquisition and Retention (TAR) Manager to recruit and support staff.
• Ensure robust induction, training, and coaching for playworkers and sessional staff.
• Promote equality, diversity, and career progression.
• Monitor staff retention and engagement.
• Ensure health and safety practices are followed.

Service Quality

• Drive continuous improvement and person-centred support planning.
• Develop diverse activity programmes for service users.
• Embed co-production to meet service user needs.
• Implement inclusive communication strategies and crisis intervention training.
• Conduct observations and audits to enhance quality.
• Incorporate feedback from service users, families, and staff.

Financial Management

• Develop and monitor service delivery budgets with the CEO and HFO.
• Support fundraising by identifying projects and developing funding proposals.
• Ensure income and expenditure align with contract requirements.

Contract Management

• Ensure compliance with local authority contracts.
• Build relationships with Commissioners and stakeholders.
• Support tender applications for new contracts.
• Collaborate with health and social care professionals.

Compliance and Best Practice

• Keep service-related policies up to date.
• Ensure safeguarding, health and safety, and quality standards are maintained.
• Implement evidence-based practices like Positive Behaviour Support and Active Support.

General

• Follow LinkAble’s policies and procedures, with a focus on equality and diversity.
• Undertake training for continuous professional development.
• Support fundraising events and other duties as needed.

About You

We seek a caring, driven leader with experience managing teams in health, social care, or charity settings. You should have a strong track record in both strategic planning and hands-on service delivery.

The ideal candidate will understand high-quality, person-centred care and bring excellent organisational, communication, and leadership skills.

A flexible, ‘can-do’ approach, coupled with a commitment to LinkAble’s values, vision, and dedication to equality, diversity, and inclusion, is key.

The is offered on a 4 or 5 day a week bases and the post holder will need to work in school holidays and occasional weekends. Working pattern to be discussed at interview

About UP

Unlocking Potential deliver high performing therapeutic programmes and education provision for children and young people with SEMH needs. We work in collaboration with families, communities, and other partners to ensure that children and young people access the interventions they need to thrive.

Mission

We work collaboratively with communities to enable children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs to unlock their full potential

Values

Trust

We build trust by being honest, transparent, and accountable in the way we work with children and young people, staff, and partners and by providing services and programmes whose outcomes are measurable and evidenced based.

Collaborative

Relationships are at the heart of our work. We prioritise communication and collaboration with partners, families, and communities, believing that by working together we create more effective and holistic outcomes for children and young people.

Empowering

We co-create opportunities for our children, young people, parents/carers and staff to actively participate in decision-making that influences change. We promote the voices of children and young people in our organisation and the wider community.

Nurturing

We provide a nurturing approach based on safety and space for creativity, exploration, and growth. We support and care for our children, young people, and staff to realise their potential.

Impact

We are committed to measuring our impact through a data driven method to develop our programmes and make a greater difference to the lives of children, young people, and their parents and carers.

Overview

We will be launching our new programme from September 2025, initially as a pilot working with families across Wandsworth, with aims to be able to expand and continue beyond this.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Family Support Manager to play a pivotal role in establishing our new Family Support programme. Your initial focus will be leading on the development of the service, implementing policies and procedures, building referral pathways, and recruiting a team of skilled Family Support Workers.

Once the service is established, you will manage a high-quality programme providing support and guidance to families facing complex challenges. Your role will involve overseeing a team of Family Support Workers, case management, fostering effective collaboration with internal and external multidisciplinary teams, and leading the service under a shared vision to ensure the well-being of children and their families.

Using a restorative approach, you will develop strong relationships to support families and empower them to take an active role in their own support plans and interventions, helping them build resilience and make informed decisions. A commitment to safeguarding excellence will be at the heart of everything you do.

This role would be an exciting opportunity for a qualified Social Worker or an experienced professional with a background in setting up and developing family support services. It offers a genuine opportunity to shape a new service and build an impactful team to make a real difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families.

ECHO supports children and young people with heart conditions and their families, who have been treated within the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS network of 47 hospitals. Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect and affects just under 1 in every 100 babies born throughout the UK.

ECHO helps from diagnosis, which is often during pregnancy, throughout any treatment and care pathway or bereavement. Families are supported at every stage of their heart child’s journey throughout childhood, teenage years and during the transition to adult services.

ECHO’s new Engagement Coordinator will be confident, self-motivated, and capable of managing projects independently. They will be responsible for building strong relationships with stakeholders, coordinating engagement activities, and ensuring these are executed successfully.

The role requires a proactive, flexible, results-orientated individual with a passion for creating meaningful connections and working autonomously to achieve goals. You will lead with a “Make it Happen” approach to benefit the families we support in the children’s cardiology network connected to the Evelina London, Royal Brompton, and Harefield hospital networks (47 hospitals).

Can you:

Read the room when attending events, meetings, and conferences, with the confidence to share the ECHO story in a professional manner and with a smile?

Lead and coordinate engagement activities: Plan, execute, and manage engagement strategies, events, and initiatives that drive interaction with our community (fundraisers, families, professionals, volunteers, and staff).

Develop strong relationships: Build and maintain positive, professional relationships with internal and external partners to ensure effective communication and collaboration, knowing when and how to ask for support and help.

Negotiate discounts, freebies, and special moments for children, young people, and families.

Present to anyone who wants to hear about ECHO, whether a small team in an office, a school assembly of 500, or an away day for lawyers or doctors. You will design the resources you need on a shoestring budget with limited time but deliver an impactful and memorable presentation.

Bring organisation to the team and operations through admin with a can-do approach.

Key Responsibilities:

· Galvanise support by identifying opportunities, persuading people to get on board and following through to secure trust and buy-in

· Develop a GREAT supporter journey for everyone who donates to us, helping them to maximise opportunities to raise money and spread the word about ECHO.

· Provide reliable and time-critical information and be a go-to person for our community, for example:

    o  A team of runners taking part in an event.

    o  A team of medical professionals helping with our information resources.

    o  Stories for social media.

· People, presentations, and engagement – confidently stepping up to present, walking into groups with ease, and engaging people naturally and enthusiastically.

· Bringing energy, charisma, and a proactive approach to every interaction – from chatting with families to speaking at events or engaging new supporters.

Closing date to apply:  03rd June 2025

Interview Dates: Monday 16th or Monday 23rd June 2025

For full details, see the full Job Description and Person Specification attached.

We are looking for passionate individuals to work in the National Counter Trafficking Centre.Are you ready to improve the lives of young people affected by modern slavery, do you have Immigration, Social Care, or Criminal Justice Experience? If you have answered yes then we are waiting to hear from you! 

We have three full-time roles available (37 hours per week), all roles are home based and have the potential for extensive travel across our delivery sites; due to the nature of the work you must be able to identify a confidential space whereyou can carry out your day to day work. If you are interested in applying for the role, you must have a current driving licence and use of a car or be able to manage extensive travel via pubic transport.

Salary - £27,573 - £36,389 plus £312 per annum Office at Home Allowance. 

We are looking for people to join our team who live in the following area's:

• Bristol

What are the responsibilities of the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian:

Support for Children: Independent Child Trafficking Guardians support children who have experienced trafficking and exploitation, working alongside other professionals to ensure that children receive appropriate support in line with their needs. 

 Within this role some of your responsibilities will be: 

• Supporting professionals, including Social Workers, Police, Youth Justice Teams, Foster Carers and Residential Support Workers, to identify children exploited through modern slavery and refer them into the Service 
• Provide advice, guidance and information about child trafficking and initial safety planning to professionals through 1:1 case consultations or attendance at multi-agency meetings 
• Develop initial needs assessments and action plans 
• Support practitioners from partner agencies to meet the needs of children who have experienced trafficking and exploitation
• Manage a substantial caseload of young people supported through direct and indirect work, working within the requirements of service Key Performance Indicators and in line with Home Office Guidance.
• Support children through face-to-face contact and online platforms using creative approaches to ensure that children receive an excellent standard of specialist support within the boundaries of the role.
• Identify and respond to safeguarding, alerting managers to concerns and working with staff from partner agencies to deliver a robust safeguarding response. 

Although this contract has a permanent status, please be aware that this post is subject to funding currently until 31 March 2026 and therefore should this funding not be extended further, you may be subject to a redundancy consultation or a TUPE arrangement. This contract is due to expire on 31 March 2026.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date and as we fill vacancies the geographical areas may change. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

We are recruiting a high energy and hands on Garden Manager to work closely with the Senior Leadership team at Sufra to support the development and expansion of the community garden, and manage the team of garden staff and volunteers. This is an exciting time in the development of St. Raphael’s Edible Garden, as we are looking for an experienced Garden Manager to oversee the next steps in the development of the site, deliver a range of learning outcomes and fully implement, manage and further develop all aspects of the garden project.

Alongside practical educational outdoor experience, the successful candidate will understand how to design educational programmes that are accessible and engaging for a range of audiences, including school children and young people, adults with additional needs, and wider community. Project management and organisational skills are also essential. This is an immensely rewarding role working in a dynamic charity built on an ethos of sharing, hospitality and inclusivity, that would suit a committed individual who is willing to go the extra mile. Through their activities, the Garden Manager will be able to convey the charity’s passion and commitment to supporting vulnerable people in Brent and transforming the lives of beneficiaries. 

Job Title: Head of RAA Operations

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 21- 28 hours per week

Salary: £70,000 per annum FTE (circa £42,000 - £56,000 per annum pro rata)

Location: Coram Campus, Bloomsbury, London, WC1N 1AZ

About Coram

Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.

We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.

Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.

About Coram Ambitious for Adoption RAA

Ambitious for Adoption is an established regional adoption agency that is organised on a hub and spoke service model. The activities of adopter recruitment and assessment of prospective adopters, the adoption panel, child placement support and the overall governance of the regional adoption agency is located at Coram Campus in Bloomsbury in London.

The activities of family finding and statutory adoption support (including families/individuals seeking adoption support in the area) is provided by Coram regional adoption agency staff located within the partner local authorities, alongside the wider children’s and multidisciplinary teams to ensure best practice for children where adoption becomes the plan. Our regional adoption partner agencies are: City of London, London Boroughs of Harrow, Bromley, Hillingdon, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster, Redbridge, Waltham Forest, and Slough Childrenfirst. The service is focussed on best outcomes for children and building strong support for adoptive families. The RAA has a dedicated governance board made up of senior representatives of participating local authorities. This is an exciting role, building upon the very positive outcomes emerging from the delivery of the RAA since 2019 and taking forward the outcomes of an RAA review and adoption modernisation agenda with the benefits of an outstanding Ofsted rate VAA and proven record of Coram’s dedication to children.

About the role

Coram Ambitious for Adoption is a unique Regional Adoption Agency, being a Voluntary Adoption Agency commissioned to deliver the adoption services for nine local authorities.

This role is a Coram Appointment to lead the RAA operations across our local authority partners providing professional leadership staff and services and outcomes for children in adoption consistent with best practice and fulfilment of statutory and regulatory requirements.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing Date: Sunday 25th May 2025 at 23:59

Interview Date: Monday 2nd June 2025

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.

If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

Redthread is a hospital based youth work service, working alongside NHS staff and other professionals in emergency departments.

Our experienced, specialist youth workers engage with and support young people, aiming to reduce serious youth violence. We often meet young people at a moment of change and work with them to find a positive way forward.

We provide long-term, holistic support. We consider every aspect of a young person’s life and build support around them.

Job Description

The Senior Service Manager (SSM) provides strategic oversight of Redthread Services (currently working with 9 hospitals in London and Birmingham) providing line management to ensure high quality delivery that improves outcomes for children and young people and be successful in seeking opportunities for further growth. The SSM will work with the YPF SMT and will take a lead role in implementing our YPF strategy in this area, including taking and making opportunities to grow our services, and supporting new service implementation as need requires.

The role can be home based, but time spent in each of the services alongside travel across the UK will be required in order to support delivery and growth of  services across the Hub.  The ideal candidate will have experience of delivering and managing similar services and the right mix of leadership, passion and energy, and an innovative nature. A proven track record in engaging with positive relationships with commissioners and securing new business is essential. The role will involve promoting, connecting and building services in order to impact the lives of vulnerable young people with complex needs.

Duties and accountabilities are split into two core areas, management and development of Redthread service delivery,  including direct management and coordination ensuring high performance that improves outcomes for children and young peopleand supporting implementation of the YPF growth strategy

• Line management of service managers and operational oversight of service contracts.
• Supporting the implementation of the YPF strategy, including making opportunities for organic and new growth. Work with Business Development and other business partners and engage Commissioners and other funders to develop our delivery models and to bid for services (organic growth and nationally).
• Supporting the implementation of the Clinical Governance policy and responsible for ensuring relevant services adhere to this guidance.
• Contribute to national stakeholder engagement plans and local, geographical influencer plans to promote our hospital based youth work offer and support growth.
• Ensure that staff and volunteers within services are engaged with Redthread’s vision and strategic plan, are motivated and understand their role and contribution to the wider organisation.
• Provide robust management and accountability for service budgets and in building budgets for new services working closely with Redthread’s finance business partner.
• Monitor and ensure that contractual commitments are met and that service performance is maximised; acting promptly to respond to and resolve performance and compliance issues. A core component of the role will be to ensure the confidence of our Commissioners including by assuring the quality of delivery, through Brilliant Basics audit, review, observation and ongoing service development.
• Ensure the provision of high quality reports for Redthread, commissioners and other strategic groups on the work of the services with clear evidence of quantitative and qualitative outputs – particularly signing off service commissioner reports / performance prior to external distribution.
• Ensure that services operate effective multi-agency working processes, such as referral, assessment and review and to ensure a high quality standard of lead professional, meeting chairpersonship and co-ordination from workers.
• Promote and support the participation of service users so that they are appropriately informed, consulted and involved in their own plans and the design and delivery of services.
• Be responsible for ensuring that all service activity is safe for all involved, to include adherence to Redthread’s health and safety policies including safeguarding, accidents, incident and injury reporting, fire safety and risk assessment. Review audit activity within services and work to ensure a consistent approach across services.
• Undertake other duties as required to ensure the effective delivery of the services.

Qualifications

Professional qualification in a relevant discipline such as youth, community or management or demonstrable equivalent experience.

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge and understanding of relevant current issues and research (including emerging trends youth violence work and associated areas of risk)

EXPERIENCE

• A proven track record of developing and managing projects in the public, private or voluntary sectors.
• Extensive experience of working with young people (11 – 18 years) and their families, identified as vulnerable or as having complex needs preferably within a community setting.
• Demonstrable experience of staff management including recruitment, induction, supervision and support.
• Proven track record in scoping and developing new business activity, including engaging and developing positive relationships with commissioners.
• Experience of preparing bids e.g service model development, articulating delivery within tenders - for significant projects/services and participation in the business development process e.g. responding to tender questions etc
• Experience of working using own initiative to an agreed action plan and effectively monitoring service quality standards and performance.
• Commitment to young people’s participation
• Substantial experience of working in a multi-agency environment and the proven ability to develop effective working relationships with other professionals/organisations.
• Experience of managing services for young people and their families, and empowering them to make positive and informed choices in their lives.
• Experience of developing new contracts and development opportunities with commissioners and partners.
• Experience of project development
• Experience of training / public speaking to a wide range of audiences

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Proven ability to lead and coach others in their professional development
• Demonstrated ability to manage and monitor budgets (up to the value of £1m p/a), working within organisational financial procedures.
• Ability to lead, motivate and oversee administrative processes.
• Excellent negotiation skills, and an ability to handle sensitive matters with tact and diplomacy.
• Demonstrated ability to incorporate and demonstrate an equal opportunities perspective in all areas of work
• Ability to achieve results and meet deadlines and to motivate and manage staff to do the same.
• Computer literacy including the use of Email, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Ability to build and establish effective working relationships at a range of levels, including with commissioners, funders and external influencers.
• Creative, flexible and able to work well with others in a team.
• Honest and reliable.
• Commitment to the organisation and also to their own personal and professional development.
• Commitment to enabling children/young people and their families to participate and achieve their full potential.

Additional information

Hours of work: Full time, 37 hours per week 

Place of Work: Home based with expectation of national travel*

Contract Type: Permanent 

Level of screening: Enhanced DBS

*You will be required to work on a on-call basis (days, evenings, weekends, bank holidays) supporting on-call staff with risk assessments ad decision making.

Catch22 is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers and other third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice will be followed and pre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. The post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.