Children and young people support worker jobs in southwark, greater london

Job Description

Brent Mencap has been passionate about a healthier and fairer Brent since 1979. We’ve developed and run successful housing, employment, health, advice, wellbeing and self-advocacy services. During austerity and Covid we diversified, successfully taking on NHS work with people with long-term health conditions. We provide social prescribing support and health and wellbeing coaching to patients for Brent GPs. In 2024-5 we helped over 18000 people. We’re a leading partner on the Brent Health Educators Programme. Recently we’ve focused on developing and retaining a much larger staff group, using our data better and improving our marketing.

Brent Mencap offers fantastic free creative and wellbeing activities for people with a learning disability, autism and long-term health conditions. These have flourished since Covid. People love yoga, poetry, singing, gardening, Breathe and Move, self-advocacy, campaigning, awareness raising, CREATE art activities for young people, external trips and parties. Small grants, donations and our reserves fund this while we get longer term funding. Our self-advocates want us to focus on paid employment, youth services and making Brent Council use accessible information properly. People with a learning disability, neurodiversity and their family carers are inclusively supported by social prescribers for advice and by health educators/coaches for health-related matters if needed.

Our current Executive Director, who has led Brent Mencap so well for 25 years wants to retire. The successful candidate will build on Brent Mencap’s history, current success and potential so our long-term passion for a healthier and fairer Brent can evolve and improve the lives of Brent People. Are you the amazing successor to lead and inspire our talented, committed team?

We are looking for someone who  

· Has the relevant voluntary sector experience, vision, determination and leadership skills

· Is committed to developing and supporting our diverse staff group

· Can see the bigger picture but also focuses on the important details

· Supports our ethos of person-centred service delivery and activities

· Can communicate well with users, partners, staff, trustees and funders

· Enjoys influencing and raising awareness

· Is entrepreneurial, savvy, confident and can maintain our current  financial stability and diversify our income streams

· Understands the lived experience of disability, long term health conditions and inequality  and wants to improve their lives

· Understands the importance of marketing and data to challenge inequality, promote positive change and attract new funds.

· Can prioritise reviewing and improving our data collection

· Can develop funding project plans that includes staffing for enhanced  wellbeing and creative activities, for  young people, employment  related support and other identified needs

In addition, they will have to:

· Work with the Board of Trustees and staff to develop our vision, implement strategic plans and  deliver agreed objectives

· Be able to ensure all aspects of our work are done safely, legally, in line with our articles/constitution  and able to assess risks and mitigate them

· Be responsible for staff development, management and all aspects of the administration of the organisation

· Be an ambassador for Brent Mencap, meeting and working with leaders with statutory and voluntary sector, Royal Mencap and local Mencaps

· Represent the lived experiences and voices of people with learning disabilities, neurodivergence, long term conditions and their families who inform our work and the work of others in Brent

· Work late occasionally, attend evening events, meetings and occasional weekends and undertake any other necessary tasks as required to ensure Brent Mencap functions safely.

In order to deliver services effectively, a degree of flexibility is required and the post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above. This job description will be subjected to review with the post holder, from time to time to ensure it accurately reflects the duties and range of the post.

This post is:

• subject to Enhanced DBS Disclosure

• subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. It will be necessary for a disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and barring Service for details of any previous criminal convictions.

• Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK

• Please note: Our office base is on the first floor of a Victorian building with steep stairs.

To be shortlisted,

· Candidates must fully complete our application form, and show clearly how their previous experience and knowledge meets all aspects of the person specification with examples given of actual actions/experience relating to the person specification. Please go to our website to complete the application by 9.00am on 28th August. We do not accept CVs

· Be prepared to visit Brent Mencap so key staff and self-advocates can meet them informally before the interview day  or have a 60–90-minute Teams meeting with them. To arrange a face-to-face or Teams  meet up on a Wednesday only  please contact our office manager Simon via the website.

Interview details

· A 4-part Interview with senior staff, self-advocates, operational managers and trustees, will take place at Brent Mencap on Friday 5th or 12th September 2025. Shortlisted candidates will be given a paper-based scenario to complete and send to us on the Thursday before the interview

· We anticipate the full interviews will take 2.5 hours with a 30-minute break at some point.

Birth Companions is a charity that supports women experiencing multiple disadvantage during the perinatal period in the community in London and the southeast, and in prisons across the country.

Our work aims to improve the lives of mothers and babies by:

- improving the mental health and well-being of pregnant women and new mother
- enabling new mothers to give their babies the best possible start in life
- empowering women to fulfil their potential through engagement
- driving improvements in the local and national policy and practice that impacts on mothers and their babies.

By working towards these aims, we hope that all women who face disadvantage and inequality during this crucial point in their lives will have the support they need to give their baby the best possible start, and to fulfil their own potential, whatever their circumstances. 

Birth Companions’ values have shaped the organisation’s approach from the outset and are still as important to us as ever. We are a women’s organisation built on feminist principles, delivering woman-to-woman support. Choice, empowerment and protecting women’s rights have always been central to the way we work. Through the work of our staff and trained volunteers we offer practical and emotional support before, during and after birth. We work in a woman-centred way that is trauma-informed, flexible and non-judgemental, basing our support on what a woman tells us she needs. 

Work across our frontline services shows us what matters to women, and where things can and should be better in the care they receive from others. Based on these insights, we commission academic and peer-led research and direct the attention of local and national policy-makers, commissioners and service providers to what needs to change, and how. Everyone at Birth Companions plays a role in this. Communication and collaboration between our frontline practitioners, policy and engagement staff and the women in our Lived Experience Team means we are able to identify and monitor issues and themes and draw on learning in order to feed them into conversations with senior stakeholders across maternity, criminal justice, social services and immigration. In this way we ensure our policy and influencing work is rooted in the day-to-day experiences of women and what will make most difference to them and their babies. 

The Criminal Justice Services Manager will manage and develop all aspects of Birth Companions’ criminal justice-based services and line-manage the criminal justice services Coordinators, (currently three staff members but this likely to increase as we expand our services).

They will develop and maintain strategic partnerships with other relevant agencies and ensure the successful delivery of services through internal monitoring and evaluation, external evaluation and the charity’s governance structures.

The Criminal Justice Services Manager will be responsible for contributing to the development and implementation of new prison and wider criminal justice system-based services through stakeholder engagement and service design where opportunities are identified.

The Criminal Justice Services Manager will also contribute to the policy, engagement and strategic work of the organisation where appropriate.

We're looking for an experienced, proactive, and resourceful Repairs Maintenance Manager located at our Head Office in Caledonian Road, Islington.

£50,000.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
• Fully paid induction programme and further training
• ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
• Online wellbeing resources
• A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
• Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution

Look Ahead Care and Support own and manage a mixed portfolio of properties across London and the Home Counties. The organisation accommodates customers with a range of support needs.

The Repairs Manager will work as part of the Property Services team. Assuming day-to-day responsibility for the oversight and coordination of all repair and maintenance activities across all tenures (Supported, Unsupported, Intermediate and Market Rent).

Responsible for working collaboratively with the Customer Contact Centre to facilitate the timely and efficient completion of repairs and maintenance tasks in accordance with established standards and regulatory requirements. Offering technical expertise, whilst being a lead escalation for Contractor Management and Commercial Meetings.

The Repairs Manager ensure the timely and efficient completion of repairs and maintenance tasks in accordance with established standards and regulatory requirements.

Your exceptional organisational skills, technical expertise, and ability to communicate effectively with both internal teams and external stakeholders will be vital to your success in this role. In addition to reporting to the Head of Repairs and Voids Maintenance weekly on the current position of the department in respect of Contractor Performance, Invoice Processing and Customer Satisfaction; you will maintain Line Management responsibility for the Repairs and Voids Property Inspector and Repairs & Invoice Admin and further development of any additional administrative staff.

The working hours for this role are 9.00 - 17.00, Monday - Friday.

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

For a full job description, please visit our website.

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 120 services, providing support to around 6000 customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

• We focus on Excellence and innovation.
• We are Caring and Compassionate.
• We are Inclusive and Trusted.
• We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.
If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

The National Youth Agency is looking for Programme Associates

Rate: £325 per day
Remote: Home based (within the UK) with travel
Hours: You will be engaged on a flexible, as-and-when-required basis by the NYA. There is no obligation for the NYA to offer regular work, and no obligation for you to accept any work offered.

About the Role

As the National Body for Youth Work in England, we are ambitious for youth work and for young people and are determined that all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of qualified youth workers and trained volunteers.

To support our mission, the National Youth Agency is establishing a framework of Programme Associates to assist with the delivery of our work across England.

Appointment to the framework means you may be invited to contribute to projects that align with your expertise. However, inclusion on the framework does not guarantee work will be offered, nor does it imply a specific volume or frequency of engagements. Opportunities will be offered on a flexible, as-needed basis, depending on programme requirements and your availability.

Our NYA Programme Associates will deliver on key aspect of NYA programmes to external stakeholders, develop and review resources and ensure all activities are in line with both NYA and external expectations of quality and expertise.

The post will require a commitment to continuing engagement across the sector and beyond to ensure the NYA’s work is rooted in the needs of young people and youth work.

The NYA brings structure, expertise, support, and guidance to people working in and with youth work and helps shape professional and voluntary youth work practices in England and beyond.

We operate as an agile and flexible team, working at pace to maximise the opportunities that we have to make a difference to youth work and the lives of young people. We are collaborative in our approaches, engaging partner organisations to widen our knowledge and expertise in our aim to support youth sector across England.

We value diversity and strive to create an inclusive team where we embrace everyone’s unique perspectives and talents.

We are committed to an approach of planning, process and performance to underpin results, yet NYA holds relationships at the heart. We strive to ensure our funders, wider stakeholders, youth workers and young people both see and feel the positive difference that our work makes.

Our ideal Programme Associates should have the following:

• Strong understanding of one or more of the following:
• Quality practice standards
• Safeguarding in Children and Young People
• Youth participation
• Youth provision delivery methods
• Extensive experience working directly with young people across diverse settings, demonstrating a deep understanding of youth development and engagement.
• Demonstrated expertise managing youth work programmes and improving practice standards, including within Local Authority contexts.
• Project Management: Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly and effectively.
• Attention to Detail: High level of accuracy and attention to detail in all aspects of work.
• Problem solving: Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues and implement effective solutions.
• Flexibility: A flexible and agile approach to working across multiple programmes, including attending events and responding to time sensitive deadlines.
• Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with team members and stakeholders, fostering a positive and productive work environment.
• Time Management: Effective time management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.

How to Apply:

Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements.

To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Wednesday 13th August 2025 (applications will be reviewed as they are submitted, so early submission is encouraged).

A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.

A covering letter is a vital part of your application and will be assessed alongside your CV. Please use it to clearly demonstrate your suitability for the role, specifically addressing how you meet the criteria outlined in the About You section of the job description. Applicants are strongly encouraged to highlight relevant experience in the key areas listed, so we can easily understand your main skill strengths and how they align with the role.

Diversity monitoring (this is optional) and your data will at no time be connected with you or your application.

Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.

The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.

At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.

We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.

Youth Work changes lives

Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from it.As the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.

We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.

REF-222816

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Chef to join our Edward Alsop Court Service in Westminster. No personal care or experience is required, just the right values.

£11,966.50 per annum, working 17.5 hours per week.

Want to feel like you're part of one team? You'll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
Our benefits include:
* Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
* Free DBS (take this out if BSW advert)
* Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
* Fully paid induction programme and further training
* ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
* Online wellbeing resources
* A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
* Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Our kitchen chef will prepare and cook meals for residents according to agreed menus. Oversees the service kitchen by managing any other members of the food preparation team, deciding what dishes to serve and adjusting orders to meet client's requests. Will assist in prep work and cleaning kitchen, but more often will be involved in cooking and serving dishes. There will be an expectation that the chef designs a menu based on client requirements in line with a set weekly budget. The chef will be expected to create calm, welcoming environment for a client group with complex needs.

Monday-Friday 3.30pm-7.30pm. 17.5 hours per week

What you'll do:

* To be responsible for the day-to-day supervision for all staff working in the kitchen/dining room
* To prepare and cook meals for residents according to agreed menus
* To ensure that meals are provided on time in accordance advertised meal times
* To ensure food kitchen hygiene meets a high standard at all times
* To ensure that all meals are appropriately presented and served
* To monitor all kitchen staff in safe methods of working with equipment and machinery
* To report any accident, breakage or fault in accordance with the stated procedure
* To maintain a high level of cleanliness and hygiene in all food preparation and serving areas
* To provide a high standard of service to customers at all times and to deal with customers comments and complaints appropriately
* Any other duties as designated by the line manager

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:

* Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
* Approachable and open behaviour
* Prefers working as part of a group or team
* Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
* Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
* Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
* Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
* Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
* Is essentially customer-focused
* Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
* Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviours

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
* We focus on Excellence and innovation.
* We are Caring and Compassionate.
* We are Inclusive and Trusted.
* We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Do you have excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills? Do you enjoy interacting with supporters and building lasting relationships?

Based in Surrey, the Orpheus Centre is an independent specialist college and charity that focuses on developing independence skills through performing and visual arts and makes dramatic improvements to young disabled adults’ lives.  We are currently looking for a driven and pro-active Events Fundraiser to develop, coordinate and deliver the charity’s fundraising events and orchestrate experiences from initial concept to post event analysis. This includes pre-event planning and development, concept development and proposal.

Working closely with the Head of Capital Appeal and Senior Philanthropy and Partnerships Manager, you will design and deliver events which steward and develop key contacts as part of our Capital Appeal.

The role holder will have strong administration skills, attention to detail and work as part of a team.  You will be self-motivated and able to work with little supervision, managing a wide range of tasks.

35 hours per week / 52 weeks per year

Salary: £28,000 - 32,000 per annum (depending on experience)

Excellent benefits include (but not limited to) 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, enhanced pension contributions, Employment Assistant Program (EAP) paid days off for dependants, bereavement leave, death in service, free staff lunches and training and development opportunities.

Essential qualifications, knowledge and experience:

• 5 GCSEs (Grade C or above) or equivalent including Maths and English OR demonstrable literacy and numeracy
• Willing to undertake training as required and identified in supervision/appraisals
• At least 2yrs experience of fundraising, marketing or events in a paid or voluntary capacity
• Has worked as part of a team
• Has set and worked to budgets, targets and plans
• Practical experience of planning and managing events
• Experience coordinating projects and people
• Knowledge of different methods of fundraising
• Awareness of how to motivate and support volunteers and supporters
• Basic awareness of PR and social media
• Good communication and presentation skills
• High levels of accuracy in written materials and data entry
• Excellent organisational skills with ability to work on own initiative under pressure & without direct supervision
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills
• Able to build and maintain good working relationships with people
• Able to prioritise, plan and organise own workload including demonstrable experience of managing a diverse workload and working to strict deadlines under pressure
• Numerate
• Good IT skills including Microsoft office, email and data recording
• Able and willing to work unsocial hours
• Car owner/driver (full, clean UK driving licence)
• Able to work some evening and weekends.

Orpheus is a charity that delivers high quality services for young disabled adults. We have jobs for support workers, teachers, administrators and many more. We train, nurture and support our staff and offer a welcoming and friendly working environment. If you share our passion for changing the lives of disabled people, then we would love to hear from you.

Orpheus is committed to safeguarding and promotes the welfare of all service users. As part of our safer recruitment process and in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2024, online searches will form part of this process. We are committed to the promotion of equal opportunities.

This post is classed as having a high degree of contact with vulnerable adults and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. It is therefore subject to an Enhanced disclosure through the Disclosure Barring Service.

In order to be considered you must be eligible to work in the UK.

The Orpheus Centre is proud to be a disability confident employer.

We have made a positive commitment to employing disabled people. Reasonable adjustments will be made to the recruitment procedure as required in consultation with the applicant to ensure no-one is disadvantaged because of their disability. If a disabled person is selected for a position, reasonable adjustments will be made to the workplace, including premises and equipment, work duties and practices or policies, as appropriate. All disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role as set out in the role profile and person specification will be considered for interview.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are:

• Challenging attitudes towards disability
• Increasing understanding of disability
• Removing barriers to disabled people and those with long-term health conditions
• Ensuring that disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspiration

We want a world where no one dies from hunger. Life-threatening hunger is predictable, preventable and treatable. Join Action Against Hunger and together we will stop it in its tracks.

Action Against Hunger is an optimistic, inspiring place to work. We want passionate and dedicated people to help build a better world. We’re a creative team made up of people with a wide range of talents, styles and expertise. But we are united in our relentless dedication to end world hunger.  No challenge is too big. With you we can do it.  Join us.

We are looking for a Senior Database and Insight Manager maternity cover to join a talented team, passionate about working towards Action Against Hunger’s vision of a world free from hunger.

Sitting within the organisation’s Fundraising and Communications directorate, you’ll have overall responsibility for the department’s database and insight function – line managing two people (aDatabase Officer and a Database Assistant. 
In this integral role, you’ll be working with your team to maintain an accurate, consistent and reliable dataset covering all areas of fundraising and engagement on our CRM – Raiser’s Edge. You’ll be responsible for making sure data is stored safely and compliantly, and that good data hygiene rules are in place. You’ll also be supporting and upskilling the Fundraising and Communications department to use the database properly, empowering them to get the information they need.

We would love to hear from you if you’re interested in joining us. For more detailed information on the role – and to see whether you have the necessary experience - please download the attached pdf Job description.

Closing Date: 17-Aug-2025 23:30 Interview Date: from 21st August 2025.

Please read the following carefully before making your application: then all you need to do is send your CV and write a supporting statement explaining why you want the job and how your skills and experience make you the right person for the role and where you saw this vacancy.

• As a UK based position, candidates must have the right to work in the UK
• We welcome applications from all sections of the community and we encourage as broad a range of candidates as possible. If you need any additional support to help you through this process, please let us know (contact details in the job pack)
• Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we will only contact shortlisted candidates, within two weeks of the closing date Unfortunately, we cannot provide individual feedback
• If you experience any technical difficulties in submitting your application, please contact the charityjob helpdesk

We are Hestia. We make a difference.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Community Engagement Practitioner to play a pivotal role in our Voluntary Community Service. 

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

As part of a multidisciplinary NHS team, I work alongside clinicians, social workers, and community partners to support adults experiencing moderate to severe mental illness. I manage a caseload of service users, serving as their key contact and contributing to care planning, progress monitoring, and discharge support through the RiO clinical records system. I collaboratively develop person-centred recovery plans with individuals, focusing on their social goals and community integration. Central to my role is building strong therapeutic relationships through trauma-informed and strength-based approaches, empowering service users to achieve personal recovery goals. I support individuals in accessing local resources, attending appointments, and participating in wellbeing activities, peer support, and psychoeducational groups. Additionally, I promote and model recovery-focused, jargon-free communication across services and advocate for co-production and integrated care.

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

To be successful in this role, candidates should hold an NVQ Level 4 in Care (or equivalent) or have at least two years' experience in a mental health setting. A strong understanding of mental health issues, recovery, and co-production principles is essential, along with experience working collaboratively with professionals, services, and communities. Knowledge of care planning, risk assessment, recovery tools, and the Mental Health Act is also required. Excellent communication, relationship-building, and group facilitation skills are vital, as is the ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment. Confidence in using IT systems, including electronic case management tools, is important. The role demands resilience, adaptability, and the ability to maintain clear professional boundaries, alongside a high level of commitment.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.