Children jobs in coulsdon, greater london

Home-Merton is seeking an inspiring and strategic Director to lead our trusted local charity through its next stage of growth and innovation. 

This is a rare opportunity to make a tangible difference for children and families — by strengthening our community presence, driving income generation, and ensuring every child gets the best possible start in life. 

 About Home-Start Merton – Making a difference to young families

We believe strong families make strong communities. 
Our trained volunteers provide emotional and practical support to parents of young children, helping them navigate the challenges of early childhood and family life. 

Operating across London borough of Merton, we are a small but vibrant, values-driven charity and part of the wider Home-Start network — one of the UK’s leading family support movements. 

Our Charity Director Role

As Director, you’ll be both strategic leader and hands-on advocate, driving our fundraising and partnership agenda while overseeing operational excellence. 

You’ll lead our talented team of employees, work closely with trustees, and represent our charity with energy and passion — ensuring we remain a visible and trusted voice for families across Merton. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead and inspire staff and volunteers to deliver high-impact family support services. 
• Oversee service delivery, safeguarding, and operational compliance. 

• Develop and implement a bold, diversified fundraising and income generation strategy. 

• Build and nurture relationships with funders, corporates, philanthropists, and community partners. 

• Act as a confident ambassador, raising the organisation’s profile locally and regionally. 

• Work closely with the Board of Trustees on governance, strategy, and long-term sustainability. 

About You 

You are: 

• Experienced in charity governance, financial management, and service delivery. 
• A proven fundraiser and relationship builder who can secure sustainable income across multiple sources. 

• A confident and inclusive leader who inspires and empowers teams. 

• Skilled in partnership development and community engagement. 

• Deeply committed to safeguarding, equality, and family wellbeing. 

Why Join Us? 

• Lead one of London’s most respected family charities. 

• Shape our strategy for growth and sustainability. 

• Join a passionate, values-led team and supportive board. 

• Enjoy flexible, hybrid working. 

How to Apply 

If you meet most but not all of our criteria and are passionate about giving children the best start in life we'd still like to hear from you.

Apply via CharityJob or reach out to our Chair for an informal conversation. 

Closing Date: Friday 12 December 2025

Home-Start Merton is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. 

About Us

Literacy Pirates’ vision is for every child to have the literacy skills, confidence and perseverance to succeed at school and beyond. We provide free, after-school literacy support to children who are falling behind in class and who have fewer opportunities for additional support due to their personal circumstances than others. Founded in East London, Literacy Pirates’ programme now runs online and serves children anywhere in the United Kingdom.
 
Literacy Pirates is on an exciting journey of growth, rolling out our innovative learning programme to reach more children than ever before. An ambitious, fast-growing charity we have set ourselves a goal of reaching 3,000 children a year nationally, by 2030 compared with 650 this year. To support this, the fundraising team must double the charity’s revenue over the next four years, from £1million to £2million annually. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious Trust and Foundation specialist with a keen interest in developing strategy and a flair for building strong relationships with funders. You will be excited to play a pivotal role in the growth of this charity, knowing the huge impact every new grant will have on the number of disadvantaged young people we are able to support. You will have significant freedom to design and execute a strong growth-oriented trusts strategy.

What we're Looking for

• Proven track record of securing significant multi-year grants from trusts and foundations. 
• Strong grant-writing skills with the ability to produce clear, persuasive, and tailored proposals. 
• Experience using AI to generate proposals and grant reports time-efficiently. 
• Excellent relationship building and management skills, with experience engaging funders and external stakeholders. 
• Strong track record of prospect research using a mixture of techniques and strategies 
• Experience representing an organisation at events and conferences.  
• Strong numeracy and experience in preparing budgets for funders. 
• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities. 
• Familiarity with Salesforce or other CRM systems. 
• Commitment to safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people. 
• Commitment to the mission of improving outcomes for children from less advantaged backgrounds. 
• Knowledge of the education sector a plus, but not essential. 

Responsibilities

• Research and identify trusts, foundations, and other funding opportunities to grow Literacy Pirates’ funding base. 
• Develop a pipeline of high-quality funding applications to meet agreed income targets. 
• Write or generate compelling funding proposals and grant applications, drawing on organisational impact data and stories
• Place AI tools at the centre of routine content generation for applications and reports. 
• Build and maintain excellent interpersonal relationships with funders, ensuring effective stewardship at all stages. 
• Attend conferences and networking events, and arrange funder visits, meetings. 
• Track progress against targets and provide regular updates to the Head of Development.
• Provide support and leadership to the broader fundraising team 
• Contribute to the development of the charity’s wider fundraising strategy, ensuring trusts and foundations income complements individual giving, corporate partnerships, and community events. 
• Work with the Education and Comms team to ensure the right impact data and case studies are available to strengthen proposals and reports and contribute to organisation’s marketing work 
• Ensure accurate and up-to-date records of applications, grants, and funder communications in the CRM system. 
• Monitor sector trends and share insights on funding opportunities and best practice. 

Role

In this exciting role, you’ll lead the charge in identifying and securing new corporate partnerships across a diverse range of industries. You’ll focus on spotting opportunities, building strong relationships, and opening doors to collaborations that deliver real impact for our cause.

You’ll be part of a team that turns strategy into action – researching prospects, crafting tailored proposals, and negotiating with key stakeholders to bring partnerships to life. You’ll also support high-profile events and initiatives that strengthen our corporate network and showcase the value of working with us.

If you’re a confident communicator with strong writing skills, highly organised, and thrive on managing multiple priorities, this is your chance to make a real difference while growing your career in the charity sector.

What we’re looking for

• Creative and innovative approach to developing new partnership
• Experience with relationship management and partnership development
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work quickly, accurately and independently, using initiative.
• Negotiating and influencing skills
• Skilled at building collaborative relationships internally and externally.
• Fast learner with strong prioritisation and evaluation skills.

What we offer

• Hybrid working between home and our Head Office in Holborn (3 days a week in the office)
• Flexible working around our core hours of 10am to 4pm
• 25 days annual leave rising with length of service
• Closure at Christmas (additional 3 days)
• Training, support and development opportunities
• Access to discount scheme 
• Range of wellbeing initiatives including access to an employee assistance programme (WeCare) designed to save money and improve your physical, financial and mental health and wellbeing and free eye tests and contribution towards any glasses required for work purposes

Woman’s Trust is a leading, specialist mental health charity supporting women and children affected by domestic abuse. As we approach our 30th anniversary in 2026, we stand at a powerful moment of growth and transformation. Each year, our trauma-informed, women-led services provide life-changing counselling, therapeutic support and advocacy to women and children across London. Our ambition is to scale this work to reach many more nationally. With a dedicated team of 45 staff, a strong financial foundation and annual income of £1.3m and a deeply committed Board of Trustees, we are poised to shape an ambitious new strategy for the years ahead.

We are now seeking an inspirational Chief Executive Officer to lead Woman’s Trust into this next chapter. This is a rare opportunity to guide a respected organisation whose work is not only transformative but often life-saving. The CEO will steer our strategic and operational development, strengthen and expand partnerships, grow sustainable income, and champion our voice across policy, public campaigns and mental health advocacy. Alongside a dedicated and collaborative team and Board, you will play a vital role in delivering and developing innovative services—supporting women and children, survivors navigating the justice system, and peer-led support groups—ensuring we remain responsive to the needs and experiences of those we serve.

We are seeking an inspirational and experienced people leader who combines strategic thinking with the ambition needed to position Woman’s Trust for growth. Confident in representing your organisation at a policy and advocacy level, you will act as a powerful ambassador for survivors’ mental health, influencing systems, shaping debate and strengthening our public voice. With strong financial and governance insight and the ability to build trusted, values-driven relationships across sectors, you will model a growth mindset and a commitment to continuous improvement. Above all, you will uphold our feminist, inclusive and survivor-centred values, nurturing an empowering and equitable culture for our staff, volunteers, partners, and—most importantly—the women and children we serve.

To read more about the opportunity and our work, including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief.

If you have the passion, clarity and commitment to champion the mental health and wellbeing of women and children survivors—and the leadership to guide Woman’s Trust into a bold new era—we would be delighted to hear from you.

Closing Date: 21 December 2025

People Beyond Profit Screening Conversations: 22 December - 6 January 2026

Woman’s Trust Panel Interviews:

· First Stage (online): 13 & 14 January 2026

· Second Stage (in-person): 22 January 2026

Please note:

This post is open to female applicants only as this is deemed a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Are you passionate about school libraries? Do you believe in the power of school libraries to transform children and young people’s experiences in education? Can you communicate confidently to a wide audience and range of stakeholders?  

The School Library Association (SLA) supports approximately 2000 members working in schools across the UK with advice, training and advocacy. The School Library Lead will be at the forefront of our member offer and outreach, to help us deliver on our mission to support all those working in school libraries, so that more children and young people reach their full potential through the school library.   

This role will lead on providing advice, inspiration and support for schools looking to develop their school library provision and all the benefits this brings. An expert in school libraries, you will be comfortable supporting members 1:1, delivering training to larger audiences, providing consultancy to schools and sector organisations, writing training and resources, or preparing book recommendations. An exciting opportunity for someone experienced in school libraries with knowledge of the curriculum, teaching and learning and children’s books, you will be the first port of call for library advice and expertise, contributing to the growth and sustainability of the membership network.

You will be experienced in developing relationships with a variety of stakeholders at all levels relish a busy role. This will include supporting our Branch network, collaborating on initiatives for development, delivery and new projects as they come online. As resident children’s book expert, you will support with programmes and projects such as the SLA Information Book Award and member book-related events. You will work with your SLA colleagues to develop and deliver high-quality member events and training as well as advocacy events to raise awareness of the importance of school libraries. Using your sector insight, you will identify opportunities for development of initiatives that will support the SLA vision and mission enabling us to reach more children and young people through our work.  This is a busy and rewarding role and will suit someone with passion and resilience. 

This is a full time role working remotely, throughout the year (37 hours per week). Find out more about the role including full job description and how to apply by downloading the job specification pack. 

Application deadline: 19th December 

Interviews: First round interview (online): 13th/14th January

Second round interview in person TBC: 20th/22nd January 

Applications without a covering letter will not be considered. No agencies please.   

Due to the volume of applications we cannot provide individual feedback. We really appreciate your interest. If you haven’t heard from us within four weeks of the deadline, it means we’ve moved forward with other candidates on this occasion. We encourage you to apply again in the future. Please note we may close recruitment early should the right candidate be identified.  

We are looking for a highly engaging Volunteering and Community Partnerships Manager to lead and grow on the recruitment, development and retention of our pool of volunteers. You will work across the team to ensure all volunteers are well-supported, feel valued, and are making meaningful contributions to the charities mission. You will also plan and organise a calendar of fundraising and community events for the charity.

Step-Out Mentoring is an early intervention mentoring organisation that provides support for children and young people in the heart of South London through outdoor based 1:1 mentoring and group workshops. We work with children and young people aged 8-18 who are disengaged with education and/or life, referred to our service from Social care, GP’s, Mental health services and schools. Our mentors are all volunteers from the community who are trained to become youth mentors and matched to young people for weekly mentoring sessions.

Our mission is to equipe young people with the skills and emotional resilience to thrive in life. We provide a safe environment for disengaged children and young people to work through their challenges and reconnect with the community.

As a small and growing charity our staff team are embedded in all aspects of the work we do so it is encouraged that all staff engage in the activities with the young people including trips, residentials, mentoring and workshops. 

You will be leading on ensuring the charity has a steady stream of passionate volunteers and will be able to provide excellent support for them as they start their journeys of mentoring young people. You will also be leading on organising a yearly events calandar of community events and fundraisers. Which would include a Live Music event, expedition challenge (e.g hiking up mount Snowdon) plus family freindly fun days. You will be joining a small and dedicated team that works from our youth centre in Camberwell. 

For more information please read our Job description.

Live Unlimited are passionate about empowering care-experienced children and care-leavers in Barnet and our opportunities really do make a difference; from helping care-experienced children and young people feel more confident and positive about themselves, supporting them into meaningful new jobs, developing new skills, reducing stress and anxiety and making their feel equal to their peers. 

We are seeking a highly organised and passionate Project Officer to help deliver and co-ordinate four of our key programmes: 

• Driving Ahead – supporting care-experienced young people to learn to drive
• Peer Lives – a new peer mentoring scheme co-designed with young people
• Friends of Live Unlimited – our supporter engagement and fundraising community
• Imagination Unlimited – providing care-experienced young people with items that spark creativity, joy, and personal growth

As our range of schemes evolve over time, the Project Officer will have an opportunity to work on new projects as they are developed.

We seek individuals deeply committed to supporting children and young people (CYP) and driven by intrinsic motivation and unwavering standards for themselves and others. If you resonate with this, we invite you to join our team!

AllChild (formerly West London Zone) is a non-profit organisation that proactively works with children and their families to flourish socially, emotionally and academically through our tailored Impact Programme.

Working with schools, we identify and support children and young people before the need for crisis intervention, connecting them to the help they need through our trusted adult, the Link Worker.

Our Associate Link Worker is based in the school with the children and young people they are working with on our programme. They work directly with the children, their families, their teachers and our partners to design and facilitate a two-year Impact Programme of support and champion the children and young people along the way.

Since our launch in 2016, our Impact Programme has helped thousands of children and young people at the tipping point of need. 75% are no longer at risk in their emotional and mental wellbeing; two-thirds improved their grades, and 90% of schools renew after the first programme, noting ‘transformational or significant positive impact’ for the children and the wider school environment.

We are proud to be an employer that puts Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the core of all that we do for the benefit of our employees, our partners, and the communities that we work with. We are proud of our diversity and are therefore keen to receive applications from people who may be underrepresented in our AllChild community. Please read our EDI statement on our website for more details.

For more information and details on how to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: 7 January 2026.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Please inform us of any accessibility needs for the application or interview process. We will address them when scheduling interviews.

To ensure fairness in selecting the best candidates for this role, we operate a blind recruitment process. Therefore, all applications are anonymised until an interview has been confirmed.

All applicants will be contacted regarding their application status, and shortlisted candidates will be interviewed.

Job Title: Development Coordinator

Hours: Full time 36 hours, working pattern to be agreed.

Contract type: Permanent contract

Salary: £26,225 per annum

Location: Home-based in Wales

About Coram

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. We work in a dynamic environment, always innovating and changing whilst ensuring that our standards of data management are at the highest level and the best it can possibly be.

About Coram PACEY

Coram PACEY is the professional association dedicated to supporting home-based child carers, including childminders and nannies, to provide high quality services, information and advice to children, their families and carers.

The role:

As a key member of the Coram PACEY Cymru team to support the achievement of planned work linked to the development and sustainability of childcare and early years services in Wales.

We welcome applications for this role through English or Welsh.

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

Closing Date: Sunday 11th January 2026 at 23:59

Interview Date: tbc

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.

Hysbyseb

Teitl Swydd - Cydlynydd Datblygu

Oriau - Llawn amser 36 awr, patrwm gwaith i'w gytuno.

Cytundeb parhaol

Cyflog - £26,225

Lleoliad - Gweithio gartref yng Nghymru

Ynglŷn â Coram

Coram yw'r elusen hynaf i blant yn y DU a sefydlwyd gan Thomas Coram yn Llundain i helpu plant a phobl ifanc bregus er 1739. Heddiw, mae grŵp Coram yn helpu mwy na miliwn o blant, pobl ifanc, teuluoedd a gweithwyr proffesiynol y flwyddyn trwy gynnig mynediad at y sgiliau a'r cyfleoedd y mae eu hangen arnynt i ffynnu. Rydym yn gweithio mewn amgylchedd dynamig, yn arloesi ac yn newid drwy'r amser wrth sicrhau bod ein safonau rheoli data ar y lefel uchaf a'r gorau y gallant fod.

Ynglŷn â Coram PACEY

Mae Coram PACEY yn gymdeithas broffesiynol sy'n ymroi i gefnogi gofalwyr plant yn y cartref, gan gynnwys gwarchodwyr plant a nanis, i gynnig gwasanaethau, gwybodaeth a chyngor o ansawdd uchel i blant, eu teuluoedd a'u gofalwyr.

Y rôl:

Fel aelod allweddol o dîm Coram PACEY Cymru, cefnogi cyflawni gwaith wedi'i gynllunio sy'n gysylltiedig â datblygiad a chynaliadwyedd gofal plant a blynyddoedd cynnar yng Nghymru.

Croesawn geisiadau am y rôl hon trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg a'r Saesneg.

I wneud cais am y rôl hon, cliciwch ar y botwm 'gwneud cais yn awr' i lenwi'r cais.

Dyddiad Cau:11 Ionawr 2026

Dyddiad Cyfweld: i'w gadarnhau

Mae Coram yn gyflogwr cyfle cyfartal a chredwn fod gweithlu amrywiol yn galluogi inni wella'r gwasanaethau i'r plant a'r teuluoedd rydym yn eu helpu. Rydym wir wedi ymrwymo i annog ymgeiswyr o bob rhan o'r gymuned y ceisiwn ei chefnogi. Mae hyn yn cynnwys y rheini o gefndiroedd ethnig mwyafrif byd-eang, y rheini sy'n uniaethu fel LGBQT+, y rheini ag anableddau, y rheini â phrofiad byw o ofal, y rheini â niwroamrywiaeth, a'r rheini o grwpiau eraill sydd wedi'u tangynrychioli yn Coram.

Os yw ymgeiswyr yn teimlo'n gyfforddus, byddem yn eu hannog i dynnu ar brofiad byw ynghyd â phrofiad proffesiynol yn eu datganiad personol fel rhan o'u cais.

Rydym wedi ymrwymo i ddiogelu plant a lle fo'n briodol byddwn yn gofyn i'r ymgeisydd llwyddiannus ymgymryd â gwiriad gan y Gwasanaeth Datgelu a Gwahardd.

Rhif Elusen Gofrestredig. 312278.

About the organisation

nia has been delivering services to women, girls and children who have been subjected to sexual and domestic violence and abuse, including prostitution, since 1975. The organisation has three main aims: to provide services for women, girls and children who have experienced men’s violence; contributing to ending male violence against women and girls, and to inform and influence policy and public awareness.

nia is a professionally approved member of Rape Crisis England and Wales; an umbrella organisation supporting Rape Crisis Centres across the country. Rape Crisis is completely independent of the government and the criminal justice system.

East London Rape Crisis provides free, confidential specialist support for women and girls who have been raped or experienced any other form of sexual violence or abuse at any time in their lives, regardless of whether or not they have reported to the police. We offer confidential and independent support. Services include advocacy, emotional and practical support, one-to-one counselling and group work. The service is provided across Barking & Dagenham, Hackney, Havering, Redbridge, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

We form part of the London Sexual Violence Alliance. The Alliance brings together 225 years of expertise and experience and represents a bold, visionary and survivor-centred resource. The Alliance consists of eight members. Seven are organisations that have historically, and or currently, provide support for victims/survivors. MOPAC is the eighth member, primarily sitting at the oversight and leadership governance level.  Note: each organisation continues to be an independent charity, so the Alliance is not a legal entity.

About the role

In the role of Sexual Violence Navigator, you will provide the first response which supports survivors to make informed decisions about the next steps on their recovery journey. Navigators work within a trauma-informed approach, which centres survivor’s holistic needs, recognises strengths and survival strategies and responds to crisis.

About You

You will work as part of a growing feminist Rape Crisis service that is developing to meet the needs of women and girls. You will be joining the organisation at an exciting period of change and collaboration amongst providers of the London Sexual Violence Alliance.

We are looking for highly organised and self-motivated women who are passionate about ending violence against women, girls and children. You will have a ‘can-do’ approach and demonstrable commitment to nia’s feminist approach to supporting women and their children to be safer and well.

Job Ref: 196

Hours: 35 hours per week including evening shifts on a rota basis

Salary: £29,000 - £32,000 depending on experience and qualification

‘Job Ref: 197

Hours: 17.5 hours per week including evening shifts on a rota basis

Salary: £14,000 - £16,000. (FTE £29,000-£32,000), depending on experience  and qualification

Location: Hybrid model of office and homeworking. Current office locations are  Islington or Dagenham Heathway. This post will also alternate one day  per week between Alliance partner organisations offices based in Hackney and City of London.

Closing date:                   10am, 29 November 2025

Interview date:                 5 January 2026

CV's are not accepted

The posts are subject to an enhanced vetting and barring check and open to women only. Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR), Schedule 9 (Work; Exceptions), Part 1 (Occupational Requirements), of the Equality Act (2010) applies.

You’ll deliver a range of engaging financial education programmes to young people, adults, and professionals. Trainers love working with our participants and are the front line of our work; representing our exceptional programme quality in a variety of settings.

The role requires significant travel to locations across London and surrounding areas, to deliver face-to-face sessions to diverse learners. Occasional virtual sessions also need to be delivered. You’ll receive a TFL travel card, provided by Money Ready, to cover all travel costs.

We’re proud of the quality of our trainers and have a great mix of people. You’ll join an excellent team in London with a wealth of experience, so there will be ample opportunity for you to learn. You’ll also be encouraged to provide feedback on where our programmes might improve.

Importantly, you do not need to be an existing expert on financial education; we will train you on everything you need to know. Rather we are looking for people who will be great trainers! 

About HIAS+JCORE

HIAS+JCORE is the UK Jewish voice on refugees and racial justice. Our work is driven by the belief that the Jewish community should play an active part in building a society in which Refugees are able to live in dignity where the UK is a welcoming place free from racism.

Our organisation came into this form through the joining of operations between two organisations: the UK-based JCORE (Jewish Council for Racial Equality) and HIAS, a global humanitarian aid and advocacy organisation. HIAS+JCORE is inspired by Jewish values and history to support those who are displaced, no matter their background.

JUMP is a London-based befriending project for young asylum seekers and refugees who have been separated from their families. The three primary ways in which JUMP supports young people are casework, community, and

befriending.

About the role

We are looking for a self-starting team member who will help coordinate this valuable project in London. You’ll be responsible for the befriending pairs and undertake tasks such as develop and maintain relationships with partner organisations, manage referrals for young people, recruit volunteer befrienders, and setting-up and sustaining pairs. This includes leading an initial training day.

Contact with befrienders is through monthly reporting, and bi-annual supervision (initially after three months for new befrienders); alongside ad-hoc communication on safeguarding or other urgent matters. Contact with young people is more regular and varies depending on their casework support needs.

Community events take place every three months and offer a space for all young people and volunteers to come together and celebrate the work they are doing on JUMP. You will need to attend these events, which can take place on the

weekend, and liaise with your cohort of befriending pairs to ensure everyone has the correct information.

JUMP also has Hardship Fund (HSF) available to young people who need financial support with travel, clothing, food vouchers, and phone contracts. We also have a small budget for miscellaneous payments, which in the past has included paying for emergency accommodation for young people facing homelessness.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Supporting the running of our JUMP project in London, and overseeing and supporting up to 15 pairs, by:

Supporting young people and the JUMP Community

· Managing a caseload of young people;

· Offering casework support (e.g., related to housing, education; day-to-day needs; arranging legal intervention etc.);

· Where necessary arranging and attending appointments with the young person (GP, Home Office, Job Centre, and Legal appointments);

· Signposting young people to available support and intervening where necessary.

· Assisting in the planning and organising of group trips and events every 2- 3 months;

· Conducting initial assessments with young people to understand their needs, and once paired with a volunteer, hosting befriending initial meetings;

· Facilitating Hardship Fund payments to young people, including applications and approvals.

Supervising and supporting volunteers

· Organising and delivering JUMP core training to new and existing befrienders;

· Recruiting, interviewing and onboarding new befrienders;

· Supporting befriending volunteers through regular supervisions, meetings, emails and phone calls;

· Responding to applications from new volunteers and actively recruiting volunteers as required;

· Ensuring that volunteers uphold JUMP’s policies and boundaries for

befriending;

· Responding promptly to safeguarding concerns raised by volunteers.

Publicising JUMP, and engaging with key stakeholders

· Publicising the project to existing and potential referral agencies working with young asylum seekers and refugees who have been separated from their families;

· Establishing and maintaining excellent close working relationships with referral organisations;

· Representing HIAS+JCORE and JUMP in the refugee sector as required, for example at the Refugee and Migrant Forum meetings..

Project monitoring, evaluation and record keeping

· Working with experts and the Frontline Support Manager on supporting the project and its evaluation;

· Keeping accurate records in the JUMP database, including for safeguarding and impact evaluation purposes.

Other Duties

· Ensuring that JUMP informs our campaigns, communications and education work. As the project develops, there will be opportunities for the post- holder to contribute to and support these areas of our work;

· Undertaking any other related tasks as required.

ABOUT YOU

· Ability to support, develop rapport and trust with, and motivate both young people and volunteers from a range of backgrounds and ages in challenging circumstances, including the ability to facilitate and engage in cross cultural communication;

· Knowledge of issues facing separated asylum seeking and refugee children and young people, and the rights and entitlements of ‘Looked After’ children and young people;

· Understanding of the current context surrounding immigration, asylum and welfare issues facing children and young people in the UK today;

· Understanding of Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding, and ability to communicate this to volunteers;

· Understanding of youth work principles and methods, including the benefits and challenges of befriending and other participatory methods;

· Ability to network in the refugee sector and develop strong working relationships;

· Ability to work independently and to self-motivate;

· Commitment to HIAS+JCORE values, social justice and antiracism;

· The ability to communicate in languages other than English, in particular Arabic, Spanish and French (desirable).

Necessary Experience

· A track record of working directly with asylum seeking and refugee children and young people;

· Experience of social work, youth work, or other relevant methods of supporting people in challenging circumstances;

· Experience of training, coordinating and supporting volunteers;

· Experience of juggling commitments and responding to relevant stressful situations.

Desirable Experience

· Educated to at least undergraduate degree level, or equivalent background or experience;

· Working knowledge of Local Authorities’ responsibilities for Looked After

Children and Care Leavers;

· Experience of project management including administration, monitoring, evaluation and report writing.

Applicants must be UK based either in London or be willing to relocate. We are only able to consider applicants who have the right to work in the UK. HIAS+JCORE is unable to sponsor working visas to the UK.

We particularly encourage applicants from people with lived experience of the asylum system.

Role description: You will work with local residents to continue our community engagement work, empowering residents to bring about positive change for North Leatherhead and facilitating their engagement in decisions affecting the local area.

Pay and hours: £16 an hour. 15 hours per week, with occasional evening and weekend working.

Contract: 6-month contract, initially.  

Location: LCH, Kingston Road, Leatherhead. KT22 7PX. Not suitable for remote working.

Context:

North Leatherhead is in the top 5% most deprived neighbourhoods in Surrey, with one of the highest concentrations of foodbank use in the county and healthy life expectancy rates that are, on average, seven years lower than in South Leatherhead. A listening exercise by Mole Valley District Council highlighted the lack of community provision and the damaging impact of the closure of the children’s centre and other community buildings in recent years.

Leatherhead Community Hub (LCH) opened in March 2022 as a dedicated community centre in North Leatherhead. LCH provides opportunities for people to come together socially and build community, as well as giving partner organisations a permanent base from which to offer vital support. Our mission is to create a safe, welcoming space at the heart of the community, where people of all ages can connect, learn, have fun, and find the support they need to thrive. The Hub attracts around 3,500 visitors a month to our community café and the many other community activities run by LCH and other local groups.

One of LCH’s core values is to be community-led, and we are always looking for opportunities to take on board people’s ideas and develop their gifts. Last year, we set up a non-contact boxing project and we have plans for a new football project, in response to parents’ concerns about the lack of provision for children and young people. Responsibility for both projects is being handed over to local residents.

Role description:

You will be responsible for listening to, engaging with and empowering local residents to facilitate positive change in their community, with the following specific objectives:

· To establish a residents’ panel (or similar), giving local residents a greater say in decisions affecting local community.

· To organise an Annual General Meeting (or similar), ensuring that LCH is accountable to the local community.

· To carry out a community survey (or listening exercise) for North Leatherhead, to increase our understanding of the concerns and hopes of local residents.

In addition, we would like to explore ways to increase ownership and involvement of local residents in all aspects of the running of LCH. You will be employed by LCH, using the Hub as a base for networking and capacity-building, whilst also reaching out to other sections of the community. This role will require you to have a regular presence at LCH and in the wider community.

Requirements of the postholder: 

Essential:

· Excellent listening skills – friendly and approachable, with the ability to connect with people from a wide range of backgrounds and make them feel supported and valued.

· Experience of volunteering and/or working in a community setting.

· Strong organisational, time management and IT skills.

· A positive and creative approach to work – able to handle new or competing demands and work on own initiative without close supervision.

· A willingness to work flexibly, including occasional evening and weekend meetings.

· A firm commitment to the vision, mission and values of LCH.

Desirable:

· Good networking skills and experience of working with other organisations to achieve positive change for the community.

· An understanding of the principles of asset-based community development and other participatory approaches to community development.

· A proven ability to motivate and support people to use their strengths and skills for the benefit of the wider community.

· Experience of carrying out community research and/or grassroots organising.

· Experience of living, working and/or volunteering in the local area.

How to apply:  Please send us your CV and a cover letter (no more than 500 words), explaining why you would like this role and how you meet the job requirements.

 Posted on: 15th December 2025 

Closing date: 15th January 2026 

Interview date: 23rd January 2026

We are keen to appoint someone to start in February, or as soon as possible.

Family Support Worker 

Maternity Cover up to 12 months

£24,000 pa + Company Car and benefits (including 25 days annual leave, reward scheme and pension)

Essex and surrounding areas, including Romford, Ilford, Harlow, Loughton, Chelmsford

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.

About the role:

We are looking to appoint a Family Support Worker for a fixed term period of up to 12 months, on a full time basis (35 hours per week) to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of our Essex Care Team.

Reporting to the Family Support Manager of the Essex Care Team and working in partnership with health, education and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for providing needs-led emotional, social and practical support to families where a child/young person has a life threatening or terminal illness.

Having worked in a stressful and emotional environment you have a genuine interest in building supportive relationships and helping people; and having provided bereavement support to families, you understand processes of grief, loss and change - and how best to help others deal with its impact.

Location:

This role covers Essex and surrounding areas, including Romford, Ilford, Harlow, Loughton & Chelmsford.

What we’re looking for:

· An experienced child health, education or social care professional - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have worked in a community environment and those with a recognised qualification in education, health or social care

· A warm, inclusive approach to achieving goals quickly and correctly

· Practiced in child protection, information sharing and the rules around data protection - you lead by example, drawing on your own professional experience and working within established guidelines

· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident user of IT (including MSOffice)

· A persuasive and open communicator - you will work collaboratively with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service and support fundraising colleagues by writing case studies and family updates

· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.

What we offer:

· We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, including:

· Flexible working hours to balance home and working life

· Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand

· Company car for front line care posts

· 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)

· Time off in Lieu

· Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts

· Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes

· A recommend a friend recruitment bonus scheme

· Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year

· Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%

· The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping

Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth

If you’d like to find out more about these benefits and working with us, please visit our website.

As part of our learning and development Anne Harris Skills Development Programme, we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be their best and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.

Our Family Support Teams are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, counselling skills, introduction to play.

The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs.

About us:

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of time together, providing expert, practical and emotional support, where they need it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.

How to apply:

Please visit our website via the link and apply online.

Interview Date to be confirmed

Please disclose on your application form if you have used AI for any part of your job application.

Interviews will take place at our Essex Care Team office with the dates to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful. If you require any adjustments during the interview process, please let us know.

There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.

Rainbow Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment.

Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are a Best Companies One-Star rated organisation.