Children jobs in tonbridge and malling, kent
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Interim Head of Finance & Operations
Career Ready is a social mobility charity that believes that every young person deserves the opportunity to enjoy a rewarding future.
We were founded in 2002 by leading business figures with a mission: to boost social mobility by empowering young people and giving their talents a platform from which to flourish. Since then, we’ve grown in England and Scotland to support young people in areas of need.
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, qualified Finance professional to lead our Finance & Operations function.
About the Role
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer the Interim Head of Finance & Operations leads on and assumes day to day responsibility for providing high quality, strategic financial management for Career Ready.
You will lead on business operations to ensure the ongoing effective functioning of the charity and drive sustainable growth.
The Interim Head of Finance and Operations plays a key role in leading greater organisational efficiency and simplifying processes and will continue the delivery of a project plan reflecting the 2025-30 strategy.
You will play a critical role in driving the increased quality of Career Ready’s offer to our stakeholders in line with our strategy, vision and values.
Member of our SMT, comprising of the CEO, Director for Scotland, Director of Programme and Partnerships and Heads of functions.
This is an interim role to cover a period of maternity leave.
Main responsibilities and accountabilities
· Lead, direct and manage the finance and operations functions, overseeing two direct reports, ensuring they deliver a high-quality service to all internal and external stakeholders and are seen as adding value, in enabling Career Ready to achieve its vision and strategic objectives through its people.
· Continue the delivery of a project plan reflecting the 2025-30 strategy, ensuring that activities happen at pace, are deadline-driven and achieve a high level of impact.
· Assume overall responsibility for the financial management of Career Ready, working with the SMT to ensure high quality and effective use of charitable funds.
· Input into and review the financial elements of funding applications and ensure that fund accounting processes align with funders’ requirements for project reporting.
· Produce financial reports for various stakeholders, as well as leading on financial modelling.
· Have oversight of all financial and accountancy matters including month end reports, management accounts, cash flow management, compliance, tax liability, presentation of management information and KPIs. Ensure that the CEO and Trustees are provided with accurate, timely information and analysis.
· Oversee and coordinate the fully managed payroll services with the external bureau for all Career Ready employees and for some internship students (Jun to Aug during the Summer)
· Administration of the Staff Opt-In Pension Scheme, including onboarding new staff (Royal London)
· Act as a role model in our ‘one team’ culture. Lead in the development of efficient working practices across the charity, creating momentum and supporting motivation within the charity.
· Lead risk management strategies and internal control procedures to minimise the risk of loss, or damage to, Career Ready’s assets.
· Prepare and submit annual operational budgets and annual accounts to the CEO for review and approval.
· Draft and deliver papers for Trustees and Finance and Fundraising Committee (F&FC) meetings.
· Attend Board and F&FC meetings to present papers and answer questions related to areas of expertise.
· Provide day to day line management of the Senior Finance Officers and support their ongoing growth and development.
· Management of organisational governance and compliance activities, including policy management.
· Oversee and manage the organisation’s risk management register and process, with input from SMT.
· Oversee reviews and renewals of all insurance policies that affect the organisation.
· Lead on the compliance of statutory and charity regulatory reporting, giving guidance to colleagues where required.
· Ensure any changes to processes and procedures across the function are clearly documented.
Person Specification
Essential skills and experience
- Belief and commitment to Career Ready’s mission and values
- Qualified (ACA/ACCA/CIMA/AAT) accountant with at least 5 years’ experience in financial management including budgeting, preferably in the charity sector.
- Significant experience in producing management and financial accounts
- Skilled in financial reporting and producing VAT returns
- Preparing for and ensuring a successful year-end audit, and demonstrable knowledge of UK Charities SORP and other reporting standards
- Experience in budgeting to support strategic decision making.
- Financial dexterity and strong analytical skills.
- Strong IT skills, including advanced MS Excel skills and extensive of using an accounting software, preferably Xero
- Excellent organisational and prioritising skills and ability to work independently and with autonomy
- Strong starter finisher with ability to lead and drive projects
- Knowledge of charity governance and compliance requirements
- Ability to build excellent relationships and have effective engagement with stakeholders
- Good communication skills and ability to communicate financial concepts to non-finance staff
- Attention to detail
- Ability to present financial information to various audiences
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and sensitivity of financial information
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to cope with competing demands to deadlines
- Honest and dependable
Desirable skills and experience
- Experience of leading a team, strong team building skills
- Line management experience
- Experience of using MS Planner or other project management tools
- Genuine interest in the work done by the Charity
- Experience of using a CRM (Salesforce)
- Degree in financial management or accounting
Full details are provided in the candidate pack
Salary and Benefits
Salary: £52,000 to £54,000 FTE (salary will be pro-rata for part time hours)
28-35 hours per week. Career Ready is committed to supporting condensed/flexible working patterns.
Permanent and remote. Travel to London required on an occasional basis
You will be rewarded with the following benefits:
· 6% contribution to personal pension plan, subject to 3% employee contribution.
· Annual leave: 27 days per annum plus bank/public holidays (pro rata for part time). The charity is also closed between Christmas and New Year. Career Ready also allows flexible use of some Bank & Public Holidays
· Cycle to Work Scheme
· Access to both our Reward Gateway Portal and an Employee Assistance Programme.
· Flexible working
· Work from home allowance and paid travel expenses.
We regret that Career Ready is unable to offer visa sponsorship and candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. In accordance with our commitment to safeguarding, offers of employment are subject to completion of a DBS check.
Timetable
Applications close at 9am on Monday 21 July 2025
Please note that the closing date may be brought forward if we receive strong applications.
This is an interim role to cover a period of maternity leave, with a provisional start date of late September for a handover period.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are delighted to be working in partnership with a much loved national Charity to recruit them a Relationship Manager on a 5-6 month contract.
About the role
You will be joining a friendly and face paced fundraising team to identify, support and retain regional supporters. You will be responsible for
* Driving engagement across your region (and beyond) to proactively identify, support, and retain supporters.
* Working with the wider Regional Fundraising Team and collaborate on relationships that might be across the UK
*You'll be generating a strong network of community and corporate supporters to secure sustainable income for the charity. You'll also be building a pipeline of prospects of community and corporate to ensure future support.
About you
To be successful in this role you must have
*Demonstrable knowledge of what it takes to proactively identify, develop, and cultivate supporters to maximise income and deliver against KPIs, objectives and the Community Team business plan.
*A good knowledge of the fundraising landscape and opportunities in the UK
*Experience of building and account managing/stewarding a personal portfolio of high value supporters & corporate partners, volunteers and in aid of events to achieve your financial target.
Please note that this is a home based role with travel across the South Coast. You will need access to a car and have a valid driving licence. Please note that applications are been taken on a rolling basis and an immediate start is preferable due to the contract length.
Eden Brown Synergy is an equal opportunities employer.
Eden Brown Limited is a limited company registered in England and Wales with registered number 3643845. Our registered address is 5th floor 4 Coleman Street, London, EC2R 5AR, part of nGAGE Specialist Recruitment Limited T/A nGAGE Talent. Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail. This message is intended solely for the addressee and may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in error, please send it back to us, and immediately and permanently delete it. Do not use, copy or disclose the information contained in this message or in any attachment. We take reasonable precautions to ensure no viruses are present in this email but cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage sustained as a result of computer viruses and the recipient must ensure that the email (and attachments) are virus free.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Are you looking to join a team that values people and partnerships and is dedicated to creating transformational experiences for our community?
Would you like to work for an organisation that values growth, with the opportunity to learn, develop, and grow in a collaborative and supportive culture?
If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for someone with great interpersonal skills and an advice background for the role of Advice and Advocacy Officer with Spring Community Hub.
The project aims to identify those in Welfare, Health, Wellbeing, Employment, housing, and/or food crisis who have had unresolved issues over a prolonged period and provide support for them to overcome the immediate crisis and work towards longer-term stability
The Advice and Advocacy Officer will provide holistic advice and advocacy to guests, supporting them on issues such as debt, welfare, housing, employment, and business support, in a trauma-informed and empowering way.
The postholder will be a key part of growing the Hub’s Advice and Advocacy/ Pastoral / Wrap-around services, working as a team with our partners, providing support to guests and volunteers.
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Working with a Caseload of Guests on a 1-1 and group basis and providing support via multiple channels, including Telephone, Email, In Person, virtually, and other project locations, develop action/support plans
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Working with a caseload of guests to provide support/signpost
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Facilitate group workshops, Coffee Mornings, and information sessions
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Provide Information, advice, guidance, and resilience
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Support for people facing hardship.
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Providing Support, Supervision, mentoring, and guidance to Volunteers in our Advice and Advocacy / Pastoral Teams
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Attend meetings/ events/Training/networking opportunities and undertake outreach to promote the work of Spring Community Hub
The post holder will be required to be flexible to the changing needs of the organisation and, as such, undertake tasks and responsibilities not specifically listed here but relevant to the smooth running of SCH, including general office and administrative tasks and aspects of service delivery, as directed by the CEO and Trustees.
We’re committed to building a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all sections of society. If this opportunity excites you and if you believe you possess the skills and experience we need, we look forward to hearing from you.
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Facilitate workshops ( Job Club/ Community Cafe/ Coffee Morning/ Information sessions ) and Group Sessions - in person/ virtually
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Support guests in the Centre and virtually, and undertake initial Assessments and follow-up Calls
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Represent Spring Community Hubs Service and project at relevant forums and meetings at a local level
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Collate monitoring data from all project streams, providing regular updates to the Head of Compliance / Development
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Contribute to providing information for funders and monitoring reports to the Head of Compliance and Development
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Assist in the induction/ onboarding and support of volunteers
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Assist in and facilitate Team Training Sessions, Workshops, Presentations, and Project meetings, and produce progress reports, papers, agendas, and minutes in line with direction from the Head of Compliance and Development
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Develop and contribute to the creation, maintenance, improvement, and expansion of our range of debt, immigration, and welfare benefits information resources
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Contributing to building testimonials /case studies and impact measurement, and monitoring
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Lead/ Support the team with the design and development of resources for the benefit of all users of the debt and welfare benefits system, and help drive forward our safeguarding and co-production culture
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To work with the Head of Compliance and Development to ensure the quality of the support given by the team/volunteers through assisting with case reviews, training, and development
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Research, analyse, and interpret relevant policies, legislation, and programmes related to the sector with the support of the Head of Compliance and Development
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Work with the Head of Compliance and Development to proactively identify gaps in information provision across our programmes and implement solutions.
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Working closely with the Head of Compliance and Development, Leadership / Service and Operations Team/ wider service and partners to ensure guests are supported.
Person Specification
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Experience delivering advice & Advocacy/ Wrap around care in at least one relevant area,/Relevant qualifications for the post
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Understanding of trauma-informed and inclusive practice
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Experience with group facilitation (desirable)
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Commitment to empowerment and diversity
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Willingness to undertake further training, including Information Advice and Guidance L2/L4 or as relevant to the role
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Experience in working with individuals who are experiencing significant poverty and may also have multiple and complex needs. You will have the ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of people.
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Experience in/willingness to learn the use of databases for the recording, processing of advice given, and reviewing the quality of team records/ usage
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Experience in establishing and maintaining good working relationships with external stakeholders
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IT Literate / Proficient in Microsoft/Google Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Slack, and experience with project management software / Communication tools (e.g., Zoho, Trello) is a plus.
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Time-management skills, with the ability to work successfully both alone and as part of a team
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Ability to communicate effectively (oral and written) with a wide variety of people at all levels, including statutory, voluntary, and other colleagues
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Ability to organise and prioritise own work, especially when under pressure
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Ability to work accurately and confidently with figures (statistics) and with attention to detail
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Commitment to the concept of continuous improvement of procedures and practices
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Ability to remain calm in challenging situations and reinforce boundaries
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Ability to support people in managing difficult feelings, and communicate their needs effectively
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Knowledge of best practice for lone working, data protection, and safeguarding adults
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Ability to recognise and work within the boundaries of the role, including confidentiality, and the working protocols between agencies
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Strong sense of self, and ability to set and maintain boundaries, and lead by example
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Ability to communicate effectively in person on a one-to-one basis and with groups, as well as over the telephone and in writing
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Excellent listening skills
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Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and others.
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Willingness to work outside normal working hours, as and when required.
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Understanding of the needs of disadvantaged, disaffected, and vulnerable people, and the ability to work with them in a positive way
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A clear commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and confidentiality
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Professional and positive approach, with a commitment to professional development and self-improvement.
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Ability to think and plan strategically to inform decision-making.
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Qualifications, Training, or Relevant experience in IAG, Welfare Benefits, Housing, Immigration, Employment, Law, or Similar
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Clear communication skills, face-to-face and on the phone, or via email
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Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations and deal with them calmly, efficiently, and effectivel
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Knowledge of food security/poverty issues in the UK and working with diverse communities..
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Delivering projects relating to Social Change and Social Justice
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Willingness to undertake further training as required by Spring Community Hub.
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Commitment to the concept of continuous improvement of procedures and practices.
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A compassionate and empathetic approach, with a genuine interest in the well-being of others.
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Knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures, including child protection and vulnerable adult support.
Responsible for staff/equipment
Advice & Advocacy / Pastoral Team Volunteers / Phone / Laptop
Reporting to…
The Head of Compliance & Development/ Chair of Trustees
Why Join us / Benefits
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A warm, welcoming, and passionate working environment
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People-focused with a friendly and supportive workplace culture
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We are a London Living Wage Employer
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An active commitment to equality and diversity
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We offer continuing opportunities for learning, and personal and Professional development together with regular supervision, training, and support for all our staff and volunteers
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Generous annual leave entitlement: 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays)
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Company pension scheme
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Frequent team away days and celebrations, as part of a friendly and collaborative team.
Application Process:
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Complete our Application form
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Submit your CV with a Supporting Statement.
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Initial Telephone interview - shortlisted candidates will be invited for a Telephone interview
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If you are shortlisted from the Telephone Interview, you will be invited to a formal interview, which will consist of the following:
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A Presentation topic will be shared with you in advance
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60-minute Panel Interview with members of the SLT / Board of Trustees
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Questions will be shared with you before the interview so that you can prepare.
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Role-specific Practical Task
Spring supports people in crisis to gain independence and live healthy lives in a connected, supportive community through our hub and activities.




The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Learning & Development Manager (LDM) – Cymru Wales, West Midlands & South West
Home - Based but within commutable distance to Wales, West Midlands & South West
If you’re passionate about helping further the mission of Methodist churches, circuits and districts, then we would like to hear from you. As an experienced professional with a proven track record in learning and development, and management, you will be part of a Learning Network (LN), within the Ministries and Learning team and part of the Connexional Team of The Methodist Church.
The LN comprises 30+ staff working as part of a single team operating across the Methodist Church in Britain. The team is strategically and collaboratively managed by Learning and Development Managers (LDMs), each having responsibility for a number of Learning and Development Officers (LDO) working within a geographical area. We are seeking to recruit an LDM for the Cymru Wales, West Midlands and South West area. There is a requirement to live within this geography that includes the Methodist districts: Wales Synod Cymru, West Midlands (following the merger of the current Birmingham District and the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District on 1st September 2025), Southampton, Channel Islands, Bristol, and South West Peninsular.
Responsibilities of the Learning Development Manager include:
- strategic shared leadership of the LN
- leading and managing the LDOs, balancing the needs and expectations of lay and ordained
- developing, implementing and reviewing, alongside other LDMs and the Director of Ministry Learning, the strategic work plan of the LN
- building and maintaining good relationships across the Connexional Team and with individuals and communities across the church and beyond
- encouraging the sharing of individual gifts and experiences across a number of teams and stakeholders
- travel (including overnight stays), weekend and evening work
We are looking for someone who has:
- proven experience of coordinating and managing a dispersed team of staff and volunteers
- significant experience and is passionate about learning and development
- a strong commitment to collaborative and partnership working
- a proven track record of meeting deadlines within a complex and varied workload
Knowledge of the Welsh language would be a valuable asset to this role
Our Culture, Values and Benefits
Thank you for considering joining our inclusive and welcoming team that strives for excellence and values employee wellbeing.
We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), TOIL, flexi-leave and an on-site Wellbeing Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme, where the Methodist Church will pay double the employee contribution up to a maximum of 16% employer contribution.
The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups.
For ministers in Full Connexion the standard terms of service apply.
Closing date: 23:59 on 21/07/2025
Interviews to take place on: 08/08/2025 in London in person.
N.B. 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.
The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.
