Citizens Advice offers confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. Through our national network of charities, we give people the knowledge and the confidence they need to find their way forward – whoever they are, and whatever their problem.

We’re an organisation with a relentless focus on making society fairer. With the wealth of data collated from our services nationally, we have a unique insight into emerging trends and issues affecting people, and we use it to influence government, regulators and industry, to improve people's lives.

As a member of our policy research teams, you will work across different policy areas, using a wide range of research methods and creating outputs including blogs, reports, presentations and events. Our strong brand will give you unique opportunities to engage with those who have the power to make change. You will feed into our work influencing policy makers such as parliamentarians, the civil service, regulators and industry and you will work closely with our world-class news, campaigns, public affairs and data teams.

We are looking for exceptional individuals with good research and communication skills, curiosity, and ambition to achieve real change on behalf of our clients and consumers. Relevant professional experience is not essential for these roles, but a demonstrable interest in the policy landscape is vital.

Citizens Advice values diversity, promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented throughout Citizens Advice. We are a member of the race equality campaign at Business in the Community, the Prince’s responsible business network and are committed to improving employment opportunities for ethnic minorities across the UK. We also welcome applications from, LGB and Trans and non binary candidates.

We have made a positive commitment to employing disabled people and guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role as set out in role profiles. We are happy to consider flexible working, which may include arrangements such as part-time working, formalised flexitime, fixed (non-standard) working hours, working from home and job-sharing.

This is clearly an extraordinary time and a difficult point at which to change jobs - but we are committed to making this as easy as possible for candidates. We will arrange interviews by video-conference and ensure inductions can be done in a way which makes the successful candidate feel like a valued part of the organisation.

An exciting opportunity has arisen in our central operations to head up our fantastic Twinnage division as the Head of Twinnage. Twinnage is our overseas aid division and the successful candidate will be responsible for delivering the Twinnage development programme within budget ensuring full compliance. 

Working Hours = You will be contracted to 22.5 hours per week
Contract = Permanent
Location = Flexible on location but will require some travel
Salary = You will be paid £30,000.00 per annum (£50,000 FTE)
Benefits Package = 33 days holiday (pro rata) per year inclusive of bank holidays increasing to 38 days with service, competitive pension scheme, buy and sell holidays, birthday reward, enhanced maternity pay and lots more.

The main duties as Head of Twinnage will involve:

• Develop and manage the strategic plan including budgets and deliver within budget to agreed timescales
• Manage the Twinnage team including the Twinnage Administration Officer and a number of volunteers
• Manage all funding requirements to ensure the need is real and report / monitor all grants to sure payments follow Society policies
• Promote Twinnage and Overseas Development internally and externally
• Build and enhance partnership links  with other Overseas development organisations and Social Justice teams
• Develop strong working relationship with internal Twinnage Officers and the 6 twin countries undertaking regular communication and visits
• Develop SVP Trading links with twinned countries so that produce made in those countries by the SVP local organisations is sold in England and Wales SVP shops
• Ensure that twinned countries have adequate safeguarding policies and procedures in place and in use
• Seek external funding to supplement Society raised funds for Twinnage projects in consultation with the fundraising team.
• Ensure that all requirements regarding the Charities Commission and the International Twinnage manual are understood, communicated and complied with.

It is essential for the candidate to demonstrate the following:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Experience in a senior management role involving managing a programme, change management, budget management and strategic development
• NGO experience
• Good knowledge of the International Aid Sector and safeguarding practices
• Willingness to travel inside and outside the UK
• Proficiency in various IT systems including Microsoft Office
• Understanding of financial reports and measures
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Good organisation skills, including the ability to plan and priorities tasks
• Sympathy with the Christian aims and purposes of the Association and demonstrated cultural sensitivity

Other attributes that would be desirable but not essential are:

• Experience in working with and managing volunteers
• Working experience in Risk Management, internal audits, fundraising and marketing

In return we’ll provide you with the opportunity to work for a welcoming organisation that offers support and guidance to all members of staff.

Volunteering and Social Value Manager

Location: Flexible to be agreed – will require regular travel to our central office in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, and across RLO services in England

Circa £27,000

The role

We are looking for a volunteering and social value professional to join out operational team. You will have proven experience in setting up and managing volunteering programmes and social value projects and initiatives. You will work closely with local Service Managers, Heads of Operations, and the Director of Operations England to implement and Co-ordinate the ‘Real Life Volunteers’ project across RLO services in England.

You will work across RLO services in England to encourage and support volunteering project development and secure funding, either through supporting applications into the RLO Community Service Fund or sourcing appropriate external small grants and funding streams.

You will manage the recruitment, placement and retention of volunteers; develop volunteer specific procedures and processes, implement appropriate monitoring and reporting systems, best working practices and administrative support services.

Key to a successful volunteering programme will be the ability to develop close working relationships and build effective networks with local community volunteer brokers, community groups and national volunteering agencies (e.g. NVCO and Volunteering Matters) to promote and encourage volunteering within RLO services and share best practices in volunteering.

To support the development and implementation of the Social Value project across England services, you will be coordinating and supporting social values programmes and activities and acting as Social Value Champion; promoting social values to stakeholders both internally and externally.

The Person:

You will have a number of year’s proven experience of developing and managing successful volunteering projects, along with a good understanding of the necessary governance, including safeguarding and risk management for volunteers. You will have some experience of sourcing and successfully securing additional external funding for volunteering projects. You will have experience of promoting and championing initiatives, such as social value; comfortable promoting to and encouraging participation with internal and external stakeholders. You will be a self-starter, used to managing a diverse and varied work load, a good communicator and excellent ambassador, who can identify and develop key relationships internally and externally.

Benefits and Rewards

At Real Life Options we treat our people with the same respect, care and consideration that we show to the people we support. Not only do we provide competitive rates of pay, a great place to work and great job satisfaction, our additional benefits include:

• Accredited training giving you the knowledge and skills to deliver a first rate job
• Access to training bursaries
• A minimum of 33-days paid holiday a year, including bank holidays (pro-rata for part time staff)
• An employer contributory pension scheme (4% employee 4% employer)
• A free Employee Assistance Programme (including a medical helpline, telephone and face-to-face counselling, debt, financial and legal information)
• 2 x Monthly salary death in service cover
• A financial wellbeing scheme
• A reward gateway with access to discounted goods and services

We are keen to recruit someone with the right values and behaviours who can help us to ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do these are:

Respect – Honesty – Responsibility – Excellence

Please note that initial contact with applicants will usually be by email, so please check all of your email folders regularly, including your junk mail folders.

Real Life Options are an equal opportunities employer. We seek to recruit, train and promote the best person for the job, to make full use of the talents and resources of all our people and to craft a working environment free from unlawful discrimination, victimisation and harassment in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty, a medical condition or individual need that you believe may affect your performance in selection, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to our processes to enable you to perform at your best so please do let us know.

Please note applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as received ,so the post may be filled before the published closing date. 

Bank Support Worker

Are you currently looking for a job that offers flexibility in between personal commitments or during educational study? Are you interested in gaining valuable workplace experience and making a real difference in young people’s lives? Maybe a role as a Bank Support Worker is the next step for you?

Our client are currently looking for kind, caring and friendly people to join their professional team as a Bank Support Worker in our home in Hassey. Experience is not essential and full training will be provided but understanding the issues young people face in their daily life will really help to make a difference.

You will join their Bank Team on a “Zero Hours Contract” supporting their Residential Home in York working flexible shifts that fit around your personal life.

Company Benefits

•  Competitive pay (£9.54 p/h)
•  22 days holiday + 8 bank holidays
•  Excellent Learning and Development opportunities (NVQ Level 3 in Adult Health & Social Care)
•  Enhanced company pension
•  Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
•  Paid Induction (Running over 7 days)
•  Free on-site parking
•  Paid Enhanced DBS check
•  Employee Assistance Programme / 24-hour Counselling Service
•  Online shopping discounts, free eye tests and various other benefits
•  The opportunity for internal promotions & progression
•  Refer a Friend Scheme (Up to £500 per referral)
• Regular social events and recognition schemes (‘Employee of the year awards’, Summer & Christmas parties)

Your role as a Bank Support Worker

•  Carry out direct and indirect care of young people with complex mental health needs
•  Work in a team, giving the highest standard of care possible to the young people.
•  Closely follow individual care plans and support young people with education, shopping, and social and leisure activities.
•  Carry out multiple interventions involving the delivery of care to young people
•  Promote independence amongst the young people
•  Provide support, advice and information to the young people, parents and other carers
•  Carry out further duties as per our attached document (Writing reports, general office admin etc)

Requirements of a Bank Support Worker

•  Flexibility - Your role will involve working shifts including sleep ins/weekends/Bank Holidays
•  Good verbal communication skills and the ability to listen to others
•  Good written skills and the ability to write basic reports and record information accurately
•  IT Literate (Able to write emails and use Microsoft Office)
•  An understanding of the issues around confidentiality
•  An understanding of safeguarding
•  Professional working boundaries between staff and service users
•  Ability to remain calm in emergencies, supporting others during difficult situations

Desirable Criteria

•  Full UK Driving Licence
•  NVQ Level 2 qualification or equivalent in Care
•  Previous experience of working with young people who have mental health needs

Due to the current climate regarding the Covid-19, all of our interviews are now taking place as a Video/Audio Interview over Microsoft Teams.

Training will be carried out at the beginning of each month over 7 days covering First Aid, Safeguarding and Therapeutic Risk Management and breakaway techniques. This is paid for along with travel expenses.

The closing date for this position is Sunday 7th June, so if you are interested in developing and supporting young people and young adults with complex difficulties then please ensure you apply before this date.

We reserve the right to close the advert early, should we appoint a suitable candidate.

Care in Mind operates a safer recruitment process and as part of this process the successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.

We are an equal opportunities employer who values diversity and positively encourages applications of all ages from all sections of the community.

Bank Support Worker

Are you currently looking for a job that offers flexibility in between personal commitments or during educational study? Are you interested in gaining valuable workplace experience and making a real difference in young people’s lives? Maybe a role as a Bank Support Worker is the next step for you?

Our client is currently looking for kind, caring and friendly people to join their professional team as a Bank Support Worker. Experience is not essential and full training will be provided but understanding the issues young people face in their daily life will really help to make a difference.

You will join their Bank Team on a “Zero Hours Contract” supporting their Residential Home in Huddersfield working flexible shifts that fit around your personal life.

Company Benefits
· Competitive pay (£9.54 p/h)
· 22 days holiday + 8 bank holidays
· Excellent Learning and Development opportunities (NVQ Level 3 in Adult Health & Social Care)
· Enhanced company pension
· Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
· Paid Induction (Running over 7 days)
· Free on-site parking
· Paid Enhanced DBS check
· Employee Assistance Programme / 24-hour Counselling Service
· Online shopping discounts, free eye tests and various other benefits
· The opportunity for internal promotions & progression
· Refer a Friend Scheme (Up to £500 per referral)
· Regular social events and recognition schemes (‘Employee of the year awards’, Summer & Christmas parties)

Your role as a Bank Support Worker
· Carry out direct and indirect care of young people with complex mental health needs
· Work in a team, giving the highest standard of care possible to the young people.
· Closely follow individual care plans and support young people with education, shopping, and social and leisure activities.
· Carry out multiple interventions involving the delivery of care to young people
· Promote independence amongst the young people
· Provide support, advice and information to the young people, parents and other carers
· Carry out further duties as per our attached document (Writing reports, general office admin etc)

Requirements of a Bank Support Worker
· Flexibility - Your role will involve working shifts including sleep ins/weekends/Bank Holidays
· Good verbal communication skills and the ability to listen to others
· Good written skills and the ability to write basic reports and record information accurately
· IT Literate (Able to write emails and use Microsoft Office)
· An understanding of the issues around confidentiality
· An understanding of safeguarding
· Professional working boundaries between staff and service users
· Ability to remain calm in emergencies, supporting others during difficult situations

Desirable Criteria
· Full UK Driving Licence
· NVQ Level 2 qualification or equivalent in Care
· Previous experience of working with young people who have mental health needs

Due to the current climate regarding the Covid-19, all of their interviews are now taking place as a Video/Audio Interview over Microsoft Teams.

Training will be carried out at the beginning of each month over 7 days covering First Aid, Safeguarding and Therapeutic Risk Management and breakaway techniques. This is paid for along with travel expenses.

The closing date for this position is Sunday 7th June, so if you are interested in developing and supporting young people and young adults with complex difficulties then please ensure you apply before this date.

They reserve the right to close the advert early, should they appoint a suitable candidate.

Our client operates a safer recruitment process and as part of this process the successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.
They are an equal opportunities employer who values diversity and positively encourages applications of all ages from all sections of the community.

Urdu / Punjabi speaking

Community Connector Posts x 2

£ 21,589 pro rata starting salary + 5% pension

1 x 15hrs per week maternity cover post            1 x 24.5hrs per week post

Have you got what it takes to join our award winning team?

A Community Connector provides short term interventions for people who are isolated, experience mental health problems or who have had a sudden crisis in their lives which results in their needing support to access community activities. You will work closely with GP Practices and health professionals taking referrals and ensuring a joined up approach to health and social care

The successful candidate will also have excellent interpersonal skills and the energy and persistence to see tasks through to successful completion as they work within this developing service.

For full details please visit our website 

The closing date for applications: 12 noon on 11th June 2020

Interviews: To be held on Wednesday 17th June 2020