Communications improvement advisor jobs in westcliff on sea, southend on sea
The National Youth Agency is looking for a new Local Quality Advisor to join our Youth Work Innovation & Development Team.
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full-time - 37 hours per week
Salary: £37,826 per annum
Remote: This role is homebased (within the UK) with occasional travel for staff residentials and other events.
What we do
As the national body for youth work, the NYA has a dual function. We are the professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) responsible for qualifications, quality standards, and safeguarding for youth work and services in England. In line with our charity mission and aims, we also champion youth work through research, advocacy, campaigns, and programmes.
We work in partnership and believe in collaborative leadership, listening to youth workers and the youth work sector so that we can understand their needs and respond to the challenges they face. We are ambitious for youth work and for young people and integrate youth voice and influence across our work
About the Role
Responsibilities will include:
- Support the Local Quality and Improvement Manager in delivering key Local Offer programmes, such as the Peer Review and Peer Network Programme, helping Local Authorities and organisations meet the needs of young people and fulfil their Statutory Duty (Section 507B).
- Assist in the coordination and delivery of traded services related to Quality Standards and Organisational Development, ensuring high-quality support for partners.
- Contribute to the development, quality assurance, and standardisation of NYA resources related to Quality Standards, working collaboratively across NYA teams.
- Promote NYA standards and resources to the sector, offering support and training to encourage adoption and effective use.
- Identify and deliver support to non-commercial requests, including those from VCSE organisations and Town and Parish Councils seeking information, advice, and guidance.
- Engage with the Local Policy & Partnerships Manager and the NYA Knowledge Team to gather and share sector insights, promoting knowledge exchange across NYA teams and the wider youth work sector.
- Support collaboration with Local Authorities and partner organisations to raise awareness of NYA programmes and encourage engagement with Quality Standards.
- Utilise NYA tools, including CRM and Project Management systems, to help generate timely and relevant performance and financial reports that inform decision-making and support effective programme delivery.
Our ideal Local Quality Advisor should have the following:
- Demonstrated experience supporting the delivery of programmes or projects within the youth work, education, or voluntary sector.
- Strong understanding of youth work principles and the statutory duties of Local Authorities (particularly Section 507B).
- Ability to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including Local Authorities, partner organisations, and internal teams.
- Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to contribute to the development of resources and reports.
- High attention to detail and accuracy in all aspects of work.
- Strong time management skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
- Competence in using digital tools such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and project management platforms. Experience of using project management platform (or similar) would be an advantage
- A proactive, flexible, and agile approach to working across multiple programmes, including attending events and responding to time-sensitive deadlines.
- Willingness to learn, adapt, and grow in a dynamic and evolving organisation.
Please refer to our Candidate Pack for more information on the role and the requirements.
Why Work for NYA?
NYA operates as a people-first organisation, prioritising the well-being and needs of its employees.
NYA offers an exceptional flexible working approach which encourages our team to balance professional responsibilities with their personal life.
A remote based team, spread across England, fostering inclusivity and diverse talent. Despite geographical distances between team members, NYA maintains a highly motivated and connected team through the optimisation of digital tools.
NYA is committed to supporting the continual personal and professional development of our team and helping them achieve their ambitions.
We provide 25 days leave plus 8 days, life assurance scheme, 5% employer pension contribution and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme via with unlimited specialist support available to all NYA employees.
How to Apply:
Please download our applicant pack to find out more about the role and requirements
To apply, please submit the following via our online application platform by 11:59pm on Friday 18th July 2025:
A detailed CV setting out your career history, with responsibilities and achievements in line with the person specification in the About You section.
A covering letter (maximum two sides) highlighting your suitability for the role and how you meet the requirements in the About You section.
We will request data for our EEDI monitoring purposes, providing this is optional.
Please note: the covering letter is an essential part of the application process and will be assessed as part of your full application. We use AI detector software, so cover letters or CV’s with over 30% AI generated content with be disregarded. We understand that AI tools can offer support to candidates who have learning differences, which is why we will accept applications with some AI assistance. CV’s will not be accepted without a cover letter.
The National Youth Agency is an equal opportunities employer.
At NYA our inclusive culture means that we embrace individual differences and understand that we need a diverse team to achieve our organisations mission.
We wish to recruit candidates from all backgrounds to ensure our team reflects the rich diversity of the communities we serve. We encourage applications from anyone regardless of disability, ethnicity, heritage, gender, sexuality, religion, socio-economic background and political beliefs but we particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates and those from other minoritised ethnic groups in the UK as they are currently underrepresented in our team.
More about us
Discover more about the National Youth Agency and our work on our website.
Youth Work changes lives
Which is why we’re committed to ensuring that as many young people as possible get to benefit from the national body for youth work in England, the National Youth Agency (NYA) exists to champion its transformative power. We believe all young people should have the opportunity to benefit from the life-changing impact of extraordinary youth workers and trained volunteers.
We help to grow youth work provision in ways that keep it effective, relevant, safe and engaging, to help millions of young people reach their potential and thrive. We do this by providing guidance, support, advice, training and staff development opportunities for youth workers and youth work organisations. At the heart of everything we do are young people themselves. We work hard to ensure their voices are integrated into all our work, to develop provision that truly meets their needs.
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Thank you!
An exciting opportunity to be involved in the development of a growing adult literacy charity as it expands across Central England
One in 20 adults in the UK has never learnt to read at all. This can have a serious impact on their confidence and wellbeing, limiting access to training, employment, and everyday opportunities that many take for granted. Being unable to read as an adult can be isolating and dangerous, reinforces social inequality, restricts economic growth, and worsens intergenerational disadvantage - but it is never too late to learn.
Read Easy helps adults transform their lives by learning to read. It does this by supporting its growing network of locally run, volunteer-led affiliated groups that offer free, confidential, one-to-one reading coaching—both in person and online to adults - aged from 18-88.
With its free, flexible, confidential approach, Read Easy encourages people who are too embarrassed to join a class to come forward for one-to-one support. Each new reader is provided with their own personal Reading Coach, so that they can learn in private and at their own pace. Learning to read transforms their lives in many other ways as well, including enabling them to support their children’s and grandchildren’s reading, and so transfers the benefits to the next generation.
There are currently 80 affiliated Read Easy groups across England, together involving more than a thousand volunteers. Read Easy UK is the registered charity and umbrella organisation which supports this network of affiliated volunteer groups and provides the structure, training and support to enable volunteers to establish groups in new areas.
As our Central Regional Adviser, your role would be to provide strategic leadership, guidance, and oversight to ensure that all volunteer groups consistently deliver high-quality services aligned with Read Easy UK’s strategy.
You will support local volunteer leaders to strengthen group performance, and foster collaboration across affiliated groups, so that that they deliver coaching to Readers with consistent quality, and a positive and worthwhile experience is had by all.
You will also find volunteers to ‘pioneer’ three new groups in the counties where there is no Read Easy presence in the East and West Midlands and East of England and provide them and our 29 existing groups and pioneers in the region, with high-quality support. Your quality support will ensure that they provide the same for their volunteers and new Readers. From meeting (mostly online) with Team Leaders to provide one to one support, and hosting online and annual in-person volunteer forums, to delivering presentations and occaisonal training for small groups of volunteers, this is a dynamic and rewarding role.
This is a home-based post requiring flexibility, some early evening working and occaisional travel to visit groups. The role is available on either a full or part time basis (min 32 hours p/w, 85% of 37.5 hours p/w FTE).
The successful candidate will be expected to:
- Live within one of the following areas: West Midlands (Defined as the 7 metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton), Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Leicestershire or Rutland;
- have been employed to work with volunteers for at least two years;
- have strong people management and interpersonal skills; excellent communication skills; and the confidence to run meetings and deliver presentations.
Salary & Benefits
- Annual Salary £25,075 (85% FTE) -£29,500 (100% FTE)
- 25 days holiday plus bank holidays and Christmas closing and 2 days volunteering leave – pro-rata for part time roles
- Company sick pay to financially support you when you are unwell (above statutory upon completion of probationary period)
- Support when extending your family – company parental and adoption pay (above statutory after 12 months service)
- Access to RewardHub – which gives retail discounts and has a ‘Wellbeing Centre’ with tools, tips, recipes, workout videos and guides which will help you to reach your own wellbeing goals
- Training and Development opportunities and resources – we are developing personal plans in this area to enhance employee experience and opportunity
- A collaborative, creative and inspiring working environment full of committed and passionate employees and inspirational volunteers
We strive to ensure our recruitment practices are fair, open, easy to access and as inclusive as possible. We aim to recruit a team which broadly reflect the local communities which we serve; to work with and learn from each other to continually improve the service we deliver to our Readers. Our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Group is actively promoting and advancing diversity and inclusion, ensuring a culture where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We welcome you to apply and be your authentic self.
When applying for a job with us, if an applicant has a disability covered by the definition outlined within the Equality Act 2010 and can show that they meet the ‘essential criteria’ described in the person specification for the role being applied for, they are guaranteed an interview for the job for which they are applying through our Disability Confident scheme.
If you need any support with your application, please contact us,
The closing date for this post is 10:00 Tuesday 15th July 2025. Should you be shortlisted, the first round of interviews will take place online on Wednesday 23rd July, with in-person interviews, being held in Gloucestershire or West Midlands, on Tuesday 29th July 2025.
The successful candidate will be invited to meet the team on 31st July in Birmingham, should they be able to do so.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
About us:
At Back Up, we have big ambitions. We launch our bold new strategy in April 2025 and together we’ll be working hard to make sure everyone affected by spinal cord injury has access to the support they need. We have a unique portfolio of high-impact services, and we are the only spinal cord injury charity in the UK providing dedicated services to children and young people.
At Back Up, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive working environment where all our employees are encouraged to reach their full potential, and individual differences are valued and respected. We particularly welcome applications from those from black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds or those with higher level spinal cord injuries.
In 2024 Back Up won The Times and The Sunday Times Spotlight Award for Best place to work for disabled employees. Previously, Back Up was voted one of the top ten charities to work for (Third Sector Best Charities 2020). The enthusiastic, inclusive and supportive spirit of our very skilled staff ensure excellence in the services we deliver.
About the role:
Do you have experience of working with disabled people? Are you a highly organised team player with an eye for detail and a passionfor making a difference?If so, Back Up could offer you an inspiring and fulfilling role making a significant difference to the lives of people with spinal cord injuries.About the role:All of our courses aim to increase confidence and independence in a supportive environment. They’re also led by people who have a spinal cord injury themselves–allowing participants to learn from others who have who have been there and can understand the issues and challenges.
As Courses Team Leader, you will be working closely with our Courses Coordinators and the wider team to oversee the ongoing development and delivery of this key part of Back Up’s services.You will be need to be creative, well organised and be a supportive line manager with supervisory experience. Most important though is your commitment to supporting those affected by spinal cord injury to thrive.
For full details please see our job description.
How to apply
Please apply by emailing recruitment @ backuptrust. org. uk by midnight on 10 July 2025.
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A CV with salary information for your most recent post and two referees, one of whom should be your present or most recent employer. We will contact them after interview.
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A (maximum) two side A4 supporting statement, saying why you want the job and explaining how you fit the person specification. This statement is crucial; CVs alone will not be accepted. We will acknowledge receipt of your application, and then let you know if you are to be invited to interview.
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A completed equal opportunities form. This form will be kept separate from your application, and not viewed by the recruiting manager. It is used to help us assess the diversity of our applicants to ensure our processes are fair to all. It is optional to fill in but it will help us improve and maintain high standards.
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We will acknowledge receipt of your application, and then let you know if you are to be invited to interview. Interviews will be held on 14 July 2025. Please let us know if you are unable to make that date.
What will the process involve?
The process will involve at least one interview round which will be either in person or online. There will be a panel interviewing you and you may be asked to complete a task beforehand to present to the panel. If you need any support or adjustment to the recruitment process at any stage, do please ask and we’d be pleased to work with you to put these in place so that you can perform to the best of your abilities throughout the process and demonstrate your suitability for the role. Please email recruitment @ backuptrust. org. uk
Guaranteed Interview Scheme
As a ‘Disability Confident’ employer we are committed to the inclusion of disabled people as candidates and employees. We are proud that we get high numbers of disabled people applying for roles at Back Up. We will offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for the job.
Please let us know if you are eligible for the scheme: recruitment @ backuptrust. org. uk
Don’t meet every single requirement?
At Back Up we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every criteria in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at Back Up.
Registered Charity
51 - 100
At Back Up, we inspire people affected by spinal cord injury to get the most out of life.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
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!
Qualifications/ skills: CIPD qualified or equivalent professional HR qualification (Level 5 or above)
Time: Minimum 12 up to 16 hours per week. Can be worked flexibly but there are some essential meetings on a Monday.
Where: Remote - UK based. Two team days per year in London / South East or online.
Salary: £35,000-£38,000 full-time equivalent, depending on experience. This salary is in line with our organisational pay structure.
Deadline to apply: 11th July 2025
Estimated start date: September 2025
Role overview
This HR Lead role will support a unique, employee-owned, self-managed organisation. You'll play a key part in ensuring the smooth running of HR practices, advising on employee relations, and contributing to a positive, self-directed work environment.
As a self-managed organisation HR is distributed between a number of different roles. You will be working alongside our Organisational Development Lead, Training & Development Lead, Compliance Lead, HR Support, Onboarding/Offboarding Lead, Team Companion and the leadership team.
As this is a new developing role, the responsibilities listed in the Job Description are areas where Chiltern has identified HR expertise is needed at this current point in time. This gives the role holder the opportunity to further develop and shape this area of our business.
Key duties include advising on employee relations, supporting self-managed teams, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement and employee ownership, and you'll also work closely with individuals to ensure HR policies are adhered to, individuals feel empowered and engaged and that the organisation's culture aligns with its values in the delivery of HR practices.
Accountabilities
Responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
1. HR Strategy & Organisational Development
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Collaborate with the leadership team to drive the organisation’s People Management Strategy
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Devise and deliver HR projects to improve business efficiency and effectiveness
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Lead succession planning initiatives across the organisation
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Horizon scan for emerging HR practices and employment law developments
2. HR Policy, Compliance & Risk Management
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Develop and maintain HR policies, procedures, and the Employee Handbook to ensure legal compliance
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Ensure compliance with UK employment law across all HR functions
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Lead on:
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Third Party Risk Policy
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Equality Impact Assessment Policy
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Stakeholder Engagement Policy (ensuring service user perspectives are integrated)
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Monitor adherence to internal policies, including whistleblowing, grievances, and dignity at work
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Audit EDI data bi-annually and create strategies to promote diversity and inclusion
3. Employee Relations & Case Management
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Providing advice and leading on the process for :
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Grievances
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Disciplinaries
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Bullying, harassment, and capability issues
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Redeployment and redundancy
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Lead meetings prior to disciplinary sanctions in collaboration with our HR administrator
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Mediate disputes and facilitate conflict resolution within the context of HR discussions
4. Compensation and Benefits
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Developing and maintaining salary structures
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Conducting salary benchmarking and market analysis
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Overseeing annual salary reviews
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Ensuring compliance with pay equity laws
5. Recruitment, Onboarding & Talent Management
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Oversee advertising and attraction strategies
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Support onboarding processes to aid efficiency
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Review terms and conditions, contracts, and engage with external advisors as needed
6. Attendance & Performance Management
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Manage absence cases including statutory and contractual entitlements
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Support the leadership team with performance and attendance-related challenges
7. Systems & Process Improvement
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Maintain and enhance HR systems, ensuring lean processes and the integration of e-systems
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Regularly review and improve the Staff Portal alongside our Training & Development Lead
8. Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
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Stay updated on EDI legislation and best practice
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Support the organisation in being legally compliant, culturally relevant, and innovative in its EDI approach
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Lead data audits and present an equal opportunities review every two years
9. Professional Development & Networking
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Engage with local HR support networks, including CIPD and ACAS
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Maintain continuous professional development (CPD)
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Be an active member of Social Enterprise UK HSC HR group and attend relevant meetings
Person specification
We are looking for an efficient, well-organised, friendly person to join the team with the following qualities:
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CIPD qualified or equivalent professional HR qualification (Level 5 or above)
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Experience in a generalist HR role, including employee relations, policy development, and HR project delivery.
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Experience working on or leading Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives.
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Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across all levels
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Confident facilitator and leader of sensitive meetings and discussions, with a culture of care
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As this is a hands on role, a high level of organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously is needed
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Commitment to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and supportive work environment
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Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability, with the ability to adjust to changing priorities and respond effectively to new or unforeseen challenges.
Job benefits
A key benefit in working for Chiltern is being a part of a forward thinking employee owned team, where our culture celebrates and values the voice of each individual.
Staff members benefit from a flexible working environment, creating a personal schedule based around the requirements of the role.
Ultimately, at the heart of what we do is our value of ‘care’, which is felt strongly across the team.
Additional benefits include:
- Flexible working
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32 Days (FTE) per annum annual leave allowance (including bank holidays)
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High street discount shopping portal
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EAP package - access to confidential support and wellbeing services
About Chiltern Music Therapy
Chiltern is an award-winning social enterprise that provides music therapy, community music services and training to over 1700 people of all ages and many different needs across England each year. Formed in 2011 from a desire to change how music therapy was offered in the UK, we hold accessibility and financial inclusivity at our heart, working across health, education, social care and community settings.
Proud to be a self-managed and employee-owned organisation, we strive to create a world where music therapy is the transformative thread in the lives of the children and adults we support. At Chiltern we recognise the different strengths within our team. We provide an environment where people can take charge of the work they do and make informed decisions using professional judgement and life experience, alongside peer support. We’re welcoming, inclusive, and have worked hard to create a positive environment that we are proud of. You can find out more about us on our website.
How to apply
To apply, please apply with your CV and a one-page covering letter which should include your reasons for wanting to join Chiltern Music Therapy and suitability for the role.
We welcome enquiries and applications from people of all identities and backgrounds and value diversity in our workforce.
We encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible as we may close applications early depending on application numbers.
For more information about Chiltern Music Therapy please visit our website.
