Community development officer jobs in ilford, greater london

We're looking for a strategic, analytical, and leadership-oriented Director of Governance and Assurance to join our Head Office located in Islington.

£85,000.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week.

Want to feel like you're making a difference? You'll feel at home here.

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

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

For a full job description, please visit our website.

As the Director of Governance and Assurance, you will provide sector-leading company secretariat, governance, and assurance, ensuring the governance structure efficiently manages regulated activities and commercial group entities. The post-holder will also advise and support the Chief Executive, Chair, and SLT on all aspects of regulation, corporate governance, and effective business conduct for the organisation, ensuring the highest standards of probity and according to statutory and legislative requirements.

The Director of Governance and Assurance will oversee risk management and assurance functions, ensuring effective systems for internal controls and regulatory compliance, including internal audit management. They will provide administrative support for Board and Committee meetings, including agenda planning, minute taking, and record keeping.

This role is a key contact with the Regulator of Social Housing and other external government or regulatory organisations including CQC and Ofsted.

The Director of Governance and Assurance must embody a strategic and principled leadership style, ensuring the highest standards of governance, risk management and regulatory compliance. This individual will demonstrate exceptional integrity, attention to detail, and the ability to navigate complex legal and regulatory landscapes with confidence. With strong analytical and communication skills, they will provide expert guidance to the Board and Senior Leadership Team while fostering a culture of transparency and accountability. Adept at balancing strategic oversight with operational efficiency, they will drive continuous improvement in governance practices, ensuring that Look Ahead remains resilient, compliant, and well-positioned to fulfil its mission in the housing and social care sector.

What you'll bring:

Skills

Leadership: Strong leadership and management skills to oversee governance and assurance functions.

Organisational skills: Extremely organised with a planned approach to ensure leading the activity in this remit.

Analytical Skills: Ability to analyse and interpret legal and regulatory requirements.

Communication: Excellent communication skills to provide clear advice and support to Board and Committee members.

Attention to Detail: High level of accuracy in record-keeping and compliance monitoring.

Qualifications

Educational Background: Typically, a bachelor's degree in business administration, law, finance, or a related field. A master's degree or MBA can be advantageous.

Professional Certifications: Relevant certifications such as Certified Governance, Risk and Compliance (CGRC), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), or Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) can enhance your credentials

Qualified Company Secretary

Experience

Leadership Experience: Significant experience in a senior leadership role, preferably within governance, risk management, or compliance.

Industry Experience: Significant experience in the Housing sector

Track Record: Proven track record of successfully implementing governance and assurance frameworks and driving improvements in organisational performance

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

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

We focus on Excellence and innovation.

We are Caring and Compassionate.

We are Inclusive and Trusted.

We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

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

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

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

Internews is an international non-profit organisation whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect and the means to make their voices heard.

Internews provides communities the resources to produce local news and information with integrity and independence. With global expertise and reach, Internews trains both media professionals and citizen journalists, introduces innovative media solutions, increases coverage of vital issues and helps establish policies needed for open access to information.

Internews programmes create platforms for dialogue and enable informed debate, which bring about social and economic progress. Internews’ commitment to research and evaluation creates effective and sustainable programs, even in the most challenging environments.

Internews operates internationally, with administrative centres in California, Washington DC, and London, as well as regional hubs in Bangkok and Nairobi. Formed in 1982, Internews has worked in more than 100 countries, and currently has offices in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America.

About the role

The P&C Administrative Assistant will be based in our London office (two days a week), sharing time between general HR administrative and general office support duties. The role will support the People & Culture function on general HR and administrative tasks.

Roles and Responsibilities

Human Resources

• Monitoring shared P&C inbox, addressing enquires in a timely manner.
• Collecting and maintaining various HR trackers and databases.
• Providing administrative support for the recruitment process, posting job adverts, contacting candidates, scheduling job interviews and collecting recruitment related documentation.
• Assisting in the new joiner induction and on-boarding processes.
• Updating and maintaining staff records.
• Ensuring data is stored in line with principles of GDPR.
• Completing pre-employment checks, including reference, right to work, and vetting checks.
• Supporting the probationary process for new joiners (including scheduling meeting, distributing relevant documentation and collecting completed forms and feedback.
• Performs other related duties as assigned
• General Administration:
• As part of onboarding, facilitate the induction process for new joiners in the London office, including:
• Issuing access passes
• Coordinating with the TSS team on new joiner equipment
• Facilitate the DSE assessment process
• Act as a Health & Safety Officer and Fire Safety Officer for the London Office.
• Any other duties of an administrative nature

Person Specification

Essential

• Degree or equivalent work experience
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Knowledge of basic principles of GDPR
• Methodical, accurate and organized with a keen eye for detail
• Proven ability to successfully communicate and mediate with both management and staff
• Good understanding of Microsoft Windows including MS Word, Excel and Outlook
• Good communication and interpersonal skills

Desirable

• Experience of using Microsoft Applications
• Experience of using Human Resources Information Systems
• Experience of working in an International NGO
• Proficiency in additional language would be advantageous
• Proven ability to successfully operate in multi-cultural environments

Recruitment Timeline:

Closing date for applications: Wednesday, 14 May 2025

Candidates must submit a CV highlighting relevant experience. The successful candidate will also be asked to provide three professional referees, one of whom must be from their most recent employer.

The above noted job description is not intended to describe, in detail, all the tasks that may be assigned but rather to give the job holder a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of his/her position. As the nature of business demands change so, too, may the essential functions of this position.

This position will be located in the United Kingdom and therefore a successful applicant must obtain the Right to Work in the UK in order to commence their employment

Policy and Communications Manager

Job Description and Person Specification

Job title Policy and Communications Manager

Hours 28 hours per week (can be flexible on work pattern)

Salary £42,000 FTE Actual for this role £33,600 pro rata

Location Hybrid work between home and our Vauxhall office – please read more about our approach to hybrid working in the relevant section below. Please note that our offices are fully wheelchair accessible and that we are committed to making our workplace fully inclusive

Reports to Director of Policy and External Affairs

National Voices

Making what matters to people matter in health and care

National Voices is the leading coalition of health and social care charities in England. We have more than 200 members covering a diverse range of health conditions and communities, connecting us with the experiences of millions of people. We work together to strengthen the voice of people: patients, service users, carers, their families, and the voluntary organisations that work for them.

Our Vision:

People shaping their health and care.

Our Mission:

We advocate for more inclusive and person centred health and care, shaped by the people who use and need it the most.

We do this by:

· Understanding and advocating for what matters to people especially those living with health conditions and groups who experience inequalities.

· Finding common cause across communities and conditions by working with member charities and those they support.

· Connecting and convening charities, decision makers and citizens to work together to change health and care for good.

The Role

The purpose of the Policy and Communications Manager role is to:

• Deliver against our National Voices’ policy and project work through a programme’s life cycle, from inception to delivery and evaluation, and within budget
• Manage our communications work to our members and external stakeholders to successfully communicate all relevant organisational output including policy, improvement, lived experience and insight work.
• Work with voluntary sector organisations and people with the greatest health and care needs to develop National Voices’ deliver our policy and communications positions in line with our strategy and members priorities.

The role will be a mix of policy and communications, with 75% of the role likely focused on policy.

Responsibilities

Management oversight

· Manage projects or programmes which are significant in terms of income, profile or risk, and which are often delivered in partnership with others.

· Identify possible future partnerships, follow-on work and funding opportunities that arise from our policy and external affairs work, including from stakeholder relationships, and proactively work to secure income

· Line-manage staff, in the first instance our Communications and Events Officer, to include appraisals, setting objectives, monitoring performance and supporting development.

· Support the policy and external affairs team to deliver against our priorities and projects, including deputising for the Director of Policy and External Affairs, working in sync with other team managers and holistically supporting junior staff members

Deliver against our policy priorities and projects

· Identify, monitor and evaluate policy issues to formulate new policy positions, taking responsibility and action for our position on specific policy areas. This may include developing policy briefings, position papers, consultation responses, blogs, reports, letters and other policy and public affairs documents that capture our policy positions.

· Lead on policy projects from inception to delivery and evaluation including keeping to a set budget where appropriate.

· Develop and collate qualitative and quantitative policy evidence, from analysing previous reports and external stakeholder guidance to developing and delivering against workshops, focus groups, round tables, engagement events and in-depth interviews.

· Work with voluntary sector organisations and people with the greatest health and care needs to understand their experiences, perspectives and ambition using methods laid out above but with a willingness to adapt and flex where needed.

· Connect with policy and comms stakeholders both within our membership and in the wider policy landscape, to spot and make connections among members and to deliver against our five-year strategy objectives

· Work with the wider team to consider how our we evaluate and monitor the success of our project work and our wider influencing wins

· Represent National Voices at external events and conferences where required

Deliver on our communications work

· Work with the Communications and Events officer to help them develop engaging content that conveys National Voices messages to members, external stakeholders, and media to maximise the reach and impact of the organisation’s policy messages and funded project work

· With the support of Communications and Events Officer support media relations activity by drafting media statements, liaising with journalists and other media activity as required

· Manage the sign-off of relevant comms materials including social media, member newsletter, blogs, articles and media statements

· Liaise with senior external stakeholders such as from the Department of Health and Social Care, including attending relevant briefings, and supporting larger joint press activity with other stakeholders when required.

· Oversee management of comms and events calendar, which will be proactively compiled by the Policy and Communications officer, especially where there are conflicts or competing needs

· Along with other managers provide a second review of reports we produce including ensuring adherence to brand guidelines

General

• Take a pro-active approach to including our members and people with lived experience in all areas of our work.
• Support the senior team in identifying potential new members and funding opportunities where possible, as well as costing and drafting bids or supporting others to do so.
• Follow processes set out to measure, monitor and communicate the impact of our work.
• Support good project, financial and data management.
• Contribute to the team’s planning activities and undertake other relevant duties as appropriate.
• Deputise for other members of the team when needed.

• Be prepared to take part in full day events, including providing planning and support
• Be prepared to take part in events outside of core hours, when sufficient notice has been given

Person Specification

Values, attitudes and behaviours

• Passionate about National Voices’ mission and work.
• Proactive, flexible and responsive
• Comfortable working in a team, as well as under own initiative
• Calm under pressure and able to work to tight deadlines while maintaining accuracy.
• Committed to reducing inequality and embracing diversity.
• Comfortable with a range of views and perspectives and keen to make connections and build relationships.
• Willing and confident to assert views, constructively challenge others and receive constructive feedback.

Skills and abilities

• Excellent communication skills, including written and oral, including stakeholder engagement
• Demonstrable experience in delivering against a policy influencing agenda
• Able to synthesise complex information and present it in simple and impactful ways.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, including demonstrable ability to prioritise workload and maintain quality.
• Excellent people skills, able to work collaboratively and flexibly in a small, friendly team, and communicate and collaborate with a wide range of external stakeholders at all levels
• Experience in Identifying and developing funding opportunities, ideally including costing and drafting bids
• Ability to embed clear and reliable processes amongst a team of creative and busy people
• Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office programmes, CRM systems, online conference/meeting software and other programmes where required.
• Able to work well under pressure and to tight deadlines while maintaining attention to detail
• Previous line management experience is preferred

Our approach to hybrid working

We recognise the importance of coming together regularly, in-person, as a team, so we can share learnings and spend social time with each other. We also recognise that people need flexibility, and that homeworking enables focused work and can fit well in people’s lives.

We ask all staff to take part in pre-arranged team meetings which take place every six weeks in our office space. We also might ask you to meet in-person with members of your team from time to time, or to be available for face-to- face meetings with clients and partners where this enhances the work.

We assume that this would usually not amount to more than one day per fortnight for people who work full time. We are happy to discuss how this sits in your life. This can be agreed by your line manager.

Equality and Inclusion

As reflected in our Equality Action Plan, we are committed to being a truly diverse organisation. We want to ensure that our trustees, staff members, lived experience partners and volunteers come from a wide range of backgrounds, each bringing their own unique perspectives and experiences. We want to ensure that everyone feels heard and is fully able to participate and thrive.

We are committed to diversifying our team in order to broaden the insight and experiences we can draw on, and to do our work more credibly. So we strongly encourage people from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background, and people who live with health conditions or disability to apply. Our offices are fully accessible and we are an LGBT+ friendly employer. Men are currently underrepresented in our team so we would welcome applications from men and non-binary people.

We welcome applications from people who have been in contact with the criminal justice system. For some roles, you may be asked to undergo a basic or enhanced DBS check, but you will only be deemed ineligible for roles which relate to any offences on your criminal record.

We have a range of benefits in place to ensure everyone can thrive, for example:

· We are a Disability Confident employer

· We offer enhanced parental and sickness leave

· We offer flexible working wherever possible

· We provide our employees with an annual wellbeing allowance

· And much more

Application guidance

Please submit a cover letter along with a CV to apply.

Applications should be addressed to our Director of Policy and External Affairs, Sharon Brennan, and submitted through CharityJob.

Please apply by Monday the 5th May 2025

We will let you know the outcome of your application by Friday 9th May 2025  

Interviews will be held on 22nd May 2025 on Teams

Please note, we will be blind shortlisting all applications, so we ask you not to include your name in your application.

If you are invited to interview, we will ask you about any reasonable adjustments you will need to be able to participate. We will share interview questions in advance of the interview. If you require any adjustments at any stage of your application, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Matthew Haslehurst Director of Finance and Operations

Please specify any access or other requirements of which we need to be aware for the online interview.

If you are right for this role, you will be a committed, motivated, and outgoing individual who wants to support the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of young people living in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, working in a partnership capacity as part of a holistic health and wellbeing programme. Your role will be multi-faceted, and you will therefore be flexible and able to offer a variety of SRH interventions in a broad range of settings, to a broad range of young people.

First, you will provide brief interventions in sexual health in an outreach capacity at schools, colleges, universities, leisure centres, youth organisations, and other venues. Here, your primary focus will be to provide basic information about SRH to young people, whilst also encouraging them to complete a Chlamydia screen and register to the free condom scheme. You will also promote online testing for those aged over 18, and connect young people with other local sexual health services through referral and signposting.

Second, you will deliver SRH and relationships training to groups of young people and professionals, in smaller workshop settings as well as to larger groups. You will be able to deliver accurate information on a variety of topics that are often sensitive and complex. You will have an existing knowledge base that you will be willing to expand and solidify through a combination of supported training and independent learning.

Third, you will facilitate offsite drop-in sexual health sessions and offer 1:1 sexual health support to young people who attend any of the four Young Greenwich youth groups. You and your team will each be responsible for attending the four Young Greenwich hubs once each week during evening hours, working closely with the youth group leader as well as the young people themselves to establish trusted relationships and an engaging programme of activity. You will be proactive and creative at integrating sexual health to other, ongoing activities, and ensure effective safeguarding.

Additionally, you will work closely with the wider SHO team, including supporting the sexual health phone lines processing screening results, and where necessary, signposting to relevant services. Across all aspects of your role, you promote local sexual health and contraception services to young people and adults alike, referring to in-person or online services as appropriate and handholding as much or as little as needed, particularly to those most vulnerable. You will keep accurate monitoring records for all interactions, referrals, Chlamydia screens, and C Card registrations / distributions. You will also contribute to quarterly service review reports.

This role requires flexibility, working unsociable hours in the evenings, and occasional weekends. Schedules may vary from week to week depending on programme need.

Every child belongs in a family. At Hope and Homes for Children, we’re working towards a world where orphanages have no place, where children grow up with love, belonging, and hope for the future. We're a trailblazer in global care reform, and now we're looking for a passionate, people-first fundraiser to help bring even more supporters into this mission.

About the role:

As Philanthropy & Partnerships Manager, you’ll nurture deep and meaningful relationships with high-net-worth individuals and partners. You’ll craft bespoke donor journeys that connect people to our cause in ways that are personal, emotional, and unforgettable, helping us unlock vital support and inspire transformational giving.

You’ll take the lead on cultivating and managing a portfolio of major donors and prospects, ensuring each one feels connected to our work and sees the difference they’re making. From first conversations to milestone gifts, you’ll guide each relationship with creativity, care and purpose.

You'll also help shape the next chapter of our growth—strategically identifying new opportunities, building relationships from scratch, and designing tailored engagement plans that reflect each donor’s values and potential.

You'll work closely with colleagues across fundraising, programmes and leadership—joining up the dots between donor passions and our most urgent funding needs.

About you:

You will have a strong track record in major donor fundraising and proven success in securing significant gifts from HNWIs. You will have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills and be a collaborative and curious team player, who is passionate for our mission for the dignity and potential of every child.

About Hope and Homes for Children:

We believe children belong in families, never orphanages. Because orphanages harm children. The majority of those who experience life inside an institution suffer violence, abuse and neglect. Denied the chance to grow up in a family, they’re more likely to become homeless later in life, to have run-ins with the law, and to experience mental and physical health issues.

The shocking truth is that these are almost always children who have, or could have, a family to look after them. To love them. But every day, a broken system puts pressure on parents to give up their children. They'll be safe from war, can escape poverty, will get an education. False promises. No child should have to trade their family for their future.

Today, over 5.4 million children are trapped within institutions. It’s not right and it must stop. Children deserve so much better. Always.

Since 1994, Hope and Homes for Children has been working to stop the institutionalisation of children. We’re approximately 240 people, in ten countries, inspiring organisations, including the UN, EU and governments around the world, to close the doors of orphanages forever. Instead, we fight for every child to feel the love and belonging of a safe family home.

Further details:

Location: Office based in London or Salisbury, but with generous home working / hybrid options available
Contract Type: Maternity Cover - FTC of up to 1 year
Hours: 37.5 hours per week (4 days will be considered)
Salary: £37,000 to £42,000 per annum pro rata, including any London weighting if applicable.

Next Steps: To apply, please upload your CV and a brief covering letter indicating why you're interested in joining us and (reflecting on the role profile) why you believe your skills and experience make you suitable for the role.

Closing Date:  The final cut off for applications is 22 May 2025.

Other information: This post requires the successful candidate to have, or be able to obtain, the right to work in the UK.
Hope and Homes for Children actively encourages diversity, equity and inclusion, and we look to recruit a diverse range of people to reflect the communities in which we live, as we believe this will strengthen our ability to deliver our mission of eliminating orphanages.

You may also have experience in the following: Philanthropy Manager, Partnerships Manager, Head of Philanthropy, Head of Partnerships, Fundraiser, Senior Fundraising Officer, Fundraising Manager, Head of Fundraising, Major Gifts, Corporate Partnerships, Business Development Manager, Charity, Charities, Third Sector, NFP, Not for Profit, etc.

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In this exciting new role, we are looking for a passionate and ambitious HR Manager to join our team and help us to enhance our team’s performance and wellbeing, our values-led culture, and further enhance our diversity and inclusion.

In this stand-alone role, you will work with the Director of Finance & Operations (DFO) to oversee all aspects of HR practices and processes. You will ensure compliance with employment law, and that all our HR policies, processes, and systems are up to date, simple and well-understood.

You will lead the day-to-day HR function providing support to staff across all areas of HR. This will include managing all our HR systems, providing expert advice and guidance to staff, and overseeing each employee's journey from induction to exit.

You will implement talent retention strategies and ensure Switchback is a fulfilling place to work with a real sense of belonging in the team.

Oversee all recruitment processes focusing on supporting applicants and staff to have the best experience.

You will be passionate about the idea of helping others to be their best and putting in place systems and processes to make that possible. You will be excited about making significant contributions to developing our HR practice and processes.

Above all, you’ll be passionate about Switchback’s purpose and values, and keen to join an organisation that wants to support young men make real, lasting change through front-line work and big ambitions to transform the system.