Community engagement and volunteer support worker jobs

Are you passionate about supporting people at a critical point in their lives? Do you believe everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported?

We are looking for three Hostel Support Workers to join our team at a 14-bed, 24-hour hostel, where you will play a vital role in creating a calm, welcoming, and well-managed environment for residents experiencing homelessness.

Working day and evening shifts, you will provide practical, emotional, and safeguarding support to vulnerable adults, ensuring their welfare, dignity, and protection at all times. You will remain alert to risk, respond confidently to incidents or concerns, and follow clear safeguarding and risk-management procedures to keep residents and colleagues safe.

You will hold a small caseload of residents, offering person-centred, trauma-informed key-work support that helps individuals build independence, stability, and wellbeing. This will include encouraging engagement with support services, promoting positive routines, and helping residents work towards longer-term housing and life goals.

Working closely with colleagues across the service, you will:

• Maintain accurate records and case notes

• Communicate clearly with the wider team

• Deliver effective handover between shifts to ensure continuity of care and support

Above all, you will help foster an environment where residents feel safe, listened to, and encouraged, supporting them to move forward at their own pace.

This role is ideal for someone who is compassionate, resilient, and committed to making a meaningful difference—whether you bring previous hostel experience or are looking to grow your career in homelessness and supported housing services.

Join Homeless Oxfordshire as a Project 41 Support Worker, supporting people with experiences of homelessness, trauma, substance use, and mental health needs to live more independently in dispersed accommodation. You’ll build compassionate, trauma-informed relationships, deliver high-quality support, coordinate with partners, manage risks and safeguarding, and help clients move on to suitable long-term housing. Join a supportive team where your commitment, resilience, and positive approach truly change lives.

Main Purpose Of Job:
Project 41 accommodates individuals within the homeless pathway and as part of Oxfordshire’s Homelessness Alliance. These individuals have support needs including substance use, mental health and offending histories, but are able to live in dispersed accommodation in Oxford with a higher level of independence than in our hostels. The successful candidate will understand the trauma people using our services have experienced, and have a compassionate and assertive approach to building relationships. At Project 41 you will provide high quality support service provision, work with clients to ensure suitable and timely move on, ensure the health and safety and safeguarding of service users and colleagues, work in a psychologically informed way, and develop and maintain effective partnerships with relevant agencies.

Main Areas Of Responsibility:

• To ensure the effective delivery of high quality support, housing management and resettlement opportunities.
• To develop effective professional relationships with service users that is trauma informed and compassionate, and which empowers and motivates our service users to make positive changes in their lives.
• To work in partnership with support agencies to coordinate a holistic response to an individuals needs; this may include substance use services, probation, health professionals and adult social care.
• To lead on identifying and applying for suitable move on accommodation, and providing support throughout the move and whilst settling in to new accommodation.
• To assess risk and suitability of referrals for the service.
• To be responsible for creating and actioning person centred, strengths based support plans, and identifying and working towards suitable move on.
• To assess and manage risk for individuals and in the service, creating and maintaining risk assessments for all clients. Reporting any safeguarding concerns without delay in line with procedures.
• Work with the Team Manager and colleagues to achieve agreed contractual performance targets and organisational targets and objectives.
• Maintain a safe, clean and welcoming environment across accommodation services; this may including room cleaning and clearance.
• Manage challenging situations in line with procedures and to ensure the safety of yourself and others.
• Ensure that IT systems are updated as required and concise record keeping is completed promptly.
• To participate in the induction of and support new team members.
• To contribute to a positive team culture which is inspiring and motivational.
• Comply with Homeless Oxfordshire’s policies and procedures.
• Contribute to a positive working environment in which equality and diversity are valued and staff are enabled to do their best.
• Contribute to the work of the broader team.

About Us:

We are an open door for people experiencing homelessness whose lives have been shaped by trauma and disadvantage; providing safety, stability and support when it is needed most. We deliver this support across Oxfordshire by providing a range of accommodation with access to high quality support, offering a safe and welcoming space for people to take control of their own lives. We are an accredited Oxford Living Wage employer, and benefits to the role include: annual leave starting at 26 days (excluding bank holidays), flexible working, enhanced benefits with qualifying service, retail discounts with our Homeless Oxfordshire Benefits Hub, and life assurance up to four times your salary and a £250 bonus if you successfully refer a someone as a new colleague through our Employee Referral Scheme as a thanks from us!

What’s Next: Have a look at the job description to find out more about the role and apply on our website. Please be aware that this role is subject to an enhanced DBS disclosure check and will be undertaken for the successful candidate .

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we identify a suitable candidate before the advertised closing date.

About the role

The Side-by-Side project supports children in care and care leavers to have the same opportunities as those who have not experienced care.

For many young people, navigating the care system and especially the transition to leaving care can be complex, isolating, and overwhelming. Too often, care-experienced young people are expected to face adulthood before they are ready, without the safety nets of family, friends, and community networks that many of us take for granted.

The project provides a mentoring and befriending service, offering consistent, trusted relationships that help young people feel less alone, build confidence and life skills, and navigate key life changes as they move towards independence.

Side-by-Side supports young people with a range of needs, including those who may be at risk of exploitation, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and young people living with identified mental health challenges. The project is guided by strong safeguarding practice, built on trust, and delivered through trauma-informed, person-centred approaches.

As a Community Engagement Worker, you will work directly with young people through engagement sessions, group activities and co-designed initiatives. You will also work alongside volunteers, supporting them to safely and effectively engage with young people. This role does not involve acting as a young person’s key worker or holding a caseload. Instead your focus is on enabling connections, strengthening community networks and creating opportunities for young people to thrive across Hertfordshire, Luton and Bedfordshire.

About you

We are looking for a compassionate and motivated individual, to work 21 hours per week that has strong local knowledge and a commitment to community-based support. You will be confident working directly with care-experienced young people, including those who may be at risk of exploitation, unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and young people living with identified mental health challenges.

You will live in or have strong connections to Hertfordshire, Luton, or Bedfordshire, and be confident working across these communities.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Build community links: develop relationships with local venues, services, and partners to support young people and Side-by-Side activities.
• Support volunteers: recruit, train, and guide volunteers, helping them signpost young people to relevant services.
• Engage young people: deliver activities, gather feedback, and support co-designed initiatives to ensure young people shape the services they receive.
• Live our values: all work is guided by trust, reducing loneliness, providing practical and emotional support, and delivering person-centred approaches.

How to apply

In your application, you will need to evidence, using specific examples, how your skills and experience meet the criteria laid out in the person specification, within the job description attached.

For further information and to apply, please visit our website.

​Safeguarding and Compliance

NYAS operates robust safe procedures to ensure the protection of the children, young people and adults at risk we work with. To comply with NYAS’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, references and a Digital Risk Assessment.

In accordance with UK immigration law, NYAS is required to ensure that all prospective candidates have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom. Therefore, proof of eligibility to work in the UK will be required as part of the recruitment process.

We reserve the right to close the advert early should the right candidate be found before the closing date.

37.5 hours per week / £27,770 per annum / permanent / working onsite on a seven-day rolling rota, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

At YMCA DownsLink Group, our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, building life skills and self-confidence, and supporting emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Our Values - we do what’s right, we work with heart, and we build real connections - guide and shape how we show up for children and young people we support and for each other.

Guildford Foyer provides 24/7 supported accommodation for up to 34 young people aged 16–25, many with complex needs, including unaccompanied asylum‑seeking young people. We use a trauma‑informed, psychologically informed approach to help residents build life skills, set goals, and move towards independent living. Our Support Workers, Night Workers and Bank Workers offer guidance around housing, budgeting, living skills, education, employment and community engagement.

We are recruiting a Supported Housing Support Worker to join our team. Key responsibilities include:

Housing

• Support young people to understand and maintain occupancy agreements and house rules.
• Encourage timely rent payments and promote a positive payment culture.
• Stay informed on housing law and welfare benefits affecting young people.
• Address issues such as rent arrears or property damage using restorative approaches.

Coaching and engagement

• Coach young people to identify aspirations and build independence skills.
• Promote personal responsibility, engagement with support services, and community connections.
• Ensure strong safeguarding practice and maintain professional boundaries.
• Keep accurate records on In‑Form, tracking needs, risks and outcomes.

General

• Work as part of a rota, including lone working, providing calm and objective support.
• Contribute to a positive team culture and manage challenging situations effectively.
• Take part in ongoing training and reflective practice.

At times, this role will involve lone working, but you’ll be fully supported with a thorough induction, training, and the opportunity to get to know the team and service before starting on the rota. Full role details are available in the job profile.

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate. 

This is a dynamic and varied role, ideal for someone passionate about supporting and empowering young people to grow and thrive.

Experience and knowledge

• Experience in housing, support work, or working with young people at risk.
• Ability to manage a caseload of young people with complex needs and support them toward independence.
• Knowledge of statutory/voluntary services for young people.
• Strong safeguarding awareness and ability to maintain professional boundaries.
• Confident and accurate in completing logs, incident reports, and H&S checks.

Skills and abilities

• Clear written and verbal communication, with strong record‑keeping skills.
• Ability to build effective relationships and advocate/signpost where needed.
• Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Good IT and keyboard skills.
• Able to de‑escalate challenging situations and manage behaviour appropriately.

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 8 March 2026 at midnight.

PLEASE NOTE: We are unable to provide work permits or visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must already have the right to live and work in the UK independently.

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. 

Job Title: Children's Support Worker

Location: Warwickshire - Travel required across Warwickshire, predominantly South Warwickshire. Use of a car is essential to the role. 
Salary: £25,857.12 per annum 

Contract type: Full Time, Permanent 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

We are recruiting for a Children’s Support Worker who will be working closely with children and their parents who are living in our dispersed accommodation refuges escaping domestic violence and other forms of violence and abuse, to provide personal welfare support and ensure that our clients are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment.

A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that women are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment. The post holder will support children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence and plan and provide stimulating, safe, and appropriate play opportunities.

Please note that post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

A driving license and access to a car is essential to the role. 

Closing Date: 09:00 am 13 March 2026

Interview Date: 23 March 2026

Following a successful application to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, we are seeking a Youth Worker to lead on systems change as part of our Brighter Rainbow Project. A key requirement of the post is to hold a JNC Level 6 Youth and Community Work qualification or equivalent (or due to complete 2026- 2027). We also welcome applicants with related subjects including nursing, primary teaching, secondary teaching, social work etc.

Since 1899, Birmingham Settlement has been working to create opportunity and choice – connecting and empowering people through action, activities, and shared learning to build and sustain wellbeing for all.

Senior Community Action Worker

Salary: £30k per annum

35 hours per week (flexible)

25 days A/L pro rata + contributory pension scheme

Birmingham Settlement is recruiting a Senior Community Action Worker to help us grow and offer more to the communities and people we serve.  Mainly based at our Sports & Community Centre (SCC), the role will help to develop, lead and manage activities that support individual and community leadership, voice and engagement in line with individual, community, and funder needs.

The role will focus on the overall management and development of the Settlement’s Sports & Community Centre to encourage active living, offering a diverse range of opportunities and learning activities to encourage physical health and wellbeing including partnerships and greater use of site facilities – the sports pitch, the gym, halls and large outside space as detailed in the job description.

An open mind, adaptability and a willingness to work flexibly along with excellent customer care skills are standard requirements that we must all always adhere to.

For an informal discussion about the role call Alex Howell. 

For an application pack visit our website or email us or write to Human Resources, Birmingham Settlement Sports & Community Centre, 600 Kingstanding Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, B44 9SH 

Closing date: 5pm Thursday 26th February 2026

Interviews: Friday 6th March 2026

Birmingham Settlement is committed to Equality of Opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Registered charity number 517303

Would you like to make a lasting difference in the lives of children affected by domestic abuse? Join an award-winning trauma recovery service provider that is passionate about making a positive difference to the lives of children and families.

Bounce Back for Kids (BB4K) is a lifeline for children healing from the trauma of domestic abuse. From April next year, we’re expanding our service and looking for new Support Workers to join our team – helping guide children and families on their healing journey.

Position: Bounce Back for Kids (BB4K) Support Worker

Location: Homebased with frequent travel. Role covers casework activity across Oxfordshire area including Cherwell, West Oxfordshire and the wider Oxfordshire area.

Contract: Permanent part time – 18.5 hours per week, weekdays.

We’re open to discussing working patterns that match both your needs and our service delivery. We’re also open to discussing an opportunity for 24 hours.

Salary range: £12,868 - £15,727 pro-rata per annum (full time equivalent range £25,735 - £31,453 per annum) 

About the role:

As a Support Worker you will play a significant role in supporting children and families affected by domestic abuse, some of your key responsibilities will include:

· the completion of assessments to understand the needs of families

· delivering group work for children and parents

· provide 1-2-1 sessions to children and families most in need

· supporting our families through providing outreach support

About you:

A successful Support Worker will need a good understanding of domestic abuse and the impact on children and families (or an interest in working in this field), with experience of delivering groupwork programmes for vulnerable parents and/or children.

If this sounds like you please apply today to join a collaborative and dedicated team who are part of something truly meaningful.           

We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those with personal lived experience of domestic abuse or from underrepresented communities, who meet the essential role requirements.

For more information about our BB4K service please visit our website where you will also find contact details and information about how to apply.

Closing date: 9am, Fri 27 February 2026      

Early applications are encouraged as we may review and appoint on an earlier basis if a successful candidate is secured.

Other roles you may have experience of could include: Family Support Worker, Family Key Worker, Children’s Support Worker, Domestic Abuse Support Worker, Domestic Abuse Key Worker, Recovery Worker, Assistant Support Worker, IDVA Independent Domestic Violence Advocate, ISVA Independent Sexual Violence Advocate, etc. 

Safeguarding is at the heart of everything we do at PACT. We have robust measures and best practices in place to safeguard and protect the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we take pride in maintaining outstanding safeguarding standards.

Anyone joining our team is subject to PACT’s safer recruitment pre-appointment enquiries, including a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS). The role description provides information on what our safer recruitment enquiries include and the level of DBS required to work in the role.

All opportunities with PACT are based in the UK.

Sydenham Garden is seeking a Community Activities & Volunteering Lead on a Fixed term contract to end of December 2027 to join our team of 14 staff and approximately 70 volunteers in delivering adult mental health and dementia services in our beautiful garden settings in south-east London. 

Position: Community Activities & Volunteering Lead

Contract: Fixed term to 31st December 2027, full time - 37.5 hours per week. Some regular working outside Monday-Friday 9-5 may be required, for which TOIL will be available. Part time and flexible working applications also considered.

Salary: £32,644 plus 6% pension contribution.

Annual Leave: 33 days inclusive of Bank Holidays.

Location: Sydenham Garden Resource Centre, SE23 2LW & De Frene Market Garden, SE26 4AB.

Application closing date: Thursday 5 March 2026, 9am.

Interview date: Thursday 12 March 2026.

About the role

Sydenham Garden, based in Lewisham in South-East London, is a unique wellbeing centre utilising its gardens, nature reserve and activity rooms to help people living with and recovering from mental and physical ill-health. We provide nature and arts based creative, social and therapeutic activities for co-workers (the name we give to our primary beneficiaries). With funding from The National Lottery Community Fund to help us ‘grow our community’ and increase the sustainability of our impact we’re seeking a Community Activities & Volunteering Lead to drive continuous improvement and development of volunteer-led community activities for the benefit of co-workers as well as managing the day to day running of our volunteer programme.

About you

You’ll have experience of recruiting, working with, and managing volunteers, including delivery of skill-building and development activities for volunteers with Lived Experience of mental and/or physical ill health. You’ll have excellent people skills and the ability to demonstrate sensitivity, kindness, and a person-centred understanding of different mental, physical, and neurological needs. You’ll have experience of delivering group activities and working with people with mental/physical-ill health and/or dementia. You’ll have line management experience and be able to provide strategic direction as well as be able to innovate and develop new initiatives and balance competing priorities while being willing to play a team role and get stuck into different activities.

Why you should join us 

We’re a friendly team who are passionate about creating a supportive and inclusive community for people living with mental and physical ill-health. You’ll be part of a supportive team of staff and volunteers, and benefit from spending time in our beautiful gardens and nature reserve.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Sydenham Garden is committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We want to build a diverse and inclusive staff, volunteer and trustee team where everyone feels that they belong and that reflects the profile of the communities we serve. Therefore, we will welcome and consider applications from candidates of all backgrounds and protected characteristics, and we particularly encourage applications from people of African or Caribbean heritage to ensure our staff team represents the communities we serve.

Recruitment Timeline

Deadline for applications: Thursday 5th March 2026, 9am.

Interviews: Thursday 12th March 2026.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHMENT BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE JOB DESCRIPTION & PERSON SPECIFICATION AND FOR FULL DETAILS OF HOW TO APPLY INCLUDING OUR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES MONITORING FORM.

Operational Support Worker *(Female Only)

Location: Sheffield

Closing date: 6th March 2026

Overview of Role:

The Operational Support Worker plays a vital role in enabling the team to offer compassionate, Christ centred support to vulnerable women. As the project has seen growth over the last few years, in response to rising demand, this role will play a key part in shaping and establishing the administrative systems, processes and procedures we’ve not yet had the capacity to formalise—ideal for someone who is energised by building structure, improving practice, and being part of creating solutions rather than stepping into a readymade setup. By carrying out the administrative, organisational, and practical tasks that keep the project running smoothly, they will help free frontline staff and evangelists to focus on building relationships, offering pastoral care, and walking alongside women in their daily challenges.

Salary: £24,570 per Annum (FTE)

Hours:37.5  per week

Pension: Church Army is an auto enrolment pension employer. You will be assessed under pension auto enrolment criteria.

Annual Leave: 25 days, plus Bank Holidays (total 33 days)

Contract:Full-Time – Open Ended

DBS: This post is subject to a enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check and compliant with safeguarding policies and procedures. Safeguarding training will be required.

Everyone in Church Army whether a staff member, volunteer, Evangelist, Evangelist in Training or Licenced Waterways Chaplain is responsible for making sure that Church Army has a safe and healthy safeguarding culture.
We are committed to protecting the vulnerable and ensuring the highest possible safeguarding standards. We expect everyone in Church Army to be familiar and comply with our Safer Ministry Policy, undergo any safer recruitment processes, and report any concerns or behaviours they don’t think are right to a member of the safeguarding team: or someone they trust.

Occupational Requirement:  This post is subject to an Occupational Requirement under the provisions made in the Equality Act 2010 that the post holder has an active faith in Jesus. The successful candidate must be in agreement with the vision and values of Church Army.

*Due to the responsibilities of the role, there is an occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010 that the post holder is female.

Application Deadline:6 March 2026

Interview Date:   16 March 2026

Next Steps:

For more information on the role, you can find the job description and person specification for the post here.

To apply, please download and complete a Faith Based Application Form  for this post. When you are ready to submit your application, please email your completed application form, in word format,

PLEASE NOTE, WE DO NOT ACCEPT CVs

We’re an award-winning charity running local learning centres in the heart of the communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide a high-impact education programme which includes practical learning support, pastoral care, and motivational and confidence-building activities for young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to enable students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to realise their ambitions and achieve their wonderful potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping over 50,000 young people each year at its 44 learning centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, and we plan to scale-up our provision to 50 centres over the coming years.

We are looking for graduates who will enjoy working each day with young people and who will thrive in a frontline, community-based, fast-paced and rewarding role. You will be taking up a permanent role as an Education Worker on IntoUniversity’s Graduate Scheme, helping to change the lives of young people. 

We believe that our Graduate Scheme is one of the most exciting in the charity sector, an excellent career opportunity with exceptional training and hands-on experience, opportunities for promotion, and the chance to work with young people and colleagues who will challenge and inspire you.

Locations: We have positions available in 
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Applications close: 9am Monday 9th March 2026

Start date: 

For roles in Bridlington - April 2026
For roles in London - Late July 2026

Salary

£28,250 per year (plus £2,700 London contribution for London based positions)

What could my day look like?

The Education Worker role is a frontline, fast-paced and rewarding role where no two weeks will look the same. A typical day will have different activities, possibly spread between the IntoUniversity centre, partner schools and the offices of a corporate partner.

In the morning, you might be setting off with resources to run a workshop for sixth-form students in their secondary school. In the afternoon you may be setting up the classroom ahead of running Primary Academic Support for young people in your IntoUniversity centre. On other days, you may be travelling to a corporate partner to run a business simulation workshop for 15 year-olds or leading a group of final year primary school students on a campus visit for their graduation.

As an Education Worker, you’ll always be delivering the programme as part of your centre team, which means that any delivery is always a team effort. 

Location: Loughborough, England (Travel required to all Baca Services locations)
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: £24,754 - £28,454 per annum FTE
Working Hours: 37.5 hrs per week (including evening and weekend hours on a rota)
Start Date: February 2026

About Us
Baca is dedicated to providing support and care to 16 to 18 year old unaccompanied asylum seeking children who are newly arrived in the country, helping them rebuild their strength, dignity, and hope for the future. We work closely with social workers and representatives from other agencies to benefit the young people in our care.

Role Overview
As a Support Worker, you will be a key worker for several young people in Baca's care, providing high-quality holistic and therapeutic support for their transition to adulthood. You will deliver services in line with Baca’s Theory of Change, ensuring the highest quality outcomes in physical and emotional wellbeing, education, employment, training, social engagement, and personal safety.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality support and care to young people, ensuring their holistic development.
• Work proactively to safeguard young people and resolve any issues that arise.
• Be a role model, offering care and compassion without discrimination.
• Support young people in developing essential life skills and preparing for independent living.
• Engage young people in education, vocational training, and hobbies.
• Foster positive relationships within the community and support social engagement.
• Plan and participate in day trips and annual residential weeks.
• Develop partnerships with social workers, solicitors, teachers, volunteers, and other partners.
• Maintain excellent communication and keep accurate records.

Requirements

• Alignment with Baca’s values and mission. Ability to respond to change and work as part of a diverse team.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and able to take initiative.
• Knowledge of safeguarding practices and issues faced by unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people.
• Relevant training or willingness to complete essential training within the first year.
• Experience working with young people, especially in cross-cultural settings.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and ICT skills.
• Driving licence and access to a car.
• Enhanced DBS check required.

Personal Attributes

• Approachable, reliable, and a strong team worker.
• Supportive, responsible, and personable.
• Flexible and able to work occasional evenings and weekends.

Holidays And Benefits

• 33 days’ holiday a year (pro rata for part-time staff) including bank holidays.
• Pension scheme
• Health & Wellbeing programme
• Free parking
• Casual dress

How To Apply
If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young asylum seekers and have the skills and attributes we are looking for, we would love to hear from you.
Please note: You must have the right to work in the UK for this role as Baca is not on the Home Office list.

Abbey Community Centre is a vibrant, long-established community charity at the heart of Kilburn, North West London. Every day, we bring people together, reduce isolation and improve health and wellbeing through inclusive activities, services and community support.

We're now looking for an experienced Centre Operations Manager to play a key senior role in ensuring our busy community hub runs safely, smoothly and effectively for the thousands of people who use it each year.

About Abbey Community Centre

Abbey Community Centre works with people of all ages and backgrounds, with a particular focus on older residents and low-income families with young children. We deliver a wide range of activities, services and support including children’s stay-and-play sessions and drop-ins, fitness and wellbeing activities, befriending schemes, digital inclusion support, community meals, warm space provision, food support, volunteering opportunities and specialist outreach.

Alongside this community delivery, we manage a busy public building and a programme of room hire that helps generate income to sustain our work. With a small staff team, over 100 volunteers and many partner organisations, our operations need to be reliable, well-coordinated and people-centred.

The role and its impact

As Centre Operations Manager, you will be the organisation’s senior operational lead on the ground. Working closely with the CEO, you will hold delegated authority for the day-to-day running of the Centre — ensuring the building, people and systems all work together to support high-quality community activity.

This is a hands-on leadership role combining practical problem-solving with people management. You will line manage and help develop operational staff, oversee facilities and contractors, lead on health and safety and operational compliance, support volunteering, and ensure organisational systems and processes function reliably.

Your work will directly enable staff, volunteers and partners to deliver activities and services safely and confidently, and will help ensure Abbey remains a welcoming, accessible and well-run space for the local community.

What you’ll be working on

In this role, you will:

• Oversee daily building operations, maintenance and contractor management

• Lead on health & safety and related compliance, including risk assessments and training

• Line manage & develop operational staff and support a positive, consistent working culture

• Ensure operational policies and procedures are applied effectively in practice

• Support and coordinate volunteering within the centre

• Manage operational budgets and contracts within agreed limits

• Act as a senior member of the management team, deputising for the CEO on agreed matters

Key details

• Location: Abbey Community Centre, Kilburn (NW6 4BJ, London Borough of Camden)

• Hours: 24–28 hours per week (fixed hours agreed at appointment), worked over a minimum of four weekdays

• Core hours: 11.00am–4.00pm (flexibility outside these hours by agreement)

• Contract: Permanent, part-time

• Salary: £40,000–£42,000 per annum, pro rata (depending on experience)

• Annual leave: 30 days pro-rata, rising to 35 days after 5 years’ service (plus bank holidays, pro-rata)

• Pension: NEST pension scheme (if eligible)

• Some evening and occasional weekend working is required

This role could be right for you if…

You are an experienced operational manager who enjoys combining leadership with practical delivery, thrives in a public-facing environment, and wants your work to make a visible difference to a local community. You don’t need to tick every box — we’re interested in your experience, judgement, approach and motivation.

Abbey Community Centre is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and we welcome applications from candidates from a wide range of backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be offered throughout the recruitment process.

Job Title: West London Family Support Worker 

Salary: £25,353.06

Team: Family Support Team

Hours: 30

Location: Based at Shooting Star House (Hampton), This role will be working across sites and in the community

About Shooting Star Children’s Hospices

We have an exciting opportunity to join our Family Support Team at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices provides specialist care and support to families who have a baby, child or young person with a life-limiting condition, or whose child has died. Rated ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, our teams support families across Surrey, north-west London and south-west London from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavement with a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care.

About the role

Family Support Workers (FSW) are the frontline of our care. Each FSW holds a caseload of end-of-life and bereaved families. They get to know their families, and check-in regularly with phone calls and home visits and can provide enhanced emotional support where required through more regular contact and interventions. Our FSWs tell families about the many services they can access at Shooting Star, assess their needs and make recommendations to our multi-disciplinary team. They  support families of different ethnicities and families living in poverty, helping our service be as accessible as possible.

Our FSWs work closely with our Therapists, Counsellors, Social Workers, Transition Team and our Care Events Team. Weekly MDT meetings bring the team together to think of ways to help families in crisis. The work is varied and creative, taking place at the hospices, in family homes and hospitals, allowing the support to be where the families need it. Our Family Support Workers are hugely appreciated by the families we support.

The ambition of our strategy is to ensure every family affected by a life-limiting condition, or the sudden death of a child, has access to the specialist care that they need. Day to day duties are:

• Being the on-site duty FSW, welcoming families on site, monitoring email inboxes and answering the Family Support Line.
• Helping with support groups and family events
• Providing on the spot emotional support, sometimes in a crisis where a calm and supportive response is required.
• Visiting newly bereaved families in their homes.
• Supporting families staying at our Christopher’s hospice (booked stays and end of life).
• Attending various locations over the course of a week: hospice, hospital, family homes.
• Building connections with families from different backgrounds, delivering culturally sensitive care.
• Helping safeguard families at risk of harm.
• Acting as an ambassador for Shooting Star’s Specialist Bereavement Service, supporting other care team members with their learning and delivery of the bereavement pathway, and continually seeking ways to improve what we offer families.

The post holder will need to have a UK driving license.

The hours are predominantly worked 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Once a month, the FSW will work a weekend day (with advance notice). This is in place of a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday that week.

About you

This role requires experience of working with children and families who have experienced hardship, or those with complex needs. You should have a calm, positive manner, conveying empathy whilst maintaining professional boundaries. We are looking for someone passionate about supporting children and families.

Please see the attached job description for more information about this opportunity at Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

What we offer

In return you will receive a competitive salary along with a range of benefits, which include:

Pension scheme

• NHS Pension Scheme (for eligible employees) or our stakeholder pension scheme, with up to 7% employer contributions
  
  Annual leave

• 27 days plus Bank Holidays rising with length of service
• 2 weeks paid sabbatical leave after 5, 10 and 15 years’ service
  
  Contractual benefits

• Generous sick pay scheme
• Enhanced maternity, adoption, and paternity leave pay
• Flexible working arrangements
• Death in service benefits
• Reimbursed professional membership fees
• Eye care
• Employee referral scheme
• Blue Light discount card
  
  Health and wellbeing

• Employee Assistance Programme
• Occupational Health
• Mindfulness sessions
• Cycle to work scheme
• Mental Health First Aiders

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff to share this commitment. Also, we are committed to equal opportunities and consider all applicants to be in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and a DBS check.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices is committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that getting things right is critical for us to live our organisation’s values: Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Diversity and Excellence.

We are always trying to improve our way of working to be more inclusive and equal. Our vision is for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices to be a place where people of all backgrounds, groups and communities feel welcomed to work and volunteer.

Anticipated Start Date: 06/04/2026