Community jobs in balham, greater london

WORKING WITH US

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the page.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We’re looking for a passionate and driven HR professional to play a pivotal role in delivering our ambitious HR strategy and supporting the growth of our Federation.

In this high-impact, operational role, you’ll work closely with senior leaders to drive forward key business and HR initiatives.

From resourcing and employee relations to learning and development, you’ll provide expert guidance and hands-on support that empowers our management teams to thrive. You’ll be at the heart of our people strategy, leading on complex casework, championing best practices and ensuring our academies are supported with regular on-site visits.

If you're a proactive, solutions-focused HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about education, we’d love to hear from you.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing professional and customer-focussed HR leadership, advice and support to academies to enable leaders to improve and support staff engagement, tackle workforce priorities, maximise workforce efficiency and achieve academy people objectives
• Influencing and supporting the strategic direction of academies by providing and analysing workforce information and developing HR initiatives to respond to needs or example, developing effective retention plans, improving sickness absence and reducing agency expenditure
• Coaching, supporting and mentoring senior leaders on people management practices, issues and priorities, through development of close working relationships and understanding of business challenges and opportunities
• Providing expert advice to managers in highly complex employee relations cases on the interpretation and implementation of the Federation employment procedures within the context of the legal framework
• Retaining oversight of casework, and line managing an HR advisor in the management of specific ER cases

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Experience in a HR Business Partner or senior HR advisor role within a large complex organisation
• Experience of developing and delivery of strategic HR plans and initiatives
• Previous experience of managing complex Employee relations issues, change management, and restructuring
• Experience of supervising staff
• Educated to masters level in HR Management or equivalent level of experience of working in an HR role
• A CIPD qualification to Associate level or above

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. 

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

OUR VISION & VALUES

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.

We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.

We are looking for someone to take an active lead in setting up the new Shed and working with our wider staff team and volunteers. You will be able to promote the project to encourage participation by giving talks, arranging taster sessions and using social media. You will also arrange short courses and training sessions and ensure new participants are briefed on health and safety. You will have good interpersonal skills and enjoy working a part of a team.

Position: Volunteer Coordinator
Hours: Full-time (35 hours a week)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Office based in London with flexibility to work from home
Salary: Starting from £26,384 per annum plus excellent benefits
Salary Band and Job Family: Band 1, Charity
*you’ll start at our entry point salary of £26,384 per annum, increasing to £28,033 after 6 months service and satisfactory performance and to £29,682 after a further 6 months.

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information. 

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

Are you passionate about engaging communities and empowering volunteers? The MS Society is looking for a Volunteer Coordinator to support our Community, Events & Retail Fundraising team. You’ll play a key role in recruiting, supporting, and developing volunteers, helping us achieve our mission of improving the lives of people affected by multiple sclerosis.

As a Volunteer Coordinator, you will:

• Plan and manage volunteering opportunities across our income generating activities.
• Recruit and onboard new volunteers, ensuring an outstanding experience.
• Create and deliver engaging volunteer campaigns to grow our community.
• Support and maintain strong relationships with volunteer organisations and local partners.
• Monitor and improve volunteer engagement and retention to strengthen our impact.

About You

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience working with and recruiting volunteers.
• Can build strong relationships with diverse communities.
• Has excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Is confident using IT systems, including Microsoft Office and CRM platforms.
• Is creative, enthusiastic, and passionate about supporting the MS Society’s work.

Join us in shaping a stronger volunteer community that will drive our fundraising efforts and help us continue delivering vital support and research for people affected by MS.

Closing date for applications: 9:00 on Thursday 10th July 2025

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Equal Opportunities 
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and or from ethnic minority backgrounds.

We’d be grateful if you downloaded and completed the equality and diversity monitoring form and submit it with your application. 

Disability Confident Employer 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer and we’re committed to promoting equality and diversity.

You can ask for reasonable adjustments as part of both our recruitment and new starter on-boarding processes.

If you need any help or adjustments to apply for this role, please contact us. You can also ask for the application materials to be sent to you in a different format. Such as for them to be sent to you by email or in a larger word format.

More about our employee benefits:
We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to): 

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time
• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment
• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us) 
• Flexible working options 

Caring for you and your family 

• Generous sick pay entitlement
• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment 
• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year 
• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis 
• Enhanced leave for new parents 
• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information
• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)
• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time 
• Cycle to work scheme 
• Death in service scheme
• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:
  • In the event of miscarriage or still birth 
  • To support fertility treatments
  • For antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances 

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans
• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax
• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager
• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities
• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely 
• Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups) 
• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community) 
• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal

Safeguarding 
We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of Gender, Race, Disability, Sexual orientation, Religion or belief, Pregnancy, Gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK 
You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.

You can find the UK visas and permits granting you the right to work in the UK on the UK Government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and aren’t able to support you with your visa applications.

No agencies please.

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men’s health globally, tackling mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer, testicular cancer.

In our mission to stop men dying too young, we’re recruiting four Fundraising Operations Assistants to join our team and help deliver our hugely successful annual charity campaign across our UK and European markets. This is a Fixed Term Contract from September to December 2025.

You will be part of our vibrant and energetic team supporting our fundraising community and the delivery of the Movember campaign across the UK and our key European markets. This is a hybrid role, with the option to work remotely but there will be the expectation to be in the London Office at least three times a week.

We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Be the voice of Movember, responding to all email, live chat, SMS and telephone enquiries from our community in a fast and effective manner.
• Process donations and gift matching requests efficiently.
• Support the Fundraising team on research, outreach, data management and project work as required.
• Support the management of the UK Facebook inbox and fundraising pages.
• Identify any patterns or issues with the website, and reporting these to the Head of Fundraising Operations.
• Support our post-campaign thanking.
• Support office management; including collecting, processing and sending post, and ordering supplies to be used by the team.
• Respond to ad-hoc requests as needed.
• Help execute the distribution of merch and rewards to our key supporters.
• Attend local events, where necessary, to give our fundraisers a remarkable experience, which can include work at evenings and weekends.

For this role, you’ll need:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• A passion for delivering excellent customer service.
• Great organisation skills and ability to prioritise.
• The ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• To work well under pressure and to deadlines, with excellent attention to detail.
• Be a great team player.
• A high degree of self-motivation and initiative.

Desirable:

• Proficiency in Dutch, French or German.
• Fundraising experience in a personal or professional capacity.

GOOD CAUSE:
Working for Movember, you’ll help raise millions for men’s health (not for a CEO’s bonus). And all those dollars do a whole lotta good. We’ve funded cancer research. Created lifesaving medicines. And helped make cancer treatments less “one-size-fits-all”, and more specific to each patient’s needs.

We’re even calling for governments worldwide to get it together on men’s health. By meeting directly with policymakers so they change the systems that change men’s health.

GOOD VIBES:
The vibes aren’t just for Fridays – even though we start weekends early nine months of the year. Here, it always feels like something big’s about to happen. Be it an office-wide surprise birthday party (with cake!) or an impromptu all-staff boogie.

Come the hairy season, the energy gets silly. We’re talking celebrity visits. Live stunts on-site for TV and radio. And when we hit a fundraising milestone, the office gong might even go off. And that means one thing: it’s conga time.

GOOD CREW:
Let’s just get this out of the way: big egos need not apply. We’re all about straight-up solid human beings out to do meaningful work. People who’ll help you reach career-best moments. And give you the freedom to get there the best way you see fit.

Hybrid remote working is the norm. And in the office, you can sit where you please. Who knows? On any given day you could even end up desk buddies with the man who started this all.

• Hybrid/Flexible working – we offer our team a split of home and office working
• 13 weeks paid Parental Leave above statutory amounts
• Up to 6 weeks of annual leave available
• Health Cash Plan – to support the costs of everyday healthcare needs (dental, optical, wellbeing)
• An Employee Assistance Programme offering face to face counselling, plus legal and financial support
• Learning & Development opportunities - training allowances and secondments
• A fun stimulating and collaborating culture, with company events
• Service awards after 3, 5 and 10 years
• Bike to work scheme

Boy, do we know the feeling of being judged. (Over how we look, and other things that shouldn’t matter.) Being different is how we started. And it’s also helped us raise $1 billion for men’s health. So, we know the power of diverse experiences, skills and perspectives.

Movember is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community and workplace - a place where we can all be ourselves, and each have the equal opportunity to succeed and be recognised for our unique contribution. We value the experiences, skills and perspectives of all individuals and actively encourage applications from people with diverse backgrounds. We make recruitment decisions based on applicants’ skills, experience and knowledge, ensuring all applicants are treated fairly.

Do you want to DO GOOD?
If so, we’d love to hear from you.

About the role

The National Churches Trust awards grants to help keep churches of all denominations well maintained, open and in use. We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Grants Manager to join our Church Engagement team and oversee our grants programmes, ensuring the funding is delivered to best-practice standards and in a way that supports our vision to see open churches thriving at the heart of their communities.

The future of church buildings is our biggest heritage challenge; we are looking for someone who can help us to ensure our grants are effective and delivered in a way that is transparent, inclusive and impactful and makes a positive difference.

About the National Churches Trust

As an integral part of the UK’s heritage, we want to keep the UK’s wonderful collection of church buildings well maintained, valued and in use. Working on the ground in all four nations, we support churches of all denominations with the challenges and opportunities they face. Our vision is to see open churches thriving at the heart of their communities.

Our mission

• We Speak Up: churches are valued and supported
• We Build Up: churches are well maintained, adaptable and in good repair
• We Open Up: churches are sustainable, open and welcoming support

Our values

• Being straightforward in responding to others’ needs
• Providing support that makes a difference
• Joining forces to achieve greater impact
• Driving change that brings our vision closer

To find out more about the role and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: Midnight on Thursday, 10 July 2025.
Interview dates: Wednesday, 6 / Thursday, 7 / Friday, 8 August 2025 in Westminster, London.

Job Title: Floating Support Worker

Location: Hybrid working with a requirement to occasionally work at Head Office (Vauxhall, London) and co-locations across London
Salary: £28,857.12 per annum, inclusive of London Weighting, which may not be applicable depending on your home location and any agreed permanent homeworking arrangement

Contract type: Full Time, Fixed Term Contract (Until March 2026 with possibility extension of contract dependent on funding)

Hours: 37.5 hour per week

We are recruiting for Floating Support Worker who will support the Ascent Pan London Service in building sustainable referral pathways and joint working protocols with a range of partners working with survivors of domestic abuse.

You will provide capacity-building in the form of advice, advocacy, support, and briefings across the London boroughs to statutory agencies and community organizations around the needs of  domestic abuse survivors, to embed best practice across our communities.

You will have proven experience of providing direct emotional and practical support to women as well as up-to-date knowledge of legislation relating to survivors of gender-based violence. You will have excellent casework skills, good written and verbal communication skills, clear professional boundaries and be a proactive team player.

All candidates must demonstrate a commitment to the feminist values of empowerment and equality which underpin all of our work.

Successful applicants will be expected to work within Refuge’s Values and Behaviors Framework and demonstrate these in their everyday work.

This 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.

Closing Date: 09:00am 11 July 2025

Interview Date: 21 July 2025

Refuge is the UK’s largest provider of specialist services, and we are proud to be a leader in our field and an employer of choice, with leading edge systems for supervision, quality management and development. 

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

About UP

Unlocking Potential deliver high performing therapeutic programmes and education provision for children and young people with SEMH needs. We work in collaboration with families, communities, and other partners to ensure that children and young people access the interventions they need to thrive.

Mission

We work collaboratively with communities to enable children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs to unlock their full potential

Values

Trust

We build trust by being honest, transparent, and accountable in the way we work with children and young people, staff, and partners and by providing services and programmes whose outcomes are measurable and evidenced based.

Collaborative

Relationships are at the heart of our work. We prioritise communication and collaboration with partners, families, and communities, believing that by working together we create more effective and holistic outcomes for children and young people.

Empowering

We co-create opportunities for our children, young people, parents/carers and staff to actively participate in decision-making that influences change. We promote the voices of children and young people in our organisation and the wider community.

Nurturing

We provide a nurturing approach based on safety and space for creativity, exploration, and growth. We support and care for our children, young people, and staff to realise their potential.

Impact

We are committed to measuring our impact through a data driven method to develop our programmes and make a greater difference to the lives of children, young people, and their parents and carers.

Overview

We will be launching our new programme from September 2025, initially as a pilot working with families across Wandsworth, with aims to be able to expand and continue beyond this.

As a Family Support Worker, you will deliver flexible, hands-on, and therapeutically minded support to families facing multiple and complex challenges. You will build trusted relationships through home visits, school meetings, and practical support—empowering parents and carers to strengthen routines, manage behaviour, improve attendance, and access services. Your role will be guided by detailed needs assessments and focused on achieving meaningful outcomes with each family.

You’ll be responsible for the effective provision of comprehensive HR services for XLP, develop highly effective relationships across the team, maintaining a real understanding of their challenges and opportunities. You’ll partner with Line Managers on a range of HR duties encompassing the entire employee life cycle, including implementing an HR software platform and reporting, employee relations case work, safer recruitment, onboarding and offboarding, staff training and development and more. You’ll ensure we recruit and retain excellent staff to ensure we’re giving our best for young people.

You’ll be happy to manage all aspects of HR and the employee lifecycle, and not be afraid to work autonomously and get stuck in.

London’s Air Ambulance Charity has a small team of pilots who are dedicated to maintaining high standards of aviation in order to deliver our helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) to the people of London. We have recently changed our fleet to the EC135 T3H; modernising our multi-pilot aviation environment.

Day to day, we work closely with the charity’s teams including the medical, fire and support staff. All are prepared and rehearsed in their roles and strive to provide the best service possible. 

We also liaise outside London’s Air Ambulance Charity, within the wider air ambulance network and other emergency service communities to ensure safe, efficient operations in line with industry best practice. 

Our flights are short and mostly within the busy airspace of London to land and deliver clinical teams to scene with safety as our top priority. Where situations allow, once landed and shut down, pilots help clinical crews with logistics and also act as ambassadors for the charity, liaising with the public.

Bipolar is a severe mental health condition, characterised by extreme mood changes that range from manic highs to suicidal lows, affecting 2% of the UK population, and we are seeking a candidate who can work as part of our developing engagement in research, alongside our dedicated team of staff and volunteers in realising our ambition of making a far reaching and meaningful difference to the everyday lives of those impacted by Bipolar.

This role is 90% remote working. 

The Postdoctoral Research Manager will assist the Director of Research in running Bipolar UK’s Research Division:

• working with the charity and its multiple partner projects and collaborators to deliver on our current research commitments
• to develop the long-term sustainability of the Bipolar UK Research Division

This is an exciting role which will combine overseeing and managing existing and prospective research partnerships with research teams around the country and world, and taking part in the development of Bipolar UK-led research.

Current research partners include teams at UCL, Oxford, Cardiff and the GW4 Alliance, Swansea, King’s College London, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, Lancaster, Liverpool, together with international organisations such as The Global Bipolar Cohort and the International Society for Bipolar Disorders. Our aim at Bipolar UK is to integrate research into the charity in a way which combines more traditional elements of facilitating lived experience involvement alongside actively contributing to and directing research. We are also striving to increase awareness of bipolar and to campaign for more bipolar-specific research, addressing the ‘bipolar gap’ within research and services.

Bipolar UK is very much a user-driven organisation. Approximately one-third of our staff, including our Director of Research, have lived experience of bipolar themselves, while many more have lived experience through family or close friends. Although lived experience is not essential for this role, we especially welcome applications from those with lived experience of bipolar and will expect anyone who takes on this role to have insight into the needs and priorities of the bipolar community, and a commitment to undertaking research which focuses on bipolar.

Bipolar UK is a warm and supportive working environment. The charity has a strong commitment to sustainable working practices and the well-being of its staff.Initially this role is for 2 years. However, research at Bipolar UK is expanding fast and it is highly likely that it will be possible to extend the role beyond this period, dependent upon new funding.

We are looking for someone who is committed to mental health and bipolar research in a way which reflects the priorities of the bipolar community both in the UK and worldwide, understands co-production with people who share lived experience and can explore diverse types of research questions and methodologies and working with a diverse range of researchers and research projects.

For full recruitment pack and how to apply please refer to the job pack attached below.

For questions before application please email research'at'bipolaruk'dot'org.

Thank you for taking an interest in applying for this role at Imperial Health Charity.  We are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Fundraising Manager to join our ambitious fundraising team. 

You’ll be instrumental in developing the charity’s events and community fundraising programme, which includes managing the charity’s bespoke and third-party events portfolio. You will lead on our memory and celebration fundraising, as well as manging your own fundraisers, to ensure we are offering excellent supporter care to existing and future supporters. You will also be responsible for achieving your own targets and objectives, as well as providing ongoing monitoring against agreed milestones and KPIs.

You will ensure compliance with fundraising best practice at all times in accordance with the Fundraising Regulator.

Working closely with the Superintendent minister, circuit ministers and Lay officers the Governance and Administration Manager will ensure that the circuit and individual churches fulfill their governance obligations within Methodist Policy and Charity Law. This will include: GDPR, Safeguarding and Property and Finance management. S/He will also help to develop new ways of working using information and communication technology to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the circuit. The post will be office-based but there will be some flexibility with hours and the possibility of one day a week working from home. The postholder will need to respond to queries on the phone including requests for baptisms and funerals and pass on information appropriately. S/he will work closely with the Superintendent and help organise the Circuit and Leadership meetings and occassionally special events. There are many people within the church community who can 

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) are one of the main partners for the London Borough of Waltham Forest, delivering activities which connect people and greenspace. The successful applicant will work with the London Borough of Waltham Forest representatives, Friends of Parks groups and local people, with the aims of improving nature conservation, health and wellbeing, through social engagement, gentle exercise and connectivity with the outdoors.

TCV are seeking an enthusiastic, confident and experienced person to join our London Health & Education team for this important post. The Project Officer will lead the delivery of three key areas of work in the borough:

1. TCV's Green Gyms - Lead the delivery of weekly nature conservation volunteering sessions for people (with a wide range of abilities), through the TCV Green Gyms at Leyton Jubilee Park (Thursdays) & Lloyd Park (Fridays). The post holder will actively seek new volunteers to attend the TCV Green Gyms, through continual engagement with local social prescribing partners, social media promotion & local advertising of activities. They will also continually recruit and train volunteers to ensure they have the maximum opportunity to develop their skills and experience.
2. Friends of Park support - Support the capacity building & training of the Friends of Parks groups across the borough, which may include anything from organising an external first aid trainer to deliver an event, to you organising & leading a workshop on how to create & manage a wildflower meadow or working to support them on a practical activity. You'll keep the local Friends of Parks group webpages up to date with advertising forthcoming events & updating member's contact details & producing newsletters.
3. Wider events & activities - The post holder will be expected to lead and/or support the delivery of wider activities as required, such as regular family events at Abbott's Park & large family events Love Parks week (currently 8 events during summer months). The Project Officer would also lead corporate volunteering days, likely to take place at the Meridian One Community Garden & Tree Nursery in Enfield.

The post holder will mainly deliver core activities independently, although they'll work closely with the existing colleagues in Waltham Forest, to ensure local people receive the best possible experience. They'll be occasions when there's a need to work extra hours, including evenings & weekends, such as during Love Parks week, which takes place each July & during family events at the community garden (approximately 6 weekend days a year).

The post is full-time for 35 hours per week. The Project Officer will be based in TCV's community garden in Upper Edmonton, Enfield. The community garden has an office from which the post holder will be expected to be based 3 days a week, in order to administer this project. There will be regular travel across Waltham Forest & occasional travel across London, for training & meetings. A full driving licence is desirable but not essential.

To fulfil the role, you must be resident in the UK and have the right to work in the UK.

BACKGROUND

For over thirty years, Asylum Aid has been providing legal representation to some of the most vulnerable people seeking asylum in the UK. Our welfare advice team provide generalist advice on welfare benefits, housing, asylum support and related issues to Westminster residents with refugee and migrant backgrounds who do not have English as a first language and who would otherwise be unable to access vital advice which enables them to avoid destitution, homelessness and food poverty. We deliver this advice as part of the Westminster Advice Services Partnership through a drop in and outreach at local community venues, and supported by local volunteers many of whom speak community languages.

The post of Appeals Support Advisor is a new post established with the benefit of a grant from Westminster City Council. The post holder will support clients with appeals and reconsideration requests in relation to welfare benefits and housing. This will allow us to provide a more comprehensive service for our clients, many of whom struggle to lodge appeals and reconsideration requests, and to gather evidence in support of their appeals without advice, due to language barriers.  The post holder will deliver advice in community languages, including with the assistance of interpreters, to local residents as part of our partnership work. Most of our clients are refugees, people seeking asylum and others with a refugee or migrant background. The Appeals Support Advisor will work with clients referred from Asylum Aid’s Information and Advice Service (including our weekly drop in) and from other partners in the local community. They will also provide training and supervision to the Generalist Advisor and our volunteers. External supervision will be arranged for the post holder.

The ideal candidate will be resident in or near to the City of Westminster and fluent in one or more community languages. In particular, fluency in one or more of the following is highly desirable: Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Kurdish Sorani/ other Kurdish dialects, Somali, Amharic, Tigrinya.

As this is a new post delivering a specialist appeals and casework service from within our generalist advice team, it offers an exciting opportunity to set up and establish systems for the delivery of this service during the six month fixed term contract, including ensuring that case management processes are established which meet the requirements of our Lexcel quality mark and that clear referral procedures are established with the drop in service and our partners.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The post-holder will:

• Be part of a generalist advice service, with special emphasis on language support, as part of the Westminster Advice Services Partnership (WASP), a collaboration of advice agencies Asylum Aid, Westminster Citizens Advice, Age UK Westminster, and Deaf PLUS Westminster Advice Service.
• Provide specialist appeals casework and support to clients who do not speak English as a first language and need to challenge decisions, request  mandatory reconsiderations, internal housing reviews, lodge appeals in relation to welfare benefits and housing.
• Provide ongoing casework support up to the Tribunal stage, including helping clients to gather evidence in support of their mandatory reconsiderations and appeals and preparing for hearings (but not including representation at hearings)
• Where capacity allows, help to deliver generalist face to face and telephone advice and information, in a community language and English, to migrants and asylum seekers on issues related to welfare benefits, housing and asylum support in accordance with Asylum Aid’s contract within the WASP partnership, and taking responsibility for the quality of advice given.
• Provide training and supervision to the Generalist Advisor and to volunteers, supporting the development of their advice skills and ensuring the quality of advice delivered throughout the advice service.
• Maintain a high standard of electronic case records (using AdvicePro) for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, monitoring and evaluation of the service, and to help identify issues to be raised through policy advocacy.
• Ensure that all casework is conducted in accordance with the Lexcel quality standard, including by establishing case management procedures for the delivery of specialist advice which meet the Lexcel standard, and participate as required in annual Lexcel quality mark audits
• Attend external and in-house training organised by Asylum Aid and regular supervision sessions to develop and maintain the skills and knowledge required to help deliver a quality advice service, and to keep up to date with changes in welfare benefits, housing and asylum support law
• Cascade information, changes,  and developments in social welfare law, including learning from external training, to other staff and volunteers who assist with the delivery of the welfare advice service
• Work effectively with partners to provide a seamless service for clients, making and receiving referrals and maintain up to date information about other service providers for the purposes of referrals and signposting. 
• Be responsible for achieving relevant targets for quality and quantity set by the WASP coordinator
• Provide case studies and other information from the work of the advice service to support policy advocacy and strategic legal work in support of Asylum Aid’s vision of fair and dignified treatment of people seeking asylum, refugees and other vulnerable migrants 
• Carry out any other tasks within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service.

The post holder will need to be able to travel to and within Westminster to deliver advice at outreach locations as well as at a drop-in in or around the Church Street Estate. Travel expenses will be paid to attend locations away from Asylum Aid’s office(s) and the main location of our drop-in service (currently the Church Street library).

Other duties:

• Respect for client confidentiality at all times in line with Asylum Aid’s confidentiality agreements and consent forms. 
• To attend staff meetings as required.
• To undertake other duties which are generally compatible with the functions of the post.
• To comply with the organisation’s policies and procedures, particularly those relating to safeguarding, health and safety, diversity, equity & inclusion, confidentiality and security, as set out in the Office Manual as well the policies of other relevant partner organisations.

Person Specification

Essential skills, knowledge and experience:

• At least 12 months’ experience of supporting benefits appeals through to Tribunal stage and Housing Reviews
• At least 5 years’ experience of working face to face with clients to deliver generalist advice in different areas of law including welfare benefits and housing
• Knowledge on a range of issues on which advice may be sought including health and social care, housing and welfare benefits, including a thorough and up to date understanding of social security and welfare benefits legislation and policy  
• Experience of managing a case load
• Knowledge or ability to understand and use relevant legislation
• Have completed Advice UK’s Learning to Advise training or hold the Citizens Advice Generalist Adviser certificate or an equivalent qualification
• Be fluent in written and spoken English as well as a second language spoken by a substantial proportion of the Westminster population, ideally Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Kurdish Sorani/ other Kurdish dialects, Somali, Amharic, Tigrinya (to a standard that enables accurate advice to be given in the language)
• Experience of working with interpreters in the delivery of advice
• Able to meet deadlines, work under pressure, meet performance targets and take responsibility for their work, while working flexibly within a team environment
• Able to relate to a wide cross section of clients in a non-judgmental way.
• Able to use a range of IT systems and packages confidently and competently to be able to support and encourage others in using online systems and resources to enable them to self-help.
• Able and willing to learn and assimilate new knowledge in a working environment.
• Able to give and receive feedback objectively and sensitively.
• Able and willing to work both on own initiative and as part of a team.
• Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of Asylum Aid service and commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Good understanding of the needs of migrants and asylum seekers and the issues and barriers that affect them in UK.

Desirable:

• Experience of specialist advice work, including appeals and mandatory reconsiderations
• Friendly, polite, and patient
• Experience of working under a relevant quality mark such as the Advice Quality Standard or Lexcel
• Understanding of the housing and other support available to people seeking asylum who do not have the right to work in the UK
• Experience of working with volunteers
• Experience of supervising other advisers, including volunteers  
• Demonstrable understanding of issues facing vulnerable clients whose English is not the first language and many with mental health problems.
• Lived or learned experience of the difficulties that migrants and refugee communities face when they have to deal with the UK welfare system
• Personal experience and/or Knowledge of the advice process and experience in the areas of either benefits, housing or debt.
• Experience of using interpersonal skills, including sensitive listening, and questioning skills to understand the needs of others,
• Ability to communicate with other organisations, housing, and welfare departments.

How to apply 

The first stage is to complete on our online application form on our website by 9am on 7th July 2025.

The website form will ask you to:

1. Upload a short covering letter. Please tell us why the position appeals to you, and how your

relevant skills and experience, including any voluntary experience and lived experience, matches the listed responsibilities and person specification. Please also state in your covering letter when you would be available to start the role.

2. Upload your current CV

3. Complete an online Equal Opportunities monitoring form – completion of this form will help us ensure that our recruitment procedures operate in such a way as to provide genuine equality of opportunity. The questions are entirely optional and this information will not be available to members of the selection panel.

Selection Process

We anticipate that we will invite candidates to an initial 15-minute online screening meeting week commencing 16 June 2025, followed by shortlisted candidates attending in-person interview week commencing 23 June 2025. We will also ask you to complete a short written task on the day.

We regret that we can only respond to applicants who make it to the interview stage.

Eligibility

Please note that the successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK (as a small charity we do not have the capacity to sponsor work visas).

Successful candidates will also be subject to a basic DBS check. If appointed, you will also be required to give your consent to the charity to receive regular updates on your criminal records status throughout your employment and to disclose any relevant convictions incurred during your time with us.

Adjustments

We are committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always endeavour to be as accommodating as possible. If you require a different format of the application form, such as large print or Word format, or if you would like to discuss any specific requirements, please get in touch with us.