Community works jobs in sutton

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Area Manager to play a pivotal role in our Domestic Abuse Service in London.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

As a senior member of Hestia's operations team, your role is pivotal in ensuring the effective delivery of the organisation's strategic objectives. You will contribute to the development of Hestia's strategic goals and annual planning processes, translating these into a comprehensive Area Plan that aligns with the organisation's values and aims. This plan should be delivered effectively across services, with a focus on continuous improvement and outcome-driven service delivery. You will be responsible for identifying opportunities to enhance service performance through a SMART annual business plan. Ensuring adherence to Hestia's policies and procedures is essential, as is contributing to their ongoing refinement. Collaboration with the New Business and Development Team is key to identifying new opportunities, supporting tender submissions, and managing the integration of new services with careful planning and capacity assessment.

Building strong partnerships with voluntary and statutory sector providers is crucial to fostering best practices and a collaborative approach to service planning. You will ensure services meet contractual and legal obligations through regular audits and robust health and safety systems. Additionally, you will work with internal teams to shape external messaging and influence decision-making at both local and central levels.Effective resource management is a core aspect of the role. You will plan and manage budgets, ensuring financial accountability and alignment with projected figures. This includes making optimal use of staff, property, equipment, and IT resources. As a leader, you will provide clear direction and support to local service managers, fostering a high-performing team culture. You'll ensure managers are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and best practices, and that staff development needs are met through structured induction and training.

Performance management is integral, with expectations and standards clearly communicated and supported through coaching and supervision. You will model person-centred, recovery-focused approaches and ensure staff are regularly supervised and performance is reviewed. Recruitment must be proactive and aligned with funding contracts, in collaboration with HR and service users. Service quality is paramount. You will ensure service users' needs and aspirations are accurately assessed and that they have a voice in shaping service delivery. Regular quality audits and performance reporting will inform strategic decisions and highlight risks and opportunities. You'll promote service user involvement and co-production, working closely with relevant teams to embed these principles.

Financial oversight includes setting annual budgets with the Directorate and Finance teams, ensuring efficient use of resources and high standards in financial and administrative processes. You will implement recommendations from safeguarding reviews and maintain accreditation standards for domestic abuse services. Housing management responsibilities include ensuring compliance with operational policies, managing rental income, voids, arrears, and maintenance. Health and safety audits and risk assessments must be conducted within organisational timeframes. You'll liaise with partners on tenancy matters and ensure accurate record-keeping and reporting. Finally, you will maintain strong communication through regular meetings with managers, ensuring alignment and accountability across all areas of responsibility.

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

The ideal candidate will have a proven senior-level track record in leading and delivering recovery-focused and trauma-informed services within a dispersed organisational structure. They will demonstrate the ability to balance the demands of delivering high-quality services that meet regulatory standards while remaining financially sustainable. Extensive experience in managing operational teams and driving performance improvements is essential. Success in securing and implementing new business opportunities is a key requirement, alongside experience in managing teams across multiple sites. The role demands a strong background in organisational change and service reconfiguration, as well as business and financial planning, including oversight of significant budgets. The candidate should also have a history of designing and delivering innovative service models and managing complex contract negotiations with commissioners.

A deep understanding of housing management and experience supporting a wide range of service user needs is vital. The candidate must be passionate about Hestia's mission and capable of inspiring and motivating staff at all levels. They should be skilled in empowering teams, fostering high performance, and adapting their management style to suit different situations whether user-led or directive.
Strategic thinking is crucial, with the ability to analyse data, trends, and risks to position the organisation for success. The candidate must be able to build rapport with service users and their families, instilling confidence and trust. Establishing credibility with commissioners and external stakeholders quickly is also important.

Experience in managing domestic abuse services and overseeing local project and service managers is required. The candidate should be familiar with the strategic landscape of care and support services and understand its implications for the organisation. They must have demonstrable experience in contract management, budget oversight, and knowledge of legislation and best practices in care, health, support, and community engagement.

The ability to transform underperforming services and support staff through robust improvement plans is essential. The candidate should have extensive knowledge of supporting women and children affected by all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG). They must be capable of managing diverse teams with varied skill sets and working independently within policy frameworks.

Strong communication skills are required, along with a high level of financial and commercial acumen. The candidate should possess a working knowledge of the legal framework for protecting vulnerable adults and children and understand the importance of outcome-focused service delivery. A solid grasp of safeguarding issues and the ability to respond appropriately is also necessary. Proficiency in administration and IT communication tools will support effective performance in this role.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.

What if your expertise in purchase-to-pay processes could ensure every pound is spent efficiently, every supplier is paid on time, and every transaction strengthens our ability to end the devastation caused by dementia? As a Purchase to Pay Officer at Alzheimer's Society, you'll be critical to our ability to deliver a highly efficient, high-performing, data-led financial transactions service.

About the opportunity

As a Purchase to Pay Officer within our Finance & Assurance directorate, you'll own the end-to-end purchase-to-pay process that keeps our charity running. From procuring goods and services through to payment, you'll ensure smooth, controlled, and efficient operations while being the highly visible 'front door' of Accounts Payable for colleagues across the Society.

You'll oversee the complete P2P journey. Monitoring purchase requisitions, goods receipting, invoice processing, and payment runs, while proactively resolving issues and managing risks. As system owner for our purchase ledger and purchase ordering modules, you'll champion best practice, drive process improvements, and use data and metrics to motivate performance across the team. You'll also lead and develop our Accounts Assistants, building a high-performing team committed to continuous improvement and delivering a seamless, controlled experience for colleagues and suppliers alike.

About you:

You're an experienced finance professional with deep understanding of purchase-to-pay processes in large, complex organisations. You're passionate about using data to drive performance, and you thrive on building relationships that make financial processes work smoothly for everyone. You see efficiency and control not as constraints, but as enablers that allow the charity to focus on what matters most.

You'll have:

- Experience developing and motivating teams, particularly those early in their careers or undertaking professional qualifications, using a high challenge, high support approach.
- Deep understanding of end-to-end P2P processes and best practices in large organisations.
- Experience driving quality and performance improvement through data analysis, engaging multiple teams to achieve results.
- Strong communication and influencing skills, with proven ability to build effective cross-departmental relationships with budget holders and business partners.
- Experience maintaining accurate financial records and reports, identifying issues, and developing effective solutions.
- Proficiency in MS Office (particularly Excel) with strong ability to analyse, interpret and present data effectively.

What you’ll focus on:

- Leading and developing our Accounts Assistants, creating a culture of high challenge, high support, and continuous improvement.
- Overseeing end-to-end P2P processes, actively monitoring workflow, resolving issues, and managing supplier changes.
- Acting as system owner for purchase ledger and purchase ordering modules, championing best practice and ensuring seamless user experience.
- Preparing accurate payment runs and owning key P2P performance metrics, using data to drive improvements across the Society.
- Streamlining processes and strengthening controls, proactively identifying risks, inefficiencies, and solutions while ensuring compliance with policies and regulations, including maintaining accurate ledger reconciliations.

Are you ready to drive performance and partnership in purchase-to-pay that enables our teams to focus resources on ending the devastation of dementia? Can you bring both technical precision and collaborative energy to ensure every transaction supports our mission?

Important Dates

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 2nd November.
Interviews will begin week commencing 10th November 2025 and will take place virtually.

About Alzheimer's Society

Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.

We are looking for an experienced senior manager to lead our strategic communications, external engagement and network development. The post holder will champion The Politics Project’s mission, strengthen its profile, and foster partnerships that help empower young people.

ABOUT THE POLITICS PROJECT

The Politics Project supports young people to use their voice by providing them with outstanding democratic education. We work with young people, teachers, youth practitioners and politicians to help them learn, teach and engage in democracy. We are a non-partisan organisation working across the UK. 

ABOUT DEMOCRACY CLASSROOM

Democracy Classroom is a partnership of over 100 civil society organisations from the youth, education and democracy sectors working together to support young people to engage in elections and democracy. 

The network is supported by the Democracy Classroom Platform, which brings together over 1000 free educational resources for teachers and youth practitioners.

Democracy Classroom is a non-partisan, UK-wide initiative and a leading voice for the sector, reaching teachers and youth practitioners in 95% of the UK’s parliamentary constituencies. It coordinates the collective voice of organisations committed to democratic education, including through its joint submission to the Department for Education’s Curriculum and Assessment Review and the publication of The Roadmap to Votes at 16, a collaborative vision for the implementation of Votes at 16.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head of Communications and Networks will amplify The Politics Project’s voice, build strategic partnerships and strengthen collaboration across the youth, education and democracy sectors. You will lead on communications, stakeholder engagement and the continued development of the Democracy Classroom Network.

You will oversee a team responsible for communications, partnerships and events, providing leadership and guidance to ensure clear messaging, impactful storytelling and strong, coordinated engagement across the sector. The post holder will combine strategic thinking with strong operational delivery, managing both the external profile of the organisation and the networks that underpin its reach and influence.

Key responsibilities include:

Communications

• Develop and lead The Politics Project’s communications strategy to raise visibility and strengthen reputation.
• Ensure clear, consistent messaging across all channels, including website, social media, newsletters and press.
• Lead media relations, drafting press releases, handling journalist enquiries and identifying media opportunities.
• Monitor and evaluate communications activity to measure reach, engagement and influence.

Partnerships and networks

• Work with the Partnerships Manager and Director to cultivate and manage relationships with key stakeholders across civil society, government, education and youth sectors.
• Oversee the day-to-day running of the Democracy Classroom Network, including partner communications, newsletters and database management.
• Create opportunities for collaboration and knowledge-sharing between organisations, policymakers and institutions.
• Oversee the Democracy Classroom Platform and ensure it continues to grow as a trusted resource hub for teachers and practitioners.
• Act as The Politics Project’s representative and ambassador at external meetings, conferences and events.

Leadership and management

• Lead and mentor the communications and networks team, including line management of the Partnerships Manager, Communications Lead and Programme Coordinator.
• Manage relationships with freelance designers, illustrators and developers.
• Oversee evaluation and monitoring of communications and network activities, producing reports as required.
• Manage budgets and allocate resources effectively for communications, campaigns and events.
• Contribute to the organisation’s strategic planning and cross-programme collaboration.
• Carry out other duties as required in support of the organisation.

This is a fast-paced senior management role in a small but growing organisation. The post includes a six-month probation period and is fixed-term until March 2027, with the potential of extension depending on funding. Occasional travel within the UK and some evening or weekend work will be required.

BENEFITS

• 33 days’ annual leave including Bank Holidays (inclusive of 3 days’ leave between Christmas and New Year).
• 4% employer pension contribution.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Friendly, inclusive and supportive working environment.

ABOUT YOU

You are an experienced communications and partnerships leader who is passionate about democratic engagement and young people’s participation. You will bring creativity, strategic insight and strong relationship-building skills to strengthen The Politics Project’s profile and expand the Democracy Classroom Network.

You will have a track record of managing people and projects, developing communications strategies, and building collaborations across complex stakeholder landscapes. You will be confident in navigating the intersections of education, youth engagement and democracy, and able to balance strategic oversight with hands-on delivery.

Above all, you are a strong leader, communicator and collaborator who can inspire others, think strategically, and deliver tangible results in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

In accordance with our Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures, this position requires an enhanced DBS check that will be provided.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Proven experience in leading communications, external engagement or partnership functions at a senior level.
• Experience managing and motivating teams, including staff and freelancers.
• Demonstrable success in developing and delivering communications strategies that raise profile and influence change.
• Strong understanding of press, media and digital channels, including social media campaigns and storytelling.
• Excellent writing, editing and presentation skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into accessible content.
• Proven ability to build and maintain networks with diverse stakeholders, including NGOs, policymakers and funders.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills and understanding of data and metrics to evaluate communications impact.
• Confident public speaker and facilitator, able to act as a credible spokesperson and ambassador.
• Proficiency in digital communications tools (social media platforms, email marketing, CMS, analytics tools).

Desirable

• Experience managing networks or coalitions across multiple sectors.
• Experience overseeing digital platforms and online communities.
• Understanding of UK education, youth and democratic engagement policy landscapes.

TO APPLY

Please submit your CV and a covering letter (maximum one side of A4) via the CharityJob website.

Closing date: 11:30 pm, Sunday 9th November 2025

Interviews: Week commencing Monday 17th November 2025