Complex needs worker jobs in Milton keynes

Communications Manager

Part-time: 18.75 hours per week (0.5 FTE)

Contract duration: Fixed term until 30 June 2026, with strong likelihood of extension

Line managed by: Head of Policy & Engagement

Location: Remote within the UK (with occasional travel as needed)

Salary: £40,000 FTE (£20,000 pro rata)

About GISF and Protect Aid Workers (PAW)

The Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF) is a member-led NGO network working to strengthen security risk management across the humanitarian and development sectors. With over 150 member organisations, GISF provides resources, convening spaces, and expertise to help keep aid workers safe.

Protect Aid Workers (PAW) is a multi-partner mechanism that supports humanitarian personnel who have experienced serious security incidents while carrying out their work. PAW provides financial assistance and access to legal support to aid workers and their families following critical incidents, including detention, serious injury, kidnapping, or death. The mechanism aims to fill gaps in protection and support where organisational or national systems are insufficient. PAW is delivered through a consortium of partners, including GISF, Legal Action Worldwide, and Protect Humanitarians, and funded by the European Commission.

About the role

GISF is seeking a Communications Manager (0.5 FTE) to lead a high-quality, high-impact communications for the Protect Aid Workers (PAW) initiative, ensuring strong, consistent, and compelling public-facing outputs that amplify the programme’s impact and visibility across partner and audiences. The role will be embedded within the PAW programme, while reporting into the GISF Secretariat under the line management of the Head of Policy and Engagement.

Key responsibilities

Lead on priority PAW communications deliverables, including:

Human stories and case-based communications

• Work closely with PAW case managers to identify suitable stories of aid workers who received support from the PAW mechanism following an incident
• Develop and produce compelling written and visual human stories with consideration of sensitivities
• Translate case learnings into accessible comms products

Design and visual communications

• Develop and maintain PAW graphic templates and visual assets
• Produce partner comms kits, social media assets and visual toolkits
• Ensure consistent branding across all PAW outputs, including materials produced by partners

Events and external engagement

• Support the events team with communications needs for key programmatic events
• Develop event-specific comms plans, materials, and live outputs
• Coordinate with PAW partners to align messaging

Other

• Provide additional communications support as needed

Person specifications

• Demonstrable experience leading communications for complex programmes, partnerships, or campaigns
• Experience developing human stories end-to-end, from identifying suitable cases to final presentation
• Competence in graphic design tools, particularly InDesign and Canva
• Proven experience producing high-quality visual materials, including templates, toolkits, or brand assets
• Ability to turn ideas into clear, visually engaging products (infographics, reports, slide decks etc)
• Strong writing skills for different audiences
• Experience leading communications for events

Attributes

• Strong judgment and sensitivity when handling difficult subject matters
• Ability to build trust with partners and beneficiaries
• Commitment to high-quality delivery and collaborative working style

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.

Employee benefits

We offer the following employee benefits:

• 26 days, increasing to 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Occupational sick pay (subject to completion of qualifying period)
• Enhanced pay for family friendly leave
• Free parking at some of our offices
• Employee assistance programme
• Group stakeholder pension scheme
• Access to BHSF health cash plan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Support and supervision from your line manager
• Learning and Development opportunities

​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.

Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.

Community Connector (Mental Health Resilience Worker)
Post no: 658
Reports to: Service Manager (Blended Teams)
Working base: Bedford CMHT (Community Mental Health Team) MK40
Contract type: Permanent
Salary: £24,720 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday

About the Role

Community Connectors work as part of an integrated, blended mental health offer to support people with emotional, social and practical needs to access a range of local, non-medical and non-clinical services, to improve confidence, social inclusion and independence.

This role will involve working as part of a multi-disciplinary team with statutory, third sector and NHS colleagues to support clients who are suffering from moderate to severe mental health difficulties. You will need to have experience working with those suffering with mental health illness as well as being able to demonstrate in depth knowledge of the services, support networks and local resources that may assist in improved outcomes for those dealing with complex and enduring mental health issues. The ability to be adaptable, work independently and the resilience to work in some challenging environments are key attributes for this role.

Service Delivery

• Assess suitability for community connection support as part of a blended team approach and support individuals to access the service by utilising in depth knowledge of local voluntary and community services and networks in your respective area
• To work with individuals to coproduce a plan to address their mental health and wellbeing goals. Am enable people to achieve these goals through facilitating access and connecting with appropriate resources
• Enable people to access community resources which may include accompanying them.
• Offer support, guidance and help where possible to people to gain confidence, overcome initial fears and seek solutions to any barriers inhibiting attendance.
• Take a holistic approach, based on the individuals’ priorities and wider determinants of health that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
• To work as part of an integrated team to ensure the best outcomes for each person accessing the service.
• Identify and build good working relationships with the community groups, relevant services and activities for partnership work and signposting as well as keep updated information about them.
• Competently work as part of a blended team, under direction from Mind BLMK and ELFT (East London NHS Foundation Trust), working with independence and in an agile way to support people with complex mental health challenges.

Entitlements/benefits:

• 25 days (pro rata) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Auto-enrolment NEST pension scheme (employer contributes 3%, employee contributes 5%)
• Health Plan with a wide variety of benefits
• Discounts available through Blue Light Card & Tickets for Good
• In-house and external Learning and Development as appropriate for the role.
• Flexible Working On request (in line with Mind BLMK policy on Right to Request Flexible Working)

If you have a passion for working in mental health and possess the required skills, we would love to hear from you.

Closedown: 5:00pm on Wednesday 11th March 2026
Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if enough suitable applicants apply
Start date: ASAP

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Mind BLMK has been committed to the Mindful Employer charter and the Disability Confident Employer Scheme since 2008.

Please note: Mind BLMK follows Safer Recruitment practices and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Therefore all our roles are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

No agencies please.

Our Time Charity is seeking an experienced Communications and Social Media Officer to strengthen our digital presence and amplify the voices of children affected by parental mental illness.

This role plays a central part in delivering our communications strategy by ensuring our message reaches families, professionals, funders and partners with clarity, creativity and purpose. You will manage our social media channels, develop engaging and accessible content, support campaign rollouts, and contribute to PR and stakeholder communications that challenge stigma and raise national awareness.

Working closely with the Communications Lead and the wider team, you’ll help shape and share stories that reflect lived experience, ensuring children feel seen, understood, and less alone, and that the wider system better understands the impact of parental mental health difficulties.

This role is ideal for someone with experience in communications, social media, or digital marketing within a charity or purpose-driven organisation who enjoys combining strategy with hands-on delivery, translating complex topics into compelling content, and using insights to grow reach and engagement.

To learn more about the role, responsibilities and how to apply, please download the full recruitment pack.

Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.

Title: Blended Team Service Manager
Post no: 659
Working base: Biggleswade CMHT (Community Mental Health Teams) SG18
Area covered: Bedfordshire, Luton
Contract type: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday
Salary: £28,500.00 per annum

About the Service and the Role

This role is an exciting opportunity to work with the Operational Services Manager (Blended Teams) to manage the daily operations of our Blended Teams functions.

This includes managing a core team of workers in a diverse range of projects and services often in partnership with the NHS and other VCSE and community groups. The role will involve multi-agency working and ensuring the continuous development of our services to ensure that they meet the needs of the community and blended team outcomes.

Ideally, you will be required to have knowledge of managing remote teams who may be imbedded in NHS services and the ideal candidate would have the skills to support staff with the complex challenges that come with blended working as well as maintaining and building relationships with key stakeholders. You will also be required to hold your own caseload, supporting the teams with more complex service users and cover gaps in services.

Key Responsibilities and Service Delivery

• Operate a service and ensure outcomes which support individuals with mental health and wellbeing needs in line with Mind BLMK’s and blended team model and contract requirements.
• Work with the Operational Services Manager (Blended Teams) and senior managers to ensure the management of an effective workforce including recruitment and performance management challenges
• Ensure that services with complex partnerships and remote teams are effectively managed and maintained, through effective relationship building and multi-agency working.
• Ensure regular involvement of service users, volunteer and staff on local service delivery, organisational matters and wider mental health strategies.
• Assess suitability for community connection support as part of a blended team approach and support individuals to access the service by utilising in depth knowledge of local voluntary and community services and networks.
• To work with individuals to coproduce a plan to address their mental health and wellbeing goals. Enable people to achieve these goals through facilitating access and connecting with appropriate resources.
• Enable people to access community resources which may include accompanying them.
• Offer support, guidance and help where possible to people to gain confidence, overcome initial fears and seek solutions to any barriers inhibiting attendance.
• Take a holistic approach, based on the individuals’ priorities and wider determinants of health that impact on their health and wellbeing, such as debt, poor housing, being unemployed, loneliness and caring responsibilities.
• To work as part of an integrated team to ensure the best outcomes for each person accessing the service.
• Maintain an effective workforce for the service in line with Mind BLMK’s HR policies, procedures and guidance (recruitment, line management, workload planning, support and development of crisis workers, peer support workers and volunteers).
• Hold responsibility for health and safety, data collection and cash handling in line with Mind BLMK’s policies, procedures and guidance.

Entitlements/benefits:

• 25 days (pro rata) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Auto-enrolment NEST pension scheme (employer contributes 3%, employee contributes 5%)
• Health Plan with a wide variety of benefits
• Discounts available through Blue Light Card & Tickets for Good
• In-house and external Learning and Development as appropriate for the role.
• Flexible Working On request (in line with Mind BLMK policy on Right to Request Flexible Working)
• If you have a passion for working in mental health and possess the required skills, we would love to hear from you.

Closedown: 5pm on Wednesday 18th March 2026
Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if enough suitable applicants apply
Start date: ASAP

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Mind BLMK has been committed to the Mindful Employer charter and the Disability Confident Employer Scheme since 2008.

Please note: Mind BLMK follows Safer Recruitment practices and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Therefore all our roles are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

No agencies please.

The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change (UKHACC) is a registered charity that brings together the UK’s leading health organisations, representing more than one million health professionals, to advocate for responses to climate change that protect and promote health. Through coordinated, collective action, the Alliance communicates the relationship between health and climate change to government, the public and other health professionals.

We are seeking a dynamic, motivated, and professional Director with excellent policy, project management, and interpersonal skills, experience in strategic communications and change.  The right candidate ideally also has experience in advocacy, and a track record of building consensus and leading campaigns.  .

The Director will be responsible for the Alliance’s overall strategy, oversight of the communications, policy and public affairs programmes, projects, and engagement with Alliance members and key external stakeholders. They will work closely with the Chair and trustees and develop good working relationships with senior leaders and public affairs and communications teams from the membership organisations that make up the Alliance. As the sole employee, the Director needs the professional capacity to coordinate strategic and operational delivery across all areas of the charity and ability to manage multiple stakeholder relationships. They will develop and lead a strategic focus to increase income generation and build a small team of staff to enable the organisation to continue to grow.

About Adolescent Health Study

The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records. There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.

Purpose of the post

The Research Officer will play a key role in supporting the scientific foundation, development, and coordination of AHS. The post holder will focus initially on supporting the development of the AHS pilot, contributing as required to methods selection, co-development of materials and assessment processes, writing of protocols and ethics submissions and preliminary testing of processes. Activities will involve conducting comprehensive literature reviews, supporting the development of piloting tools and protocols, engagement with schools, adolescents and parents, and addressing operational and logistical considerations necessary for successful delivery. The position is essential to ensuring the pilot and future study are grounded in robust evidence and implemented effectively.

Main responsibilities

Research & Evaluation

• Support in summarising existing evidence, and ongoing work with the research community, to identify insights and knowledge gaps that inform piloting and study research questions
• Support in conducting literature reviews and background research on determinants of adolescent health and identify tools and measures suitable for field-based assessment
• Contribute to the design and delivery of qualitative and/or quantitative research activities in support of study set-up
• Contribute to the design and delivery of public engagement and involvement activities

Piloting Design & Planning

• Contribute to developing piloting protocols and frameworks
• Assist in drafting documents for submission for ethical approval
• Help design, test and adapt measurement tools (e.g. questionnaires) and visit processes
• Support in the preparation of piloting recruitment materials
• Assist in the recruitment of, and relationship building with, schools for pre-testing

Data Collection & Fieldwork Support

• Support procurement of logistics for fieldwork
• Support in the preparation of field worker training materials
• Support training for data collectors and field staff
• Assist in data collection where required
• Be a part of a core team that ensures adherence to ethical standards and protocols

Piloting Coordination Support

• Support meetings and workshops on workstreams
• Support write-up of feasibility testing findings, and contribute to revisions on plans based on findings
• Support the senior study project manager as required on managing piloting timelines, risks and progress

Administrative and Logistical Support

• Take meeting minutes for the scientific study team as required
• Manage piloting documentation and version controls
• Respond to stakeholder queries as required

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential criteria

• A Masters degree in epidemiology, public health, social sciences, or a related discipline
• Demonstrable experience in supporting research studies, preferably in population and/or adolescent health.
• Ability to translate complex findings into clear, actionable insights
• Ability to synthesise literature and evidence concisely for reporting to diverse audiences
• Evidence of strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to contribute to protocols and ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• Proven ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
•  Ability to form strong working relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders at all levels, both in person and virtually.

Desirable criteria

• A PhD in epidemiology, public health, social sciences, or a related discipline (completed or due to be submitted within 3 months of application)
• Prior experience of working on adolescent health, youth development, or related public health issues
• Experience of conducting and reporting on literature reviews
• Experience with Research Ethics Committee submissions
• Good knowledge of basic principles of ethical research
• Clear understanding of study designs (including piloting) and data collections tools, and their application in school settings
• Experience with the development, testing, or adaptation of research instruments (e.g. questionnaires)
• Experience of working with young people and/or schools (through research and/or public involvement)

Dimensions

• Full time role with flexible working arrangements
• AHS is a national organisation, and our activities take place across the UK
• Flexible working will be required across several geographical locations in the UK.  Travel may be required to AHS locations, fieldwork sites and partner organisations

Application Process

This post is subject to receipt of satisfactory references and the post holder having the right to work in the UK (visa sponsorship is not available). Please apply with a CV and a covering letter (of no more than two pages) explaining what you can bring to this role, and including your current salary.

The closing date for this position is EoD Sunday 08 March 2026.

Interviews are currently expected to be held during the week commencing 30 March 2026.

Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Beyond these protected characteristics, we acknowledge the importance of socio-economic background, childcare and caring responsibilities, educational background, neurodiversity, and any other factors that shape an individual’s identity and opportunities. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to contribute fully.

Values

It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration