Counsellor jobs in exeter, devon

Unifrog’s mission
 

We’re on a mission to level the playing field when it comes to young people finding and applying for their next step after school. We're achieving this by bringing all the available information into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications. We also empower teachers and counsellors to manage the progression process effectively.
 

Our outlook is global - we work with schools and universities all over the world, from the US to New Zealand, and from Italy to Hong Kong. We want to make it so that young people can compare every opportunity taught in English, wherever it is in the world, and have all the support they need to make successful applications.
 

We have a clear social purpose, and we’re hugely ambitious. We already work with over half of UK secondary schools, and hundreds of international schools. We are growing rapidly in terms of the number of our customers, in terms of how much they use our platform, and in terms of the breadth of products we offer.
 

Our team is at the heart of our business and is integral to our success. We work hard to foster a culture of openness, happiness and innovation, and we commit to helping every individual learn and grow so that they can reach their full potential. We want to hire talented people, whatever their background. If you are excited by our mission and are ready to work hard, please don’t hesitate to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
 

We believe in the power of diversity. If you are from an ethnic minority background, we would like to strongly encourage you to apply. In advance of applying, if you have any questions about working at Unifrog, please contact our Recruitment Lead, Mhairi (contact details on our website). 

 

The role and your key responsibilities
 

As an Account Manager, your role is to make sure that all partners in your area make the most out of the Unifrog platform. You’ll build and maintain excellent working relationships with your partner schools and colleges, and provide expert guidance on how to embed the platform across all year groups.

You will cover your own area of the country with occasional travel to your partner schools and colleges (on average 1-2 days per week). Please note you will need to be based in Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, or Wiltshire for this role.
 

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Work with schools and colleges to provide resources and strategies which maximise staff and student engagement with Unifrog, identifying and promoting best practice across partner schools.
   

• Deliver targeted training sessions to staff within our partner schools and colleges via workshops and presentations, delivered remotely or in person.
   

• Work with your partner Area Manager to improve Unifrog engagement and achieve a sky high resubscription rate.
   

• Monitor and analyse usage across partner schools and colleges; identifying partners that need additional support to use the platform effectively.
   

• Listen to teachers and students about how we can improve our customer service and the Unifrog platform.
   

• Attend conferences and run CPD events on behalf of Unifrog.

What we’re looking for

• Strong communication skills – written, over the phone and on video calls.
   

• Track record of excellent relationship management.
   

• Extremely well organised.
   

• Keen attention to detail.
   

• Active listening and objection handling skills.
   

• A background and interest in education would be an advantage.

• Proactive attitude and willingness to get stuck in.

You will be joining a team of highly motivated people who are passionate about our mission of helping students to find the best next step for them after school. If this excites you and you’re an energetic person who is willing to learn, then we’d love to hear from you.
 

Working together

You’ll work closely alongside an Area Manager in your region, and with our Partner Success team to provide the best service to your schools and colleges. You will be part of a fantastic team of Account Managers, and line-managed by a Senior Account Manager. 

Benefits

Head to our jobs page for a full list of the excellent benefits we offer our team.

• Join one of ‘the best organisations to escape to’ and help transform careers and destinations in schools. We’re also a certified Great Place to Work.

• Become part of a committed, dynamic and growing team. We want to build the team at Unifrog for the long term – if you do well, we will do our best to make you want to stay at the company for a long time.
   

• Professional development is important at Unifrog. You will define your own 6-month objectives and will be supported by your line manager and the rest of the team to achieve them. You will have an annual training allowance to spend on what you need to grow and progress.
   

• Influence the company’s direction: we love to promote great ideas, wherever they come from.

Key details
 

• £37,306 per annum pro rata (Grade B), plus commission, car allowance, and a share in a company-wide performance bonus. 

• OTE £43,000.

• Permanent and full-time

• 28 days paid holiday per year (plus bank holidays).

• Working hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9:00am to 4:30pm on Friday.
   

• Full UK driving licence and access to a car is essential.
   

• All travel expenses covered.
   

• Candidate must be based in one of the following counties: Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Berkshire, or Wiltshire.
   

• Home based with some travel to schools and colleges in your region.

• Start date: as soon as possible, though we will be flexible for the right candidates.
   

• To discuss any details about the role before applying, please contact our Recruitment Lead, Mhairi (details on our website).
   

• We can only consider candidates who have the right to work in the UK.

Application process

Deadline: 10:00AM (BST) on Monday 9th June 2025.
 

Stage 1: Application form (~1 hour) 

• Visit our website to upload your CV and complete the questions and tasks below. Please note that we do not review CVs at this stage of the application process so please be as specific as possible about your experience.
   

i. With reference to examples of your recent experience, what would make you an excellent candidate for this role? (250 words)

ii. Tell us about a time when you have had to build a relationship with someone when it was particularly challenging. What was your approach? (250 words)

iii. You notice that one of your partner schools is not engaging with Unifrog across the whole school. How would you approach the situation to maximise staff and student engagement with the platform and resources? (250 words)

Stage 2: Phone task (15 minutes) 

• A short role play task over the phone. We will schedule these tasks throughout the application window.

Stage 3: Video call interview (1 hour) 

• Short demonstration of a Unifrog tool (resources will be provided) (20 mins)

• Standard Q&A from a panel of three, including questions about your experiences and how these relate to the role, and scenario questions based on common situations you might face (plus time for your questions) (40 mins).
   

• Video call interviews will be held on w/c 16th June 2025.

Your answers are an opportunity to let us know more about your motivations and experience. While we understand that candidates might want to use AI to improve parts of their application, we strongly encourage you to write your answers independently. 

Please note, we compare all answers to an AI generated answer. Where we suspect AI has been used to write the majority of the answer, this will be taken into consideration when scoring.

Inclusion and diversity at Unifrog

Within the company we try to foster a culture of innovation, and a happy working environment, both because this is the right thing to do, and because we think this results in the most effective team. To this end we believe in open communication, celebrating successes, supporting each other, not being afraid to be wrong or to fail, and promoting good ideas wherever they come from.

As a platform that supports teachers and students from a huge variety of backgrounds it’s important that our team and leadership reflects this diversity. This is something we are actively working towards and prioritising. We want to embed diversity, equity and inclusion across everything we do, continually evaluating policies and practices to make sure they are inclusive and equitable.

To make sure everyone’s voice is heard and people have the opportunities to learn to be better allies in the workplace, we encourage the team to share what they’re celebrating, facilitate training and group discussions, and seek regular feedback about what more the company could do to help people feel included.

To ensure that our recruitment process is consistent and fair, we anonymise your application and therefore do not see your name, personal, educational or professional background. We also randomise the order of responses so that it’s less likely that a candidate is advantaged or disadvantaged by where their answers appear compared to other candidates. 

Unifrog’s mission
 

We’re on a mission to level the playing field when it comes to young people finding and applying for their next step after school. We're achieving this by bringing all the available information into one single, impartial, user-friendly platform that helps students to make the best choices, and submit the strongest applications. We also empower teachers and counsellors to manage the progression process effectively.
 

Our outlook is global - we work with schools and universities all over the world, from the US to New Zealand, and from Italy to Hong Kong. We want to make it so that young people can compare every opportunity taught in English, wherever it is in the world, and have all the support they need to make successful applications.
 

We have a clear social purpose, and we’re hugely ambitious. We already work with over half of UK secondary schools, and hundreds of international schools. We are growing rapidly in terms of the number of our customers, in terms of how much they use our platform, and in terms of the breadth of products we offer.
 

Our team is at the heart of our business and is integral to our success. We work hard to foster a culture of openness, happiness and innovation, and we commit to helping every individual learn and grow so that they can reach their full potential. We want to hire talented people, whatever their background. If you are excited by our mission and are ready to work hard, please don’t hesitate to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!
 

We believe in the power of diversity. If you are from an ethnic minority background, we would like to strongly encourage you to apply. In advance of applying, if you have any questions about working at Unifrog, please contact our Recruitment Lead, Mhairi (contact details on our website). 

 

The role and your key responsibilities
 

As an Account Manager, your role is to make sure that all partners in your area make the most out of the Unifrog platform. You’ll build and maintain excellent working relationships with your partner schools and colleges, and provide expert guidance on how to embed the platform across all year groups.

You will cover your own area of the country with occasional travel to your partner schools and colleges (on average 1-2 days per week). Please note you will need to be based in Newcastle (or surrounding areas) for this role.
 

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Work with schools and colleges to provide resources and strategies which maximise staff and student engagement with Unifrog, identifying and promoting best practice across partner schools.

• Deliver targeted training sessions to staff within our partner schools and colleges via workshops and presentations, delivered remotely or in person.

• Work with your partner Area Manager to improve Unifrog engagement and achieve a sky high resubscription rate.

• Monitor and analyse usage across partner schools and colleges; identifying partners that need additional support to use the platform effectively.

• Listen to teachers and students about how we can improve our customer service and the Unifrog platform.

• Attend conferences and run CPD events on behalf of Unifrog.

What we’re looking for

• Strong communication skills – written, over the phone and on video calls.

• Track record of excellent relationship management.

• Extremely well organised.

• Keen attention to detail.

• Active listening and objection handling skills.

• A background and interest in education would be an advantage.

• Proactive attitude and willingness to get stuck in.

You will be joining a team of highly motivated people who are passionate about our mission of helping students to find the best next step for them after school. If this excites you and you’re an energetic person who is willing to learn, then we’d love to hear from you.
 

Working together

You’ll work closely alongside an Area Manager in your region, and with our Partner Success team to provide the best service to your schools and colleges. You will be part of a fantastic team of Account Managers, and line-managed by a Senior Account Manager. 

Benefits

Head to our jobs page for a full list of the excellent benefits we offer our team.

• Join one of ‘the best organisations to escape to’ and help transform careers and destinations in schools. We’re also a certified Great Place to Work.

• Become part of a committed, dynamic and growing team. We want to build the team at Unifrog for the long term – if you do well, we will do our best to make you want to stay at the company for a long time.

• Professional development is important at Unifrog. You will define your own 6-month objectives and will be supported by your line manager and the rest of the team to achieve them. You will have an annual training allowance to spend on what you need to grow and progress.

• Influence the company’s direction: we love to promote great ideas, wherever they come from.

Key details
 

• £37,306 per annum pro rata (Grade B), plus commission, car allowance, and a share in a company-wide performance bonus. 

• OTE £43,000.

• Permanent and full-time

• 28 days paid holiday per year (plus bank holidays).

• Working hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Thursday, and 9:00am to 4:30pm on Friday.

• Full UK driving licence and access to a car is essential.

• All travel expenses covered.

• Candidate must be based in Newcastle (or surrounding areas).

• Home based with some travel to schools and colleges in your region.

• Start date: as soon as possible, though we will be flexible for the right candidates.

• To discuss any details about the role before applying, please contact our Recruitment Lead, Mhairi (details on our website).

• We can only consider candidates who have the right to work in the UK.

Application process

Deadline: 10:00AM (BST) on Monday 9th June 2025.
 

Stage 1: Application form (~1 hour) 

• Visit our website to upload your CV and complete the questions and tasks below. Please note that we do not review CVs at this stage of the application process so please be as specific as possible about your experience.
   

i. With reference to examples of your recent experience, what would make you an excellent candidate for this role? (250 words)

ii. Tell us about a time when you have had to build a relationship with someone when it was particularly challenging. What was your approach? (250 words)

iii. You notice that one of your partner schools is not engaging with Unifrog across the whole school. How would you approach the situation to maximise staff and student engagement with the platform and resources? (250 words)

Stage 2: Phone task (15 minutes) 

• A short role play task over the phone. We will schedule these tasks throughout the application window.

Stage 3: Video call interview (1 hour) 

• Short demonstration of a Unifrog tool (resources will be provided) (20 mins)

• Standard Q&A from a panel of three, including questions about your experiences and how these relate to the role, and scenario questions based on common situations you might face (plus time for your questions) (40 mins).
   

• Video call interviews will be held on w/c 16th June 2025.

Your answers are an opportunity to let us know more about your motivations and experience. While we understand that candidates might want to use AI to improve parts of their application, we strongly encourage you to write your answers independently. 

Please note, we compare all answers to an AI generated answer. Where we suspect AI has been used to write the majority of the answer, this will be taken into consideration when scoring.

Inclusion and diversity at Unifrog

• Within the company we try to foster a culture of innovation, and a happy working environment, both because this is the right thing to do, and because we think this results in the most effective team. To this end we believe in open communication, celebrating successes, supporting each other, not being afraid to be wrong or to fail, and promoting good ideas wherever they come from.

• As a platform that supports teachers and students from a huge variety of backgrounds it’s important that our team and leadership reflects this diversity. This is something we are actively working towards and prioritising. We want to embed diversity, equity and inclusion across everything we do, continually evaluating policies and practices to make sure they are inclusive and equitable.

• To make sure everyone’s voice is heard and people have the opportunities to learn to be better allies in the workplace, we encourage the team to share what they’re celebrating, facilitate training and group discussions, and seek regular feedback about what more the company could do to help people feel included.

• To ensure that our recruitment process is consistent and fair, we anonymise your application and therefore do not see your name, personal, educational or professional background. We also randomise the order of responses so that it’s less likely that a candidate is advantaged or disadvantaged by where their answers appear compared to other candidates. 

The Charity and The Vision.  

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting military children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. Founded in 2010 by Nikki Scott following the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, the charity offers a unique blend of emotional, practical, and educational support to over 700 young people, and we have big ambitions to support over 1,000 children annually by 2030.  

We are proud of our vibrant, non-traditional culture, which puts the needs of bereaved children and young people at the heart of everything we do. We embrace innovative approaches, are committed to creating smiles and believe in the power of community, resilience, and connection.  

Scotty’s is seeking an experienced bereavement counsellor to join our small but effective team. The role involves supporting children and young people affected by bereavement, which may include death in service, illness, or suicide.

We want every bereaved military child and young person to have:

• Access to the very best emotional health and wellbeing support.

• Outstanding development opportunities.

• The chance to smile again. 

We call these our Promises. Our promises align with our three programmes: SMILES, STRIDES and SUPPORT.

· The SMILES Programme provides children with the chance to smile again

· The STRIDES Programme provides children with outstanding development opportunities

· The SUPPORT Programme provides the very best emotional health and wellbeing support to children who are struggling to cope following a bereavement. 

Our Bereavement Counsellor will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT Programme, delivering online 1:1 and group support to those who need it most.  But all three programmes work closely together (we call this the Families team).

Role Mission:

The Scotty’s Bereavement Counsellor will work with our families who are struggling with their grief to help them understand their feelings, develop coping skills and build their new life.

This role will be accountable for:

Providing emotional support, counselling and therapeutic interventions to individuals and families coping with grief and loss. The role involves working compassionately and ethically with families affected by bereavement, helping them process their emotions and find ways to adjust to life after a loss.

The Bereavement Counsellor will work collaboratively with the SUPPORT team and the wider Families team to ensure that all work undertaken by Scotty’s is delivered in a supportive and sensitive manner and that Scotty families receive exemplary care.

What are the 3-month goals for this role:

· Within three months the Counsellor will have developed their knowledge of the range of services that Scotty’s offers to our families so that they can advise and support families in their case load.

· Will have begun to learn and understand the Scotty Values and the Scotty Way (we do things a little differently and our culture is very important to us and our families!).

· Would have begun supporting the families assigned to their caseload by the Head of SUPPORT.  This will predominantly if not entirely be online 1:1 delivery.

· Will have completed all necessary safeguarding training and be part of the Scotty’s Safeguarding team.

· Begun attending peer supervision sessions with the SUPPORT team.

What are the 6-month goals for this role:

· Will have established a caseload as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT which is likely to include 1:1 online sessions, and may also include online group sessions, drop ins or workshops.

· Will have begun to support the wider Families team by attending Scotty events.  At Scotty events, a SUPPORT team member often attends to provide support to any families in distress (this may require occasional weekend or evening work).

· Will be working cohesively with the Families team and the wider Scotty team to share your knowledge and skills.  Scotty’s values a culture of learning and strives to ensure team members can learn from one another’s expertise.

· Will be contributing to peer supervision sessions to ensure all SUPPORT team members are able to give the best support to families.

· Regularly meeting with your selected external supervisor.

What are the 9-month goals for this role:

· Will be supporting a caseload as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT, with emerging impact data showing the success of your support.  Scotty’s uses the Child Bereavement Service Questionnaire (CBSQ) developed by the CBN to monitor the impact of 1:1 support and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for pre-bereavement support.

· Will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT programme, Families and wider Scotty team. Providing first rate bereavement counselling and support directly to families but also indirectly helping families by working collaboratively with other team members.

What are the key responsibilities of this role:

· Managing a caseload and delivering one to one counselling sessions as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT. This will predominantly be online delivery using Teams video calling but also other formats as needed by families.

· Facilitate group therapy or support groups when appropriate.

· Conduct initial assessment to determine clients’ needs and suitability for counselling.

· Maintaining accurate and confidential case notes in a timely fashion using our Salesforce based system in accordance with data protection and organisational policies.

· Adhering to all safeguarding requirements and operating as part of the Scotty Safeguarding team to maintain the highest standards across the charity.

· Supporting the development of resources and materials as needed.

· Working collaboratively within the SUPPORT team, including peer supervision.

· Working collaboratively and effectively within the Families team to ensure that families are directed to the appropriate services in a timely fashion.  This could include directing families you are working with towards our educational grants, our respite breaks, our events, our school support or our advocacy.

· Liaise with healthcare and mental health professionals such as GPs, CAMHS and social workers or other professionals where appropriate to ensure holistic care and management of risk.

· Attending at least six (mandatory) face to face team days, normally located in the East of England.

· Participate in regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development.

Skillset and Experiences Required:

Essential

· Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).  We may consider applications from practitioners with HCPC or NCS membership too.

· Level 4 Counselling / Psychotherapy Diploma or above.

· Significant experience (post qualification) providing bereavement counselling, to children or young people (0-25yrs).

· Experience and training with NICE-approved talking therapies.

· Demonstrated knowledge of issues surrounding bereavement.

· Ability to manage caseload effectively.

· Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate children’s needs (this may include evening work to avoid school hours at times).

· Excellent computer literacy.

· Ability to develop good therapeutic relationships with families.

· Ability to engage with peer supervision and Scotty’s funded external supervision effectively.

· Ability to engage with a culture of continuous learning and support the learning of others.

· Ability to work flexibly as part of a team and independently to meet the needs of the service.

· Commitment to professional standards and ethical practice.

Desirable

· Accredited member of BACP.

· Knowledge or experience of or with the military community.

· Experience of online counselling.

· Experience (post qualification) providing pre-bereavement counselling or support.

· Experience of supporting those bereaved by suicide.

· Knowledge of or experience using assessment tools such as SDQs or CBSQs.

· Knowledge of statutory mental health provision and systems including CAMHS and EHCPs.

· Experience of providing counselling or support to young people with SEND or additional needs.

· Ability to drive with access to own transport is an advantage as some team meetings can take place away from public transport routes.

· Experience working within a hospice, NHS or charitable setting.

Additional Information

- The role may require evening or weekend work

- Enhanced DBS check required

- Travel will be required to events and team training days

The Scotty’s Way

At Scotty’s, our personal performance is only 50% of what success looks like. Our culture is equally important. When you join our team, you sign up to The Scotty’s Way, rooted in our four core values:

1. Families Come First

2. Everyone a Supporter, Every Supporter a VIP

3. Love What You Do

4. Remember, Every Day

Our values are further supported by our four non-negotiable behaviours of Show Respect, Speak Up, Embrace Change and Actively Collaborate. We are looking for an individual who embodies these values and behaviours.

Thank you for your interest in joining our team, we are an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with respect and given equal opportunities for employment and advancement.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic.

We encourage all qualified individuals to apply for employment within our charity, and we are dedicated to providing a fair and inclusive recruitment process for all candidates.

Job purpose

The Clinical Lead will play a pivotal role in leading and developing Action for ME’s Healthcare Services with the Operations Director, ensuring the highest standards of clinical care for individuals affected by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). The postholder will be responsible for clinical oversight, service development, and leadership, working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to enhance outcomes for children and adults with ME and will be the CQC Registered Manager for the service.

At present, the Healthcare Services is a small team with two doctors (GPs) and two physios. Our counsellors are overseen by a Counselling Lead Supervisor and our multi-faith Chaplains are supported by our Lead Chaplain.

We are keen to develop and expand our services, building on the small amount of spot purchasing from local commissioning boards and exploring a diagnosing and prescribing offer. We are also keen to explore the potential of increasing the range of disciplines offered within the team. You will play a key role in driving the strategy for our Healthcare Services with the Director of Operations.

Key responsibilities

• Provide clinical support and expertise to Action for ME's Healthcare Services, ensuring evidence-based, person-centred care.

• Act as Registered Manager for CQC (Care Quality Commission) purposes and ensure that the service meets all required standards.

• Lead the development and implementation of clinical policies, protocols, and best practices in line with national guidelines and regulatory requirements.

• Supervise and support healthcare professionals within the service, offering guidance, mentorship, and training.

• Designated safeguarding officer for Healthcare Services.

• Collaborate with external stakeholders, including NHS services, researchers, and others, to enhance healthcare provision for people with ME.

• Ensure the service complies with regulatory and safeguarding standards, including CQC requirements where applicable.

• Monitor and evaluate service delivery, using data-driven insights to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience.

• Provide expert advice on complex cases, supporting staff with clinical decision-making.

• Represent Action for M.E. at external forums, conferences, and policy discussions.

Person specification

• A registered healthcare professional (e.g., doctor, nurse, physiotherapist, or occupational therapist) with active professional registration (GMC, NMC, HCPC or equivalent) OR an experienced commissioner of healthcare services with experience of quality assurance, safeguarding and compliance.

• Extensive clinical experience in chronic illness management OR sound understanding of clinical practice, ideally with expertise in ME or related conditions and a clear understanding of the challenges faced by people with ME.

• An understanding of Care Quality Commission regulatory requirements.

• Proven leadership experience in a healthcare setting, including team management and service development.

• Strong understanding of evidence-based practice and clinical governance.

• A sound understanding and experience of safeguarding children/young people and vulnerable adults.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with patients, carers, and healthcare professionals.

• Experience in training and mentoring healthcare professionals.

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment.

• Commitment to patient-centred care and advocacy for people with ME.

• Knowledge of NHS structures and commissioning processes.

• An understanding of working within the third sector or charitable organisations.

Job purpose

This is an exciting time to join Action for ME. With developments in research and policy alongside delivering services which are in high demand, you will enjoy working in a fast-paced and continually changing environment. You will be responsible for overseeing operational programme design and delivery, reporting of progress, and measuring the impact of all Action for ME work to improve the lives of people affected by ME. Better meeting their needs today while taking action to secure change for tomorrow. You will also assist the Chief Executive in implementing the organisational strategy, and by adapting and evolving delivery models on the ground. As you will have operational management and oversight for our Healthcare Services and hold the Designated Safeguarding Lead role for the organisation, you will bring considerable services-related experience at a management and leadership level. The Chief Executive will focus predominately on external matters and therefore you must have experience of managing an organisation to achieve high quality programmes with evidenced impact and motivated teams. You will act for the Chief Executive on topics, as agreed, and deputise during their absence.

Key duties

1. Leadership

• Ensure that children and adults with ME are at the heart of everything we do through meaningful engagement and participation to influence all aspects of our work.
• Deputise for the CEO and represent and promote the Charity at national meetings and events.
• Deputise for the CEO during periods of absence, and in relation to specific matters, issues or elements of operation as delegated from time to time by the CEO, ensuring a consistency of approach and decisions aligned with the organisation’s objectives.
• With the CEO and HR Business Partner, lead on implementing the People and Culture Strategy and ensuring our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging plan is achieved.
• To provide support, leadership and coaching to the Management Team to ensure the smooth running of the organisation and development of the Charity.
• Contribute to the development of the overall strategy for Action for ME, ensuring that the best use is made of available resources within agreed priorities. Ensure that agreed strategy is delivered to target and in line with agreed budgets.
• Work closely with the Chief Executive and Trustees to ensure effective reporting to the Board and sub-committees.

2. Operations & management

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Charity ensuring high quality service provision that meets all best practice, legal and regulatory frameworks and internal policies and procedures.
• Hold overall management responsibility for our Healthcare Services including the role of the CQC Nominated Individual, ensuring all regulatory requirements and compliance are met.
• Manage the staff and volunteer team, including holding regular meetings and ensure the efficient running of the office ensuring a culture that supports, inspires and motivates the team while ensuring required standards and quality are met at all times through effective performance management.
• Act as the organisational Designated Safeguarding Lead (children and vulnerable adults), working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Officers, colleagues and the Safeguarding Lead Trustee; facilitate the annual safeguarding audit (led by the Lead Trustee) and ensuring safeguarding standards across the organisation are maintained.
• Contribute to the learning and development of key personnel including coaching support (either directly or through the identification of external coaches) to enhance performance.
• Establish (where not already in place) and maintain a clear performance outcome-focused management system driving positive change and improvement across all teams.
• Ensure that policies and procedures are effectively implemented and kept up-to-date to enable the effective management of operations and support growth.
• Take the lead role for data protection, health and safety, compliance and risk management across the organisation and act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

3. Finance & income generation

• Hold financial leadership responsibility, working closely with the Finance Manager and the Fundraising Director to ensure sustainability for our work.
• Ensure effective financial management with procedures in place which are kept up-to-date and implemented accordingly.
• Provide support and engagement, where appropriate, to actively grow our income.

4. Working with others

• Lead, nurture and develop relationships with key stakeholder groups and partner organisations, both locally and nationally, supporting Action for M.’s place as the ‘go to’ organisation for people affected by ME
• Lead on new business ideas and pilot projects in line with the strategic objectives; with colleagues, develop the business case, identify and manage risks, lead implementation across teams, evaluate success and learning and make recommendations for future development.

5. Other key accountabilities

• Be proactive in keeping up to date with developments affecting operations and maintain and improve personal competence through continuous professional development.
• Take direction on projects and priorities from the CEO, which may vary from time to time.
• To ensure best value in all service delivery.

Person specification

Experience and Knowledge

• Proven experience in an operations, leadership, or senior management role, ideally within the charity service delivery or healthcare sector, with the ability to develop and implement strategic plans that drive organisational growth and reporting that demonstrates impact delivered. If you come from outside a support services background, you must demonstrate sound understanding of the regulatory and best practice requirements related to delivering support and/or healthcare services.
• An understanding of ME and associated/overlapping illnesses, the impact on people affected by it or a commitment and ability to understand the illness and lead services to meet the needs of children and adults with ME
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams, including remote workers, and fostering a supportive workplace culture where change is a constant.
• Safeguarding understanding at a management/decision-making level.
• Proven experience of building and nurturing strong relationships internally and externally at all levels.
• A sound understanding of outcome-focused, effective performance management, quality assurance and risk management.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, financial planning, and resource management in the voluntary sector.

Skills and Behaviours

• Experience of governance, risk management, and compliance, including within regulated services, ideally within a charity and/or service delivery setting.
• Proven ability to think strategically, balance competing demands, use initiative to solve problems and actively seek innovative approaches to problem solving and delivering results.
• Strong interpersonal skills including motivational, negotiating influencing and networking skills which build strong internal and external relationships.
• An ability to understand, analyse and make effective use of data across all of our work.
• A proven ability to coach and motivate staff and to build and lead teams reflecting organisational culture and values, a respectful, constructive and energetic style.
• Proven, strong MS Office skills that supports writing, email, internet and database use.
• Demonstrable ability to work within our organisational values

Interview: The first round of panel interview scheduled to take place in Bristol on the 24th of June 2025.