Learning Disability Community Leader, L'Arche London
ABOUT THE ROLE
Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week (including some evening and weekend working, and regular on-call)
Salary: £55,000 (including London weighting)
Reports to: L’Arche UK Director of Care and Communities
Place of work: L’Arche London Community, West Norwood, SE27. Some travel and overnight stays will be required within the UK.
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: Thursday, 16th April, at midday
Notes: If you have already applied for this role and received an update on your application from us, please do not submit another application.
Main purpose of the role
The Community Leader is responsible for ensuring that the Community is living the mission of L’Arche, by providing excellent and sustainable care and support services, support for spirituality, and engaging with our neighbours and the wider community around us.
The Community Leader will:
- Lead the Community by responding to the needs, choices and context of our members while being faithful to the L'Arche UK Vision and Values, the L'Arche International Identity and Mission Statement, and to a co-created Community Mandate and plan.
- Maintain and enhance high-quality, person-centred care, support, and housing for people with learning disabilities, both at home and in our day services in partnership with the Registered Manager, the Team in London, the National Leadership Team, individual circles of support, and external partners;
- Ensure the Community's financial sustainability through robust financial planning and management, including setting budgets, controlling spending, maximising occupancy, negotiating care contracts, growing day services, and spotting fundraising opportunities;
- Foster a culture that maximises the voice and power for people with learning disabilities, building listening and collaboration between Community members with and without learning disabilities;
- Contribute to the national work programmes of L'Arche UK, as part of the National Council, collaborating with Community Leaders of other L'Arche Communities, to share skills, best practice, and resources
Key essential criteria
- Senior leadership experience in support to adults with learning disabilities (or transferable skills and experience in a closely related field);
- Experience in leading, managing, and developing an organisation or large teams to deliver results, maintain compliance and quality, and to respond to risks and opportunities;
- Good financial planning skills and experiences of successfully managing a substantial budget;
- Ability to think strategically and work collaboratively to develop and implement community plans;
- Experience of living or working alongside people with learning disabilities and/or autistic individuals;
- Passionate about person-centred support and the values and mission of L'Arche;
This role is subject to an enhanced DBS criminal record check.
You may have held these job titles in the past: Registered Manager, Service Manager, Head of Care, Senior Operations Lead, Community Director, Head of Community Services, Country or Regional Lead, Learning Disability Services Manager, Head of Mission and Community Life, Health & Social Care Manager, Local Authority Commissioning Lead;
You can find more details about L'Arche London here.
Additional details about L'Arche can be found here.
Discover what makes L’Arche a rewarding place to work—explore our employee benefits here.
A full job description and person specification can be found in the Recruitment Pack.
To apply, please submit your CV and include a cover letter via our online application form.
The closing date is: Thursday, 16th April at midday
First round interviews are expected to take place either on 22nd or 23rd April 2026 online via Microsoft Teams.
Second round interviews will take place on 30th April 2026 and will take place within the L'Arche London Community.
We encourage you not to wait until the closing date to submit your application, as we may begin interviewing strong candidates before then.
We also reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive enough suitable applications.
Please also read our privacy notice for job applicants.
Our inclusive communities challenge people to think differently about disability
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Job Title: Independent Gender Violence Advocate (IGVA)
Location: The Gaia Centre, Lambeth
Salary: £14,428.56 per annum, inlcuding London weighting if applicable
Contract type: Part Time, Permanent
Hours: 18.75 hours per week (working days to be discussed)
We want kind and empathic people to work at Refuge, who believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion, are experts in their area of knowledge, want to make a positive difference and improve the lives of the women and children we support.
The independent gender violence advocate will work closely with victims of gender-based violence from the point of crisis, to provide high quality independent advocacy and support to survivors of gender-based violence at the highest risk and their children.
The role will be part of increasing the ability of partner agencies to recognise, reject and respond appropriately and safely to all forms of gender-based violence (including domestic violence, sexual, financial and emotional abuse, female genital mutilation, forced marriage and honour-based violence). The post holder will empower survivors by providing them with emotional, practical and personal welfare support. The job involves ensuring that women are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment, enabling them to access their rights, make decisions and increase their life options.
The job involves working within a multi-agency framework consisting of the MARAC and local partnership protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of survivors. The job involves informing survivors of the full range of civil, criminal, and practical options that might increase their safety.
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 1 April 2026
Interview Date: 9 and 10 April 2026
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Job Title: Refuge Worker
Location: Hillingson. This is an on-site role, located within the London Borough of Hillingdon, there may be requirement to occasionally work in the London Borough of Hounslow
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, Permanent
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Refuge Worker to provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and their children living in our refuges.
The post holder will provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and their children living in our refuges. This includes safety planning and enabling women to access housing, welfare, benefits, and legal advice. A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that women are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment in accordance with Refuge’s philosophical principles.
For further infomation regarding the role, please view our downloadable job pack.
As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota
Please note that 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 31 March 2026
Interview Date: 14 and 15 April 2026
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We want kind and empathic people to work at Refuge, who believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion, are experts in their area of knowledge, want to make a positive difference and improve the lives of the women and children we support.
This is an opportunity to join Refuge as an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate supporting women and children who are impacted by domestic violence.
We are looking for a skilled, values driven IDVA who is committed to challenging inequality, reducing harm, and improving safety for adults and children affected by domestic abuse. You will bring relevant professional experience, strong skills in assessment, engagement, safety planning and communication, and the ability to work safely in complex and high risk situations. We are seeking people who can hold clear boundaries and accountability while offering empathy, curiosity and respect. You will work in a trauma informed, survivor centred and strengths based way, recognising each survivor as the expert in their own life. You will understand how gendered power, oppression and structural barriers shape survivors’ experiences, and you will be confident applying these principles in your practice.
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 23 March 2026
Interview Date: 31 March 2026
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.