Development worker jobs

Community Development Worker — Holtspur, Beaconsfield

Join Beaconsfield URC as our Community Development Worker and turn a newly refurbished building into a welcoming place in Holtspur.

About us

Beaconsfield United Reformed Church serves two very different communities. Beaconsfield itself is well-resourced, with an active church life. A short distance away, Holtspur tells a different story — isolation, cost-of-living pressure, and too few places for people to simply connect. We're investing in our Holtspur building to change that, and now we need someone to bring it to life.

The role

This is a rare chance to shape a role from the ground up. As our Community Development Worker, you won't be managing an established programme — you'll be building one. You'll get to know Holtspur street by street, person by person, and turn what you learn into activities that genuinely matter: community meals, bereavement support, family and children's groups, informal spaces where people feel they belong. You'll recruit and grow volunteers around you, and you'll help make our refurbished Holtspur building the welcoming hub it's meant to be.

Faith sits at the centre of this role. You'll work closely with our Minister and Eldership, and you'll have the confidence to create natural, unforced opportunities for people to explore Christian faith alongside the practical support you offer. This post carries an occupational requirement under Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010 for the postholder to be a practising Christian.

What you'll be doing

• Building a consistent, trusted presence in Holtspur, especially with families, children, young people and isolated residents
• Developing and expanding community activities — lunches, bereavement support, wellbeing groups and more
• Recruiting, supporting and growing volunteers
• Partnering with local schools, charities and community groups
• Creating genuine, natural opportunities for conversations about faith
• Helping tell the story of this work through our website, social media and reporting to Eldership, Church Meeting and Synod

What we're looking for

• Real experience of community engagement, outreach or pastoral work
• A knack for building trust with people who don't yet know you
• Confidence recruiting and encouraging volunteers
• Warmth, resilience, and the organisational skills to turn ideas into action
• An active Christian faith you're comfortable sharing appropriately as part of community work
• Flexibility for occasional evenings and weekends

Experience of church-based or "fresh expressions" community work, working with isolated or marginalised groups, or coordinating volunteers would be a bonus — as would a driving licence.

The details

• Salary: £30,000 p.a. pro rata (£18,000 p.a. actual)
• Hours: 22.5 hours per week (0.6 FTE), three days a week
• Leave: 15 days per year plus pro-rata bank holidays
• Location: Holtspur URC, Crabtree Close, HP9 1UQ
• Probation: 3 months

Safeguarding

This role involves working with children, young people and older adults. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and must comply with United Reformed Church safeguarding policies.

How to apply

Please send a CV along with a personal statement (max. two sides of A4) telling us about your experience building relationships and communities, how you'd go about understanding Holtspur's needs, your track record of working with others to create change, and what draws you to this role.

Closing Date: 20th August, 2026

Our Charity: 

We are a busy, ambitious charity operating at the heart of the Wandsworth community since 1995, helping thousands of people across the borough in unpaid Caring roles. We give information and advice, organise respite, offer complementary therapies, deliver training, provide peer support, arrange fun events and much more.In short, we are the Carer's friend and advocate, often helping Carers through difficult times. 

About the role: 

This role involves providing information, support and advice, particularly around welfare benefits, housing and learning disabilities, to Carers through one-to-one appointments, case work, and group facilitation. 

Key Responsibilities Include: 

• Providing advice and advocacy on welfare benefits and housing. Minimum of 3 days a week.

• Providing information, support and advocacy to Carers of people with Learning Disabilities. 

• Facilitation of the Learning Disability Carers Peer Support Group. 

• Recording and maintaining accurate case records, adhering to AQS standards.

• Managing your own case load. 

Essential Requirements Include: 

• Experience of, or ability to provide one-to-one support, information, advocacy and advice, including welfare benefits. 

• Experience of or ability to facilitate peer support groups in person and online. 

• Ability to deliver training and information sessions. 

• Strong listening and questioning skills. 

• Ability and commitment to work on own initiative and as part of a team.

• The ability to balance and prioritise a busy and varied workload. 

• Developed IT skills with experience using Microsoft packages. 

• Clear verbal and written communication skills in English. 

Please see the job description and person specification for a full list of responsibilities and requirements.

Benefits of working for Wandsworth Carers’ Centre: 

• Hybrid on completion of induction period with a minimum 60% office based

• Friendly team and working environment 

• Annual leave starts at 31 days increasing to 36 days plus bank holidays

• Contributory company pension, 

• Ongoing training and development opportunities

• Employee assistance program offreing 24/7 support

If you're committed to working in the voluntary sector and want to be part of a diverse team that makes a real difference to people’s lives, this role is for you! 

Wandsworth Carers’ Centre is an inclusive employer, committed to the continued development of a diverse workforce.

Help people build confidence, gain skills and move into employment.

First Step Trust is a charity supporting adults with mental health challenges and other barriers to employment by providing real work experience, training and pathways into paid work.

We are looking for an Employment Development Worker (EDW) to join our team in Woolwich, SE18 and play a key role in helping people take the next step towards employment, training and independence.

This is a rewarding opportunity for someone passionate about employability, training and supporting individuals to overcome barriers and achieve their goals.

About the role

As an Employment Development Worker, you will:

• Build relationships with local organisations, employers and referral partners to promote our services and opportunities
• Recruit and support workforce members into work placements and training programmes
• Provide practical employment support, including CV writing, job searching and interview preparation
• Develop employer partnerships to create work placements and employment opportunities
• Support the delivery of training programmes and recognised qualifications
• Monitor progress, maintain accurate records and provide reports
• Support the day-to-day running of the project alongside colleagues and workforce members

About you

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Experience in employment support, careers advice, training or a customer-facing support role
• Experience supporting adults facing barriers to employment
• Strong organisational and administrative skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• The ability to motivate, support and encourage people to develop
• The ability to work independently and manage your own workload
• A team-focused approach with a commitment to achieving positive outcomes

Desirable

• Experience delivering workplace-based training
• Knowledge of the benefits system
• Full UK driving licence

Why join First Step Trust?

This is an opportunity to join an organisation that makes a real difference to people’s lives. You will play a direct role in helping individuals build confidence, gain skills and move into meaningful employment or further training.

The closing date will be 24th July, interviews to be held week commencing 27th July.

If you are passionate about supporting people and creating opportunities, we would love to hear from you.

Apply now to be part of a team that changes lives through work, training and opportunity.

Leeds Baby Bank exists to ensure no child goes without because they are born into a family experiencing poverty. Our work is built around a referral-based model, working closely with professionals including health services, social care teams, and partner organisations. This ensures support reaches families who need it most, at the right time, helping people access support as early as possible.

Alongside this, we support families through our community spaces and Hub — welcoming, accessible environments where families can receive items, practical support, and connections to wider services. These spaces help build trust, reduce isolation, and strengthen local communities.

The role involves direct, frontline engagement with families who may be experiencing crisis, financial hardship or emotional distress. The postholder will be expected to build trusting relationships, provide informal support within role boundaries, and respond appropriately to emerging needs, including identifying and escalating safeguarding concerns.

The role includes both Hub-based delivery and proactive and outreach work across Leeds, including working in community venues and partner locations.

The role will involve regular direct contact with families and children in a community setting.

The postholder may occasionally be required to work evenings or weekends to support community activities.

The role may involve travel across Leeds to build partnerships and engage with local services.