Employability manager jobs in east of england

Smart Works is a dynamic, high profile and fast-growing UK charity that dresses and coaches unemployed women for success at their job interview. We empower each woman by giving her the clothes and the confidence she needs to succeed.

After visiting Smart Works, 67% of clients secure a job within a month, gaining financial independence and transforming their lives.

The Smart Works service is delivered in London, Greater Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Newcastle, Reading, Bristol and Leeds. Over the past ten years, Smart Works has helped over 50,000 women, and last year alone we reached 10,600 women. It is our mission that any woman who needs our service should be able to find her way to a Smart Works centre.

In March 2025, Smart Works completed their Three-Year Plan that saw the charity double the number of women helped annually from 5,000 to 10,000 women a year. To achieve this, we grew our existing centres and opened a new centre.

More information about who we are can be found on our Smart Works website.

About This Role

We are looking for an exceptional Outreach Manager to lead our outreach and develop excellent referral partner relationships across London. Our Outreach Manager will play a vital role in ensuring that as many women as possible know about and can access our service. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an organised, passionate, strategic, and relationship-driven individual to grow our reach and impact within London (and beyond). 

The role would be based across all of London and our three London centres (Islington, Ladbroke Grove and Croydon). You will be expected to travel to and attend outreach events, as well as meeting referral partner organisations. There will also be occasional evening and weekend work, for which time off in lieu is given. 

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and a cover letter which answers the following questions by 5pm on Sunday 7th December. Your application should be addressed to Fiona Hollow (Head of London Service Delivery).

• Why do you want to work for Smart Works? (Max 200 words)
• What experience do you have of building relationships with partner organisations to promote referrals to a particular organisation or service? (Max 350 words)
• Why do you think you are well suited to the role of Outreach Manager? (Max 350 words)

1st round interviews will take place on Wednesday 10th December and will be virtual. If you are unable to attend a virtual interview for any reason, please let us know to discuss another arrangement.

2nd round interviews will take place on Monday 15th December and will be in person. 

If you require any reasonable adjustments or alterations for the application and recruitment processes, please contact us.

Smart Works is committed to best practice employment practices, including reducing the burden for those seeking work. Smart Works will therefore reimburse reasonable costs of travel to interviews if required.

At Smart Works we will apply suitable measures to keep your information secure in accordance with our Privacy Policy (a current version of which is available on our website).

About us​

​Established in 2002, Greenhouse Sports is a youth charity specifically using sport to support social change. Sport is our hook to engage young people and one of the vehicles through which we support youth development. But our purpose is not to create elite athletes or address physical inactivity. Rather, we create opportunities for young people to recognise their strengths and develop the skills they need to thrive both now and in the future.

We work across London, Portsmouth, and Leicester, specifically in areas of high deprivation. We embed evidence-based positive youth development programmes into primary and secondary schools. These programmes are delivered by our trusted, high-quality coach-mentors who deliver year-round to ensure that young people have ongoing access to sport, mentoring, enrichment, and employability activities. The result of this work is that every year, Greenhouse Sports support over 9,000 young people to attend school more often, improve their wellbeing, and raise their aspirations, transforming life chances in the communities that need us the most.

The Person​​

We’re looking for a proactive and driven individual who combines safeguarding knowledge and expertise with a passion for relationships. You’ll have experience managing safeguarding concerns, delivering training, and developing partnerships, but what sets you apart is your ability to adapt your knowledge to diverse settings and respond positively with young people’s wellbeing at the forefront of your mind. You’re confident engaging with diverse stakeholders – from internal staff to PE teachers, School Heads, Trust CEOs through to local LADOs and other charity partners.

You’ll be highly organised, adaptable, and considered. You’ll recognise that importance of placing safeguarding at the heart of everything we do, while also understanding how to manage complex and varied relationships across partners. Your communication skills will help you represent Greenhouse Sports across our partners, championing our programmes. If you’re motivated by making a difference and want to be at the heart of a charity that really makes a difference, we’d love to hear from you. 

​​The Role ​​

Are you ready to make a real impact in the lives of young people? As Safeguarding and Partnerships Manager, you’ll be the driving force behind ensuring all our activities are safe and available to as many young people as possible. You’ll work with our partner schools to ensure they have a thorough understanding of our programmes and that delivery is optimised to ensure positive and safe outcomes for our young people. 

Reporting to the Director of Impact and Engagement, as Safeguarding and Partnerships Manager you will act as the charity’s Designated Safeguarding Lead with responsibility for ensuring Greenhouse’s delivery has the safety and welfare of young people at its heart, with a highly trained informed workforce. You will also take a leading role in the relationship and contract management of our school partners. ​

Interested?​​​

Candidates wishing to apply should submit a CV and Cover Letter which addresses the competencies outlined in the job description and person specification.​​​

Application Deadline: Friday 5th December at Midday. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity. ​​

Other Key Dates: ​

​Notification of Interview: Monday 8th December​​

1st round, online interviews: Wednesday 10th December

2nd Round interviews if required: Wednesday 17th December​​

Start Date Aim: Beginning of February

​Greenhouse Sports is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children therefore applicants must be willing to undergo child protection training and screening including an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check and obtaining satisfactory references from past employers. ​

Purpose of the job

 The Head of Programmes will lead the strategic planning, delivery, and quality assurance of our youth development programmes. The role is responsible for ensuring high-quality programme implementation, managing key stakeholder relationships, overseeing budgets and resources, and ensuring safeguarding and compliance standards are met.

Key responsibilities

• Programme Delivery, Management & Quality Assurance

• Stakeholder Management

• Planning, Budget and Resource Management

• Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Leadership and Management

• Safeguarding, Inclusion and Wellbeing

Experience we're after

•  Significant experience in programme management within the youth, education, employability, or mental health sectors.

• ·Strong leadership skills with experience in managing teams and delivery partners.

• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills.

• Proven experience in budgeting, resource management, and financial oversight.

• Strong understanding of safeguarding and risk management in youth programmes.

• Ability to use data and evaluation to drive programme improvement.

• Excellent communication and report-writing skills.

• Excellent strategic and operational planning skills with the ability to successfully manage a diverse and complex programme portfolio.

• Excellent leadership and team management skills, with experience developing staff and effectively managing performance.

• Knowledge of safeguarding principles and practice.

Why work at UK Youth?

UK Youth is a leading charity that exists to ensure all young people are equipped to thrive and empowered to contribute at every stage of their lives. We have influence as a sector-supporting infrastructure body, a direct delivery partner and a campaigner for social change. As outlined in our 2025 #unlockingyouthwork strategy, we believe youth work is a catalyst for change that young people need now more than ever. We play a unique role in addressing; the lack of investment into the youth sector, the lack of cross-sector understanding of how youth work makes a difference and the limited opportunities to embed effective solutions.

We are building a movement of change; galvanising likeminded individuals, organisations, government, and businesses from all sectors, to work together and deliver system change for all young people. Together we will create a society that understands, champions, and delivers effective youth work for all.

What we can offer you

We offer a competitive range of benefits, good work/life balance, excellent learning and development opportunities and vibrant organisational culture:

• Flexible/Agile Working

• 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees)

• Funded training provided in; Safeguarding, GDPR, Information and Cyber Security & Equality & Diversity

• Other training available in support of your personal and professional development

• Pension scheme (currently UK Youth match employee contributions up to 5%)

• Membership of our life insurance scheme which would pay-out up to 4 times your salary

• Employee Assistance Programme to support employees both professionally and personally

• 20% discount off bookings at Avon Tyrrell, our New Forest Outdoor Centre, including camping, lodges and outdoor activities.

• IT equipment provided for the duration of contract

• CycleScheme and TechScheme

How to apply

If you would like to be considered for this fantastic opportunity, please complete an application via our completely anonymised recruitment system provided by Applied which looks to create a fair and unbiased application process for all. Scroll to the top of the page and start your application.

Closing date: Monday 8th December 2025 at 10:00am

Provisional Interview Dates: W/C 15th December 2025

As this role involves working in a regulated environment with young people, any offer will be conditional to satisfactory background checks, which include criminal record check and employment reference.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead and strengthen IRMO’s Volunteer Scheme as part of our Education, Training and Employment (ETE) programme. Volunteers play a vital role in achieving IRMO’s mission, and this position is central to ensuring that our volunteer initiatives both empower community members through meaningful work experience and enhance IRMO’s capacity to deliver impactful services to the community.

The Volunteer Scheme Coordinator will be responsible for managing all aspects of volunteering at IRMO — from recruitment and training to ongoing support and development. They will champion volunteering internally and externally while fostering opportunities for volunteers to learn, grow and make a tangible difference in the lives of others. Working closely with the ETE Programme Manager, the post will also be expected to develop partnerships and volunteering roles that support IRMO’s vision, values and strategic objectives.

Job Summary

The Head of Operations holds responsibility for our day-to-day delivery, strategic development of our services, and operational team leadership. As our new Head of Operations you will:

• sit on the PiP Senior Management Team and lead our team of circa twenty delivery staff. 
• ensure continuous operational improvement, working with SMT to develop our service and systems, through new projects or ways of working, and champion a learner-led approach to everything we do. 
• champion PiP meeting our regulatory and reporting requirements, manage key relationships including with local authorities, and hold budget responsibility across our service.

Who We Are

PIP is a local charity that supports adults with learning disabilities or autism to achieve their potential, and to lead lives that are as independent as possible.  

Our mission is to empower adults with learning disabilities to achieve their potential. We are a growing, grassroots charity based in West London, and run a number of key services to promote independence and choice for our students.

What You’ll Need

• Significant experience of working with people with learning disabilities, or a similar vulnerable client group, including knowledge of Safeguarding of Vulnerable Adults (SOVA) processes.
• Significant experience of leading and managing a staff team.
• Strong understanding of and commitment to a person-centred approach to working with people with learning disabilities, including planning, progress monitoring and review.
• Experience of liaising with a wide network of agencies and sector professionals in support of student needs.
• Knowledge of national and local legislation and policy affecting people with learning disabilities, including personal budgets. Alongside knowledge of key legislation and processes including on Health & Safety and Risk Skills and abilities 
• Able to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, including the ability to maintain accurate records and produce reports for a variety of internal and external audiences.
• Able to take a lead role in the implementation of major tasks, including contributing to the delivery of key performance management targets and making organisational and systems improvements.
• Able to manage and complete projects successfully, including delegating tasks and monitoring and evaluating progress against outcomes.
• Able to establish, develop and maintain constructive and professional relationships with a wide variety of professionals and carers both internally and externally.
• Able to liaise and work closely with student families, carers and other stakeholders in planning, implementing and monitoring support.
• Able to take a flexible approach to work, including flexible and out of hours working in response to service needs and developments.
• Willing and able to participate actively in a variety of fundraising events and activities, including some evening and weekend events.

What We Offer:

• You'll get 25 days holidays + bank holidays ever year. We're closed for Christmas but the rest of the year you may take leave whenever you wish.
• An extra day of annual leave for each year you've worked with us up to another 5 (30 in total)
• We offer a travel subsidy of up to £7.50 per day to help with the commuting costs.
• We provide a 4% pension contribution
• Free Employee Assistance programme 24/7 with access to counselling
• We offer regular team meals and socials - generally during work hours and they are optional.
• We offer a cycle-to-work scheme and as we're a charity you'll get access to savings like charityworkerdiscounts

Our Mission

PiP's mission is to empower adults with learning disabilities to achieve their potential. We are a growing, grassroots charity based in West London, and run a number of key services to promote independence and choice for our service users.

Our commitments

PiP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with the Inclusive Employers Standard 2020. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly applicants who are significantly underrepresented in our sector, such as people with lived experience of disabilities and individuals from Black and Minority ethnic communities. 

PiP keeps all personal information confidential and in line with current data protection legislation and GDPR. 

Closing Date: December 5th 2025

We encourage you to apply early, as applications will be reviewed as soon as they are received, and we reserve the right to close the advert sooner subject to finding suitable candidates.  

Are you passionate about supporting people to expand their skills through the power of gardening? We provide horticultural training and gardening therapy to adults with learning disabilities, helping them develop employability, build confidence, and improve their social skills. 

Share is a registered charity and a centre for training and wellbeing. We provide a range of programmes helping adults with learning disabilities, autism and other support needs become more happy, healthy and independent. Our vision is a world where disabled people are fully included in society, living the life they choose, and we need talented people to help us make that happen. 

We need an experienced horticulture trainer to lead the training programme at our beautiful garden site in Tooting. We are looking for someone to lead, develop and deliver horticulture training programmes that aims to make sure our students enjoy greater independence and the chance to move closer to employment.

Main responsibilities 

• You’ll lead, develop, and deliver horticulture training to disabled adults ranging from entry level to level 2
• You’ll champion a strong work ethic in the garden, helping students achieve their qualifications and develop work-related skills, linking closely with our on-site social enterprise Share Nurseries, which grows and sells plants to the public 

• You will manage three members of the horticulture project, overseeing their projects and providing experience and supporting them 

• You’ll maintain student records, oversee the preparation of student portfolios for verification, and report on progress 

Who we’re looking for 

• You have occupational competence in Horticulture, ideally qualified to Level 3 or above 

• You have first-rate interpersonal skills, you’re able to communicate and relate to people from all backgrounds
• You’ve delivered horticulture training, and you’ve successfully organised and led a small team before
• You can enthuse and motivate people who may at times find learning challenging, with your patience, empathy, and understanding of autism and learning disabilities
• Most importantly, you’re committed to the inclusion of disabled people in all aspects of life 

A qualification in horticulture therapy would be an advantage, but a strong interest and passion for the healing power of plants is a must. 

Why work for us?  

Share is committed to empowering disabled people. You’ll make a difference every day, helping people to live as independently as possible. 

Our values drive us forward. They provide the framework for everything we do, including who we hire. We believe everyone has something to offer others, and we build on people's individual talents, interests and abilities. We think happy employees are successful employees. 

We won employer of the year at the Wandsworth Business Awards in 2019 and we hold gold Investors in People accreditation. This means we truly understand the value of people: we focus on what people can do, not what holds them back. And we have robust policies in place so that every single person working at Share takes ownership for making our programmes come to life. 

We’ve been praised for our supportive working environment where everyone has a voice and is valued. You’ll be surrounded by people who support you, challenge you, and inspire you. 

How to apply 

We actively encourage applications from people from minoritised ethnic communities and with lived experience of a learning disability and/or autism. This is because we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of our student body wherever possible in order to provide the best possible service.

Please send us your CV and a cover letter. In your letter, please tell us: 

1. What is your experience of working with SEN adults in a horticulture setting? 

2. What is your understanding of behaviour that challenges? 

3. What are your top three qualities that make you an excellent Lead Horticulture Trainer? 

If you would like to have chat about the role or visit us prior to applying, please contact a member of the HR team.

We focus on ability and believe people work best when they feel valued, safe and happy. We do all that we can to make sure that Share is friendly and welcoming to everyone. All CVs and applications are sanitised to ensure unbiased recruitment. 

This job is subject to two satisfactory references, evidence of qualifications, an enhanced DBS check and providing evidence of the right to work in the UK. If you are disabled and would like to discuss other ways of submitting your application, please contact us.

Our privacy policy for job applicants can be found on our website.

We look forward to receiving your application. 

As a Support Worker at Ace of Clubs drop-in day centre supporting people who are homeless and facing adversity, you will play a key role in supporting individuals who may be navigating chaotic lifestyles, trauma, and multiple disadvantages. You will provide practical and emotional support, help people access essential services, and work to empower them to move towards independence.

Your role will involve working directly with service users, managing case records, liaising with partner agencies, and contributing to the smooth running of our busy centre. Ultimately, you will support people to overcome barriers, develop essential skills, and build confidence in navigating life challenges and providing advocacy where needed.  In particular, you will be on duty as Support Worker during our busy, daily lunchtime service - responding to the needs of a variety of guests – on a busy day we can reach 150 – 200 guests visiting our service.

In addition, Ace of Clubs works with a wide range of volunteers and partners on a daily basis including food partners, health partners, corporate, individual and client volunteers.  Your role will also be required to support the team in the smooth functioning of these areas, for example liaising with partners on site, showing around volunteers or feeding back any issues during lunch service.

You will also be required to support the Centre Manager with the operations and building’s co-ordination, including carrying out weekly health and safety checks as required, i.e. fire alarm checks, legionella checks etc., meeting onsite contractors, counting and logging cash takings, responding and filtering the central email account and making food and supplies orders. You will be provided with comprehensive training in these areas.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Children & Young People area at IRMO as an ESOL Tutor working with Spanish and Portuguese-speaking children and young people who have recently arrived in the country, speak little English and whose families are often still navigating the school admissions processes to enable them to access compulsory education in the UK. The overall aim of IRMO ESOL provision is to equip children with the English Language skills they need to: thrive and perform well at school and beyond; build their social, emotional and communication skills; reach their full potential; make new friends and reduce isolation.

The Children ESOL Tutor will lead on the delivery of weekly creative ESOL classes for three age groups: 5-8, 8-12 and 13-19 year olds alongside the help of volunteers. The post-holder will focus solely on delivering engaging ESOL classes to our children and young people, supporting their language development and confidence in a welcoming and inclusive environment. This role is supported by a lead ESOL tutor, and all class planning and resource development will be provided.

The teacher will also work closely with volunteers and contribute to short session reflections and brief/debrief discussions with the lead teacher before and after classes. The only administrative responsibility will be to complete class registers and occasional written reflections on individual children’s participation and progress.

The post-holder will have had ESOL experience working with children and young people (including online teaching) and will be familiar with the issues faced by migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee children in the UK. Ability to speak intermediate Spanish is essential for the role and knowledge of Portuguese or willingness to learn is a bonus. Availability during term-time and after-school hours is essential.

To ensure continuity of delivery, the postholder is expected to work during all Lambeth school term teaching weeks.