Employment support jobs

Job Overview

The Cathedral Safeguarding Officer is the designated safeguarding professional for Lincoln Cathedral, responsible for ensuring that safeguarding is embedded across all aspects of Cathedral life.

The postholder will ensure compliance with Church of England safeguarding policy, diocesan frameworks and relevant statutory legislation, while promoting a culture of care, accountability and continuous improvement.

The role involves providing expert safeguarding advice, managing safeguarding concerns and casework, supporting safer recruitment processes, and ensuring that clergy, staff and volunteers understand and fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.

Working in partnership with the Diocesan Safeguarding Team and statutory agencies, the Cathedral Safeguarding Officer will support the Dean and Chapter in fulfilling their safeguarding responsibilities, while exercising independent professional judgement in relation to safeguarding matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Promote a culture in which safeguarding is understood as everyone’s responsibility.
• Manage safeguarding concerns, allegations and casework.
• Support safer recruitment processes, including DBS requirements and safeguarding risk assessments.
• Develop and review safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Support safeguarding training and awareness across the Cathedral community.
• Maintain accurate, secure and confidential safeguarding records using the MyConcern system.
• Liaise with statutory agencies, including local authorities and police, where required.
• Prepare safeguarding reports for governance bodies including Chapter and SLT.

Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Significant experience of safeguarding casework involving children and/or vulnerable adults.
• Strong working knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and best practice.
• Experience of risk assessment and safeguarding risk management.
• Experience of working with or alongside statutory agencies.
• Strong interpersonal, organisational and communication skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive and complex situations with professionalism, discretion and resilience.

Working Pattern and Benefits

• Permanent part-time role.
• 21 hours per week across a minimum of 3 days per week.
• Primarily site based at Lincoln Cathedral.
• Up to 1 day per fortnight home working may be negotiated.
• 33 days annual leave including bank holidays (pro rata).
• Church Workers Pension Scheme.

Safeguarding and Recruitment Information

Lincoln Cathedral is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This role is subject to enhanced safeguarding requirements, including an Enhanced DBS check with barred list check.

Please complete the Cathedral Application Form. CVs will not be accepted as a substitute for the application form.

Closing date for applications: Tuesday 26 May 2026 at 5pm.

About Spear North Kensington

Spear is partnering with HTB St Francis Community Church, to deliver the Spear Programme in North Kensington!

At HTB Social Transformation, their mission is to prioritise those who are marginalised within society, creating safe spaces where people are known, are loved and feel that they belong.

The Spear Programme is delivered in Spear North Kensington which offers young people professionally recognised coaching, for free, to support them into sustainable work or education. They leave Spear equipped to thrive in work and life. 

Key Information:

• Salary: from £27,000
• Full-time - Monday to Friday
• 28 days annual leave (including Christmas gift days) plus bank holidays
• Closing date: We interview on a rolling basis and may close the role early if we find the right candidate

For more information please read through our Job Specification and Work with us pack.

If you require any reasonable adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

Person Specification

• An active Christian, dedicated to representing the values and ethos of Spear and HTB St Francis Community Church.
• A commitment to grow and learn spiritually and as a Christian leader, and a desire to learn and understand coaching techniques.
• Passion for social justice, especially supporting young people into employment or education.
• High emotional intelligence, a sense of humour and fun!
• Confident communication and interpersonal skills, both over telephone and face to face.
• An ambitious and self-motivated individual with the ability to prioritise workload, exercise initiative and work well under pressure.

Age UK Solihull is looking for a proactive and relationship‑driven Partnerships Officer to help grow our income and impact across the Solihull borough through corporate partnerships and high‑value giving. You’ll identify and cultivate relationships with businesses and supporters, negotiate mutually beneficial partnerships, and deliver excellent stewardship, securing significant support that helps improve later life for older people.

This is a varied and outward‑facing role, ideal for someone confident engaging senior decision‑makers, building long‑term partnerships and representing the charity within the local business community. With flexible hours, hybrid working and the chance to see the direct impact of your work, this role offers a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference.

You’ll be comfortable working independently, managing a pipeline of prospects and representing Age UK Solihull at meetings and networking events. In return, we offer flexible working (up to 30 hours per week), hybrid working, and the opportunity to play a key role in strengthening our local presence and impact.​

We look forward to hearing from you!

Specialist Behavioural Support Worker

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Specialist Support Worker to join our Learning Disabilities Care Service in Newham. No personal care or experience required, just the right values.

£31,117.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel valued? You'll feel at home here.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Specialist Support Workers within Look Ahead are required to have either an extra dimension of experience or a higher qualification level as determined relevant for the particular post.

What you'll do:

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead .

• Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and creating a positive atmosphere
• Carrying out holistic assessments of new customers which incorporate relevant statutory referral information
• Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
• Create support plans for providing appropriate services based on on-going assessment and reflecting the services and resources available to enable customer to progress in their recovery
• Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of 'positive risk taking

About you:

• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
• Exudes a warm friendly presence and open behaviour * Prefers working as part of a group or team
• Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement

Essential:

• NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent with some or equivalent sector work experience

Desirable:

• Other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications and languages

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Co-Production Specialist Support Worker to join our Homelessness and Complex Needs Service located in Tower Hamlets. No personal care or experience required, just the right values.

£31,068.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel valued? You'll feel at home here.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Hackney Road Project provides 24 hour accommodation based support for up to 31 individuals with complex histories, multiple traumas, complex personality disorder(s) and a varied, disrupted housing history with experience of homelessness as well as individuals who have been diagnosed with severe and enduring mental health conditions who are under the Care Programme Approach (CPA).

What you'll do:

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead .

• Support customers with job searches and employment search as well as support with completing job applications and CVs
• Support customers with training and volunteering opportunities
• Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and external partners, creating a positive atmosphere
• Carrying out holistic assessments of new customers which incorporate relevant statutory referral information
• Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
• Key-working the most complex service-users with particular needs aligned with the post holder's specialism - Co-Production

Adhere to all the policies and procedures of Look Ahead Care & Support plus those specific to the project including any statutory requirements

About you:

• Embraces a Psychologically Informed approach
• Is capable of maintaining unconditional positive regard
• Views challenging behaviour as a support need.
• A strong specialist support worker with excellent interpersonal skills
• Socially adept, networks widely, well connected in sector, influential
• Approachable, open & professional behaviour
• At ease in directing others, is assertive and independent minded, will challenge others, and skilled in resolving conflict

What you'll bring:

Essential:

• Up to NVQ Level 3 or equivalent in a relevant area (e.g. psychology, Health and Social Care, Mental Health) OR experience in the social care/charity sector.
• Experience building and develop strong professional partnerships with external providers aligned to their specialist

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Recovery Worker to play a pivotal role in our Complex Needs Service in Ealing.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

The role empowers service users to manage their wellbeing, build independence, and achieve personal goals through tailored support and co-produced plans. It involves liaising with external agencies, facilitating group and community-based activities, and promoting social inclusion. The position ensures users understand and engage with the service, while actively monitoring safety and wellbeing. Team collaboration and flexibility are essential to meeting service goals and maintaining high standards of care. 

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

You will be passionate and dedicated to helping others with good empathy and a willingness to learn this role involves sleeping on site overnight between shifts and has some longer shift schedules with an element of cooking for a group you must capable and open to doing this as well

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.

We are looking for a Programme Coordinator to help deliver a UK-wide, government-funded programme supporting around 700 university students to build the skills, experience and industry connections needed for careers in the electronics and semiconductor sector.

You’ll be joining a small, high-performing charity working at national scale. This is a hands-on role at the centre of delivery, where you will coordinate students, partners and activities across a complex, fast-moving programme.

This is a hands-on coordination role with real ownership across programme delivery.

You will take ownership of key areas of delivery, solve problems day-to-day, and help ensure the programme runs smoothly at scale. If you are organised, proactive, and want to build towards a Programme Management role while delivering meaningful work, this role will give you that opportunity.

Why this role matters

This programme plays a critical role in addressing the UK’s electronics skills shortage by supporting students from university into industry.

It combines in-person events, industry engagement and digital learning, delivered across multiple universities and partners nationwide.

At this scale, coordination is everything. Done well, it:

• Ensures a high-quality experience for every student
• Enables partners to engage effectively
• Allows a small team to deliver at national scale

This role exists to make that happen.

What you’ll be responsible for

You will play a central role in coordinating delivery across a large, multi-partner programme. Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing student communications, including responding to queries and supporting onboarding and participation
• Acting as a key coordination point between students, universities, industry partners and internal teams
• Supporting the planning and delivery of programme activities, including induction events, residentials, webinars, site visits and industry events
• Coordinating logistics such as registrations, attendance tracking, communications and on-the-day delivery support
• Supporting the recruitment and onboarding of ~400 new students, including application coordination and candidate communications
• Managing day-to-day operations such as programme inboxes, records, tracking and follow-ups
• Working across multiple internal stakeholders to keep delivery aligned, on track and moving forward
• Identifying and resolving routine delivery issues, escalating where needed

You will be trusted to manage your own workload, prioritise effectively, and take ownership of delivering work to a high standard.

What you’ll gain

• Real ownership in delivering a national programme at scale
• A clear pathway to Programme Manager, with hands-on experience across delivery
• Exposure to universities, industry partners and a government-funded initiative

What we’re looking for

We are particularly interested in people who can demonstrate:

• Experience coordinating projects, programmes or events involving multiple stakeholders
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities
• Confidence communicating with a range of audiences
• A proactive approach to problem-solving
• The ability to take ownership and follow through

You might have developed this experience in programme coordination, events, operations, education, or similar roles.

You do not need to meet every requirement. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply.

Please note that UK-wide travel will be a requirement of this role.

Provisional Interview Dates:

• Stage 1 (telephone interview) = w/c 8th June
• Stage 2 = w/c 15th June

About UKESF

The UK Electronics Skills Foundation (UKESF) is a national STEM education charity working to address the UK’s electronics skills shortage.

We work across schools, universities and industry to inspire and support the next generation of engineers, helping students progress from early interest through to employment.

We are a small, collaborative organisation with a strong focus on delivery and impact. Our culture is low ego, high ownership and mission-driven, and we are looking for people who want to contribute to meaningful work at scale.

We're looking for two kind, compassionate and resilient Support Workers to join our Mental Health Social Care Service in Hackney. No personal care or experience required, just the right values.

£30,784.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel valued? You'll feel at home here.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
• Fully paid induction programme and further training

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Felstead Street is a CQC registered care home, which has a heavy focus on supporting customers with enduring mental health care and elderly needs. We provide 24hr high support to 24 customers both female and male. Our building is a purpose-built home on two floors, offering customers individual bedrooms and the use of shared communal facilities and gardens. The service is commissioned by East London Foundation Trust with the care contribution from London Borough of Hackney.

What you'll do:

• Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and creating a positive atmosphere in the home.
• Following lone working protocols and maintaining high levels of awareness to health and safety for self, colleagues and customers.
• Supporting customers to maintain a healthy and clean living environment, where appropriate, provide assistance to maintain their living areas are clean and safe from hazards.
• Providing support and assistance to customers during the day who may be experiencing difficulties with their own mental health and seeking appropriate support.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:

• Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
• Approachable and open behaviour
• Prefers working as part of a group or team
• Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
• Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
• Flexible

What you'll bring:

Essential:

• Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Group Activities Coordinator to play a pivotal role in our Complex needs Service in Notting Hill.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

To provide management support and advice to Group Facilitators, Volunteers, Social Work Students to help them develop their role in providing support to service users.

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

You will bring a strong understanding of the needs, perceptions and engagement barriers faced by African, Caribbean and Arabic-speaking communities experiencing mental health difficulties, including those who may be disengaged from services. You will have experience working directly with these communities, using co-production approaches that respect cultural needs and enable meaningful involvement and feedback. You will be confident managing services within budget, promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and representing the organisation positively at external events through presentations and promotional activity. You will have excellent knowledge of mental health conditions, including signs, symptoms and treatments, with the ability to assess deteriorating mental health and take appropriate action. A strong working knowledge of housing, community care, mental health, health and safety, and welfare benefits legislation is essential, alongside the ability to use computer systems to produce accurate reports and monitor the quality of staff record-keeping to a high standard.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.

About the role

Our vision is a future where people with learning disabilities can live the best life possible – with the support, opportunities and independence they deserve.

As an Employability Coach, you’ll support people with learning disabilities to move into meaningful, paid employment within their communities.
At Hft, we have high aspirations for the people we support and for our Supported Employment team. We are proud to aim for 90% of the people we work with moving into paid employment—because talent exists everywhere when the right support is in place.

We’re looking for a motivated, values driven Supported Employment person who understands the practical steps, techniques and creativity needed to help learning disabled and autistic people succeed in the workplace.

You’ll help individuals build skills, gain real work experience, grow in confidence and achieve their career goals – all while ensuring they feel safe, supported and empowered to make their own choices.

Working as part of our Supported Employment team, you’ll guide individuals from initial skill development through to securing and sustaining long-term employment. You’ll also work closely with employers, Jobcentre Plus, local partners and families to create opportunities that truly work for each person.

What you’ll be doing

You will be based in and around the County of Flintshire. You’ll work alongside learning disabled and autistic people, new and existing employers, external parties and other team members to:

• Explore career goals, strengths and aspirations
• Identify and develop pathways into paid, meaningful work
• Build strong relationships with employers and promote inclusive recruitment
• Provide in work support to help people sustain and thrive in employment
• Champion reasonable adjustments and workplace accessibility
• Measure success by outcomes that genuinely change lives

This is not just about job starts—it’s about long term success, confidence and progression.

We’re looking for someone who believes in the right of every person to have a career and is motivated to make a real difference.

You’ll have:

• Experience supporting learning disabled and/or autistic adults
• A person-centred, strengths-based approach
• Experience of job coaching or breaking down tasks into manageable steps
• Confidence managing your own caseload and working independently
• Strong communication skills and the ability to engage employers
• GCSE English and Maths (Grade 5 or equivalent)
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle (mileage paid)

Desirable:

• Systematic Instruction (TSI) or BASE training
• Welsh language skills

Additional information

This role requires flexibility, as working hours may vary depending on the needs of the individuals and employers you support.

We will be shorting application on an ongoing basis. Should your application be shortlisted, you will be invited to attend a pre-screening interview with a member of the hiring team. Should you be successful at this stage, the final assessment process will involve a competency-based interview and the opportunity to get to know the team and Hft.

Apply now or get in touch to find out more. We’d love to hear from you.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Domestic Abuse Refuge Service Managerto join our Domestic Abuse Social Care Service in Tower Hamlets. No personal care or experience required, just the right values.

£40,000.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x pensionable salary (T&Cs apply)

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Our domestic abuse services provide safe, high-quality accommodation and support to women and children fleeing abuse. Through trauma-informed and survivor-led approaches, we help individuals recover from trauma, rebuild confidence, and move towards greater independence and safety.

The Opportunity

This is a rewarding opportunity for an experienced and values-driven Service Manager to lead a specialist accommodation-based service supporting up to 15 women and children fleeing domestic abuse.

As Service Manager, you will oversee the day-to-day delivery and ongoing development of the service, ensuring high standards of safety, safeguarding, support, and housing management are consistently maintained. You will lead and motivate a dedicated frontline team to deliver person-centred, trauma-informed support that empowers survivors to recover, rebuild, and achieve positive outcomes.

What you'll do:

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

Service Leadership and Operational Management

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of the refuge service, ensuring a safe, high-quality, trauma-informed environment for women and children fleeing domestic abuse.

Safeguarding, Risk and Safety Management

• Oversee the completion and quality assurance of customer risk assessments, individual safety plans, and support plans to ensure they remain person-centred, responsive, and outcome-focused.

Staff Leadership and Performance Management

• Provide strong and effective leadership to the refuge team, creating a positive, inclusive, and high-performing culture focused on delivering excellent customer outcomes.

Quality Assurance, Partnerships and Service Development

• Work collaboratively with the Head of Service and Quality team to ensure the service consistently delivers excellent standards of support, achieves compliance requirements, and embeds best practice across all areas of delivery.

Compliance and Professional Practice

• Ensure all work is carried out in accordance with organisational policies, procedures, legislation, and professional standards.

About you:

Knowledge and Experience

• Extensive knowledge and understanding of domestic abuse and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), including the impact on women, children, and families.

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to lead, motivate, and develop teams to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed services.

Personal Qualities

• Commitment to delivering person-centred, empowering, and inclusive services.

About us:

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

Partnerships and Best Practice Lead

Salary: £42,000
Contract: 36 hours per week, fixed term (12 months initially, with potential to extend subject to funding)
Location: Home-based, with travel for meetings, collaboration, and partnership work. You’ll be expected to spend time in person with colleagues and partners across locations including London, Sutton Coldfield and Hull.
Reports to: Director of Strategy, Partnerships and Advocacy

About the Role

Too many young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) face a sharp drop in support as they transition into adulthood. This role sits within an ambitious new programme, Ending the Cliff Edge, designed to change that.

As Partnerships and Best Practice Lead, you will play a central role in building a national, cross-sector alliance of young people, families, practitioners, organisations and service providers. Together, this alliance will drive meaningful reform and create better pathways into adulthood for disabled young people.

This is an opportunity to help shape a new initiative from the ground up—spreading best practice, testing innovative approaches, and building strong evidence of what works.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a broad collaborative partnership of cross‑sector organisations, providers, and experts to achieve collective ambition of driving improvement in transitions support.
• Refine, capture and share best‑practice models for supporting disabled young people into adulthood, ensuring they are evidence‑informed and accessible.
• Support partner organisations to design, adapt and deliver pilots that test innovative approaches and generate strong evidence of impact.
• Expand Kids’ national reach by growing the number of young people supported through improved transitions pathways, and increasing the number of businesses and providers engaged.
• Act as the central link between Kids’ direct delivery and wider national partners, ensuring learning is shared widely and consistently.
• Represent Kids externally as a champion for high‑quality transitions support, contributing to sector learning, collaboration and thought leadership.

About You

You are a confident relationship builder with experience of working across sectors and bringing people together around a shared goal. You’re comfortable working in a developing programme environment, able to take initiative, manage ambiguity, and turn ideas into action.

You are motivated by improving outcomes for disabled young people and have a strong understanding of the barriers they face.

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience of partnership development and cross-sector collaboration
• Experience identifying and sharing best practice, and translating learning into practical resources
• Ability to coordinate and support pilot projects, including stakeholder engagement and evaluation
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills across a wide range of stakeholders
• Strong understanding of challenges faced by disabled young people transitioning to adulthood
• Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences
• Experience supporting funder relationships and understanding funding environments
• Strong organisational and project management skills
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and sustain partnerships
• Experience using data and insight to inform practice and demonstrate impact

Desirable

• Experience in disability, SEND, education, employment or youth sectors
• Knowledge of policy and practice related to transitions into adulthood
• Experience facilitating training, workshops or communities of practice
• Familiarity with co-production approaches
• Experience evaluating programmes and capturing outcomes

Why Apply?

This is a unique opportunity to help shape a national movement for change—working collaboratively to ensure disabled young people have the support, opportunities and outcomes they deserve as they move into adulthood.

Interviews will take place on 21st and 22nd May 2026

For further details, please see the full Job Description attached.

We are Hestia. We make a difference.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Support Worker to play a pivotal role in our Complex Needs Service in Lewisham.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

To provide a high quality, person-centred and recovery focused support service to all clients. To oversee the development, implementation and review of comprehensive, user-led assessments, support plans and safety plans in partnership with service users. To work as a team with other Support Workers to deliver appropriate support at each stage of service users' recovery.

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

You need to have experience of working with people with mental health and / or dual diagnosis issues in a paid or voluntary role. You should be able to learn quickly, gather information, and make decisions effectively. Experience of working with a confidentiality framework and able to work within parameters set out by an oragnisation, strong de-escalation experience and a solution focused mindset are essential. 

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Support Worker to join our Complex Mental Health Social Care Service in Tower Hamlets

£20,009.60 per annum, working 26 hours per week.
2x 13 hour shifts per week, including weekends and bank holidays with team meetings on a Friday.

Want to feel like you're making a difference? You'll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

Our benefits include:

• Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
• Free DBS
• Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
• Fully paid induction programme and further training
• ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
• Online wellbeing resources
• A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
• Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
• All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

The Barnsley Street Project is a pilot service funded by NHS money following a bid by East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT). The service comprises of Look Ahead staff, ELFT staff, and Tower Hamlets Mental Health VCSE Alliance, formed of 17 local VCSE organisations. The Barnsley Street Project operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide support for people in the catchment area of one primary care network in Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets. It provides a variety of psychosocial and clinical interventions, including the provision of 6 Hospitality Beds for short term support and intervention.

Support Workers within the Barnsley Street Project will be expected to support individuals requiring support from the local community that walk in to the service and those staying in our hospitality beds. This support may include providing tailored and co-produced practical, emotional, trauma-informed support to individuals with a variety of challenges relating to their mental health. This may include the management of symptoms, social support, navigating benefits and welfare systems, practical skills and signposting to specialist services in the local authority for intensive or specific support as required.

What you'll do:

• Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers and creating a positive atmosphere
• Working proactively with other members of the team to handle the service caseload and administrative responsibilities
• Conducting key work sessions as required, that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve individual goals
• Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of 'positive risk taking'
• Providing support with daily living activities, including practical assistance to support customers to independent living e.g. budgeting, cooking, establishing a night time routine
• Supporting customers to maintain a healthy environment and where appropriate assisting them to clean their accommodation and maintain good personal hygiene
• Assisting in the recording and reporting of customer incidents
• Managing customer referrals, completing assessments and obtaining and maintaining all relevant paperwork
• Developing productive relationships with partner organisations to improve service outcomes
• Adhering to lone working protocols and maintaining high levels of awareness in relation to the health and safety of yourself and colleagues
• Involving customers in the design, development and delivery of the service
• Ensuring Look Ahead Health and Safety policies and local protocols are adhered to at all times e.g. fire risk assessments, fire alarm checks etc
• Taking on shift leading responsibilities by coordinating and leading shifts in the absence of a manager
• Being responsible for the handover of key information between shifts
• Adhering to all other Look Ahead's policies and procedures
• Engaging in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills
• Undertaking any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as assigned by the Team Leader/Manager Undertake any other duties consistent with the grade and nature of the post as may be reasonably assigned

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

Please see our website for the full job description.