We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Service Manager to join our Mental Health service in Slough.
£41,000.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.
Want to feel like you're making a difference? 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
ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
Healthcare Cashplan through our partner Healthshield
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.
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Contract Manager to oversee the successful delivery of our mental health services within the Slough area. This pivotal role is responsible for the operational and strategic management of all contracts in your designated patch, ensuring high-quality service delivery and positive outcomes for individuals with mental health and complex needs.
As a Contract Manager, you will lead and support a team of front-line staff, providing clear direction, performance oversight, and ongoing professional development. A key aspect of the role is fostering strong leadership and cultivating competence within your team to drive continuous improvement.
What you'll do:
Drive business planning activities within your contract, ensuring relevant and challenging objective setting and ongoing performance tracking, developing turn around action plans as may be necessary
Using sound financial and accounting principles, manage contract budgets to deliver on corporate and local contract financial targets
Successfully lead and motivate your team to ensure the championing of and maintenance of a positive local culture within your service
Work to continuously improve staff competence, ensure ownership of all staff issues and speedy and effective conflict resolution
Responsible for reporting all staff changes to HR and Payroll departments, as appropriate e.g. starters, leavers, additional hours etc.
Responsible for maintaining quarterly staff succession plans
Deliver effective, professional and commercially focused briefings and supervision meetings with staff and ensure that information, reporting & communications flow up/down is effective
Responsible for managing and allocating customers to support staff (casework management)
For the full list, please see our website.
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:
Ability to lead and motivate staff to deliver excellent services
Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
Has a practical and logical mind
Excellent organisation skills
Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
For the full list, please see our website.
What you'll bring:
Essential:
Educated to degree level or equivalent
Experience of managing contracts and resources and delivering to budget and performance targets
Experience of delivering to housing management performance targets
Experience of effectively managing and developing staff to ensure delivery of services performance targets within contract
Experience of successfully managing external partnerships to ensure successful delivery of services
Holds relevant CMI/NVQ Level 4 or other Business/Management Qualification
Desirable:
Other relevant professional memberships and/or specialist qualifications
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. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
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.
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.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.
Thank you!
About the Richard Whitehead Foundation
At the Foundation, we believe in the impact of sport: the increased mental well-being; the confidence; the self-esteem; the social inclusion and employability which come from it. We want the disability community to be able to thrive and benefit from all these opportunities, and we have big ambitions for the future. We are listening to the disability community, learning from our projects, and are focused on our vision and purpose.
After an exciting first 4 years we are now looking for a dynamic and driven Chief Executive to take us on the next stage in our journey, updating our strategy and growing our reach. We are looking for someone who is self-driven and committed to our values; someone able to demonstrate their ability to grow a charity through fundraising, which they will have extensive experience and previous success in.
We are also looking for a dynamic individual who is confident communicating with people at all levels from volunteers to senior leaders, beneficiaries to funders, in order to build relationships and partnerships to take the charity forward.
If you want to make a real difference to the lives of disabled people, are inspired by the impact sport can have on people’s lives and can help us in building the relationships and partnerships we need to move forward, we would love to hear from you.
Role Details
Location: Home based, with regular UK wide travel where required. Although the charity has national reach there is a particular focus on activity in Nottingham, Richard’s home town.
Reports to: Board of trustees Responsible for: Project Managers x 2, Communications Officer, Fundraising Consultant, Volunteers
Hours: Part time – 22.5 hours per week
Flexibility: Flexible working is available; the role will require some evenings and weekends work.
Length of contract: Permanent
Salary range: c. £55,000 (FTE - 33,000 pro rata)
Job Summary
The CEO will be responsible for leading the strategic direction and overall management of the Richard Whitehead Foundation. They will ensure it has a positive impact on enabling disabled people’s ambitions by removing barriers to give disabled people access to the life-changing power of sport. The ideal candidate will be a driven and visionary leader with a strong passion for making a difference.
Key Responsibilities
- Work with the board to review and develop the strategic plan for the Richard Whitehead Foundation.
- Develop lead and manage an operational plan and budget to deliver the strategy
- Proactively build, develop and manage relationships with key stakeholders, including funders, beneficiaries, disability organisations, volunteers, and staff ensuring that the Richard Whitehead Foundation is able to deliver on its objectives.
- To be bold in our ambition to empower disabled people through the power of sport.
- Lead, motivate and inspire the Richard Whitehead Foundation to achieve its goals and objectives, ensuring that the organisation has the right talent and resources to achieve its strategic objectives.
- Develop and implement fundraising strategies to ensure the sustainability, development and delivery of the Richard Whitehead Foundation and future projects, diversifying our income streams and growing overall income. This will include supporter acquisition, funding applications, event management and donor stewardship.
- Develop and oversee a marketing and communications plans
- To have a hands-on approach to progressing the Richard Whitehead Foundation
- Regular contact with trustees most notably the Chair, and President.
- Ensure that the Richard Whitehead Foundation is compliant with all relevant regulations, including those related to fundraising, governance, and charity law.
Application
Valued Recruitment is working exclusively with The Richard Whitehead Foundation to recruit this pivotal position. We are an ethical recruitment company, intent on hiring inclusively and transparently.
To apply, we welcome a CV and a 2 page (maximum) covering letter addressing your motivation for applying and your experience that is relevant to the role.
Accessibility is incredibly important to us at Valued Recruitment and at The Richard Whitehead Foundation. If you would like any accessibility amendments or support throughout the application and interview stage, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
No question or request is too big or too small. We want this process to be comfortable and enjoyable and a chance for you to bring your best self to the process.
Thank you for your interest in the position of Chief Executive at the Richard Whitehead Foundation.
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We are seeking a dynamic and experienced strategic lead to drive the next phase of our Right to Health campaign. This new role will work with our experienced and well respected team and our extensive network, to make the political case for the better legal recognition and real-world protection for the right to health.
An ideal candidate
You will be a passionate and experienced advocate for health, human, social or environmental rights, committed to driving meaningful change in the UK. You will bring proven expertise in leading policy, advocacy, or parliamentary engagement work - ideally within health, human rights, social or environmental justice sectors - and thrive in building strong, strategic relationships with government, civil society, and community stakeholders.
You have a good understanding of the structural causes of health inequality and the power of human rights frameworks to address them. You will know how the UK political and parliamentary systems work, and you are skilled at influencing these processes through clear, compelling narratives backed by evidence.
You are able to communicate with clarity and impact, tailoring your message to diverse audiences - from policymakers to grassroots activists. You are confident working independently and collaboratively within a small, flexible team, balancing strategic vision with practical delivery. Your approach is solutions-focused, inclusive, and grounded in the lived realities of people affected by health inequalities.
Most importantly, you are motivated by the opportunity to join a dynamic and well respected organisation and lead a strategic campaign that challenges the status quo and contributes to a fairer, more just UK.
You have the right to work in the UK and be able to work from home in London or within easy reach of London. A minimum of weekly attendance in London will be required.
This opportunity is open to applicants wishing to deliver the work on a self-employed freelance or employed basis.
For application, please complete:
- the Application Form
- a CV outlining your career (including paid and unpaid work), with any academic and professional qualifications, to date.
Applications that do not include both documents will not be considered.
