Helpline jobs

Join an amazing charity that makes a difference for the 110,000 adults and children in the UK with a muscle-wasting condition. This is a role where you can really make a difference.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that reflects the communities we serve. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented groups including people from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with lived experience of conditions we represent. We believe that diversity strengthens our work and helps us better support our beneficiaries.

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Main purpose of role

Main purpose of role The Helpline and Support Officer role sits within the Services and Support Directorate and provides tailored advice and practical support to individuals and families living with muscle wasting and weakening conditions from the point of diagnosis and beyond.

The Helpline and Support Officer will support people to navigate the UK’s Job description health, social care and welfare systems, enabling access to the services, benefits and equipment they are entitled to.

The role also involves informal advocacy, helping service users communicate their needs to overcome barriers; while ensuring they receive high-quality and ongoing support throughout their journey.

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About us:

Muscular Dystrophy UK is the charity bringing individuals, families and professionals together to fight muscle-wasting conditions. We bring together more than 60 rare and very rare progressive muscle-weakening and wasting conditions, affecting around 110,000 children and adults in the UK.

We recently launched our new 10 year strategy to transform the lives of people living with muscle wasting conditions. Our vision is clear, a world without limits for people with muscle wasting conditions, and we won’t stop until we achieve it.

Benefits:

We appreciate the range of skills and experience our staff have to offer. In return for your enthusiasm and commitment we commit to actively developing and supporting you. We also offer a range of benefits including pension, life assurance, discount in high street shops and gym membership, cycle scheme, health cash plan, financial wellbeing and an employee assistance programme.

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Location: Head Office, London SE1 (at least one day a week in Head Office, with flexibility for hybrid and homeworking

Closing date: Tuesday 9th December

Interview dates: 16th and 17th of  December

Please download the job description to see full role responsibilities

One YMCA delivers vital services including social housing, health and wellbeing programmes, children’s services, and youth and community activities that make a real difference across our local communities.

We are seeking a Triage and Intervention Officer to be the first point of contact for children and adults seeking support after experiencing domestic abuse.
In this rewarding role, you will complete risk and needs assessments, create personalised safety and support plans, and offer timely responses via our helpline, webchat, and referral pathways.

Working closely with the IDVA Team Leader, you will support both IDVA and therapeutic teams, maintain accurate case records, and ensure all work aligns with best-practice standards. You will manage your own workload, meet agreed KPIs, and play an essential part in ensuring victims receive high-quality, timely, and effective support.

If you are organised, compassionate, and committed to helping people rebuild their lives, we would love to hear from you!

Requirements:
• Willingness to undertake training and development relevant to the role.
• Commitment to valuing equality and diversity and applying this to all areas of work.
• Willingness to adjust working hours to meet operational needs, including occasional evening and weekend work.
• Access to a vehicle for travel in the course of your work, along with suitable business insurance to cover work-related travel. You must have a full Great Britain driving licence. If you have more than three points on your licence, please contact us to discuss before applying.

As some of our roles involve working with vulnerable members of society, this position may require a Basic or Enhanced Criminal Disclosure, which will be conducted once a conditional offer is made

Previous Applications: We welcome applications from all qualified candidates. However, if you have applied for a similar role within the last 6 months and were not successful, please consider whether your experience has developed further before reapplying

Accessibility & Adjustments: We are committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and will strive to be as accommodating as possible. Please inform us in advance of any arrangements you may need to fully participate in the process.

At One YMCA we are an inclusive organisation and actively promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We do not discriminate on the basis of Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage/Civil Partnership, Pregnancy/Maternity, Race, Religion/Belief, Sex and/or Sexual Orientation. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities, and industries, and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences, and abilities.
 

This is a  Full Time role.
Hours per week: 37.5
Working Pattern: Monday - Friday / 37.5 hours per week

Summary

You will plan, create and coordinate clear, relevant communications that drive engagement with the new package of support for clergy around financial wellbeing. This will include supporting engagement with clergy and diocesan partners, and encouraging take up of events, tools and products. You will be responsible for creating/maintain great online content, promoting planned events, producing accessible written materials, and designing relevant and targeted communication campaigns working as part of an integrated team with other Pensions Board functions. This role will involve building and managing relationships with diocesan communications teams, other Communication specialists within the National Church, and external suppliers to deliver timely, consistent and measurable communications across digital and offline channels.

Content Management and Editorial Standards

• Curate, design, maintain and update the content of our new financial wellbeing portal.
• Devising and delivering creative ideas for digital, audience-focused content e.g. event videos, case studies etc - incorporating recording, editing, audio content etc - to support newsletters, emails and portal development.
• Work within and continue to evolve our tone of voice guidelines, to ensure our communications are in plain English, accessibly and relevant to our audiences.
• Curate resource packs and how-to guides
• Uphold editorial standards, quality control, version control, and approval workflows

Planning and Delivery

• Work as part of a wider Pensions Board network focused on integrated communications planning.
• Working with senior leaders, to design and execute targeted and long-term communications campaigns to deliver strategic goals.
• Coordinate our email and newsletter activity, working with other teams to get consistency of message across other channels (e.g. through social media or into Church/diocesan networks).

Support product pilots, service launches, and local events.

Materials Production and Supplier Oversight

• Draft written materials: emails, guides, briefs, articles
• Commission and manage supplier-produced collateral
• Oversee procurement, supplier relationships, and template libraries

Stakeholder Engagement and Event Support

• Collaborate with Pensions and Housing colleagues to help align messaging to different customer groups.
• Support senior leaders with internal team updates.
• Act as the main communications contact for the service, working with diocesan communication teams, the NCI comms team, and existing/potential service partners.
• Collaborate with our Events Coordinator on promotional and post-event materials

Insight, Compliance, and Continuous Improvement

• Use data to segment audiences, test messaging, and measure impact
• Monitor performance metrics and report on campaign outcomes
• Ensure adherence to data protection regulations in our communication approach.
• Support the Board's Safeguarding policy and procedures
• Embed best practices: editorial calendars, A/B testing, and single-source content governance

• A salary of £48,557 per annum, plus age-related pension contributions between 8-15% of salary. We will also match any pension contributions you make up to an additional 3% of your salary.

• 25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 days within 5 years) plus eight bank holidays and three additional days (pro-rated if working part-time).
• We welcome all flexible working arrangement requests. This is looked at in a case-by-case scenario and if this fits within the department's needs. We try to be as flexible as we can in your work pattern to support you with other commitments, and to give a good work-life balance.
• We offer many services and initiatives under our Family Friendly Programme, some of these include enhanced Maternity Leave initiative, Adoption Leave, Paternity Leave, & Shared Parental Leave. Structured induction programme and access to a range of development opportunities including apprenticeships.
• Automatic enrolment and access to Medicash (one of the UK's leading health cash plan providers), providing you with many services including reimbursements of routine dental treatment, optical, specialist consultations, and therapy treatments. Unlimited access to virtual GP & Private prescription service and health & Stress related helplines.
• Access to Occupational Health, and an Employee Assistance Programme 
• Access to the Department of Education Restaurant and Westminster Abbey with a plus-one guest.
• Apply for eligibility for an Eyecare voucher.
• Opportunity to join the Civil Service Sports & Social Club, and get involved in a range of staff networks, groups and societies.

• Strive for Excellence
• Show Compassion
• Respect others
• Collaborate
• Act with Integrity

Location: CIS Office, Milton Keynes
Hours: 30 per week
Salary: £20,186.40
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: 4.11.2025

About Us

MK Act is a long-established domestic abuse charity with over 50 years’ experience supporting individuals and families across Milton Keynes. We provide safety, refuge, advocacy, crisis intervention and long-term support, helping survivors rebuild their lives with dignity and security.

We are seeking a compassionate and organised Triage & Helpline Advisor to join our Crisis Intervention Service. You will be the first point of contact for survivors seeking help—providing helpline response, triage, initial risk assessment, safety advice and access to appropriate services. This role suits someone calm under pressure, confident handling safeguarding concerns and committed to trauma-informed, survivor-centred support.

Why Join Us?

• Make a meaningful impact for individuals experiencing domestic abuse

• Supportive, specialist team

• Professional development and specialist training

• 25 days’ annual leave (pro rata) + bank holidays

• Additional paid birthday leave

• Free annual eye test

• Opportunity to grow within an expanding charity

Key Responsibilities

Client Support & Casework

• Answer the helpline as the first point of contact for survivors.

• Provide immediate advice, information and short-term follow-up support.

• Complete DASH risk assessments, safety plans and initial needs assessments.

• Support access to refuge accommodation locally or out of area.

• Provide clear information on housing, legal options, health services and signposting.

• Maintain accurate, confidential records and escalate risk appropriately.

• Promote a trauma-informed, survivor-focused approach.

Service Delivery & Teamwork

• Support the smooth running of the Crisis Intervention Service.

• Manage referrals, appointments and office systems.

• Contribute to service development and evaluation.

• Support volunteers and encourage inclusive practice.

Multi-Agency & Partnership Work

• Provide advice to professionals and promote MK Act services.

• Maintain positive working relationships with partner agencies.

Safeguarding & Compliance

• Work within safeguarding policies and make timely referrals.

• Liaise with managers and statutory partners on safeguarding concerns.

• Follow confidentiality, data protection and organisational procedures.

Administration & Professional Standards

• Complete administrative tasks, including data entry and diary management.

• Maintain required standards and attend training, supervision and performance reviews.

About You

You will thrive in this role if you are empathetic, organised and confident supporting people in crisis.

Essential

• Knowledge of domestic abuse and its impact on survivors and children.

• Understanding of risk assessment, safety planning and safeguarding.

• Excellent communication skills and confidence working with multiple agencies.

• Experience supporting survivors or vulnerable individuals.

• Ability to stay calm and professional under pressure.

• Strong record-keeping and IT skills.

Desirable

• Experience in domestic abuse services or crisis support.

• Experience completing risk assessments or working with voluntary/statutory agencies.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Helpline Advisor to join the growing National Contact Centre team in Cardiff, working 37.5 hours a week over a 24/7 rota.

Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change & improvement for those who need it?

Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care? If yes, then we'd love to hear from you…

What we offer:

At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:

• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday & options to buy or sell annual leave
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
• Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About the role:

This role is based at our National Contact Centre in Cardiff. There will be an initial induction period that will run Monday to Friday 9am-5pm for a 4 week period. After successfully completing your induction, you will move to your fixed rota hours.

As a Helpline Adviser you will:

• Able to respond to victims of and those affected by crime by providing emotional support, information and referrals on to Victim Support services and other agencies
• Providing immediate support, advice and trauma first aid referrals to victims of and those affected by major incidents and terrorism.
• Seamlessly working across multiple services with different processes, procedures and recording mechanisms.
• Managing and responding appropriately to competing priorities, services and needs.
• Responsible for taking disclosures and responding appropriately by either escalating the safeguarding concern to the 'Designated Safeguarding Officer' or to respond immediately to life threatening situations.

You will need:

• Experience of working in challenging and changing environments with the emphasis on excellence in service delivery.
• Experience of organising and prioritising a complex workload.
• The ability to deal sensitively with challenging and emotionally charged situations, demonstrate empathy and control own emotions.
• The ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in written form, including telephone skills
• Knowledge and understanding of:
• Relevant agencies and resources
• Importance of confidentiality and safe working practice
• Diversity issues and principles
• The impact of crime

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

About Us:

Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.

Advice & Information Helpline Worker (Mental Health) x 2 Vacancies

Location: Beechcroft Hub, Erdington, Birmingham

Salary: £25,231 per annum (full time equivalent)

 £15,139 pro rata for 22.5 hours per week

Hours: 37.5 (full time) & 22.50 (part time) - to cover rota’d activity between 9am–11pm

The Helpline is open 7 days per week with a rolling rota consisting of shifts from 9am to 5pm and 3pm to 11pm, including weekends. Please note that this is an on-site role at the specified location. Remote working is not available for this position.

Our client is a leading provider of mental health services in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

As a Helpline Worker, you will be providing support for those experiencing mental health difficulties through our clients helpline service. The helpline supports people living in the Birmingham and Solihull area.

The support offered will include (but is not exclusive to), receiving calls, emails and webchat from people who may be experiencing crisis, people looking for more general assistance and information about services, carers looking for advice and services, and other community support services. You will provide appropriate referrals and signposting information about our clients services and external partner agencies.

You will be working in a community focused way to ensure that statutory and local organisations are aware of the provision, ensuring that you retain close and effective links with them as well as keeping up to date with any pertinent changes to local provision.

The helpline is a 7 day a week service from 9am -5pm and 3pm -11pm. Under the direction of the service manager, you will support the running of the service in line with contractual requirements, Our clients Vision and Values, its operating Policy and Procedures, and any relevant legal requirements.

You will have at least 6 months’ experience in the mental health field, with experience of supporting people to be in control of their lives. You will also be able to demonstrate the ability to work with strong values and work within a recovery approach. Please see the Job Description for full details required for this role. If you feel that you meet the requirements of this position, they would like to hear from you.

Benefits include an attractive defined contribution pension scheme, PayCare which offers employees affordable cover for a range of healthcare treatments, an Employee Assistance Programme which includes free counselling and a comprehensive training programme.

Our Clients people are key to the success of the organisation, and they are recognised as both a Mindful Employer as well as achieving Gold standard success in Investors in People. They welcome applications from people who have experienced mental health difficulties.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 3rd December 2025

Interviews will take place on Thursday 18th, Friday 19th and

Monday 22nd December 2025

We are recruiting for a Digital Lead to join our team in London; the scope on this job involves….

Job Title: Digital Lead - Maternity Cover

Location: Homeworking with a requirement to occasionally work at Head Office (Vauxhall)   
Salary: £38,674.05 per annum
Contract type: Full-time, Fixed term (until 31 March 2027)

Hours: 37.5

We want kind and empathic people to work at Refuge, who believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion, are experts in their area of knowledge, want to make a positive difference and improve the lives of the women and children we support.

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Digital Lead, supporting the maintenance and development of our two dedicated websites, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and the Tech Safety website. Supporting the development of our digital assets; from newsletters, podcasts to digital assets for our annual Tech Safety Summit. Supporting the development of a project to produce economic digital assets and updating the economic content on the National Domestic Abuse Helpline.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing date: 9.00am on 17 December 2025

Interview date: 29 & 30 December 2025

Benefits

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

We are looking to recruit an experienced journalist to manage all aspects of content development and production of the Charity’s membership magazine, Under 5, in both print and digital format. This is a hybrid role (two days a week in the London office).

Benefits:

• 26 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, pro rata for part time employees
• Enhanced sickness pay
• Employer and employee contribution pension scheme
• Birthday leave so you can have a day off for your birthday dedicated to you and your well being
• Enhanced sickness pay and paid bereavement leave
• Regular access to internal and external learning and development opportunities
• A Recruitment Referral Payment Scheme, giving you an introductory payment of up to £300 if someone you have referred to the Alliance takes up a role in the charity.
• Access to our Employee Assistant Programme (EAP), which includes 24/7 helpline access, dedicated managers helpline, confidential counselling sessions delivered by accredited specialists, legal, debt and life management advice, discounts, and wellbeing content plus resources.
• Savings of up to 25% on O2 Refresh Airtime Plan on any new phone or tablets
• A dedicated mental health First Aider to support your mental well being

Main duties:

• To identify and research themes for each issue, sourcing and managing contributors to ensure the magazine has a clear, consistent, relevant and interesting voice to the readership.
• To lead on planning, sourcing contributors, writing and managing content of Under 5 magazine, 10 issues produced every year
• To liaise with Communications and External Affairs colleagues to ensure that corporate partnership publicity, advertorial, editorial and competition deals are delivered to meet terms of contra deals in relevant issues of Under 5.
• To write, edit and upload regular online news stories for selected digital communication including planning, writing and managing content for the fortnightly Under 5 e-newsletter.

Essential criteria:

• Proven experience of working on magazine in an editorial role with an ability to lead on commissioning, writing, sub-editing and proofing professional copy.
• Excellent journalistic writing skills, with the ability to write concise and accurate news copy.
• Clear understanding and practical experience of managing magazine print and production processes
• Strong interpersonal skills with direct experience of managing internal and external suppliers, journalists, production staff, advertisers and contributors.
• Strong creative and written skills with an ability to produce clear, accurate and interesting copy tailored for different audiences.

Please provide an additional statement with your application explaining how you meet the essential criteria in the person specification. 

CLOSING DATE: 18 JANUARY 2026

IA is offering an exciting opportunity for a compassionate and experienced Stoma and Pouch Care Specialist Nurse to help us lead and develop our strategic clinical support services to people living with an ileostomy or an internal pouch.

The successful applicant will have been in a similar role for at least 12 months as an experienced Stoma/Pouch Specialist Nurse and qualified to at least (NHS) Band level 6. As someone who is passionate about helping people who have been through, or are considering life-changing surgery, your empathetic approach, high standards and professionalism together with your excellent clinical knowledge and experience will put the patient at the heart of everything that you do.

In addition to direct support through one of our many communications channels, your clinical experience will help us to further our charitable aims, developing additional strategic services supported by our team of staff, trustees and volunteers, many of whom have been through life changing surgery themselves.

As someone who is flexible in their approach and is prepared to think outside of the box, each day will offer a different challenge. Whether you are representing IA at external meetings, on various multi-disciplinary committees or advocating for improvements in products and services available to people living with a stoma and internal pouch, your strong voice and stakeholder management skills will represent both the charity and the voice of the patient.

As a hybrid role, the successful applicant is expected to be a self-starter with drive and determination to help us to grow our services and develop our patient support model. The successful appplicant will primarily be based from home (UK only) however the role will include travel to support charity meetings and events, in addition to furthering our strategic aims through networking. Occasional travel to head office in Essex will be required.

Forcesline is a free and confidential helpline that provides emotional support and a listening ear to those in the Armed Forces Community who are dealing with financial difficulties, loneliness, isolation or are in some other way struggling to cope with everyday life.

About the role

This role responds to contact made via the Forcesline helpline, which provides a non judgemental welfare support service for serving, ex-service personnel and their families by way of telephone, Webchat and email with potential for other technology in the future.  Enquiries include requests for information, practical assistance and emotional support. Our callers are often emotional, frustrated and in many cases, struggling to see a way forward in their lives.

Working hours are 09.00 – 17.30 to reflect the opening hours of the helpline.

About the team

You will work with a great team of advisors who are both experienced and skilled at what they do. All Forcesline Welfare Advisors receive the necessary training for their role including Safeguarding, Data Protection, Diversity and Inclusion and most have a Level 2 Counselling qualification or above. Their experience covers former Samaritans, Pastoral Care workers, Social Work plus Police Officers and Despatchers. As a team they learn and support one another as well as receiving the support SSAFA can offer more widely.

About you

You will have had experience in delivering welfare support to others, and ideally this has been gained through a helpline. You will need to be technically competent with IT equipment, as most of this work will be done virtually through digital means often under high pressure situations. Ideally you will also hold, or be willing to work towards a counselling qualification at level 2 or above.

About SSAFA

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a trusted source of support for the Armed Forces community in their time of need. In 2024 our trained teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 54,970 people, including veterans, serving personnel (regulars and reserves) and their families.

SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. We are here for that person and their family, looking to support them in any possible way we can.

Diversity and Inclusion at SSAFA

SSAFA exists to support a diverse range of beneficiaries within the armed forces community, and we believe diversity within our teams is key to ensuring we can deliver our services effectively. We thrive on differences and believe it is critical to our success as a worldwide charity. SSAFA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace that seeks to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We therefore encourage applications from all genders, races, religions, ages and sexual orientations, as well as parents, veterans, people living with disabilities, and any other groups that could bring diverse perspectives to our business.

SSAFA is committed to using the Disclosure & Barring Service to ensure we, as an employer, safeguard those we serve.

No agencies please. Any unsolicited submissions from agencies will be accepted as a direct application from the candidate and no fees will be payable. 

Closing date: Midnight on 30 November 2025. SSAFA reserves the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Interviews: Week commencing 15 December 2025

We are recruiting for a Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) to join our team in Warwickshire.

Location: Warwickshire
Salary: £25,857.12 per annum 
Contract type: Full Time, Fixed Term Contract (until 26 September 2026)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week. Monday-Friday 9:00am -17:00pm with some late shifts required (12.30pm-20.30pm to cover the helpline on a rota basis (approx. 2 late shifts per month)

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as an IDVA to provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic violence and their children who access the community service. The independent domestic violence advocate will work closely with victims of domestic violence and other forms of violence and abuse, from the point of crisis, to provide high quality independent advocacy and support to survivors of domestic violence at the highest risk and their children. 

The job involves working within a multi-agency framework consisting of the MARAC and local partnership protocols and procedures that prioritise the safety of survivors. 

The post holder will empower survivors by providing them with emotional, practical and personal welfare support. The job involves ensuring that survivors are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment and enabling them to access their rights, make decisions and increase their life options. The job involves informing survivors of the full range of civil, criminal and practical options that might increase their safety. 

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 10 September 2025

Interview Date: 19 September 2025

Location: Milton Keynes Centre
Hours: 37.5 per week
Salary: £25,233 (unqualified) / £26,247 (qualified)
Contract: Permanent
Work Pattern: Monday–Friday, 9:00–17:00 (some flexibility)
Closing Date: 4.11.2025

About Us

MK Act is a long-established domestic abuse charity with over 50 years’ experience supporting individuals and families across Milton Keynes. We provide refuge, advocacy, and long-term support, helping survivors rebuild their lives with dignity and safety.

We are seeking a committed and resilient IDVA to join our Crisis Intervention Service. You will provide intensive, one-to-one support to survivors at high risk of serious harm, ensuring risks are reduced, safety plans are robust, and multi-agency protection is co-ordinated. This role suits someone calm under pressure, confident working with complex risk, and passionate about safeguarding and advocacy.

Why Join Us?

• Make a life-changing impact for high-risk survivors
• Supportive, specialist team
• Opportunities for professional development
• 25 days’ annual leave (pro rata) + bank holidays
• Additional paid birthday leave
• Free annual eye test
• Opportunity to grow as the charity expands, including plans for a new refuge

Key Responsibilities

• Provide an emergency response and intensive support to high-risk survivors.
• Complete risk and needs assessments and develop personalised safety plans.
• Explain housing, civil, and criminal justice options and support clients through legal processes.
• Maintain accurate, confidential case records and escalate risk appropriately.
• Deliver support via helpline, walk-ins, appointments, and access to refuge space.
• Signpost to relevant services and participate in MARAC.
• Advocate for clients and build strong multi-agency relationships.
• Support delivery of group programmes such as Freedom and Recovery Toolkit.
• Work within safeguarding policies, make timely referrals, and follow data protection requirements.
• Maintain professional standards, attend training, supervision, and reviews.

About You

You will thrive in this role if you are calm, resilient, and committed to ensuring survivors receive effective and timely protection.

Essential

• Strong understanding of domestic abuse and its impact on survivors and children.
• Ability to manage crisis situations with clarity and professionalism.
• Excellent communication and advocacy skills.
• Experience supporting people from diverse backgrounds.
• Confidence working within multi-agency frameworks.
• Ability to maintain accurate records and handle sensitive information.

Desirable

• Experience as an IDVA, caseworker, or in a safeguarding role.
• Knowledge of criminal justice processes.
• Experience delivering group work.
• Experience working within accredited or quality-assured services.

About the project  

The Housing Advice Practitioner will by providing tailored advice and guidance through mainly remote online or phone support, as well as in person housing advice at a weekly housing advice surgery in the community. The role will include advocacy, coordination with legal services, workshops, and ensuring sustained support for families. 

This new Information and Advice Support Service is established to a) provide a light touch swift response service for less complex housing issues; and b) develop mechanisms for the early identification of emerging housing problems.

About the role  

We are looking for an experienced, motivated and compassionate support worker to deliver housing advice and practical support to individuals and families. This role involves responding to enquiries, conducting housing surgeries, and running workshops to empower clients with the knowledge and skills to address their housing-related issues. The successful candidate will work with clients to identify their needs and offer tailored solutions to help them achieve sustainable housing outcomes. In this role, you will be working in partnership with community organisations and the council to coordinate tailored support for each client to address their housing issues. The objective of the programme is to provide advice and support to clients who have problems related to their housing and to improve wellbeing and awareness of tenancy rights and housing polices.

About you  

You will have experience of providing housing advice and working with individuals with complex needs.You will be an enthusiastic person who has empathy, patience, and a non-judgmental approach to working with clients and who thrives when working independently with a passion to support change. 

You will have:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills 
• Strong knowledge of housing policies and tenants' rights 
• Experience of delivering holistic support 
• Experience arranging and delivering workshops or other community events
• Good experience of working in partnerships with community and statutory organisations
• Ability to research and connect with community and statutory organisations to promote the service
• Be a solution-minded thinker, have a good understanding of strength-based approaches and be able work committing to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of work. 
• Have good organisational and planning skills
• To work as part of a team and independently, the roles require you to think creatively and use the resources around you effectively.  

About Kineara  

Kineara is a unique community interest company that supports people in poverty across London who facing barriers to housing, employment and education. We break down barriers, provide holistic support for families, vulnerable adults, and school pupils, and deliver intensive one-to-one interventions to those in need of extra help through challenging times. We use holistic, trauma-informed methods, partnership working and a flexible, non-judgemental approach that puts the needs of those we work with first.   

Salary: Grade 1.2 - £24,938 per annum pro rata

Location: Sheffield 

Part time: 18.75 hours working Monday from 1.15pm to 5pm & Thursday and Friday from 8.45 am to 5pm. Please note this working pattern is not negotiable owing to the needs of the service

Contract:Permanent

Closing date: Sunday 7th December 2025 at 11.30 pm

Do you have experience of working in customer service and a strong interest in housing issues? Then join Shelter as a Supporter Helpdesk Officer and you could soon be playing a key role in standing up to the housing emergency.

About the role

You will be the first point of contact for the organisation, supporters, potential supporters and people seeking information about Shelter’s work. You will provide information on our work and housing/homelessness to supporters and members of the public, act on supporter requests and take part in fundraising administration.  Maintaining accurate supporter records, liaising with other departments when necessary and handle any complaints about services and fundraising activity will also be key parts of the role.

About you

With excellent communication and administration skills, gained working in a customer service environment, including handling complaints, you will have experience of reviewing, updating and relaying information from various databases. Proficiency using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, email and the internet and a strong attention to detail and accuracy are also required. An understanding of how the Helpdesk service impacts on the Shelter brand will also be important as well as having resilience dealing with enquiries that may be difficult in nature.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About the Team 

Following the appointment of this role, the Supporter Helpdesk will be made up of five people, a Team Leader and four part time Officers. We are based in Sheffield along with Shelter’s national housing advice helpline. While the team doesn’t provide housing advice we respond to a wide variety of enquiries about Shelter and its work including sign posting to our service where needed.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet every day millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

How to Apply

Please click ‘Apply for Job’ below. You are required to submit a CV and a Supporting Statement with responses to the three points in the ‘About You’ section of the job description of no more than 350 words each. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the three behaviours below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset
• We enable decision making
• We work together to achieve our shared purpose

Please note, your application will not be accepted without a supporting statement. 

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.