Independent advocate jobs in milton keynes

Are you passionate about ensuring the voice of children and young people are heard? Are you committed to advocating that children and young people’s rights are upheld? Do you believe that all children should receive consistently high-quality care in environments that strive to improve outcomes for each child?  Do you have experience in social work, education, inspection, advocacy or residential childcare management? Then we have an exciting opportunity for a professional like you.

The Vacancy

The Independent Monitoring Service is seeking to recruit professionals with experience of working with children and vulnerable adults to the role of Independent Visitor.

We are looking for individuals all across the Midlands, including but not limitted to: Leicestershire, Northampton, Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes 

The role of Independent Visitors is to provide visiting services on behalf of NYAS which are consistent with the National Quality Standards for Children’s Homes, Residential Special School Standards, Welsh National Minimum Standards, Health and Social Care Standards Scotland and CQC regulations. The main duties are:

• To undertake monthly visits to identified homes in accordance with the requirements of the relevant NYAS manager.

These visits will be:

Regulation 44 visits to residential children’s homes, short breaks and secure units.

Regulation 25 visits to residential family centres.

Care Quality Commission visits to residential adult homes.

Care Inspectorate Wales regulation 8 visits to residential children’s homes.

RSS20 visits to residential special schools.

Health and social care standards Scotland residential children’s homes.

Monitoring visits to unregulated provision.

• To undertake all tasks as identified by the relevant NYAS manager, during the visits and thereafter, in order to fulfil all aspects of the role.
• To provide factual reports within set timescales as required by the relevant NYAS manager.

Candidates should have demonstrable knowledge and understanding of regulated services and their inspection frameworks and also knowledge of current legislation and statutory guidance relating to children, young people and adults at risk particularly those in residential care.

Candidates must have experience of working within a social or health care organisation, safeguarding and experience of managing complex relationships across a diverse field, e.g. OFSTED inspectors, social workers, residential care workers and registered managers, health care professionals.

Candidates should also possess a professional qualification in a related field, i.e. social work, residential care, health care professional, advocacy or youth work.

This is a self-employed position and you will be paid a sessional rate.

You will also be required to complete annual safeguarding and compliance including, Personal Safety, Data Protection, Information Security, Safeguarding and Equality and Diversity. You will be able to subscribe to an e-learning platform provided by NYAS. The platform will provide you with the opportunity to undertake a number of other professional courses that you can complete in your own time to maintain your own CPD. You can do this on the e-learning platform at a significantly reduced cost compared to undertaking each course individually with different providers.

Note for candidates - when completing the application form, it is important that you refer to the person specification within the contract delivery specification and detail how you can evidence the criteria.

NYAS operates robust safe procedures to ensure the protection of the children, young people and adults at risk we work with. To comply with NYAS’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, references and a Digital Risk Assessment.

In accordance with UK immigration law, NYAS is required to ensure that all prospective candidates have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom. Therefore, proof of eligibility to work in the UK will be required as part of the recruitment process.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early once we receive a high number of applications.

About NYAS

As an established leading rights-based charity, NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is well positioned to ensure that children, young people, and adults across England and Wales are fully respected, represented, and supported in expressing their views and having their rights upheld.

We work with care-experienced children, young people, and adults who are often reliant on statutory services suffering the negative impact of the cuts in public expenditure. Our combination of social care and legal services places us in a unique position to ensure that they receive the services they need and that their voices are heard.

We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment which means NYAS welcomes applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, or any other protected characteristic.

NYAS is proud to share that we are a Disability Confident Employer and we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies.

Work with us to help change young lives.

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

Exciting Opportunity

Fixed Term until the end of January 2027

Regional Manager, North East & Cumbria (0.8 FTE)

We are pleased to offer a fixed-term opportunity within the Lloyds Bank Foundation due to the current Regional Manager taking a secondment.

This is a part-time (4 days per week) position, working from home, with regular travel across North East & Cumbria and to London. The post holder must live in the North East or Cumbria.

About the Role

Are you passionate about supporting local charities and driving community-led change? The Lloyds Bank Foundation is seeking a Manager for the North East & Cumbria region to play a pivotal role in our evolving strategy.

As Manager for North East & Cumbria, you’ll:

• Build trusted relationships with local charities, helping them grow stronger and more resilient.
• Support organisations to identify and overcome challenges, connecting them with resources and opportunities.
• Champion community-led change and ensure our work is shaped by the communities we serve.
• Collaborate with partners, stakeholders, and colleagues to maximise the impact of our investments.

About you

You’ll have extensive knowledge of the voluntary sector, experience supporting local charities, and excellent relationship-building and organisational skills. You’ll be proactive, collaborative, and comfortable navigating change.

You’ll be responsible for managing a portfolio of relationships with charitable partners and collaborating with other charities.You will support our charity partners in becoming more resilient and stronger, enabling them to thrive beyond the duration of their relationship with us.  You will do this by building trusted relationships with them, supporting them to identify their most pressing organisational challenges; and help them overcome the challenges by building the knowledge, skills and capabilities of staff and trustees.  You will work with charities, CICs, and partnerships to identify the most appropriate form of support to respond to the identified priorities.  Further information about LBFEW and our approach to supporting charity partners can be found on our website under the 'Development' section. 

You’ll be the face of the Foundation in the area, able to build strong and trusting relationships and be an advocate for community organisations across the patch. You’ll have a good understanding of the operating environment in the North East & Cumbria with well-established networks across the patch. You will also play a pivotal role in sharing learning, intelligence and insights to ensure the Foundations’ strategy development, delivery and relationship with the Lloyds Banking Group considers regional needs and the operating context of our funded partners.

If you have experience working with or in the voluntary, community or social enterprise sector and are creative, adaptable, resilient, flexible in your approach, keen to learn and hungry for change, then this could be the role for you! 

About the Foundation

We’re an independent charitable foundation funded by Lloyds Banking Group. We work in partnership with local charities and community-led organisations, connecting people, and providing money and resources so that communities can thrive. 

This is an exciting time to join Lloyds Bank Foundation. We are coming to the end of our strategy period and, under the leadership of a new CEO, we are developing and rolling out our new strategy, brand and values. We believe this will enable us to turbocharge our work, allowing us to have an even bigger impact to create social change and cohesion and ensuring people in England and Wales are in a good place.

We encourage applications from all sections of our diverse community, irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, maternity, race (which includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), sexual orientation, religion or belief, or because someone is married or in a civil partnership. We want an inclusive organisation that reflects our community and where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. We believe our organisation will be a better, more creative and innovative place to work if we can harness the benefit of different perspectives.

The Foundation is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as inclusive as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for people who have a disability or long-term health condition. If you need any adjustments such as our application form in an accessible format such as a Word document, or for any part of the recruitment process, please email us in confidence to discuss this.

How to Apply

· Closing date: 23:59  on 18 December 2025

· 1st Interview (Newcastle, venue to be confirmed) 13th January 2026

· 2nd Interview (online) 19th January 2026

The Degrees Initiative is a UK-based NGO that strengthens the capacity of the Global South to evaluate solar radiation modification (SRM), a controversial proposal for reducing some impacts of climate change by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth. Degrees is neutral on whether SRM should ever be used, but we believe that the Global South should be empowered to conduct their own research and to play a central role in SRM discussions. The initiative has been working in different forms for over a decade, and our work receives worldwide coverage and widespread acclaim. 

This is a unique opportunity to inform conversations on SRM in Africa. Rather than lobbying for outcomes, Degrees aims to support informed, independent policymaking by fostering connections between researchers and policymakers and strengthening institutional expertise. Degrees promotes regional research, creates spaces for policy-science dialogue, and supports the dissemination of Global South research.

Responsibilities

The Policy and Engagement Manager, Africa will strengthen the voice of the Global South in discussions and potential negotiations on SRM research and governance with relevance to Africa by connecting experts to policy processes. Accordingly, the successful candidate will: 

• Identify and engage key policy actors (e.g. national delegates and legislators, scientific advisors, intergovernmental officials) in Africa, connecting them to local SRM experts and providing them with information, where appropriate, while remaining neutral regarding the potential use and governance of SRM;
• Work with SRM researchers from the region to support the ongoing development of a coordinated community of experts; 
• Build informal and formal partnerships with like-minded organisations, helping to inform discussions and counter misinformation about climate and SRM.
• Share expertise and experience gained from Africa with staff and researchers and participate, as appropriate, in activities in Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean to gain similar expertise;
• Identify the most impactful international forums and regional SRM discussions, and work to connect local experts into these; 
• Identify a core group of researchers interested in policy engagement, and facilitate and join their participation in governance fora such as the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, UNFCCC COP, UN Environment Assembly, and meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity;
• Support the execution and coordination of the Degrees policy engagement strategy in collaboration with other policy and programmatic staff; 
• Contribute to budgeting and alignment with programmes;
• Support monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) activities by contributing to tracking, documentation, and reporting of policy engagement outcomes;
• In cooperation with the communications staff, ensure the development of clear, contextualised briefing materials for policy makers and other audiences. 

We are looking for someone who:

• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust with key stakeholders
• Has experience of supporting the wellbeing of caring professionals, ideally with those in Christian ministry
• Is familiar with the Anglican diocesan structures and culture
• Is a strategic thinker with experience in partnership development
• Shares our vision to see flouishing clergy

This newly created role within St Luke's is supported by a generous grant from the Henry Smith Foundation to develop our wellbeing programmes over the next three years. The Associate Director will engage with dioceses and individual clergy as they explore and embed our wellbeing programmes. 

The post holder will represent St Luke's and our Christian ethos within senior diocesan teams and help shape and deliver our strategic vision for flourishing clergy. This role will support the advancing clergy reflection programme and support dioceses, other networks and communities and Theological Educational Institutions in establishing wellbeing practices.

The role is home based with travel around the UK as required. There will be a requirement to be in London at least once a month for team meetings. 

This role carries an occupational requirement for the postholder to be a practicing Christian, in accordance with Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010. The role involves representing and upholding the Christian ethos of St Luke’s in both internal leadership and external engagement.

Please see job pack for more information.