Independent living service team leader jobs

Early Literacy Interventionist (Birmingham)

Are you looking for a new challenge? Are you keen to work with children to support and develop their phonics and reading skills? 

38% of children from disadvantaged backgrounds leave primary school in England each year unable to read to the expected standard. Chapter One is a fast-growing charity, with a vision of a world in which all children have the literacy skills they need to thrive. We work to ensure that all children have 1:1 reading support at the time they need it most.

Our Early Literacy Intervention (ELI) programme (based on a model that serves 20,000 children successfully in the USA) provides daily, 1:1, 7 minute phonics sessions for children who are behind in phonics. Using a bespoke technology tool, a trained Early Literacy Interventionist works individually with target children. 

This ELI role, reporting to the Schools Development Manager, is a great opportunity for someone who wants to develop and grow their knowledge of phonics and/or their teaching skill set. It is ideal for someone with previous school experience who is looking for a new and exciting challenge.

You will conduct initial baseline assessments and then deliver differentiated, 1:1, targeted, 7 minute phonics sessions to pupils using a systematic, synthetic approach. Although you are employed by Chapter One, you will work closely with the school team to understand the progression of the school’s phonics teaching; establish tailored plans for each child and feedback on pupil progress. Using your knowledge and insight, you will also collaborate with colleagues at Chapter One to further improve the ELI model, the online tool and programme delivery.

Please read the full job description for details of the responsibilities of the role, and our employee recruitment pack to learn more about Chapter One. This is a part-time role, based in a primary school in Birmingham.

Chapter One is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All post holders are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service disclosure. Copies of our Safeguarding Policy and Safer Recruitment Policy are available on request.

As a charity that values and celebrates people's diversity and champions opportunities for all young people, we are keen to receive applications from people who have experienced disadvantage and from those who are of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities who are currently underrepresented in the organisation. We believe that a diverse organisation is one that is more innovative, more creative and gets better results.

• Drive a climate action movement influencing institutional investors
• Support interconnected organisations to create powerful change
• Remote in Europe - United Kingdom, France, Brussels, or Germany preferred

The Sunrise Project

The Sunrise Project is a global network of independent organisations, that has adopted a unique model of combined strategic grant-making and campaigning, with a common mission to scale social movements to drive the energy transition beyond fossil fuels.

The Sunrise Organising Labs (SOL) is Sunrise's movement-building engine, powering all global programs to scale power in service of our goals while also nurturing long-term ecosystem development. SOL equips our teams and partners to map power, recruit influential constituencies, and build organising capability. SOL also informs and strengthens partnerships and grantmaking: analysing ecosystem capacity and designing targeted interventions to strengthen it. By investing in recruitment, leadership, collaboration, and learning, SOL ensures our movement is equipped, connected, and resourced to win systemic reforms.

Benefits & Culture

Sunrise has a dynamic and nimble organizational culture that supports its people to thrive, believing that diversity of experiences and perspectives builds stronger strategies, teams, and movements. The following benefits are in place to help achieve that;

• Generous package in line with experience and with international expectations
• Liberal annual, parental, birthday, solidarity, and cultural leave
• Commitment to professional development planning
• Coaching, performance reviews & management feedback
• Intermittent travel with advance notice may be required

Indicative salary ranges: £79,230 - £82,277 (UK); €92,376 - €97,850 (France); €120,000 - €124,062 (Germany)

The Role

This role serves as the strategic lead of the European ecosystem, including the UK, overseeing strategies to ensure this powerful movement is growing, is supported, and is being nurtured across communities, countries, leveraging and building power with key actors.
This role understands the nuance of targeted campaigns, how to win them, the context of the big picture, and then designs strategies to intersect the short and long term to build actionable plans for maximum impact.

Working collaboratively across Europe and globally, you will lead the development and implementation of Europe's movement strategy – understanding our campaigns, leading power mapping, understanding constituency and context needs, running experiments, and distributing grants. You will create and recruit new partnerships and groups from new and diverse constituencies, growing their skills and capacities.

Skills Required

You don’t need experience in fossil finance or climate – you can be a leader in your own field of environmental or social justice, such as trade unions, faith or youth groups, community organisations, worker bodies, etc. You’re a strategic, experienced, and collaborative campaign leader and relational organiser, with a passion for winning campaigns and growing regional movements. You have a nuanced understanding of how systemic change happens and can take a long-term view of power and power building in order to deliver short term wins. Your career includes creative corporate and political regional and local campaigns, including winning or iterating on campaigns through diverse stakeholder strategies.

You enjoy working across the political spectrum, or different theories of change, and understand what it takes to build trust, nurture creativity and unleash the potential of individuals and groups. You are adaptive, flexible, and respectful and highly self-driven. You definitely have the following:

• Demonstrated experience building a movement or organisation which has influenced systemic change
• Leadership experience in a similar role and an understanding of the European political landscape
• Project management, training, facilitation, and coaching expertise
• Demonstrated experience in organising and developing leaders in constituency-based organisations
• Strong and evidenced relationships with European power building organisations and other influential groups
• Your own working rights for your European location

If you meet all or some of the requirements, or are unsure, please submit an expression of interest as The Sunrise Project values diversity and recognizes lived experience. Your expression of interest should include a cover letter, responding to the skills required above, and a resume. Please quote #1352163. Alternatively, contact Lois Freeke from NGO Recruitment in Melbourne, Australia to request a full information pack at: +61 (0) 3 8080 8978. 

Two Saints

Executive Director of Finance and IT

£84,400 pa

South East

Having adopted a new and ambitious strategy, and embarked on a period of transformational change, Two Saints are now looking to ensure they are in the strongest position to deliver their vision in what are difficult times. This vision is ‘to be a safety net for people in tough times and the springboard to a brighter future.’

These are challenging times for our sector - but we like a challenge and are determined to remain financially strong and grow, so we can continue to support our clients and be a springboard to a brighter future. Which is where this role comes in! Applicants for this role will need to demonstrate experience of leading a finance team in the social housing sector or similar. This could be your first Director-level appointment, or you may be a more experienced executive leader - you’ll be working for an agile, well regarded organisation and we’re always busy, so your energy and enthusiasm will count for a lot.

Closing date 5pm Monday 28th July 2025

Fresh Futures is happy to announce a vacancy with an exciting opportunity to manage and grow a pipeline of existing and prospective corporate supporters, with an aim to shape meaningful collaborations that make a real difference.

Established over 50 years ago, Fresh Futures is a regional charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable children, young people and their families. Our vision is for all children, young people and their families to have opportunities for a better life, now and in the future.

Hours of Work: This role is offered at 30 hours per week. However, we are open to discussing slightly reduced hours, flexible working patterns, or a job share arrangement for the right candidate(s). If you are interested in alternative working arrangements, please outline your ideal working pattern in your covering email when submitting your application

Contract: Permanent
Salary: £31,249.40 FTE (will be pro rata when hours confirmed)
Base: Brian Jackson House, Huddersfield, HD1 5JP

Closing Date: Sunday 27th July 2025 at 5:00pm

Interview Date: Thursday 31st July 2025

Purpose of the job

Why the job exists and overall responsibility

• Income generation through a diverse range of sources including but not limited to corporate and community fundraising and grants and trust applications
• Delivery of marketing and communications across the charity
• Line management of an officer with responsibility for fundraising and communication activities
• Budget management for projects and campaigns
• Internal and external event delivery
• Management and project delivery of discrete projects and fundraising campaigns
• Involvement in volunteering activities
• Contribute to delivery and development of the Fundraising and Engagement Strategy

Main Activities

Income Generation:

• Build multi-year corporate relationships that generate income and gifts in-kind by creating and maintaining an active pipeline
• Identify and cultivate opportunities for new partnerships and funding streams
• Manage a portfolio of partners and fundraisers, ensuring effective communication and stewardship
• Prepare and submit funding applications and reports in a timely manner
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure project delivery and reporting
• Ensure the CRM system is updated regularly to reflect activities and report to KPIs set by the Head of Income and Engagement

Marketing and Communications:

• Contribute to the creation and delivery of key marketing materials across multiple channels and audiences
• Maintain accurate records of activity and performance, generating regular performance reports
• Work collaboratively cross team to ensure delivery of all elements relating to projects and campaigns across the charity
• Develop audience approach content for social media and disseminate in a timely manner, supporting all teams marketing needs
• Responsibility for development and updates to websites across Fresh Futures
• Explore new marketing channels and build external marketing partnerships offering in-kind support
• Write press releases and deliver media interviews representing the charity, as directed by the Head of Income and Engagement

Line Management:

• Manage an officer working within the income and engagement team to effectively deliver all aspects of their role
• Work closely with Managers to ensure they are receiving the support they need from the Income and Engagement team
• Plan team delivery alongside the other Income and Engagement Manager to manage work allocation and delivery effectively within the team

Budgets:

• Assist the Head of Income and Engagement with the preparation of budgets
• Responsible for the management of specific project or campaign budgets,
• ensuring costs are always monitored and income targets are met (where appropriate)

Internal and external event delivery:

• Support delivery of internal events, to budget and in a timely manner, including
• liaison with suppliers, and attendees
• Build partnerships and attend external events to represent Fresh Futures and raise awareness of the charity
• Support delivery of internal events, to budget and in a timely manner, including liaison with suppliers, speakers and attendees
• Oversee event budgets as directed by the Head of Income and Engagement

Volunteer delivery:

• Design and deliver presentations to third-sector organisations, businesses, and universities to showcase and promote Fresh Futures
• Work with the leadership team in supporting Fresh Futures’ vision for the future and create appropriate volunteering opportunities to support the vision and strategy moving forward

Discrete project and campaign delivery:

• Manage key fundraising projects or campaigns in a timely manner
• Oversee budgets and meet income targets, where appropriate
• Manage junior staff members or temp workers to deliver projects or campaigns effectively and within the designated timescale
• Develop and deliver fundraising campaigns or projects using appropriate project management tools, including but not limited to the CRM system

Strategy:

• Support the Head of Income and Engagement and the SLT in developing the
• strategic direction for the Income and Engagement team
• Work within the team to delivery the Income and Engagement Strategy
• Manage junior members of the team to deliver key aspects of the strategy as identified to sit within their remit

Knowledge, training and experience required

• Experience working within the voluntary sector generating income and running fundraising campaigns
• Experience of Canva, CRM systems, social media scheduling platforms useful
• Knowledge of a range of fundraising approaches and marketing techniques
• Experience working with a range of external partners including from the commercial sector

Key personal characteristics

• Flexible and reliable
• Team player
• Target driven
• Ability to work in a busy and fast paced environment independently

It’s an exciting time to join St Elizabeth Hospice as we shape our future and make plans to deepen our impact. We’re building on strong foundations as we roll out an ambitious new income generation and engagement strategy.

We’re looking for a passionate and purpose-driven leader to take on the role of Associate Director of Fundraising & Supporter Engagement. You’ll be someone who can help us grow our income and connect even more deeply with the people and communities who make our work possible.

Working as part of our Senior Management Team, and reporting to the Director of Income Generation & Marketing, you’ll play a key role in shaping our strategic direction. You’ll lead with heart and purpose, supporting and motivating a dedicated team of staff, while ensuring every supporter feels valued and connected to the hospice.

From individual giving to legacy fundraising, community events to corporate partnerships – you’ll oversee all our fundraising income streams and build long-term supporter engagement. You’ll champion creativity, collaboration and data-led decision-making in order to drive continuous improvement and sustainable growth.

Students’ Union UCL is an organisation that exists to make more happen. We are the representative body for University College London’s (UCL) students, one of the most diverse student communities in the world. UCL students have the potential to do anything, and the Union plays an essential role in helping them to achieve things they may have never thought possible. As a charity we employ over 130 career staff and over 250 part-time student staff, and deliver a wide range of services and representative functions for students. We work in partnership with UCL towards a fantastic experience for all of our 48,000 students and to ensure that university life enables them to develop the skills, experience and confidence to become the leaders of the future.

Our vision is of an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s groundbreaking Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work.

The role is a full time and permanent contract. This role is based at our UCL East campus with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office). We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible, and job share basis wherever possible. 

The post-holder will support the day-to-day operations of activity at the UCL East Campus, help other Union departments in the activity they run at UCL East and support our team with social media, events and student engagement initiatives on the campus 

Do you have experience in event and social media support? Do you enjoy working with students and creating an exceptional experience for them? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you!

Our ideal candidate will have some basic event and social media knowledge, excellent administrative capabilities and should be comfortable supporting student staff.

Two Saints

Head of Governance and Company Secretary

£50,200 pa

South East

Having adopted a new and ambitious strategy, and embarked on a period of transformational change, Two Saints are now looking to ensure they are in the strongest position to deliver their vision in what are difficult times. This vision is ‘to be a safety net for people in tough times and the springboard to a brighter future.’

These are challenging times for our sector - but we like a challenge and are determined to remain financially strong whilst meeting our regulatory and governance requirements, so we can continue to support our clients and be a springboard to a brighter future. Which is where this role comes in!

Applicants for this newly-created role will be professionally qualified and ideally bring experience in the social housing sector or similar – but we’re most interested in what you can bring to our team.  You’ll be working for an agile, well regarded organisation and we’re always busy, so your energy and enthusiasm will count for a lot.

Closing date 5pm Monday 28th July 2025

At Penarth Methodist Church we have a thriving range of work wth Children , Young People and Families to bring the good news of Jesus through friendship and fun . As Children and Families worker you will play an important part in developng this vision, building on our exisitng ministry by :

• Encouraging and supporting those children and families aready part of the church and those loosley connected with it
• Supporting and developing our Messy Church,Toddler Group,Boys Brigade and Junior Church 
• Engaging with parents of younger children locally to serve their needs and introduce them to the church family here.

To achieve this you will support those carers with particular needs , promote social activities for carers and families , use social media to  promote  the profile of those church groups, develop links with local primary schools, and work with other local church colleagues 

We want to hear from you if you are a committed Christian exerienced in working with Children and Families  and with a background in Children,Families, Youth or Community work .

Job Details 

Hours - between 15 to 20 hours per week .( Typically 4 or 5  x 3 hour sessions per week plus 2 Sunday mornings per month  with  up to 6 Saturdays per year . We recognise that our ideal candidate may have  other responsibilities &commitments so   some  flexibility is possible  about  total hours and when they are worked.)

Pay Currently £14.72 per hour ( £11482 - £15310 dependent on hours worked). This will be reviewed each  November as we are committed to raising pay rates in line with increases in the Real Living Wage.

Work Base Penarth Methodist Church,  CF642EX. Some home working allowed. 

Pension  Contributory pension scheme  6%

Annual  Leave  28 Days includng statutory Public Holidays 

Appointment - Subject to satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure and references 

Closing date for applications  12 noon on Friday 4 July  .We anticipate conducting interviews  during the period 10th - 14th July 

About UP

Unlocking Potential deliver high performing therapeutic programmes and education provision for children and young people with SEMH needs. We work in collaboration with families, communities, and other partners to ensure that children and young people access the interventions they need to thrive.

Mission

We work collaboratively with communities to enable children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs to unlock their full potential

Values

Trust

We build trust by being honest, transparent, and accountable in the way we work with children and young people, staff, and partners and by providing services and programmes whose outcomes are measurable and evidenced based.

Collaborative

Relationships are at the heart of our work. We prioritise communication and collaboration with partners, families, and communities, believing that by working together we create more effective and holistic outcomes for children and young people.

Empowering

We co-create opportunities for our children, young people, parents/carers and staff to actively participate in decision-making that influences change. We promote the voices of children and young people in our organisation and the wider community.

Nurturing

We provide a nurturing approach based on safety and space for creativity, exploration, and growth. We support and care for our children, young people, and staff to realise their potential.

Impact

We are committed to measuring our impact through a data driven method to develop our programmes and make a greater difference to the lives of children, young people, and their parents and carers.

Overview

We will be launching our new programme from September 2025, initially as a pilot working with families across Wandsworth, with aims to be able to expand and continue beyond this.

As a Family Support Worker, you will deliver flexible, hands-on, and therapeutically minded support to families facing multiple and complex challenges. You will build trusted relationships through home visits, school meetings, and practical support—empowering parents and carers to strengthen routines, manage behaviour, improve attendance, and access services. Your role will be guided by detailed needs assessments and focused on achieving meaningful outcomes with each family.

Lead Youth Worker

Do you believe in inclusion, empowerment, and the power of fun? Are you a natural leader who’s passionate about supporting young people with disabilities and/or autism to thrive?

We’re looking for a friendly, motivated, hands-on Lead Youth Worker to join our exciting Youth Groups project, supporting young people aged 7–19 in small and large group settings.

Position: Lead Youth Worker

Salary: £24,000 or £24,500 - £25,175 depending on experience FTE

Location: Peterborough

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, 30+ hours would be considered for the right candidate (Saturday availability will be required)

Contract: Permanent

About the Role

This is a brilliant opportunity to make a real impact, lead creative and therapeutic activities, and grow within a supportive organisation that values your energy and ideas.

As Lead Youth Worker you’ll:

• Lead and inspire a team of youth workers in a group setting
• Take the lead in sessions, helping to plan and deliver inclusive, creative, and engaging activities
• Deputise for the Manager when needed, supporting with project development and delivery
• Ensure safety and wellbeing of children and young people at all times
• Build positive relationships with young people, families, and professionals
• Keep clear records, contribute to person-centred plans, and help report progress and stories of change
• Represent the organisation at meetings with families, professionals, commissioners, and trustees
• Be hands-on, fun, and proactive, always ready to try something new!

About You

We are looking for someone who is:

• A natural people person– friendly, approachable, empathetic, with a great sense of humour
• Organised and reliable- good time-keeping and communication skills are a must
• Experienced in working with disabled young people or those with learning difficulties/autism
• A confident team player, who also works well independently
• Flexible, fun, and up for a challenge!
• Passionate about inclusion and supporting every young person to thrive

You should also have:

• A Level 3 or above qualification in Health and Social Care (or related field)
• Experience of safeguarding children and vulnerable people
• A good level of computer literacy and confident written communication
• Willingness to undertake an Enhanced DBS check

Why Join The Team?

• Supportive and passionate team who care about what they do
• A role full of variety, creativity, and opportunity
• Regular training and development opportunities
• A growing organisation where your ideas are valued
• Chance to really make a difference in young people’s lives, and have fun while doing it!

About the Organisation

The charity is a UK-wide voluntary organisation based in Warwickshire, dedicated to building inclusive communities founded on justice, advocacy, empowerment, and friendship. They specialise in supporting individuals of all ages who are isolated or at risk of exclusion, pioneering Circles of Support, Independent and Collective Advocacy, Person-Centred Planning, and full participation in mainstream life.

Other roles you may have experience of could include: Senior Youth Worker, Youth Services Coordinator, Youth Program Manager, Youth Engagement Lead, Youth Development Officer, Youth Work Team Leader, Youth Services Supervisor, Youth Projects Lead, Youth Work Coordinator. #INDNFP

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

Students’ Union UCL is an organisation that exists to make more happen. We are the representative body for University College London’s (UCL) students, one of the most diverse student communities in the world. UCL students have the potential to do anything, and the Union plays an essential role in helping them to achieve things they may have never thought possible. As a charity we employ over 130 career staff and over 250 part-time student staff, and deliver a wide range of services and representative functions for students. We work in partnership with UCL towards a fantastic experience for all of our 48,000 students and to ensure that university life enables them to develop the skills, experience and confidence to become the leaders of the future.

Our vision is of an outstanding experience for all UCL students and to be one of the best students’ unions in the UK and the world.

It's an exciting time to join our growing organisation as we lead the delivery of UCL’s ground-breaking Student Life Strategy. This is enabling us to build more programmes to improve students’ mental and physical wellbeing, promote genuine equity for all, build students’ skills and confidence, develop their international connections and intercultural skills, and make a real contribution to our local community.

We support hybrid working. Excellent benefits including defined benefit pension scheme and generous holiday entitlement. We are proud of high levels of staff engagement and pride ourselves on being a great place to work.

The role is a full time and permanent contract. This role is based at our UCL East campus with occasional working at Canary Wharf when required with flexibility to work from home on a 40/60 basis (40% working from the office). We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible, and job share basis wherever possible. 

We are looking for a School of Management Coordinator to drive student engagement and community enhancement at our expanding Canary Wharf Campus.
 

The post-holder will coordinate union-led activity at the SoM in Canary Wharf, supporting other departments in the activity they run and running engaging and relevant activities for SoM students. The post-holder will also support the UCL East Manager in undertaking continual research into activities and tracking engagement with activities on the campus.

Do you have experience in creating and supporting student communities? Do you enjoy running fun events for students and creating an exceptional experience for them? If the answer is yes, then we want to hear from you!

Our ideal candidate will have some event-management experience, excellent communication capabilities and should be comfortable and experienced in engaging with students.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated, compassionate individual with a passion for social justice to make a real difference in our local community. Reporting to the Trustee Board, this role will be responsible for the overall strategic direction, management and financial sustainability of Stratford-upon-Avon Foodbank. Leading our staff and volunteer team, to provide emergency food and practical support to those in crisis and, in the longer term, working with our partners to help us  realise our ambition to ensure everyone has enough money for the essentials, and to end the need for emergency food and foodbanks for good.

Role details:
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon (Hybrid – Fred Winter Centre + flexible/home working)
Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours/week
Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 (dependent on experience)
Contract:Permanent
Closing Date: 04 July 2025

Key responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of the Foodbank
• Manage staff and volunteers with empathy and professionalism
• Oversee budgeting, fundraising, and partnership development
• Champion our mission to reduce poverty and promote long-term support

You’ll bring:

• Proven senior management experience, in the charity sector
• Strong communication and leadership skills
• Financial and fundraising acumen
• A collaborative and values-led approach
• Passion for supporting people in crisis and tackling poverty

We offer:

• A meaningful role where your work has direct community impact
• 28 days holiday plus bank holidays
• 3% employer pension contribution

How to apply

To apply for the role, please complete the application form and a letter including: :

• Details of why you have applied for the role.
• Details on the qualities you possess which mean you would be an ideal candidate for the role, please refer to the person specification in our job description.

Details of where to send the application letter and application form can be found in the Job Description attached to this ad.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their sex; religious or similar philosophical belief; political opinion; race; age; sexual orientation. Please note we do not provide VISA sponsorship and unfortunately, we cannot employ you if you do not have the right to work in the UK.

The Youth Endowment Fund 

Research Lead –Local Violence Prevention

Reports to: Head of Guidance and Reporting

Salary: £55,000

Contract: 2 years fixed term 

Location: Central London, Hybrid* 

Closing date: Tuesday 15th July at 12pm

Interviews: Week commencing 28th July 2025

About the Youth Endowment Fund 

We exist to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.

Last year, 244 people in England and Wales tragically died after being assaulted with a knife. Of these, 32 were children. Every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to protect them. Even when violence doesn’t strike directly, we know that the fear of violence has a terrible effect on children’s lives.

At the Youth Endowment Fund, we are working to create lasting change. To succeed, we must build a world-leading body of knowledge on the violence that affects young people and how it can be stopped. This means producing rigorous, relevant evidence — through synthesis, data analysis and in-depth research into young people’s lives. But knowledge alone isn’t enough. We must make it accessible and actionable: showing what works, how services need to change, and how the systems around them must adapt. And we must partner with the people who can make change happen — across policy, practice and local systems — to turn evidence into impact.

About the role

The Research Lead will lead the development of YEF’s research, resources and recommendations in our neighbourhood focus sector.

We focus our efforts on seven essential sectors: education, policing, youth justice, youth sector, children’s services, health, and neighbourhood. “Neighbourhood” refers to our work supporting local partnerships – such as Violence Reduction Units (VRUs), community safety partnerships or the new Prevention Partnerships - and hyper-local approaches like our neighbourhood fund. 

Their primary responsibility will be to develop a series of actionable and evidence-informed guidance and resources for use by local violence prevention partnerships. This will include self-assessment tools for partnerships to assess their effectiveness, tools for understanding the nature of local violence problems and how they could be solved, and resources to support partnerships to identify and safeguard vulnerable children. Creating these resources will require the Research Lead to collect insights and evidence from across YEF’s work and develop YEF positions on fundamental questions about violence prevention. If successful, the Research Lead could have an outsized impact on YEF’s strategy and mission.  

These resources will support YEF colleagues to deliver our new ‘Area Leaders Programme’ (ALP). This is a new programme which you will help form. It helps local multi-agency partnerships to find and implement the best ways to prevent violence. YEF is working directly with partnerships, providing high-quality professional development, tailored advice and support, system mapping, and a national community of practice. The ALP focuses on strengthening five key elements of effective violence reduction:

1. Building strong and accountable partnerships
2. Understanding local patterns of violence
3. Identifying and supporting children most at risk
4. Improving safety in high-risk places
5. Sharing best practice across agencies

Following a pilot in four areas in 2024/25, the programme will expand to 20 more areas over the next two years. This will lay the groundwork for wider national initiatives, such as the Young Futures Prevention Partnerships, and support implementation of the Serious Violence Duty. The Research Lead will develop resources and guidance for the ALP. As the programme is delivered iteratively, they will work closely with YEF programme leads and local partnerships to test, refine, and improve materials before wider rollout.

The Research Lead will be part of YEF’s Research team. The Research team is at the heart of our efforts to learn what works and put it into practice. We do this by developing the YEF’s funding strategy and creating free, highly accessible research summaries and actionable recommendations for policy makers, commissioners and practitioners. We’re a high-performing team which values intellectual rigour and getting to the truth, compassion for children, ambition about what we can achieve and humility about what we know. We love to discuss the latest developments in research methods, but we’re not just interested in research for its own sake. We want research to lead to actual changes in outcomes for children.

Key responsibilities

The Research Lead will develop a portfolio of impactful projects.

· You’ll lead the research team’s work in our local neighbourhoods and partnerships priority sector. You’ll become the YEF’s expert in this area. You’ll make sure we understand the key issues, stay on top of the latest research and are connected to the right people.

· You’ll ensure we produce accessible, evidence-based resources and guidance that local partnerships can use to develop more effective strategies. You’ll work with YEF colleagues to test, refine, and improve materials before wider rollout

· You’ll set the YEF’s research agenda for your sector. You’ll make sure we invest in research that fills important gaps in knowledge and leads to important changes. You’ll ensure that our strategy and decision-making are informed by the best available research. This is a great opportunity to influence large amounts of funding and direct it towards the most impactful projects.

· You’ll develop great relationships with experts and represent YEF in external meetings and events. You’ll promote evidence-based policy and practice by speaking at conferences and events.

· You’ll lead the development of evidence-based recommendations in your focus area. You’ll draw on research and expert insight to identify potential changes to policy and practice. You’ll design and develop innovative and impactful resources which support the application of your recommendations.

· You’ll take on other responsibilities appropriate to your role. This could include leading the publication of YEF’s evaluation reports or writing ad hoc briefings and evidence summaries for the Government and other partners.

About You

You are this sort of person:

· You want to play a significant part in reducing the level of violence affecting young people. You care about having an impact. This might mean you’ve worked directly with young people at risk of becoming involved in crime, for organisations that fund or deliver relevant programmes, or have conducted research on this topic.

· You share our belief that an evidence-based approach is our best hope of preventing violence. You’re fascinated by research, but you’re not just interested in research for its own sake. You want to achieve actual changes in outcomes for children.

· You know a lot about violence prevention, especially local partnerships and structures like VRUs or Community Safety Partnerships. You know the key ideas and debates, recent policy developments and key people. You’re comfortable talking about this topic with experts.  There are many ways to acquire this knowledge. You might have worked in a local authority or local violence prevention organisation, conducted research on them or learnt about them during a degree.

· You’re a confident reader of research and have strong critical appraisal skills. You know when research can be trusted and when it can’t and can confidently articulate your views on the strength of research. You might have gained this expertise through your academic studies, research or professional experience.

· You have at least three years’ experience working in a role that required you to think about research. This could include a range of roles in policy, academia, funding or practice.

· You write in a way that people easily understand. You have that rare skill of writing in plain English. You have experience of translating complex research findings into plain writing that everyone can understand.

· You have excellent project and time management skills. You can work independently, quickly and to a high standard. You have experience of managing contractors or budgets.

· You are good with people. You’re comfortable working with a wide range of people, including senior academics and other research experts, children and their families, practitioners and policy makers. You’re able to provide constructive challenges when required.

· You learn fast but remain humble. You like learning. You’re very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know and that you can always learn more.

· You work well in a team. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You support your colleagues to produce excellent work.

· You’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. You believe and act in a way that celebrates and encourages a range of experiences, views and values.

While it’s not a criterion, we’re especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of youth violence. 

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background. 

Hybrid Working Details  

The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.

As part of our commitment to flexible working, we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.

To Apply 

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter, and complete the monitoring form click on "Apply for this" button by 12:00pm Tuesday 15th July 2025. 

When applying for this role, please ensure that your cover letter, within a maximum of 1000 words, covers the following questions below:

1. A clear example of a situation where you have translated research into actionable resources or recommendations.

2. A clear example of a situation where you’ve supported an external partner or colleague to apply research evidence to an important decision.

Interview Process 

Interviews will take place in the week commencing the 28th July 2025. 

There will be a task to prepare for in advance. 

PLEASE NOTE: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK. 

Benefits Include 

• £1,000 professional development budget annually 

• 28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

• Four half days for volunteering activities

• Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support • Volunteering days - 4 half days per year

• Death in service - 4 times annual salary

• Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm

• Financial support including travel and hardship loans

• Employer contributed pension of 5% 

Personal Data   

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.