For over 60 years the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) has been building a better childhood for all.
Research and Development Officer
Contract: Permanent
Work Pattern: Part Time, 28 hours per week (0.8 FTE)
Salary: £27,526 per annum, with annual salary increments for the first three years
Location: Homebased – however NCB and RiP has offices in Sheffield, Newton Abbot and Belfast that staff can work from should they choose.
The Vacancy
For over 20 years, Research in Practice has been at the forefront of supporting evidence-informed practice in adult social care. We are now looking for a passionate and experienced Research and Development Officer to join our adults’ team.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a skilled facilitator with strong experience in adult social care (or a related sector, e.g. housing, homelessness, mental health or criminal justice) who is motivated to make a real impact. While the role requires a solid understanding of research and its application, it is not a primary research post—instead, the focus is on translating evidence into meaningful learning and development opportunities.
You will play a key role in designing and delivering high-quality learning experiences, including programmes, full-day workshops, webinars, and events, working with diverse audiences such as senior leaders and practitioners.
What you’ll be doing
- Designing and delivering engaging learning and development activities for a range of audiences
- Translating complex research, policy, and legal frameworks into accessible, practical learning
- Developing high-quality outputs (e.g. publications, tools, and learning resources)
- Building strong relationships with stakeholders and supporting collaborative projects
- Managing multiple projects effectively in a varied and fast-paced environment
About you
We are looking for someone who brings:
- In-depth knowledge of adult social care, or related sectors such as criminal justice, housing and homelessness, or mental health
- Experience in facilitation and delivering learning, including workshops and webinars
- A strong understanding of research, policy, and practice frameworks
- Skills in knowledge mobilisation, with a passion for co-production and evidence implementation
- Proven experience in relationship management
- Excellent communication skills, including confident public speaking
- The ability to manage competing priorities and work flexibly (including occasional travel and overnight stays)
Research in Practice
Research in Practice is part of the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) family. For over 60 years, the NCB has been building a better childhood for all.
Research in Practice works with organisations across the adults and children’s social care, health and criminal justice sectors, supporting them to develop an evidence-informed approach to their work. Our focus is on using evidence from research, practice and lived experience, to provide resources that improve policy and services, in order to achieve positive outcomes for people of all ages.
About NCB
For more than 60 years, the National Children’s Bureau has championed the rights and amplified the voice of children and young people in the UK. We interrogate policy and uncover evidence, blending in lived and learnt experience to shape future legislation and develop more effective ways of supporting children and families.
Bringing people and organisations together is fundamental to how we improve the systems that babies, children, young people and their families rely on to thrive. We push boundaries, even looking beyond childhood itself to consider transitions into adulthood and the impact of childhood issues on an entire lifespan. We are united for better childhoods and brighter futures.
The Benefits
- 30 Days Annual Leave
- Generous Pension Scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Flexible Working
- Winter Holiday Closure & Break
Employee Assistance Programme
Closing date: 8am, Friday 10th July 2026
Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to submit their applications as soon as possible .
Interested?
If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.
We are actively seeking to broaden the diversity of our staff group and warmly welcome applications from candidates underrepresented in the charity sector, including those from Black and Global Majority communities, disabled people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with lived experience of the issues NCB works on.
No agencies please.
The Hainault Forest Visitor Centre Assistant is an integral part of the team delivering a welcoming and memorable experience for visitors to Hainault Forest. Working in the Woodland Trust’s visitor centre, the role will assist with retail operations, provide excellent customer service, support various visitor engagement activities, and promote ways that visitors can support our cause - including Woodland Trust membership. This role contributes to enhancing the visitor experience while supporting the Woodland Trust’s mission. Our work at Hainault Forest is delivered in partnership with London Borough of Redbridge and Vision RCL.
The Role:
- Provide a warm, welcoming experience for visitors by sharing information about the forest, facilities, activities, and key site features, and responding to general enquiries.
- Promote the Trust’s membership offer and actively encourage sign-ups as part of the visitor experience.
- Support the delivery of events such as local walks workshops, often with children on an occasional basis.
- Work as part of the Visitor Centre team to manage building operations, including opening and closing procedures, upkeep of shared spaces, and handling financial transactions and cashing up.
- Deliver high-quality retail service, including operating the till efficiently, maintaining the retail area to a high standard, restocking and rotating stock, and ensuring strong visual merchandising.
- Contribute to retail performance by supporting stock selection and stock level decisions, monitoring sales, and helping to develop the retail offer to maximise income generation at the forest.
- Provide occasional support with social media by creating content and posting on relevant platforms to help promote the site and its activities.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues, volunteers, and external partners, while following all health and safety procedures and adhering to data protection regulations when handling personal information
- This role will be based in the Hainault Forest Visitor Centre. You would be expected to live locally or within a reasonable travelling distance.
The Candidate:
- Experience working in a retail and/or customer-facing environment, with knowledge of point-of-sale (POS) systems, visual merchandising and stock management processes.
- Ability to manage your own time effectively within agreed working hours, balancing multiple tasks and priorities.
- Comfortable working independently using your own initiative, while also being a reliable and collaborative team member.
- Strong communication skills, able to engage confidently and appropriately with a range of audiences including children and young people.
- A basic understanding of health and safety practices relevant to public-facing environments.
- Confident using MS Office applications, including Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook.
- A welcoming, organised, reliable, and passionate approach, with a genuine enthusiasm for nature and a desire to connect people with Hainault Forest and the Woodland Trust’s mission.
- Willingness to learn about Hainault Forest and the Woodland Trust, and subject to pre-employment checks including right-to-work, references and an enhanced DBS check.
- The successful candidate will be required to be over the age of 18 and required to undertake an Enhanced Background Check, as part of our pre-employment screening.
Benefits and Wellbeing:
Joining our team means you’ll be a big part of tackling environmental and climate issues. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:
- Enhanced Employer Pension
- Life Assurance
- Flexible & Hybrid Working Options
- Generous Annual Leave - 25 Days Plus Bank Holidays (pro rata’d for part-time)
- Buy and Sell Holiday Scheme
- Enhanced Parental Pay
- Employee Assistance Programme
About Us:
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity. We want to see a world where trees and woods thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make their difference tackling the nature and climate crisis helping protect, restore and create our vital woods and trees.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
To achieve our vision of a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. All people, no matter their background, identity, ability, or circumstance, should benefit from trees.
People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.
Please contact us to discuss any additional support or adjustments you may need to complete your application.
Application Advice:
For fairness we keep our candidates’ personal details hidden from the hiring managers, and CVs are redacted until after shortlisting is complete. Make sure that your Personal Statement clearly shows how your skills and knowledge link to the specifications in the job description and you share with us your passion for the role. Even if you don't meet every requirement of the role, we would encourage you to apply.
Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications-for example, to help structure or edit written responses. We welcome the use of AI in this way, particularly where it helps improve accessibility, such as for neurodivergent applicants. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.
Apply Now:
If you're ready to make a difference and grow with us, send in your application today. We might close the job opening early if we get a lot of applications, so it's a good idea to apply soon. If we do close the advert early, and you have an application in process, we will email you prior to closing to give you time to complete.
Interviews will take place at the Hainault Forest Visitor Centre.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.