Autism jobs in Birmingham, west midlands

Help us protect the legal rights of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and strengthen SEND Support in law

Job title: Head of Finance and Resources

Location: Home-based or Hybrid (with occasional travel to our office in Takeley, Essex, and other locations in England for events and meetings)

Reports to: Chief Executive

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Part-time (up to 28 hours per week considered)

Salary: £48,000 – £55,000 per annum (FTE, pro-rata for part-time)

Who we are

IPSEA is a national charity working to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive the educational support they are legally entitled to. Since we were formed in 1983, we have helped to improve the education experience of thousands of children and young people across England. We do this by providing free and independent legal advice and casework support for families, undertaking policy work and delivering training on the SEND legal framework.

What you’ll do

We are seeking a Head of Finance and Resources to provide strategic leadership and operational management across IPSEA’s finance, HR and Fundraising functions, ensuring the charity has robust financial management, effective systems, and sustainable infrastructure to deliver its mission. This role focuses on organisational management, financial integrity and coordination across functions, rather than providing specialist Fundraising or HR expertise.

This is a hands-on role. While the postholder leads on financial strategy, planning and control, they are also responsible for delivering key financial processes and day to day operations. The role oversees key organisational functions including HR and fundraising.

They line manage the Finance Administrator, HR Manager and Fundraising Manager, ensuring alignment, coordination and effective use of organisational resources across the organisation.

Professional expertise and delivery within HR and fundraising remain the responsibility of the relevant managers. The role does not carry responsibility for income generation targets but ensures robust financial and operational support for fundraising activity.

As Head of Finance and Resources, you will be responsible for:

• Financial systems, control and operations
• Financial reporting and Management Accounts
• Budgeting, forecasting and financial strategy
• Restricted funds, compliance and governance
• Fundraising and income support
• Leadership, resources and organisational operations

This role offers the opportunity to make a real difference as part of a small, friendly, and dedicated team. If you are passionate about helping children and young people with SEND and have the skills and experience needed, we would love to hear from you.

Who are we looking for?

You’ll need to be a fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent) with a strong understanding and experience of charity finance, SORP, compliance, risk management and governance.

Significantly experienced in charity finance and financial management or organisational resources, you will be able to prepare management accounts, budgets, forecasts and financial reports and support budgeting and longer-term financial planning.

You will have experience of managing and motivating staff while working with senior leadership teams and/or trustees.

You have strong organisational and analytical skills and can analyse financial information and translate it for non-financial stakeholders. Experience improving systems, processes or digital infrastructure would be preferred but is not essential.

It would be desirable if you had experience overseeing HR, fundraising or wider operational functions, or managing multi-disciplinary teams.

IPSEA should also reflect the communities we support. We would particularly like to hear from candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ people, under-served communities and disabled people, as well as those with lived experience of the SEND system, either as a child or as a parent/carer.

What we can offer you

• 5% employer pension contributions
• Healthcare cash plan
• Flexible working arrangements
• 5 weeks annual leave plus bank holidays and an additional day off for your birthday

To apply

Please visit our website to download a recruitment pack and application form. 

Deadline for applications: 9am on 15 June 2026

First-round interviews: week commencing 22 June 2026 in either London or our offices in Takeley (to be confirmed)

SEQF Employment Specialist

Birmingham, B24 8HZ

We are advertising for 3 roles (2 x Full Time, 1 x Part Time 0.5FTE)

Salary: £31817 per annum (pro rata for Part Time). Fixed Term Contract to 31.3.27.

Location: Gravelly Hill, Birmingham B24 8HZ

Benefits: 25 days holiday, pro-rata, 5.5% Employer Pension Contribution including Life Cover, Occupational Sick Pay Benefits & Enhanced Maternity, Adoption and Paternity Leave and Pay, plus more

Reporting to: Employability Manager

About FareShare Midlands

FareShare Midlands is the region’s largest food redistribution charity, tackling inequality, transforming lives and ensuring no good food goes to waste. We rescue surplus food and redistribute it to 650 local charities and community organisations, feeding 60,000 people every week. We also invest in communities, providing education, training and volunteering opportunities, helping over 700 individuals to date to build a better future. Together, we’re fighting hunger, reducing food waste and creating opportunities across the Midlands. Learn more here or read our latest Annual Report Snapshot here.

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced Supported Employment Specialist with a strong background in IPS (Individual Placement and Support) or SEQF (Supported Employment Quality Framework) models to join our team. The successful candidate will work directly with participants to help them identify, secure, and sustain competitive employment while building strong partnerships with employers and community support providers. This is a hands-on role that combines vocational coaching, employer engagement, and individualized support planning.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, recruit, and register eligible participants, conducting inductions and assessing individual employment barriers.
• Work with participants to develop personalized vocational profiles, action plans, and career goals.
• Deliver one-to-one and group coaching, employability workshops, and workplace skills training.
• Apply the SEQF supported employment model, guiding participants through all five stages to achieve and sustain competitive employment.
• Identify and develop relationships with local employers to create suitable, inclusive work opportunities.
• Negotiate reasonable adjustments, job carving, and return-to-work strategies with employers.
• Support employers to embed inclusive practices that meet business needs and participant goals.
• Maintain accurate records of participant progress, outcomes, and employer engagement in line with SEQF standards.
• Arrange access to training opportunities and develop partnerships with specialist support providers.
• Ensure all placements and employment opportunities comply with safeguarding, health, and safety requirements.

Essential Skills:

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience delivering one-to-one and group coaching or training sessions.
• Ability to assess understanding, adapt resources, and provide tailored guidance.
• Skilled at coaching, motivating, and inspiring participants to achieve employment goals.
• Experience supporting individuals with learning disabilities, autism, ADHD, or other employment barriers.
• Proven record in employer engagement and achieving positive participant outcomes.
• Knowledge and practical experience of SEQF or IPS supported employment frameworks.

Desirable Skills:

• Knowledge of the food industry and retail sector in the Midlands.
• Understanding of food waste and food poverty issues.
• Level 3 IAG (Information, Advice, and Guidance) in Employability.
• Understanding of welfare benefits.

How to Apply:

If you would like to apply for this role, please create a supporting statement to demonstrate your suitability and to explain your interest in both the job and FareShare Midlands. Please send your supporting statement with a copy of your CV.

We continue to strive to ensure that the profile of our staff and volunteers reflects the diverse communities we serve across the Midlands. As such we encourage and welcome applications from all our communities. We particularly welcome applications from people from ethnically diverse backgrounds as they are currently under-represented within FareShare Midlands.

Closing date for applications is Wednesday 3rd June 2026

We are currently seeking a freelance Social Media Manager who thrives on working on initiative, in an exciting and engaging environment. The post holder will manage our active channels: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. With input from our small cross-functional team, we are seeking someone to draft text and create content (including video and reels) for our audiences, which are made up of families living with Dravet Syndrome, health and care professionals and researchers. We use Canva for design.

You’ll post and schedule (using Hootsuite) dynamic, engaging and creative content, helping to amplify the voices and stories of our community. This includes sharing a range of updates, from family events to scientific developments; promoting the services that Dravet Syndrome UK provides to its beneficiaries; and supporting fundraising activities.

You will contribute to reporting, use findings to impact future content, keep up with social media trends and identify improvements to reach new audiences. At the moment, our content is mostly organic, but from time to time, there may be a budget to get involved in paid-for campaigns.

This role offers the opportunity to use your skills to amplify stories that genuinely matter: from sharing the latest research to helping a family feel less alone. In a small team (8 people), your contribution is visible and valued. Our dedicated team is deeply connected to our core audience, and their motivation stems from witnessing our profound impact on people's lives. Working alongside inspiring families, you'll see first-hand the incredible love and dedication they have. 

We offer flexible, remote working and a supportive environment. Join us today and contribute to making a lasting difference in the lives of those we support.

We are seeking applicants with the following essential and desirable skills: 

Essential

·Demonstrable experience in implementing digital communications activities, including experience across a range of social media platforms

·Demonstrable experience of working in charity, patient advocacy or healthcare sectors 

·Ability to deal with people at all levels with empathy, tact and credibility

·Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to distil large amounts of information and present it in engaging and innovative ways for a variety of audiences 

·Demonstrable design skills and knowledge of desktop publishing software e.g. using Canva to create in-house designs for social media

·Good understanding of brand, visual identity and corporate communication

·Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritise

·Be a self-starter and team player with experience of remote working, and able to work effectively with colleagues using remote technology (e.g. Zoom, Google meets, etc)

Desirable

·Experience using Hootsuite or similar scheduling and social media management platforms

·Video and reels creation skills, including basic editing

·Experience of paid social media campaigns (Meta, LinkedIn)

·Familiarity with analytics tools and translating data into actionable insights

·Basic knowledge of SEO and how social content supports wider digital presence

·Experience working with or for small charities or membership organisations

About Dravet Syndrome

Dravet Syndrome UK (DSUK) is a small independent UK charity dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by Dravet Syndrome. Dravet Syndrome is a rare neurological condition that affects around one in every 15,000 people in the UK. As well as experiencing severe, difficult-to-control seizures, children and adults with Dravet Syndrome have varying degrees of intellectual disability and a spectrum of associated conditions (known as ‘comorbidities’), which may include autism, ADHD, behaviours that challenge and difficulties with speech, mobility, eating and sleep. 

About Dravet Syndrome UK

The charity was founded in 2009 by a small group of 30 families. Today, DSUK is a registered charity helping approximately 600 families with support, education, and research programmes, underpinned by a world-class Medical Advisory Board. 

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a covering letter indicating why you are interested in applying for this role and how you meet the selection criteria. 

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help make the application process work for you

The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 9th June 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to take part in an online (virtual) interview later in June. 

Our commitment to diversity

As part of our ambitions to improve equality and diversity, we welcome applications for this role from those who identify under any of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, which include race, age, disability, gender, religion or belief, and sexual orientation.