Carers support officer jobs

About us

Join our team at the MPS Society, one of the leading rare genetic disease charities in the UK aiming to transform the lives of individuals and their families affected by MPS, Fabry and other related lysosomal diseases.  This is a rare opportunity to join our Support & Communities teams who provide direct support, practical guidance and other patient focused activities to over 1500 members and their families, UK-wide. 

Our Support Team raise awareness both within the MPS community and external agencies, offering information, advice, support, and advocacy in a range of areas including clinical management, health and social care, housing, education, transition, independent living, palliative care, and bereavement.  

Ideal candidate

As a Senior Support Officer, you will primarily be responsible for raising awareness and providing a high-quality support and advocacy service to our members and their families.   You will be a relationship builder who cares about the community we serve and ensures that the individual (or family) remains at the centre of support.  You will have experience in multi-agency working and an in-depth understanding of the needs of those with disabilities, their families and carers.  Demonstrable experience and knowledge of health and social care, education and relevant assessment processes are essential. 

As deputy safeguarding lead officer for both shildren and vulnerable adults you will take the lead in the absence of the safeguarding leads and be confident sharing your knowledge with new recruits through mentoring.

You will have excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to uphold best practice, challenge poor policy and inappropriate decisions.  Excellent IT skills and the ability to plan, prioritise and deliver to tight timescales are essential.  You will be self-motivated and highly organised, juggling many strands of work. 

As part of a small, dedicated team, you will have a positive attitude and a willingness to work collaboratively with your colleagues and external parties to raise awareness, advocate for our membership, as well as supporting the delivery and development of services for the MPS Society community.

Whilst a relevant qualification within health & social care, education or a related field is desirable, other knowledge and work experiences may be equally as valuable in this role. Prior knowledge of MPS and related conditions is not required however a special interest in neurology and working with individuals with neurological disabilities is advantageous.  In-depth support and training to develop expertise in MPS and related conditions, and the needs of those affected by these progressive, life-limiting conditions will be provided.   

What we can offer you

Join us and you will be working for a caring charity offering:

• A competitive salary
• Generous annual leave of 25 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part time hours)
• Extra leave between Christmas and the New Year
• Pension
• Life assurance (subject to the conditions of the scheme)
• Employee assistance programme offering support 24/7

Further information

The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the UK.

This is a full-time role (35 hrs per week) however part time hours, with a minimum of 28 hrs per week may be agreed for the right candidate.  Salary will be pro-rata for part-time.

The main duties, responsibilities and essential requirements of this role can be viewed on the attached job description.

This is an essential car user post. The applicant must hold a current UK driver’s licence, with no more than 6 points, have access to a car and be able and willing to drive UK wide as required.

This role is offered on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in our Amersham office each week. As part of the role, UK wide travel is necessary. This may on occasion include early morning and/or evening working and sometimes overnight stays.  You may also occasionally be required to attend evening or weekend conferences and events. We have policies in place to ensure that any unsociable hours worked are fairly compensated.

We encourage candidates to visit the MPS Society website to learn more about us and the community we serve.  Alternatively, if you would like an informal chat about the role or the work of the MPS Society, please contact Bethanie Pentecost.

Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)

The MPS Society is a charity that provides a range of care, support and activities for children and adults at risk throughout the UK. This is provided through our dedicated support and advocacy service, telephone helpline, clinical research, online activities and forums, annual events, patient expert meetings, focus groups and conferences.  MPS staff, trustees and volunteers may be asked to be involved in the delivery of its regulated services and activities. 

This post is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.  Due to the sensitive nature of the duties undertaking, the post holder will be expected to undertake a DBS check as part of the recruitment process and for this to be reviewed on a regular basis. 

Next steps: 

Applications:  Please provide your CV and a supporting statement (maximum 750 words) outlining your understanding of how rare, complex and progressive conditions such as Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), including their neurological impacts, can affect individuals and families across the life course. In your response, please describe the experience, skills and approaches you have developed that would support you to carry out the Senior Support Officer role, including (where relevant) supporting people with complex needs, working across health, education and social care systems, and providing advice, advocacy or casework support.

Kindly note, applications received without a supporting statement will not be considered. 

Closing Date:   Whilst we have an initial closing date of 20th March, we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview and assessment.

1st interviews:  Initial virtual interviews will be held end March/early April.

2nd interviews: Final face-to-face interviews and assessments will be held on 16th & 17th April at MPS House, Amersham.

This is an exciting role in our committed policy team leading the fight to end child poverty in the UK. The government has just published a UK wide cross-government child poverty strategy, and made some historic commitments to reduce child poverty including scrapping the two-child limit and expanding free school meals in England. However, there is more to do, and this is a great time to join CPAG as we look to monitor the impact of these changes and influence policy makers and parliamentarians to ensure child poverty is high up the agenda.

We are looking for someone with a track record of communicating complex policy areas in an accessible manner to a range of non-specialist audiences. You will have knowledge of parliamentary processes and the different advocacy levers that can be used to influence change. You will enjoy working collaboratively to identify policy issues and develop solutions, working closely with colleagues across the organisation as well as externally.

In addition, in a senior policy officer we are looking for someone to take a lead role in developing CPAG’s policy and research programme, including leading the delivery of research projects, helping to shape our press and campaigns work, and contributing to the development of future projects including fundraising.

You will have a track record of producing high quality research and analysis, including policy briefings, on social policy issues.

The postholder will be working in a fast moving, high profile and complex policy environment and will need to balance short term priorities with long term objectives. Current priorities include influencing the implementation of the forthcoming child poverty strategy, sharing analysis and expertise as part of the DWP’s review of universal credit, and monitoring the development of the green paper on the changes to disability benefits. 

We welcome applications from individuals with the skills and experience outlined and we can be flexible about working arrangements, including considering part time hours. We operate a hybrid working system and would be happy to discuss any flexibilities required. CPAG is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion which you can read more about in the job pack.

Please note we are recruiting for one person with the right fit at either the policy officer or senior policy officer level.

For more information about this post and to apply download the (Senior) Policy Officer job pack.

If you have questions or need specific arrangements or reasonable adjustments to take part in the selection process please contact us.

Closing date for applications: Monday 16 March (midnight)

Interviews will be held in London w/c 23 March.

Join Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind and play a vital role in growing the support that makes life-changing mental health services possible. This is a unique opportunity to use your fundraising skills to make a genuine difference in local communities.

We are looking for a motivated and relationship-focused Fundraising Officer to join our team on a 12-month maternity cover contract. In this role, you will help generate sustainable income to support our mission of ensuring that nobody has to face a mental health problem alone. You will work closely with supporters, partners, and the wider community to develop and deliver engaging fundraising activities that inspire long-term support.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys building meaningful relationships, delivering creative campaigns, and seeing the tangible impact of their work.

What you will be doing:
You will plan and deliver a range of fundraising activities, including community fundraising, corporate partnerships, and trust and foundation applications. You will help develop campaigns, support fundraising events, and identify new income opportunities to help us grow and diversify our funding.

You will build strong relationships with donors, volunteers, and partners, ensuring they feel valued, informed, and inspired to continue supporting our work. You will also support fundraising events, maintain accurate records on our CRM system, and help track and report on fundraising performance.

Why join Swindon and Gloucestershire Mind?
You will be part of a supportive, values-driven organisation making a real difference to people experiencing mental health challenges. Your work will directly contribute to sustaining and expanding services that empower individuals and strengthen communities.

We offer a flexible, part-time role with the opportunity to shape fundraising activity, develop your skills, and work alongside a passionate and collaborative team.

Who we are looking for:
We are seeking someone who is proactive, organised, and confident in building relationships. You will have experience in fundraising or income generation and a genuine passion for supporting mental health and community wellbeing.

You will be a strong communicator, able to engage supporters and partners effectively, and motivated by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful, lasting impact.

Young Carers Service Manager role

An opportunity is available to help make life better for carers 

Hours - 30 hours per week (including occasional evenings/weekends)

Salary: £36,000 FTE per annum (£28,800 actual)

This is an opportunity to lead a passionate, skilled team and shape services that genuinely change lives by supporting the Young Carers in our region.

Are you self-motivated, organised, empathetic, able to work collaboratively and autonomously, passionate about supporting young people, able to influence strategic development and able to think on your feet then you might want to consider joining a small team of like-minded people.

Our charity, Carers Support, works across Bristol and South Gloucestershire to support unpaid family carers who are supporting their loved ones at home.

We currently have a vacancy in our Young Carers Service Team to support the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team and lead the Young Carers Service. This is a senior role that requires managerial experience, an understanding of the youth sector, safeguarding, and the ability to work with different employed teams and volunteers.    

Main duties will include:

To:

· Be a member of the Senior Management team and actively participate in the overall strategic management and development of the organisation.

· Ensure that the strategic development of the young carer service is co-ordinated and services are delivered in line with funded contract and grant requirements, CSC's development plan and local and national strategies and priorities.

· Be responsible for the support, supervision, management and development of the Operational manager, Schools Development Officer and Engagement worker

· Be the Children and Young People’s Safeguarding lead, working in conjunction with the Adults Safeguarding lead and deputies.

· Ensure young carers voice leads service development internally and externally improving the identification and support for young carers across Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

· Ensure sustainability developing service plans and working with Fundraising manager to raise the funds to sustain services that meet young carers needs.

There’s lots more we could tell you, but why not apply and come and see for yourself.

Closing date for applications is 22nd March 2026 @ 12 noon with interviews on 8th April 2026.

Please visit our website for all the information you need  and details of how to apply.  All completed applications should be returned to our recruitment team.

If you would like to know more about this role, please email Joss Tagg, Young Carers Manager for further information.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer, and our workplace is free of barriers and fully accessible for people with disabilities. We are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults; from recruitment of staff through to supporting our team working with families and carers in crisis.

Registered Charity No: 1063226

Carers Together Foundation is an organisation dedicated to improving Carers’ quality f life. We listen to Carers, give them a voice, provide information, practical and emotional support and promote Carers’ rights across the South Tees area.

 We are seeking an experienced Carers Financial Wellbeing Officer to provide a range of information and support services to carers. The postholder will identify and support carers who are currently, or are at risk of, experiencing poverty or financial exclusion. The postholder will also provide specialist money management advice and support based on carers needs.

 To succeed in this role, applicants must have:

 · An understanding of the issues facing financially excluded people and the ability to work proactively to help resolve their financial situation.

· Experience of dealing with sensitive issues and of providing information and support to vulnerable people.

· Knowledge and experience of working in a health or social care setting.

 This role is based between our offices in Park View Medical Clinic, Middlesbrough and The Innovation Centre, Kirkleatham Business Park in Redcar and the postholder must be able to travel between the two sites, and to other locations in the community including the homes of clients.

Carers Together Foundation is an organisation dedicated to improving Carers’ quality of life. We listen to Carers, give them a voice, provide information, practical and emotional support and promote Carers’ rights across the South Tees area.

 We are seeking an experienced and motivated Executive Assistant to provide administrative support to the Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team.  The post holder will also work directly with colleagues across the organisation and the Board of Trustees.

 To succeed in this role, applicants will have experience of working to deadlines within an organisation, knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, strong verbal and written communication skills and excellent organisational skills.

 This role is based at our office in Redcar and Cleveland and the postholder will be required to travel to and from other community settings.

About Adolescent Health Study

The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) (Registered Charity Number 1213337) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people aged eight to 18 years from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records.

There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.

Purpose of the post

The Engagement and Involvement Officer will play a central role in supporting meaningful engagement and involvement of young people, families, schools and other interest-holders in the process of designing, delivering and ensuring the best outputs from the Adolescent Health Study.

Primarily, the postholder will be responsible for the stewardship and coordination of the AHS Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG). The post-holder will provide ongoing support to YPAG members to ensure their active participation in opportunities to inform and shape the work of AHS. This will include working closely with the adults in the YPAG members’ lives, including parents/carers, teachers and other relevant adults or professionals. The postholder will also be required to build positive working relationships with other organisations and institutions that work directly with young people. They will support the Engagement and Involvement Lead to develop mechanisms to reach wider and more diverse groups of young people to take part in engagement and involvement activities at AHS.  

This is a role that requires confidence, autonomy, enthusiasm and skill. The post-holder will be a strong advocate for children’s rights, have a sound working knowledge and understanding of safeguarding practices, and demonstrate experience of co-ordinating youth advisory groups, youth councils or similar.

Main responsibilities

Coordination & facilitation

• Plan, organise, and deliver regular meetings, workshops, and consultation sessions with young people.
• Develop accessible, inclusive and engaging materials to support young people’s participation in activities and discussions.
• Ensure robust mechanisms are in place to facilitate a feedback loop, communicating to young people the impact of their input.
• Ensure safeguarding, wellbeing, and inclusion are embedded in all activities.
• Lead on and maintain communication with young people, parents/carers (where appropriate), and partner organisations.

Support for young people

• Provide guidance, pastoral support, and clear information to help young people take part confidently and safely.
• Facilitate training and development opportunities to build young people’s skills, knowledge, and confidence.
• Foster an environment where young people feel respected, valued, and listened to.
• Manage mechanisms for reward and recognition of young people’s input and contributions.

Strengthen and enable staff team

• Strengthen knowledge and understanding of youth engagement and involvement across the organisation.
• Enable the wider staff team to plan and conduct activities with the YPAG and wider groups of young people, supporting the design of involvement tasks that are age-appropriate, inclusive, and aligned with best practice.
• Provide feedback to colleagues on how to maximise the impact of youth involvement.

Administration & governance

• Manage recruitment and onboarding processes for YPAG members.
• Oversee consent processes, data handling, and safeguarding requirements.
• Coordinate payments, incentives, travel, and expenses for young people.
• Maintain accurate records, produce meeting notes, and ensure timely communication.
• Support the Engagement and Involvement Lead to track, document and report on outcomes and the influence of young people’s involvement on projects and workstreams.

Continuous learning and development

• Contribute to the development of the organisation’s engagement and involvement strategy.
• Contribute to the evaluation of engagement and involvement activities and gather feedback from young people, parents/carers and other relevant parties we work closely with.
• Maintain an interest and working knowledge of best practice in youth involvement, participation, and co‑production.
• Identify opportunities to share learning and reflections with the AHS team and wider colleagues to continuously improve practice and processes.

Interest-holder and partner engagement

• Build and maintain partnerships with schools, youth organisations, and community groups to recruit and support young people to engage in engagement and involvement activities.
• Provide verbal and written presentations of engagement and involvement work with young people to internal and external audiences.
• Represent AHS in meetings, workshops and events where appropriate.

Knowledge, skills and experience

Essential criteria

• Experience developing and delivering engagement and involvement activities with young people and other relevant interest-holders (such as parents, families, teachers and schools).
• A proven track record or professional background in working with young people – such as in youth work, counselling, mentoring, education, or a related setting.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills, especially with young audiences.
• Understanding and experience of good practice in youth engagement and involvement, including the principles and implementation of safeguarding, data protection, and inclusive practice.
• Experience of co-ordinating a youth advisory group, council, board or similar structure
• Ability to work autonomously, prioritising tasks and manage own workload.
• Ability to design and deliver workshops, focus groups or meetings that encourage open dialogue and collaboration.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - able to communicate effectively and confidently with a range of stakeholders and to summarise and report key information clearly and accurately, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated commitment to children’s rights, youth participation and the meaningful inclusion of young people’s views and perspectives.
• Confidence using online meeting tools (e.g. MS Teams, Zoom), and collaborative platforms (e.g. SharePoint, Microsoft 365).

Desirable criteria

• Relevant qualification in youth participation, youth work, community engagement or similar.
• Understanding of public involvement in research or willingness to develop expertise.
• Understanding of key concepts and challenges in young people’s health and wellbeing and the transition to adulthood.
• Understanding and knowledge of key potential partners across the UK for delivering youth engagement in the sector.
• Experience using digital engagement and facilitation tools for online sessions (e.g. Miro, Mural, Mentimeter, Canva, PowerPoint).

Dimensions

• This has been designed as a full-time role, although part-time work could be considered for the right candidate.
• Flexible working may be required across several geographical locations in the UK.  Travel may be necessary to various AHS locations and partner organisations.
• Willingness to work hours flexibly including some evenings/weekends.

Additional Information

• Enhanced DBS/PVG or equivalent safeguarding check will be required.

Application Process

This post is subject to receipt of satisfactory references, an enhanced DBS check and right to work in the UK (visa sponsorship is not available). Please apply with a CV and a covering letter (of no more than two pages) explaining what you can bring to this role, and including your current salary.

The closing date for this position is midnight on End of Day Sunday 29 March.

Interviews are currently expected to be held during the weeks commencing 27 April and 05 May.

Equal Opportunities Policy Statement

AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Beyond these protected characteristics, we acknowledge the importance of socio-economic background, childcare and caring responsibilities, educational background, neurodiversity, and any other factors that shape an individual’s identity and opportunities. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to contribute fully.

Values

It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team and begin to plan the pilot studies. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.

About the Programmes Officer role:
This is your chance to sit at the heart of a pioneering national programme that could reshape how kinship families are supported across England.

As Programmes Officer, you’ll be part of the operational engine behind a complex, high-profile feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) – keeping delivery tight, evidence strong and nothing falling through the cracks. If you thrive on pace, precision and being the person who quietly makes big things happen, this might be the role for you. 

Kinship is undertaking a major feasibility RCT of Kinship Connected, a Kinship Navigator Programmes.

This is a complex, multi-partner programme involving funders, independent evaluators, local authorities, internal delivery teams and kinship carers with lived experience.

The Programmes Officer plays a critical role in ensuring the programme runs smoothly day to day. This is a technically demanding, detail-heavy role requiring excellent administration, strong initiative and the ability to anticipate what is needed next.

The Programmes Officer works closely and day-to-day with the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager and is a key part of the core delivery spine of the Kinship Navigator feasibility RCT.

The role provides structured operational, administrative and coordination support that enables the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager to maintain oversight of timelines, risks, dependencies and delivery quality.

This role requires someone who is comfortable working at pace, highly responsive to direction, and able to anticipate what the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager will need next in order to keep the programme running smoothly and evidence-ready.

Please note - we are looking for people who can start immediately ideally. This is due to the nature of the mobilisation and delivery timescales. 

Purpose of the role:
To support the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager in mobilising and delivering the Kinship Navigator feasibility RCT through exceptional administration, proactive coordination and anticipatory problem-solving.

You will act as a trusted operational support, ensuring systems, data, documentation and local engagement activity are accurate, well organised and up to date, allowing the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager to focus on delivery oversight, risk management and external accountability.

Key responsibilities:

Programme delivery and coordination

• Support mobilisation activities across all workstreams, ensuring actions, documentation and timelines are tracked and followed up.
• Maintain delivery plans, action logs and trackers using Asana.
• Support coordination of onboarding activities with local authorities and internal teams.
• Ensure all operational documents are version-controlled, accessible and kept up to date.
• Flag emerging issues, risks or capacity pressures early, with clear evidence.
  

Local authority engagement and ecosystem mapping

• Coordinate local engagement activity across participating local authorities, including planning, logistics and follow-up for local events.
• Map each local authority’s kinship care ecosystem, including statutory services, voluntary and community organisations, referral pathways and gaps in provision.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date local authority profiles and ecosystem maps.
• Ensure local intelligence is captured consistently and stored accessibly using agreed systems (e.g. Notion).

Outreach and local marketing support

• Support outreach and engagement activity by helping develop programme-specific marketing and engagement materials, working with the Marketing and Communications team to ensure alignment with Kinship’s brand and messaging.
• Adapt and manage local collateral for each participating local authority, ensuring materials are accurate, up to date and easy to use.
• Maintain clear version control and accessible storage of outreach materials, incorporating feedback from local partners where appropriate.
• Use Canva, Padlet and other agreed tools to adapt and produce local materials for events, Communities of Practice and local authority engagement.

Communities of Practice support

• Provide operational support to the Head of Programmes in coordinating Communities of Practice in each participating local authority.
• Support scheduling, logistics, materials and follow-up actions.
• Capture learning, actions and insights clearly and consistently.
• Support translation of local learning into insight for programme improvement and future scale-up.
  

Administrative excellence and anticipation

• Deliver a consistently high standard of administration across the programme.
• Maintain clear, structured and accurate records across all systems.
• Anticipate upcoming needs, deadlines and risks, taking initiative to address them early.
• Proactively prepare information, materials and updates without needing to be prompted.
• Act as a reliable operational anchor, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
• Anticipate the information, updates and preparation the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager will need to manage delivery effectively.
  

Data, systems and technical delivery

• Maintain accurate and timely data entry across Salesforce and related systems.
• Support data quality checks and evaluator requirements.
• Use Asana, Salesforce, Notion and Canva confidently and fluently.
• Support documentation, manualisation and knowledge management.
• Ensure systems are used consistently and to a high technical standard.

Coordination, reporting and communications

• Coordinate meetings, agendas, notes and follow-up actions.
• Support preparation of dashboards, updates and reports.
• Ensure information is shared clearly, accurately and on time.

How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Programmes Officer by sending a tailored CV and responding to these 4 questions below in the online application process. Please read the guidance notes in the job pack. 

Closing date is 9.30am on Weds 4 March, with interview in person on Tues 10 March 2026. 

1. Alignment to Kinship and the role: Why do you want to work for Kinship? And what can you bring to this role (think about the job specification)  

2. Programme coordination and administration: Tell us about a time you supported the delivery of a complex programme or project. What were your specific responsibilities, and how did you keep work organised and on track?  

3. Initiative: Describe a time when you spotted a potential issue, gap or risk before it became a problem. What did you notice, what action did you take, and what was the outcome? 

4. Digital systems and learning new tools: Give an example of a time you had to learn a new digital system or tool quickly to support delivery. What was the context, how did you learn it, and how did you use it in practice? 

What we offer you:

• Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
• ​30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
• Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
• Charity Worker Discounts. 

Job Title - Research Manager

Contract – 1-year fixed term contract

Work pattern - Full time or 0.8 FTE (for flexible working, including term time working)

Salary - £42,000 - £48,000 per annum (or pro rata)

Location - Flexible, with an expectation of working at Coram’s campus in London on average at least once a week.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about using their research and evaluation expertise, including involving children, young people and their families in research, to join our growing Impact and Evaluation team to help improve support for vulnerable children and young people, and ultimately make a positive difference in their lives.

About Coram and the team

Established as the Foundling Hospital in 1739, Coram is today a vibrant charity group of specialist organisations, supporting hundreds of thousands of children, young people and families every year from infancy to independence. We champion children’s rights and wellbeing, making lives better through legal support, advocacy, adoption and our range of therapeutic, educational and cultural programmes.

Coram’s vision for children is a society where every child has the best possible chance in life, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Building on our legacy as the first and longest continuing children’s charity, we have launched the Coram Institute for Children, the dedicated research and development organisation for children. The Institute will be instrumental in realising this vision by acting as a catalyst for change and collaboration, seeking evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing children in the 21st century in policy, law and practice.

This role will be based in Coram’s Impact and Evaluation team[1]which sits at the heart of Coram’s Institute for Children dedicated to improving the life chances of children.[2] This role will play an important part in building the Institute and the strategic direction of the team. The role offers exciting opportunities to work within the Coram’s Impact and Evaluation team to lead a portfolio of mixed methods research projects and evaluation studies. As well as build links across Coram as well as externally with research partners and universities to pursue research dedicated to improving the lives of children and young people.

As a team, are core research principles are to be child-centred, rigorous, grounded in experience, collaborative and impactful. We are dedicated to delivering child-centred research to ensure their voice is at the forefront of our work. We use co-design and participatory research methods to challenge power imbalances within research and work with marginalised groups.

About the role

The Research Manager will play an important role in working with the Head of Impact and Evaluation and across Coram to develop and expand work of the team within Coram’s Institute for Children.

Working within Coram’s growing Impact and Evaluation team (which currently includes eight permanent researchers) the Research Manager will lead the delivery of high quality, innovative qualitative and quantitative studies including externally commissioned research and evaluation to support the improvement of policy and practice for vulnerable children, young people and their families. This will include implementation and process evaluations with children/young people, parents/carers and professionals as well as quasi-experimental and experimental impact evaluations.

We welcome applications from mixed-methods, quantitative and qualitative researchers who have knowledge of a range of research methods and evaluation approaches. We are dedicated to delivering child-centred research to ensure their voice is at the forefront of our work. We use co-design and participatory research methods to challenge power imbalances within research and work with marginalized groups.

The Research Manager will work with colleagues across Coram and with external partners in local authorities, central government, businesses and other third sector organisations. They will have the opportunity to shape the work of the Institute by designing new research funding bids, responding to tender opportunities and developing our academic partnerships.

The role also comes with a range of personal and professional benefits including dedicated time for continuous professional development, 25 plus days of annual leave, regular team reflective practice sessions and flexible working arrangements.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced research manager who has a passion for innovative, participatory research to take the initiative to design and deliver high-quality evidence which improves policy and practice for children, young people and their families.

Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority groups, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented in research roles. If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience in their personal statement as part of their application.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing date: 15/03/2026 @ 09.00AM

Interview dates: W/C 23/03/2026

We will also make any reasonable adjustments at the interview stage for applicants invited to interview to support inclusivity.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.

We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join a rapidly growing caring charity with the benefits of flexible family friendly working (from home), generous holiday, pension scheme, travel expenses, laptop and phone provided.  

Reaching Families was established in 2008 to empower, inform and support parent-carers and families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in West Sussex.  We achieve this through the delivery of a range of services including information, training and peer support.

Our ND Navigation Service provides information, training and support to parent-carers of children and young people waiting on, undergoing or completed an assessment for ADHD, Autism and other neurodivergent conditions. 

We are looking to recruit a skilled and motivated Administration & Data Management Officer to join our Team. The post holder will be responsible for providing a range of administrative duties in support of our ND Navigation Service and Outreach team, including processing referrals, creating and maintaining records on our Charitylog database, collating data and generating monitoring reports as well as managing enquiries from parents.

Job Description & Person Specification

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

1. Processing referrals received into the NDP Navigation service

2. Creating and updating service user records on Charitylog and Excel including data entry and uploading documents, etc.

3. Weekly collating of data from Charitylog and generating monthly monitoring reports on Excel to provide senior managers, partners and funders

4. Arranging community outreach events (ND Navigation Roadshow) with local partners including CDC’s, Family Hubs, special schools, short break providers, parent support groups, etc.

5. Managing enquiries from parent-carers and professionals working with parents

6. Managing bookings in the event of staff sickness or absence – for the NDP Navigation service

7. Carrying out regular telephone surveys with parent-carers who have accessed the NDP Navigation service, maintaining monitoring records and testimonials and updating log sheets

8. Monitoring posts on Reaching Families Facebook group and where relevant, follow up with signposting to appropriate Reaching Families Services and other relevant providers

9. Providing other administrative support to the Outreach and Training Manager, Team Lead, Co-ordinators and ND Support Workers in executing their duties

10. To pursue a strategy of continual personal and professional development

11. To carry out other occasional duties commensurate with the role

See attached job description for details and full criteria 

We welcome applications from all members of the community and value diversity in the organisation. Please contact us if you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to the application or interview process due to any disability or health requirements. 

Closing date for applications is 2nd March 2026

Interviews to be held in Littlehampton on 11th March 2026

To apply please complete the attached application form and share why you feel you fit the role and person specification (see attached documents) 

Context:
Kinship provides direct support to, raises awareness of and campaigns for the rights of kinship carers across the UK. Kinship carers are navigating complex family relationships, trauma, poverty, discrimination. The children that they care for have frequently experienced abuse or are at risk of harm. Safeguarding concerns can be disclosed by kinship carers at all contact points with Kinship. 

Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect is a collective responsibility and requires a safeguarding approach that is aligned to statutory frameworks, is professional, consistent, trauma-informed and proportionate to level of risk.

The designated safeguarding officer holds organisational responsibility for Kinship’s safeguarding framework and actions. The role works collaboratively with a team including a Safeguarding Trustee and a group of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads drawn from key service areas across the charity.

The role provides expertise, professional guidance and clear direction across the organisation, supporting staff and volunteers to make sound safeguarding decisions within a framework.

Purpose of the role:
The Designated Safeguarding Manager works closely with all teams across Kinship to embed proactive, person-centred, and partnership-driven safeguarding practice to protect children and adults at risk of harm.

The role provides professional oversight to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads through individual and group reflective practice and supports high-quality and defensible safeguarding decision-making. The role drives contextual safeguarding approaches, promote professional curiosity, continual professional development and ensures safeguarding responses are informed by lived experience and the realities of kinship care.

At Kinship safeguarding concerns come from risks of harm to adults and children often with risks of harm to multiple people in the same family context.

This requires careful, trauma-informed decision-making and support for staff responding to complex safeguarding situations.

How the role works:
Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the Designated Safeguarding Manager holds responsibility for safeguarding practice across the organisation and provides expert oversight and organisational assurance ensuring safeguarding is embedded consistently, proportionately and in line with best practice.

This role will require flexibility for occasional travel in England and Wales.

Key responsibilities:

Organisational safeguarding accountability and assurance

• Act as Kinship’s Designated Safeguarding Officer, holding organisational authority for safeguarding decision-making and escalation.
• Hold organisational accountability for safeguarding practice, ensuring responsibilities are well defined, understood and embedded across the organisation.
• Maintain and assure a robust safeguarding framework, including defined roles, escalation routes, decision-making thresholds and accountability arrangements and balance safeguarding rigour with compassion and proportionality.
• Provide safeguarding oversight and assurance during service development, mobilisation and organisational change to ensure risks are identified, assessed and mitigated.

Trauma-informed safeguarding practice and oversight

• Embed trauma-informed safeguarding practice, ensuring all decisions, interventions, and organisational processes:
  • Recognise the impact of past and ongoing trauma on children, kinship carers, and families.
  • Prioritise emotional and psychological safety while balancing protection, autonomy, and empowerment.
  • Integrate trauma-awareness into risk assessments, safety planning, case management, policies, and service design.
• Support staff through reflective supervision, guidance, and training to respond effectively.
• Provide professional oversight and reflective practice support to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.
• Provide expert safeguarding advice and consultation to staff and managers, supporting the assessment of concerns, threshold decisions, appropriate escalation, and proportionate, trauma-informed decision-making.
• Quality-assure safeguarding practice and decision-making to ensure actions are proportionate, person-centred, trauma-informed, and defensible.
• Maintain appropriate oversight of safeguarding records, risk assessments, and safety planning.

 Policy, compliance and organisational assurance

• Develop, review and maintain safeguarding policies, procedures and guidance in line with legislation, statutory guidance and Charity Commission expectations.
• Ensure safeguarding systems, processes and recording arrangements are robust, accessible and consistently applied.
• Provide regular safeguarding assurance, analysis and learning reports to senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.

Culture, capability and continuous improvement

• Embed trauma-informed, contextual and culturally responsive safeguarding practice across the organisation.
• Promote professional curiosity and reflective practice, supporting staff to exercise sound professional judgement and avoid overly procedural responses.
• Design and deliver safeguarding training and guidance for staff and volunteers, building organisational capability and confidence.
• Lead learning reviews following safeguarding incidents or near misses, ensuring learning informs service and practice improvement.

Equity, inclusion and anti-racist safeguarding

• Ensure safeguarding practice actively considers how race, ethnicity, racism and intersecting inequalities shape risk, vulnerability and access to support.
• Support teams to identify and challenge bias and assumptions through reflective practice, supervision and learning.
• Embed equity, inclusion and anti-racist principles within safeguarding frameworks, policies, training and quality assurance processes.

Partnership working and external accountability

• Work collaboratively with statutory partners and external agencies to support effective safeguarding responses.
• Represent Kinship in multi-agency safeguarding forums, reviews or regulatory engagement as required.

Experience (Essential)

• Significant experience in adult and child safeguarding practice, including oversight of complex, high-risk, and multi-agency safeguarding situations.
• Experience providing professional oversight, reflective supervision, and structured learning support to safeguarding practitioners or leads, without direct line management responsibility.
• Experience embedding contextual safeguarding approaches and promoting professional curiosity in decision-making.
• Experience of working confidently with complexity, challenging constructively and supporting teams to do the right thing in difficult situations.
• Experience developing, reviewing, and embedding safeguarding policies, procedures, training, and learning frameworks.
• Substantial experience working with dispersed or multi-disciplinary teams, supporting wellbeing, professional development, and reflective practice.
• Experience working in voluntary sector, community-based, or service delivery organisations, particularly where safeguarding concerns arise through multiple routes.

Knowledge (Essential)

• Strong working knowledge of adult and child safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, and recognised safeguarding frameworks, with the ability to apply them proportionately in practice.
• Up-to-date knowledge of children’s and adult social care systems.
• Understanding of trauma-informed, strengths-based practice in work with adults, children, and families.
• Awareness of how racism, inequality, and structural disadvantage can increase risk and shape safeguarding experiences, particularly for Black and minoritised communities.
• Understanding of organisational safeguarding governance, including accountability, assurance, escalation, and risk management.
• Knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities within the voluntary and community sector, including Charity Commission expectations, trustee duties, and regulatory requirements

Skills and abilities (Essential)

• Strong professional judgement, with confidence in making and defending complex safeguarding decisions.
• Calm, credible, and reflective approach in ambiguous or high-pressure situations.
• Ability to support and challenge colleagues constructively through reflective discussion, learning, and coaching rather than directive management.
• Clear, compassionate, and adaptable communicator, able to translate safeguarding complexity for diverse audiences, including operational and service delivery teams.
• Highly organised, able to manage multiple safeguarding priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively across wide-ranging professional teams and external partners.
• Values-led, with a demonstrable commitment to equity, inclusion, anti-racist practice, and culturally responsive safeguarding.

Qualifications (Essential)

• Relevant professional qualification (e.g. social work, health, or related field), or equivalent professional experience.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development in safeguarding children and adults.
• Permission to work in the UK.

Attributes and general characteristics (Essential)

• Commitment to the values, aims, and objectives of Kinship.
• Respectful, empathetic approach to working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Flexible and willing to travel across England as required.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Desirable

• Lived experience of kinship care.
• Experience using Salesforce, Asana, Notion, and/or general AI tools for case management, project management, or documentation.
• Experience in innovation and continuous improvement within safeguarding practice or organisational culture.

How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Designated Safeguarding Manager by sending a tailored CV and responding to these 5 questions below in the online application process. Please read the guidance notes in the job pack. 

Closing date is 9am on Mon 2 March, with a first interview (30 mins online) that week and a second interview in person on Tues 10 March 2026. 

For all questions, please provide a maximum of 250 words per answer.

1.Alignment with Kinship: Why do you want to work for Kinship, and why does this Safeguarding Manager (Designated Safeguarding Lead) role matter to you at this point in your career?  Please refer to Kinship’s work and services in your answer, and explain what specifically about this role you are drawn to. 

2.Trauma informed practice: Describe a specific example where you have led or overseen a safeguarding concern using a trauma-informed approach.

3. Contextual safeguarding and professional curiosity: Tell us about a time you applied contextual safeguarding or professional curiosity to a situation where the initial concern did not tell the full story. What did you notice, what questions did you ask, and how did this change the safeguarding response? 

4. Reflective practice and supporting others: Give an example of how you have supported others to improve safeguarding decision-making through reflective practice (for example group reflection or one-to-one discussion). What was the issue and what changed? 

5. Equity, racism and safeguarding: Describe a situation where race, ethnicity or structural inequality affected safeguarding risk or decision-making. How did you recognise this and what did you do to ensure a fair and proportionate response? 

What we offer you:

• Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
• ​30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
• Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
• Charity Worker Discounts. 

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If you’re an experienced fundraisier  (3 years or more in a charitable organisation), have business development experience, and be a natural relationship-builder who’s motivated by cause and purpose as much as performance, we’d love to hear from you.

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We are recruiting for a family support worker and we would like to hear from you if you have a Level 3 qualification or substantial work experience related to social care, social work, family support or early help. The ideal candidate will also have experience working with children, adolescents and families and have knowledge of parenting skills.

The role of the  Family Support Worker is to directly support, maintain and develop the network around the child, liaising, building relationships and communicating between multiple agencies and multi-disciplinary roles, these include, the local authority, social workers, family members, carers and significant others and the child in placement.
Within the community, the role is closely linked with each child in placement and will closely work with the Community Director and the senior management team to ensure that it meets the therapeutic and educational needs and interests of each child. This will necessarily include working closely with professionals and developing their expertise in a psychoanalytic-systemic approach to care, education and treatment.
Responsibilities include:

• Ensure that plans for the process of assessment, co-ordination and delivery of placement and family support and transition plans are developed and managed on a day to day basis to agreed standards.
• Co-ordinate and facilitate contact arrangements, linking with networks and families in a manner which is integrated with the community’s existing relationship and contribute to and develop its professional effectiveness.
• Contribute to the holistic assessment of needs of children, families and networks.
• Devise and develop tailored packages of support based on assessment.

Childhood First is committed to safeguarding children. Appointments will be subject to a satisfactory DBS Disclosure and references.