Children services director jobs

The post holder will work as part of the Estate & Facilities and Safety Management team to deliver high standard, customer focused estates and facilities to the organisation. You will lead on all aspects of safety, facilities and estate management at our outdoor learning centre, Hindleap Warren. You will support with facilities (managed onsite by the Director of Finance) but will be responsible for all aspects of safety compliance at our London Office. This role is a blend of strategic and pragmatic thinking to create a great place to work, along with the need to 'roll up sleeves' and ensure our buildings, grounds, and systems of work are safe, compliant, efficient and sustainable. A monthly visit to the London Office will be expected. 

What you will be doing

Estate Strategy 

• Work with the Senior Team and Heads of Centres to develop the strategic direction and objectives to ensure London Youth are following relevant legislation and best practice from all sectors. 
• Create and deliver plans to manage London Youth's assets in a compliant, safe, and best practice manner, as well as rolling out new software to manage this process. 

Facilities Management 

• Lead on delivery of all Facilities Management services, including but not limited to: M&E, fabric, cleaning/housekeeping, bed linen/laundry, car partking, grounds, waste management, pest control and external contractors. Occasionally support may be needed out of normal working hours in emergency situations. 
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive planned preventative maintenance programme, ensuring the satisfactory operation of all buildings, plant and equipment, and ensuring our buildings remain compliant, safe, fit for purpose, and reflect our brand values at all times. 
• Procure and manage services, evaluate contracts and tender processes through a blend of in-house and out-sourced delivery methods, as appropriate, and evaluate value for money. 
• Work with the Director of Centres and Heads of Centres to set the estates, facilities, and health & safety elements of their annual budgets and advising on capital expenditure requirements across all three sites. 

Health & Safety 

• Maintain a health and safety management system at both Hindleap and the London Office, ensuring all regulatory requirements are met, including overseeing risk assessments, health & safety policies and procedures, and annual audits. 
• Attend monthly meetings of the Safety and Safeguarding Team, analysing reported accident and incident data. 
• Provide assurance reporting to the Director of Centres and Trustees on a quarterly basis. 

What you bring to the role 

• Experience of delivering safe and effective work on customer-facing premises and grounds. 
• Experience of managing high performing teams to deliver in line with the needs of an organisation. 
• Experience of working and leading teams across multiple sites. 
• Relevant qualifications in facilities and estates management and health & safety, including a NEBOSH. 
• Knowledge of the Health and Safety compliance standards applicable to our sites and how these should be achieved. (Please note the outdoor adventurous activities are managed by the operations team - specialist knowldge of these areas is not required.)
• Ability to communicate in a range of settings with people at all levels of an organisation. 
• Ability and experience of training others in health and safety. 
• Experience of working as a member of a management team and bringing about changes through the action of your peers and team. 

Able to demonstrate living our values of being: 

• Ambitious
• Collaborative
• Inclusive
• Accountable 

Why work at Hindleap Warren 

• Generous holiday allowance - 39 days paid annual leave per year, pro-rata for part timers 
• Employer 4% pension contribution 
• Additional leave granted to support voluntary activity 
• Free Health Care Cash Plan 
• Free access for you and your family to the Employee Assistance Programme 
• Free access to the 'Headspace' app for you and your family 
• Flexible working opportunities considered 
• You'll be working with a fantastic team of passionate colleagues across London Youth
• You will be making a difference to the lives of young people 

At Ambitious about Autism, we're currently looking for a People Advisor to join our team.

You'll support managers and staff with advice on ways of working, implementation of employment policies and enabling effective people management across AaA through supporting employee relations case work. You'll also ensure that all variations to contracts impacting terms and conditions of employment and pay are written accurately.

You'll support managers with absence/health issues, including making occupational health referrals as required, and following up and assisting through the capability process. You'll prepare HR related documentation and support administration, ensuring records are kept securely, confidentially and up to date.

We are looking for some someone who has:

• A CIPD qualification/currently studying towards a CIPD qualification or demonstrable equivalent ER experience.
• Demonstrable experience providing advice to managers and staff on HR related matters.
• Strong knowledge of ER case work, current employment law and HR best practice.
• Ability to build strong relationships with multiple stakeholders with an ability to be sensitive, diplomatic and tactful when required.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

We are working in partnership with a charity which offers free and confidential information, advice, counselling, support and advocacy for children and young people under 26 in Southampton, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth whose mission is to empower young people to reach their full potential.

The charity is now seeking to appoint a Director of Finance who will hold overall accountability for the financial leadership of the charity, with responsibility for both the strategic and operational management of the charity’s finances, including oversight of income growth through Fundraising and Development. The Director of Finance role leads on financial strategy, planning, and performance, ensuring robust financial management, high-quality insight, and long-term financial sustainability. With oversight of the finance team, the Director of Finance plays a central role in ensuring the charity is financially resilient, efficient, and able to grow and sustain its income in support of its mission.

The successful applicant will be a qualified Accountant (CIMA / CIPFA / ACCA / ACA or equivalent), consideration may be given to a part-qualified candidate with substantial relevant experience and possessing a desire to consider continuing towards full-qualification.

You will demonstrate:

• Experience and understanding of financial processes including budget management, forecasting, day-to-day income and expenditure processes, monthly reporting, and year end audit processes.
• Up-to-date knowledge of Charity regulations and relevant legislation and legal requirements
• Successful track record in working with a Trustee Board or other executive boards
• Ability to prioritise and organise own work and that of others to meet deadlines
• Experience of costing services/projects and producing comprehensive budgets

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Finance will make an active contribution to the organisation’s strategic direction, decision-making, and leadership, working collaboratively with colleagues to balance risk, opportunity, and impact.  The Director of Finance will have up-to-date knowledge of charity SORP regulations and requirements, a high level of IT competency, including the use of Microsoft Office, and excellent communication skills with a commitment to personal growth and development.  You will be a role model for the values of the Charity and ensure the needs of children and young people are at the heart of everything they do.

This role is subject to a DBS check, which will be carried out by the employer.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. 

If you feel you have relevant skills and experience, please submit your CV and supporting statement to Sandra Smith, via the Charisma Charity Recruitment website.

• Location: Southampton, hybrid working available 
• Closing date for applications: 15 February 2026

Please note that applications will be reviewed as they are received, we therefore encourage early applications as we may progress candidates to interview before the application deadline. 

• Client Interviews: w/c 2 March 2026

Location: 2 days weekly in our London office
Salary: £87,632.09 (incl London Office Allowance) plus competitive pension
Please note that this role will be closing on Wednesday 4 February 2026 at 9am.

A little bit about the role

Frontline has achieved significant growth and impact in our first 11 years, and we are now recruiting a director to lead on ensuring our culture, operational and financial infrastructure enable us to continue to grow and drive change for children and families.

With a ~£25m budget and ~150 employees we rely on robust systems, a clear strategy and an enabling culture to support people to do great work to achieve our mission. Reporting to the CEO, the director of culture and operations (DCO) will develop our annual priorities and strategy. They will lead on strengthening and further embedding our culture of freedom and responsibility by providing excellent operational leadership across Frontline. To effectively operate a culture of freedom and responsibility we need robust financial controls, excellent governance and strong relationships at our foundation – as DCO you will ensure these foundations are in place – and build on them.

We are an ambitious organisation – we work hard to create an inclusive culture which supports our hard-working teams through data, feedback and technology. As DOC you will lead on galvanising our leadership group to ensure they have the necessary resources, collective focus and communication channels across teams nationally. Frontline is in a strong position. We have a clear strategy, stable finances and strong internal processes so we look forward to welcoming our new director of culture and operations to help build on this, so we can have even greater impact.

Some key responsibilities include:

• People – Lead the people team to identify new and creative ways to further strengthen our culture of freedom and responsibility
• Finance – Manage the head of finance and compliance, supporting them and the finance team to deliver sound financial controls/clear reporting and manage an annual budget of £25m – ensuring financial capability and clear cross-team communication
• Governance – Work with the chair of FARC (and other subcommittees as relevant) to ensure they are taking a strategic view on key issues, providing appropriate challenge and timely decisions (e.g. in budget process).
• Management of external contracts and relationships – Manage the contract governance manager with responsibility for DfE/university contracts and regulatory approval, ensuring effective governance and compliance

Full list of role responsibilities can be found in the job pack.

A little bit about you

You should have strong leadership experience, the ability to balance multiple priorities under pressure, and a track record of shaping organisational culture. Experience in financial management, HR strategy, and operational leadership is essential, while familiarity with charity governance and regulatory compliance would be beneficial.

We’re looking for someone with exceptional communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and a practical approach to problem-solving. If you’re a values-driven leader eager to shape culture, strengthen operations, and support our mission, you’d be a great fit.

We have a fast-moving culture within the team and organisation, so we’re looking for someone who is who is well organised, details-focused and can use their initiative to do what works. You will have excellent communication skills, be able to build relationships with people and be willing to learn. There are lots of opportunities for growth and development in this role – and for the right candidate to make the role their own.

If you feel you have the skills to make a real impact and contribute to creating lasting social change for children and families, we would love to hear from you.

If you’re interested in finding out more, please email Elise Cronin, Executive Assistant (contact details are in the job pack) to arrange an informal conversation with the CEO.

Important information

We have increased the diversity of Frontline’s workforce in the last 12 months, but we need to do more to have greater global majority representation in our senior roles. We know the value global majority voices bring and therefore, we are strongly encouraging applicants from these backgrounds to apply. We are also a disability confident employer and welcome applicants with disabilities.

With so many people now using AI to apply for jobs, it is common for applications to be repetitive and nearly identical. There are tell-tale signs when AI has been used, the writing has the same structure, the same tone and the same language. Using AI to clarify your thoughts and sharpen your answers is one thing, but we strongly discourage you from using a tool to generate the substance of your answers. We want your application to demonstrate your skills, as well as show us your thought process, how you respond to problems, what you have learned from different experiences and how you communicate in your own voice. Please be reassured – we are not expecting perfection.

We reserve the right to close this role ahead of the deadline once we reach a suitable number of applications, so please apply as soon as you can!

Organisational Vision & Context:

As we journey towards our vision to bring fulness of life for every child, no matter what struggles they face, we’re looking for a motivated and mission-driven individual to join our team as Head of Programme Development.

While our programmes vary, they share one common thread: an unwavering commitment to seeing lives transformed for good. With two well-established and hugely effective volunteer-driven programmes operating at scale, and two new developing programmes in the early stages of roll-out, TLG is at a pivotal time of innovation.

This Role’s Impact:

We are looking for a dynamic, pioneering leader to energise, shape, and elevate the impact of TLG’s programmes. This person will bring strengths in innovation, collaboration, and strategic delivery – able to inspire others, spot emerging opportunities, and drive meaningful change across the organisation. They will have a strong track record in developing high-quality resources and training, ensuring best practice is consistently embedded across all functions. Naturally creative and forward-thinking, they will champion the exploration and implementation of digital solutions that enhance programme delivery and extend our reach.

The new Head of Programme Development will navigate change with resilience and optimism, leading the way as we explore new approaches and refine what we already do so well. Confident on their feet, yet equally comfortable developing content and materials, they will balance big-picture thinking with a keen eye for detail. Their leadership will drive continuous improvement, so our programmes remain relevant, missional, and high-impact as we pursue our ten-year vision.

As TLG positions itself as a leading practitioner in therapeutic coaching, this leader will bring a solid understanding of coaching practice and how therapeutic coaching can transform a young person’s thinking and strengthen the culture of support we offer. Their expertise will help embed coaching-informed approaches across TLG, shaping programme design and creating richer opportunities for children and young people to reflect and grow, strengthening their wellbeing and future outcomes.

TLG is a Christian charity and, as a team, we want to bring our faith to the work we do; as such, we are recruiting an individual with a strong and vibrant Christian faith. We would welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds to enable us to better reflect the needs of the communities we serve.

Hours: Part time, 30 hours per week (0.8 FTE, equivalent 4 days)

Closing Date: Sunday 15th February 2026

Initial Interviews: Monday 23rd February – Online

Final Interviews: Monday 2nd March – at our National Support Centre in West Yorkshire

This role will take the lead in creating and developing an exciting, safe, fun and vibrant young people’s ministry at St. Andrew’s Church that sees young people come to faith and grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus.

Working with the Director of Research, this role will have management of the clinical development process at Cure Parkinson’s. The charity supports a large treatment selection process that feeds new clinical trials seeking disease modification. This is an exciting time in Parkinson’s research and there is the opportunity to have a really meaningful impact by joining the Cure Parkinson’s team as we expand our funding schemes and initiate new ventures.

As our Clinical Research Manager, you will have a PhD in life sciences (an MD or MBSS would advantageous) and significant experience in clinical trial development. You must have a strong understanding of Parkinson’s, the biology associated with the condition, and the agents currently in development. You will require excellent organisational and communication skills as you will be representing the charity via stakeholder engagement. Working as an effective member of our Research Team you will be able to handle multiple tasks with precision simultaneously and be comfortable building relationships and providing support for researchers.

Nb: This piece of recruitment is rolling and may close at any time.

In recent years OTR has seen a significant increase in demand for our youth mental health services and we now reach over 17,000 young people each year. We are seeking a Head of Finance to oversee our (circa) £3m annual budget and to ensure that our finance operation is efficient and effective. This role will lead OTR’s finance function and, as well as having responsibility for day-to-day financial processes, will be a key member of the organisation’s senior leadership team (SLT). The role will involve providing financial insight to the SLT and Board of Trustees to improve understanding and inform strategic decision making. Examples of this will include analysing the financial performance of different activities of the organisation and preparing budget and forecast information. 

We are looking for an individual with demonstrable experience in a finance management role which includes a strategic focus, preferably in the voluntary sector. The successful candidate will be a flexible and meticulous individual who is able to present complex information to a range of audiences. Equally important is a strong personal interest in and commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

To find out more about the role please download the job pack. If you would like an informal chat about the role, please email the main contact as listed in the job pack

To apply for this role click the 'Apply now' button

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a team that reflects the diversity of the people we work with

Safeguarding:

OTR is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff, trustees, and volunteers to share this commitment.

As part of our Safer Recruitment practices, all roles involving contact with young people will be subject to robust pre-employment checks, including references, a full employment history, and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Where applicable, overseas criminal record checks will also be required.

We are dedicated to creating a culture of vigilance, transparency, and accountability. Our safeguarding procedures are guided by the principle that the welfare of the child is paramount, and all staff are required to adhere to OTR’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. 

OTR & Benefits:

OTR is a mental health social movement by and for young people. The charity is at an exciting stage of its 59-year history and is proud to be reaching more young people than ever before (around 17,000) across Bristol, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset with creative and diverse mental health and wellbeing info and support. 

Our approach to mental health is grounded in a set of beliefs and values that underpin all of our work. We believe in celebrating diversity, empowering and mobilising young people to make change, and that catering to the unique strengths, interests and circumstances surrounding young people is key. Our approach centres on collaboration and partnership, building relationships between individuals, peers and communities. 

Each day is as engaging and fulfilling as the last, and with a network of supportive, community minded people, we hope you’ll feel welcome here. As a thank you, we like to compensate our employees for the important work they do with a range of benefits including a flexible leave policy, healthcare cost and wellbeing assistance with HealthShield, flexible and hybrid working arrangements, enhanced sick pay, parental leave, training and development, social and wellbeing events, and more (subject to contractual terms and conditions). 

A Willingness to Work with Difference 

At OTR, whatever your role or professional background, you will be expected to work in a way that is anti-oppressive and inclusive. A key focus for OTR is to develop an organisation that is inclusive for all but we do not claim to be experts in this. We are committed to continuous learning and improvement in these areas and invite you to join us on this journey. 

OTR recognises the benefits to individual practice and organisational credibility of having a diverse community of staff and volunteers and to this end is continually working towards building and maintaining an environment which values and pursues diversity accordingly. 

We recognise that tackling systemic inequality, prejudice, racism and oppressive practice requires each of us to actively engage, self-examine and make changes where necessary, in order to improve access and equitable experience for all in society and all of those who come through our doors at OTR.

In-Memory & Legacy Manager

• Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week (flexible working available)
• Location: Hybrid (2 days in our office in East Oxford, OX4 1RW)
• Salary: £37,001 - £43,500 per annum
• Closing date: 25th February 2026 at 12 noon
• Interview date: 4th March 2026 (in person)

Are you passionate about building meaningful relationships and creating lasting impact?

We’re looking for an In-Memory & Legacy Manager to join our Fundraising team at a pivotal time in our charity’s journey. This is a brand-new role within our Income Generation Directorate, designed to lead the delivery of our in-memory fundraising programme and support the implementation of our new legacy strategy. You’ll play a key role in shaping how we engage with supporters who give in memory of loved ones and those considering leaving a gift in their will.

What you’ll do:

• Develop and deliver our in-memory fundraising strategy, including events and campaigns.
• Champion exceptional supporter stewardship and create tailored supporter journeys.
• Support the rollout of our legacy strategy, increasing engagement and pledger numbers.
• Collaborate across teams to embed legacy messaging and in-memory opportunities throughout our fundraising activities.
• Manage relationships with key stakeholders, including funeral directors, solicitors, and financial advisors.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience in in-memory fundraising and/or legacy marketing campaigns.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Excellent relationship-building and communication abilities.
• Knowledge of fundraising regulations, GDPR, and best practice.
• A creative, proactive approach and enthusiasm for working in the charity sector.

Why join us?

You’ll be part of an ambitious team with a bold five-year strategy and a commitment to putting supporters at the heart of everything we do. This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference and help grow sustainable income for our vital work.

Ready to bring your skills to a role that matters?

Applications will be reviewed and invited to interview as received. We reserve the right to close the advert at any time, therefore we encourage applicants to apply as soon as possible. 

Please note that everyone working for Helen & Douglas House are required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Helen & Douglas House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We are an equal opportunities employer and value the benefits of a diverse workforce. We positively encourage applications from all areas of the community.

The Role

If you are passionate about the outdoors, have a "roll up your sleeves" attitude and are looking for a role where your event management skills will make a lasting impact on young lives, then this is the job for you. We’re seeking a dynamic individual who can lead our exciting portfolio of outdoor challenge events and help us take our fundraising to the next level.

The Youth Adventure Trust's outdoor challenge events are a vital source of funding for the charity, and the relationships we build with our participants and corporate partners are more important than ever. This is where you come in.

As our Challenge Events Manager, you'll be the driving force behind our exciting challenge events portfolio.You'll work on bespoke corporate team-building challenges, high-energy industry networking events like the Hike Bike Paddle for the sports and outdoor sector and the Housebuilders Challenge, and our popular open events like the Wiltshire 3 Peaks Challenge and the Somerset Cycle. 

Challenge events not only enable people to raise amazing sums for the charity, but are also a fantastic way to engage supporters with our work, giving them the opportunity to step outside their comfort zones, embrace the outdoors and achieve things they never thought possible - similar to our work with the young people on our programmes.

The Challenge Events Manager role is a varied position which would be perfect for somebody who has event management experience. You will be responsible for the full event cycle, from the initial planning, participant recruitment and stewardship to on the day event delivery and post event follow ups. You will be somebody who can spot opportunities, take on a project and run with it. You’ll be an excellent communicator, happy to pick up the phone to chat to event participants, deliver pre-event webinars or create engaging participant emails. You’re self-motivated, well organised, able to multi-task, a strong administrator, a fantastic team player, have excellent interpersonal skills and enjoy being outdoors. You should also have some fundraising experience, ideally in a paid capacity but in a voluntary capacity would also be considered.

You'll work closely with the Corporate Partnership Manager, who is highly experienced in delivering our challenge events, but needs time to develop new corporate partnerships which is why we have created this new role. You'll also line-manage our Events Fundraising Officer who plays a key support role on the events. You must live in or near the South West as there will be a semi-regular requirement to attend in person staff meetings, visit programmes and join event planning sessions.

About You

You’re a people-person, self-motivated and highly organised. You are as comfortable managing a budget and a CRM database as you are standing on a mountain side in your waterproofs! You’ll have:

• Event Expertise: A proven track record in delivering successful fundraising or challenge events.

• Fundraising Experience: You might be an existing fundraiser or somebody who has taken on fundraising activities in a voluntary capacity. You will need to be able to relate to the challenge participants and guide them on how to reach their fundraising targets.

• Agility: The ability to think on your feet and adapt plans dynamically when situations change on the ground.

• Leadership Skills: Experience managing staff or volunteers and the ability to motivate a team.

• A Passion for Adventure: A genuine love for the outdoors, comfortable in wellies and waterproofs with an understanding of 'the power of the outdoors'.

The Charity

At the Youth Adventure Trust, we use outdoor adventure to empower vulnerable young people from Swindon, Wiltshire and Somerset to fulfil their potential and lead positive lives in the future. We work with them to build resilience, develop confidence and learn skills that will last a lifetime, helping them to face the challenges in their lives. Dedicated support, guidance and mentoring from our staff and volunteers ensures young people receive the maximum benefit from our long-term intervention. Our aim is to make a lasting improvement to the lives of vulnerable young people. All our services are provided completely free of charge to the young people who are nominated by schools and other youth organisations to take part.

We’re proud to offer our programmes completely free of charge to participants, and with ambitious plans to help more young people over the coming years, our fundraising challenge events are more important than ever.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to make a direct and lasting impact on young lives through your passion for the outdoors. You’ll be part of a small fundraising team with a big heart, with plenty of opportunities to visit our camps and see the tangible impact of your work. 

If this sounds like the perfect fit for you, please download the full Job Pack for more details, including the job description and person specification. All applicants must complete an application form and refer to the job description and person specification in their application.

The Youth Adventure Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all employees to share this commitment. The suitability of all prospective employees will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. Full details can be found in the Job Pack.

The Young Ealing Foundation is a place-based charity based in Ealing, West London which brings together the voluntary, statutory and private sectors in the local area to increase and improve opportunities for children, young people and families.

The Young Ealing Foundation’s vision is to ensure all young people in Ealing can access the opportunities and support they need to grow up and lead happy and safe lives, fulfil their potential and become a valued and listened to part of the local community. We work towards this by working with and in the community to empower small, local charities to thrive and flourish to enable and advocate for sustainable, high quality service provision for children and young people.

The Young Ealing Foundation is seeking to appoint an administrator to join our small but impactful team. As a small, place-based charity, we often find ourselves responding in dynamic ways to local need, whether of the children and young people in Ealing, or the grassroots charities who form our membership. This role would suit someone who gets excited about approaching opportunities in innovative ways and moving quickly to enact these. 

Main purpose of the role:

· Administrative support for projects and internal operations

· Marketing and communications support

· Event administration and event planning support

· Membership administration

· Data collection and collation for impact measurement & research projects

Job Title: Marketing and Communications Manager (Maternity Cover)

Reporting To: Director of Fundraising

Line Management: This post has no line management responsibilities

Salary: £35,000 - £37,000 (FTE), pro-rata for part time hours

Hours: 28 hours per week, working pattern to be agreed

Contract: 14 months

Location: Currently one day in the office in Kings Cross N1 9LG (Tuesdays)

DBS: This post is subject to an enhanced criminal record check under the arrangements established by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Context of Job

AFK is a national charity creating opportunities for children and young people who are disabled or neurodiverse, to increase their independence, reach their individual potential and remove the barriers they face. Our vision is a world where there are no barriers to independence for children and young people who are disabled or neurodivergent.

As part of this we offer bespoke employment skills training and organise work experience across North London. At a national level, we provide mobility equipment not available on the NHS for disabled children and young people up to the age of 25.

Overall Job Purpose

As part of the Fundraising and Communications Department this role is responsible for creating bold, inspiring new ideas for the charity across digital, marketing and communications, PR, campaigns and internal communications.

You will be passionate about telling stories to inspire action from external supporters and will have responsibility for executing the marketing plan to support events, partnerships, and campaigns. You’ll also collaborate with the Fundraising and Services Teams to identify our target audiences and make suggestions on how to communicate across multiple channels to best drive engagement.

Your creativity and passion will deliver tailored marketing and communications campaigns and you will work closely with colleagues and external agencies/freelancers as required to influence and engage external stakeholders. You will help to bring our brand promise and our mission to life for colleagues, supporters and the young people we support.

This role will provide practical support to produce videos, social media, and materials to help raise funds, increase our profile and support the wider charity.

Working Conditions

The post is 28 hours a week, split flexibly across the working week (working pattern to be agreed). The post holder may be expected to work some evenings and weekends as required by the job.

28 days annual leave pro rated will be given in addition to public holidays.

There is a TOIL policy.

Working Relationships

This role is all about building strong relationships across the organisation to align marketing and communications with our priorities, juggling income generation, service promotion, and leadership communications.

You'll be the central communications hub, turning organisational goals into engaging content that resonates with our audiences.

You'll work closely with the Fundraising team to create compelling campaigns that engage donors and boost income. You'll partner with our Service Delivery teams to capture great impact stories and share what we do with stakeholders. Regular collaboration with the CEO is key for managing organisational messaging, supporting strategic communications, and keeping our brand consistent.

Principal Responsibilities

· Implement the Marketing and Communications strategy and plan, including tracking progress against KPIs

· Undertake a full and routine evaluation of all marcomms activity including preparing reports for colleagues and the leadership team

· Write briefs for external agencies/freelance support as required

· Oversee the maintenance of a comprehensive suite of marketing collateral that meets needs across the organisation, ensuring there is a cost-effective process in place for commissioning new materials

· Support internal communications by maintaining the Sharepoint hub front page

· Produce design and copy for inclusive and accessible marketing content including off and online for fundraising appeals, service delivery programmes and organisational brand messaging

· Maintain the AFK website, built on Wordpress, and manage the external web hosts and developers to ensure updates are successful and the website reflects brand guidelines and AFK’s tone of voice

· Produce a regular e-newsletter and increase subscribers by promoting the e-news across owned channels

· Manage the AFK social media accounts, working closely with the wider organisation to ensure brand alignment across all social channels

· Oversee the appropriate and consistent use of our brand across all communications touch points by ensuring all internal and external stakeholders have the resources and support required to work within the brand guidelines

· This post currently has no direct reports

The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

Leading national policy strategy

As Head of Policy you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan.  Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall. 

You will hold relationships with the Department for Education and Ofsted and advise on policy priorities ahead, such as:

• Widening the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services

• Reducing perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits

• Expectations for multi-academy trusts in capturing and analysing data on lost learning, including how it disproportionately affects different groups

• Improving local alternative provision eco-systems, to improve outcomes for young people

• National standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level

• Professional development standards for school inclusion

Developing implementation expertise in the middle tier

In your first six months, you will advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders.  You will support the Programme team in its design, to plan strategically for the recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and you will plan the research and influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Building the evidence base

In your second six months, you will work with the CEO to build out our research function. Your influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates; alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

Raising your voice

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to inclusive policy change. The Difference has always punched above our weight in national and sector press reach. In post,  you will publish blogs and comment pieces, disseminating our shared ideas.  You will be a prominent voice on inclusion.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being highly autonomous, reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

The Role
This is an exciting time to join The Difference as we increase our impact, reach more schools, and develop our influencing strategy. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs you will: 
 

Design and execute an impactful influencing plan 

• Design an influencing plan - Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones. 

• Execute an influencing plan - Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.

• Relationship building - Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks. 

• Leadership - Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

Build policy capacity and credibility across the organisation

• Policy positions and solutions- Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives. 

• Thought leadership - Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert. 

• Generating income - Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability. 

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:
 

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy, surrounding this policy topic. 

• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in identifying policy windows and designing activities that lead to meaningful national policy change. 

• Excellent relationship builder, who brings with them their own network of influential stakeholders and has a plan for building new relationships. Adept at navigating tricky situations and explaining complex, sometimes difficult, messages.

• Expert convener with a strong knowledge of the education sector, including which schools, trusts and local authorities are influential and experience in bringing a variety of perspectives together to generate consensus. 

• Persuasive and clear writing style for publication, including reports, press, blogs and ghost writing for members of the senior leadership team, often based on consensus positions, and designed to communicate key messages for impact. 

• Confidence and credibility in communicating nuanced messages in a contentious landscape, in writing, verbally and in public (e.g. on panels), to raise the profile of The Difference. 

• Strong project manager who can design systems and processes to keep self, team and other stakeholders on task and on time. Experience of designing programmes of work and monitoring their effectiveness. Flexible project management style that can adapt to a changing environment. Confidence in managing a variety of stakeholders and supporting them to deliver on time. 

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following: 

• Familiarity with The Difference’s programmatic work, theory and practice. 

• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people (e.g. those with experience of the care system, mental ill health, special educational needs, exclusion, and racism).

We know that some people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution, we warmly encourage you to apply. 

We actively welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are under-represented in the charity sector, including but not limited to: people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the case system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.

Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich, Ipswich, IP1 1UQ

Diocesan Director of Education

£75k-£79k per annum

Full-time – 35 hours per week

Permanent appointment from September 2026

Our mission is to support the 87 Church of England schools throughout Suffolk. As a diocese, we work closely with our schools which, together, educate 14,000 pupils. We are looking for an experienced education professional with successful senior leadership experience to lead our team from September, following the retirement of the current postholder. Based in Ipswich, but with travel throughout Suffolk, this post is both rewarding and varied and involves:

· Providing a range of support, training and advice to Headteachers and Governors

· Leading a small and highly effective team

· Leading the work of the Diocesan Board of Education, developing policy as the national education landscape changes

· Promoting education in Suffolk and representing the diocese as the lead on education

· Working across the diocese more widely as a senior member of diocesan staff

· Working with the Department for Education and local authority on a range of school issues

· Working as part of a strong and supportive network of national and regional Directors of Education and with the Church of England’s National Society for Education on policy development and issues

If you love schools and can demonstrate the following criteria we would love to hear from you:

· Successful experience as a senior leader in education

· Collaborative leadership and management skills

· The ability to think strategically and solve problems creatively

· A deep commitment to Church of England schools

We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Closing date: 9th February 2026 at 5pm

Interview date: 2nd March 2026