205 Childrens support worker jobs

Katherine Low Settlement (KLS) is a busy local charity that has been serving Battersea and the wider Wandsworth community since 1924. We are dedicated to building stronger communities and enabling people to challenge and find ways out of poverty and isolation.
Older people have been at the heart of our work since we were founded. Our Elders Programme supports older people across Battersea and Wandsworth to live active and independent lives, improve their health and wellbeing, and build connections within their community.

The programme includes our Core Services, which provide additional support for members with greater support needs, alongside Age Well, Digital Inclusion and Income Maximisation.

We are looking for an experienced and compassionate Elders Core Services Manager to lead the day-to-day delivery of our Core Services and support a small team of staff, sessional workers and volunteers.

This is a varied and hands-on community management role combining people leadership, service coordination, safeguarding, casework oversight and service development. You will maintain a visible presence across the programme, build strong relationships with our members and support frontline delivery when needed, while empowering the team to take ownership of their work.

Working closely with our Head of Elders Programme, you will also oversee areas including casework, befriending, transport, volunteers, monitoring and evaluation, and the quality and development of our Core Services.

We are looking for someone who is an effective and supportive people manager, organised and confident making decisions, and able to balance oversight and delegation with a practical willingness to get involved. You will bring experience of managing or coordinating community-based services and share our commitment to providing compassionate, person-centred support.

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role, responsibilities and experience we are looking for.

Interviews are planned for Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November 2026.

We will review applications as they are received and may invite suitable candidates to interview before the closing date. We therefore encourage you to apply early.

Key Objectives
• Lead the effective day-to-day management and support the development of the Elders Core Programme, ensuring it operates effectively within the wider Elders Programme and KLS priorities.
• Maintain a visible and hands-on presence across the Core Programme, building strong relationships with members and supporting frontline delivery where needed, while ensuring day-to-day responsibilities are appropriately delegated across the team.
• Lead, support and develop Core Programme staff, sessional workers and volunteers, creating a culture of clear accountability, appropriate delegation and shared ownership.
• Maintain oversight of Core Programme frontline delivery, casework and safeguarding, ensuring responsibilities are appropriately allocated and high standards of support are maintained.
• Work with the Head of Programme on operational monitoring, evaluation and quality improvement, using data, member feedback and participatory evaluation methods to strengthen delivery.
• Work closely with the Head of Programme and wider KLS team to ensure the Core Programme contributes effectively to the aims and development of the wider Elders Programme.

Main Duties & Responsibilities
Programme leadership and service management
• Take day-to-day management responsibility for the Elders Core Programme and ensure high-quality, consistent delivery across its activities.
• Work with the Head of Programme to translate the wider Elders strategy, organisational priorities and funding commitments into effective Core Programme delivery.
• Maintain oversight of regular Core activities and one-off activities and events, ensuring they are appropriately planned, resourced and delivered.
• Ensure core frontline activities, outreach, assessments, member support, transport and other operational responsibilities are effectively coordinated, delegating day-to-day responsibilities appropriately across the
core Team while remaining flexible and providing hands-on support with delivery when required.
• Ensure roles and responsibilities within the Core Team are clear and support staff and volunteers to take appropriate ownership and make effective day-to-day decisions.
• Plan and coordinate staffing and resources across the Core Programme, identifying capacity issues and ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place for effective service delivery.
• Identify emerging service pressures, risks and gaps and work proactively with the Head of Programme and team to address them.
• Develop and maintain effective systems, processes and ways of working that support safe, efficient and sustainable programme delivery.
• Ensure the views, strengths and needs of Elders members inform the development and delivery of the Core Programme.

Staff, sessional worker and volunteer management
• Line manage designated Core Programme staff, providing regular supervision, clear objectives, feedback, support and opportunities for development.
• Provide overall management oversight of staffing and delivery across the Core Programme.
• Manage relevant sessional workers delivering Core Programme activities, including exercise, creative and social activities as appropriate.
• Support the recruitment, induction, development and performance management of staff and sessional workers.
• Foster a supportive and collaborative team culture in which responsibilities are clearly delegated, and staff are empowered to take appropriate ownership of their work.
• Hold overall responsibility for the effective involvement, support and deployment of volunteers within the Core Programme, working collaboratively with KLS's Volunteering Manager.
• Work with the Volunteering Manager to identify volunteer needs and suitable opportunities and ensure volunteers receive an effective programme and role-specific induction following organisational recruitment,
vetting and safeguarding training.
• Ensure volunteers receive appropriate role clarity, day-to-day support and supervision, with routine coordination and rotas delegated appropriately across the Core Team.
• Ensure appropriate risk assessments, guidance and safe working practices are in place for volunteer roles and activities.
• Ensure appropriate staff, sessional worker and volunteer cover is planned for activities, with routine coordination and first-line problem-solving delegated appropriately across the Core Team

Casework, outreach and member support
• Provide management oversight of casework undertaken by the Core Team, ensuring cases are appropriately allocated, recorded, reviewed and progressed.
• Support staff with complex, sensitive or higher-risk cases, taking direct responsibility for individual cases where management-level involvement is appropriate.
• Monitor caseloads, referral levels and emerging needs to ensure workloads remain manageable and members receive appropriate support.
• Ensure effective systems are in place for outreach, assessments, referrals, signposting and follow-up.
• Support the team to build trusted, strengths-based relationships with older people and ensure members are treated with dignity, compassion and respect.
• Develop and maintain appropriate relationships with external organisations and referral partners where these support effective outcomes for Elders members.
• Maintain strong direct relationships with members and an active understanding of frontline delivery, contributing to casework, assessments, outreach and activities where appropriate or where additional capacity is needed, while ensuring day-to-day responsibilities are appropriately shared across the team.

Transport and accessibility
• Maintain management oversight of the Elders transport service, ensuring it operates safely, effectively and in response to members' needs.
• Oversee transport referrals, eligibility and waiting lists, ensuring places are allocated fairly and capacity or emerging pressures are appropriately managed.
• Ensure appropriate risk assessments, procedures and guidance are in place for the transport service and are regularly reviewed.
• Ensure staff and volunteers involved in transport are appropriately trained, supported and clear about their roles and responsibilities.
• Ensure day-to-day transport coordination, including bookings, routes and pick-up arrangements, is appropriately delegated within the Core Team, while providing support where required.

Safeguarding, quality and risk
• Promote a strong safeguarding culture across the Core Programme and ensure staff, sessional workers and volunteers understand and follow KLS safeguarding procedures.
• Provide day-to-day management support to staff responding to safeguarding concerns and ensure concerns are appropriately recorded and escalated.
• Work closely with KLS's Designated Safeguarding Lead and Head of Programme where safeguarding concerns require further action or oversight.
• Ensure appropriate risk assessments, procedures and guidance are in place for Core Programme activities and volunteer involvement and are regularly reviewed.
• Ensure high standards of record keeping, confidentiality, data protection, health and safety and professional practice across the programme.
• Identify and escalate significant operational, safeguarding or service risks appropriately.

Befriending and volunteer-supported services
• Lead the development and oversight of the Elders befriending service, ensuring it operates safely, effectively and in response to member needs.
• Ensure appropriate systems are in place for befriender recruitment, matching, boundaries, support, monitoring and review.
• Monitor the effectiveness and capacity of the befriending service and identify opportunities for development.
• Work with colleagues across KLS to support a positive and meaningful volunteering experience within the Elders Programme.

Monitoring, evaluation and programme development
• Take responsibility for the accurate and timely collection of Core Programme monitoring and evaluation information.
• Monitor activity, reach, casework, outcomes and agreed KPIs, identifying trends, gaps and areas requiring action.
• Ensure staff maintain accurate, timely and appropriate records on Salesforce and other agreed systems.
• Monitor the quality and completeness of programme data and address gaps with the relevant team members.
• Provide regular programme information and analysis to the Head of Programme to support programme management, funder reporting and organisational reporting.
• Work collaboratively with KLS colleagues responsible for data and impact to strengthen monitoring, evaluation and learning.
• Gather and respond to feedback from Elders members, staff, volunteers and partners and use this alongside monitoring information to support continuous improvement.
• Contribute to the development and planning of the wider Elders Programme.

Finance and resources
• Manage agreed areas of the Core Programme budget and ensure expenditure is appropriately recorded and monitored.
• Work with the Head of Programme to ensure resources are used effectively and programme delivery remains within agreed budgets.
• Identify emerging resource or budget pressures and raise these with the Head of Programme in a timely manner.

Relationships and communication
• Build and sustain strong relationships with Elders members and ensure their voices inform programme delivery and development.
• Build effective working relationships with community organisations, referral partners and other relevant local services.
• Work collaboratively as part of the wider Elders team and KLS team, sharing relevant information appropriately.
• Contribute to programme communications, reports, newsletters and other materials as required.
• Represent the Core Programme at internal and external meetings where appropriate.

General responsibilities
• Participate in regular management supervision and annual appraisal and identify relevant professional development and training needs.
• Work in accordance with KLS policies and procedures, including safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, health and safety, data protection and confidentiality.
• Undertake the role in a professional manner and maintain high standards of work consistent with KLS's mission, values and ethos.
• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the level and purpose of the role.

Person Specification 

Essential experiences

• A practical and flexible approach, with the ability to balance management responsibilities with hands-on involvement in frontline delivery when needed.
• Experience of line managing, supporting and developing staff.
• Experience of managing or coordinating a community-based service, programme or similar provision.
• Strong people-management skills, including the ability to delegate effectively, set clear expectations and empower others to take ownership.
• Experience of overseeing casework, support work or services involving people with a range of needs.
• Ability to provide appropriate management support with complex, sensitive or higher-risk situations.
• Strong understanding and practical experience of safeguarding adults.
• Experience of monitoring service delivery, outcomes or KPIs and using information to improve services.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise across a busy and varied service.
• Ability to maintain strategic and operational oversight without needing to personally undertake every aspect of frontline delivery.
• Strong judgement and ability to make appropriate decisions independently, while recognising when matters require escalation.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Ability to build positive, trusted relationships with older people, staff, volunteers, colleagues and external partners.
• Good IT skills and confidence using digital systems to maintain records and monitor delivery.
• Understanding of confidentiality, data protection and safe information sharing.
• Commitment to person-centred, strengths-based approaches and to KLS’s mission, values and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Desirable Experiences

• Working with older people in a community setting.
• Managing or supporting volunteers and/or sessional workers.
• Delivering or supporting befriending, outreach or community engagement services.
• Salesforce or a similar CRM/case-management system.
• Knowledge of Battersea, Wandsworth and/or relevant local services.

Further Information

• Katherine Low Settlement is committed to equal opportunities.     
• All offers to work at Katherine Low Settlement are subject to two satisfactory references, which is standard KLS policy applicable to all roles. KLS also ask for an enhanced DBS check.
• You will adhere to matters of confidentiality concerning this role and the KLS team.
• An induction is given to new staff, which includes sharing our policies and procedures relevant to this post.   

There is a 6-month probation period for this role.