Early years jobs
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
ABOUT THE CLINK CHARITY
The Clink Charity, founded in 2009, aims to prevent and reduce reoffending through training, rehabilitation, and support. We deliver hospitality and horticulture training behind the prison walls and in the community by creating an environment where our students are supported to gain the skills, confidence and qualifications they need to rebuild their lives.
Since that time, we have trained approximately 5,000 people in prison and delivered 2,600 City & Guilds qualifications in a variety of hospitality and food courses.
What makes The Clink so unique is our post-release support and mentoring programme that rehabilitates an offender back into society through assistance with health and mental health issues, housing, employment, family connections and friendships.
The charity operates an award-winning fine-dining restaurant open to the public inside HMP Brixton, training kitchens in the prison estate, horticulture projects at HMP Send and HMP Erlestoke, a commercial bakery in Brixton, and a bespoke delivery service, Catered by Clink.
Additionally, Clink Events is our social enterprise catering business with food produced by the women in HMP Downview and also in an additional kitchen at Herne Hill and then served by alumni on front of house at some of the best venues in London including: the Guildhall, the Science Museum, Cutty Sark, Kew Gardens and the Camden Roundhouse. In 2024, across 218 events, The Clink fed 36,000 people.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Support and Employment Worker will provide a high quality and responsive mentoring and advocacy service which creatively addresses the needs and risks of our students and graduates to enable them to avoid further offending and to obtain and maintain employment upon release.
Our students and graduates will come from multiple prison sites across the London and the South East region, so careful diary management, logistical planning and travel are key components of the role.
This is a flexible role, mostly based at HMP Brixton, but will also include travelling between
HMP Downview and HMP Send multiple prisons and our Clink Training Café site in Herne Hill, with some working from home and managing a community caseload of graduates who have been released.
The Support and Employment Worker will develop action plans with each student in prison to support them in obtaining employment upon release and also in developing independent living skills to work towards their long-term goals and aspirations.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As a Support and Employment Worker at The Clink, you are responsible for:
•Mentoring, supporting and being the point of contact for students and graduates as they transition from our hospitality and horticulture training programmes in prison and in the community for up to 12 months.
•Working with and supporting people in prison and students prior to and after release from prison, or from graduation in our community café, to empower them in finding and maintaining accommodation, employment and a drug-free, offence-free lifestyle.
•Building relationships with Clink Chef Trainers, HMPPS Resettlement and Employment Teams, HMPPS Officers and Governing Teams in the prison and all parties invested in the training, support and employment of our learners.
•Working with students and graduates to identify their needs and risks, and to identify short and long-term goals.
•Motivating and engaging students and graduates and to provide practical and emotional support.
•Liaising with employers to secure opportunities for our students and for continuity of employment for graduates upon release.
•Supporting people dealing with drug and alcohol problems and to make referrals to other services as required.
•Undertaking risk assessments for each student, to recognise changes in risk level and take appropriate action.
•Maintaining case records and report on students' progress to external agencies and for our own Clink records on Clink Connect, our CRM system.
•Working in partnership with the team to enhance overall delivery of the service.
•Maintaining a professional approach that enhances the reputation of the charity.
DESIRABLE SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
- Experience of prisons and/or the criminal justice system. This can be lived experience.
- Experience of working with a variety of client groups both in custody and in the community, including men, women and 16-25-year-olds.
- Experience of working with young people in gangs and/or at risk of exploitation and county lines.
- Experience of working with neurodivergent people and those with disabilities and additional needs.
- Experience and skill in using a trauma informed approach with vulnerable people who present a risk of harm, including knowledge of mental health issues, drug and alcohol use and offending behaviour.
- Experience in setting up a strong employer network and using this to support our graduates into employment post-release.
- Experience referring to other services and using a multi-agency approach.
- A level of numeracy sufficient to carry out tasks such as budgeting with clients, calculating benefit entitlements and understanding rent arrears.
- An understanding of safeguarding issues and PREVENT Duty and the ability to assess risk in consultation with line manager.
- Some knowledge of the benefits system and ability to deal with housing agencies and landlords
- Driver with clean licence.
- IT literate - will need to maintain records about our students on our in-house CRM system and complete assessments for HMPPS.
- Able to adopt a supportive, confident and motivating approach to the client group.
- Willing to engage in training and development of your own knowledge and skills.
- Able to pass a prison security clearance.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
- Confident and resilient personality, with the strength of character to work in complex prison settings and with highly vulnerable people.
- Perseverence and tenacity — a desire to see our students be successful and to advocate strongly on their behalf which often requires a relentless optimism.
- Highly organised and efficient person - able to juggle multiple responsibilities, manage your own time and schedule, and be a consistent source of support for our beneficiaries.
- A strong networker - your key responsibility will be to manage stakeholders in the prison, in probation, in other third sector support groups, and with employers to advocate for our students to have the chance of quality employment outcomes.
- An assertive communicator - you will need to be patient, kind and compassionate and to communicate with our students with sensitivity and clear expectations.
REPORTING LINES MANAGEMENT EXPECTATIONS
You will report directly to the Support Lead for London and the SE, the Executive Leadership Team, but also work closely with the Operations team in the prisons and related Clink project leads in the community.
GENERAL CLINK CHARITY INFORMATION
All staff are expected to:
- Comply with all current legislation
- Comply with all prison operational policies
- Comply with The Clink Staff Handbook
- Undertake such other duties within the scope of the post as may be requested by your Manager
Special Requirements:
- Must be able to pass prison security vetting process to be able to draw keys.
- Must have a valid driving licence .
Benefits:
- 28 days holiday plus bank holidays
- Company pension scheme
- Free meals on duty when based in a restaurant or visiting for business
HOW TO APPLY
If you would like to apply for this post, please send your CV and a supporting statement (maximum 2 sides of A4) to Lizann Barnwell.
In your supporting statement you should ensure that you try to address the desirable criteria set out in the person specification for the role. Make sure you give evidence which shows how you meet the criteria, not just telling us that you did it.
Interviews will be arranged on a rolling basis for this role, so early applications are encouraged. The deadline for applications is Friday 6 Feb at 0900.
We do not send individual acknowledgment of applications due to the high volume we receive, and we will only contact candidates who are shortlisted for an interview. If you do not hear from us within two weeks of the closing date, your application has not been successful on this occasion.
If you would like an informal chat about this role, we can offer a call with a member of The Clink Team. Even if you feel you do not meet some of the criteria listed above, we would still welcome applications from passionate candidates who are keen to make a difference.
Appointment process
Applicants who have demonstrated that they meet the desirable criteria set out in the person specification will be contacted and interviews arranged on a rolling basis.
Interview
If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be invited to a selection process. A panel of two or more, including the recruiting manager conducts all interviews. If there are any special arrangements associated with the selection process e.g. tests or presentations, you will be informed accordingly.
Interview outcome
If you are invited to attend an interview, you will be informed either verbally or in writing of the outcome. The successful candidate will have the decision confirmed in writing as an offer of employment. Unsuccessful candidates will be offered the opportunity for feedback.
References
If you are successful in your application, you are asked to provide us with the details of two referees. We only contact referees with your permission after an offer of employment has been made.
All offers of employment are conditional upon the receipt of references that are satisfactory to The Clink Charity, verification of right to work in the UK and where applicable, verification of qualifications and Disclosure and Barring Service (where required).
Personal information
The personal information that you have supplied will only be used for recruitment and selection purposes. You should refer to the Privacy Notice on our website, which sets out how The Clink Charity will deal with the personal and sensitive data you have provided in your application form and supporting information.
EDI
We welcome all applicants and are keen to enhance our team to reflect the diversity of the UK and the communities we serve. We would like to encourage applications from disabled people, those from LGBTQIA+ and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and those experiencing other forms of marginalisation, as they are underrepresented at this level. In addition, as this role works directly with people in prison and those at risk of offending, those with lived experience are encouraged to apply.
Accessible recruitment
The Clink Charity is committed to making our recruitment process and workplace accessible to all. If you are an applicant with a disability and/or have any specific needs or adjustments that you would like us to consider, at application, interview, or appointment stage, please make us aware in your application.
Please ensure you submit a Cover Letter/Supporting Statement. You should ensure that you try to address the desirable criteria set out in the person specification for the role. Make sure you give evidence which shows how you meet the criteria, not just telling us that you did it.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Closing Date: 15 February 2026
Ref 7251
Save the Children UK is looking for an experienced and collaborative leader to join us as Head of Service Operations. In this role, you will shape how colleagues across the organisation experience and use digital, data and technology services, working closely with senior leaders, technical teams and partners to ensure our services are accessible, effective and deliver maximum impact for children.
Note, internally, this role is referred to as Head of Customer Enablement, reflecting our customer-centric approach.
About us
Save the Children UK believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children's unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach.
About the role
As Head of Customer Enablement, you will lead the function responsible for ensuring Save the Children colleagues receive reliable, high-quality and accessible digital, data and technology services. You will combine strong service management leadership with a strategic focus on customer enablement, ensuring teams are supported, confident and equipped to use technology effectively. As part of the DDaT senior leadership team, you will oversee service delivery, supplier relationships, budgets and continual service improvement, while acting as a trusted partner to stakeholders across the organisation.
In this role, you will:
- Lead the Customer Enablement function, owning service management processes and ensuring services are designed and delivered to maximise customer value.
- Act as a strong customer advocate for digital, data and technology, ensuring a consistently high-quality service experience across the organisation.
- Develop and grow the Service Desk and Customer Support functions, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, user experience and engagement.
- Take ownership of major incidents, coordinating teams and stakeholders to minimise impact and ensure clear, timely communication.
- Oversee supplier management, contracts, asset and licence management, procurement processes and budget control.
- Drive continual service improvement through customer insight, service reporting and the delivery of service improvement plans and operational projects.
About you
To be successful, it is important that you have:
- Proven experience in IT service management methodologies such as ITIL and COBIT with experience operating in complex environments.
- A track record of leading customer-focused IT services, service desks or support functions, with a strong emphasis on service quality and user experience and service performance monitoring.
- Experience managing budgets, procurement, suppliers and contracts, ensuring best value, compliance and effective risk management.
- Strong leadership and people management capability, with experience building, developing and empowering high-performing teams.
- Proven project management skills with a track record of identifying, scoping and delivering small to mid-size initiatives that improve service quality, customer experience or adoption of technology.
- Broad knowledge of software, operating systems, and cloud services with demonstrable experience in software licensing and asset management.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences and act as a trusted business partner.
- A strategic, improvement-focused mindset, balancing day-to-day operational delivery with longer-term customer enablement and service transformation goals.
- Commitment to Save the Children's vision, mission and values.
What we offer you:
Working for a charity provides one of the best benefits there is – a sense of purpose and reward for helping others. However, we understand the importance of giving back to our employees to ensure a happy and healthy working environment and work/life balance.
- We focus on flexibility, inclusion, collaboration, health and wellbeing both in and outside of work.
- We provide a wide range of benefits which will reward your hard work, motivate you, and inspire you to work to improve the lives of children every day.
Please note: To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately, once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.
Note, this is the Head of Customer Enablement position with job title adjusted for external advertising.
Ways of Working:
The majority of our roles can be performed remotely in the UK, but at times you will be required to come to your contracted office (usually between 2–4 days per month, depending on the needs of your role, team, or service). For many roles, this is likely to be the minimum required to deliver impact. This will be discussed and agreed with your manager / team and we encourage candidates to discuss our ways of working in more detail at interview stage.
Please note: travel costs to your contracted office will be at your own expense.
Out of hours working
From time to time, you may be asked to work outside normal business hours, such as in the evening or at the weekend, to support activities like system upgrades or maintenance. This is expected to be infrequent (usually no more than four times a year) and we'll always give you as much notice as possible.
In exceptional situations, such as a major emergency, humanitarian response, cyber attack, or total system failure, you may be asked to temporarily adjust your working hours to help manage the situation.
Flexible Working - We are happy to discuss flexible working options at interview.
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
Save the Children UK believes in a world that is fair, inclusive and equitable where all children have the opportunity to change their world. We apply this to our workforce and we are committed to developing and supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organisation where all employees have a sense of belonging and feel that they can be "Free to Be Me". We are not looking for just one type of person - we want to recruit people who can add fresh perspectives, innovative ideas or challenge that disrupts the risk of group think.
We are especially interested in people whose childhood experiences - of life on a low income, of migration, of being in a racialised community, of the care system, of being LGBT+ or in an LGBT+ family or living with (or with someone with) a disability - help us to see things we might otherwise miss. Whatever your story is we want to hear it because we know that different voices, ideas, perspectives and knowledge, working together will enable us to better the lives of children around the world. This is the reason why we are all here.
As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you'll work alongside senior leaders across Alzheimer's Society, turning complex financial information into clear insights that support more informed decision-making.
In a role where every pound matters in the fight against dementia, you'll ensure our resources are directed where they can make the greatest difference. Whether that's funding groundbreaking research, delivering vital support services, or campaigning for systemic change. You'll build meaningful relationships, develop budget holders' capabilities, and offer challenge and support to help colleagues navigate financial complexity with clarity and purpose, empowering them to make decisions that maximise our impact for the 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK and their families.
You'll be part of our Finance & Assurance directorate, where our vision is to be the Society's single point of truth. Working within the Financial Partnering, Planning & Analysis function, you'll connect Finance with the wider organisation, translating strategic plans into sound financial frameworks that enable our mission rather than holding it back.
This is also a people leadership role. You'll develop and manage a team of Finance Business Partners, creating an agile, high-performing culture where accountability and support go hand in hand. Together, you'll role-model best practice, share knowledge freely, and flex your resources to meet the changing needs of the Society throughout the year.
About you:
You're an experienced accountant with a track record of financial partnering at senior levels. You understand that excellent business partnering combines accurate numbers with storytelling, influencing, and helping others see the bigger picture. You're comfortable working across boundaries, challenging assumptions constructively, and coaching colleagues to strengthen their own financial knowledge.
You'll have:
- CCAB qualification through education or demonstrable knowledge.
- Significant experience strengthening financial capability across large or complex organisations, including developing training and coaching programmes.
- A proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams, with strong focus on development and performance management.
- Expert knowledge of financial planning, budgeting and forecasting processes and tools.
- Substantial experience working with finance systems, particularly ERP systems (we use Unit4).
- Experience driving quality improvement through data-driven metrics and reporting.
- A track record of challenging assumptions and holding others accountable for their financial responsibilities.
What you’ll focus on:
- Partnering with senior leaders across the Society to provide insights and recommendations that support effective, informed decision-making.
- Strengthening financial knowledge and confidence with budget holders through coaching, training programmes and partnership-based support.
- Leading and developing a high-performing team of Finance Business Partners, building a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Working collaboratively across the Finance team to design intuitive reports and analysis that meet the needs of colleagues across the Society.
- Building strong relationships with senior leaders to understand their strategic objectives, anticipate challenges and identify cost optimisation opportunities.
- Using storytelling and creative approaches alongside data-driven analysis to communicate key financial messages effectively.
Are you ready to influence at senior levels, bringing both challenge and practical solutions?
Can you lead a team that's valued not just for their technical expertise, but for the partnership and insight they bring to every conversation?
Important Dates
- Deadline for applications is Sunday 1st February 2026.
- Interview invites will be issued by Tuesday 10th February 2026.
- Interviews will take place across 17th, 18th and 19th of February 2026.
There will be a presentation task to prepare ahead of the interview. Depending on volume of applications, you may be invited to a second stage interview during W/C 23rd February 2026.
About Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.
At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.
Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.
Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.
Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.
We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society.
Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.
Our hiring process
During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply. Please also contact Alzheimer’s Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.
To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.
We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.
We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a DBS check at the relevant level.
Giving back to you
Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society.
You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it’s like to be an employee at the Society.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People – High Value Events Team Manager
Location:Hybrid working with some travel to Hearing Dogs offices in either Buckinghamshire or East Yorkshire.
Salary: £50,000 per annum.
Contract: Permanent, full-time hours.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, whose mission is build confidence, companionship and connection for people with hearing loss, is seeking a High Value Events Team Manager to lead the development and delivery of inclusive, inspiring and impactful high-value event experiences that deepen relationships and generate transformational philanthropic support for the charity.
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has been creating life-changing partnerships between hearing dogs and deaf recipients since 1982. As well as acting as an ear to their partners and alerting them to sounds, the charity’s clever and expertly trained dogs help deaf people to live life with confidence and independence, whilst providing love and emotional support.
Following on from a strategic review, the charity is now building a new Income Generation Directorate, to enable them to transform many more lives across the UK. This role will be critical to help Hearing Dogs reach their goals to significantly grow and diversify income.
With a strong focus on values-led, relationship-based fundraising, this role will provide strategic leadership to the charity’s new High Value Events function, bringing a consistent, high-quality approach to engagement, cultivation, fundraising and stewardship events. The post-holder will ensure that events are inclusive, mission-focused and deliver strong return on investment, building long-term commitment among principal and major donors, trusts and foundations, corporate partners and senior volunteers.
The ideal candidate will be a strong leader with a background in planning and delivering high-value fundraising or engagement events generating £100k+. You will have worked with high-value supporters, including high net worth individuals, committees and senior stakeholders, and will have a strong track record of working to income targets and maximising fundraising return on investment. Excellent organisational and communication skills will be combined with the ability to engage and influence a wide range of audiences. You will be creative and proactive, with a collaborative and inclusive approach to work, alongside the ability to communicate impact clearly and compellingly.
This is an exciting opportunity to shape the direction of High Value Events at an organisation which is changing people’s lives every day, and where you have the flexibility of working remotely or spending time at Hearing Dogs’ stunning bases in Buckinghamshire or Yorkshire, with friendly and passionate staff and their four-legged friends.
If you want to lead the pack and help deaf people live well with hearing loss Please download our Candidate Pack for further information [PDF], which includes details on how to apply.
Closing date: Monday 16th February, 9.00 am.