Mental health crisis worker jobs in Ashford, kent
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About Kinship
We are Kinship. The leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We’re here for kinship carers – friends or family who step up to raise a child when their parents aren’t able to.
Together, let’s commit to change for kinship families.
About the role
The Senior Advice Worker – SEND will be the specialist and subject expert in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and kinship care. You’ll provide 1:1 advice directly to kinship carers on all issues that impact on their caring role.
You will often be supporting kinship carers in high crisis. It will be part of your job to calm a situation quickly and support people to communicate what they need so you can provide personalised in-depth advice.
You’ll provide advice by phone, video calls and email, but you’ll also need to be able to respond to text, WhatsApp and online chat and other channels as we develop the service.
You’ll specialise in providing advice and information to enable kinship carers to support children with SEND needs, including speech, language and communication difficulties, social, emotional and mental health challenges, specific learning difficulties, and autism.
This will include advice and casework to support kinship carers to navigate the education system, understand Education, Health and Care Plan processes and access support from schools, children’s services and CAMHS.
As subject expert, you’ll provide expert input to the development of written information and resources and the development and delivery of specialist training for kinship carers.
Key responsibilities include:
- Respond to enquiries through a range of incoming channels. This includes taking calls on our advice line, as well as responding to enquiries submitted through our website, via internal referral or other channels.
- Provide high quality advice and information to kinship carers on their rights, entitlements and responsibilities in relation to welfare benefits, local authority allowances, support from children’s services, relevant legal orders, sources of educational, parenting and legal support and other issues that may be required.
- Assess vulnerability and risk to prioritise and respond to kinship carers’ issues in a timely manner.
- Research individual cases and identify possible courses of action.
- Address all safeguarding concerns in line with policy.
- Facilitate access to our advice service for people with diverse needs, e.g. by using appropriate translation services or assistive technology.
- Adapt communication style to respond appropriately to differing needs.
- Provide advice in a format that is manageable and understandable for the individual kinship carer.
- Apply agreed Kinship models of practice as appropriate, e.g. taking a trauma-informed approach.
- Provide specialist advice and casework on SEND-related issues. This may involve:
- providing additional advice or support to enable a client to take action
- undertaking follow-up action on behalf of the client to move the case on, e.g. negotiating with third parties
- taking on complex casework to pursue significant outcomes for the client or strategic impact for all kinship carers
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Proactively update colleagues across Kinship on relevant updates in the SEND landscape, providing guidance to teams.
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Work closely with training colleagues to develop, create and occasionally lead training sessions to support kinship carers to navigate the SEND system.
Essential requirements include:
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Minimum of 2 years’ recent experience of delivering in-depth advice work on complex social welfare legal issues (e.g. benefits, housing, education or social care) to members of the public.
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Experience of giving both telephone and written advice.
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Either significant knowledge of and expertise in the SEND system and SEND-related issues, with the ability to develop expertise in kinship care advice; or, Significant knowledge of and expertise in kinship care advice, with substantial knowledge of SEND-related advice issues and the ability to become an expert in SEND advice for kinship carers.
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A demonstrable knowledge of relevant sources of advice and information.
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Knowledge and evidence of good understanding of safeguarding issues and good practice.
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Proven understanding of the importance of confidentiality and a non-judgmental approach.
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Experience and confidence in development of resources
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Experience of effective management and supervision of staff, projects and/or services.
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Experience using Case Management Systems and/or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms.
What we offer you:
- Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
- 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
- Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
- Charity Worker Discounts.
Key dates:
- Application deadline: Monday 20 April 2026, 12pm
- First interview: w/c 4 May 2026 (online)
- Second interview: w/c 11 May 2026 (if required)
How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Senior Advice Worker - SEND by sending a CV and answering the questions below. The deadline is 12pm on Monday 20 April 2026. Any applications arriving after the closing date will not be considered for shortlisting unless there are exceptional reasons. Please ensure you have read the application timelines.
Please provide a cover letter answering the following 4 questions (up to 250 words per answer):
- Give an overview of how your experience, qualifications and training equip you for the role of Senior Advice Worker - SEND.
- Explain why you want to work for Kinship.
- What are the key skills and personal attributes that you would bring to the role?
- What do you see as the most significant advice issues confronting kinship families navigating the SEND system?
Kinship is committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion. We believe our work is greatly enhanced by the varied backgrounds, experiences and views represented within our teams. We aim to create inclusive teams, celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be their true self at work. We therefore encourage applications from anyone who fits our values, whatever their religion or belief, sex, gender identity, race, age, sexuality or disability and are actively seeking candidates that can bring real innovation and commitment to us.
Some tips for your application:
• Make sure you’ve read the job description and the essential requirements – make sure your application reflects those points in the requirements very clearly.
• Tell us why you want to work for Kinship. We’re interested in working with people who share our values. You can read about our values in the job pack.
• Keep your response clear – use bullets points and short paragraphs if that helps. It will help the recruitment team to focus on your knowledge, skills and experience.
• Don’t go over 2 pages on your covering letter and ensure you answer all the questions
• Please do not use AI tools like ChatGPT to produce your answers. We use software to check, and your application will be rejected if you do.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We support kinship carers in their homes and communities, giving advice and helping them work through problems to find the best way forward.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
We are looking for an inspiring Support Services Manager to lead our supported housing schemes, ensuring high‑quality, person‑centred support for women and children across our services.
If you are passionate about transforming lives, improving service quality and leading dedicated teams — we’d love to hear from you.
About the Role
As Support Services Manager, you will:
Lead and develop high‑quality support services
- Provide operational leadership across supported housing schemes
- Ensure trauma‑informed, person‑centred support plans and risk assessments
- Monitor KPIs, contractual compliance and service performance
- Drive service improvement and co‑production with clients
Manage, motivate and develop staff
- Line manage Support Workers and Volunteers
- Ensure supervision, training and performance management
- Support recruitment and staff development across the region
- Build a strong, motivated and skilled team
Champion safeguarding & risk management
- Act as a safeguarding champion across supported housing
- Ensure robust risk assessments, incident reporting and GDPR‑compliant records
- Support staff to maintain the highest safeguarding standards
Ensure housing & compliance excellence
- Work closely with Estates teams to maintain safe, compliant accommodation
- Support quality improvements across physical properties and service delivery
Build impactful partnerships
- Liaise with local authorities, commissioners, health partners and referral agencies
- Represent Life at case conferences, multi‑agency meetings and contract reviews
- Identify and respond to new referral opportunities
Drive quality, governance & reporting
- Produce performance reports and maintain audit readiness
- Support strategic growth and contribute to the department’s business plan
- Promote Life Charity within local communities and public forums
Manage budgets & resources
- Monitor expenditure and support resource planning
- Support with funding bids and service redesign
- Work with finance teams to ensure clients receive appropriate financial support
We’d love to hear from you if you have:
Essential experience & skills
- Experience managing or delivering support and/or care services
- Understanding of supported housing and estates management
- Strong knowledge of support planning, risk assessment and safeguarding
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage at all levels
- Strong organisational, leadership and problem‑solving abilities
- Ability to work independently, handle pressure and prioritise workloads
- Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Full UK driving licence
Desirable
- Relevant housing qualification (e.g., CIH Level 4)
- Experience working in a charity environment
- Experience in troubleshooting or service improvement roles
- Good strategic awareness
About Life:
Life is a national pregnancy support charity that helps over 60,000 people a year. Through our services, we help people – whoever they are – to meet pregnancy or pregnancy loss with courage and dignity so they can flourish.
Our services include:
- Supported housing and community support
- Counselling and skilled listening
- Free pregnancy tests and baby supplies
Our values :
All our work is underpinned by the following universal human values:
- Humanity – All people are special and equal
- Solidarity – We’re with you and for you
- Community – We’re better together
- Charity – Doing good for one another
- Common good – Building a better world
Information about the role:
For further information, please see the attached job description.
Salary: £34,000 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week over 5 days
Location: Home Based with Extensive Travel across the Midlands and South East England
Benefits:
At Life we are passionate about providing our employees with a supportive and engaging environment. As well as ongoing development and training, we offer our:
- Generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time hours)
- Birthday Leave (applicable after 1 years service)
- Additional annual leave for long term service
- Company Pension Scheme
- Signed member of the Menopause Workplace Pledge
Safeguarding and Equality:
Life is committed to protecting all staff, volunteers and service users from harm of any kind. Life expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct.
We are committed to ensuring diversity and equality within our organisation by encouraging applications from all backgrounds.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks. Life takes its obligation to protect the rights of children and vulnerable people very seriously; therefore, the successful candidate for this post will be also subject to extensive background checking, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) which is paid for by the Charity.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
The Bumblebee Conservation Trust (the Trust) is looking for a part-time (0.7 FTE) Head of Outreach.
Our vision is for a world where bumblebees are thriving and valued by everyone.
This role will:
- Lead on the development and implementation of an Outreach Strategy that inspires people and organisations, including policy makers, to take action for bumblebees. (Aim 2 of the Trust’s strategy)
- Lead on behaviour change impact reporting, ensuring data collection methods and tools are fit for purpose, and staff and volunteers have the necessary training and support to confidently report on the impact of face-to-face outreach activities.
- Lead on project development activities and work with the fundraising team to generate income to fund the sustainable growth of the Trust’s outreach activities across the UK.
You will be an excellent communicator and problem solver with experience in managing change and leading and motivating staff and volunteers. You will have a proven track record in securing grant funding and building strong partnerships with third party organisations, as well as experience in monitoring and evaluating the impact of public engagement and volunteering activities, including social and wellbeing impacts and behaviour change.
Please refer to the job description and person specification for more details of the role.
This is a part-time post for 24 hours per week. Some overtime work may be required and a flexitime system is in place.
This post will be employed on a permanent basis and can be based at the Trust’s office in Stirling, home-based, or hybrid between the Trust’s office in Stirling and home-working.
The Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer. This means that whilst seeking employment or during such employment with the Trust, we will seek to ensure equality of treatment for all persons regardless of sex, race, age, marital or civil partnership status, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy or maternity status.
At the Trust, we have a clear goal: to be the place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, to stay and do their best work. We pride ourselves on reaching for our vision, through the hard work and dedication of our passionate and creative employees.
The closing date is 5 p.m. 13 April 2026. Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.
The interview date is 28th April 2026. Interviews will be held online.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.