Policy advocacy manager jobs

Join a vibrant and brave grassroots organisation led by Gypsy and Traveller people in West Yorkshire. 

Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (Leeds GATE) is an established and award-winning civil societyorganisationwith a national profile.

We arerecognisedas being innovative, brave and creative.Our overall aim is to improve the quality of life for Gypsies andTravellersthrough addressing inequalities in homes, health, education, and employment, financial and social inclusion. 

We run a number ofa communityfacing and strategic projects to achieve our aims including advocacy, community development and youth work.Those who access our services and activities are members of Leeds GATE.

Job Purpose: 

Working in Wakefield and Calderdale you will build trusted relationships with Leeds GATE members, residents and families living on the Heath Common local authority site (Wakefield), yards, houses and roadside across the Wakefield district and Calderdale Borough.

Through your relationships you will gain understanding of people’s strengths, interests and hobbies, whilst also building up knowledge of the needs of support, barriers and issues faced by Gypsies and Travellers. 

As a community development worker you will help to develop and create opportunities to engage the community, such as activities and group work, thinking how these can help people to share their ideas, develop their skills, build confidence and empower them, as well as improving  health and wellbeing outcomes to enable better lives. 

An element of hybrid working is supported within this role but it is expected that the majority of work (80%) will be based on sites, outreach and community based events. 

For nearly 20 years, Lively Minds has been proving that parents are the sleeping giants of early childhood development. With strong evidence and a national scale proof point in Ghana, we have shown that parent powered approaches delivered through government systems can transform children's lives at scale.

We are now at a pivotal moment. We have the evidence, the model and the momentum, and we need the funding, profile and influence to match our ambition. This is a rare opportunity to lead income generation and external voice for an award winning NGO entering an exciting new phase of growth. You will lead our fundraising strategy and direct engagement with Funders ensuring that we maximise all funding opportunities as we continue our strategic evolution. You will also shape a compelling external narrative that will help position Lively Minds as the definitive partner for governments strengthening their early childhood development systems.

If you are an exceptional fundraiser and communicator who is equally comfortable in a strategic conversation and writing a winning proposal, we would love to hear from you.

Read the full advert and apply below. Closing date: 3rd September 2026.

About Lively Minds

Lively Minds is an award-winning NGO with nearly 20 years of experience designing, testing and scaling early childhood development (ECD) solutions across the Global South. Our core idea is simple but radical: parents are the sleeping giants of ECD. Governments and donors have long overlooked parents, assuming that poverty and low literacy make them unable or unwilling to support their childrenʼs development. We have spent two decades proving otherwise. With RCT-backed evidence and a national-scale proof point in Ghana, we have demonstrated that parent-powered approaches, delivered through government systems, can achieve meaningful child development outcomes at scale.

Our 2026–2028 strategy marks a pivotal shift. Having demonstrated what is possible, we are now helping pioneer an innovative model of country-led sustainable scale. Rather than delivering programmes ourselves, we provide lean, time-limited technical advisory support to governments to help them integrate parent-powered ECD into their own systems, budgets and institutions. We are currently working with the governments of Ghana, Uganda, Oromia state (Ethiopia) and The Gambia in 2026, growing to six or more country engagements by 2028. Our ambition is to catalyse a sector-wide shift, positioning Lively Minds as the definitive partner for governments seeking to strengthen their ECD systems.

Our scale strategy rests on three interdependent pillars: fixed-term Technical Advisory partnerships with governments; the development of a modular radio model simple and affordable enough for governments to adopt and fund independently; and an advocacy and sector influence agenda designed to make parent-powered ECD the norm globally.

Purpose of the Role

Lively Minds is at a critical inflection point. We have the evidence, the model and the momentum. We now need the funding, profile and sector influence to match our ambition. The Director of Fundraising and Communications is a priority hire, created to provide the dedicated, experienced leadership that this moment demands.

The Director will own and drive Lively Mindsʼ income generation, building new funder relationships, managing and deepening existing ones, and ensuring the organisation has the pipeline, discipline and quality of engagement to meet and exceed its fundraising targets. Working in close partnership with the Founding CEO, who retains ownership of a small number of long-standing strategic relationships, the Director will take primary responsibility for securing the funding that makes the 2026–2028 strategy deliverable, and that opens the door to greater scale beyond it. We need to raise approximately £3.4m over the next 3 years to deliver our strategy. But our ambition is to exceed that target so we can support additional governments.

Alongside fundraising, the Director will provide strategic leadership to Lively Mindsʼ communications and advocacy work, ensuring that the organisationʼs external voice is compelling and that we are building credibility in the spaces where funding decisions are made. The Director will lead and provide strategic coherence to a small but outward-facing team, including Head of Partnerships and Advocacy Lead who are active on the international stage. Lively Minds is committed to thought-leadership and active external engagement, but equally committed to ensuring that communications resource is deployed with discipline and rigour. The Director will set a clear strategic filter for where the organisation shows up, what it publishes and who it engages: prioritising focus and quality over volume, and always asking whether external activity is building the relationships and reputation that ultimately drive income and/or systems change.

Lively Minds is a dispersed, remote organisation. The Directorʼs team the Advocacy Lead, Development Manager and Communications Officer - are internationally distributed. The ability to lead, develop and maintain high standards across a dispersed team is essential. The role requires regular travel to international conferences and events.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising Strategy & Income Generation

• Own and deliver the multi-year fundraising strategy with clear priorities, targets, income streams and a disciplined pipeline to support the 2026–2028 strategy and future scale
• Steward existing funder relationships, turning strong partnerships into long-term supporters, advocates and connectors to new funding opportunities.
• Lead the shift towards Big Bet and catalytic funding, personally cultivating and negotiating high-value, multi-year partnerships and positioning Lively Minds for system-level scale
• Maintain a high standard of fundraising quality, pipeline management and forecasting, while coaching the team to produce compelling, sophisticated fundraising materials
•  Build and continuously strengthen a diverse funding pipeline, identifying emerging opportunities, new funding markets and strategic partnerships that reduce concentration risk and support long-term financial sustainability

Communications, Brand & Advocacy

• Own and deliver Lively Mindsʼ communications and marketing strategy, balancing visibility and sector influence with the need to strengthen fundraising and systems-change objectives
• Partner closely with the CEO to shape and steward a coherent external narrative, brand and messaging framework across all audiences and channels
• Oversee high-quality core communications and fundraising materials, including cases for support, pitch decks, website content, proposals and donor reports
• Provide strategic communications expertise to Advocacy, Partnerships and MEL, ensuring evidence and learning are translated into compelling narratives and consistent external messaging
• Lead efforts to strengthen Lively Mindsʼ profile and thought leadership in the ECD sector, identifying opportunities for strategic media, events, publications and external platforms that reinforce its positioning and influence

Organizational Leadership&TeamDevelopment

• Contribute actively to SMT and organisational strategy, bringing funder intelligence, external perspective and communications expertise to strategic decision-making.
• Work closely with Finance and MEL to align fundraising targets, forecasting, budgets and evidence, ensuring proposals are credible, accurately costed and evidence-led
• Act as the organisationʼs communications subject matter expert, providing guidance and challenge to ensure high-quality, consistent external communications
• Lead and develop the Advocacy Lead, Development Manager and Communications Officer, fostering a team culture of quality, accountability, strategic clarity and continuous improvement
• Build strong cross-organisational collaboration, ensuring teams understand how fundraising, communications, advocacy and evidence work together to advance Lively Mindsʼ strategic priorities

Person Specification

Essential Experience & Skills

• 10+ years of significant senior-level fundraising experience within international development, education, philanthropy or a comparable sector
• Proven track record of securing major grants from foundations, institutional donors and high-net-worth individuals, alongside demonstrated experience securing or meaningfully progressing large-scale, catalytic funding from Big Bet philanthropy programmes such as the Audacious Project, Skoll Foundation or comparable funders. A strong understanding of what these funders look for and how to position an organisation compellingly within their processes is essential
• Exceptional fundraising writing skills, with the ability to personally develop compelling cases for support, funding proposals, award applications and pitch decks tailored to sophisticated impact funders. This is a hands-on role requiring both strong writing capability and the ability to coach others to consistently produce high-quality fundraising content
• Experienced in developing and owning a marketing and communications strategy, with a strong understanding of how to balance organisational visibility, thought leadership and sector influence with coherence, strategic focus and income generation
• Demonstrated ability to work closely with a Founding CEO to shape and steward the organisationʼs external narrative and brand. Comfortable working in a founder-led environment, providing expertise and constructive challenge while ensuring the organisation maintains a clear, consistent and coherent external voice

Desirable Experience

• Experienced fundraising for a technical advisory, systems change or government-facing organisation
• Knowledge of the ECD, education or early childhood sector and its funding landscape
• Familiarity with the Big Bang Philanthropy network or equivalent impact-focused funder communities
• Experience working alongside advocacy and partnerships teams, providing communications expertise and strategic coherence to their external activity
• Familiarity with the funding landscape for organisations operating in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Experience working remotely across multiple countries and effectively collaborating with cross-cultural teams

Behaviours & Ways of Working

• A doer, equally comfortable in strategic conversations and writing a funding proposal
• Sets a high bar for quality and clarity in all external communications and holds it consistently
• Builds a strong, trust-based partnership with the Founding CEO, provides honest challenge and operates effectively within a founder-led dynamic without losing their own voice or judgement
• Collaborative and cross-organisational. Invests in strong relationships with programme, MEL and finance colleagues, understanding that the best fundraising is grounded in organisational reality
• Calm and focused under pressure - able to manage competing priorities and maintain quality when the stakes are high

What We Offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• 25 days annual leave
• Health insurance
• Pension contribution
• Generous learning and development budget
• Flexible, remote working

Application Instruction

Interested candidates are encouraged to read the Job Description carefully before applying to ensure they understand the role and meet the required criteria.

To apply, please complete the pre-screening questions and submit your updated CV

PLEASE NOTE - Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Timeline

Closing Date: 3rd September 2026

Our Stance

Lively Minds operates a strict Safeguarding Policy and is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable people. As part of our recruitment process, the suitability of successful candidates will be verified through appropriate background checks including professional references and police checks.

Lively Minds is fully committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and to providing equal opportunities throughout our recruitment process. We want this commitment to be reflected in the diversity of the people who work for us, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities, experiences and perspectives.

We are committed to ensuring that recruitment decisions are based on merit, skills, experience and suitability for the role, and that all candidates are treated fairly and with respect throughout the recruitment process.

Communications & Engagement Officer

Huddersfield Mission Huddersfield, West Yorkshire 25 hours per week (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 2:00pm) Salary: £28,968 pro rata

Help tell stories that change lives.

For over 100 years, Huddersfield Mission has been supporting people facing homelessness, poverty, poor mental health, addiction and other complex challenges. We provide practical advice, support and a welcoming community space for those who need us most.

We're now looking for a Communications & Engagement Officer to lead how we connect with supporters, donors, room hirers, café customers and the wider community.

This is a varied and rewarding role that combines communications, marketing, fundraising support, community engagement and administration. You'll have the opportunity to shape how we tell our story, showcase our impact and help generate the support that enables our work to continue.

If you're a skilled communicator who enjoys building relationships, creating engaging content and making a genuine difference, we'd love to hear from you.

What you'll do

· Lead our social media, website and digital communications activity

· Create compelling content that showcases the impact of our work

· Develop supporter and donor communications, including newsletters and campaigns

· Support fundraising activities and community events

· Help grow awareness of our advice services, café and room hire facilities

· Manage room hire enquiries, bookings and customer communications

· Produce reports and insights using our CRM and database systems

· Provide administrative support, including meeting minutes and office duties

· Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation

About You

We're looking for someone who can combine creativity with organisation and enjoys working with a wide range of people.

You'll bring:

· Experience delivering successful communications and engagement activities

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills

· Experience creating content for websites, social media and email marketing

· Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills

· Experience using CRM systems and digital platforms

· Good organisational and project management skills

· The ability to work independently and manage competing priorities

· A commitment to treating people with dignity, empathy and respect

Experience within the charity, community or voluntary sector would be beneficial but is not essential.

Why Join Huddersfield Mission?

· Be part of a respected local charity making a real difference in people's lives

· Fixed daytime working hours with no evening or weekend requirement

· Opportunity to shape and develop a newly reconfigured role

· Employee Support Scheme

· Stakeholder pension and life insurance

· Ongoing training and professional development

· Potential for additional hours in the future

Working Environment

Huddersfield Mission supports people experiencing a range of complex challenges, including homelessness, poor mental health, addiction and financial hardship. As a frontline community organisation, there may occasionally be times when people accessing our services are distressed, frustrated or upset.

We provide training, support, clear procedures and a collaborative team environment to help colleagues manage challenging situations safely, confidently and professionally. Experience in customer-facing, community-facing or support-focused environments would be advantageous.

Closing Statement

If you're passionate about using communications to create positive change and want your work to have a direct impact on people's lives, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us in helping to serve people and change lives.

Join Navigate CIO and Make a Real Impact!

Are you passionate about making a difference in people's lives?

Do you have strong communication and problem-solving skills?

Whether you're experienced in money advice or looking for a career change, we provide full training and development opportunities to help you succeed in this role. At Navigate CIO, we are a registered charity dedicated to providing free, impartial, and confidential money and debt advice across Devon and Somerset.

Our work supports individuals and families facing financial hardship, helping them build financial resilience and regain control of their lives. This is more than just a job—it's an opportunity to transform lives and strengthen communities.

This role is funded by the British Gas Energy Trust (BGET), allowing us to provide specialist energy and money advice to those who need it most.

Why Join Us?

• Full training provided – no prior experience in debt advice needed.

• A rewarding role – support vulnerable individuals to improve their financial wellbeing.

• Career development opportunities – ongoing training and professional growth.

• Flexible working environment – work across various locations, including home visits and remote support.

• Supportive team culture – be part of a dedicated and passionate team that values collaboration.

About the Role

We are looking for a compassionate Debt & Energy Adviser to provide money, debt, and benefits advice to individuals who are often in crisis and face multiple barriers to accessing the support they need. The role primarily involves face-to-face home visits, supported by telephone, video, email, and digital advice. You will be at the forefront of delivering essential money and debt advice to clients with high level needs, helping them navigate their financial challenges.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assess and review client needs to ensure appropriate support.
• Identify and address barriers preventing clients from accessing money advice.
• Provide comprehensive, caseworker-level advice on money management, debt solutions, and financial capability.
• Develop individual action plans tailored to client needs, ensuring dignity and respect.
• Maintain accurate case records and documentation. 
• Deliver high-quality money advice services in partnership with key stakeholders.

• Offer tailored support, in clients homes, online and via telephone

What We’re Looking For:

We are looking for individuals with the right skills and attributes, even if you don’t have direct experience in money and debt advice. If you are passionate about helping others and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply!

Essential Skills & Attributes:

• Strong people skills – ability to build rapport and communicate effectively.
• Ability to support vulnerable individuals with multiple and complex needs.
• Empathy and a non-judgmental approach.
• Understanding of confidentiality, GDPR, and safeguarding policies.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and manage workloads effectively.
• IT proficiency (Word, Excel, email, case management systems).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Willing and able to travel across Somerset for client appointments.
• A full DBS check will be required.

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Experience in advice, advocacy, or support work (paid or voluntary).
• Knowledge of welfare benefits, housing, and debt advice.
• Experience in sectors such as mental health, addiction, housing, or social prescribing.
• Willingness to train as a DRO (Debt Relief Order) Intermediary.

Ready to Make a Difference? If you’re looking for a career where you can grow professionally while transforming lives, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Apply today and start your journey towards empowering individuals and communities through financial resilience! 

Fixed term 2 years from starting date with potential to extend

Shape services that change lives.

The Limbless Association is seeking a passionate and experienced Services Development Lead to help shape the future of community support for amputees across the UK.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in developing high quality, user-led services that support people through rehabilitation, recovery and life beyond limb loss.

You’ll lead service improvement, impact development and innovation across the organisation, ensuring services remain responsive, inclusive and evidence based.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Is passionate about service quality and impact 
• Enjoys turning ideas into meaningful actions and services 
• Can think strategically whilst remaining practical
• Ability to scope and scale 
• Understands the importance of lived experience and co-production 
• Wants to make a genuine difference

If you are motivated by improving lives and developing services with purpose and compassion, we would love to hear from you.

This is a key role within our Grants and Impact team, leading the stewardship and growth of our existing donor portfolio. You will help strengthen donor relationships, support long-term engagement and identify opportunities to grow philanthropic support.

You will:

• Lead and improve donor stewardship and engagement
• Manage relationships with strategic donors and endowment holders
• Identify opportunities to retain, renew and grow donor support
• Oversee donor reporting and communications
• Use data and insight to inform portfolio management and decision-making
• Line manage and support the Philanthropy and Grants Manager
• Contribute to the leadership and development of the wider team

About You

You will have:

• Significant experience in philanthropy, donor stewardship or relationship management
• A strong track record of growing and retaining donor relationships
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Experience using CRM systems and managing donor portfolios
• Strong analytical and organisational skills
• A collaborative and proactive approach

Why Join Us?

Join a passionate team using philanthropy and grant-making to improve the lives of Londoners. We offer flexible working, a supportive culture and opportunities to develop.

We are committed to building an inclusive organisation where people from all backgrounds feel welcomed, valued and able to thrive. We particularly welcome applications from people whose experiences and perspectives are underrepresented in our workforce, as we recognise that we do not yet fully reflect London’s diversity and are actively working to change this.

If you're passionate about building meaningful donor relationships and helping communities thrive, we'd love to hear from you. Join us and help unlock vital support for Londoners who need it most.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and cover letter.

Closing date: Saturday 13 September 2026, 11:59pm
First interview: Monday 21 September 2026
Second interview: Tuesday 29 September 2026

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. Early applications are encouraged.

For full details of the role and person specification, please see the Job Description.

Job Title:Quality Assurance and Training Programme Lead 

Internal Job Title:Practice Improvement and Training Programme Lead 

Hours: 35 per week (full time) 

Location:Home-based withregular travel across England. 

Contract: Permanent

Salary:£43,183 per annum (London weighting £48,364) 

About us

Housing Justice brings together communities and finds solutions to homelessness by building personal connections, a sense of belonging, and creating justice in the housing system. We train and support volunteers to offer various accommodation options while building a network of local support. This includes providing personalised assistance to help individuals access relevant local services and address their other needs. Through compassionate, courageous, and collaborative action, we implement innovative solutions to tackle housing injustice, enhance the quality of housing, and elevate the voices and experiences of groups affected by housing injustice to both local and national governments. 

About the programme

The Faith & Community Development Team supports and strengthens community and faith-based responses to homelessness across England. This role will help shape Housing Justice’s national programme of quality improvement, training and best practice for community and faith-based homelessness services, using insight from our flagship Quality assurance framework, Impact Portal, existing research, and partnership engagement to continue the development of practice standards, resources and learning opportunities for the network. 

About you

We are seeking an experienced and organised programme lead with a strong understanding of homelessness, housing policy and practice, and quality improvement. You will bring strong written and verbal communication skills, including presenting and facilitating, drafting reports, quality mark standards and guidance. You will also be comfortable managing multiple priorities, managing a small team, working with data and monitoring information, and building positive relationships with local authorities, funders, sector partners and organisations in the Housing Justice network. 

About the role

The successful candidate will lead the development and delivery of Housing Justice’s national quality improvement, training and best practice work for community and faith-based homelessness services across England. You will oversee the continued development of the Quality Mark accreditation scheme for emergency accommodation providers, lead the creation of a new Quality Framework for day services, develop an Emergency Accommodation Toolkit, and deliver training, learning events and communities of practice. 

The postholder will provide leadership to a small team, with line management responsibility for up to two members of staff, and will work closely with partners to strengthen service quality, safety, effectiveness and sustainability across the sector. 

Benefits

• 29 days annual leave, 3 of which are fixed between Christmas and New Year. This is in addition to bank holidays and pro-rata if part time. 

• After 3 years of serviceyou are entitled to one additional day of holiday for each additional year of service, up to a maximum of 5 additional days, pro-rata if part time. 

• We offer flexible working. Not all posts can be made flexible, but where possible we operate core hours of 10 – 3pm, with employees able to flex their working day around these. Any flexibility is at the discretion of the line manager and relevant senior manager. 

• As this role is offered as hybrid, we will provide some financial support to get you set up with appropriate equipment. 

• We offer an employee assistance programme through Spectrum Life, which can be used by you and your family for a range of advice and support. 

• We offer a cycle-to-work scheme. 

How to apply

If this sounds like the opportunity for you, please read the attached job description and fill out the application form (accessed by clicking ‘Apply’), describing your capabilities for each of the numbered points in the person specification. Please note that we do not accept CVs. 

Are you someone who thrives on making a genuine difference to people’s lives? Do you have experience working in health, social care or the voluntary sector and want to play a vital role in improving how older people access the support they need? If so, we would love to hear from you.

Age UK Bromley & Greenwich is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Care Navigator to join our expanding team in partnership with Oxleas NHS Trust. Based at Memorial Hospital in Woolwich, you will be embedded within a multi-disciplinary team working on the Proactive and Frailty pathways. Your focus will be on supporting older people with complex needs, helping them navigate health and social care systems, and connecting them to relevant services across the community.

This is a key role that sits at the heart of person-centred care. You will attend multi-disciplinary team meetings, work alongside professionals including GPs, case managers and mental health staff, and spend time speaking directly with patients and their families. Your role will be to truly listen, identify what matters most to the individual, and help them take practical steps towards better health, independence and wellbeing.

Key responsibilities include:

• Attending Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings and contributing to holistic care planning

• Working with patients to understand their needs, provide emotional support and signpost to local services

• Liaising with a wide range of professionals across the NHS, social care and voluntary sectors

• Inputting information into systems including RIO and Framework I, with training provided

• Keeping accurate records and contributing to service evaluation and improvement

We are looking for someone who is:

• Experienced in health, social care or voluntary sector settings

• Empathetic and a confident communicator

• Able to build strong relationships with a range of professionals and clients

• Organised, reliable and motivated by positive outcomes for others

• Comfortable working independently and as part of a team

• Passionate about supporting older people to live well and with dignity

This role offers the opportunity to be part of a well-respected local charity with a strong values-led culture. You will be joining a supportive team that values collaboration, creativity and kindness. As a Care Navigator, your work will have a direct impact on people’s lives at a time when they are most vulnerable.

For the full person spec and job description please download the job pack.

Join Together Active as our HR Admin Officer and help create a positive employee experience in a values-led charity tackling inequality through physical activity. 

This flexible, part-time role offers hybrid working, a 4-day-week organisation culture, and the opportunity to support recruitment, onboarding, HR administration and governance across our charity.

We're looking for an organised and proactive HR Admin Officer to support the smooth running of our people processes. Working closely with the Business Manager, you'll provide efficient, accurate and compliant HR administration across the employee and volunteer lifecycle. You'll play a key role in recruitment, onboarding, HR records management, compliance and governance support, helping to create a positive experience for everyone who works with Together Active.

About You

You'll be highly organised, detail-focused and confident managing confidential information. You'll have experience providing administrative support, strong communication skills, and a commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where people feel valued and supported. Experience of HR administration, recruitment processes or governance support would be advantageous.

Why Join Us?

• Part-time, 16 hours per week 
• Salary £28,000 FTE (£14,000 actual salary) 
• Hybrid working across home, office and Staffordshire locations
• 4-day working week organisation with no reduction in pay or holiday entitlement (pro rata) 
• Health and wellbeing cash plan, virtual GP and retail discounts.
• Up to 8% employer pension contribution.
• A collaborative, compassionate and inclusive team committed to making a difference across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Job description

This is an exciting time to join Spires and play an integral part in delivering our new Croydon Day Centre, which we are delivering in partnership with Croydon Voluntary Action (CVA) and CAYSH, with the support of MHCLG’s Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund.

About us: Spires is a grassroots South London charity working with people impacted by homelessness to lead lives of greater stability. Our support workers provide non-judgemental and tailored advice and guidance to adults who are currently facing homelessness or are at risk. We support people to secure housing that is sustainable, suitable for their needs, so they leave homelessness behind for good.

Part 1:  The Role

This role sits within our Housing and Homelessness (H&H) team. The post holder’s work will centre around three days a week at the Croydon Day Centre, with two days working in the community, which will include working from our refugee drop-in delivery in partnership with Croydon Refugee Day Centre (CRDC). The post holder will also work at our H&H services in Lambeth and Wandsworth on occasion, and colleagues from those services will also support the running of the Croydon Day Centre. The post holder will work from our Stockwell Office on Wednesdays. 

Part 2: Key duties and responsibilities

Service Delivery & Support

· Welcome and engage service users in a non-judgemental, compassionate manner.

· Provide basic needs support such clothing, and access to a safe space.

· Offer advice, advocacy and signposting on housing, health services and other support agencies.

· Conduct assessments of need and develop personalised support plans.

Case Management

· Maintain accurate, confidential records of interactions and support plans.

· Liaise with housing teams, healthcare providers, social services, and other partners to coordinate support.

· Monitor individuals’ progress and update plans as required.

Centre Operations

· Assist with daily tasks such as setting up service areas, distributing supplies, and managing donations.

· Ensure safeguarding procedures and organisational policies are always followed.

Crisis Support

· Identify signs of crisis, risk, or safeguarding concerns and respond appropriately.

· Support individuals experiencing emotional distress, mental health issues or substance misuse challenges.

General                                                                               

· Be proactive in reviewing and evaluating own performance, and in identifying and acting upon areas for improvement and development.

· Undertaking other duties compatible with the level and nature of the post and/or reasonably required by more senior members of staff, including session cover

· Attend and participate in staff and team meetings and other meetings as required

This job description covers the current range of duties and will be reviewed from time to time. It is Spires’ aim to reach agreement on changes, but if agreement is not possible, Spires reserves the right to change this job description.

Part 3: Person specification

Essential experience

· Working with vulnerable and socially excluded people, particularly people experiencing homelessness or insecure accommodation and associated culture – drugs, alcohol, violence, mental and physical ill-health.

· Managing a caseload, needs assessment, planned support, key working, goal setting and advocacy.

· Experience of challenging appropriately and maintaining clear and appropriate boundaries

· Networking and effectively liaising with specialist service providers or agencies to establish and/or improve access to services for clients   

Desirable experience

· Working with volunteers

· Working in the charity sector and/or a day centre environment

Essential knowledge

· Sound understanding of the issues faced by homeless or vulnerably housed people and the difficulties they experience in accessing services that are fully responsive to their needs

· Good understanding of safeguarding practices in a social care and/or day centre environment

· Good understanding of confidentiality and working with sensitive information

· Working knowledge of health and social care services

Desirable knowledge

· A relevant NVQ2/3 or equivalent qualification in a relevant field.

Essential skills and personal qualities

· Excellent written and spoken communication skills

· Information and relationship management skills

· Ability to effectively manage time, work under pressure and balance competing priorities to meet deadlines

· IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and databases

· Non-judgemental with the ability to empathise

Part 4: Summary of terms and conditions of service

Location: The postholder will be an employee of The Spires Centre. This post is based at

Elmfield House 5 Stockwell Mews SW9 9GX. However, the post holder will be working across Spires’ drop-ins in Lambeth, Wandsworth and Croydon.

Probation: This post is subject to a 6-month probationary period.

Notice: This post is subject to a four-week notice period.

Annual leave: The annual leave entitlement is 35 days per year pro rata, made up of eight bank and public holidays and 27 days annual leave. The 27 days annual leave is normally split between 24 ‘bookable’ days and three closure days that fall between Christmas and the New Year.

Pension: The Spires Centre will contribute 5% of annual salary for those who qualify for our group pension plan.

Other benefits: The Spires Centre will provide life and income protection insurance for those who qualify for our group plans.

Expenses: The role may require travel. Out-of-pocket expenses will be paid when incurred in accordance with our expenses policy.

Safeguarding: The postholder will adhere to The Spires Centre’s safeguarding policy for vulnerable adults. This post is also subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

The role

This is an exciting opportunity to join NEYDL’s growing team and help us establish and develop our work with young dads in Sunderland.

As a Senior Young Dads Worker, you will provide direct, intensive support to young dads across Sunderland, working with some of the most disadvantaged young men in the region. You will manage your own caseload, lead peer support activity, work in close partnership with Family Hubs, social care and other local services, and take a lead role in ensuring every young dad you work with is effectively supported from first contact through to positive outcomes.

This is a senior role with real responsibility. Alongside direct delivery, you will take ownership of your project budget, contribute to funder reporting, supervise junior staff and/or volunteers, and develop a designated area of specialism agreed with the senior leadership team. You will be part of a close, supportive team and will play an active role in shaping how NEYDL grows its presence in Sunderland.

What we are looking for

We are looking for someone with experience of working with disadvantaged young people or young families in a direct support role, ideally in a statutory or voluntary sector context. You will be confident working independently and managing a complex caseload, and you will understand the challenges facing young dads and the systems they navigate.

We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of young fatherhood or young parenthood, from individuals with local knowledge of Sunderland communities, and from people from minoritised backgrounds.

What we offer

NEYDL is a close, inclusive and supportive team that actively invests in the development of its staff. We are a non-judgmental organisation built on mutual trust, respect and honesty. If you join us, you will be part of a team that genuinely believes in what it does.

In addition, we offer:

• 7.2 weeks’ annual leave per year, inclusive of statutory and public holidays
• 5% employer pension contribution
• A flexible hybrid working arrangement
• Regular supervision and fortnightly team meetings
• Funded professional development and training
• Mileage paid at 55p per mile for business travel

Job purpose

To provide high-quality, intensive support to young dads and expectant fathers (aged 25 and under) across Sunderland; to lead and coordinate peer support activity; to manage allocated budgets and contribute to funder reporting; and to take an active role in the development of NEYDL’s commissioned services in the region.

Key responsibilities

1. Direct support

• Provide in-person and online 1-to-1 support to young dads and non-birthing people, helping them address key challenges and achieve personal outcomes
• Assess new referrals and manage a complex caseload, prioritising according to need and risk
• Support young dads to attend key meetings with professionals (including child protection, child in need, family court and multi-agency forums)
• Help young dads to access wider opportunities including volunteering, employment, education and community activities
• Support young dads and their families to engage in father and child activities, stay and play sessions, and peer supported recreational activities
• Promote and support access to DigiDAD, NEYDL’s free e-learning platform, and other training and information resources

2. Peer support and group work

• Establish, coordinate and co-facilitate in-person peer support groups for young dads in Sunderland
• Support the development and delivery of parenting, relationship skills and employability sessions in response to community-identified needs
• Support peer moderated video gaming groups as part of DigiDAD Gaming where relevant

3. Induction, onboarding and milestones

• Ensure every young dad is effectively inducted onto the NEYDL service, completing key onboarding steps and baseline self-evaluation measures
• Track and record progress against key milestones throughout the support journey, in line with NEYDL’s evaluation framework
• Ensure all relevant data is recorded accurately and on time in NEYDL’s data management system

4. Budget and targets

• Take ownership of allocated project budgets, monitoring expenditure and liaising with the Programme Manager (Commissioned Services) and Finance Officer as required
• Work proactively to achieve agreed referral rate targets, taking responsibility for building pathways and relationships that generate consistent referrals
• Contribute to the preparation of funder reports under the oversight of the Programme Manager and Fundraiser, providing accurate data and case study material

5. Specialism

• Take on a designated area of specialism within NEYDL, agreed with the Senior Leadership Team (for example, volunteering, safeguarding or environmental programmes)
• Take a lead role within the team in relation to your specialism, contributing expertise and supporting colleagues

6. Management of staff and volunteers

• Line manage junior staff, project workers and/or volunteers as required
• Support staff and volunteers with operational queries and day-to-day delivery
• Contribute to the induction, supervision and professional development of staff and volunteers
• Support the recruitment and progression of young dads into volunteering roles, including as DigiDAD content creators, peer researchers, DADvocates, AmbassaDADS and community leaders

7. Monitoring and evaluation

• Support the effective recording, monitoring and reporting of programme performance via NEYDL’s data management system and evaluation framework
• Comply with all monitoring, evaluation and reporting requirements, both internal and funder-related
• Support the work of NEYDL’s research partners and independent evaluators as required

8. Collaboration and partnerships

• Work in partnership with key stakeholders in Sunderland to improve the service offer for young dads, including Family Hub teams, social care, health, housing, education and voluntary sector organisations
• Build referral pathways and maintain strong working relationships with local services and networks
• Develop and build effective relationships with principal stakeholders, supporters and referral partners

9. Advocacy and engagement

• Represent NEYDL at external events and meetings to raise awareness of the service and influence other organisations
• Promote, campaign and advocate with and on behalf of young men, ensuring NEYDL continues to be a leading voice for positive change
• Work proactively to enable young dads to influence the design and delivery of the service, including supporting their participation in community leadership programmes
• Support the charity’s communications and engagement activity, including contributing content to annual reports, social media and local media

10. Other

• Deputise for the Programme Managers as required
• Report to the Board of Trustees in person or in writing on a quarterly basis as required

11. Standard clauses

• The post holder must carry out their responsibilities at all times with due regard to NEYDL’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, policy and statement, and Safeguarding Policy
• The post holder is responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures relating to health and safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times
• The post holder must respect the confidentiality of data stored electronically and by other means, in line with NEYDL’s Data Protection Policy
• This role requires satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance prior to appointment

This job description is not exhaustive. NEYDL reserves the right to reasonably add to or revise it at any time in agreement with the post holder.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

IRC UK

IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK – approximately 220 colleagues – works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees across the UK.

In Europe, the IRC currently operates in the UK, Germany, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Poland.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The People and Culture (P&C) Director works in a highly matrixed environment with staff from several functions across the global organisation. The postholder manages the HR team in IRC UK and is accountable for effective HR service delivery, HR compliance and continuous improvement within the scope of the People & Culture department, localising the IRC’s global people strategy. This position plays a pivotal role in fostering a positive, inclusive and high-performing workplace culture that aligns with IRC’s values, through exceptional communication skills.

The role jointly reports into the UK Executive Director and Regional Director, P&C Europe – with additional reporting accountabilities to the UK Board’s People and Culture Committee. Working within global frameworks set by Global People & Culture, the role localises the implementation of People & Culture priorities and drives UK-specific change initiatives within IRC UK’s culture and regulatory environment.

As a member of the UK Senior Management Team (SMT), the role is jointly accountable for the delivery of IRC UK’s Strategic Plan, and has responsibility for the effective delivery of P&C priorities. The Director has a keen focus on building leadership competencies and organisational effectiveness.

Success in this role requires the ability to build strong relationships, influence decisions, and navigate multiple stakeholder perspectives to deliver effective people solutions within a matrix environment where accountability is shared.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. P&C Leadership (Advisory, Implementation, and Partnering) (25%)

• As a member of the UK Senior Management Team, assume collective accountability for the effective delivery of IRC UK’s Strategic Plan.

• Serve as an advisor and thought partner to the Executive Director and fellow SMT members on the UK application of IRC’s Global P&C strategy, and lead on strengthening IRC UK’s kind, inclusive and high-performing organisational culture.

• Support talent dialogues, performance conversations, and career development planning for IRC UK staff, embedding a culture of continuous learning.

• Partner with peers on workforce planning — including managing workforce adjustments such as staff reductions or scale-up, and organisational design work — in partnership with senior management, the Regional Director P&C Europe, and Global P&C Partners, ensuring compliance with local and global policy while minimising risk and supporting affected staff.

• Translate data and metrics into actionable items in line with IRC UK’s strategy.

• Lead, supervise, and develop the UK P&C team, accountable for team quality and effectiveness and for building a skilled, motivated team ready to advance.

2. Manage HR Service Delivery and Core Operations (~40%)

• Manage end-to-end HR service delivery across the employee lifecycle; recruitment, onboarding, contracts, payroll coordination, benefits, performance and leave management, offboarding, and HR information systems, maintaining high-quality, context-specific P&C practices aligned with organisational standards.

• Provide leadership on UK employment law and regulation to the UK HR team, ensuring the HR team supports supervisors of UK staff in the management of their teams in a supportive and compliant way.

• Provide high quality HR partnership to the Refugee, Asylum and Integration (RAI) UK Director and team to support programme needs and donor requirements.

• Advise supervisors on appropriate disciplinary actions, coordinating with Global Employee Relations and Legal on complex or escalated disciplinary proceedings, to ensure fairness and compliance with employment law.

• Responsible for P&C reporting for the UK Board of Trustees and People & Culture Committee, and for the annual production of IRC UK's Gender Pay Gap and Ethnicity Pay Gap reports, in line with IRC's global P&C reporting standards and applicable UK statutory requirements.

• Support any organisational restructure requirements, including active management of any necessary staff consultation and resulting redundancy processes, by providing expert guidance to management and affected staff throughout the process.

• Track UK P&C objectives set by Global P&C and contribute HR input - organisational structure, position scoping, staffing analysis - to proposal design and grant review processes.

• Lead the delivery of regular staff engagement surveys, analysing data and proposing leadership actions in response.

3. Workplace Culture (~15%)

• Promote employee experience, engagement, and inclusion, and oversee the integration of IRC's Values (the ‘IRC Way’), People Manager Standards, and Employee Success Factors across the employee lifecycle.

• Implement safeguarding standards set by the global Safeguarding function across hiring and onboarding, and ensure the IRC Way and reporting channels are visible in all IRC UK locations.

• Serve as a local advocate for Employee Wellbeing, Employee Engagement, and Safeguarding priorities set by global functions, and role model safe, inclusive, and caring leadership standards.

• Operate and promote collaboration in a highly matrixed environment where several units intersect and work together to reach joint decisions.

• Accountable  for the effective delivery of specific P&C-owned elements of IRC UK's Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (GEDI) Strategy and Action Plan, as well as assuming joint accountability for the full GEDI Strategy and Action Plan as a key member of IRC UK SMT.

4. Trade Union Relationship (~20%)

• Working with the UK Executive Director, maintain the relationship with UK Trade Union (Unite) representatives, and negotiate and consult via the quarterly Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), driving progress on policy and annual salary review negotiations.

• Develop and manage union engagement and communication plans that support open, honest, and productive dialogue across the office.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

• Direct reporting line to UK Executive Director; indirect reporting to Regional Director, P&C Europe

• UK Board and P&C Committee

• UK SMT, with particularly close collaboration with Director, Strategy and Delivery, Financial Controller, and RAI UK Director

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• CIPD qualified with significant HR leadership experience across the full P&C spectrum, including complex UK processes such as restructures, TUPE, and employee relations.**

• Strong interpersonal and analytical skills, with proven ability to operate effectively in a complex, global matrix organisation. Solution-oriented, positive, ‘can do’ attitude.

• Strong knowledge of UK employment law, with experience of advising and influencing senior leaders.**

• Experience of working with Trade Unions, including leading on consultations and negotiations.**

• People management experience.**

• High level of confidentiality, tact, service orientation, and intercultural communication skills.Ability to manage competing priorities and complex, multi-stakeholder projects independently, with willingness to take on significant responsibility.

What you will do as part of our team

• Providing a specialist advice and advocacy service to the homeless guests of our services, which include partner day centres and night shelters through the winter season.
• Employing creative thinking and practices to ensure that guests are supported and motivated to achieve their goals.
• Attending appointments with guests occasionally when needed
• Referring and signposting guests to accommodation providers, health services and other relevant internal and external support services, as necessary
• Maintaining good communication with the Managers of our partnered Drop-in Centres, Glass Door colleagues and local statutory and non-statutory services.
• Attending meetings with the casework team, external service providers and partner organisations when required
• Collating statistics and outcome measurements of the casework service for both internal and external use
• Maintaining a wel-organised and easily accessible administration system for the casework programme in line with relevant legislation (e.g. GDPR)
• Managing a small casework budget
• Undertaking any other duties, as required by the charity

Person specification

Essential

• At least one year experience of working one-on-one and assessing the needs of homeless people or similar disadvantaged client groups
• Empathetic attitude to homeless and vulnerably housed people
• Up-to-date knowledge of the welfare issues and legislation affecting homeless people
• Knowledge of relevant support services available to homeless people, particularly in West London
• Confident approach to, and experience of, dealing with challenging behaviour
• Ability to maintain good relationships with colleagues and external service providers
• Highly organised with strong time-management skills
• Ability to keep clear and up-to-date case records
• Experience and competent in MS Office packages
• Ability to work independently and take the initiative to make important decisions
• Flexible and supportive team member with excellent communication skills
• Ability to adhere to and implement Health & Safety, HR and operational policies
• Understanding of and commitment to Equal Opportunities
• For night shelter caseworkers, willingness to work a minimum of one evening per week
• This post will require an enhanced DBS check prior and during employment

Desirable

• Ability to speak Polish, Romanian or other Eastern European languages
• Experience of working alongside volunteers

Terms and Conditions
Job title: Link Worker (Prison)
Reports to: Service Manager (Prison)
Direct reports: N/A
Start date: TBC – subject to successful MOJ prison vetting
Salary: £27,183 per annum
Working hours: Full time – 35 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: HMP Bronzefield, HMP Downview, and HMP Send

Job Purpose
The primary purpose of this role is to work with women in custody, including on remand, preparing 
them for, and connecting them with vital community support services on, release.

Key Responsibility Areas
1. Provide high-quality, trauma-responsive advocacy support both in prison and the community, 
to women on remand in HMP Bronzefield, HMP Downview, and HMP Send.
2. Development and maintenance of professional relations in prison and the community.
3. Ensure clear, timely and effective communication and record keeping.
4. Proactively seek to develop your personal and professional practice and contribute to wider 
organisational development.
5. Contribute to building a feminist leadership culture and positive working environment for 
Women in Prison.

For the full job description, please see the Recruitment Pack