Programme co ordinator jobs

Family Support & Group Coordinator
Salary: £31,069 FTE equivalent
Hours: 25 hours per week (Tuesday to Friday)
Contract: Permanent
Location: Home-Start Elmbridge, Walton-on-Thames
Responsible to: Director of Services

Home-Start is one of the UK’s leading family support charities. Our ethos is to help parents build better lives and better futures for their children. At Home-Start Elmbridge we do this by recruiting and training local parent volunteers to offer practical and emotional support to families in their own homes. We also have dedicated Carer Support Co-ordinators who support families with illness, disability or additional needs and we offer other types of support such as crisis support and counselling.

About the role

As Family Support and Group Coordinator, you will be responsible for:

• Ensuring allocated caseload of families receive the most appropriate form of support, monitoring and reviewing from referral to completion
• Implementing good safeguarding practice in all areas of work, promoting children’s welfare at all times
• Contributing to the recruitment and ongoing training, and providing regular support and supervision of home-visiting volunteers
• Planning and running Home-Start Elmbridge group/s as required
• Ensuring effective communication and working in partnership with other professionals

We’re looking for someone with:

• Proven experience of supporting parents and young children in a paid or voluntary capacity
• A solid understanding of safeguarding practices and experience working with vulnerable families
• Knowledge of current legislation and policies relating to children and families
• Knowledge of other agencies providing services for children and families
• Ability to supervise and manage volunteers and to work as part of a team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and relationship building abilities
• Excellent organisational and interpersonal skills
• A commitment to the values and ethos of Home-Start
• A clean driver’s licence and access to a car
• Ability to work flexibly, occasional evening or weekend work

What we offer:

Home-Start Elmbridge is a supportive, family friendly employer. We offer:

• Flexible working (within service need)
• Generous annual leave
• Pension contribution
• Ongoing training and professional development
• The opportunity to be part of a well-respected local charity making a meaningful difference to families’ lives

This post requires an Enhanced DBS check with Child Workforce barred list information (under the Adult and Child Workforce). Employment is subject to satisfactory references and DBS. We will only discuss or request criminal record details once a conditional offer has been made, in line with Home-Start Elmbridge’s Safer Recruitment Policy.

Home-Start Elmbridge is committed to safeguarding and to equality, diversity and inclusion.

We welcome applications from people with disabilities and anyone who may need adjustments or support to complete the application process is encouraged to contact us during the recruitment process.

Schedule and Interview Process

• Closing date: 23rd April 2026
• Shortlisting: Candidates notified by 24th April
• Formal interview (date tbc) will take place at the Home-Start Elmbridge offices in Walton-on-Thames (panel interview & presentation)

The post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and requires the ability to travel efficiently around Elmbridge.

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

No agencies please.

Main Duties

 Buildings and Facilities Management

• Manage the day-to-day operation of the Passage’s buildings ensuring they are safe, secure, accessible and fit for the services provided to our clients. 
• Oversee the Facilities Management team to ensure the fabric and systems of all the charity’s buildings are maintained in line with statutory and regulatory standards. 
• Work with the Facilities Management team to (i) oversee planned preventative maintenance and improvements to all of The Passage’s sites (ii) oversee and support the team to provide a quick, reliable response to maintenance and repair requests. 

Health and Safety 

• Act as the lead and Responsible Person for Health & Safety (H&S) across the organisation including risk assessments, accurate and timely recording of health and safety issues, carrying out audits and investigations as necessary.
• Respond to any reported H&S risks, prioritising any reported risks with a significant potential for harm. 
• Ensure The Passage is compliant with all relevant H&S statutory, regulatory and legislative requirements, including but not limited to: Fire safety; Gas, Electrical and Water safety; Asbestos management; RSH regulations.

Relationship Management (Contractors and Suppliers) 

•  Ensure relationships with key services suppliers are well managed by the Facilities Management team. Work with the team to monitor the quality and timing of external contractors’ work and to address any shortcomings promptly. 
• Ensure that all contracts for ongoing work and for one-off pieces of work are awarded in full accordance with The Passage’s procurement policy, ensuring best value for money and high-quality delivery. Together with the Facilities Management team, ensure contractors conduct themselves professionally and respectfully whilst attending any of the Passage’s locations and to ensure they follow our safeguarding policy at all times.

Teamwork and Line Management 

• Line manage the Facilities Management Co-ordinator with an emphasis on supportive communication, skills development and progress towards personal objectives, including his line management of other members of the team.
• Develop positive relationships with all other teams at The Passage’s multiple sites and promote practices to reduce the need for repairs and replacements. 

Financial 

• Develop and manage the Facilities Management budget, including capital spend, monitoring spending against budget and explaining variances. 
• Support business planning through accurate forecasting and long-term planning of major financial spending.
• Ensure value for money and effective financial control across all areas of responsibility. 

General Responsibilities 

• Working with your Line Manager, develop your role to keep pace with The Passage’s plans and ambitions; participate in regular supervision and annual appraisal and to lead in identifying your own development and training needs. 
• Represent The Passage in a professional manner at all times, carrying out your role to a high standard, and to always work in accordance with the aims, values and ethos of The Passage.
• Make sure The Passage’s policies are followed within Buildings & Facilities Management, particularly those for Safeguarding, Health and Safety, Data Protection and Equality and Diversity. 
• To participate in meetings, training and other events as required. 
• Undertake any other duties that may be required which are commensurate with the role. 

Desired Experience

• E1 Proven experience in leading a Buildings and Facilities Management function, including effective management of external contractors. 
• E2 Experience of developing and getting the best from a small team.  
• E3 Experience of effectively managing budgets.  
• E4 Experience of playing leading role in major projects as well as day to day operations.

Desired Knowledge

• K1 Strong understanding of Health and Safety and other legislative and regulatory requirements, ideally gained in an environment providing residential accommodation.  
• K2 Professionally recognised Health & Safety and/or Buildings and Facilities Management qualification (eg IWFM, NEBOSH, IOSH). 

This is a service commissioned by Liverpool City Council to deliver Children's residential support in line with statutory requirements, utilising therapeutic approaches.

The service provides a nurturing environment within our high-quality home, supporting the needs of children who have experienced trauma, neglect, rejection, and whose basic needs have not been met.

Our home offers children a safe space to enjoy themselves with activities such as karaoke, pamper, movie and games nights alongside encouraging them to enjoy a wide range of community based activities.

Children also benefit from having the opportunity to enjoy an annual holiday/short break. 

We support our children to learn independence skills e.g. cooking meals, baking, budgeting, completing domestic tasks etc.

In line with Barnardo's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion values, we promote awareness and acceptance in a variety of forms, including monthly theme nights.

On top of that, Saturday is takeaway night, so you even get a night off from cooking!

The support we provide today is vital in sustaining our children in the next chapter of their lives. You would play a huge part in this exciting role, making a real impact to changing the lives of our children.

The home provides a truly therapeutically focussed environment that can meet the needs of children who require support to manage their behaviours safely, develop their resilience and prepare them for the demands of future life with their own families or within other settings.

As a Senior Residential Children & Young People Worker you will, on a rota basis, undertake the following:

• 3 on 4 off pattern across the year, with rotas completed at least one month in advance.
• Sleep ins - approximately 2 per month with an additional payment of approximately £68/sleep,
• Waking nights (approximately 2 per month)
• Opportunities to complete additional hours at an enhanced rate of pay.
• Some weekend working, on a rota basis
• Some bank holiday working – enhanced rates of pay for bank holiday working.

Designated days off are given following sleep ins and waking nights to promote wellbeing and recovery.

Your role:

• Engage with and support children in all aspects of their lives, attending to their practical, physical, and emotional needs, whilst safeguarding each young person at all times.
• Support allocated keyworkers to ensure all information pertinent to the child's everyday life is completed and collated, to demonstrate the journey of the child whilst residing at the home.
• Provide practice based supervision to our As & When (bank) workers, liaising with managers to ensure continuity of care, Continued Professional Development and regulatory compliance.
• On a rota basis you will support the management team to provide out of hours on call cover, for which you will receive an additional payment.
• On a rota basis, you will also share the responsibility (alongside other SRCYW) of being allocated as shift leader; ensuring each day is purposeful and coordinated, enhancing opportunities for positive achievements and outcomes for the children.
• Support children to engage in education and enhance their social opportunities by accessing hobbies & activities in the home and in the community.

If you have residential experience, are passionate about making improved changes to childhoods and can show understanding, tenacity, consistency of care and the ability to engage with a wide range of children – this may be the opportunity for you!

For a full description of the role, please refer to the Job description & Person specification.

What you'll get from us

In addition to the extensive organisational benefits identified below, you will receive:

• A full induction within our trauma informed charity,
• Ongoing comprehensive training package,
• Be part of a team supported by a Therapeutic Co-ordinator and also receive reflective group/individual sessions with our consultant psychotherapist,
• Monthly practice focussed supervision,
• On successfully passing probation, enrolment on a fully funded residential Diploma (if not already held)

Quote from a young person who previously lived in the home:

“…You've all really helped me become the person I am today. The amount of love you all put in, you all wanted the best for me. I'm going to miss the team of great people I have had around me”

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application. 

Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract

About Barnardo's

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Our basis and values