About Play for Progress
This is an exciting moment for Play for Progress (PFP) as we celebrate our 10th anniversary and reflect on a decade of creative, therapeutic and community-building work with young people navigating the asylum system. Play for Progress is a Croydon-based charity dedicated to supporting unaccompanied young people seeking asylum, aged between 14 and 25. Through creative engagement, education, therapeutic support and community-building, we provide a space where young people can access opportunities, develop their skills, and find the support they need to navigate the challenges of displacement.
Our mission is simple but profound: to ensure that every young person who comes to us has the community to survive, the space to heal, and the stability to thrive. We are a small, close-knit team driven by a deep commitment to the young people we serve — and we are looking for an Admin Support Officer who shares that commitment.
The Role
This is a vital role at the heart of our organisation. As Admin Support Officer, you will be the operational backbone of Play for Progress — keeping our systems running smoothly, supporting our team to do their best work, and ensuring that the young people and partners who engage with us experience a professional, warm and well-organised charity.
The role is hands-on, varied and touches every part of the organisation. You will need to be highly organised, proactive and adaptable — someone who takes real pride in getting the details right and who understands that good administration is what makes good work possible. A genuine commitment to our mission and values is essential.
Key Responsibilities
General Administration
-
Provide day-to-day administrative support across the organisation, ensuring smooth and efficient operations
-
Manage and maintain organisational filing systems — both digital and physical — ensuring documents are accurate, accessible and up to date
-
Draft, proof-read and format a range of documents including letters, reports, meeting papers and internal communications
-
Handle incoming and outgoing correspondence professionally and promptly, including post, email enquiries and phone calls
-
Support the scheduling and coordination of internal meetings and workshops, including preparing agendas and taking minutes
-
Support HR administration, including contracts, onboarding, and maintaining records.
-
Oversee the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) process for staff, ensuring compliance with safeguarding requirements.
-
Maintain staff training records and track compliance with mandatory training.
-
Assist in recruitment processes, including posting job descriptions, coordinating interviews, liaising with candidates and onboarding
Programme & Operations Support
-
Maintain and update databases and records relating to young people, sessions and outcomes, ensuring compliance with GDPR and data protection requirements
-
Assist with the collection and recording of monitoring and evaluation data to support impact reporting
-
Assist with the coordination of half-term projects, events and external activities as required
TO SEE THE FULL JOB DESCRIPTION PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE CANDIDATE PACK
Who You Are
-
Highly Organised: You love keeping things running smoothly and efficiently.
-
Detail-Oriented: You ensure compliance, record-keeping, and processes are all in top shape.
-
Proactive & Reliable: You anticipate challenges and take initiative to solve them.
-
Social Media Savvy: You understand how to use digital platforms to communicate impact and engage audiences.
-
Compassionate & Aligned with Our Values: You believe in the power of creativity, community, and care to support young people who have faced adversity.
-
Tech-Savvy: Comfortable using administrative tools, HR platforms, and databases.
Essential Experience & Skills
-
Experience in office management, administration, or HR support roles.
-
Strong knowledge of HR processes, safeguarding, and compliance (DBS checks, training records, etc.).
-
Excellent organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities.
-
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
-
Experience managing social media platforms for an organisation or project.
-
Comfortable working independently and as part of a hybrid team.
Desirable
-
Experience working in a charity, arts, or community organisation.
-
Understanding of trauma-informed practice.
-
Familiarity with Canva, Mailchimp, Square Space, InForm, scheduling tools, and content creation for social media.
What We Offer
-
A flexible, supportive and genuinely values-driven working environment
-
The chance to be part of an organisation doing vital and meaningful work with young people
-
20 days annual leave pro rata, plus bank holidays
-
Pension - 5% contributory pension scheme with 3% employer contribution
-
Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
-
Regular supervision and access to professional development opportunities
-
A warm, diverse and inclusive team that reflects the communities we serve
Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
Play for Progress is an equal opportunities employer. We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities and from people with lived experience of the refugee or asylum journey. We believe that a team which reflects the diversity of the young people we support makes us stronger and more effective in our work.
If you require any adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
About the Role
As a passionate professional in the identification, development and management of a wide range of relationships in support of our programme partnership, you will ensure the Career Ready programme in Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire continues to thrive, which includes securing charitable donations from supporting partners. You will work closely with our Programme & Partnerships Manager for Glasgow, in support of our work growing there.
This role requires experience of partnership and account management and the scale and ambition of our social mobility work means you will need to be well organised, confident and able to positively influence a wide range of people including headteachers, teachers, CEOs and HRDs.
You will identify and approach opportunities that are well researched and pursue with unswerving perseverance. It’s also a great chance to develop personally.
Programme & Partnership Managers lead the delivery of our programme locally. In this role, you’ll grow, develop, and maintain the employer and education partnerships that make the Career Ready programme work — including our Local Advisory Boards, Local Authorities, school coordinators, the Developing the Young Workforce Regional Group, and the employers and volunteers who provide mentoring with the accompanying paid internship, deliver engaging masterclasses, and support events.
Once you’re confident in what, why, when, and how of our work, you will:
1. Lead, grow, and strengthen the Career Ready partnerships in Renfrewshire & West
Dunbartonshire.
You’ll ensure an excellent programme experience for all stakeholders and secure employer engagement for approximately 60+ students each year (with growth expected) who take part in our 18-month programme. This includes ensuring
sufficient mentors with the accompanying paid internship, high-quality masterclasses and purposeful events.
2. Support programme delivery, stakeholder engagement and the generation of new programme and funding partnerships across Renfrewshire & West Dunbartonshire.
You’ll work closely with the Career Ready Glasgow & West Areas Local Advisory Board, the Programme & Partnerships Manager for Glasgow, the Head of Programme & Operations, the Scotland Partnerships Manager, Partnerships Lead, and your fellow Programme & Partnerships Managers — all committed to delivering quality, impact, and sustainability. You’ll also collaborate with the Scotland Operations Team to
ensure accurate data, strong processes, and effective management information for the area.
Find out more
You can find out more about the role, and working at Career Ready, in our candidate pack.
- £36,000 - £39,870 DOE (pro rata for part time)
- A working from home allowance of £300 pa is provided (pro rata for part time)
- Annual leave: 27 days holiday plus bank/public holidays. In addition, Career Ready is closed between Christmas and New Year. Career Ready also allows flexible use of some Bank & Public Holidays
- 6% of salary contribution to a private pension subject to an employee contribution of 3%
- Access to both our Reward Gateway Portal and an Employee Assistance Programme
- Business expenses including mileage allowance for car usage
How to apply
Please visit our website for full details of how to apply.
Timetable
- Closing date: 5 pm, Monday 16 March 2026 (early applications are encouraged)
- Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an initial screening conversation prior to interview
- Interviews will take place from w/c 30 March 2026
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Our Second Home (OSH) is the UK’s youth movement for people with refugee backgrounds. We support young people to build community, become leaders, and flourish into adulthood in the place they call home.
Each year, hundreds of young people from dozens of countries and living in London & Bristol take part in our residential programmes, leadership training and youth hubs. Our residentials are often the first step – immersive, relationship-rich spaces where young people connect, reflect and begin to see themselves as leaders. From there, many move into leadership training and take on volunteer roles within the movement.
Our work is youth-led and rooted in lived experience. We are now implementing our 2025–2028 strategy, focused on strengthening quality, embedding learning and ensuring our growth is sustainable and safe.
The Head of Programmes is a senior leadership role, reporting to the CEO and managing two senior colleagues. You will hold responsibility for the quality, coherence and safeguarding of all programme activity.
Responsibilities (abridged - see attached job description)
Programme Leadership & Strategy in Practice
-
Lead implementation of OSH’s 2025–2028 programme strategy.
-
Oversee the design, quality and coherence of residentials, leadership training and hubs.
-
Take operational responsibility for residential delivery, including participant referrals, recruitment of staff and freelancers, programme content and educational standards.
-
Attend and lead approximately five residential programmes per year.
-
Identify opportunities to strengthen youth engagement and leadership pathways as the organisation scales.
-
Ensure programme data is accurately recorded and used to improve delivery.
Team Leadership
-
Line manage the Communities Manager and Leadership & Volunteering Manager.
-
Provide structured supervision, clear objectives and professional development support.
-
Ensure strong coordination between hubs, residentials and leadership pathways.
-
Build a culture of accountability, reflection and continuous improvement.
Safeguarding & Welfare
-
Act as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and serve as DSL at events as required.
-
Ensure safeguarding practice is robust, consistent and embedded across all activities.
-
Respond to safeguarding and behavioural issues appropriately and oversee safe recruitment processes.
Partnerships, Budget & Oversight
-
Maintain referral partnerships and represent OSH externally where appropriate.
-
Hold programme budgets within agreed limits and ensure financial discipline.
-
Embed monitoring, evaluation and reflective practice across the programme team.
Experience & Competencies (abridged - see attached job description)
Essential
-
At least 5 years’ experience in youth or youth-centred programming, including residential or intensive settings.
-
Experience designing and delivering leadership development or informal education programmes.
-
Strong facilitation and training skills.
-
Demonstrable experience managing staff and developing teams.
-
Strong understanding of safeguarding practice and willingness to act as Deputy DSL.
-
Experience working with young people from refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds, or strong understanding of the issues affecting them.
-
Ability to balance strategic oversight with hands-on delivery in a part-time senior leadership role.
-
Strong organisational skills and commitment to inclusive, youth-led practice.
Desirable
-
Level 3 Safeguarding training.
-
Experience managing programme budgets.
-
Experience contributing to organisational strategy or scaling programme models.
-
Familiarity with Google Workspace, Beacon CRM, MyConcern or similar systems.
-
Lived experience of migration or displacement.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.