Finance Manager Jobs

At Refugee Action Kingston (RAK) we're dedicated to helping the successful integration of refugees and asylum seekers into the local community. With over three decades of experience, we provide a comprehensive range of services including welfare support, immigration and legal advice, education, counselling, and career guidance.

Our values

• Empathy: we put ourselves in the shoes of those we work with.
• Enterprise: we're innovative and resourceful in our approach to supporting refugees and asylum seekers.
• Empower: we strive to empower our clients, helping them achieve their aspirations.

Role overview: as the Director of RAK, you'll lead our organisation in supporting refugees and asylum seekers in South West London to lead fulfilled and independent lives. Proposals for hybrid working will be considered. Your responsibilities will include:

Strategic Leadership

• Developing and implementing annual plans aligned with our strategy, in collaboration with the Board of Trustees, to achieve desired outcomes.
• Maintaining efficient systems for the charity's operations, ensuring good governance and financial sustainability.
• Overseeing all aspects of organisational management including finances, resources, services, and communications, in cooperation with trustees.

Governance and Organisational Management

• Working closely with trustees to direct and deliver RAK's objectives according to the charity's strategy.
• Leading and supporting the RAK team to fulfil objectives, emphasising client needs, monitoring outcomes, and integrating learning into operations.
• Ensuring compliance with governance requirements, supporting board responsibilities, and contributing to trustee meetings and reporting.

Financial Management and Human Resources

• Ensuring effective financial management, leading finance and project management teams to maintain controls, preparing reports, and managing spending within budget.
• Developing organisational structure and processes for positive people and service management, adhering to legislation and quality standards.
• Fostering a healthy working culture that encourages staff and volunteers to excel, contribute ideas, and embrace diversity.

Fundraising

• Developing and executing RAK's fundraising strategy, exploring new avenues to diversify funding sources.
• Collaborating with the fundraising manager to cultivate relationships with funders, submitting funding bids, and providing reporting.
• Focus on growing unrestricted funds to reduce reliance on grants.

Advocacy and Influencing

• Cultivating strong relationships with stakeholders to amplify the impact of RAK's work.
• Advocating for the needs of our clients to local authorities, healthcare providers, and other relevant agencies.
• Maintaining an effective advice and advocacy service, meeting quality standards (AQS & OISC) and regulatory requirements.

General Duties

• Undertaking any other related duties as required and appropriate to the role.

Person Specification
Essential Criteria

1. Leadership and Change Management: proven track record of leading client-focused services, driving strategic development, and managing change effectively.
2. Project and Programme Management: experience in creating and delivering complex projects aligned with strategic objectives.
3. Fundraising Expertise: understanding of fundraising importance in the charitable sector, with a history of successful and innovative fundraising initiatives.
4. Digital Proficiency: ability to harness digital tools so that roles are carried out efficiently and competently.
5. Financial Management: track record of managing budgets and contracts effectively.
6. Analytical Skills: experience in complex report writing and data analysis.
7. Empathy and Inclusivity: ability to empathise with clients from diverse backgrounds and a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
8. Team Leadership: excellent people skills, with the ability to empower and motivate staff and volunteers to operate effectively.
9. Partnership Building: strong ability to build partnerships, manage coalitions, and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders.
10. Communication Skills: excellent communication and persuasion skills, including experience in public speaking.
11. Governance Knowledge: understanding of governance principles in the voluntary or public sector.
12. Safeguarding: experience in leading on safeguarding and health and safety.

Desirable Criteria

1. Asylum System Knowledge: understanding or lived experience of the asylum system.
2. Policy and Advocacy: experience in asylum-related policy or advocacy work.
3. Commercial Awareness: experience in negotiating with statutory, local, or voluntary organisations/authorities.

Citizens Advice Hertsmere is a great place to work, with a friendly and supportive team. We are looking to take on a Debt Caseworker to join our small debt advice team. You will be providing advice to clients supporting them through the debt advice process, including dealing with emergencies, income maximisation, budgeting advice and ultimately helping with a debt strategy. 

You will need to:

1. Prepare and present cases to the appropriate statutory bodies
2. Negotiate with third parties in writing and on the telephone
3. Act for clients where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning
4. Be numerate and able to analyse data and draw conclusions
5. Have good communication and IT skills

Role purpose

To deliver an excellent quality debt advice service to clients, with due regard to the aims, policies and procedures of the organisation and service, working within a client focussed and responsive team.

About Us

Citizens Advice Hertsmere (CAH) is an independent local charity and a member of the national Citizens Advice network. We deliver high-quality advice across Hertsmere and campaign on issues that matter to residents. Our primary office is in Elstree with outreach locations in Bushey and Potters Bar.

Our staff and volunteers supported clients with a wide range of issues including benefits, debt, employment, housing, relationship, and consumer issues. We provide our advice face to face, telephone, and email.

We are a forward-thinking organisation, committed to continually improving, expanding, and developing our services to better serve our local community.

We are a friendly, supportive team, and we are looking for another person to strengthen our debt team. There are opportunities for progression within our service and we encourage and support our staff to achieve their potential. We believe that what we do matters.

35 hours  - possible job-share

Location: Based in Sefton, Merseyside.

The cost-of-living crisis is biting hard for many people in Sefton and demand for our advice services is rising, and people seeking training or work or with poor health need encouragement to ask for help in navigating the benefits system, or deal with money worries. We are looking for an adviser to work in South Sefton Foodbanks to provide face to face advice, primarily with benefit issues. You will work from foodbanks the majority of the time and also have weekly day/s based with our Welfare Benefits team in our Bootle office.

This is a genuine opportunity to join a passionate and dedicated high-performing team of advisers, caseworkers and money advisors to help people in Sefton with the problems they face, particularly with Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, better off calculations and other welfare benefits and debt.  92% of our clients agree or strongly agree they would recommend our advice service to other people. 

You will have a thorough understanding of the issues involved in interviewing and working with clients, and in particular vulnerable people, with excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with clients and our partners.

As well as a competitive salary Citizens Advice Sefton also provides access to:

• Generous annual leave of 28 days (pro rata if part time) plus bank holidays
• 7% employer contribution pension
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free VDU eye care test
• Professional and advice sector recognised training

For a job pack that contains more information about the role and our organisation and the online application please go to our website via the apply button.

Closing date for applications: 3rd May 2024 5pm

Interviews in-person or online: Wednesday 8th May 2024

Salford Family Partnership Hubs are places within local communities across Salford offering services and support for children, young people and families.

Salford is a trailblazer area and will become the national leader for the Family Hubs and Start for Life Programmes, making the quickest improvements to services and sharing learning and best practices with all local authorities in the country.

Salford CVS has been working with Salford City Council’s Early Help Team on the first and second years of the Family Hub work. Our role has been consulting with communities through the Seeds of Change Box and Wishing Tree project, engaging Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector organisations and volunteers. We also manage a Family Hub small grants scheme providing small grants to VCSE organisations to support them in delivering their services as part of the Family Hub partnership.

We are seeking two dedicated Family Hub Navigators to work across the city of Salford to improve the wellbeing of parents and carers in the following cohorts:

• Young parents
• Fathers
• Families (communities of identity)

The Navigators will work with individuals to explore ‘what matters to them’, consider their strengths and interests, and identify an appropriate activity or service and connect them to it. The roles will be embedded within our wider Family Hub work and will link to our Wellbeing Matters Programme, which supports people to feel more connected to their community, more confident and less isolated by linking them to local groups and services.

We are looking for someone who:

• Will enjoy working within a team of dedicated, friendly people who believe in making a difference in Salford
• Will engage and build relationships with VCSE organisations and Family Hub teams
• Is confident working with people using a person-centred and strengths-based approach

If that sounds like you – then we want to hear from you!

Benefits of working for Salford CVS

• 28 days’ holiday – rising to 30 days (after five years), plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part-time)
• Paid sick leave – subject to terms and conditions of service
• A compassionate approach to dependants’ leave and compassionate leave – to help deal with life’s unforeseen circumstances
• Pension scheme – with 7% employer contribution (and 1% mandatory employee contribution)
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Membership of the Hospital Saturday Fund via an employer-subsidised scheme (optional and non-contractual)
• RHS family membership (optional and non-contractual)
• Development opportunities – we support and encourage our staff to progress in their careers (including formal training)
• A supportive working culture – we respect and support one another to do the best we can

For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: Noon on Thursday 25th April 2024
Interview date: Wednesday 1st May 2024 

We reserve the right to review applications before the closing date should we get sufficient applications.

Please note late applications will not be accepted.

Head of UK Programmes Grants and Programmes Contract: Fixed term to 31st May 2025 (maternity cover)

Hours: 35 hours per week - open to part time/ flexible work discussions.

Salary: £55,000 - £60,000 per annum Location: Anchored to London office, Southwark, 1-2 days a week. Flexibility to work from other Carers Trust’s offices around the UK when needed. 

Head of UK Programmes is the senior lead on UK-wide grants and programmes, working closely with nation teams and fundraising to shape and deliver a sector leading portfolio of programmes that is evidence informed, and evidence generating, catalysing positive change for carer organisations and unpaid carers. This role requires an established social sector leader who is adept at demonstrating internal and external leadership,

You will be detail oriented and logical to provide robust programme quality and assurance expertise, yet equally comfortable to lead the organisation externally too. You will be passionate about positioning Carers Trust’s programmatic offer as relevant and additive, drawing on emerging and best practice from across our network of 126 carer organisations.

As a seasoned programmes professional your leadership accountability for UK Programmes spans from development through to implementation and you will work closely across the nations to steward and role model a joined up approach across Carers Trust’s programme cycle, leading to meaningful and coherent programming.

The role holder will instill a learning and continuous improvement culture across the programmes and impact community, to ensure that programmatic learning is used to inform our network offer, evolving research agenda and influencing activities. The post holder will lead a UK programmes team, and be able to work thematically on programmes for carers of all ages and will be comfortable with a matrix management approach to nation-specific programmes teams. The UK programmes team will vary in size according to the volume and complexity of Carers Trust’s programmes portfolio

Who are we?

Voice4Change England (V4CE) is a membership organisation with a vision to build a stronger and more inclusive civil society to meet the needs of BME and other disadvantaged communities by giving out grants, providing infrastructure support for the voluntary and community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector, campaigning on topical issues and policy and collaborating in groundbreaking research.

We are a small, friendly organisation looking to expand our teams over the coming months.

The role

Voice4Change England is recruiting for an Infrastructure and Development Officer who will effectively manage outreach and consultation with BME organisations and communities across London. We are looking for a proactive, motivated and outgoing person to join our Infrastructure and Development Team.

You will be passionate about social justice and addressing inequalities, can assess community needs and deliver infrastructure support addressing under-funding, and help to build sustainability and resilience in London BME groups as well as help groups develop opportunities for greater impact.

The role will be remote working with monthly meetings and project related travel across London

Main responsibilities 

• Organise and deliver outreach to reach and engage BME organisations and be informed by them on needs and issues.

• Organise roadshows and other events to engage and consult with BME organisations on particular issues and themes that emerge from outreach and consultation.

• Contribute to the development of learning, advice, support and resources for BME organisations.

• Liaise with external agencies and service providers to help broker increased inclusion of BME organisations.

• Collaborate, inform and involve, as relevant, BME organisations to aid the development of this work.

• Produce reports for V4CE and funders on the impact and value of the outreach and development work

• Contribute to dissemination of the contribution of the London BME sector to increase external value and respect of its work and impact

Person specification 

Education and Experience

· Knowledge of the issues and barriers faced by BME organisations and community groups

· Knowledge of individual BME organisational development needs and ability to add to this through consultation

· Knowledge of and commitment to the principles of equality and diversity

· Ability to analyse, synthesise and communicate complex issues in a clear manner

· Ability to plan and deliver training sessions

· Ability to aid capacity building and resilience by developing tools and templates suitable for groups at different stages of development

· Experience in roles involving stakeholder engagement and partnership building 

· Experience of relevant infrastructure or development work (desirable)

· Experience of project and budget management (desirable)

· Knowledge of charity law and guidance (desirable)

Personal Attributes

· Self-motivated and able to use initiative

· Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team setting

· Proactive and responsive

· Strong project management skills with ability to manage diverse tasks and priorities with attention to detail and accuracy. 

· Excellent interpersonal skills combined with an ability to cultivate positive relationships

· Empathetic, tactful; able to relate to people and organisations of all backgrounds and with different needs while keeping to professional boundaries

· Solid communication skills, both written and oral.

What do we offer?

Our benefits include:

- Competitive salary

- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

- Flexible working hours

- Remote working with travel to London

- Pension with 5.5% employer contribution

- Support with professional development

How to apply

Apply by submitting your CV and supporting statement via the ‘Quick Apply’ button

Deadline: 23.59pm, 27th April 2024                               

Interview: Online interviews will be conducted in May 2024

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

We value diversity and inclusion in our workplace and believe that a diverse workforce brings a wide range of perspectives, ideas, and experiences, which ultimately contributes to the success of our organisation. By embracing diversity and providing equal opportunities, we believe that we can build a stronger, more innovative, and more successful team. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and are committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace for all.

If you require any reasonable accommodations during the application or interview process due to a disability or any other reason, please inform us, and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

Springfield Advice & Law Centre is a community based legal practice and a registered charity. We were formed in 1982 when we were set up to serve the mental health community.  We are based mainly on the site of Springfield University Hospital Mental Health NHS Trust.  Springfield Law Centre is unique as a working model of a health justice partnership.

We are seeking a for a new Director & Head of Legal Practice to take forward this unique, niche Law Centre.  There is an opportunity for expanding the work of the Law Centre and showcasing the worth of health justice partnerships.We are looking for an energetic and compassionate lawyer with a broad experience of either housing or community care casework and representation, who is capable of being a legal aid category supervisor in either area, who has the confidence to lead the team and to develop it so that we can continue to make a real difference within the community.

Qualifications and experience

1. 5 years’ PQE qualified lawyer, with demonstrable experience of management at a senior level.
2. Ability to meet the supervisor for the Legal Aid Agency contract in either housing or community care.
3. A track record of implementing and managing change. 
4. A track record of leading and motivating others demonstrating strong people skills.
5. A track record of innovation and problem solving.
6. Appropriate skills and experience that demonstrate an ability and commitment to manage staff effectively. This should include support, supervision, and appraisal and performance management.
7. Appropriate skills and experience to effectively handle and manage complaints.
8. Experience of managing a Legal Aid Agency Contract and Legal Help matters, with billing targets.
9. Ability to bill all types of legally-aided work and to report to the Legal Aid Agency.
10. Ability to manage a varied caseload of sufficient, appropriate matters to meet the billing target in place.
11. Ability to draft appropriate documentation in your specialist area of law.
12. Experience of giving successful training or talks, for example giving presentations, or
13. representing clients before Courts or Tribunals.
14. Skills
15. Ability to take an active role in, leading the direction of the Law Centre, developing new strategies and raising profile.
16. Ability to manage the Lexcel Quality Mark and ensure that systems and standards are maintained across the organisation so that audits are passed.
17. Ability to understand the financial viability of the Law Centre.
18. Ability to report effectively to funders and to monitor progress against grant funded projects.
19. Commitment to equality and diversity as set out in the principles and policies of the Law Centre.
20. Ability to be self-servicing: you will be expected to manage most of your own typing, filing and billing of Legal Help/Aid cases to comply with LAA requirements.
21. Ability to prioritise your workload with minimum supervision.
22. Excellent communication skills: you must be able to relate well to colleagues, clients and third parties, in person, in writing and on the telephone, despite the pressures of the role.
23. You must be very well organised, with excellent ICT skills, in order to work well under pressure without compromising standards.
24. Ability to work flexibly and outside regular office hours including attending and reporting to the trustees on the progress of the Law Centre.

Consideration will be given to requests for flexible or family friendly hours of work to include job share, part time working or specific proposals. The Management Committee consider the range and number of duties to be a full-time role and that any reduction from a full-time role will result in a division of duties to accommodate all aspects of the Law Centre’s needs and aspirations.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for two key individuals to join the team at Basis Yorkshire as a Sexual Exploitation Specialist (16+). You will be providing bespoke trauma informed 1-1 and group work for women who have experienced, or who are experiencing sexual exploitation. 

Basis Yorkshire is an award-winning charity that was founded in 1995 and now operates across Yorkshire. This is a unique opportunity to join a challenging and vibrant organisation, working with women and young people who are involved in sex work or being sexually exploited. For more information about what Basis Yorkshire does and its values, please visit our website.

Our energy for and commitment to our work makes us a vibrant and resilient organisation with a strong and compassionate workforce.  We are looking for someone who is passionate about making a difference to the lives of young people who have experienced or are experiencing child sexual exploitation, can embrace our core values of respect and trust and will support us in providing a unique service through their creative approach.

Basis is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive working environment where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian backgrounds, those who experience racism and those from the LGBTQ+ community  as they are currently under-represented within our staff team. Equally we encourage applications from experts by experience. All appointments will be are made on merit, based on the criteria identified in the job description. You will be based in Leeds and may need to work some unsocial hours. There is some free parking but parking near the office will also be reimbursed.

Basis is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. This post will be subject to enhanced DBS check.

In addition to being part of a fun, dynamic and vibrant workforce, we offer a benefits package including flexible working, contributory pension (4%), childcare vouchers, funded external supervision and an Employee Assistance package, 35 hour full time week.

South Wales, based at either Newport, Cardiff or Swansea Office

Ref FWC-241

Are you a proactive, flexible, and target-driven individual with a proven record of working with male adults in the criminal justice system whether in the community or in prisons? Do you have extensive recent experience of providing specialist money and/or welfare benefit advice?

If so, St Giles Trust is looking for a collaborative Financial Wellbeing Coach to join our team, where you will be responsible for the delivery of Finance, Benefit and Debt services to referrals made by Wales Probation Service.

About St Giles Trust

An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes, and the right support they need. Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions, and gang involvement, hold the key to positive change in others. 

About this key role

As our Financial Wellbeing Coach, you will provide person-centred support to a caseload of service users who will either be serving community sentences or have been released from prison.  This will involve undertaking assessment and action planning with individual service users and creating a safe and trusting environment, using trauma-informed practice to successfully facilitate a supportive and constructive relationship with service users.

We will also count on you to deliver a range of interventions to service users which contribute towards the achievement of prescribed outcomes, and to work with service users flexibly, meeting and undertaking interventions in a range of locations across a wide geographical area.  Developing and maintaining positive working relationships with external agencies and working towards contractual targets and outcomes within agreed timescales and in line with specified quality standards are also vital aspects of the role.

The contract requires clearance through HMPPS vetting.

What we are looking for

• Experience of engaging successfully with challenging people, e.g. those with complex and multiple needs.

• Proven record of working with partner agencies.

• Evidence of training at specialist level in money and/or welfare benefits advice.

• Higher level certificate in money and/or welfare benefit advice from accreditation.

• The ability to assess clients’ needs and provide tailored, client-led support.

• Able to work sensitively with clients applying trauma informed strategies.

• A full driver’s licence and access to a vehicle is desirable.

• Excellent interpersonal, relationship building and communication skills, both verbal and written.

• Welsh language desirable but not a necessity.

In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance including 30 days annual leave plus all statutory bank holidays and 2 'duvet days', staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, 4x Group Life Insurance, season ticket loan, eyecare scheme and much more.

As an equity and inclusive employer, we welcome all applications, but we would particularly welcome applications from Global Majority People (Black, Asian, Brown, Dual Heritage), those living with a disability, those from a neurodiverse group, or have another protected characteristic. We value the positive impact and diversity that your lived experience can bring to our organisation.

As an organisation that works with children and adults at risk we are committed to safeguarding, protecting and promoting the safety of our clients. Successful applicants must therefore submit an Enhanced Adult Workforce only DBS check.

To apply please visit our website via the apply button. 

Closing date: 29 April 2024. 11:45pm     

Purpose of role:

To excel against targets in the provision of an effective supported Money Advice debt casework service that is compliant against quality standards including the MaPS quality of advice framework; ensuring that clients receive their full entitlement to all benefits, receive appropriate financial capability support and experience a positive customer experience from Citizens Advice Liverpool.

To be successful in this role, you will need to be confident, motivated and willing to try new things, have excellent communication skills with an ability to work under pressure to achieve targets and outcomes with minimum supervision.

To be appointed as a Money Advice Caseworker, you will need to have knowledge and experience of complex debt casework, covering priority and non-priority debt advice, options and insolvency solutions.

About us

The first Citizens Advice opened in Liverpool on 4th September 1939, established in the aftermath of the first world war and provided, amongst other initiatives, a casework service for families in need.

Since then, we have continued to grow as a frontline service, finding innovative solutions to the advice needs of our community through free, confidential and independent advice and information services.

Citizens Advice Liverpool is a charity, dependent on a workforce of paid staff and over 120 trained volunteers. We operate over four permanent sites (Belle Vale, Garston, Walton & Wavertree) and over 30 outreach locations in the city, which we are continually reviewing to ensure we are reaching the people most in need of our services. We have also developed a mobile phone app which acts as a single point of access for Citizens Advice in Liverpool, showing where to find advice in real time, access to self-help information, and telephone, WhatsApp, email & webchat advice.

We are a member of "National Citizens Advice", which provides the extensive information system we use to advise clients and sets standards for advice, training, equal opportunities and accessibility in our offices.

We receive funding from Liverpool City Council; which helps support our generalist advice service which gives advice on a wide range of subjects such as; benefits, work, debt & money, consumer, family, housing, law & courts, immigration and health. We also receive funding from other major contributors which helps run our specialist advice projects.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for two key individuals to join the team at Basis Yorkshire as a Sexual Exploitation Specialist (LGBTQ+). You will be providing bespoke trauma informed 1-1 and group work for Young People who have experienced, who are experiencing or who are at risk of sexual exploitation. 

Our energy for and commitment to our work makes us a vibrant and resilient organisation with a strong and compassionate workforce.  We are looking for someone who is passionate about making a difference to the lives of young people who have experienced or are experiencing child sexual exploitation, can embrace our core values of respect and trust and will support us in providing a unique service through their creative approach.

Basis Yorkshire is an award-winning charity that was founded in 1995 and now operates across Yorkshire. This is a unique opportunity to join a challenging and vibrant organisation, working with women and young people who are involved in sex work or being sexually exploited. For more information about what Basis Yorkshire does and its values, please visit our website.

Basis is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive working environment where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian backgrounds, those who experience racism and those from the LGBTQ+ community as they are currently under-represented within our staff team. Equally we encourage applications from experts by experience. All appointments will be are made on merit, based on the criteria identified in the job description. You will be based in Leeds and may need to work some unsocial hours. There is some free parking but parking near the office will also be reimbursed.

Basis is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. This post will be subject to enhanced DBS check.

In addition to being part of a fun, dynamic and vibrant workforce, we offer a benefits package including flexible working, contributory pension (4%), childcare vouchers, funded external supervision and an Employee Assistance package, 35 hour full time week.

This role is part of the Devon Domestic Abuse Service which provides support to high and medium risk victims of domestic abuse and their families.

This exciting new specialist role of Housing IDVA is designed to support victims of Domestic Abuse to remain safe in their own accommodation or secure suitable new housing.

The main tasks for this role include:

• Managing a caseload of high risk victims, providing specialist support around housing.
• Acting as a link person between the local authority housing teams, our Domestic Abuse services in Devon, supported accommodation and refuges.
• Offering dedicated support to victims in Places of Safety.
• Providing specialist training and professional consultancy to partner agencies.

This is a 2-year contract with the potential to extend or be made permanent, subject to funding.

For a full job description/person specification and to apply, please follow the link provided on this website. This vacancy is will close once a suitable candidate is found, so early applications are encouraged.

FearFree is committed to encouraging equality and diversity in the workplace.  We strive to be a diverse and inclusive place to work where we can all be ourselves and individual differences are recognised and valued. 

The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, Greater London, SE18 6HQ

Ref CFC-241

Are you a proactive, compassionate and collaborative individual with a proven record of supporting and engaging positively with vulnerable adults and young people in a community setting? Do you have sound experience of working with Children and Family Services and supporting volunteers in a community setting?

If so, join St Giles Trust as our Children and Families Caseworker where, as part of our Greenwich Gangs team, you will provide both face-to-face and virtual/remote one-to-one case working to children and families at risk or on the periphery of gangs and serious youth violence, plus play a central role in deterring young people from offending and safeguarding families who may be at risk.

About St Giles Trust
An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes and the right support they need.  Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions and gang involvement, hold the key to positive change in others.

About this key role
As our Children and Families Caseworker, you will support individuals who are affected by domestic violence, C.S.E, Mental health, grooming and exploitation, and gang and serious youth violence, all of which will include working with both victims and perpetrators.  You will carry and review thorough risk management plans with young people and their family, ensuring each family member has an age-appropriate safety plan, and provide a client-led support service that responds to each individual’s needs, including supporting with housing, finances, schooling, parenting, health, ETE and criminal justice. We will rely on you to deliver the service in a timely and targeted manner and to close cases effectively and positively, identifying a survival plan for the client that can be used for ongoing support and agencies that can be used if serious problems develop in the future.  Providing social support to children and family members, including identification of need, liaison and referral to specialist agencies, is also a key element of this role.

What we are looking for

• To have lived experience similar to that of the client group or to have worked on an offender-led/ social care service with a commitment to utilising a peer-led approach
• Proven record of working with and supporting volunteers in a community setting
• The ability to recruit, engage and keep the target client group motivated
• Experience of calculating risk and implementing safety procedures for vulnerable clients
• Experience of supporting and mentoring young people and adults, including socially excluded children
• Mentoring Level 3 qualification (or be willing to work towards this)
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, both verbal and written.

Please note this role requires that successful candidates must undergo an Enhanced DBS check, on the basis that the post involves contact with vulnerable participants and colleagues.

In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, clinical therapist sessions, life insurance (4 x annual salary), duvet days, season ticket loan, employee perks programme, eye care voucher and much more.

We are an equity and inclusion confident employer. We welcome all applications and we particularly encourage applications from people of the global majority (black, brown, multi-heritage) and those who identify as disabled, neuroexpansive, neurodiverse, with any protected characteristics and/or social barriers or challenges. We value the empowering and informative impact that all lived experiences and diversity of thought can offer the organisation.

St Giles will guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria set out in the Job Description for the vacancy.

To apply please visit our website via the apply button. 

Closing date: 25th April 2024 23:45pm      Interview date: 30th April 2024   

Citizens UK 

Citizens UK is a people power alliance of diverse local communities working together for the common good. Our mission is to develop leaders, strengthen civic organisations and make change. Our 550 member communities are deeply rooted in their local areas and connect every day to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Through the method of community organising we enable people experiencing powerlessness to develop their leadership and come together with the power and strategy to make change.  

This leads to hundreds of neighbourhood improvements - from zebra crossings outside primary schools to renovated public toilets in cemeteries. And it leads to some of the biggest campaign impacts in the UK, such as winning over £2 billion of wages through the UK Living Wage campaign, securing a legal cap on the cost of credit to control exploitative lending, and ending the detention of children for immigration purposes. We enable local campaigns to grow into large-scale social change projects such as the Living Wage Foundation, Parents and Communities Together (PACT), Sponsor Refugees, and Refugees for Justice, that form an integral part of our theory of change. The most prominent of these is the rapidly growing Living Wage Foundation with a network of over 14,000 accredited Living Wage Employers across the UK. 

South London Citizens 

South London Citizens is a thriving chapter with a growing team of ~18 organisers and project staff. We are building the power of communities in South London through borough alliances (in Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth, Wandsworth, Merton, Croydon) and the wider region by developing community leadership and supporting people to take action on what matters most to them. Over the past three years, we have worked in partnership with mental health trusts to deliver a pioneering organising project, South London Listens (SLL), to prevent mental ill-health, and more recently with wider South London NHS leaders to take action on a range of issues (from low wages to housing conditions) that impact our communities’ health.

Purpose 

We are looking for two Associate Organisers to join our thriving and dynamic team in South London building the power of local communities. These roles will support local organising, and have a specific focus on health and living wage organising.

In this exciting and innovative role, you will work with community organisations, including faith institutions, schools, universities, and community groups. Your primary responsibility will be to

1. build ‘Be Well’ teams to support the wellbeing of their communities, as part of the South London Listens partnership; 

2. find and develop new community leaders within their organisations; and 

3. take action to tackle the social determinants of health inequality (e.g. lack of migration status, racism, housing conditions, low wages and precarious work).

One or both of the roles will also include specific organising with low paid workers to lead the fight for a real living wage and living hours. 

With your passion, energy, and commitment to democracy, you will support communities to build the power they need to win justice and make a real and lasting impact. Join us in the fight for a healthier and more equitable future for South London.

A central focus of an Associate Organiser is their own development: learning the craft of Community Organising under the guidance of an experienced Community Organiser. An Associate Organiser is working towards becoming a competent practitioner of the craft of broad-based community organising methodology, and focuses on the building of relational power, the recruitment and retention of dues-paying institutions, the development of leaders, the strengthening of member institutions, leader-led public actions, and the winning of systemic change. Your learning and development will be paramount in the first few months as the responsibilities given to your experience and skills develop.

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t feel like you fit all the criteria. We are particularly interested in people who are angry at issues of injustice, who have demonstrated taking action on that in some way, who can communicate effectively, who can build relationships of trust with a diverse range of people, and who believe in the capacity of ordinary people to make extraordinary change! We are less interested in whether you understand every word in the responsibility list below or whether you have worked as a professional organiser before. You are also encouraged to reach out if you have any questions about whether you might be suitable for the role. 

Main Responsibilities 

Working as an Associate Organiser in South London for Citizens UK your main responsibilities will be to:

Grow and deliver on the priorities of South London Listens and our broader Health organising 

• Build and support new Be Well Hubs in a range of institutions in your allocated boroughs. Including identifying new institutions, delivering training, and supporting them once they are established.

• Work with other organisers to deliver on the priorities identified by communities that are part of the South London Listens project

• Ensure reporting and capturing of stories of the South London Listens project are captured and shared to celebrate and grow the project.

At least one of the roles includes supporting our organising efforts for more just work and wages 

• Identify and develop worker leaders

• Take action with South London Citizens leaders to increase the number of living wage and living hours employers in London 

• Develop and deliver community organising training for worker leaders 

Build relational power to further the goals of CUK 

• Actively participate in the development of a comprehensive power analysis appropriate to the desired sphere of influence for each project/assignment

• Establish working relationships with identified leaders and demonstrate ability to move them into action, including as part of the wider alliance; taking the initiative to establish new relationships as required

• Conduct one-to-ones to develop relationships with leaders and understand their concerns.

• Tell a wide range of Community Organising stories effectively to influence others and achieve CUK’s goals

Identify and develop relational leaders prepared to act with others for the common good 

• Identify and discern actual and potential leaders with the passion and ability to drive change in their borough alliance and through South London Listens.

• Proactively create opportunities for leaders to develop, in particular tertiary or new leaders; nominate for training on the core taster curriculum and Be Well Hubs training.

• Successfully deliver workshops in local institutions, South London Citizens community organising introductions and Be Well training.

Strengthen institutions and develop Broad Based Organisations 

• Ensure good understanding of the basic interests and traditions of typical member institutions

• Organise a small cluster of up to 5 standard member institutions or 1 strategic partner to work together for the achievement of common goals

• Support pre-existing core teams and create/develop new core teams to provide leadership at local level and in South London Listens

Support leaders through the Cycle of Action in order to create change  

• Support member institutions and Be Well Hubs in running listening campaigns

• Organise neighbourhood actions; demonstrating increasing independence in working without the need for close supervision

• Take the lead in supporting groups of leaders through the cycle of action on neighbourhood issues; aiming to achieve neighbourhood and health wins

• Evaluate the effectiveness of actions; demonstrating ability to incorporate lessons learned into future actions

Contribute to CUK’s financial viability through effective fundraising & financial management  

• Contribute to fundraising to the value of at least £20,000 per annum through one or some of the following: 

• WWritinge regular updates on the work to be shared with the funders and maintain a healthy relationship with them

• Recruit new dues paying institutions; work together with a more senior Organiser to negotiate annual membership fees and letters of understanding

• Liaise with the Finance & Operations team to update the membership database and ensure timely invoicing and fee collection

Contribute to effective teamwork and live out our ‘Inclusion’ value 

• Be proactive concerning personal professional development and wellbeing: i.e. by reading widely, developing a healthy work-life balance and demonstrating ability to reflect on own organising craft & improve on self-identified weaknesses

• Demonstrate ability to work effectively with colleagues and participate in a team

• Produce all required reports and follow CUK’s procedures on time and to the required standards

• Contribute towards an inclusive environment for all colleagues and community leaders, so that our spaces are a place where all are able to participate 

Participate in the development of the craft of Community Organising and play a role in the Guild of COs  

• Schedule an average of at least three 1-2-1 relational meetings into your daily schedule as a core part of your professional practice

• Commit 10 working days per annum (pro rata) to the preparation, delivery, and evaluation of Citizens UK National Community Leadership Training or other local or regional trainings or other activities organised by the Learning and Innovation team.

• Participate in a Guild Team and help it develop as a Community of Practice that enables Organisers across the UK to develop their skills and experience.

Personal Specification 

(D) Desirable, (E) Essential 

EXPERIENCE 

• Previous campaign experience (D) 

• Evidence of having acted in a leadership role with peers or in local community activities (e.g. within a faith institution or clubs/societies) (E) 

• Experience of project management; evidence of having delivered work on time and to standard (E) 

• Able to demonstrate previous experience of ‘learning by doing’ in a work or project environment; evidence of being open to feedback and comfortably coachable (E) 

KEY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

• Ability to speak additional languages, especially Spanish for one of the roles (D) 

• Excellent interpersonal awareness – ability to listen well and appreciate a viewpoint or opinion that is different from one’s own (E) 

• Excellent concern for impact – ability to adapt own behaviour to address the needs or concerns of someone else (E)

• Good communication skills – able to speak with conviction and passion; and to make a logical argument (E)

• PERSONAL QUALITIES & VALUES 

• A self-starter with ability to take initiative and work independently (E) 

• A passion for justice (E) 

• A positive enthusiasm for working with faith congregations, trade unions, schools, and other community organisations (E) 

• An interest in and experience of politics and public life (E) 

• Able to work in a team (E) 

• Willingness to work within accountable relationships (E) 

• Self-motivated and adaptable (E 

The successful applicant will be required to undertake a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check. DBS checks are renewed on a 3-year cycle. 

Interviews are planned to take place on Wednesday, 12th June (subject to change).

Please note this is a 12-month fix term contract with a possibility to extend, funding permitting.