Advocacy Jobs in South East
You will be working with children and families to provide trauma informed support with the aim of reducing trauma symptoms and rebuild relationships.
KEY RESPONSIBILITY
To work with children (aged 5 – 16) and their families to provide trauma informed support with the aim of reducing trauma symptoms, rebuilding relationships fractured by domestic abuse and helping the non-abusive parent to understand the impact of domestic abuse on their children so they are better able to support them.
DIRECT WORK WITH CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES
- To understand and assess the needs of children and families and devise a child-focused support plan
- To utilise evidence-based approaches to strengthen attachments and rebuilt relationships with the non-abusive parent that have been fractured as a result of domestic abuse
- To utilise trauma informed ways of working to reduce trauma symptoms and distress in children
- To work with families in order increase stability and reduce risk 5
- To assist the non-abusive parent / carer in their understanding of the impact of domestic abuse so that they can respond appropriately to the emotional needs of the children
- To attend and initiate mutli-agency meetings where required
- To ensure that children and families receive holistic support that is appropriate to their needs, including advocacy and referring to other services
- To deliver programmes of child-focused group work
- To understand risk and safeguarding issues and act appropriately in relation to risk at all times.
- To work within national, county and ESDAS guidelines, particularly in relation to good practice regarding children
- To provide written reports and case studies to senior management as and when required.
You will receive support and training and a competitive starting salary of £20,000 for a 28 hour week. Reduced hours may be possible by agreement. This is a two-year fixed term post with the possibility of becoming permanent after two years.
We are looking for someone who will work with professionalism, empathy and kindness, have knowledge of working with children and families who have experienced trauma due to abuse and have a trauma informed, child focused approach. Experience of working with complex family situations where there are safeguarding concerns with the ability to assess risk is required.
You will be based at our office in Redhill and you must be able to reliably commute to the office.
For further information (including a full Job Description and Person Specification) please read the Candidate Pack.
We follow NSPCC safer recruitment guidelines and we do not accept CVs, please complete the application form within the candidate pack
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Kent Refugee Action Network are looking for an exceptional individual to join KRAN’s senior management and be the full-time lead on advocacy and support, managing a team to deliver effectively for our service users.
Role Summary
You will lead KRAN’s strategic direction and delivery of a variety of advocacy and support services, ensuring safe and effective operation through your Advocacy and Support Team.
The team offers a range of services and interventions to support and empower young refugees and asylum seekers. Services include casework, mentoring partnerships, volunteer support, wellbeing activities, Youth Ambassadors and engagement. A central goal is to amplify the voice of young people with lived experiences.
As a member of KRAN’s senior management team, you will work with service users and the wider team to help shape the overall direction of KRAN, attuned to the evolving needs of young people and sector developments, while deputising for the CEO as necessary.
The deadline for applications is 5pm, Monday 27 May 2024.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Head of HR (Maternity Cover)
Hours: 28 hours per week (flexible working opportunities available)
Salary: £50,500 - £54,351 per annum (FTE)
Contract: Up to 12-month maternity cover (anticipated start date of 1st August 2024)
Base: Osney Mead, Oxford & work from home with occasional travel across Oxon & Wokingham, Reading, West Berks
People are the very heart and soul of Oxfordshire Mind. The purpose of the HR function is to ensure that the right people are recruited, developed and able to thrive to deliver our vision of ensuring everyone experiencing a mental health issue gets both support and respect.
The Head of HR works closely with the Senior Management Team, Trustees and all staff and provides operational leadership of Oxfordshire Mind’s HR services to enable our Vision and Purpose and deliver our strategic objectives through our people whilst upholding the values of the organisation.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a passionate team and play a central role in this Oxfordshire and Berkshire West based charity. This role offers the chance for a proactive individual who is passionate about people, to confidently navigate us through the forthcoming 12 months of change and support our internal team.
About the role
Reporting to the CEO and managing a talented team of 2 HR Business Partners and 1 HR & Recruitment Administrator you will:
- Develop and implement HR strategies, processes and services aligned with our overall strategy and vision
- Develop Staff Wellbeing strategy and oversee the Staff Wellbeing Action Group
- Lead the HR function and team and be a pro-active member of the Senior Management Team
- Ensure high quality delivery of HR responsibilities including policies and processes, HRIS, resourcing, reward, employee services, management development, employee relations and learning
- Be the appointed competent person to advise on Health & Safety across the organisation, this includes ongoing monitoring via KPI’s and internal audits and leading the Health & Safety committee meetings
- Support and continue to develop the Employee Forum, including being a point of contact for the Union
- Embed a co-productive approach with partners, managers and leaders to achieve strategy and targets
- Monitor and provide insight and guidance on the effectiveness of people management practices and processes via a range of KPIs
- Support change initiatives and programmes
- Be an influential and visible figure in the business driving improvements forward in relation to people and culture
- Budget management and oversight
- Ensure HR compliance and risk management for employee relations issues and ensuring the organisation remains up to date with relevant legislation
About you
Applicants should respond explicitly to each of the points listed in the Essential Selection Criteria below. The shortlisting panel make their decisions based on this information and no assumptions about your skills or experience will be made.
Essential criteria
- Previous experience across most HR disciplines such as recruitment and retention, wellbeing, learning and development, and HR administration as well as navigating complex HR issues
- Strong team manager who inspires and motivates hybrid and remote team members, promoting a positive and productive work environment
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively
- Strong relationship building skills at a senior level internally and externally and able to nurture partnerships and collaborative relationships with a range of organisations and stakeholders
- Ability to lead change projects from initiation to completion, ensuring timely and successful implementation
- Proficient in identifying and mitigating risks associated with change initiatives
- Experience of using office productivity software such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) or equivalent and HRIS
- Takes a values-based approach to HR, aligning practices and decisions with the core values and culture of the organisation
- Has an understanding or passion for mental health and what we do
Desirable criteria
- Strong experience in all HR disciplines including Reward management, organisational design and talent management
- Significant leadership experience gained at senior level in a complex environment including working with unions either formally or informally
- Demonstrates self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and integrity, working with clarity and honesty
- Experience of working in the charity/mental health sector or with a board of trustees
- Ability to think strategically, develop a clear vision for the organisation, and influence key stakeholders. Proven track record in making sound strategic decisions considering long-term impact
- Passionate about the organisational vision, inspiring and motivating teams towards ambitious goals. Visionary and resilient during periods of change
Closing date: 10am on 13th May 2024
Shortlisting date: w/c 13th May 2024
First Stage Interview date: w/c 20th May 2024
Second Stage Interview date: w/c 3rd June 2024
Interview location: Oxfordshire Mind, Osney Mead, 2 Kings Meadow, Oxford, OX2 0DP
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.
We welcome applications from people from all sections of the community, irrespective of race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief.
Oxfordshire Mind is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. We therefore require a Disclosure and Barring Service check, for all our roles. The level of which will vary depending on the nature of the role.
No agencies please.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
About us:
Community ConneX is a campaigning organisation and a multi-project service provider working across West London. We support autistic people, people with a disability, and people and families experiencing barriers to live healthier, happier, and inclusive lives. We do this by ensuring their needs, rights and aspirations are met.
Advocacy 1st is a free, independent service provided by advocates who specialise in the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act.
Location: Remote based in Oxfordshire
Key duties:
· Recruiting, training and providing ongoing support to volunteers
· Working with the children and young people to assess their service requirements
· Working with stakeholders to raise awareness and recognise and identify care leavers and young people in need of the Independent Visitors and Care Leavers service
· Looking at opportunities to engage and work with services to identify care leavers and independent visitors
· Reporting and discussing all safeguarding concerns with the service manager
· Completing initial assessments and matching volunteers to young people
· Raising the profile of the Independent Visitors and Care Leavers service
Our ideal candidate:
· Has qualifications relevant to the role
· Has experience of working with children and young people.
· Is aware of legislation such as Care Act 2014, Children and Families Act 2014, Children Act 1989, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC)
· Has excellent communications and writing skills, and the ability to tailor written and verbal communications to a wide range of different audiences
· Can maintain existing relationships and develop new relationships with clients, families, colleagues and volunteers
· Can generate reports and make presentations
In return we offer a range of benefits including:
· Pension contribution up to 5%
· Death in service insurance
· Employee assistance programme
· Bluelight Card
· Cycle to work scheme
· 23 days of annual leave + bank holidays (increases after 2 years of service)
· Gym membership
· Healthcash plan
· Professional development
We are committed to safeguarding and equal opportunities, and we guarantee an interview to all applicants with disabilities meeting the minimum criteria for the post.
We also want to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable facilities to participate in job applications or interviews to perform essential job functions. To support this, we are a Disability Confident committed employer.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are looking for an enthusiastic Nature and Wellbeing Manager to lead our exciting new project expanding RSPB's flagship 'Nature Prescriptions' Programme into Wales building on the expertise and experience of our Scottish and English colleagues.
Nature and Wellbeing Manager
Reference: APR20247410
Location: Flexible in Wales
Salary: £32,022.00 - £34,377.00 Per Annum
Hours: Full Time, 37.5 Hours per week
Duration: Fixed Term, 22 months
Benefits: Pension Scheme, Life Assurance Scheme, 26 days' Annual Leave
We have a wealth of evidence that individuals with a greater connection to nature experience improved mental wellbeing, greater vitality and happiness, and deeper life satisfaction. Research also shows that increasing your connection with nature can positively impact a range of conditions, including stress, anxiety and depression, as well as outcomes for some physical health conditions too.
RSPB 'Nature Prescriptions' are designed to encourage and prompt people to connect to nature in support of their goals for better wellbeing. We believe that everyone, no matter where they live or the challenges they face, has the right to access nature, and to feel this strong connection to the natural world. Inspiring and enabling healthcare professionals and others in the NHS to prescribe nature, is a key route for the RSPB to enable more people from more diverse communities to access the natural world. In so doing we hope that those who feel more connected to nature, will want to act to save it.
Working with healthcare professionals and local communities in Cardiff and surrounds, you will use co-design to create materials in different formats that will support those who need it most. This is a great opportunity to work with a brilliant team of friendly and enthusiastic colleagues across the UK who have successfully implemented this approach elsewhere.
We're looking for a someone who is:
- Passionate: About connecting people to nature to improve their health and wellbeing.
- Courageous: In sharing this passion to enthuse healthcare and other professionals.
- Inquisitive: A natural curiosity to explore and understand and meet people where they are.
- Bold: Willing to contribute innovative ideas, particularly when addressing health inequalities.
- Collaborative: Fosters a collaborative, enjoyable and solution focused way of working with partners.
- Comfortable Challenging the Status Quo: Nature Prescriptions offer a way of improving wellbeing outside of the typical medical model of healthcare.
Key tasks will include:
- Lead the development of and promote the delivery of three new RSPB Nature Prescriptions to people living in diverse communities within Cardiff and the surrounding area.
- Develop relationships with key stakeholders in the NHS, health care and social care professionals to inspire and enable them to feel engaged and supported to co-create and prescribe a Nature Prescription, and to connect RSPB with the health sector to help create doors for future work.
- Engage with local healthcare professionals and community groups to co-design Nature Prescriptions materials with local people, community groups and healthcare professionals so that they reach a large diversity of people, and those that need and can benefit the most.
- Develop the project plan and ensure that the right governance structure for project management is in place and RSPB internal project management practices are followed, so that the project stays on track, comes in on budget and risks are identified, escalated, and managed within tolerances.
- Work with local environmental networks to build a picture of nature-based activities available and identify opportunities for partnership working.
- Lead on developing ways to evaluate and measure the impact of the project, including engaging with those prescribing and local communities to gather stories and case studies that demonstrate the benefits to wellbeing and connectedness to nature.
- Build internal relationships with RSPB employees and volunteers working with nature prescribing and nature and wellbeing across the UK.
- Develop a strategy and plan for Nature and Wellbeing work legacy aiming to learn from the work done in Scotland and England and from the communities and health care professionals in Cardiff and surrounds to support development of future work in Cardiff and beyond.
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- Experience of working within or alongside the health and wellbeing sector.
- Project management experience with experience of leading on and developing and delivering projects with diverse communities.
- Experience of developing external partnerships and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.
- Experience in delivering workshops or training, ideally with a co-design element.
- Excellent verbal and written communicator able to communicate nature and wellbeing messages in a way that is understood by a range of audiences and that engenders their support.
- Excellent planning and organisational skills with the ability to manage and deliver a varied workload.
- Skilled in using Microsoft 365 suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams.
Desirable skills, knowledge, and experience:
- Experience of SharePoint management.
- Experience of recruiting and managing volunteers.
- Welsh speaker or learner.
Closing date: 23:59, Friday 17th May 2024
We are looking to conduct interviews for this position from 3 June 2024.
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.
The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer. This role is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
The RSPB is a licenced sponsor. This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.
As part of this application process you will be asked to provide a copy of your CV and complete an application form including evidence on how you meet the skills, knowledge, and experience listed above.Contact us to discuss any additional support you may need to complete your application.
No agencies please.
LGBTQ+ Heritage Project Worker
Responsible to: Communications and Engagement Manager
Hours: Full time 37 hours (job-share considered)
Salary: £23,100
Based: Remote, with direct work in Milton Keynes
Contract: Fixed term for 1 year
Closing Date: Friday 17th May
Q:alliance provides support, information and representation for the LGBTQ+ people who live, work and play in Milton Keynes and Bedford. We have detailed knowledge of the issues and challenges that organisations and individuals face locally. It’s our goal to create more safe spaces and resources to ensure the LGBTQ+ community is well represented and supported.
This exciting new role will help deliver the directives of a history and heritage project funded by the Heritage Lottery. The project will support the erudition of LGBTQ+ heritage in Milton Keynes, advancing local communities’ understanding of Milton Keynes’ LGBTQ+ history and inspiring a commitment to encapsulating, celebrating, and feeling connected through shared heritage. This post will be key to extending our reach into seldom asked communities, as well as securing relationships with founding community members. This role will support our Communications and Engagement Manager to develop safer spaces for LGBTQ+ local communities through collaboration with partner agencies and delivery of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training to a range of stakeholders involved in the wider project.
You will work cross-departmentally and participate in effective monitoring systems to ensure robust reporting.
Main Responsibilities
• Project Development - Develop and implement the directives of the funded project, supporting key partners in their collaboration with Q:alliance. Communicate project aims with communities and stakeholders and establish meaningful engagement in the concept of encapsulating heritage and celebrating differing LGBTQ+ identities in Milton Keynes. Support the gathering of audio histories and the collection and succession of community artefacts through the archive. Evaluate and analyse impact.
• E-book creation – Support the Communications and Engagement Manager on the development of an E-book to capture the outputs of the project, including key heritage findings and personal stories.
• Event coordination – Plan, organise and support the delivery of history clubs in line with the project plan, ensuring accessibility for a wide range of invested community members. Support the curation of associated exhibition events.
• Stakeholder and community engagement – Work with the Communications and Engagement Manager to plan engagement and outreach activities in line with the directives of the funded project. Forge and support enduring relationships with key partners, strengthening our commitment to building an alliance of cross-sector compassionate advocates for the LGBTQ+ community in its diverse forms.
• Training – Support the development and delivery of LGBTQ+ cultural competency training to a range of stakeholders involved in the project.
• Data capture and intelligence - Support Q:alliance’s commitment to sustaining a contemporary data and monitoring mechanism, guaranteeing we can deliver thorough evaluations of our services and competent feedback to our funders and stakeholders on the efficacy of our work.
Skills and Experience Expertise
• Experience of project management and/or community engagement
• Experience of training and/or education delivery
• Excellent planning, organisation and administrative skills
• Experience of the voluntary sector Communication
• A flair for adapting communication techniques dependent on context and audience
• Ability to use negotiating and persuasion skills to resolve issues and spotlight community needs
• Aptitude for inspiring others to engage in community needs-led project directives Behaviours
• Skills in forming constructive working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at all levels
• A demonstrable track record in effective public engagement
• Passionate about equality and the rights of LGBTQ+ people
• An ability to listen with empathy to the views of communities and team members
• Competence to work on own initiative and demonstrate forward thinking
• Model conduct essential for successful teams, such as reliability, honesty and courage
Desirable
• Event planning experience
• Experience in arts and/or exhibition curation
• LGBTQ+ lived experience
What you’ll bring to the team
You will serve as a prominent point of contact for the LGBTQ+ Heritage Project and encourage long-term advocates of our organisation and the community’s engagement in history, heritage and legacy work. You will elevate the team’s commitment to the funded project, providing concentrated time and resources to ensure its success. You will improve the ways in which our team communicates and responds to the needs of seldom heard members of the LGBTQ+ local community, inspiring innovation in our engagement with heritage concepts.
The Project Assistant will have responsibility for the following documents.
• Heritage Lottery Grantee Monitoring documents and final report
• Monthly reports to the Communications and Engagement Manager
Closing Date: Friday 17th May 2024
Interview Date(s): Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th May
Please note: CVs and Cover Letters will not be accepted for this position. An application form sent to the specified recruitment email address is requested.
To create and nurture a safe and thriving LGBTQ+ community in and around Milton Keynes, where everyone is empowered to be their true selves.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
HMP Bullingdon, Oxfordshire
Ref SEF-242
Are you a dynamic and collaborative individual who wants to support people entering prison to gain the skills and tools to develop their emotional resilience? Looking for an exciting and highly rewarding new career opportunity?
If so, join St Giles as our Settling in Facilitator, where you will provide vital classroom sessions on emotional resilience to all new prison receptions and deliver tailored one-to-one support to people in prison who are not able to access the classroom sessions.
About St Giles
St Giles is an award-winning social justice charity using expertise and real-life past experiences to empower people who are not getting the help they need. People held back by poverty, exploited, abused, dealing with addiction or mental health problems, caught up in crime or a combination of these issues and others. We show people there is a way to build a better future for themselves and those they care about and help them create this through support, advice, and training. Our peer-led services form the backbone of our work, putting people with lived experience at the centre of delivery, design, and evaluation of support and services across the UK.
About this key role
As a Settling in Facilitator, you will be embedded within a prison-based setting and provide a quality service to people first entering prison. We will count on you to prepare, plan, and deliver the emotional resilience interactive sessions to individuals in prison, ensuring all sessions are appropriate and contextualised to reflect the local needs of the prison and its changing population and utilising expertise around lived experience and local knowledge to empower people in prison.
You will also be expected to deliver additional tailored sessions to individuals who are unable to attend the group sessions or require additional support and to use a trauma-informed approach to build trust and create a safe space for people in prison to explore challenging and potentially traumatic issues and topics.
What we are looking for
• Personal experience of the social care system; criminal justice system; or lived experience of the issues facing this client group. However, we also encourage applications from those without lived experience.
• The ability to build positive relationships with people in prison and be comfortable and confident working in the prison environment.
• A professionally competent approach and confidence facilitating group sessions, as well as being able to tailor the support given to meet the needs of people in prison.
• An invested interest in supporting people in prison to develop healthy coping strategies.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, verbal and written.
What we will do to support you in this role
We will provide the following resources to assist in the successful achievement of the responsibilities outlined above:
• A full induction.
• On-going and targeted learning and development will support and enable you to deliver the role to a high standard.
• Continuous support and supervision including reflective practice to develop your learning and skills as a practitioner.
In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, 4x Group Life Insurance, season ticket loan, eyecare scheme and much more.
Due to the nature of this role, we are looking for male applicants only. The Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1, Paragraph 1 applies to this post.
For further details on how to apply, click on the apply button.
Closing date: 02 June 2024 11:45pm.
We are actively reviewing applications week-to-week and encourage you to apply as soon possible.
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 with Adult Barred List DBS DBS Check. Prison vetting is also a requirement for the role.
Do you have good customer service skills? Come and join our Green Doctor team at Groundwork South
Want to help some of the most vulnerable people keep warm this winter and manage their energy bills? Come and join our Green Doctor team at Groundwork South.
Home Energy Advisor (Green Doctor)
Reference: GD0424
Location: Kent, Hybrid Working (On site at Gravesend Office/Remote working delivering home visits and outreach)
Contract: Fixed Term Contract – March 2025 (with possibility to extend further)
Salary: £25,000
Hours: 37.5 hours per week
Summary of role: Our Green Doctors deliver home visits and telephone consultations across Kent & Medway. Consultations are a mix of advice, installation of small practical energy-saving measures such as low energy light bulbs and draft proofing and referring on to other health and wellbeing services. We aim to reduce our client’s energy bills and save them money in a variety of ways including providing a bill switching service.
You will be a practical, people-person with a passion for helping vulnerable people. You must have either knowledge or experience in energy efficiency to provide tailored energy saving advice, and the ability to adapt your approach to suit our client’s varying needs.
You must be comfortable with lone working and in managing your own workload.
A qualification as Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA), NVQ Level 3 (6049-03) Provide Energy Efficiency Services, or City and Guilds Energy Awareness (6281-01) is desirable, but relevant experience within the field or a willingness to take the qualification will be considered. (20 paid study hours).
A full clean driving licence is required.
In return we offer you:
- A competitive salary
- Generous holiday entitlement of 25 days per annum plus public holidays
- Health Cash Plan and 24 hour online access to a GP
- PERKS scheme – such as discounted gym membership and shopping discounts
- Employee Assistance Programme - including mental health helpline and face to face counselling
- Salary sacrifice schemes including cycle to work and pension contributions
- Family friendly policies to support work/life balance with time off in lieu for out of hours activities
- Business travel expenses
We are a creative, committed and enthusiastic organisation with a great track record of project development, fundraising and delivery, so there are always opportunities to grow and develop your role within our friendly team.
Groundwork South
Groundwork South works with communities across the south of England to transform their lives and the places where they live. We have been at the forefront of social and environmental regeneration for over 25 years, and today we have a simple mission: to create better places, improve people’s prospects, and promote greener living and working.
We are passionate about creating a future where every neighborhood is vibrant and green, every community is strong and able to shape its own destiny, and no-one is held back by their background or circumstances. This vision drives the work that we do. Each year we deliver over 100 innovative projects, tackling the biggest issues facing our communities and creating real and lasting, positive change.
Closing date for applications: 12th May 2024
Interview date: TBC
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.
Appointment to this role is subject to an enhanced records check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Groundwork South is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all members of the community.
No agencies please.
Job Title: Advocate
Service: Coram Voice Shropshire
Contract Type: Part Time – Permanent
Hours: 17.50 hours per week
Salary: £11,150.50 per annum (£22,301 FTE)
Location: Home Based with Travel Across Shropshire.
About Coram:
Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people. We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.
Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.
About Coram Voice:
Coram Voice exists to enable and equip children and young people to hold the system to account, to challenge and support it to do its job properly and to uphold the rights of children and young people to actively participate in shaping their own lives.
Coram Voice strives for a society which recognises, and willingly accepts, its responsibilities to children and young people, where the inequalities and discrimination they currently face have been eradicated. Where those children and young people are fully engaged in all decisions that are made about their lives. Where the views, needs and feelings that they express are at the core of those decisions.
Coram Voice is a national independent children’s charity established in 1975 and has grown to become one of the leading organisations for children and young people in the UK.
Coram Voice is a leading children’s rights organisation. We champion the rights of children. We get young voices heard in decisions that matter to them and work to improve the lives of children in care, care leavers and others who depend upon the help of the state.
Our Advocacy services we provide advocacy direct to children and young people in care, in need, in custody and to care leavers and children and young people with mental health needs. Advocates around the country support children and young people to get their voice heard in decisions about their lives. This may be through the telephone helpline or through an advocate working directly with a child, for instance, to support them at a review meeting or to help them make a complaint about their care. Coram Voice provides visiting advocacy services to most of the secure units nationally, to Secure Training Centres, Juvenile Young Offender Institutions, psychiatric hospitals, residential special schools and children’s homes.
About the Role
You will work directly with care experienced children and young people and those on Child Protection Plans providing them with advocacy support in the community and in a variety of settings. You will empower and support them to ensure their voices are heard within decision–making processes that effect their lives. You will be a capable ambassador for Coram Voice with the ability to engage effectively with professionals, carers, other stakeholders and most importantly children and young people.
If you have the necessary experience and skills and a commitment to promoting the rights of young people, we would like to hear from you.
What you will receive
We wish to reward and recognise the valuable contributions our staff make to the organisation and offer an attractive benefits package to do so. Coram Voice benefits package includes a competitive salary, a matched pension scheme up to 5% of salary, generous leave entitlements of up to 25 days’ annual leave plus an additional 3 days paid leave between Christmas and New Year. A supportive work environment fostering a good work/home life balance and a suite of family friendly policies, which promote employee wellbeing.
You will get a genuine opportunity to make a difference every day.
Recruitment process
Shortlisting will be undertaken by our Children’s Rights Managers. Successful candidates will then be invited for interview. The interview process comprises of a written exercise and a panel interview. Successful candidates will have a further one to one interview in accordance within Warner recommendations. Internal candidates will need to notify HR of their interest in the post and they will provide further information on the internal application process.
Returning your application:
- We cannot accept general CVs.
- When completing your application form, you need to address each point of the person specification and demonstrate how you meet it.
- Applications must be fully completed.
- If you are a current Coram Voice employee you may submit a supporting statement only addressing the person specification requirements for the post.
Closing date: 14th May 2024 at 23.59pm
Interview date: w/c 20th May 2024
General consideration for applications:
- DBS checks: all posts are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check.
- Training: All successful candidates are required to complete our compulsory training programme which includes training in Advocacy (Being a Voice) Safeguarding and Diversity
- Conflict of interest: the independence of the service is important to Coram Voice. Prospective applicants need to raise any other potential conflicts of interest when initially contacting Coram Voice about this post.
Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from, Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.
If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.
We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Registered Charity No. 312278.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Safeguarding Solicitor – National Legal Team
Salary - Grade 6 - £42,697 per annum
Closing date: Sunday 12th May 2024 at 11.30 pm
Fixed term 12 month contract with possibility of extension
Flexible location - can be based in any of Shelter's 11 hubs in England or home based.
Are you a Solicitor with housing law knowledge and experience of safeguarding? If so then consider a move to Shelter you could soon be making a real difference to people affected by the housing emergency.
About Shelter
A home is a fundamental human need, as essential as education or healthcare. Yet millions of people across Britain struggle on a daily basis with homelessness, bad housing conditions, soaring rents, discrimination, and the threat of eviction. So, we are striving for change, with individuals, in communities, across society, and leading the way to a safe home. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.
At Shelter we are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent.
We have committed to combat racism both within and outside Shelter and welcome you on our journey to becoming a truly anti-racist organisation.
About The Team
Shelter’s Legal Team provide legal expertise and representation across our Services. You will be part of our National Legal Team and will work closely with our Telephone and Online Advice Service (TOAS) to identify trends in issues experienced by people using the service.
About the role
Your role will be to work within the National Legal Team to support the TOAS team to recognise vulnerable clients who need urgent legal help, at the sharpest end of the housing crisis, struggling to advocate for themselves in appalling housing conditions or stuck in temporary accommodation.
Your role will be to provide legal early intervention to clients and families who have safeguarding concerns.
You will act on a consultancy basis for TOAS and provide advice and legal representation on behalf of the client and/or their family, authorising and arranging temporary accommodation and any associated hardship claims. Should a safeguarding referral be made, you will follow up on those referrals to ensure that the appropriate outcome is achieved.
You will also be supported to work with relevant stakeholders to address systemic matters that contribute to homelessness and advocate for systematic change to break the cycle for other vulnerable clients and their families.
About You
Qualified as a Solicitor, you will have a strong knowledge of housing law and be used to managing your caseload including time recording. You will need to meet the Housing/Debt Supervisor standard and have demonstrable experience in litigation and court advocacy, carry out file reviews and be proactive about your professional development and continuous improvement.
Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.
Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing or homelessness through our advice, support and legal services. And we campaign to make sure that, one day, no one will have to turn to us for help. We’re here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.
Home is everything. We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Join us in ending the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and our communities.
We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.
How to Apply
Please submit your CV with a supporting statement with responses to the 'About You' points 1-7 outlined in the job description of no more than 1000 words. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:
• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset
Safeguarding Statement
Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.
Recruitment Agencies
Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.