Jobs for the Disability sector

We are currently seeking a freelance Social Media Manager who thrives on working on initiative, in an exciting and engaging environment. The post holder will manage our active channels: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. With input from our small cross-functional team, we are seeking someone to draft text and create content (including video and reels) for our audiences, which are made up of families living with Dravet Syndrome, health and care professionals and researchers. We use Canva for design.

You’ll post and schedule (using Hootsuite) dynamic, engaging and creative content, helping to amplify the voices and stories of our community. This includes sharing a range of updates, from family events to scientific developments; promoting the services that Dravet Syndrome UK provides to its beneficiaries; and supporting fundraising activities.

You will contribute to reporting, use findings to impact future content, keep up with social media trends and identify improvements to reach new audiences. At the moment, our content is mostly organic, but from time to time, there may be a budget to get involved in paid-for campaigns.

This role offers the opportunity to use your skills to amplify stories that genuinely matter: from sharing the latest research to helping a family feel less alone. In a small team (8 people), your contribution is visible and valued. Our dedicated team is deeply connected to our core audience, and their motivation stems from witnessing our profound impact on people's lives. Working alongside inspiring families, you'll see first-hand the incredible love and dedication they have. 

We offer flexible, remote working and a supportive environment. Join us today and contribute to making a lasting difference in the lives of those we support.

We are seeking applicants with the following essential and desirable skills: 

Essential

·Demonstrable experience in implementing digital communications activities, including experience across a range of social media platforms

·Demonstrable experience of working in charity, patient advocacy or healthcare sectors 

·Ability to deal with people at all levels with empathy, tact and credibility

·Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to distil large amounts of information and present it in engaging and innovative ways for a variety of audiences 

·Demonstrable design skills and knowledge of desktop publishing software e.g. using Canva to create in-house designs for social media

·Good understanding of brand, visual identity and corporate communication

·Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritise

·Be a self-starter and team player with experience of remote working, and able to work effectively with colleagues using remote technology (e.g. Zoom, Google meets, etc)

Desirable

·Experience using Hootsuite or similar scheduling and social media management platforms

·Video and reels creation skills, including basic editing

·Experience of paid social media campaigns (Meta, LinkedIn)

·Familiarity with analytics tools and translating data into actionable insights

·Basic knowledge of SEO and how social content supports wider digital presence

·Experience working with or for small charities or membership organisations

About Dravet Syndrome

Dravet Syndrome UK (DSUK) is a small independent UK charity dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by Dravet Syndrome. Dravet Syndrome is a rare neurological condition that affects around one in every 15,000 people in the UK. As well as experiencing severe, difficult-to-control seizures, children and adults with Dravet Syndrome have varying degrees of intellectual disability and a spectrum of associated conditions (known as ‘comorbidities’), which may include autism, ADHD, behaviours that challenge and difficulties with speech, mobility, eating and sleep. 

About Dravet Syndrome UK

The charity was founded in 2009 by a small group of 30 families. Today, DSUK is a registered charity helping approximately 600 families with support, education, and research programmes, underpinned by a world-class Medical Advisory Board. 

How to apply

Please submit your CV and a covering letter indicating why you are interested in applying for this role and how you meet the selection criteria. 

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential; please contact us if you require any assistance or adjustment so that we can help make the application process work for you

The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 9th June 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to take part in an online (virtual) interview later in June. 

Our commitment to diversity

As part of our ambitions to improve equality and diversity, we welcome applications for this role from those who identify under any of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, which include race, age, disability, gender, religion or belief, and sexual orientation.

Ready to define what “good” looks like and make it real across our services?

Hft has turned a corner. After navigating a period of significant financial and operational challenge, we have delivered a major turnaround, reducing a £17 million deficit, stabilising our workforce, and restoring confidence across every level of the organisation.

Now, with a new and focused Executive Team working closely with our Senior Leadership Teams, clear governance, and a collective understanding of the need to embed sustainable improvement across all areas of the organisation, we are moving from recovery to transformation.

The Opportunity

You will lead the development and delivery of an integrated, organisation-wide approach to quality, safety, safeguarding and great practice. Your focus will be on ensuring people are supported to live safe, meaningful and aspirational lives. This role brings together quality assurance, safeguarding, safety and practice into a clear and consistent approach across a complex, national organisation.

You will drive and oversee quality, safety and governance systems that support them. You will maintain clear oversight of performance, risk and compliance, and provide assurance, insight and challenge to the Executive Team and the Board. You will ensure regulatory compliance, safeguarding, and health and safety systems are robust, responsive, and consistently upheld, but, importantly, rooted in the understanding that all of this is to make sure that the people supported have great lives.

Working closely with operational leaders, you will identify underperformance and support improvement. You will use data, audits, incidents, and feedback to generate insights and drive continuous improvement. You will also help shape a shared understanding of what great practice looks like across services.

If you have senior leadership experience across quality, safety, safeguarding and practice within a learning disability charity or social care provider, we would love to hear from you. Please refer to the candidate brief attachment for full details of the role.

Please note: This role is a Home-based position (travel 3 times per month to Bristol/other locations)

What you will bring to succeed in this role

Essential

• Senior leadership experience across quality, safety, safeguarding and practice within a large learning disability charity or social care provider
• Accountable experience of leading operational health and safety within a multi-site, CQC regulated care environment
• Ability to lead and develop high-performing teams
• Experience of providing clear assurance and reporting on health and safety performance, risks and compliance to senior leadership and/or Board
• Communication and influencing skills, with the ability to work across organisational boundaries
• Experience embedding co-production and lived experience into organisational approaches
• Highly developed analytical skills and ability to use data to drive decisions
• Confident in leading change, improvement and cultural development

Selection Process

We will be shortlisting applications on an ongoing basis. If your application is shortlisted, we will invite you to a pre-screening interview with a member of the senior hiring team. If you are successful at this stage, the final assessment process will include a competency-based interview, a presentation, and the opportunity to meet with key stakeholders to get to know the team and Hft.

As part of our recruitment process, we are proud to include the voices of people with learning disabilities. You will meet them throughout the process, and they will play a key role in the final stages of selection. Their perspective shapes how we lead, listen and make decisions at Hft.

We anticipate the following timelines:

• Closing date: 9 June 2026
• Pre-screening interviews: 12, 15 or 16 June 2026
• Final assessment: 30 June 2026

We may close this role early if we receive a high volume of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We are committed to recruiting people from diverse backgrounds and believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce helps us better support the people we work with to live their best lives. If there is anything we can do to support you to do your best during the application and selection process, please contact our recruitment team at Hft.