Entry level jobs for the Disability sector

Purpose of the Role

The Head of Operations is the most senior staff member at PACE and the primary day-to-day operational lead for the organisation. The postholder will ensure that services for children and young people are delivered safely, consistently, and to a high standard across all three sites, and that the organisation's systems, finances, people, and compliance obligations are properly managed.

This is an operational leadership role with responsibility for translating the Board's strategic direction into effective day-to-day delivery. The postholder will work closely with the Board of Trustees, who retain strategic governance responsibility, and will be the principal point of accountability for performance across all services. The postholder will also act as Designated Safeguarding Lead for the organisation

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational Leadership and Service Delivery

• Take day-to-day operational responsibility for all PACE services across all three sites, ensuring consistent, high-quality, and safe delivery.

• Support and line manage Senior Centre Managers and Service Managers, providing clear direction, regular supervision, and accountability.

• Ensure all services meet regulatory requirements including EYFS, Ofsted standards, safeguarding and child protection legislation, and disability inclusion policy.

• Maintain and develop operational policies and procedures that reflect best practice in service delivery for children and young people, including those with additional needs.

• Identify and respond to operational risks across sites, escalating to the Board where appropriate.

2. Safeguarding

• Act as the organisation's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), maintaining overall responsibility for safeguarding practice across all sites.

• Ensure centre managers and service leads fulfil their DSL responsibilities and that training, records, and incident reporting are consistent, up to date, and audit-ready.

• Lead the organisation's response to any safeguarding concern or Ofsted inspection, maintaining transparent and proactive communication with commissioners and the Board.

• Embed a culture of safeguarding awareness and accountability across the whole staff team.

3. Financial Management and Budget Oversight

• Work with the Finance team to manage the organisation's annual budget, ensuring income and expenditure are tracked accurately and reported monthly.

• Hold budget holder accountability across service and centre level, ensuring managers understand and operate within their agreed financial envelopes.

• Monitor income streams - including statutory contracts, parental fees, grants, and fundraised income - and alert the Board to variances or risks in a timely manner.

• Support income generation through effective contract delivery, occupancy management, and proactive relationship management with commissioners.

• Oversee the Fundraising Manager's workload and priorities, ensuring fundraising activity is aligned to operational need and deliverable commitments are accurate before submission.

4. Human Resources and Workforce Management

• Lead, support, and develop the staff team, fostering a culture of professionalism, consistency, and accountability.

• Work with the HR Consultant to ensure HR processes - including onboarding, probation, sickness management, performance management, and offboarding - are followed correctly and documented appropriately.

• Conduct regular line management meetings and appraisals with direct reports, setting clear expectations and addressing performance issues promptly and fairly.

• Manage staffing levels and deployment across sites to ensure services are appropriately resourced, proportionate to demand and income, and compliant with contractual ratios.

• Address workforce culture issues, reducing reliance on informal decision-making and ensuring accountability is embedded at all levels of the team.

5. Commissioner and Stakeholder Relationships

• Maintain and develop the organisation's relationships with Camden commissioners, the Play Providers Forum, Family Hubs, and other statutory and voluntary sector partners.

• Ensure proactive, transparent, and timely communication with Camden regarding service delivery, performance data, and any operational concerns.

• Represent PACE at external meetings, forums, and events as required.

• Support the development of community partnerships that extend the reach and impact of PACE's services.

6. Compliance, Governance and Risk

• Ensure organisational compliance with all relevant regulatory frameworks including Ofsted, EYFS, charity law, and employment legislation.

• Maintain and regularly review operational policies, risk registers, and compliance records, ensuring they are current and accessible across all sites.

• Provide the Board of Trustees with regular, concise, and accurate reports on operational performance, financial position, safeguarding, staffing, and risk.

• Support Board governance by preparing timely papers, flagging decisions required, and maintaining clear separation between operational management and trustee oversight.

7. Systems, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Embed consistent, documented operational systems across all sites, reducing reliance on individual knowledge and informal workarounds.

• Develop and maintain monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track service quality, outcomes for children and families, and contractual KPIs.

• Oversee the organisation's use of operational systems including safeguarding software, HR and payroll platforms, invoicing, and timekeeping tools.

Produce and sign off external impact reports for funders and commissioners

Essentials:

• Experience in an operational management role within a children's services, play, youth work, education, or social care setting

• At least 3 years in a management role with direct line management of multiple staff or teams

• Demonstrable knowledge and practical experience of safeguarding children, including DSL-level responsibility

• Experience managing multi-site or multi-service delivery

• Sound financial literacy: budget management, variance analysis, and income/expenditure monitoring

• Experience of working with Ofsted regulatory frameworks, including EYFS

• Strong people management skills: supervision, appraisal, performance management, and HR process compliance

• Experience working with, and reporting to, a Board of Trustees or equivalent governance body

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to manage competing priorities across multiple sites calmly and consistently

• Commitment to inclusive practice and experience working with children with disabilities and additional needs

• A suitable Level 3 or above qualification in Early Years, Childcare, or a relevant field (e.g. CACHE Level 3, BTEC Level 3 in Children's Play, Learning and Development, or equivalent EYFS-recognised qualification)

Desirable 

• Experience of income generation including commissioner relationships, grant management, and contract compliance

• Experience of charity or voluntary sector management

• Coaching or mentoring experience

• Knowledge of Camden's VCS and community infrastructure

Conditions of Employment

• This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

• The postholder will be required to work across all PACE sites in Camden. Flexible or hybrid working will be considered where operationally appropriate, but the role requires significant on-site presence.

• PACE is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from all sections of the community.

• PACE is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Policy and Public Affairs Manager

Location: Remote, with some travel to Cannock, London and other locations as required
Reports to: Charity Director
Team: Charitable Service

At Newlife, we’re entering an exciting new chapter - we’re on a mission to empower disabled children and their families, to live life to the fullest and champion the joy of childhood.

So we’re investing in our people and building the team we need to deliver our new strategic ambitions. 

Newlife is looking for an experienced and values-driven Policy and Public Affairs Manager to lead our policy, influencing, public affairs and campaigning work. This is an exciting opportunity to shape national conversations and drive meaningful change for disabled children and their families across education, health and social care systems.

In this role, you will ensure that lived experience is at the heart of Newlife’s influencing work, developing evidence-based policy positions, building strategic relationships and delivering campaigns that challenge barriers, raise awareness and improve outcomes for families.

About the role

As Policy and Public Affairs Manager, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across Newlife’s policy, campaigns, public affairs and lived experience activity. You will identify opportunities to influence policy and practice, develop compelling cases for change, and represent Newlife with decision-makers, sector partners and external stakeholders.

You will also oversee the delivery and development of the APPG for Access to Disability Equipment, working with parliamentarians, government departments and sector organisations to increase awareness of the issues affecting disabled children and families.

Key responsibilities

o Lead the development and delivery of Newlife’s policy, public affairs, campaigning and influencing strategy.

o Develop evidence-based policy positions informed by research, service insight and lived experience.

o Ensure the voices of disabled children and families shape Newlife’s policy, campaigning and influencing work.

o Oversee the APPG for Access to Disability Equipment and build relationships with parliamentarians, policymakers and sector partners.

o Lead campaigns and influencing activity that raise awareness, challenge barriers and support policy change.

o Build strategic partnerships and coalitions to strengthen Newlife’s influence and collective impact.

o Represent Newlife externally at parliamentary events, conferences, roundtables and sector forums.

o Provide effective leadership for policy, campaigns and lived experience activity, including line management of the Lived Experience Coordinator.

o Contribute to organisational strategy, planning and growth as a member of the Charity Leadership Team.

About you

We are looking for someone with significant experience in policy development, public affairs, campaigning or influencing, ideally within the charity, public or not-for-profit sector. You will bring strong knowledge of policy and influencing processes, excellent communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and decision-makers.

You will be confident developing policy briefings, consultation responses, reports and position papers, and able to use evidence, research and lived experience to influence change. You will also be a collaborative leader with a strong commitment to inclusion, equity and the rights of disabled children and their families.

Essential experience and skills

o Experience of developing and delivering policy and influencing strategies.

o Experience of building relationships with parliamentarians, policymakers, government departments or national stakeholders.

o Experience of managing campaigns, consultations or public affairs activity.

o Experience of partnership and coalition working.

o Experience of using research, evidence and lived experience to influence change.

o Strong understanding of education, health, social care and disability policy.

o Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

o Strong leadership, people management, strategic thinking and analytical skills.

o Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience.

For the full person specification, please refer to the attachement below 

Why join Newlife?

This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in strengthening Newlife’s voice and influence, helping to create systemic change for disabled children and their families. You will work with passionate colleagues, families, professionals and partners to shape policy, improve practice and ensure lived experience drives meaningful action.

If you are a strategic, compassionate and influential leader who wants to make a lasting difference, we would love to hear from you.

Benefits

In return, you will receive 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, a generous in-store discount, a cash health plan, discounts on restaurants, travel and insurance, and access to an Employee Assistance Programme through Retail Trust.

#Policy and Public Affairs Manager #Policy and Public Affairs #Policy Manager #Public Affairs Manager 

Tom’s Trust is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to providing psychological support to children and young people with brain and central nervous system tumours and their families.

We are seeking an experienced Marketing & Audience Development Manager to help us build awareness, engage new supporters and grow fundraising income.

This is a newly evolved role designed to help Tom’s Trust increase its reach, influence and fundraising potential.

The Marketing & Audience Development Manager will lead the charity’s marketing strategy, focusing on growing audiences, strengthening supporter engagement and delivering integrated campaigns that increase awareness, participation and income.

External Communications Manager

Salary: £40,000–£42,000 FTE
Hours: 30 hours per week
Location: Remote, with regular travel to FitzRoy services, team and stakeholder meetings as agreed. The role requires attendance in London once per month and applicants must be able to commute to services in Norfolk, Nottingham and Hampshire.
Reports to: Head of Communications
Directorate: Business Development and Partnerships

FitzRoy is a national charity supporting people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs to live lives rooted in choice, meaning and happiness.

We are strengthening our external voice and looking for a confident, perceptive and warm communicator to help more people understand FitzRoy’s expertise and impact and increase our influence.

This is a moment of change for social care. We want to play a more active role in shaping its future, ensuring the people at the heart of it are seen, heard and involved in the decisions that matter.

About the role

As External Communications Manager, you will help build FitzRoy’s profile and reputation by identifying the stories, insight and opportunities that show what good support looks like in real life.

You will work closely with the Head of Communications, fundraising, business development and operational colleagues to turn external communications priorities into practical plans, content and opportunities.

This is a delivery role with real influence. You will be expected to bring ideas, advise colleagues, shape practical plans and turn opportunities into action.

What you will do

You will:

• develop proactive external communications activity that raises awareness of FitzRoy’s work, expertise and impact
• spot opportunities for FitzRoy to contribute constructively to sector conversations
• identify realistic opportunities for media, sector press, partner or local coverage
• gather stories, photos, video and quotes that help people understand what good support looks like in real life
• use social media, website content, audience insight and analytics to strengthen FitzRoy’s external profile

About you

You may come from charity communications, PR, journalism, public affairs, stakeholder communications or another external communications background.

You do not need to have worked in social care before, but you will need to be interested in people, willing to learn quickly and able to handle stories about people’s lives with care, respect and good judgement.

We are looking for someone who is:

• an excellent writer and editor
• confident developing clear, accessible content for different audiences
• warm, curious and able to build rapport quickly
• able to spot strong stories, ideas and opportunities
• confident creating social media and website content shaped by audience insight
• comfortable working independently and managing competing priorities
• able to think strategically about audiences and influence, while being practical about what can be delivered in a small team
• confident gathering content including photos, videos and quotes
• willing and able to travel to FitzRoy services and meetings as needed

A full clean driving licence and access to a car for work travel are required, as some services are not easily accessible by public transport.

Working at FitzRoy

You will join a small, friendly communications team with big ambitions. This role will suit someone who enjoys a mix of planning, writing, relationship-building, story-gathering and hands-on delivery.

You will help us show the difference good support makes – and help ensure the voices, experiences and achievements of people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs are seen and heard.

How to apply

To apply, please submit your application and a covering letter.

We do not expect your covering letter to address every point in the person specification. We would like you to tell us:

• what interests you about this role and FitzRoy
• three things you would bring to the role
• a piece of communications work you are proud of and why
• how you approach using social media, website content and audience insight to build external profile
• how you would approach telling stories about people’s lives with care, respect and good judgement

If you are using AI tools to write your application, please use them with caution. We are looking for your own voice and writing style.

Service Manager​

Salary: £19,752 pro rata (£29,628 FTE) £15.19 per hour

Hours: 25 hours per week Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 1:30pm

Location: Dove Lodge, Littlehampton, West Sussex (mainly office based with occasional hybrid if and when agreed)

Contract: Permanent (Subject to funding)

Closing date: Midnight on Tuesday 7 July 2026

Interviews: We anticipate holding interviews on Wednesday 15th July 2026.​

Every day, elderly and vulnerable residents across the Arun District rely on Arun Community Transport to get to their doctors, hospitals and social activities. For many of them, our volunteer drivers are more than transport, they are a lifeline.​

We are looking for a Service Manager to take overall operational responsibility for our busy office and the service that makes this possible every morning. This is a hands-on, varied role with genuine community impact. You will oversee our booking and transport management system, ensure vehicles and drivers are safe and compliant, look after our members and their experience of the service, and lead a small, dedicated team of paid staff and volunteers.​

No two days are alike. You will need to be organised, calm under pressure and someone who genuinely cares about the work we do. In return you will join a passionate, community-rooted organisation and play a central role in keeping it running.​

What you will be doing​

• Taking overall operational responsibility for the service, including scheduling, compliance, systems and member experience

• Leading our Administrator and a team of office and driver volunteers

• Overseeing our booking and transport management system, ensuring it runs effectively and that all records are accurate

• Keeping our Wheelchair Accessibility Vehicle and all driver vehicles safe, insured and compliant

• Working closely with the CEO to develop and improve the service

​

What we are looking for​

• Experience in an operational, scheduling or coordination role

• Experience leading or supervising a team, paid or voluntary

• Highly organised, calm under pressure and confident with digital systems

• A genuine commitment to making a difference in the local community

• Experience in the charity or community transport sector is desirable but not essential​

We anticipate holding interviews on the Wednesday 15th July 2026.​

​