Independent gender violence advocate jobs

We’re looking for a confident and compassionate LGBTQ+ Project Worker to join our supported housing team working across Brighton and Eastbourne.

This isn’t just a support role, it’s a frontline position that requires emotional resilience, excellent communication skills, and a grounded understanding of what it means to work in a supported housing environment. The people we work with often face intersecting challenges including mental health, trauma, identity-based discrimination, and housing insecurity. Your job will be to help them navigate these realities and move toward independent living with dignity, strength, and stability.

You’ll need to thrive in a role where no two days are the same. From conversations around rent and cleaning routines to complex safeguarding issues or mental health disclosures, you’ll be expected to step in calmly and confidently, without shying away from challenge.

We’re seeking someone who builds positive working relationships with both residents and housing providers, can adapt to rapidly changing needs, and brings clarity, kindness, and consistency to their work no matter what’s going on that day.

While this role is based in Brighton, we operate as one team across both Eastbourne and Brighton. From time to time, you may be expected to provide cover at our Eastbourne accommodation when needed.

The advertised salary includes London Weighting. As such, you will be responsible for covering the cost of travel to London for our monthly all-staff meetings. If additional travel to London is required as part of your role, these costs will also need to be covered by you.

Key Responsibilities

· To provide a high quality, flexible and responsive support service to LGBTQ+ people, supporting them for independent living or suitable alternative housing through the provision of 1-1 support sessions and group work.

· To assess the individual needs of each person and provide a bespoke support plan.

· To ensure that effective service user participation mechanisms are in place.

· To ensure a high level of customer care and practice at all times.

· To develop links with relevant external agencies.

Main Duties of the Post

Support Sessions

· To give holistic support to LGBTQ+ people accessing our supported accommodation service and to provide proactive support to these service users who are sometimes hard to engage.

· To meet service users regularly to provide structured support, in relation to LGBTQ+ and Housing specific issues, such as gender identity pathways, mental health services, health issues, safeguarding, liaising with the professional network.

· To work with LGBTQ+ people accessing supported accommodation to develop and review individual support plans and risk assessments.

· To liaise with other service providers ensuring service users receive the necessary support to sustain their accommodation, acquire relevant independent living skills, maintain or improve positive physical and mental health and access into meaningful occupation of their time.

Financial Support

· To assist service users in maximising and managing their income including universal credit, ESA, PIP and Housing Benefit.

Semi-independent Living Support

· To work with service users to enable them to develop the life and social skills necessary to sustain their accommodation and prepare them for independent living.

· To assess individual service user’s suitability for independent accommodation.

· To act quickly to manage incidents and to advise, support and assist service users unable to maintain supported accommodation into more appropriate housing options.

Resettlement

· To support service users in the completion of application forms necessary to support move-on housing, including the private rented sector.

· To ensure that all service users are provided with information about local services whilst in supported accommodation and during their move on.

· To ensure all service users are fully aware of their rights and responsibilities in their home.

· To work with housing providers, both public and private, to negotiate move on options.

Groupwork, Consultation and Participation

· To work as part of a team in developing user participation.

· To identify and develop appropriate and flexible processes for consulting with our service users, via social media platforms, newsletters, events and workshops.

· To devise innovative and creative ways of involving LGBTQ+ people in the running of the schemes with an independent approach.

· Supporting our residents to participate in group and peer support and to access online support mechanisms.

· Facilitating and promoting an LGBTQ+ group work programme.

Other Duties

· To establish and maintain accurate and complete records in all areas of work.

· To complete statistics for the collation of performance and funding information.

· To maintain up to date knowledge of legislation and regulations in relation to funders and other key areas.

· To participate in individual and clinical supervision meetings, annual appraisals and training.

· To act in accordance with the organisation’s Diversity Policy, Health and Safety Policy, Code of Conduct and all other corporate policies and procedures.

· To act in the best interests of Stonewall Housing and its clients at all times.

· To work evenings as necessary.

· To promote Stonewall Housing at external meetings and community events.

· To carry out any other duties commensurate with the aims and objectives of the post that may be require.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential Experience

·       Lived experience, or experience of working with homeless people or vulnerable LGBTQ+ people, in a voluntary or paid employment setting.

· Experience of working with and delivering services to a diverse client group with a wide range of support needs.

· Experience of lone working and working as part of team.

Essential Knowledge

· Knowledge and understanding of the causes and effects of homelessness, particularly in relation to LGBTQ+ people.

· Knowledge of the current benefits available to single people.

· Knowledge of common themes, trends and issues within supported and shared accommodation.

· Knowledge of pathways into medical and social support for LGBTQ+ people.

Essential Skills and Abilities

· Ability to provide a range of housing related support services, i.e. assessment, developing and using support plans, support planning, key working, independent living support, welfare benefits advice and providing resettlement support.

· Ability to manage challenging behaviour and complex needs, report and raise incidents and safeguarding alerts.

· Ability to prioritise and maintain case work across multiple projects at the same time.

· Excellent recording and reporting skills to accurately reflect work with young people.

· Excellent written and verbal communication with vulnerable people.

· Ability to effectively involve and engage LGBTQ+ people in services.

· To be resilient in regard to working with challenging behaviour from service users who may have experienced trauma leading them to be mistrustful of support providers.

As with all members of Stonewall Housing’s Team, the postholder will also:

· Be an adept and nimble multitasker who relishes being busy and can keep multiple plates spinning.

· Have strong networking and relationship-building skills.

· Have a positive and can-do attitude.

· Be able to adapt to changing circumstances with flexibility, and to work well under pressure.

· Be required to support the wider Stonewall Housing team when needed, to ensure the smooth running of the organisation.

· Join Stonewall Housing’s All Team meeting in person (held near Liverpool Street Station) once per month.

· Be able to travel occasionally around the UK for key events.

· To work as part of a mostly-remote team, embracing online communication and collaboration tools.

· To receive regular supervision from the line manager and attend training courses as required.

Your attitude and personal attributes

· A commitment to equal opportunities in all aspects of work.

· A commitment to the aims, values and beliefs of the organisation.

· Ability to empathise with vulnerable LGBTQ+ people.

Conditions:

This job description does not constitute a ‘terms and conditions of employment’. It is provided only as a guide to assist the employee in the performance of their job. Stonewall Housing is an evolving organisation and therefore changes to the employees’ duties may be necessary from time to time. The job description is not intended to be inflexible or a finite list of tasks and may be varied from time to time after consultation/discussion with the post holder.

More about who we are:

Stonewall Housing is the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ homelessness charity. We help LGBTQ+ people in the UK who are experiencing homelessness or living in an unsafe environment.

Founded in 1983, we provide specialist housing advice, advocacy and support for LGBTQ+ people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. We have specialisms in Mental Health, Domestic Abuse and Supported Accommodation.

We’re a team of caring, driven people, fighting to end homelessness and ensure that everyone has a safe and secure space to call home.

Our Values:

· We are LGBTQ+ informed.

· We are tenacious.

· We are empowering.

· We are collaborative.

· We are inclusive.

What we can offer you:

Whatever stage of your career you may be at, we’ll support you with the training and development that you to reach your goals.

Our benefits include:

· Competitive salary

· Flexible working

· Generous annual leave – 30 days (FTE)

· An additional ‘Stonewall Housing’ day off per year

· Pension scheme

· Employee Assistance Programme

· BHSF health cash  plan

Stonewall Housing’s core hours are between 10:00 – 16:00 and staff can agree regular working patterns with their line manager.

Applying for the role:

No formal qualifications are needed for this role, and we encourage everyone with the appropriate skills, experience and potential to apply. We welcome applications from those who are able to understand and show empathy with our mission and purpose.

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that represents the people we support. We particularly welcome applications from people who are Black, Asian or from other minority backgrounds. We welcome difference whether it’s gender, gender identity or expression, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, national origin, or pregnancy and maternity status; so please be yourself! Additionally, we particularly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience of homelessness who we believe are an essential asset in our sector.

For more information about us, please visit our website and follow Stonewall Housing on our social channels.

Equity is important to the success of our team and work. We don’t want any barriers to applying so if you want to discuss particular aspects of our approach, or get a better understanding of whether Stonewall Housing (or this role) is right for you, then please contact John, our Director of Services, on john[at]stonewallhousing[dot]org.

Interesting in researching more about us? If you're looking us up online to help with your application, bear in mind that Stonewall Housing is both a Community Benefit Society and Charitable Foundation. Our company number is IP24277R and our charity number is 1187437. You can find Stonewall Housing Charitable Foundation (SHCF) on the Charity Commission Register, and Stonewall Housing Association (SHA) on the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) Register.

The Youth Endowment Fund  

Senior Change Manager, Youth Justice 

Reports to: Change Lead for Diversion

Salary:  £52,700 per annum  

Location:  Central London or Hybrid*(see below) 

Contract: (2-year fixed term – potential to extend)

Closing date for applications: 12pm Monday 12th January 2026 

Interview dates: Week commencing 26th January 2026 

About the Youth Endowment Fund 

We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice.

In recent years violent crime has risen significantly. Homicides, assaults, robberies and offences involving weapons have all seen sustained growth. We have also seen large increases in violent crime involving children and young people. This is a tragedy. Every child captured in these numbers is an important member of our community and society has a duty to protect them.

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is a charity with a £200m endowment and a mission that matters. We exist to prevent children becoming involved in violence. Our mission is to find what works and build a movement to put it into practice. A big part of the movement that we need to build is in the world of youth justice. We need to inspire and connect with youth justice leaders across England and Wales to spread what works and make our country safer for some of our most vulnerable children. We are looking for someone to lead on making this happen.

Key Responsibilities  

We are making good progress building the evidence of what works within and around youth justice to reduce violence. This year, in conjunction with the Centre for Justice Innovation, we published Diversion Practice Guidance and have recently launched our new self-evaluation tool for diversion practice (ORPIC). But the big risk is that we publish these resources and nothing changes. That’s where you come in.

Your role is to work out the best way to make this change happen by getting youth justice services (YJSs) and police forces to adopt evidence-based practice through our new change programme: the Whole Area Model (WAM). WAM helps police forces and youth justice services strengthen diversion practices by aligning their work with the 7 C’s: 

1. Culture – A child-centred, pro-diversion ethos 

1. Contact – Interactions are trauma-informed and maximise prevention and safeguarding opportunities 

1. Custody – Considered use of police custody, prioritising alternatives and swift triage. 

1. Criteria – Clear, consistent eligibility for diversion. 

1. Collaboration – Multi-agency decision-making panels; shared protocols and referral pathways.

1. Care – Evidence-based support, monitoring engagement, closing cases responsibly.

1. Checks – Ongoing monitoring, evaluation, and scrutiny to ensure quality and equity. 

Your role will involve: 

• Supporting the delivery of the Whole Area Model through activities like: 

• Facilitating completions of diversion self-evaluations with youth justice services and police forces. 

• Delivering training to youth justice, police and other relevant agencies about the evidence-base or specific areas of diversionary practice and governance (e.g. scrutiny panels). 

• Supporting the ongoing development of a National Diversion Network, which will contribute to a wider repository of diversion resources and evidence

• Identifying and creating practical resources which help youth justice professionals and police officers to put evidence into practice. 

• Developing great relationships with senior leaders, youth justice workers and police officers, generating a strong understanding of key issues and needs in relation to youth justice matters, and building credibility and trust with the sector.

• Working out other effective ways to connect people with the evidence, then making those things happen, from virtual learning events to presentations. 

As a senior member of staff in the organisation you also: 

• Build a culture where it is natural to perform well and support colleagues brilliantly.

• Contribute to setting the strategy, delivering results and building and modelling the culture that we need to succeed.

About You 

You must have this sort of experience: 

• You’ve changed frontline practice and/or systems:You have significant experience in leading behaviour, practice or policy changes within a youth justice setting. You can show how these have been effective in delivering tangible change.

• You’re working in or around the youth justice service, preferably in a role/setting specifically working with children who are vulnerable to or involved in violence.  

• You work well in multi-agency environments: You have experience collaborating across police, youth justice, local authorities and other partners, and you can communicate confidently with a wide range of stakeholders to build alignment and drive change. 

You might have this sort of experience: 

• Supporting a youth justice team/service to reflect on and adopt evidence-based practice in relation to diversion or wider youth justice activities.

You are this sort of person: 

• You are fascinated about change and are experienced in making it happen. You have outstanding analytical judgment alongside the emotional intelligence and experience needed to identify the right opportunities for change, then make them happen. You understand why people find change difficult. You come alive talking about how people make decisions and why they do the things they do. 

• You understand the youth justice sector and diversion specifically. You really understand how the youth justice sector works, from leaders to frontline officers.

• You write in a way that people easily understand. You have that rare skill of writing in plain English. You have experience of translating complex information into plain writing that everyone can understand.

• You have excellent project and time management skills and the ability to design and deliver high quality outputs such as reports and digital resources to a high standard.

• You win people over. People tend to warm to you and respect you. You have built good relationships with very senior people and with very junior people. You are good at chairing meetings, connecting people and having good introductory meetings. You are comfortable talking to a government minister, a youth worker, a company CEO, a teacher and a 15-year-old student. Listening to people from all backgrounds matters to you.

• You learn fast but remain humble. You are very quick at getting your head around things. You like learning. You are very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know. You know that you can learn more. You know that it's easy to assume you know when you don't. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You are a great and supportive team player. 

• You don't want young your days to pass without making a difference. You want to play a significant part in reducing violence.

• You understand people. You understand what the lives of vulnerable young people can be like, and you understand some of the organisations that work with them, ideally through first-hand experience.

• You are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. 

While it’s not a criterion, we’re especially interested to hear from applicants who have lived experience of violence affecting children and young people. 

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or social economic background.

Hybrid Working 

Our office is located in Central London. Team members who reside within the 32 London Boroughs or are within a 90-minute commute are expected to attend the office at least two days per week. 

For those living outside of London but within England, Scotland, or Wales, the expectation is to work from the London office two days per month. 

Travel  

Due to the nature of the programme there is some national travel required within England and Wales. This is likely to be up to five times per month; all travel costs can be reimbursed with flexibility for overnight stays if preferred.

To Apply 

Please click on the "Apply for this" button and submit your CV, your completed monitoring form and ensure your covering letter answers the following three questions below. Please submit your application by 12pm Monday 12th January 

When applying for this role, please ensure that you answer the application questions below:    

Personal and professional experiences in violence prevention
1. What personal and professional experiences shape your understanding of the youth justice sector and its role in preventing youth violence? (max 400 words) 

Developing strategy
2. Can you describe a time when you successfully supported youth justice partnership leaders to improve their practice or systems? Please be specific about the scale and context of your involvement. (max 400 words) 

Improving practice or systems 
3. Describe your experience improving diversion for children. What actions did you take, what impact did they have, and what did you learn? (max 400 words) 

Interview Process 

This will likely be a one stage interview process. Interviews will take place the week of 26th January 2026. 

Please Note: We do not sponsor work permits and you will be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK. 

All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process. In line with the Equality Act 2010, however, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well. 

Benefits Include 

• £1,000 professional development budget annually 

• 28 days holiday plus Bank Holidays 

• Four half days for volunteering activities 

• Employee Assistance Programme – 24hr phone line for free confidential support 

• Volunteering days - 4 half days per year 

• Death in service - 4 times annual salary 

• Flexible hours. Core office hours 10am – 4pm 

• Financial support including travel and hardship loans 

• Employer contributed pension of 5%. 

Your Data 

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful, and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area. 
 

About the role

Our Welfare Officers provide direct and impactful welfare support to RAF personnel and their immediate family. As a trusted and confidential source of support, you will assist our service users with challenges they are facing, from mental ill-health, difficult relationships, domestic abuse, financial and cost-of-living concerns, resettlement, housing, childcare, equality issues, bereavement, military discharge or deployment and many more - no day will be the same, as such this is a great opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills within the Welfare sector.

Our intervention is provided with consent on a non-statutory basis, and you will work with and engage our service users to develop appropriate interventions for individual outcomes.

Our service is transitioning to become more accessible and inclusive, digital technology plays a key role in this, as such you will use digital technologies to complement and enhance processes and service user experience.

You will play an active role within the community, promoting the service through the delivery of presentations and representing the service at public engagement events. You will also work closely with RAF welfare teams, local authorities, health, education, civilian agencies, charities and other military organisations to ensure the best outcome for the service user.

About the Team

2024 marked 34 years since SSAFA began delivering an independent non-statutory, and confidential service, for the Royal Air Force community across the UK, and this is an exciting time to be joining as we were successful in our bid to continue delivering this service.

We are transforming our ways of working to be innovative, to ensure our service is even more inclusive and accessible to meet the needs of a modern RAF.

We are a hard-working team from diverse professional backgrounds.  Although we all have our own area of responsibility, we support each other in delivering the best possible service to our military community.

Find out more about the Personal Support & Social Work Service on our website.

About you

To thrive in this role you will have relevant experience of supporting adults, families and children/young people. You will be able to take a flexible and creative approach to problem solving. You will have excellent communication skills and be able to deliver presentations with confidence.

You will have used Microsoft Office 365 to a high standard. It is important that you have experience of planning and managing your own workload, with minimal supervision.

It would be advantageous if you have experience of carrying out assessments, preparing plans, monitoring and reviewing outcomes.

There will be some travel required and therefore you will need to be able to drive and have access to your own car.

About SSAFA 

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a trusted source of support for the Armed Forces community in their time of need. In 2024 our trained teams of volunteers and employees helped more than 53,000 people, including veterans, serving personnel (regulars and reserves) and their families.

SSAFA understands that behind every uniform is a person. And we are here for that person and their family, any time they need us and in any way they need us.

Diversity and Inclusion at SSAFA 

SSAFA exists to support a diverse range of beneficiaries within the armed forces community, and we believe diversity within our teams is key to ensuring we can deliver our services effectively. We thrive on differences and believe it is critical to our success as a worldwide charity. SSAFA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace that seeks to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We therefore encourage applications from all genders, races, religions, ages and sexual orientations, as well as parents, veterans, people living with disabilities, and any other groups that could bring diverse perspectives to our business. 

SSAFA is committed to using the Disclosure & Barring Service to ensure we, as an employer, safeguard those we serve.

Further information about the role can be found via the Apply button.

If you have any queries or would like to speak to someone about this role, please contact Jayne Whitcher, Social Work Team Lead for an informal discussion.

No agencies please. Any unsolicited submissions from agencies will be accepted as a direct application from the candidate and no fees will be payable. 

How to apply 

For more informaion and to apply, please click on the Apply button.

If you need any adjustments to support you with the application process, please contact us.

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 25 January 2026. SSAFA reserves the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications. 

Interviews: Face to Face, week commencing 02 February 2026

Do you want to support people with mental health issues in a moment of crisis?

Are you calm, non-judgemental and able to work effectively with people experiencing distress?

If you can embody our values of Hope, Courage, Togetherness, and Responsiveness, and want to help others build resilience and manage their wellbeing, we’d love to hear from you.

Services Manager – Complex Needs & Community
Reference number: 313
Responsible to: Director of Complex Needs and Community
Working hours: 37.5 Hours per week
Rate of pay: £38,000 - £39,000 per annum 
Working base: One of 7 Herts Mind Network Wellbeing Centres closest to home
Area covered: The role requires travel across Hertfordshire to our Wellbeing centres, community partnerships and external organisations

About Us

For over 50 years, we have supported the people of Hertfordshire with their mental health. We offer a range of Community Support services which provide advice, information, onward referral and holistic outreach support to people who are experiencing mental ill-health or who need help with their mental wellbeing. Our high quality services are flexible and we help people to resolve real-life difficulties and to improve their own independence, quality of life and wellbeing. Each year, we help 15,000 people experiencing mental ill health.

We are a local Mind, affiliated to national Mind, the leading mental health charity in England and Wales. This means that we are an independent charity responsible for raising our own funds through contracts, grants and fundraising.

About our Complex Needs & Community Services

The successful candidate will manage and develop the Complex Needs and Community Teams at Hertfordshire Mind Network. The Services Manager will be responsible for leading a variety of services currently including the Flourish (asylum seekers and refugees) contract and the Primary Care Network contract. As the services grow and develop, other services/projects may sit under this post.

About the role

The role requires travel across Hertfordshire to our Wellbeing centres, community partnerships and external organisations and is responsible for a team of staff and volunteers who work within Complex Needs and Community teams across the county.

As a Services Manager you will be an integral part of the Senior Management Team (SMT) and work in partnership with Complex Needs Team Leaders and the other Service Managers across the Charity. Reporting into the Director for Complex Needs and Community you will be directly responsible for the efficient and effective delivery of two or more of our Services and a key member of the Herts Mind Network Safeguarding team.

Responsibilities of the post

• Support the Director of Complex Needs and Community with effective running of the complex needs and community services.
• Build strong relationships and liaise with commissioners and partner organisations.
• Manage the Flourish and PCN contracts.
• Work closely with all key delivery partners across the system to ensure the service is responsive, inclusive and easy to access.
• Support the development of services by promoting and being responsive to changing needs.
• Oversee the recruitment and management of client facing staff.
• Be a strong safeguarding level 3 champion and manage/support referrals.
• Ensure all policies and procedures are current, understood by staff and that they are working within these policies and procedures.
• Monitor outcomes and evaluate the service, ensure all KPIs are met.
• Process referrals and manage and prioritise all administration tasks associated with the service, including Payroll and expenses submissions.
• Be part of the Senior Management on call rota (out of hours), attend SMT meetings as required and support the work of the wider SMT. 
• Maintain and enhance service delivery standards and effectiveness.
• Contribute to the service development by working alongside the Directors to evaluate service delivery and produce progress and monitoring reports.

Benefits

• Annual leave entitlement of 25 days per year pro rata, rising to a max. of 29 days after 5 years employment (plus 8 days Bank Holidays).
• Birthday leave day.
• Cash plan health cover (after 6 months employment).
• Eligibility for blue light card.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Ongoing training relevant to your role.

Being able to drive and having access to your own vehicle (or equivalent) is essential for this role.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 9am on January 15th 2026.
Interviews to be held on Wednesday 28th of January 2026
N.B. Please quote reference number 313 when completing your application for this role.

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 all suitably-qualified candidates, irrespective of gender, disability, marital or parental status, racial, ethnic or social origin, colour, religion, belief, or sexual orientation. In addition, during the various stages of recruitment, specific measures can be taken to ensure equal opportunities for candidates with disabilities or special needs.

Hertfordshire Mind Network is committed to the Disability Confident and Mindful Employer charters. We actively recruit staff who have a lived experience of mental ill health. Our inclusive approach recognises the unique skills, knowledge, and perspectives that lived experience brings to our team.

No agencies please.