Jobs

Role/Job Title: Head of Kent Services
Location: Pembury, with travel between services as required 
Contracted Hours Full time -37 hours per week (Mon-Fri)
Salary: £55,000 - £65,000 per annum FTE

Application Deadline Date:  Friday 24th May 2026 / Interviews to take place at Cornford Lane site (Pembury) on Wednesday 10th June
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION

Equal Opportunity/Accessibility and Accommodations Statement:
As a Disability Confident employer, Aspens Charities is committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for individuals with disabilities. We actively promote the recruitment, retention, and career development of people with disabilities, recognising the invaluable contributions they make to our organisation. We are dedicated to ensuring an accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any accommodations during the application or interview process, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Aspens’ mission is to provide high-quality care and support to individuals on the autism spectrum and with learning disabilities; meeting their needs and aspirations and empowering them to learn and grow through an integrated network of services across the South-East.

We provide support and care to children, families and adults across Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Surrey and the London Borough of Bexley. Our services include registered care homes; supported living; community outreach; day services, including pathways to employment; children and young people’s groups and support; specialist support; and free online support for families and carers across the South-East.
 

About the role:
This is a tremendously exciting time to join Aspens. With our new Chief Operating Officer in place, we are actively shaping how we work to ensure we deliver the very best for the people we support. Her focus and ambition are centred on establishing consistent, high-quality practice across the organisation and ensuring that everything we do enhances, in a meaningful and measurable way, the lives of those we support.
 

The Head of Kent Services is a leadership role responsible for the strategic, operational, and financial oversight of services within Kent, currently residential services for adults with autism and/or learning disabilities, supported living services, and services for children and families across Kent.

The postholder will ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, person-centred care and support that promotes autonomy, dignity, inclusion, and positive outcomes for individuals and families. The Head of Kent Services will lead and develop a small team of locality managers ensuring regulatory compliance, financial sustainability, and continuous service improvement across the portfolio.

The Head of Kent Services will be a member of the Inclusive Executive Leadership Team, working in collaboration with other leaders to drive the best outcomes for the People we Support and the Charity.

 

Knowledge and Experience:

We’re looking for someone who brings a combination of the following experiences, whether gained through formal roles, lived experience, volunteering or other pathways.  We value diverse routes into leadership and welcome applications from individuals who may not have followed traditional career paths.

Essential Experience:

• Significant senior management experience in health and social care.
• Proven leadership experience managing CQC Registered Managers.
• Strong knowledge of autism and learning disability support models.
• Experience managing budgets and financial performance.
• Demonstrable experience of regulatory compliance and inspection processes.
• Experience working with commissioners and local authorities.
• Experience managing large-scale change programmes.
• Significant experience in building team capability and managing complex employee relations.
   

Essential Skills & Competencies:

• Strategic thinking and operational delivery capability.
• Strong financial acumen.

• Experience overseeing impactful, outcomes-driven services at a strategic level.

• Strong project and programme management skills.
• Excellent leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent analytical and data interpretation skills.
• High-level communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to manage complexity and drive change.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Ability to build and sustain relationships, with trust and integrity
  
  
   

Desirable:

• Relevant professional qualification in health or social care (Level 5 or above).
• Experience overseeing multiple residential and/or supported living services.
• Experience in service mobilisation or turnaround.
• Experience with Positive Behaviour Support at strategic level.
   

Core Values & Leadership Expectations:

• Commitment to person-centred, rights-based and autonomy approaches.
• Passion for inclusion, dignity, and empowerment.
• Dedication to safeguarding and promoting welfare.
• Evidence-informed decision-making.
• High levels of integrity, resilience, and accountability.

• Reflective, open to feedback and committed to continuous learning
• Brings authenticity, empathy and a collaborative spirit
  
   

What we can offer you:

• An exciting and rewarding role that you can really make your own
• An opportunity to learn and grow in a supportive environment, with formal and informal training and development initiatives.
• Member of the Inclusive Executive Leadership Team.
• Hybrid working
• Adjusted Hours or compressed working weeks
• Fantastic paid training and career progression opportunities (including recognised qualifications in health and social care)
• Paid DBS 
• Annual Leave / Pro rata dependent on hours. Annual leave entitlement increases with length of service
• Nest Pension and Death in Service Benefit
• Dedicated Employee Assistance Programme and Access to Mental Health First Aiders
• Aspens High Street Stores -20% discount on all items for Aspens’ staff
• Bluebell cafe- Discounted staff menu available
• Refer a Friend scheme, so you can earn up to £250 for every person you refer to work for Aspens
• Recognition schemes, including ‘Employee of the Month’
• Wellbeing initiatives such as: no email/meeting Fridays, no meetings over lunchtime to ensure people can take a break, encouraged not to read or reply to emails outside of working hours, and access to counselling

If shortlisted, we will contact you directly to schedule an interview. We strive to respond to all applicants; however, if you have not received a response within a reasonable timeframe, please feel free to contact us for a status update or feedback (where available). After the interview, you will be notified of the outcome. If successful, you’ll receive a formal offer in writing. Upon acceptance, we’ll guide you through the onboarding process, providing you with all the details you need.

Please note, any offer of employment will be subject to Disclosure and Barring checks (which we will arrange on your behalf if you don’t already have one) and satisfactory employment references.

Spectra’s Family Support Social Worker will provide frontline support to people living with HIV in South West London. These will include assessment, emotional support, advice and advocacy around housing, benefits or immigration. They will also facilitate signposting and refer service users into internal and external services including Counselling, Peer support, as well as other linked-in services.

Work in this post requires a social work qualification with demonstrable knowledge of social work models and interventions including strengths-based practice models. Contact with the individuals, their families, representatives of professional and community groups and the general public is a significant aspect of this post.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Strength and Learning Through Horses (SLTH) is a London-based charity transforming the lives of vulnerable young people through equine-assisted therapy and education services. 

As Chief Executive, you will lead the organisation into its next chapter. Reporting to the Board, you will lead organisational development, drive and diversify income, oversee site development, strengthen governance, oversee financial performance, planning and sustainability, act as ambassador, building partnerships and profile, ensure operational excellence and lead a skilled, values-driven team.

Essentials:

• Significant senior leadership experience (CEO or equivalent) in charity, education, health, youth or social care sectors
• Strong background in strategy, governance and organisational development
• Experience representing an organisation externally and leading diverse teams
• Demonstrable financial stewardship, working knowledge of day-to-day HR policies and processes, and an understanding of safeguarding responsibilities

Benefits:

• Location: Greengates Stables, Mays Lane, Barnet, EN5 2AQ / hybrid - 3 days a week on-site
• Flexible working 
• Opportunity to lead a high-impact, specialist charity 

This role will suit a senior leader with a track record in growth, income generation and team leadership, who is bold, ambitious and passionate about improving the lives of vulnerable young people. Are you ready to scale impact while protecting what makes a charity special?

Please see the candidate pack for full details. For an informal and confidential discussion about the role, please contact: Katherine Anderson-Scott, Executive Director of Charisma Charity Recruitment.

Key dates:

• Closing date: Monday 18th May 2026
• 1st interviews with SLTH (online): w/c 8th June
• 2nd interviews with SLTH (in-person): w/c 15th June
• Charisma vetting interviews must be completed by EOD 26th May prior to longlist submission on 27th May.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law.

Support Coordinator

We’re looking for an innovative, passionate and professional individual with excellent communication and organisational skills to join the Stroke Recovery Service based in the Salford area.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with stroke survivors and their families to support them following a stroke.

Position: S11363 Stroke Support Coordinator

Location: Home-based, Salford, however, regular travel will be required as part of this role (may include team meetings or other work-related meetings)

Hours: Part-time, 21 hours per week

Salary: Circa £17,000 per annum (FTE circa £28,300 per annum)

Contract: Services are contracted and there is currently funding for this contract until 31 March 2027.

Benefits: 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (this will increase with service up to 30 days, full time equivalent) cashback and discount scheme, employee assistance programme, learning and development, pension scheme, Life Assurance, Eye Care vouchers, Long Service Award, Tax-free childcare, Health Cash Plan, Working Pattern Agreement, flexible working opportunities available.

Closing Date: Tuesday 19 May 2026

Interview Date: Thursday 28 May 2026 and Friday 29 May 2026

The Role

The service aims to identify and address the needs of stroke survivors and carers across the stroke pathway, by providing a range of innovative support solutions, supporting them to meet their desired outcomes.

A key part of the role will be to recruit, train and manage a team of volunteers, to support service users and the delivery of the service.

The Stroke Support Coordinator will:

• Support new stroke survivors and their carers from hospital discharge into the community.
• Provide personalised information, advice and support.
• Support clients to make informed lifestyle changes which will help them to prevent further strokes
• Be accountable for volunteers, so experience of recruiting, training and managing volunteers would be an advantage.

About You

The post holder will have experience/background in:

• A caring profession ideally with experience of supporting people with disabilities.
• Setting up and running groups.

This role requires extensive travel across a large geographical locality to visit people at home and in community settings. Candidates must be able to demonstrate how they can meet this requirement of the role.

To fulfil the role, you must be a resident of the UK and have the right to work in the UK.

If you are applying under the Disability Confident scheme, please indicate this in your supporting statement, and in the main body of your email when applying for the role.

You will be asked to submit your CV, (including details of your current address), and a supporting statement of no more than two pages, demonstrating how you meet the person specification and what you bring to the role in terms of your skills and experience as part of the process. Please state any preferences for flexible options in your covering letter.

Finding strength through support

The organisation is the only charity in the UK providing lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their families. Providing tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year. This support includes one-to-one and group support, funding vital scientific research into stroke prevention, acute treatment, recovery and long-term care, and campaigning to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke. 

They are here for stroke survivors and their loved ones, from the moment they enter the new and frightening post-stroke world, supporting them every step of the way as they find their strength and their way back to life.

It’s only thanks to the generosity of supporters and donors that they can provide vital support. 

The Association is driven by an ambition to improve the lives of everyone affected by stroke. This means they’re determined to create an equitable and inclusive workplace that benefits from the difference, and thrives on the diversity, of our people. Guided by an approach to solving inequity in stroke, the team are prioritising listening to, and learning from, lived experience across the charity.

The charity are working to improve the representation of this lived experience at all levels within the Association and are eager to recruit applicants from a variety of communities and backgrounds. We are keen to receive applications from people affected by stroke, people of colour, members of LGBT+ communities, and disabled people because these identities and experiences are underrepresented and would add enormous value to how the organisation work.

A Disability Confident employer, the organisation is making great progress focusing on flexible working, reasonable adjustments and access to work. The charity has a variety of staff network groups and are committed to continuously improving diversity and inclusion efforts. If you have questions, or access needs, we’re happy to discuss any support and adjustments we can make throughout the recruitment process so that you’re able to contribute your best in a way that meets your needs.

You may also have experience in areas such as Care Coordinator, Stroke Support, Stroke, Care, Care Worker, Support Worker, Carer, Care Team Leader, Support Team Leader, Volunteering Manager, Volunteer Coordinator, Support Group, Support and Advice, Social Care, Carer Support, Support Service. #INDNFP

Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People.