Entry level and Contract jobs

This is an exciting entry-level opportunity for someone with interest in or experience of health or social care services who is passionate about improving health and wellbeing in England and looking to begin a new career in policy or research.

The King’s Fund has an ambition to increase the diversity of our workforce and to create career opportunities in health and care policy for a broader range of people. The policy and research field is not yet reflective of the health and care workforce in terms of ethnicity. We believe that diversity of background and experience contributes to a broader collective perspective, and we want to improve the way we influence health and social care policy. This positive action trainee post is aimed at people from an ethnic minority background who are interested in pursuing a career in policy and/or research who have not previously worked or had an internship in this field and is advertised under Section 158 of the Equality Act 2010. 

About the role 

The Policy and Research Trainee post is a broad-ranging development role that will support the post-holder to gain knowledge and experience of various aspects of policy and research within a specialist health and care policy team.

You will contribute to projects across a wide range of issues relating to health and social care policy and practice (see our website for some examples of our recent projects). You will gain experience in creating a range of outputs for different audiences, publishing and presenting research findings in an accessible way. Training will be available both internally and externally to develop not only relevant research skills but also wider aspects such as writing and giving presentations.

About us 

The King’s Fund’s mission is to inspire hope and build confidence for positive change, by boldly reimagining a health and care system that is compassionate, equitable and fit for the future, with people at its heart.

We want our staff to feel like they can bring their whole selves to work. We have a range of staff networks, including a Black Staff Network and an Allyship group. You can read more about our work on diversity and inclusion on our website.

About you 

We are looking for someone who is passionate and curious about improving health and care in England and who wants to learn more about health and care policy. 

You will have a demonstrable interest in learning about English health and care policy and research. You will already have experience with health or care, whether as a carer, patient or staff member, and an interest in improving health and wellbeing, for example by reducing health inequalities and improving social determinants of health.

You will not have previously worked in research or policy, but you’ll be enthusiastic about gaining the new skills and experience needed to start a career in policy or research. We are particularly interested to hear from people who see this opportunity as unique and critical to their career development.  

How to apply

To apply, please visit our website and read our supplementary guidance documents, then download and fill in our application form and the equal opportunities form. If completing the application forms present any challenges, contact us by email so we can discussion options. 

We will also be running two informal online sessions on Zoom on 9 or 13 April where you can hear from existing colleagues about what it’s like to work in The King’s Fund policy team and have the opportunity to ask questions. Please visit this job advert on our website to register. You only need to attend one of the sessions. . 

Please note that in order to apply, you must have existing documented proof of your right to live and work in the UK. Sadly, we are unable to sponsor work permit applications, extensions or transfers from an existing UK employer. 

CVs will not be accepted as applications. Applications must be submitted using The King’s Fund application form. 

Closing date for receipt of completed applications is 19 April.

Interviews will be held in person at The King’s Fund London office on 13 May (role available to commence in June but no later than September 2026).

Location:  Across London

Closing date: 26 April 2026

Interview dates: 12 - 15 May 2026

Whether your empathy towards homeless people has its roots in personal experience or your compassionate nature and determination to help, when you join Thames Reach on our 12-month Traineeship programme, you’ll be making a difference and taking the first steps towards a great career.

About us…

Thames Reach runs projects and services that help to end homelessness in London. We work directly with homeless people on the streets and in hostels.  We work to prevent vulnerable people from becoming homeless.  We help formerly homeless people get their lives back on track and help people find work and access training and volunteering opportunities.

Is our mission easy? No, but we never give up on people. Last year we helped more than 15,000 people.

Is our work rewarding? Yes, in every sense. We’re listed as one of the top 100 Best Workplaces in the UK.  There’s no better place to develop or transfer your skills and build a fulfilling career.

About this role…

Every role at Thames Reach is about ensuring that the users of our services find and sustain a decent home, develop supportive relationships and lead fulfilling lives. On our structured Traineeship scheme, you’ll gain first-hand experience and on-the-job training in what we do. You’ll be expected to work full time on a rota basis. Our placements involve a range of working patterns such as shifts, including evenings and weekends, night work in our fast-paced Rapid Response Outreach team and Monday to Friday 9-5 roles.

The key features are:

• A thorough induction, followed by two six-month placements at our projects, one of which will be hostel-based.

• With supervision and training from experienced employees to help our clients to get off and stay off the street with access to appropriate services.

• Learning about and assisting with necessary administration and record-keeping.

The kind of things we’re looking for:

• Compassion, determination and a desire to play your part in ending street homelessness.

• Good basic admin and IT skills.

• Good team working skills

• The resilience and commitment to work in a challenging, ever-changing environment.

• An understanding of street homelessness and its impact on people’s lives – applicants who have experienced homelessness are particularly encouraged to apply.

What you can expect…

• A generous pension contribution - we contribute 6.5% to your pension when you contribute 1.5%.

• A range of other benefits including generous holiday allowance – 24 days per year, wellbeing support, cycle to work and season ticket loans.

• High quality on-the-job training with the opportunity to develop the skills needed for a career in our front-line services.

• Potential job prospects – although this is not guaranteed, many of our trainees have gained permanent employment at Thames Reach or in related organisations following completion of the programme.

• Application Support – we encourage candidates who would like support with their application to get in touch before applying. 

Please note that we cannot guarantee location of placements for successful intakes.

Thames Reach welcomes applications from people with transferable skills and fresh perspectives.

To apply visit our website and complete our application form.

We are committed to achieving a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We value, respect, and celebrate diversity. We welcome and encourage applicants from all sections of the community regardless of their history of homelessness, sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religious belief.

Thames Reach is committed to safeguarding. Applicants must be willing to undergo pre-employment screening appropriate to the post, including, but not limited to checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not exclude you from applying but you will be asked to provide further details as most posts are considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

HFEH Mind has an exciting part-time opportunity for a creative lead on our new project focusing on the intersect between climate change and young people’s mental health. The London Mental Health and Climate Coalition is a 3 year National Lottery project which includes various partners, who are coming together to connect climate action with mental wellbeing.

 We are looking for someone with experience in creating youth focussed media or content and an interest in climate action and/or mental health. No prior experience in climate change action or mental health is required.

This role will involve:

- Creating both long and short form content for our social media platforms which will be distributed across the Thrive LND partnership.  

- Developing a social media campaign to promote children and young people’s personal wellbeing in the climate emergency.

- Running a co-production youth panel to inform activities around climate action.

- Co-creating workshops and a toolkit to support with eco-anxiety.

You will…

- Have experience in creating and distributing youth focussed media/content.

- Have an interest in climate change action/mental health.

- Ideally located in or close to Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing or Hounslow.

We’re an award-winning charity running local learning centres in the heart of the communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide a high-impact education programme which includes practical learning support, pastoral care, and motivational and confidence-building activities for young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to enable students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to realise their ambitions and achieve their wonderful potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping over 50,000 young people each year at its 44 learning centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, and we plan to scale-up our provision to 50 centres over the coming years.

We are looking for someone who will enjoy working each day with young people and who will thrive in a frontline, community-based, fast-paced and rewarding role. You will be taking up a fixed-term contract as an Education Worker at our
centre in Norwich.

Location: IntoUniversity Norwich
Contract: Full-time, fixed-term until August 2026
Applications close: 9am Monday 13th April 2026
Start date: As soon as possible, to be agreed directly with the successful candidate

Salary

£28,250 per annum

What could my day look like?

The Education Worker role is a frontline, fast-paced and rewarding role where no two weeks will look the same. A typical day will have different activities, possibly spread between the IntoUniversity centre, partner schools and the offices of a corporate partner.

In the morning, you might be setting off with resources to run a workshop for sixth-form students in their secondary school. In the afternoon you may be setting up the classroom ahead of running Primary Academic Support for young people in your IntoUniversity centre. On other days, you may be travelling to a corporate partner to run a business simulation workshop for 15 year-olds or leading a group of final year primary school students on a campus visit for their graduation.

As an Education Worker, you’ll always be delivering the programme as part of your centre team, which means that any delivery is always a team effort.