Entry level and Contract jobs

Do you want to make a positive difference for local families at the very start of their parenting journey? 

Close‑Knit Families is looking for a caring, community‑minded colleague to join us as a Project Support Worker for The Village. The Village is a 12‑month pilot in Redcar & Cleveland, offering free, welcoming spaces for parents and babies during pregnancy and the first postnatal year. It focuses on strengthening parent–baby relationships, supporting wellbeing, and promoting positive child development through pre‑birth workshops and stay‑and‑play sessions. 

We’re seeking someone with experience in early years, family support, or community engagement—ideally a parent or carer themselves—who can bring warmth, empathy, and flexibility to the team. If you’re passionate about helping parents and babies thrive, this could be the opportunity for you. 

Learn more about our work on our website and consider whether our mission, vision, values, and approach align with yours. 

Role Summary 

The Project Support Worker will work closely with and be line managed by the Project Lead to deliver The Village pilot project. You will support the delivery of pre‑birth workshops and weekly stay‑and‑play drop‑ins, engaging and supporting parents and babies. Additional hours can be worked flexibly and will include promotion and outreach, monitoring and evaluation, administration, and supporting fundraising activities. 

This is a hands‑on role, ideal for someone with experience in early years practice, community engagement, or family support, who can work flexibly, including some evenings. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Session delivery: Support weekly daytime drop‑ins and co‑deliver three evening sessions per month, including preparing resources, setting up, and packing down. 

• Family engagement: Welcome families, build rapport, facilitate play and activities, provide support, and signpost to local services. 

• Promotion and outreach: Assist with promotional materials, social media updates, and community outreach to recruit participants. 

• Monitoring and evaluation: Collect attendance data, support surveys and feedback, and contribute to case studies and observational notes. 

• Administration: Maintain participant records, manage session resources, and support basic budgeting and ordering. 

• Safeguarding and wellbeing: Follow safeguarding procedures, complete required checks, and help ensure a safe, inclusive environment. 

• Partnership working: Support liaison with Redcar Baptist Church and local services to coordinate referrals and joint activities. 

• Fundraising: Assist Close‑Knit Families with fundraising activities. 

Person Specification 

Essential 

• A desire to support newborn families and an understanding of why this matters. 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage diverse families and work well with colleagues and partners. 

• Ability to communicate information in a warm, empathetic, and non‑judgemental way. 

• Awareness of safeguarding and appropriate actions where concerns arise. 

• Reliable, organised, and able to work independently within a small team. 

• Ability to use basic Microsoft software (Word, Excel, Outlook) and work confidently on a computer or laptop. 

• Alignment with our mission, vision, and values. 

• Willingness to attend training, supervision, and reflective practice. 

• Enhanced DBS (transferable or new DBS required). 

Desirable 

• Experience working with parents, babies, early years, or community settings. 

• Lived experience as a parent or carer, or equivalent responsibility for children aged 0–5. 

• Experience in administrative or similar roles. 

• Level 2/GCSE English qualification. 

• Experience with monitoring and evaluation tools or simple survey platforms. 

• Experience with social media or community promotion. 

• Level 3 qualification in a relevant discipline (education, social care, early help, voluntary sector). 

What We Offer 

• A meaningful part‑time role contributing to an innovative pilot supporting families at a key time. 

• A supportive team environment rooted in connection, care, and making change. 

• Ongoing training and supervision. 

• The opportunity to influence a model that could be replicated across Teesside. 

Equal Opportunities 

Close‑Knit Families is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds. 

Back on Track is involved in a partnership of charities working in local communities across Greater Manchester to deliver the GMIRS Wellbeing Service. The service aims to reduce reoffending by working with people who are on probation to improve their physical, emotional, and mental health and wellbeing, foster healthy relationships and move forward in their lives.

As a project worker you will build strong relationships with people who join the programme and provide 1:1 wellbeing support and guidance, as well as support with practical challenges including debt, low level housing needs, finance and benefits. You will demonstrate a commitment to people on the programme, putting their wellbeing at the centre of your work. 

You will be working with people who have a range of needs. This will include people who have experienced trauma, who have been homeless or lived in poverty, and people who face difficulties with mental health and problematic drug and alcohol use.

We deeply value diversity and lived experience and what it can bring to a team/role, and we welcome applications from people who may have faced disadvantage. 

This is an exciting chance to gain a full year of hands-on experience working with a place-based funder. You will be learning how funding decisions are made and how grants are administered to create real impact in local communities. You’ll not only develop practical skills in project delivery and grant management, but also build a strong understanding of the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector.

In addition to supporting grant administration, you will lead your own project from start to finish. This will involve conducting research, engaging with local organisations and sector leaders, and producing a clear, actionable plan that addresses a real need in the sector and how the Foundation can look to ease that need. You’ll have the autonomy to shape your project while receiving guidance and support from the Chief Executive and Grants and Programmes manager, giving you the perfect balance of independence and mentorship.

As part of this role, you will join the Rank Foundation’s Time to Shine Leadership Programme, a nationally recognised initiative designed to nurture future leaders in the charity sector. You’ll be part of a cohort of 55 emerging leaders across the UK, benefiting from tailored training, mentoring, and peer support. This programme will help you develop your leadership potential, grow your confidence, and prepare you for future roles within the VCSE sector.

If you are currently unemployed or under-employed, this opportunity offers a supportive and structured pathway to gain valuable experience, expand your professional network, and make a meaningful difference in communities

We all work flexibly between home, at our Redcar office or in the community. So you will need to be self-sufficient and able to manage your own workload. We encourage applications from people near the start of their career who want to develop with a new organisation, people who are currently underemployed looking for a change of career, or those returning or joining the workforce and are looking for a new challenge. We look for employees who have the ability to engage with a wide range of people, a supportive manner and a genuine passion for the work we do. This is a great opportunity for someone who is as excited as we are about making positive change across our area of benefit.

Please read the Time to Shine Programme guide on our website aswell as the Job Description before starting your application and ensure you meet the criteria listed.

The closing date for applications is 10am on Monday 2nd February 2026

Interviews will be held at our Redcar office in the Palace Hub TS10 3AE on 16 February.