HR Advisor
Salary£32,000.00 per annum
LocationHome Based
Weekly Hours35
The Vacancy
Job Title: HR Advisor
Location: Home Based
Salary: £32,000.00 per annum
Weekly Hours: 35
Reference: YMC1095697
There’s a new opportunity for an experienced HR professional looking to make a real impact in a values-driven organisation! YMCA England & Wales is seeking an accomplished HR Advisor to join our national People Services team, supporting our operations across England and Wales.
In this field-based role, you'll act as a trusted HR partner to retail managers and teams, offering proactive and expert advice across a broad spectrum of HR matters. From employee relations and absence management to training delivery and change support, you’ll be integral in driving positive employee experiences and upholding YMCA’s ethos and people-first culture.
About YMCA England & Wales:
YMCA England & Wales supports 83 local YMCAs, advocating for vulnerable young people by providing essential building blocks for a better life—like a safe home, guidance, friendship, and employment skills. We are committed to ensuring fairness and opportunity for all, and through our collective voice, we influence national policy and media to improve the lives of young people across the country.
What you’ll be doing:
- Advising managers on employee relations issues including disciplinary, grievance, and capability cases
- Monitoring absence, conducting welfare meetings, and managing Occupational Health referrals
- Supporting store teams through regular visits, building relationships and trust
- Delivering training sessions to upskill managers and promote HR best practice
- Supporting HR projects, change initiatives, and data reporting
- Collaborating with the wider HR team and deputising for the Assistant Head of HR when needed
Who we’re looking for:
- MCIPD-qualified or equivalent HR experience, ideally in a retail environment
- Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practices
- Confident managing casework with a fair, empathetic approach
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Highly organised, self-motivated, and able to work independently
- Willing to travel frequently (full driving licence required)
Join us and help shape the future of HR in a mission-led organisation that makes a difference to communities across the UK. If you’re passionate about people and want to bring your HR expertise to a cause that matters — we’d love to hear from you
Our recruitment process is anonymised and candidates' names are hidden. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates. Safer recruitment is important to us and the successful applicant will be asked to provide two references. They will also be required to complete a safeguarding self-declaration, safeguarding training and undertake a DBS check.
Registered Charity 
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Main purpose of job: To provide specialist advocacy support to a caseload of clients with complex mental health needs, including support around housing, finances, health, domestic abuse and other issues. The role may also involve occasionally supporting CARA groups.
Start date: As soon as possible (subject to Enhanced DBS Check and satisfactory references).
Salary: £28,344 - £30,469 per annum.
Contract: Permanent contract.
Hours: Full time, 35 hours a week.
Place of work: To work flexibly across CARA premises in Colchester with regular travel across mid and north Essex, including Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester and Dunmow. The post may also involve some remote working, if a suitable home working environment is available.
Holiday: 25 days per year pro-rata, plus additional closure days between Christmas and New Year.
To apply: Please complete the application form, which can be downloaded from our website explaining how your skills and experience relate to the person specification. Applications must specifically address each essential and desirable criteria, giving evidence from previous experience or qualifications.
Application deadline: as soon as possible. We will be reviewing applications and shortlisting candidates to interview as applications are received.
Interviews: To be arranged as suitable applications received.
This post is restricted to women applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.
Job Description
To provide advocacy support to a caseload of clients with complex mental health needs, including support around housing, finances, health, domestic abuse and other issues. CARA’s advocacy service focuses primarily on meeting the needs of some of our most complex clients – victims and survivors who would be unable to access other advocacy services. The role will also involve supporting the wider CARA team in signposting other clients to external advocacy agencies, as appropriate and attendance at CARA groups to provide a drop-in advocacy surgery.
Main Responsibilities
·To manage a caseload of complex clients seeking short and long-term advocacy support, including support around housing, finances, health, domestic abuse and other issues.
·To manage referrals in to CARA’s Advocacy service, ensuring clients meet the referral criteria.
·To provide line-management for CARA’s social care placement worker and potential future advocacy volunteers.
·To assess all new referrals to CARA’s advocacy services, allocating cases to members of the advocacy team, as appropriate.
·To liaise with other agencies, receiving and making referrals and ensuring that they understand CARA’s role and services.
·To gather information about local and national agencies and manage storage and display of this material at CARA. To work with CARA’s Integrated Support and Advocacy Manager to create a directory of services that can be used by all the CARA team.
·To support CARA’s group work, including attendance to provide advocacy support and supporting other activities.
·To attend regular team meetings and to work with colleagues to further the objectives of CARA.
·To maintain and collate evaluation data, testimonials or case studies for distribution.
·To adhere to CARA’s organisational policies and procedures, including safeguarding procedures.
·To report to the Integrated Support and Advocacy Manager, Head of Operations, Chief Executive Officer and Trustees as required, including the production of written reports.
·To be administratively self-servicing.
·To undertake any other activities as required by the Integrated Support and Advocacy Manager, Head of Operations, Chief Executive Officer and Trustees.
About CARA
CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs.
CARA is a registered charity working with adults of all genders, young people and children from across mid and north Essex. We have a head office in Colchester and outreach premises in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Great Dunmow and Harwich. We also provide remote services.
CARA seeks to be an inclusive organisation that actively encourages, supports and values diversity amongst both our service-users and our workers. We wish to create a culture in which discrimination, in all its forms, is recognised and addressed.
You can read more about CARA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion on our website. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.
About Synergy East
CARA is part of Synergy East and we work closely with SERICC Rape and Sexual Abuse Specialist Service and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis) to deliver the contract for the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex for services for victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse across Essex.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.