Youth work jobs

We have an exciting opportunity for Helpline Advisors to join the growing National Contact Centre team in Cardiff, working 37.5 hours a week over a 24/7 rota. These positions are offered on a fixed term basis until 31 March 2027.

Do you want to make a difference every day? Do you want to contribute to change & improvement for those who need it?

Do you have resilience & adaptability? Can you work effectively with a focus on customer service and care? If yes, then we'd love to hear from you…

What we offer:

At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:

• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• An extra day off for your birthday & options to buy or sell annual leave
• Pension with 5% employer contribution
• Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
• High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment & leisure discounts
• Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
• Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
• Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes
• Cycle to work scheme & season ticket loans
• Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression

About the role:

This role is based at our National Contact Centre in Cardiff. There will be an initial induction period that will run Monday to Friday 9am-5pm for a 4 week period. After successfully completing your induction, you will move to your fixed rota hours.

As a Helpline Adviser you will:

• Able to respond to victims of and those affected by crime by providing emotional support, information and referrals on to Victim Support services and other agencies
• Providing immediate support, advice and trauma first aid referrals to victims of and those affected by major incidents and terrorism.
• Seamlessly working across multiple services with different processes, procedures and recording mechanisms.
• Managing and responding appropriately to competing priorities, services and needs.
• Responsible for taking disclosures and responding appropriately by either escalating the safeguarding concern to the 'Designated Safeguarding Officer' or to respond immediately to life threatening situations.

You will need:

• Experience of working in challenging and changing environments with the emphasis on excellence in service delivery.
• Experience of organising and prioritising a complex workload.
• The ability to deal sensitively with challenging and emotionally charged situations, demonstrate empathy and control own emotions.
• The ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in written form, including telephone skills
• Knowledge and understanding of:
• Relevant agencies and resources
• Importance of confidentiality and safe working practice
• Diversity issues and principles
• The impact of crime

Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.

About Us:

Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. We put them at the heart of our organisation and our support and campaigns are informed and shaped by them and their experiences.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

At Victim Support, we're proud to celebrate diversity and create a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We're committed to being an antiracist organisation, and we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from Black and Asian and other minoritised communities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet all essential criteria for a job where it is practicable to do so. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment and selection process.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.

Salary: £34,000 - £38,000 (pro rata to, £20,400 to £22,800) per annum

About the Role

You will join a newly established Advocacy and Advice Service supporting children, young people and their families to navigate education, health and benefits systems.

Families often face unclear pathways, complex processes and inconsistent information.  Your role is to bring clarity, structure and confidence at key moments.

Working in a strengths-based and relational way, you will help families understand their rights, prepare for key decisions and access the support they need.

This is a non-statutory role.  You will not replace legal or statutory services, but you will ensure families are informed, prepared and able to engage effectively.

You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, contributing to a joined-up, whole-family approach across Children & Family Services.

Who will thrive in this role

At Norwood, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live their best possible life.  This role would best suit someone who combines relevant professional experience with lived experience, bringing both insight and empathy to support neurodiverse children, young people and their families.

You may have experience working in advocacy, advice, education, health or social care, and understand the challenges individuals and families can face when navigating complex systems.  You will have a good understanding of SEND processes, including Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) pathways, and be familiar with disability related benefits such as Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Carer's Allowance.

Most importantly, you will be committed to empowering people, championing inclusion and helping families access the advice, support and opportunities they need to achieve the best possible outcomes.

About Norwood

Founded in 1795, Norwood is the oldest Jewish charity in the UK.  We support and empower neurodiverse children and their families and people with neurodevelopmental disabilities to live their best lives.

At Norwood, you will make a real difference every day.  You will be part of a supportive and inclusive team where kindness is shown in how we care, respect shapes how we work together, belonging ensures everyone feels valued, and empowerment enables people to thrive.

We invest in your growth, care about your wellbeing, and give you the pride of knowing your work changes lives.

Your day to day

You will:

• Work directly with families to understand their situation, priorities and goals,
• Support navigation of SEND pathways, including SEN Support and EHCP processes,
• Help families prepare for meetings with schools, local authorities and professionals,
• Provide guidance on benefits such as DLA, PIP and Carer’s Allowance,
• Explain complex systems clearly and practically,
• Support families to gather evidence and take next steps with confidence,
• Maintain accurate case records and manage timelines effectively,
• Work closely with colleagues across social work, therapy and family support,
• Build strong relationships with external partners including schools and local authorities.

Qualifications, Training and Experience

You will bring:

• Experience working with children, young people or families in an advocacy, advice, education, health or social care setting
• Experience supporting individuals to navigate complex systems
• Knowledge of SEND processes, including EHCP pathways
• Understanding of disability-related benefits such as DLA, PIP or Carer’s Allowance
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly
• Strong organisation and case management skills
• A values-led approach, with the ability to build trust and empower others

It would strengthen your application if you have:

• Experience supporting EHCP applications, reviews or mediation
• Training in SEND law, welfare rights or advocacy
• Experience within advice or advocacy services
• Understanding of health pathways and therapy services

Reward and Benefits

We believe great support starts with great staff. We offer:

• Fully funded induction and ongoing training
• 21 days annual leave plus 8 Bank Holidays + Jewish Festival & Holy Days (pro rata for part time)
• Enhanced parental pay
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Health cash plan covering dental, optical and therapy treatments, plus virtual GP access via My Medicash
• Blue Light Card access
• Cycle to Work scheme
• £300 refer-a-friend bonus
• Career development pathway
• Free on-site parking
• A supportive, experienced team and management culture

Welcare is looking for an enthusiastic and experienced manager committed to supporting local families to lead and manage their Family Centre and Family Resilience service in Redhill. 

The Family Centre is part of a local integrated system with a wide range of partners that builds family resilience in Surrey and seeks to improve life chances for the most vulnerable children.

You would manage a small, dedicated team of family support workers and have lead responsibility for supervising their work and ensuring delivery of our sub-contract with the YMCA.

Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Interview date: 27 July

The successful candidate will have empathy with Welcare’s Christian values base.

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment.

FUNDRAISING MANAGER

Looking for a fundraising role where your work genuinely changes lives?

Our client is a Christian charity supporting families and individuals through programmes focused on poverty relief, emotional wellbeing, education, community support and long-term life transformation. They are looking for a proactive, relationship-focused Fundrai Manager to help grow and strengthen their fundraising across trusts, donors, events and community fundraising.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing charity making a real difference to families and local communities. Working closely with their Fundraising Director, you’ll play a key role in building meaningful supporter relationships, delivering engaging fundraising activity and helping develop sustainable income streams that allow the charity’s work to flourish.

This is far more than a desk-based fundraising role. They require someone who enjoys building connections, spotting opportunities, bringing ideas to life and getting involved in the practical delivery of fundraising activity.

Your work will include:

• Building and nurturing strong donor and supporter relationships
• Supporting trust and foundation applications and reporting
• Helping plan and deliver fundraising events and community initiatives
• Managing and maintaining fundraising data through Salesforce CRM
• Supporting the delivery of fundraising strategy across multiple income streams

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has experience in fundraising, donor engagement or community fundraising
• Is comfortable working independently and as part of a team
• Has experience using CRM systems (Salesforce desirable)
• Enjoys both strategic thinking and hands-on delivery
• Is a confident communicator and relationship builder
• Will respect the charity’s strong Christian ethos.

In return, you’ll join a supportive and collaborative team within a charity that is growing, ambitious and deeply rooted in community impact. You’ll have the opportunity to develop across different areas of fundraising and charity life while seeing the direct impact of your work on families and individuals who need support.

If you’re passionate about people, purpose and building relationships that make a difference — we’d love to hear from you.

This is a key leadership role responsible for the safe, high-quality delivery of our respite breaks, wellbeing programmes and outreach services, alongside building strong relationships that help grow our reach and referral base.

You’ll lead a flexible workforce and oversee day-to-day operations, while also working externally with schools, local authorities and partner agencies to strengthen referral pathways and increase access to our services, particularly across Glasgow, Edinburgh and North/East Ayrshire.

Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you’ll make sure services are deliverable, sustainable and aligned with future growth. A big part of the role is understanding local need and helping shape how and where our services are delivered.

Creating Hope Together

Creating Hope Together is Scotland's suicide prevention strategy and action plan (2022–2032), published by the Scottish Government and COSLA. Its vision is to reduce the number of suicide deaths in Scotland while tackling the inequalities that contribute to suicide, so that any child, young person or adult who has thoughts of taking their own life, or who is affected by suicide, gets the help they need and feels a sense of hope.

All of the work is delivered in line with the strategy's guiding principles: putting inequalities and diversity first; co-developing our work with people with lived and living experience; embedding Time, Space, Compassion; keeping the voices of children and young people central; connecting people across sectors to learn together; reducing the stigma of suicide; and ensuring our work is evidence-informed.

The role

This is a new role, hosted by Change Mental Health on behalf of Suicide Prevention Scotland, created to support delivery of Outcome 3 of Creating Hope Together: that everyone affected by suicide is able to access high quality, compassionate, appropriate and timely support.

The postholder will work alongside colleagues in the delivery collective - primarily the Time Space Compassion (TSC) Lead and the Children and Young People (CYP) Lead - to support delivery of a range of actions across the Delivery Plan. In practice this means helping partners in community, primary care, unscheduled care and mental health settings to put person-centred, compassionate approaches into everyday practice; growing the reach of Time, Space, Compassion across Scotland; and strengthening support for children and young people at higher risk of suicide.

The role focuses on enabling practical change in real-world settings through strong partnerships, effective communication, and the thoughtful use of learning and evidence to support continuous improvement. It sits within a small, collaborative team and works across a wide network of national and local partners, including NHS Boards, local authorities, third sector organisations, the Lived and Living Experience Panel (LLEP) and the Youth Advisory Group (YAG).

Key Responsibilities

Support delivery of implementation and improvement resources in practice

- Support partners to work at a national and local level to embed person‑centred, compassionate approaches to supporting people affected by suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

- Work with partners and draw on the latest evidence, best practice and a range of experts, to identify and respond to barriers and enablers to implementation

- This includes supporting the adaptation and implementation of national improvement and implementation resources, with a particular focus on:

o The roll out of the Enabling Conversations Toolkit for children and young people, in the CYP sector

o The Time Space Compassion approach, including work to support the implementation of personalised risk management approaches in community and clinical settings.

Build and maintain stakeholder relationships

- Develop and maintain relationships with strategic, community and lived experience partners at both national and local level, holding a portfolio of implementation partnerships.

- Represent the work of Suicide Prevention Scotland in multi-agency partnerships and networks, building trust, setting realistic expectations and delivering reliably.

- Work in close partnership with colleagues across the delivery collective to ensure a coherent, joined-up approach across Outcome 3 and the wider delivery plan.

Lead communications and knowledge sharing

- Develop and deliver engaging, accessible communications that promote learning and support the spread of our resources and projects.

- Use digital channels and networks to share insight and good practice.

- Create content that is trauma-informed, inclusive and practice-focused.

Support evaluation and continuous improvement

- Work with local and national partners to develop and implement proportionate evaluation activity that identifies impact, learning and opportunities for improvement.

- Synthesise and share learning to inform the future development of our resources, including producing clear, accessible written summaries.

Project coordination and management

- Support national and local partners to plan, coordinate and administer implementation activity, maintaining project plans, milestones and risk registers.

- Monitor progress against delivery plan milestones and prepare updates and reports for governance groups.

- Support budget tracking and ensure value for money.

General Duties:

- Act in accordance with Data Protection legislation. Ensure all records, personal, staff and client data are managed in line with Data Management and Information Governance policies.

- Comply with legal and regulatory requirements such as provisions set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

- As with all employees, workers and volunteers; to encourage people to join Change Mental Health as a member, donor or activist.

- To act in accordance with the charity's Health & Safety and Safeguarding policies and to notify your line manager promptly if there are any concerns.

- To participate in regular supervision and appraisal and undertake any relevant training as appropriate to the role.

- To work in accordance with the charity's national policies and local operating procedures and those of external regulators or professional bodies.

- Undertake other related duties in line with the scope and purpose of the role, as agreed with the line manager.

Essential Criteria:

- A track record of delivering change and of working in multi-agency stakeholder partnerships and groups.

- The ability to build understanding quickly and become effective in the role at pace.

- The ability to build and maintain trust – setting realistic expectations and delivering reliably, with an approach that balances ambition with pragmatism.

- The ability to find a way through complex topics and situations, prioritising the most important tasks to make the best use of time.

- A strong commitment to compassionate, person-centred ways of working, and to ways of working that can be applied in day-to-day practice.

- The ability to apply group learning principles to support collective improvement and development.

- Excellent communication and facilitation skills, including the ability to produce sensitive, trauma-informed and equity-focused materials and session plans.

- Strong organisational and project coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and meet deadlines.

- A commitment to co-production with people with lived and living experience, and to tackling the inequalities that contribute to suicide.

- Willingness and ability to travel across Scotland, with occasional overnight stays.

Desirable Criteria

- Experience of working in suicide prevention, self-harm or mental health, particularly with children and young people.

- Experience of supporting the implementation of practice resources and improvement programmes across multiple settings.

- Knowledge of the Time, Space, Compassion approach and/or the NCISH recommendations and patient safety toolkit.

- Understanding of the health, local government and third sector landscape in Scotland, including NHS Boards, community planning and national policy.

- Experience of evaluation, quality improvement or implementation science approaches.

This job profile and list of duties is not exhaustive and serves only to highlight the main requirements. The line manager may stipulate other reasonable requirements and projects commensurate with the general profile and grade of the post.

All successful candidates will require a PVG Membership. Please be aware that it is classed as an offence if you apply for this role and are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children or vulnerable adults.

Benefits:  

· 24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial, and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges.

· A 35-hour working week, enhanced sick pay & season ticket loan.

· A great work life balance with flexible and blended working environment.

· Access to purchase a Blue Light Discount Card

· Cycle to Work Scheme

· Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements.

· Generous 37 days’ holiday.

· Paid Mental Wellbeing days.

· Professional development including funded opportunities.

Hillside Clubhouse is recruiting an IPS Employment Specialist to join our dynamic Islington team, supporting people with mental health conditions to gain and retain employment.  The IPS Employment Specialists within the Islington IPS Service work within the nationally recognised IPS (Individual Placement and Support) model within NHS secondary and primary care mental health teams, based in the heart of Islington.

Who We Are: 

Hillside Clubhouse is a co-produced mental health employment support charity working across Islington. We support people with mental health conditions into training, volunteering, and employment opportunities. People can access our services via our Clubhouse, where they can share their skills and expertise with others and support the running of the charity.  Alternatively, they can receive support out in the community from one of our Employment Specialists based within NHS mental health teams.

The Role: 

We are recruiting for one IPS Employment Specialist role within our Islington IPS Service. This position will be based within the North London NHS Foundation Trust mental health services in the borough of Islington.

As an IPS Employment Specialist, you’ll play an important role in supporting people with lived mental health experience on their recovery journey by supporting them back into paid employment. This is an opportunity to offer ongoing support, to motivate and provide people with hope, while developing the tools and skills required to recover – ultimately transforming their lives.

A variety of skills are needed in this post including but not limited to: a strong ability to develop empathy and rapport with clients; a determined approach to seeking out job opportunities; a person centric-approach to working with people; strong communications skills to motivate clients; strong administrative capabilities and an attention to detail engage with prospective employers via business development and face-to-face meetings, as well as to be able to challenge some perceptions around mental health. 

The postholder will be directly employed by Hillside Clubhouse but work under an Honorary Contract from the North London NHS Foundation Trust.  They will be managed directly by the IPS Operations Manager but work as team member within the clinical team. The role is dynamic and involves being integrated in a clinical team, working within the community, and we operate a flexible working policy where working from home is also permitted up to two days per week.

Overall Aim: 

To enable people with mental health issues to gain and sustain competitive employment by working within the evidence-based Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model.

Duties: 

Please see the Job Description and Person Specification attached for a full description.

Application Instructions:
We are a Disability Confident employer and actively encourage applications from people with lived experience of mental health conditions.

Hillside Clubhouse is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and strongly encourage applications from those who experience discrimination and / or prejudice based on their race, ethnicity or immigration status, women, new parents, people with disabilities and LGBTQI+ people.

All job offers are dependent on satisfactory references and a DBS check. The successful candidate will also be required to attend mandatory Safeguarding Adults, Children & Young People training.

The recruitment process will be an assessment centre approach, including a task, role play and individual interview. We envision the whole process lasting no more than 90 minutes.

First Give

First Give is a national charity that partners with secondary schools to inspire and equip young people with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to drive change. Through our structured programmes, students explore social issues, connect with charities, and take tangible steps to improve their community.

Empowering and equipping young people to meaningfully contribute to their community is a first step to addressing many of the challenges we face at this time of social disconnection and division. Our vision is of a more generous society where everyone is willing and able to give their time, money and skills to the causes they care about.

Trusts and Foundations Manager

We are seeking a dynamic, strategic and relationship-driven Trusts and Foundations Manager to lead on growing and stewarding First Give’s portfolio of high-value funders. This role will focus on securing income from Trusts and Foundations from first engagement to account management, delivery and reporting. 

First Give is a small charity, with a growing fundraising team and big ambitions. You will therefore be someone who thrives in a start-up environment, willing to try new things. We are looking for an exceptional writer, someone who can translate the impact of our work into proposals that inspire and motivate the reader to give.

You will play a pivotal role in shaping First Give’s income growth, working closely with our Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships and the Director to manage relationships with existing donors, and leading on the development of high value bids to expand our work. This role will also support key engagement activities, including hosting donors at student-led Final events and facilitating employee volunteering at schools.

This is an exciting opportunity for a confident communicator and grant fundraiser with experience managing and deepening relationships with high value trusts and foundations gifts – someone who thrives on storytelling and social impact. We currently have a strong pipeline of trusts and foundations and are looking for someone eager to write applications and secure funding.

Contract: Full-time, 35 hours per week; core hours - 10am till 4pm

Location: We have office space at the Pears Hub in West Hampstead, where some people come in one or two times a week, we're very flexible. 

Application process:

- Application form

- Task and interview (interviews will be conducted on MS Teams)

Please also fill out this equality & diversity monitoring form (this will not be linked to your application).

1. Application closes: 20th July 9am

2. Interviews: 23rd and 24th July

3. Start date: 1st September

The students we work with come from a diverse range of backgrounds, and so do we. We want to ensure that we are recruiting, retaining and promoting a diverse mix of colleagues. We want to foster a diverse and inclusive culture, to empower our teams to achieve our vision drawing on the broadest possible range of experiences. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates from minoritised groups currently underrepresented on our executive team, particularly black and minority ethnic and disabled candidates.

Please get in touch with Carmen O’Loughlin if you would like to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process or have any queries about the role.

Chief Executive, Money Ready
Based in our London hub with regular UK-wide travel
£90k – £110k

Money Ready – formerly MyBnk – has been making a genuine difference to people’s financial lives for nearly twenty years. We work with children in primary schools, young adults navigating their first jobs and first tenancies, and adults facing some of the hardest financial moments of their lives.

And the need for what we do has never been more urgent. Only 40% of young people aged 16 to 24 feel confident managing their money. More than six in ten do not recall receiving any financial education at school. Poor financial literacy sits at the heart of homelessness, unemployment and declining mental health.

We are here to change that, because the language of money is a language for life, and everyone deserves to speak it.

Our current CEO leaves Money Ready financially stable, strategically clear, and with a Senior Leadership Team that is experienced and proud of what they have built together. So it’s an excellent time to join us for the next chapter, and capitalise on the strong foundations that are already in place. This is a role for someone who knows how to lead an organisation that is already strong, with the care and confidence to make it excellent.

We are looking for a leader who combines genuine strategic ambition with the warmth and emotional intelligence that earns trust quickly: from our team, our funders, the policymakers we need to influence, and the young people and adults at the heart of everything we do. We want someone who understands that culture is a core part of the work. And we want someone who is energised by the prospect of leading an organisation that is performing well – and helping it reach its next level of excellence.

We believe that financial education is a right, not a privilege. If that resonates with you, this could be exactly the next step you’re looking for.

Join the UK’s only charity dedicated to supporting children and young people who have a parent with a mental illness.

We’re looking for an organised, proactive and detail-oriented Administration & Business Support Officer to help keep our growing charity running smoothly.

Working closely with the Director of Operations, you’ll provide essential support across administration, finance, HR, governance and organisational systems. From coordinating recruitment and processing invoices to supporting Board meetings and maintaining key records, you’ll play a vital role in enabling our team to deliver life-changing support to children and families across the UK.

This is a varied role suited to someone who enjoys bringing order to busy environments, takes pride in producing high-quality work and enjoys helping colleagues succeed. As a small charity, we value flexibility, collaboration and a willingness to get involved wherever support is needed.

The role is home-based, with occasional travel to meetings in or around York and other locations across the UK.

Please download the application pack for full details about the role, responsibilities, person specification and application process.

Colyton Foundation | Part-time (20 hours, term time only)

�� Colyton Grammar School (hybrid working available)

�� £12,429 per annum (FTE £27,091)

�� Fixed-term contract: 1 year

Join the Colyton Foundation, a growing charity working to ensure that young people’s backgrounds do not limit their access to higher education.

We’re looking for an organised and proactive Programme Administrator to support the delivery of our impactful programmes for pupils, teachers and schools across the South West. Working in a job-share arrangement, you’ll play a key role in coordinating events, managing communications and keeping our programmes running smoothly.

In this role, you will:

• Coordinate programme logistics, events and activities
• Act as a key point of contact for schools, families and partners
• Support communications, bookings and participant onboarding
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to programme reporting

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• A confident communicator, able to work with a range of stakeholders
• Comfortable managing multiple tasks and priorities
• Motivated by improving opportunities for young people

If you’re a strong administrator with a passion for education and impact, we’d love to hear from you.

A comprehensive job description is available, outlining the full responsibilities and expectations for the Programme Administrator role.

Please note: We reserve the right to interview candidates during the application window and may close the vacancy early if a suitable candidate is found.

Join Challengers as their new Head of Fundraising and Advocacy and help make it possible for every disabled child and young person to play and have fun, without limits.

Location: Hybrid / Guilford (3 days per week in office)

Applications close: 9 a.m. Monday 10th August 2026

About Challengers

For almost 50 years, Challengers has been transforming the lives of disabled children and young people through inclusive play. We break down barriers, reduce isolation, support families, and provide respite and community when it’s needed most.

Nearly 1 in 5 children has a SEND need, yet many are excluded from school, play and community life, lacking safe spaces to connect and belong. This leads to isolation for children and intense pressure on families. Children become isolated, missing out on vital opportunities to develop confidence, friendship and independence. Parents are facing exhaustion, declining mental health and often being forced to give up work.

Challengers exists to break this cycle, creating inclusive, community-based spaces and providing services where disabled children and their families are supported. From play and youth schemes to family days and parent carer training and three alternative provision sites, our work tackles inclusion at its root by focusing on belonging, connection and dignity.

About the role

As the Head of Fundraising and Advocacy, you will develop and deliver integrated strategies to connect our story, audiences and funding opportunities, driving an increase in brand awareness and voluntary income. This is a senior leadership role, reporting to the CEO and sitting on the senior leadership team (SLT).

The role combines strategic leadership, high-level communications expertise and fundraising innovation to maximise impact and sustainability.

Who we are looking for

We seek an ambitious and collaborative fundraising leader who combines strategic vision with a practical, hands-on approach to delivery. You’ll be an inspiring communicator, engaging team leader, adept at engaging stakeholders and building trusted multi-year relationships that translate into meaningful income growth and organisational impact.

You’ll bring a strong track record of developing and delivering successful fundraising strategies across multiple income streams, alongside experience of contributing at a senior leadership level.

You’ll embrace change with resilience, identify opportunities where others see challenges and work collaboratively across fundraising, communications and the wider organisation to maximise impact.

Ultimately, we’re looking for someone who is driven by purpose, excited by opportunity and ready to help shape the next stage of our fundraising journey.

Please click on the link to be redirected to the Peridot Partners website, where you will find full details of the role and how to apply.

Applications for this role close at 9 a.m. Monday 10th August 2026.

Who we are

Chefs in Schools is a young, ambitious charity that’s rapidly growing. Our mission is to improve kids’ health, through improving school food & food literacy. We support and train schools and their kitchen teams to serve the best, freshest and tastiest food possible, all with the aim to improve health and wellbeing where needed most.

Through school kitchens, we work to reset a broken food system that damages children’s health and sets them up to fail.

We’re backed by some of the biggest names in food and have ambitious targets. Join us and help us feed the future well.

About you and the role

This role will see you creating engaging content and running our social media feeds. This is a highly autonomous role requiring creativity, problem solving and analytical skills.

You’ll thrive in a fast-paced, varied working environment and be full of creative ideas. You’ll be as happy filming and editing reels, as you are contributing ideas for campaigns . You’ll be confident writing reactive posts for LinkedIn and you’ll have an eye for making designs as beautiful as the food we serve in schools. 

You’ll be good with people - able to work with high profile patrons, to reassure any nervous first time interviewees and capable of a cool head in busy kitchens or at events. You’ll juggle multiple projects and know how to unearth stories that bring our mission to life. A collaborative approach will be at the heart of your approach as you help position Chefs in Schools as an innovative changemaker in education and child health. 

What else do you need to know?

The responsibilities, skills and experience listed below are intended to give you an idea of what we need for this role. If you don’t meet every requirement but feel you would be able to work with us to deliver the majority of them, we urge you to apply. 

We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented communities.

We want to get to know you at the interview and understand we can do this best if you’re at ease. We’re an inclusive employer and work hard to create a welcoming working environment for everyone. If you need adjustments to the interview process please let us know.

As we work with children & young people, an offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and DBS clearance, in line with our safeguarding policy.

Key responsibilities:

• Create exciting, constantly evolving content, including videos, photos, graphics and copy that drives specific actions and conversions that support our cause

• Planning, filming and editing of reels to our house style - including recipe videos, kitchen tips, patron visits to school kitchens and shoulder to shoulder interview style films.

• Plan, pitch and deliver social media campaigns end-to-end, from concept through to launch and beyond — including production coordination, communications planning and stakeholder management

• Support the growth of our patron and ambassador work, proactively identifying opportunities and ensuring prominent placement on a variety of owned and external platforms

• Champion diversity, equality and inclusion in all social media content

• Develop and implement social media content planning aligned to organisational priorities

• Lead regular creative brainstorms to build a bank of content ideas and champion creative innovation

• Lead our conversations on social channels, proactively sharing sector news with organisational commentary to position us as a thought leader in key online debates. You’ll also build and maintain strategic relationships with relevant networks, schools, chefs, partners and influencers

• Keep across trends and industry best practice to ensure our feeds stay fresh and relevant. Make data-driven decisions about where we invest our time 

• Oversee photography and video shoots when we use external agencies 

Essential skills & experience:

• At least two years of demonstrable experience creating content and managing social media feeds 

• Proven ability to plan and deliver content end-to-end with minimal oversight

• Strong creative skills - video, editing, sound edits, design, writing and interviewing

• Strategic thinker who links social media activity to organisational goals

• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to quality standards

• Confident working autonomously and making independent judgements

• Experience using analytics

• Solutions-focused approach in line with our values

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders

• A proven commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion

• Belief in our mission to improve children’s health through better food and food education in schools

Desirable skills & experience:

• Knowledge of child health, nutrition or education

• Understanding of brand application

• Experience using social media scheduling and management tools

Benefits

You would be joining a friendly, supportive team who work hard but believe in a healthy work/life balance. We were voted one of CODE Hospitality’s happiest places to work in 2024. We seek a diverse range of perspectives, skills, experience and knowledge. Joining a small, collaborative team means you’ll be able to contribute to and draw on various projects and strategic insights.

We offer 33 days of holiday per year including bank holidays, 3 additional office closure days over the Christmas period as well as wellbeing days over the summer school holidays. We also have a Cycle to Work scheme, hybrid working, enhanced parental leave, and free access to the CODE app for discounted restaurants & hospitality venues. We are committed to developing our team and will support you with relevant training opportunities including £250 towards elective training and development of your choice.

We also offer Bupa Dental Insurance, Income Protection Insurance, as well as access to the Aviva Smart Health Platform which offers health benefits including free rapid access online GP appointments, free counselling and wellbeing support.

Application process

In line with our commitment to ensuring a fair and unbiased recruitment process, we invite candidates to answer a series of questions related to their day-to-day job. 

We recommend that you develop your answers offline and copy them in when you’re ready to ensure you don’t lose your work if interrupted.

Your answers will go through our sifting process: all answers will be anonymised, randomised and then reviewed by a panel of reviewers. A long list of candidates will then additionally have their CVs reviewed. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a 30-minute online interview. Successful candidates will be invited to attend a second, in-person interview at our office in Brixton, London.

Expected duration of this application process: 4 weeks

Role closes midnight Sunday 26th July

First interviews will be held online ​w/c 3rd August 

Second interviews in person at our Brixton office ​w/c 10th August

Candidates will be asked to complete a practical task & presentation as part of the second interview.

Salary: Up to £35,875 per annum, depending on experience and qualifications.

Hours: 40 hours per week, shift-based, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

Shifts: Day or Waking Night shifts available. Overtime and bank holidays are paid at time-and-a-half, with alternate weekends off.

Location: Croydon (CR2). Conveniently located — one stop after East Croydon, approximately 10 minutes from Clapham Junction and 20 minutes from Waterloo.

Looking for excellent career progression, outstanding training, and strong therapeutic support?

Join our committed and professional team and make a real difference to young people living in residential care—where no two days are the same.

Please visit our website to watch our short video to gain an insight into our working life here at St Christopher’s

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved, happy and able to achieve their full potential with a bright future.

St Christopher’s Fellowship is a leading charity for children and young people, proud of our history of providing fostering, children’s homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK and Isle of Man. We are passionate about placing young people at the centre of everything we do and providing positive life experiences for those who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.

We are an equal opportunity employer committed to building an inclusive workforce where everyone feels they belong. We welcome applications from under-represented groups, including people from diverse cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faiths, sexes, sexual orientations, childcare responsibilities and gender-diverse identities.

St Christopher’s Academy

At St Christopher’s Fellowship, we offer more than just a care job—we offer a career. You will have the opportunity to develop your skills and knowledge while making a real difference to young people’s lives.

When you join us, we will support your growth with a tailored development plan. Whether you’re interested in moving to another service, stepping into a leadership role or developing further in your current position, we will support you in planning your career path and achieving your goals. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please visit our website.

We are proud that 84% of our Team Leaders, Deputies and Managers have been promoted internally.

About the role

As a Children’s Residential Worker, you will provide direct care and support to children and young people who have experienced trauma, loss and other adverse experiences, which have led to complex emotional and behavioural needs. You will guide them in understanding and managing their emotions, working within a therapeutic framework to develop meaningful and trusting relationships.

You will support young people aged 12–17 (on admission) and play a key role in ensuring their safety, wellbeing and happiness. You will also work closely with key professionals, ensuring accurate record-keeping and appropriate information sharing to enable the multi-agency support our children need.

If applying for the Waking Night role, you will have the additional support of an on-call manager should there be any emergencies. Further to this, you will be involved in monthly team meetings and receive monthly one-to-one supervision with your manager.

Working Hours 

Our children and young people need support around the clock, so our home operates 24/7 with fixed rotas and a variety of shift patterns (day or waking night shifts). You will typically work an average of 40 hours per week, including weekends and bank holidays. Overtime is available and paid at time-and-a-half, including on bank holidays.

During the interview process, you will have the opportunity to let us know your preferred shift pattern (day or night).

Applicants should have

• Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent (e.g., Level 3 Diploma in Children and Young People’s Workforce with the children’s social care pathway), as per the Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 (England).

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience working with and supporting children and young people to achieve their full potential.

• A genuine commitment to supporting children and young people, with the ability to build trusted relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.

• An understanding of the issues facing children and young people and a basic knowledge of safeguarding regulations and procedures.

• The ability to cope effectively with challenging behaviour.

• Strong communication and team-working skills.

• Flexibility to work shifts, including weekends and bank holidays.

• Commitment to undertake mandatory training (outside of working hours) and engage in continuous learning to maintain a high standard of service.

• Creativity, enthusiasm, and energy to inspire and encourage young people to achieve their goals.

What you should expect from us

• Salary: Up to £35,875 per annum depending on experience and qualifications.

• Overtime & Bank Holidays: Paid at time-and-a-half, with alternate weekends off.

• Holiday: 25 days, rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays (pro-rata).

• Supportive Culture: Friendly working environment with a fun, open and honest culture.

• Training & Development: Industry-leading training programme, including access to Level 3 qualifications and training in children’s rights and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.

• Pension: Contributory pension scheme.

• Enhanced Benefits: Enhanced maternity and company sick pay scheme.

• Life Assurance: UK Life Assurance (death in service) worth 3x annual salary.

• Employee Support: BUPA Employee Assistance Programme offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.

• Career Progression: Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s Fellowship, the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our care is our top priority and we are committed to maintaining the highest safeguarding standards.

1. Application

As part of the recruitment process, you must complete an online application form so we can collect the information required for legislation, best practice and vetting checks. Applicants should ideally be on the DBS Update Service; if not, St Christopher’s will carry out a DBS (police) check before your start date.

Your application must include a supporting statement that addresses the criteria in the Person Specification. CVs will not be accepted.

For the full Job Description and Person Specification, please visit our website.

2. Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a face-to-face interview at our Head Office in Putney, SW London.

3. Observation Visit

Successful candidates may be asked to attend a second stage observation visit at one of St Christopher’s residential homes.

We advise you to apply as soon as possible, as applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please note:

• Minimum age requirement: 21 years for roles working directly with children and young people, in line with the Equality Act “occupational requirement”.

• It is illegal to apply for a role involving children if you are barred from working with them.

• All shortlisted candidates will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form before an interview can be booked.

For more information or assistance during the application process, please contact us via our website.