Advice volunteer volunteer jobs in Consett, county durham

We are looking for a committed and proactive Safeguarding, Complaints and Assurance Officer to play a vital role in strengthening our organisational governance and ensuring the safety, wellbeing, and satisfaction of the people we support.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our charity at a pivotal time and help shape best practice, champion learning, and support continuous improvement across safeguarding, complaints management, and organisational assurance.

About the Role

As our Safeguarding, Complaints and Assurance Officer, you will:

Safeguarding

• Act as the central point of contact for all safeguarding concerns
• Coordinate referrals, maintaining accurate and compliant records
• Support staff in recognising and reporting concerns
• Liaise with statutory agencies such as local authorities and police
• Monitor trends and escalate risks appropriately

Complaints Management

• Lead and oversee the end‑to‑end complaints process
• Ensure fair, consistent, and timely resolution
• Conduct or support investigations
• Maintain clear, auditable complaint records
• Communicate professionally and transparently with complainants

Assurance, Risk & Continuous Improvement

• Provide assurance that risks are identified, recorded, and managed
• Produce regular reports for senior leaders and trustees
• Support internal audits and external inspections
• Analyse data to identify themes and embed organisational learning
• Contribute to policy development and staff training

About You

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Highly professional, organised and confidential in their approach
• Able to work independently and make sound judgements
• Compassionate, proactive and committed to our charity’s values
• Confident in communicating with a wide range of stakeholders
• Skilled in analysing information and producing clear reports

Essential experience:

• Managing safeguarding concerns in a charity, public, or regulated setting
• Handling and investigating complaints
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation
• Experience with risk management and assurance processes

Desirable experience:

• Working within the charity or voluntary sector
• Supporting audits or regulatory inspections
• Training or qualifications in safeguarding, social care, law, or investigations

About Life:

Life is a national pregnancy support charity that helps over 60,000 people a year. Through our services, we help people – whoever they are – to meet pregnancy or pregnancy loss with courage and dignity so they can flourish.

Our services include

• Supported housing and community support
• Counselling and skilled listening
• Free pregnancy tests and baby supplies

Our values

All our work is underpinned by the following universal human values:

• Humanity – All people are special and equal
• Solidarity – We’re with you and for you
• Community – We’re better together
• Charity – Doing good for one another
• Common good – Building a better world

Information about the role:

For further information, please see the attached job description.

Please note, driving licence and own vehicle are required.

Salary: £30,000 per annum

Hours: 30 hours per week, Monday – Friday

Location: Home based but there is a requirement to be based in The Midlands

Benefits

At Life we are passionate about providing our employees with a supportive and engaging environment. As well as ongoing development and training, we offer our:

• Generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time hours)
• Birthday Leave (applicable after 1 years service)
• Extra annual leave for long term service
• Company Pension Scheme
• Signed member of the Menopause Workplace Pledge

Safeguarding and Equality

Life is committed to protecting all staff, volunteers and service users from harm of any kind. Life expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and equality within our organisation by encouraging applications from all backgrounds.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks. Life takes its obligation to protect the rights of children and vulnerable people very seriously; therefore, the successful candidate for this post will be also subject to extensive background checking, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) which is paid for by the Charity.

Chief Executive Officer at Newcastle University Students' Union 

Salary: £86,892 – £97,973 per annum. In line with NUSU's Pay Policy, new starters are typically placed at the bottom of the scale, with annual increments applied thereafter.

Hours: Full-time

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Contract: Permanent 

About Newcastle University Students' Union 

Atkinson HR are pleased to be supporting Newcastle University Students' Union (NUSU) in the search for their next CEO. NUSU is a dynamic, student-led organisation at the heart of one of the UK's leading research universities. They exist to represent, support, and enrich the lives of students, providing outstanding services, championing student welfare, and creating a vibrant community in which every student can thrive. 

This is a genuinely exciting moment to join NUSU. 

About the Role 

As Chief Executive Officer, you will provide overall leadership and management of NUSU, setting and delivering the organisation's strategic direction in close partnership with elected Student Officers and the Board of Trustees. 

You will empower student leaders to fulfil their democratic mandate, lead a high-performing Senior Leadership Team, and ensure that everything you do is anchored in the needs and aspirations of the student membership. Maintaining a collaborative and constructive relationship with Newcastle University will be central to your success. 

NUSU operates a diverse range of services, including a well-established commercial offer that plays an important role in supporting the organisation’s wider aims. You will provide strategic oversight of this activity, ensuring it remains sustainable, values-driven, and responsive to student needs. 

We are looking for an innovative and forward-thinking leader who is open to new ideas and approaches. You will be an engaging and approachable people-person, able to build strong relationships, inspire confidence, and create an environment where colleagues and student leaders feel empowered to contribute and thrive. 

You will hold overall accountability for the financial performance, legal compliance, and reputation of the organisation, ensuring NUSU remains sustainable, credible, and responsive to the evolving demands of the higher education sector,

About You 

NUSU are looking for a strategic and inspirational leader with a genuine passion for student experience and higher education. You will bring a proven track record of leading complex organisations, managing diverse teams, and driving meaningful change, alongside the emotional intelligence to work effectively with a democratically elected student leadership. 

You will be financially astute, commercially aware, and confident navigating governance and compliance responsibilities. Equally, you will be a skilled relationship builder with the ability to work in genuine partnership with the University, external stakeholders, and the wider Students' Union sector. 

A commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion is non-negotiable. You will champion a culture in which every student and staff member feels valued, heard, and able to contribute. 

How to Apply 

Please click 'Apply' to be redirected to Atkinson HR’s website, where you can download the Candidate Information Pack and find details of how to apply. 

For an informal conversation about the role and application process, please contact Atkinson HR via. the information in the candidate pack. 

Key Dates 

Closing date: Midday, 5th May 2026

Longlist Interviews (Remote): Tuesday 19th May 2026 

Final Stage Interviews (In-person, Newcastle upon Tyne): Tuesday 2nd June 2026 

Join a team that's making a real difference.

Adfam is the leading national charity tackling the effects of alcohol, drug use or gambling on family members and friends. We improve life for thousands of people. One way we do this is by empowering families and friends to get the support they need.

We want anyone affected by someone else's drug or alcohol use or gambling problem to have the chance to benefit from healthy relationships, be part of a loving and supportive family and enjoy mental and physical wellbeing.

This role offers the opportunity to be part of a successful national remote service, offering support via the phone or Zoom to affected adults in the UK. We are looking to recruit experienced Family Support professionals to provide these virtual support sessions to individual family members and sometimes groups. We are offering a number of roles at 15-20 hours per week, across 3-5 days, including Wednesday and at least 2 evenings per week (Mon-Wed).

Experience in supporting family members affected by someone else’s substance use is essential, as is experience with assessing and managing risk. Ideally, you would also have experience of working to support parents with their parenting and / or those experiencing domestic abuse. We offer fixed hours part time contracts within a friendly and supportive team. Whilst based at home and requiring the ability to work autonomously, Adfam prides ourselves on our supportive team ethos and working culture. 

• Salary: £30,000 pro rata
• 6.5% contributory pension scheme
• Contract: One year with likely extension

This is a remote working position based at home.

Please note, although counselling skills and qualifications are welcome and valuable as part of a skillset for this role, these are not counselling roles. This is professional support work and requires additional experience or skills in substance use, social work, complex family work or a related field. The role requires directive and facilitative guidance and input. If you are a counsellor looking for typical counselling work, please do not apply for this role. Thank you.

Closing date: Sunday 19th April

Application packs can be downloaded from our website. Alternatively, please email us to request one.

Adfam actively welcomes applications from all sections of society.

What if your financial insight and partnership could help one of the UK's largest charities direct its resources where they make the greatest difference for people affected by dementia?

About the opportunity

As a Finance Business Partner, you'll work alongside budget holders across Alzheimer's Society, turning complex financial information into clear insights that support better decision-making. In a role where every pound matters in the fight against dementia, you'll help ensure our resources reach the places they can have the most impact, whether that's funding groundbreaking research, delivering vital support services, or campaigning for systemic change.

You'll build trusted relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, providing the financial analysis, challenge and support they need to navigate complexity with confidence. Through coaching and partnership, you'll help budget holders strengthen their own financial capability, so that sound financial thinking becomes part of how the Society operates, not something that sits only within Finance.

You'll be part of our Finance and Assurance directorate, where our vision is to be the Society's single point of truth. Working within the Financial Partnering, Planning and Analysis function, you'll be the dedicated finance partner for our Income and Engagement directorate, connecting Finance with the teams responsible for growing and protecting the Society's income. You'll translate their plans into sound financial frameworks that enable our mission rather than hold it back.

You'll already have or be open to developing a deep understanding of how fundraised, legacy and restricted income flows through the Society, and you'll use that specialism to add real value to the teams responsible for growing and stewarding our income.

About you

You're a finance professional with proven business partnering experience who understands that effective partnering means combining accurate numbers with clear communication, constructive challenge and a genuine interest in helping others see the bigger picture. You're comfortable working across boundaries, building relationships at all levels, and coaching colleagues to develop their financial confidence.

You'll have:

- A relevant professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), either fully or part qualified, or qualified by experience.
- Experience supporting business teams with budgeting, forecasting and month-end processes, including ensuring appropriate controls are in place and financial performance is communicated effectively and on time.
- A track record of applying analytical skills to provide financial advice that supports strategic decision-making.
- Experience of identifying and collecting feedback and other data to inform quality improvement and to monitor the performance of processes or tools.
- Good communication skills, with the ability to interpret financial information and present it in a way that tells a clear story.
- The confidence to challenge, negotiate and influence, while taking a balanced view that incorporates different perspectives.
- Experience working with ERP systems. Experience with Unit4 would be particularly valuable, though it is not essential.
- The ability to work independently and manage competing priorities, while knowing when to consult and when to ask for support.

It would be particularly valuable if you also bring:

- Experience partnering with income-generating, fundraising, marketing or engagement functions within a non-profit or charity setting.
- An understanding of restricted fund accounting and the financial management of legacy income.

What you'll focus on

- Partnering with budget holders across your assigned directorate to provide analysis, insight and recommendations that support effective, informed decision-making.
- Preparing financial reports, budgets, forecasts and business plans, and modelling financial data to support operational and strategic priorities.
- Supporting and challenging budget holders to identify risks and opportunities early, escalating appropriately and agreeing remedial action where needed.
- Strengthening financial knowledge and confidence across your stakeholder group through coaching, training and a partnership-based approach.
- Working collaboratively across the Finance team to design intuitive reports and analysis that meet the needs of colleagues across the Society.
- Advocating good accounting principles and helping to educate, inform and develop others within your directorate and the wider Finance team.
- Identifying cost saving or optimisation opportunities, working closely with colleagues in Procurement and Sustainability to realise these.
- Supporting Senior Business Partners in identifying key performance metrics and collecting routine feedback from partners across the Society to drive constant quality improvement.

You may also line manage a Finance Business Partnering Assistant, role-modelling a high challenge, high support culture where accountability, performance and development go hand in hand.

Are you ready to be a trusted financial partner, bringing both challenge and practical solutions to the people working to make life better for everyone affected by dementia?

Important Dates:

- Deadline for applications is Sunday 12th April 2026
- Interview invites issued Friday 17th April 2026
- Interviews taking place across W/C 20th April 2026

About Alzheimer's Society

Dementia is the UK's biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer's Society, we're the UK's leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we're working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer's Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a Criminal Record Check at the relevant level. You can read more information via our Website.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it's like to be an employee at the Society.