At Advocacy in Greenwich, we work to make sure that people with learning disabilities are empowered to fully participate in the wider community. We also work with local communities and our members to challenge common assumptions or biases about those with learning disabilities which impact their experience of living and working in the Borough.
We provide independent one-to-one, short- and long-term advocacy, facilitate self-advocacy groups, offer workshops and provide accessible consultations. As part of our commitment to supporting people who use our services, we empower people to become confident self-advocates, taking on leadership roles in our organisation and in other decision-making forums.
Job purpose
To champion the vision and mission of Advocacy In Greenwich (AIG) by building strong partnerships with community organisations and local authorities; and by developing and delivering impactful initatives for people with learning disabilities and autism. The role creates opportunities for meanfingful engagement, ensures services are inclusive and accessible, and upholds the highest standards of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in line with national best practice.
Strategic Oversight
- Lead the development and delivery of Advocacy In Greenwich’s strategy in collaboration with the Board of Trustees, staff, consultants (including those with lived experience), beneficiaries, and stakeholders.
- Implement the Charity Excellence Framework to drive continuous improvement.
- Foster a supportive and innovative working environment where all employees are encouraged to contribute ideas for AiG’s growth.
- Build and maintain strong networks with local authorities, healthcare professionals, funders, and partner organisations (including neighbouring CEOs and leadership teams) to share best practice, coordinate initiatives, and advance opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism.
- Ensure strategic partnerships enhance AiG’s reputation, maximise opportunities for service users, and maintain consistent standards of advocacy across the borough.
- Stay informed about relevant policy developments to position AiG for new opportunities.
- Lead on financial strategy, income generation, and annual budgeting.
- Represent AiG professionally as its public face, building trust and credibility.
- Write compelling funding bids and narratives for innovative, needs-led initiatives.
- Liaise with major funders and donors to secure and deliver impactful projects.
Operational Responsibilities
- Regularly update and maintain organisational policies and procedures, developing new ones as needed to meet project requirements.
- Create and update resources to support both new and existing projects.
- Maintain a professional presence and reputation both internally and externally.
- Manage and support all staff and volunteers, ensuring effective team performance.
- Translate strategic objectives into clear, achievable operational plans, ensuring all team members understand their roles and deliverables to meet funding requirements.
- Oversee robust monitoring and evaluation processes, collecting data, testimonials, and stories to demonstrate impact and fulfil contractual obligations.
- Support staff, volunteers, and consultants to understand and meet funder criteria.· Implement staff appraisal systems and ensure ongoing training and professional development
- Uphold best practice standards to maintain high-quality service delivery.
Governance
- Ensure the Board of Trustees can fulfil its duties and that Advocacy In Greenwich remains fully compliant with all legislation and reporting requirements.
- Provide timely and accurate reports to the Board on all matters within their remit.
- Work with the Chair to develop and deliver an effective induction programme, ensuring trustees understand their roles and responsibilities
- Oversee the preparation of the Annual Report and statutory accounts.
- Lead the development, monitoring, and implementation of the charity’s Risk Register, ensuring risks to AiG and its beneficiaries are minimised.
- Take lead responsibility for safeguarding across the organisation.
- Ensure all staff, volunteers, consultants, and trustees have access to training and development opportunities to enhance their skills and knowledge.
Personal Development
- Engage in regular supervision to support your own professional growth and reflective practice, ensuring the continued quality and stability of the organisation’s services.
- Provide regular supervision and conduct staff appraisals, supporting staff wellbeing, performance, and professional development across the team.
- Foster a culture of continuous learning by identifying and supporting relevant training and development opportunities for staff, volunteers, and consultants, who are people with learning disabilities and autism employed on zero-hour contracts.
Other
Undertake any additional duties appropriate to the scope and level of the post as required by the Board of Trustees.
Important Information
- This role is not home-based and requires the candidate to work from the office on Tuesdays.
- Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 22nd March 2026
- Interviews/Test: Week commencing Monday 30th March – Wednesday 1st April 2026
- To ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process, we do not accept CVs.
- Please complete the application form provided.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Our Second Home (OSH) is the UK’s youth movement for people with refugee backgrounds. We support young people to build community, become leaders, and flourish into adulthood in the place they call home.
Each year, hundreds of young people from dozens of countries and living in London & Bristol take part in our residential programmes, leadership training and youth hubs. Our residentials are often the first step – immersive, relationship-rich spaces where young people connect, reflect and begin to see themselves as leaders. From there, many move into leadership training and take on volunteer roles within the movement.
Our work is youth-led and rooted in lived experience. We are now implementing our 2025–2028 strategy, focused on strengthening quality, embedding learning and ensuring our growth is sustainable and safe.
The Head of Programmes is a senior leadership role, reporting to the CEO and managing two senior colleagues. You will hold responsibility for the quality, coherence and safeguarding of all programme activity.
Responsibilities (abridged - see attached job description)
Programme Leadership & Strategy in Practice
-
Lead implementation of OSH’s 2025–2028 programme strategy.
-
Oversee the design, quality and coherence of residentials, leadership training and hubs.
-
Take operational responsibility for residential delivery, including participant referrals, recruitment of staff and freelancers, programme content and educational standards.
-
Attend and lead approximately five residential programmes per year.
-
Identify opportunities to strengthen youth engagement and leadership pathways as the organisation scales.
-
Ensure programme data is accurately recorded and used to improve delivery.
Team Leadership
-
Line manage the Communities Manager and Leadership & Volunteering Manager.
-
Provide structured supervision, clear objectives and professional development support.
-
Ensure strong coordination between hubs, residentials and leadership pathways.
-
Build a culture of accountability, reflection and continuous improvement.
Safeguarding & Welfare
-
Act as Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and serve as DSL at events as required.
-
Ensure safeguarding practice is robust, consistent and embedded across all activities.
-
Respond to safeguarding and behavioural issues appropriately and oversee safe recruitment processes.
Partnerships, Budget & Oversight
-
Maintain referral partnerships and represent OSH externally where appropriate.
-
Hold programme budgets within agreed limits and ensure financial discipline.
-
Embed monitoring, evaluation and reflective practice across the programme team.
Experience & Competencies (abridged - see attached job description)
Essential
-
At least 5 years’ experience in youth or youth-centred programming, including residential or intensive settings.
-
Experience designing and delivering leadership development or informal education programmes.
-
Strong facilitation and training skills.
-
Demonstrable experience managing staff and developing teams.
-
Strong understanding of safeguarding practice and willingness to act as Deputy DSL.
-
Experience working with young people from refugee or asylum-seeking backgrounds, or strong understanding of the issues affecting them.
-
Ability to balance strategic oversight with hands-on delivery in a part-time senior leadership role.
-
Strong organisational skills and commitment to inclusive, youth-led practice.
Desirable
-
Level 3 Safeguarding training.
-
Experience managing programme budgets.
-
Experience contributing to organisational strategy or scaling programme models.
-
Familiarity with Google Workspace, Beacon CRM, MyConcern or similar systems.
-
Lived experience of migration or displacement.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.