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Vacancy: Day Care Officer – Age UK Camden Day Care Centres

Are you passionate about supporting older people and making a meaningful difference every day? At Age UK Camden, we believe in kindness, courage, justice, and hope; values that guide everything we do. We’re looking for a compassionate and committed individual to join our specialist Day Care Centre team.

- We currently have an opening for: Day Care Officer (Permanent, Part-Time, Hampstead)

- Hours: 25 hours per week, normally worked as 5-hour shifts, Monday to Friday. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required, for which Time Off in Lieu will apply.

- Location: primarily based at Hampstead site

- Contract: Permanent 

- Salary:For this role it is £19,240 per annum (pro rata, based on an FTE salary of £26,936 for a 35-hour week, including London Weighting)

The deadline for submitting your application is 18th September 2026.

About Our Centre’s

Our Day Care Centres – Great Croft in King’s Cross and Henderson Court in Hampstead – offer a vibrant, supportive environment for older people with complex needs, including people living with dementia. We provide:

• A wide range of engaging activities
• Hot lunches and special events
• A dedicated, specialist care team

What You’ll Do

As a Day Care Officer, you’ll play a vital role in supporting the wellbeing of older people. You will:

• Lead and support group activities such as arts and crafts, music, quizzes, reminiscence sessions, and gentle chair-based exercise
• Assist with toileting and personal care, including supporting mobility and maintaining the individual’s dignity and independence.
• Support and assist with nutrition and hydration, ensuring the individuals dietary and fluid needs are met safely.
• Support clients with dementia, using person-centred approaches to reduce anxiety and encourage participation
• Help with daily operations, including setting up activity spaces, serving meals, and maintaining a safe, welcoming environment
• Act as a key worker for individual clients to build trusting relationships, monitor wellbeing, and liaise with families and professionals
• Contribute to care planning and record-keeping

About You

We’re looking for a person who is:

• Warm, friendly, and empathetic
• A reliable and flexible team player
• A good communicator who enjoys engaging with others.
• Patient and calm under pressure
• Willing to learn and open to feedback
• Passionate about making a difference in the lives of older people

No specific formal qualifications or previous experience are required. However, applicants should have an interest in and ability to support older people with complex needs, including providing person-centered support.

Full training and ongoing support will be provided.
If you share our values and want to be part of a team that truly cares, we’d love to hear from you.

Location & Travel

Staff can be required to work across both centers, so the ability to travel to both King’s Cross and Hampstead is essential.

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you’ll need to:

• Submit a completed application form demonstrating how you meet the Person Specification
• Submit a criminal convictions declaration form
• Submit an equality monitoring form
• This post is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Why Age UK Camden?

We’re proud to support our staff with a range of benefits, including:

• London Living Wage Employer
• Equal Opportunities Employer
• Dementia Friendly organisation
• NHS discounts through the Blue Light Card Scheme
• Pension scheme with employer contributions
• Health cash plan to help with everyday healthcare costs
• Employee Assistance Programme offering free, confidential support
• Ongoing training and development opportunities
• Supportive, inclusive team culture rooted in our values of kindness, courage, justice, and hope

The Charity and The Vision.   

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting military children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. Founded in 2010 by Nikki Scott following the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, the charity offers a unique blend of emotional, practical, and educational support to over 800 young people.  We are currently embarking on an exciting journey which will see the charity evolve to support anyone affected by a military-connected bereavement and ultimately empower a community of more than 25,000 bereaved individuals and their families by 2035. 

We are proud of our vibrant, non-traditional culture, which puts the needs of the bereaved military community at the heart of everything we do. We embrace innovative approaches, are committed to creating smiles and believe in the power of community, resilience, and connection.   

Scotty’s is seeking an experienced bereavement counsellor, with a strong focus on Scotty’s adult community, to join our small but effective team. The role involves supporting adults, and also children and young people affected by bereavement, which may include death in service, illness, or suicide. 

We want everyone affected by military connected bereavement to have: 

• Access to the very best emotional health and wellbeing support.   

• Outstanding development opportunities.   

• The chance to smile again.  

• Confidence and clarity in navigating their entitlements. 

We call these our Promises. Our promises align with our four programmes: START, SMILES, STRIDES and SUPPORT.

• The START Programme ensures that there is a single point of contact for adults who need to gain confidence and clarity in navigating their entitlements following a bereavement. 

• The SMILES Programme provides children and adults with the chance to smile again.

• The STRIDES Programme provides children with outstanding development opportunities.

• The SUPPORT Programme provides the very best emotional health and wellbeing support to children and adults who are struggling to cope following a bereavement.

Our Bereavement Counsellor will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT Programme, delivering online 1:1 and group support to those who need it most.But all four programmes work closely together (we call this the Families team).

Role Mission:

The Scotty’s Bereavement Counsellor will work with our adults, children and families who are struggling with their grief to help them understand their feelings, develop coping skills and build their new life. 

This role will be accountable for: 

Providing emotional support, counselling and therapeutic interventions to individuals and families coping with grief and loss. The role involves working compassionately and ethically with anyone affected by military connected bereavement, helping them process their emotions and find ways to adjust to life after a loss.

The Bereavement Counsellor will work collaboratively with the SUPPORT team and the wider Families team to ensure that all work undertaken by Scotty’s is delivered in a supportive and sensitive manner and that the whole Scotty community receive exemplary care.

What are the 3-month goals for this role: 

• Within three months the Counsellor will have developed their knowledge of the range of services that Scotty’s offers to our community so that they can advise and support individuals and families in their case load.

• Will have begun to learn and understand the Scotty Values and the Scotty Way (we do things a little differently and our culture is very important to us and our community!). 

• Would have begun supporting the community members assigned to their caseload by the Head of SUPPORT.This will be through online 1:1 delivery, and some group online sessions, drop ins or workshops. 

• Will have completed all necessary safeguarding training and be part of the Scotty’s Safeguarding team.

• Begun attending peer supervision sessions with the SUPPORT team. 

What are the 6-month goals for this role: 

• Will have established a caseload across the Scotty community, as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT.

• Will have begun to support the wider Families team by attending Scotty events.At Scotty events, a SUPPORT team member often attends to provide support to any families who may need it on the day (this may require occasional weekend or evening work). 

• Will be working cohesively with the Families team and the wider Scotty team to share knowledge and skills.Scotty’s values a culture of learning and strives to ensure team members can learn from one another’s expertise. 

• Will be contributing to peer supervision sessions to ensure all SUPPORT team members are able to give the best support to families.

• Regularly meeting with your selected external supervisor.

What are the 9-month goals for this role: 

• Will be supporting a caseload as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT, with emerging impact data showing the outcomes of your support.Scotty’s uses a range of practitioner and impact measurement tools to monitor the impact of SUPPORT team’s work.

• Will be a valuable member of the SUPPORT programme, Families and the wider Scotty team. Providing high-quality bereavement counselling and support directly to the Scotty Community and by working collaboratively with other team members. 

• Will be contributing to developing resources and workshops that support the Scotty Community. 

What are the key responsibilities of this role:  

• Managing a caseload and delivering one to one counselling sessions as assigned by the Head of SUPPORT. This will predominantly be online delivery using Teams video calling but also other formats as needed by community members. 

• Facilitate group therapy or support groups when appropriate. 

• Conduct initial assessment to determine clients’ needs and suitability for counselling.

• Maintaining accurate and confidential case notes in a timely fashion using our CRM in accordance with data protection and organisational policies. 

• Adhering to all safeguarding requirements and operating as part of the Scotty Safeguarding team to maintain the highest standards across the charity.

• Part of a team creating and developing resources and materials for the whole Scotty community.

• Working collaboratively within the SUPPORT team, including peer supervision. 

• Working collaboratively within the Families team to ensure that Scotty community members and families are directed to the appropriate services in a timely fashion.This could include directing people you are working with towards our educational grants, our respite breaks, our events, our START support or our advocacy.

• Liaise with other professionals such as GPs, CAMHS, social workers, education or other professionals where appropriate to ensure holistic care and management of risk. 

• Attending at least six (mandatory) face to face team days, normally located in the East of England, alongside some in person team meetings.

• Participate in regular clinical supervision and continuing professional development.

Skillset and Experiences Required:  

Essential 

• Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) or United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).We may consider applications from practitioners with HCPC or NCPS membership too.

• Level 4 Counselling / Psychotherapy Diploma or above. 

• Significant experience (post qualification), providing bereavement counselling to adults and some experience of counselling with children and young people (0-25yrs). 

• Experience and training with NICE-approved talking therapies.

• Strong understanding of grief, bereavement, trauma and the impact of loss, and experience supporting traumatic bereavement or more complex grief presentations. 

• Demonstrable safeguarding knowledge and experience 

• Confident in professional judgement, boundaries, safeguarding and confidentiality.

• Willing and able to support lower-level emotional support needs as well as more complex presentations, depending on service demand. 

• Experience of managing a complex caseload effectively.

• Ability to work flexibly, including occasional evenings for drop-ins, later appointments or events in line with service need. 

• Excellent computer literacy. 

• Ability to engage with peer supervision and external supervision (organised by Scotty’s) effectively. 

• Ability to engage with a culture of continuous learning and support the learning of others.

• Reflective, curious and open to feedback. 

• Willingness to work flexibly as part of a team and independently to meet the needs of the service.

• Commitment to professional standards and ethical practice. 

Desirable 

• Military-connected experience or knowledge would be an advantage but not essential if you have a willingness to learn. 

• Experience of group work and peer support delivery would be helpful. Willingness to lead on these sessions as required. 

• Experience in end-of-life care and pre-bereavement work. 

• Experience of online counselling.

• Experience and training in counselling linked to suicide and suicidal ideation. 

• Knowledge of or experience using assessment tools such as WEMWBS or CBSQs. 

• Knowledge of statutory services and systems.

Additional Information 

• The role may require evening or weekend work from time to time 

• Enhanced DBS check required 

• Travel will be required to events and team training days 

• APPLICANTS MUST BE BASED WITHIN 2 HOURS TRAVEL OF CAMBRIDGE

The Scotty’s Way 

At Scotty’s, our personal performance is only 50% of what success looks like. Our culture is equally important. When you join our team, you sign up to The Scotty’s Way, rooted in our four core values:

1. Families Come First 

1. Everyone a Supporter, Every Supporter a VIP 

1. Love What You Do 

1. Remember, Every Day 

Our values are further supported by our four non-negotiable behaviours of Show Respect, Speak Up, Take Ownership and Actively Collaborate. We are looking for an individual who embodies these values and behaviours. 

Thank you for your interest in joining our team, we are an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees are treated with respect and given equal opportunities for employment and advancement.

We do not discriminate based on race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic.

We encourage all qualified individuals to apply for employment within our charity, and we provide a fair and inclusive recruitment process for all candidates. 

We are looking for a person with an understanding of working with a values-driven team of people, in the charity or not-for-profit sector.

The person appointed will have an appreciation of the aims and values of the Sustain alliance and be excited by supporting our organisation in effective ways of working, whilst freeing up senior leaders and spokespeople to undertake influencing, communication, partnership development and fundraising activities.

The Operations and People Manager will help Sustain function effectively as an organisation and be a great place to work. This is a senior, trusted role working closely with the Chief Executive, Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Senior Management Team (SMT), line managers and Trustees to strengthen our people, operational and governance systems.

The post-holder will lead practical improvements in HR, people processes, line management standards, staff development, onboarding, offboarding, organisational culture and compliance. They will combine sound judgement, strong systems thinking and a people-centred approach, helping Sustain keep processes clear, proportionate and well-managed, while supporting colleagues to focus on effective delivery.

The mission of the Sustain alliance is to catalyse systemic change in the UK’s food and farming system – securing a healthy, fair, and sustainable future for all people, nature and a stable climate. Working in collaboration with our alliance members and others, we run a range of advocacy work, projects and campaigns to achieve permanent changes in policy and practice; and to engage more people, organisations and communities in being food system change-makers.

As with all senior roles at Sustain, the person appointed to this role will work mainly at the Sustain office in London during their probationary period, and thereafter at least half of working hours at our office, whilst benefiting from the flexibility offered to all colleagues. This is part of senior role-modelling of the creativity, support, engagement and well-being benefits that in-person working cultivates between colleagues. This will be managed in coordination with other senior colleagues to enable good in-person coverage and connectivity across the week and across common holiday periods.

Role and responsibilities
•Strengthen Sustain’s people, HR, operational and governance systems so that the charity works effectively, fairly and well.
•Help Sustain be a great place to work, with clear standards, supportive line management, good staff development and a positive, inclusive culture.
•Lead on high standards and practical improvements in recruitment; induction; probation; appraisals; people and HR processes; line management skills, knowledge and tools; staff consultation; and organisational policies and practices.
•Support senior leaders, line managers and Trustees with clear advice, reliable processes, good records and proportionate and effective risk management.
•Develop and maintain systems that are simple, useful and appropriate for Sustain’s size, values, resources and legal responsibilities
 

Tasks and responsibilities:

Organisational operations and systems
•Lead on managing and developing the charity’s operational activities.
•Ensure that senior management actions that support operational effectiveness are managed and carried out in a timely way, via an accessible and accountable process.
•Lead and/or participate in a range of internal groups that support operational effectiveness.
•Support the Chief Executive, Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and other relevant staff with governance matters, including:
oReporting to the Council of Trustees on operational and people matters;
oPerformance of the ‘Company Secretary’ role on behalf of Trustees;
oTrustee recruitment, induction and management of necessary information and processes;
oAppropriate compliance with the Charity Governance Code.
•Working with the Chief Executive and Chair of the Council of Trustees, help prepare and coordinate the agendas and the running of the quarterly board meeting and occasional (at least annual) staff and Trustees strategy day, as well as the Sustain AGM, Annual Report and Trustee elections (annual), as one of the key links in communication with and between Sustain’s Council of Trustees.
•Lead on development and implementation of one or more relevant chapter of Sustain’s Organisation Development Plan (ODP).

•Support the planning and running of events, working with Sustain team leads, partners, venues and contributors.
•Work with the Head of Finance, Head of Digital and Design and external suppliers to help ensure office, IT and operational arrangements are appropriate and support effective working.
 

People, HR and employment processes
•Lead development and implementation of HR processes, practical actions and transactions, using external HR and/or legal advisors for authoritative support and advice where needed.
•Lead on full lifecycle support for Sustain staff including:
oEffective and inclusive recruitment, onboarding and offboarding – implementing Sustain’s commitment to recruitment for diversity – working with SMT, finance and admin leads;
oCreating, grading, reviewing and updating job descriptions, working with line managers and the senior leadership team;
oManaging employment contract variances; funding precarity; end-of-contract and risk-of-redundancy processes, working with senior managers, line managers, affected employees and HR/legal advisors;
oCreating or supporting a range of opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds and identities to get involved.
•Act as first point of contact for HR queries, taking ownership of policies and process, culture and employee relations; informed by HR advice, consultation and annual staff survey, including overseeing an action plan to embed areas of good practice, and to pursue improvements in an accountable way.
•Regular review of job descriptions, grades, progression and staff benefits within Sustain to ensure we remain competitive within the sector.
•Provide or commission sector benchmarking data, analysis and recommendations to inform decision-making, using a methodology agreed with Trustee oversight, on matters such financial and non-financial staff benefits.
•Maintain and improve the Staff Handbook, Recruitment Handbook, and related policies, guidance, advice and other support.

Line management standards, learning and staff development
•Lead the development and implementation of clear, practical standards for line management at Sustain, working with SLT, SMT, the Line Managers Forum and external advisers where appropriate.

•Develop and oversee implementation of key processes such as annual appraisals, annual planning and objective-setting, and a suitable performance management process.
•Help ensure objective-setting, personal development and progression conversations are undertaken routinely, and that these and performance management are handled consistently, fairly and in line with Sustain’s values and legal responsibilities.
•Support line managers to run effective 1-to-1s, probation reviews, appraisals, workload conversations, development conversations, and difficult conversations where needed.
•Ensure suitable and sufficient ongoing learning opportunities and training for the staff team and the Line Managers group, driving the charity’s approach to consistent standards, personal development and career progression.
•Maintain and improve the Line Managers Handbook and related tools, templates and guidance.
Culture, EDI, staff voice and union liaison
•Manage and develop Sustain as a great place to work, with a working culture and practices that support effective delivery, as well as health, wellbeing and personal development.
•Serve as an active member of the Diversity Group, to implement and innovate on equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism, and to gather data to measure and report on impact and progress.
•Working with the CEO, provide a route for requests and suggestions from the Health and Wellbeing Group to be properly considered and actioned as appropriate.
•Develop and support ways for staff voices to be heard and influence policies, practices and organisational culture, and for staff to be able to raise ideas and concerns confidently and see actions taken as a result.
•Support structured staff consultation and union liaison processes, helping ensure they are well-organised, transparent, well-documented and conducted in line with Sustain's policies and recognition arrangements.

Governance, compliance and risk management
•Develop and update key resources, contributing to useful reference sets such as the Staff Handbook, Recruitment Handbook and Line Managers Handbook, including overseeing production, maintenance and updating of all policies, procedures and guidance relevant to operations and people.
•Ensure Sustain complies with all employment, health and safety, data protection, charity legislation and statutory guidance including filing at Companies House and maintaining organisational records with the Charity Commission, and managing the risk register and internal policies tracker.

•Ensure adherence to health, safety, diversity and safeguarding procedures in the office, in hybrid working and for events and activities; undertaking comprehensive risk assessments for events and activities; and ensuring appropriate risk mitigation, staff communication and updates to guidance.
Other
•Potential for this role to line-manage one or more member of staff, volunteer, paid intern and/or external consultant, offering 1-to-1 support for objective-setting, work delivery, coaching and pastoral matters.
•Any other reasonable tasks and duties, agreed with the Chief Executive, consistent with the nature and level of the role.

Person specification / What we’re looking for:

Qualifications and requirements
•Significant experience operating at a senior level in a people, HR, operations or an organisation development role, including responsibility for organisational systems and staff management. [E]
•Experience of working in a charity, not-for-profit, campaigning, membership, alliance or other values-led organisation. [D]
•Demonstrable commitment to the operations and people role through a relevant qualification, training or other continuing professional development (CPD). [D]
 

Experience
•Significant experience leading organisational, people or operational improvement and advising senior decision-makers. [E]
•Developing skills and learning plans, and commissioning and/or delivering learning opportunities including training, workshops, facilitation and/or coaching. [E]
•Managing employment contracts to improve employee information and job security, especially where funding is short-term and project-based, with insights into good practice. [D]
•Delivering training and/or guidance to improve people-related functions to be delivered by line managers. [D]
•Working in a unionised organisation. [D]
Skills, abilities and attitudes
•Confidence and experience to take a leadership role on operational and people matters, working with the Chief Executive, Trustees and senior managers. [E]
•Strong problem-solving skills, and negotiation skills and the ability and confidence to provide insightful and constructive proposals and advice. [E]
•Excellent project management skills. [E]
•Aptitude for managing financial information and budgets. [D]
•Ability to communicate clearly and sensitively in writing and verbally, including on complex, confidential or contentious matters. [E]
•Proficiency with computer software and records management. [E]

Knowledge
•Knowledge and experience of end-to-end management of staff team members and their development: recruitment, induction and probation; learning experiences, skills and training; personal and career development; performance management; support for health and wellbeing; and HR processes. [E]
•Sound knowledge of UK HR and employment rules and statutory guidance, and their implementation in good practice. [E]
•Knowledge of IT, online and practical systems for improving processes and efficiency. [D]
 

Attitudes and personal qualities
•Highly organised and self-motivated, with the ability to work flexibly, independently and meet deadlines; whilst having the judgment to know when and who to consult before proceeding. [E]
•High integrity, with a professional, diplomatic, values-led, solutions-focused and collaborative approach to working with individuals and a wider team. [E]
•Commitment and ability to work at our office in East London regularly. [E]
•Demonstrable commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and racial justice. [E]
•Commitment to the mission and values of Sustain, and an interest in healthy and sustainable food and farming. [D]

Application closing date: Monday 14 September at 5pm (BST)

First stage interviews will take place (via Zoom) on: Wednesday 23 September 2026

Second stage interviews to take place in-person (London office) on: Wednesday 30 September 2026

Early applications are encouraged.

For any queries, please contact our recruitment team.