Psychology volunteer jobs

GMRC is a registered charity working with adult women who are victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs.

GMRC is seeking a highly skilled, trauma informed and compassionate Senior Counsellor to join our therapeutic services team. This is a crucial role offering specialist counselling to women affected by rape and sexual abuse, while also contributing to the leadership, development and quality assurance of our counselling service.

As Senior Counsellor, you will deliver high‑quality, trauma‑informed one‑to‑one counselling, carry out assessments, manage a clinical caseload, and provide guidance to volunteer and trainee counsellors. You will work closely with the Counselling and Services Manager to support service coordination, safeguarding, risk management and continuous service improvement.

We are looking for someone who brings strong clinical experience, deep understanding of trauma and gender‑based violence, and a genuine commitment to empowering survivors. You will be organised, reflective, emotionally resilient, and confident working both independently and as part of a team. This role plays a vital part in ensuring our therapeutic services remain safe, accessible, inclusive and survivor‑centred.

If you are passionate about supporting survivors, committed to high‑quality trauma‑informed practice, and ready to make a meaningful difference, we would love to hear from you.

Join us and help ensure women across Greater Manchester receive the safety, support and healing they deserve.

PLEASE NOTE

this role is restricted to female applicants under the Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR), Schedule 9 (Work; Exceptions), Part 1 (Occupational Requirements), of the Equality Act (2010)

Benefits:

- Generous annual leave (30 days a year exc. BH)

- Pension contributions

- Free on-site parking

#counsellor #counselling

Are you passionate about supporting children and young people affected by domestic abuse? Do you want to make a real difference through therapeutic support in a trauma-informed, child-centred environment? Join Acorns as a Mental Health & Wellbeing Project Worker.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and empathetic Mental Health & Wellbeing Project Worker to contribute to the development and delivery of flexible support services which address the psychological and emotional needs of children, young people and families living with the effects of domestic abuse, in North Tyneside and Northumberland. You will help to develop, organise and facilitate key aspects of the service as requested by the Team Coordinator such one-to-one support interventions, group work, and youth participation opportunities in a variety of settings including in-house, schools and community venues. Post is to be predominantly based in Northumberland.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver flexible one to one support sessions, using a range of interventions to assess and positively contribute to the individual wellbeing needs of children and young people impacted by domestic abuse.
• Support service users, particularly within the 11-16 age group to develop personal and life skills, promoting self-esteem and independence, and raising awareness of other support services and opportunities available to them and their families.
• Contribute to the planning and delivery of group work, activities and events, including the continued development of service user participation
• Work in partnership with statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure coordinated care and refer service users to additional sources of help and protection as needed.
• Adhere to safeguarding, confidentiality, and equal opportunities policies while maintaining accurate and confidential records, reporting appropriately, and complying with organisational guidelines.
• Participate in training, supervision, and team activities, contributing flexibly to service development and supporting broader organisational goals as required by management.

About You

• Holds qualifications and relevant experience in social care, childcare, youth work, or a therapeutic field
• Experience working directly with children and young people with an excellent understanding of common issues relating to child development, mental health and wellbeing
• Experienced in one-to-one casework, group facilitation, youth programmes, and multi-agency working, with a proven ability to assess needs and connect individuals to appropriate support services.
• Effective communicator with the ability to engage sensitively and non-judgementally with service users, demonstrating empathy, professionalism, and a commitment to empowering individuals.
• Skilled in managing workloads, maintaining accurate records, writing reports, and meeting deadlines under pressure, with strong time management and attention to detail.
• A motivated, flexible team player who values equality and diversity, and brings creativity and initiative to their practice.
• Driver with access to a reliable vehicle for work purposes. This role involves frequent travel to and from locations across North Tyneside and Northumberland to meet the varied needs of service users.

Please note, that an enhanced DBS check will be required.

Why join us?

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a positive, compassionate and impact-driven team. You’ll enjoy flexible working arrangements and autonomy in your role, opportunities for professional development and training, a supportive environment, reflective supervision, and the chance to help shape our systems for the better.

We warmly welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to equal opportunities.

Ready to apply? Download the candidate pack and get started! We’ll invite you to send us your CV and a short supporting statement outlining your experience and fit for the role.

If you are committed to empowering children and young people and want to be part of a team making lasting change, we’d love to hear from you.

Please make sure you include in/with your CV and personal statement:

• Name, previous names, and address.
• Education and training history, including any qualifications and the awarding body, any relevant training recently undertaken and any professional memberships.
• A full employment history in chronological order.
• Details of any convictions, spent and unspent. Details of any relation to the organisation or staff.
• A signed & dated declaration confirming that information provided is true, with no omissions. You must understand that providing false details can lead to rejection or dismissal, plus a possible referral to the police.
• All of the above information is only used to assess the candidate suitability, and will be treated with the strictest confidentiality, and stored and retained according to our GDPR policies and procedures which are available upon request.

Equality & Diversity Statement

Acorns will be proactive in all matters relating to equality of opportunity and diversity. We value and will celebrate the benefits brought to our organisation by a diverse population within our communities, services, staff and volunteers team, and Board of Trustees. We commit to creating an environment, through training, practice and policy, where Trustees, employees, volunteers and service users are encouraged by example and guidance to confront and challenge discrimination where and whenever it arises, whether between colleagues or in any other area of the organisation’s work.

Acorns commits to:

• Actively challenge discrimination;
• Ensure that all staff, volunteers and service users are treated fairly;
• Make sure that our activities and services are truly accessible to all who might benefit;
• Work collaboratively with other organisations to address inequality; 
• Work to promote an organisational culture of diversity;
• Strive to ensure that the profile of trustees, staff and volunteers reflects the wider communities within which we operate.

Everyone engaging with Acorns, as a servicer user, volunteer, or staff member, will be expected at all times to treat other people with respect and consideration. Our full Equality & Diversity Policy is available upon request.

Safeguarding Statement

Acorns believes that no child, young person or adult should ever experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to promote the welfare of all children and young people and keep them safe. We are committed to practice in a way that protects them, to promoting their well-being and enjoyment and protecting their health, safety and general welfare while in the company, employ or care of Acorns staff or volunteers. Safeguarding and protection of those at risk is everyone’s business; it is everyone’s duty to report any safeguarding concerns to the relevant agency. We also practice Safer Recruitment practices. Our full safeguarding policies are available upon request.

The Wave Project is an innovative, expanding and award-winning charity that uses surf therapy and the healing powers of the ocean to help children overcome trauma and mental health challenges. The Wave Project transforms young lives - in 2025 we supported more than 2,600 surfers through our Surf Therapy, Surf Club and Adaptive surfing programmes.

The charity, with headquarters in Newquay (Cornwall), was founded in 2010 and has expanded to become the UK’s leading ‘surf therapy’ charity. We now employ nearly 35 staff at 16 sites around the UK, and have nearly 1,400 amazing volunteers.

Contributing to our impact doesn’t just happen on the beach and in the sea. This role is a great opportunity to use your skills, experience and passion to help transform young lives. We are a small but highly driven and creative team who are making a genuine difference in the lives of children and young people. We are strongly values-led:

Care, Safe, Brave, Integrity, Inclusive, Impactful, Thrive

We take our Safeguarding responsibilities seriously. All our volunteers and staff team work hard to ensure that everybody who comes into contact with The Wave Project is safe. Before applying for any of our roles, please have a look through our Safeguarding policy, especially our code of conduct, to ensure you are the right fit for our organisation.

Please read the recruitment pack on our website for more information. 

An exciting opportunity to play an important role in transforming the lives of young people at Jamie’s Farm.We are looking for someone to lead and deliver impactful therapeutic support, helping young people build resilience and thrive. 

What is Jamie’s Farm?Jamie’s Farm is a charity that supports young people by combining therapeutic work, farming, and purposeful activities to help them thrive. Through residential visits to our working farms, we provide a nurturing environment where young people can reflect, build confidence, and develop the resilience they need to overcome personal challenges. 

Known within the organisation as ‘Therapeutic Coordinator’ 

More about the role:This is not a formal therapy or counselling position.As Therapeutic Coordinator, you will be at the heart of our programme delivery.You will oversee the therapeutic aspects of up to four visits from schools and similar organisations per month, providing one-on-one support to young people facing significant challenges. Your expertise will guide both individual sessions and group discussions, fostering a safe space for personal growth. Collaborating with visiting staff, you will ensure each young person receives the care they need, both during and after their time on the farm.

Beyond therapeutic sessions, you will create detailed progress reports and contribute to the immersive farm experience, leading walks, evening activities, and mealtime conversations. This hands-on approach will help strengthen relationships with young people, allowing them to feel supported and empowered throughout their journey with us. 

About you:We are looking for someone who brings strong lived experience and relational practice to their work with young people, using everyday interactions and shared activity as the basis for support. This is a unique opportunity to join a purpose-driven charity, working in a beautiful rural setting where your impact will be deeply felt.

Please see the full job description, desired experience and employee benefits by exploring our recruitment pack below. Don’t meet every single requirement? We’d still love to hear from you – your unique skills and experience could be just what we’re looking for. 

We’re growing our Criminal Justice Services and bringing in a range of roles that really matter. This work is about supporting people in the secure estate who have experienced trauma and sexual harm, and making sure support is actually accessible, not just in theory, but in practice.

Our Outspoken service delivers trauma therapy to residents across the secure estate, particularly those who have experienced ACEs or sexual harm. It’s a space focused on safety, trust, and meaningful therapeutic work.

Our Outspoken Pathfinder role is often the first point of connection. They support people in accessing the right help, whether that’s through assessments, regular check-ins, lower-intensity support, or helping them find the right pathway.

Why Join Us?

• a competitive salary.
• annual leave package with incremental rises plus bank holidays.
• company sick pay.
• Birthday annual leave.
• monthly clinical supervision.
• pension contribution.
• and a range of discount and benefit programmes.

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We have embarked on our 10-year strategy for ending homelessness. We know it is not inevitable. We know together we can end it.

Location: Crisis Skylight Croydon, 12 Surrey Street Croydon CR0 1RG

Contract: Permanent

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We know that homelessness is not inevitable. We know that together we can end it. It is an exciting and important time to be joining Crisis. We work with thousands of people across the country so they can leave homelessness behind for good. We have recently adapted the way our services work to maximise our impact in ending homelessness. We have increased our capacity to work with people one to one and strengthened our ability to support those people facing the most barriers to preventing or ending their homelessness. 

About the role 

As an Engagement and Assessment Worker, you’ll be part of Crisis Skylight Croydon’s exceptional Engagement and Assessment Team, providing a high quality, non-judgemental and safe service to individuals who approach Crisis Croydon including some of the most excluded, vulnerable people in the borough. The Engagement and Assessment Advisors are the first point of contact for a range of enquiries from people who are experiencing homelessness for the first time, individuals with complex and multiple needs, visitors, volunteers and supporters. You will be providing information about Crisis services, delivering a high-quality triage and assessment service and offering Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) on local homelessness and other related services. As well as managing a small caseload.
Crisis uses a case management approach, and the successful candidate will be expected to attend case management meetings as well as reflective practice and full team meetings. You will also be expected to work collaboratively with external partners and Crisis Skylight Croydon’s Progression and Learning Teams.

About you 

To be successful in this role you will have:

• Experience of working with homeless or other vulnerable groups and understanding of the importance of respecting confidentiality, showing empathy and sensitivity, and working in a boundried way.
• Experience of working in a Psychologically Informed Environment and in a way that ensures that members with all levels of need can access the service
• Customer service experience with a commitment to delivering the highest standard of customer care
• Strong interpersonal skills including effective written and verbal communication skills
• Knowledge of homelessness, housing and benefits
• Ability to manage a caseload
• Good working knowledge of Word, Excel and Outlook

Please see the full Job Pack linked below, for a full list of requirements for this role. We realise that long lists of criteria can be daunting, and you may not want to apply for a role unless you feel 100% qualified. However, if you feel you have relevant examples to answer the screening questions, we encourage you to apply.

We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds.  

Working at Crisis  

Our values, Bold, Impactful, Collaborative and Equitable, are at the heart of everything we do as we continue in our mission to end homelessness.

Our staff, members and volunteers are vital to getting the right government policies in place, providing breakthrough services, and building a supportive community. We’ll lead by example to nurture a positive and ambitious workplace guided by ending homelessness.

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:  

• A competitive salary. Please note, our salaries are fixed to counter inequity and we do not negotiate at offer stage
• Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy
• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%  
• 28 days’ annual leave (pro rata) which increases with service to 31 days and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay
• Wellbeing Leave to be used flexibly and more! (Full list of benefits available on website)  

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career.  

When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.

How do I apply? 

Please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below. Our shortlisting process is anonymised as part of our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We do not ask for CVs, instead we ask you complete the work history section and answer the screening questions for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively. At least two members of staff score all applications.

Closing date: Monday 6th April at 23:59

Interview process: Competency-based interview and interview task to Case Study sent to shortlisted candidates prior to the interview

Interview date and location: Wednesday 15th April (in-person) at Crisis Skylight Croydon, 12 Surrey Street Croydon CR0 1RG

AI in Job Applications

We understand some candidates use AI tools when applying. Whilst we welcome the use of technology to support clear communication and structure, we want to learn more about you, so please ensure that your application reflects your own skills, knowledge and experiences

Accessibility 

We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please contact our Talent Acquisition team to discuss how we can help. 

Registered Charity Numbers: E&W1082947, SC040094 

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We have embarked on our 10-year strategy for ending homelessness. We know it is not inevitable. We know together we can end it.

Location: Crisis Skylight Oxford Skylight, Old Fire Station, OX1 2AQ. Please note this is an onsite role

Contract: Permanent

Crisis is the national charity for people experiencing homelessness. We know that homelessness is not inevitable. We know that together we can end it. It is an exciting and important time to be joining Crisis. We work with thousands of people across the country so they can leave homelessness behind for good. We have recently adapted the way our services work to maximise our impact in ending homelessness. We have increased our capacity to work with people one to one and strengthened our ability to support those people facing the most barriers to preventing or ending their homelessness. 

About the role 

As an Engagement and Assessment Worker, you will be the first point of contact for someone who comes to Crisis for help to end their homelessness. The Engagement and Assessment team provide a dynamic, engaging, and welcoming response to people who may be struggling to cope with overwhelming emotional and psychological distress. You will be responding to the immediate presenting needs of new members, completing urgent assessment of need and care planning. The support you offer will be person centred and holistic and will draw on individuals’ strengths and resilience. You will identify presenting needs, and establish if they meet the criteria for Skylight, using your expertise on homelessness, housing and benefits, signpost to appropriate services, or offer on-going support and interventions. This role is based onsite with no option for homeworking.

About you 

To be successful in this role you will have experience of working within a relevant sector delivering support to vulnerable adults. You will have exceptional knowledge of relevant housing, homelessness, and welfare legislation. You will have an awareness of the barriers to engagement and participation experience by homeless and marginalised people and will understand how these barriers will be overcome. You will have the ability to make collaborative, consistent and persistent relationships with each person, and will have strong networking and partnership development skills to ensure the best outcomes for everyone, 

You may have experience in, Housing, homelessness, welfare, complex needs, mental health, social care, offender management, support work, or well-being.

Please see the full Job Pack linked below, for a full list of requirements for this role. We realise that long lists of criteria can be daunting, and you may not want to apply for a role unless you feel 100% qualified. However, if you feel you have relevant examples to answer the screening questions, we encourage you to apply.

We believe diversity is a strength, and our aim is to make sure that Crisis truly reflects the communities we serve. We are actively working towards our organisation being a place where everyone can thrive and make their best contribution to our mission of ending homelessness for good. We know that the more perspectives, voices, and experiences we can bring to this work, the better. We particularly welcome applications from people who have lived experience of homelessness, and people from all marginalised groups, communities, and backgrounds.  

Working at Crisis  

Our values, Bold, Impactful, Collaborative and Equitable, are at the heart of everything we do as we continue in our mission to end homelessness.

Our staff, members and volunteers are vital to getting the right government policies in place, providing breakthrough services, and building a supportive community. We’ll lead by example to nurture a positive and ambitious workplace guided by ending homelessness.

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:  

• A competitive salary. Please note, our salaries are fixed to counter inequity and we do not negotiate at offer stage
• Interest free loans for travel season ticket, cycle to work, and deposit to secure a tenancy
• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 8.5%  
• 28 days’ annual leave (pro rata) which increases with service to 31 days and the option to purchase up to 10 additional days leave
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay
• Wellbeing Leave to be used flexibly and more! (Full list of benefits available on website)  

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career.  

When you join us, you will have the opportunity to join our staff diversity networks, which aim to champion issues across the organisation, enable staff to be their authentic and best selves and contribute to making Crisis a truly diverse organisation.

How do I apply? 

Please click on the 'Apply for Job' button below. Our shortlisting process is anonymised as part of our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We do not ask for CVs, instead we ask you complete the work history section and answer the screening questions for us to be able to assess you fairly and objectively. At least two members of staff score all applications.

Closing date: Sunday 12th April at 23:59

Interview process: Competency-based interview and interview task to Case Study sent to shortlisted candidates prior to the interview

Interview date and location: Thursday 23rd April (in-person) at Crisis Skylight Oxford, Old Fire Station, OX1 2AQ

AI in Job Applications

We understand some candidates use AI tools when applying. Whilst we welcome the use of technology to support clear communication and structure, we want to learn more about you, so please ensure that your application reflects your own skills, knowledge and experiences

Accessibility 

We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please contact our Talent Acquisition team to discuss how we can help. 

Registered Charity Numbers: E&W1082947, SC040094 

Catalyst is looking to recruit an exceptional leader to be our next Chief Executive.

Candidates should be values-driven, with a passion for leading an organisation which supports the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector (VCSE). As Chief Executive, you must have the skills and experience to lead the dedicated, professional staff and volunteers in developing our services based on the needs of the sector, fulfilling the requirements of our funders, and actively seeking other opportunities for partnership work with statutory, private and VCSE partners.

The successful candidate will combine strategic and operational skills and have experience of effective leadership, including facilitating change in this sector. The role is offered at a salary of £51,500, plus pension and 28 days holiday a year.

You can find out more information and how to apply at Catalyst Chief Executive – Catalyst Stockton

Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.

Job title: Lived Experience Facilitator - Service User Network (SUN)
Post no: 660
Working base: Mind BLMK - Luton Wellbeing Centre
Area covered: Bedfordshire and Luton (SUN offers a combination of online and face to face groups)
Hours: 21 hours per week. Monday – Friday
Working pattern: Tuesdays 9.30am – 5.00pm (7 hours) Remaining 14 hours to be negotiated depending on service need (within the hours Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 5.00pm)
Contract: Permanent
Salary: £25,147.00 per annum FTE (£14,272.62 per annum actual for 21 hours per week)

About the Service User Network (SUN)

The SUN is an open access model of community-based facilitated group peer support for people experiencing complex emotional needs associated with complex trauma and/or a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’. The SUN aims to help people develop effective ways of coping, reduce emergencies and improve access to appropriate services.

Those accessing the SUN may or may not have a formal diagnosis of personality disorder. Group members will have experienced longstanding emotional difficulties, isolation and may demonstrate patterns of behaviour that may not be helpful in the longer term.

About the Role

Fundamental to creating empowerment and engagement in the SUN Project is the therapeutic community principle, that the effectiveness of the service depends upon engaging group members in the task of running, delivery, development and evaluation of the service. The utilisation of SUN members’ own resources and expertise is integral to the SUN model of peer support.

SUN Facilitators will have their own lived experience of complex emotional needs associated with a diagnosis of ‘personality disorder’ and will be able to demonstrate their recovery journey. They will work closely with mental health practitioners from ELFT (East London NHS Foundation Trust) to deliver regular Service User Network (SUN) groups in different community-based locations in Bedford, Central Bedfordshire or Luton. Full training in the SUN model, and weekly supervision by a Psychotherapist / Psychologist, will be provided for all team members.

Facilitators will work to develop and support the therapeutic community principle of the SUN model and the effectiveness of the service through engaging group members in the task of running, delivery, development, and evaluation of the service. The utilisation of SUN members’ own resources and expertise is integral to the model of peer support upon which the SUN groups are based.

SUN facilitators will have regular supervision and support in this role along with appropriate training.

Entitlements/benefits:

• 25 days (pro rata) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Auto-enrolment NEST pension scheme (employer contributes 3%, employee contributes 5%)
• Optional Health Plan
• Discounts available through Blue Light Card & Tickets for Good
• In-house and external Learning and Development as appropriate for the role.
• Flexible Working On request (in line with Mind BLMK policy on Right to Request Flexible Working)

If you have a passion for working in mental health and possess the required skills, we would love to hear from you.

Closedown: Monday 13th April 2026 at 5:00 pm
Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if enough suitable applicants apply
Start date: ASAP

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Mind BLMK has been committed to the Mindful Employer charter and the Disability Confident Employer Scheme since 2008.

Please note: Mind BLMK follows Safer Recruitment practices and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Therefore all our roles are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

No agencies please.

Product Marketing Coordinator

This role is critical in ensuring Dot Dot Dot’s property offer meets market demand, business needs, and our social mission.

You will manage key parts of the property product lifecycle - from defining value propositions and preparing properties for launch, through to marketing, viewings, and quality control. Working closely with Marketing and Services teams, you’ll help ensure our properties are well‑positioned, well‑presented, and successfully filled.

This is a varied, hands‑on role combining strategic thinking with operational delivery, and desk‑based work with regular visits to properties. You’ll be supported in role by our senior marketing coordinator and head of marketing and business development.

The fundamentals of the role

Marketing and sales enablement

• Develop property messaging, value propositions, and supporting materials.
• Ensure each property has strong visual assets, including photography, video, and written content.
• Create and maintain property information sheets for internal and external use.
• Coordinate property‑related communications, including Mailchimp viewing emails and location‑based social media content.
• Work with the Marketing team to deliver campaigns, promotions, and go‑to‑market activity.

Viewings organisation and coordination

• Plan, schedule, and continuously improve the property viewings process.
• Supervise and support a small team of property viewing assistants (PVAs), including training, quality oversight, and timesheet approval.
• Ensure PVAs have accurate, up‑to‑date product information, sales guidance, and customer engagement support.
• Occasionally attend viewings to assess quality and gather feedback.

Go-to-market planning and execution

• Visit properties to understand condition, local context, and customer appeal.
• Support property launch planning, including pricing, audience targeting, and marketing tactics.
• Coordinate with Marketing to implement campaigns that attract high‑quality guardians.
• Track and report on the performance of property launches and viewings.
• Work cross‑functionally to ensure alignment between product, marketing, and service standards.

Product vision and positioning

• Support the definition and development of clear, compelling property value propositions.
• Ensure property products align with business objectives, customer needs, and market trends.
• Work with Marketing and Services to connect operational quality with external positioning.

Market and customer insight

• Research market needs, pricing, locations, and competitor activity.
• Develop and refine guardian personas to support effective targeting and communication.
• Share insights across the business to inform marketing, sales, and product decisions.
• Handle applicant information responsibly, ensuring personal data is recorded, stored and shared in line with GDPR requirements and Dot Dot Dot’s data protection policies.

Product lifecycle management

• Liaise with Services during property setup to ensure standards and product features are embedded from the outset.
• Oversee the property journey from setup through launch and occupation.
• Ensure properties are ready for viewings and occupancy through clear coordination and communication.

About you

You’re likely to be able to demonstrate experience of, or aptitude for, much of the following:

• Interest in our mission and values as an organisation.
• Confidence in and enthusiasm for meeting people, with good interpersonal skills and a friendly, professional manner.
• Resourceful and proactive approach - the product marketing coordinator will experience new places, people and challenges and the ability to find practical solutions or seek out advice is critical.
• Organisation and good attention to detail - someone who prepares in advance for tasks and ensures that every detail is properly addressed.
• Ability to prioritise workload and efficiently manage diary in order to achieve results and meet deadlines.
• Responsibility and trustworthiness - able to take responsibility for the safety and security of people and buildings.
• Ability to translate operational detail into clear, compelling customer‑facing messaging.

You’ll have the opportunity to deepen your skills in:

• IT literacy - you should be willing to learn how to use our CRM, Salesforce, as well as Slack, Google Workspace and other digital platforms.
• Public speaking - learn how to confidently communicate our mission, values and standards internally.
• Professional development and self-awareness, supported by access to training such as customer service, brand and behavioural tools.
• Understanding property guardianship, including how it works in practice, how to explain it clearly, and how to respond to common questions or queries from applicants.

JOB TITLE:                         Centre Based Assistance Dog Instructor (Maternity Cover) 

LOCATION:                        Based at our Centre in Milton Keynes, with travel up to 3 hours 

SALARY BAND:                 £26K - £32K per annum, depending on experience. Line management experience desirable.

JOB TYPE:                          Full time and Part time applicants considered. Fixed Term of 12-18 months 

REPORTS TO:                    Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme 

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives. 

We train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease, providing life-saving alert assistance dogs to people with complex health problems across the UK and collaborating with NHS Trusts and other researchers and Universities both in the UK and internationally to advance the early diagnosis of disease.

We have an exciting new opportunity to join this small but fast-growing charity that is a world leader in its specialist innovative field. 

The Role 

We are looking for a passionate and driven person who has previous proven experience and skills working as an Instructor within an Assistance Dog organisation, who has worked with clients and partnerships. The role includes supporting both clients who have had a MDD dog placed with them and also our own dog applicants with their puppies and young dogs to ensure they receive the highest standard of socialisation and early training in terms of obedience, public access and developing an alert to the applicant’s condition, with the aim to reach an accreditable assistance dog partnership status. The role will also include carrying out client specific and odour training for MDD own dogs, placing these dogs with their new clients and looking after a number of established partnerships. This role would suit somebody residing up to an hour from our centre in Milton Keynes.  

Duties that encompass the role of an Instructor include:  

• Be the first point of contact for the allocated partnerships in your area. To provide guidance and instruction to applicants who have applied to the charity to have their own dogs considered for the training programme guidance and instruction on handling, behaviour and obedience and odour training as well as newly placed partnerships.

• Alongside the Instructing team, to run puppy classes, public access training, recall sessions in small groups for applicant own dogs that are in line with the charity’s quality standards and in accordance with timescales and targets. 

• To also carry out support visits and home interviews for applicants and clients that have been allocated to you.  

• Regularly monitor progress of any young dogs and partnerships in training in your area and provide detailed, evidenced feedback to Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme.

• To carry out client specific training with any MDD owned dogs that have been matched, including the required odour scent training.

• Instructing, guiding and supporting new assistance dog clients in managing and handling a Medical Alert Assistance Dog effectively, via pretraining, placement training and aftercare visits.

• Supporting partnerships in training in successfully reaching an accreditation standard and in maintaining this standard throughout the life of the partnership.

• To support a number of established partnerships in the form of aftercare, refresher training and yearly re-accreditations, assisting further afield on occasions as required.

Responsibilities  

• To escalate issues and problems to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme as appropriate.

• To carry out scent assessments on any MDD dogs in socialising as and when required with the support of the rest of the Instructing Team.

• To plan, organise and deliver practical and theoretical training to clients, meeting their individual needs in line with agreed standards to include areas such as dog welfare, appropriate handling, commanding and overall management. This will involve working with the parents as Team Leader and child as Client and working with adult clients.
• Assess the team dynamics of the family & balancing the needs of all family members as well as those of the dog.
• Assess the individuals preferred learning style and amending as relevant to aid a client.
• To accompany the client into all regular environments that they will take the dog to, ensuring the dog behaves in an acceptable manner and that the client and others are aware and clear in terms of where they dog should reside and behave for e.g. public transport, place of work. To complete a check list of environments for any applicant own dogs in training who are on the programme to be assessed within.
• To support and advise clients in transferring the odour training from pot training and recognising alerting behaviours to establish real life alerting.
• To ensure all partnerships are in line with the ADUK regulations with regards to behaviour, obedience and welfare and branding.
• Due to the nature of the role, flexible working hours may be required in some instances to facilitate the effective delivery of the work e.g. working during the school holidays with school age clients.
• To monitor the correct and false alerting percentages of allocated partnerships via data analysis, advising where necessary until the correct alerting levels are achieved.
• To complete comprehensive reports and paperwork for any time spent with applicants or partnerships in training or established. Maintain accurate records by providing verbal and written information with agreed timescales about clients, dogs, applicants and apprentices as appropriate.
• To work alongside allocated partnerships with the aim of the partnership reaching an accredited standard and feeding back to the Interim Head of Assistance Dog Programme if there are any concerns that the accreditation cannot be achieved.
• To provide clients with appropriate aftercare services at regular intervals in their own homes in the form of annual visits, support visits or at refresher workshops run at the Centre to agreed standards.  This will include continual re-assessment of the dynamics of family and dog, formulating and training on appropriate solutions, as well as offering additional dog training advice.
• To deliver handling days as part of an applicant’s pretraining to include ‘Introduction to Assistance Dog’ ‘Advanced Handling’ and Family Handling.
• To scent train and seizure proof advanced dogs in preparation to be partnered with an adult or child client and ensure that applicant own dogs have received this at the earliest opportunity.
• To maintain the ongoing public access training with any advanced dog in scent training that has been allocated to them.
• To liaise with Independent Contractors as relevant.
• To provide support to the Charity’s public relations and fundraising functions as required, specifically in your area.
• To act as the ‘contact’ person for the assistance dog programme in relation to training policy procedures with clients and their families, other professional service providers and members of the public.  This will include on-going research and development of the project.
• As required, to liaise and provide support for Volunteers of the Charity.

Other 

• Share best practice with colleagues across the charity.

• Any other duties or tasks that are required to ensure the successful running of the Medical Alert Assistance Dog Department and the Charity overall.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• High level of preparation, organisational and co-ordination skills
• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills
• Experience of running puppy classes, carrying out public access training and recall sessions
• Able to develop training plans for any dogs in training under your care
• High level of self-motivation and planning
• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life-threatening conditions
• Happy to travel alone within the UK to visit any clients as necessary
• Willing to be on call for partnerships as and when required
• Willing to stay away from home in local accommodation when client locations are too far to travel back home
• Happy and able to have Medical Alert Assistance Dogs in training reside in your home
• Good team player, but equally able to work independently
• Positive, empathetic and calm attitude
• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation
• Flexible

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE 

Essential 

• Previous Assistance Dog Instructing and Dog Training experience
• Knowledge of AD(UK) and ADI regulations
• Law in relation to dogs 
• Knowledge of medical conditions relevant to puppies between 8 weeks and 2 years of age
• Knowledge of dog and human psychology
• Proven evidence and experience of dog handling and training skills
• Previous experience of teaching and instructing
• Sound dog training and dog behaviour knowledge
• IT literacy and report writing skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Teams, Zoom and SharePoint
• Full UK driving licence
• Pass a DBS (CRB) check due to regular contact with children

Preferable  

• Knowledge of debilitating medical conditions and understanding of how they can impact people, both physically and psychologically, particularly when they are unstable and fluctuating
• Previous knowledge of odour/scent training
• Previous line management experience 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES ​

• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills 

• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life threatening conditions 

• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation

• You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as able to motivate yourself

• You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as being able to motivate yourself.
• You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem-solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations.

DIVERITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION

We are a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive Charity. Medical Detection Dogs thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Charity Values

All employees are expected to uphold the charity’s core values in their daily work. This includes demonstrating respect through open and considerate communication, fostering cooperation by working collaboratively, maintaining honesty in all interactions and ensuring fairness through just and transparent decision-making.

Finally, the successful candidate will also be expected to: 

• Hold a full UK Driving Licence 

• Provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK. 

• Undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check 

• Work some evenings and weekends 

• Be willing to travel to the Centre based near Milton Keynes