Youth activity volunteer jobs in Abbey wood, greater london

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Refuge Worker to play a pivotal role in our Domestic Abuse Service in Tower Hamlets

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

This role involves providing intensive, person-centred support to women in a residential setting. The role includes delivering key sessions, community meetings, and daily contact to assess and monitor individual needs. You will co-produce Support and Safety Plans with residents, focusing on their strengths and goals, and offer advice on safety, domestic abuse, housing, and independent living. Responsibilities also include liaising with statutory bodies on safeguarding matters, supporting move-on accommodation, and promoting empowerment through workshops and social activities. The role follows “The Hestia Approach,” prioritising co-production, recovery, and partnership with service users.

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

Here's what the team will be looking for

The successful candidate will have substantial experience working directly with individuals who present a wide range of support needs, risks, and aspirations for their future. They will be confident in delivering high‑quality casework, including key working, support planning, and risk assessments, with a strong focus on promoting independence and recovery. A solid understanding of issues affecting women experiencing domestic abuse, as well as knowledge of mental health, substance misuse, and the wider social factors impacting service users, is essential.

The role requires someone who is able to work collaboratively with a variety of external agencies, including Social Services, mental health teams, drug and alcohol services, and other community organisations. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively with professionals to ensure that support packages are well‑coordinated and that safeguarding responsibilities are met. A thorough understanding of safeguarding legislation and procedures, including child protection, is fundamental to the role.

The postholder will need strong knowledge of welfare benefits, housing legislation, and the practical steps involved in supporting women to secure and maintain safe accommodation. They must be able to work confidently within service specifications, quality frameworks, and organisational policies, ensuring accurate record‑keeping, case notes, and monitoring reports. Experience using computer‑based systems to record client information is therefore required.

A commitment to equality, diversity, and the rights of service users is central to the role. The candidate must demonstrate an ability to promote dignity, choice, empowerment, and co‑production in all aspects of their work, in line with The Hestia Approach. They should be able to support women in developing confidence, resilience, and peer networks, and be comfortable facilitating group activities, workshops, and community‑based initiatives.

Please note: This role is open to female applicants only, in accordance with Schedule 9 (1a) of the Equality Act 2010.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

We're looking for an organised, proactive and resilient Business Systems Administrator to join our IT Team located at our Head Office in Islington.

£38,500.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

Our benefits include:
* Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
* Free DBS
* Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
* Fully paid induction programme and further training
* ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
* Online wellbeing resources
* A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
* Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

What you'll do:
- Ensure all live and test application environments are maintained in compliance with Look Ahead's IT policies and guidelines to meet business needs by working with colleagues and the Business Systems Manager to manage system security and coordinate system changes, patch installations, database copies and upgrades, as applicable.

- Provide application configuration, support, and administration for Nourish (Care plans) and Camascope (eMARS), and cover for other key business systems including MHR's iTrent (Recruitment, HR & Payroll), Cx (Housing Management & Customer Support Plans), OnTrack (Domestic Abuse) and any other applications and products being deployed through the Digital Transformation programme.

- Act as the subject matter expert and coordination point for Nourish and Camascope specific support activities, including updating support tickets and associated details and responses via the ticketing system.

- Manage ticket and incident escalations, as appropriate.

- Support the application owners, business users and team members with the building and running of reports from Nourish and Camascope when required for urgent organisation needs, such as regulator requirements or responding to serious incidents.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:
High levels of customer service - puts self in the place of system users to understand how best to tailor solutions to business requirements and needs.
- Approachable and open behaviours
- A Team Player, willing to share work and learning with the team and builds a positive team culture
- Able to work on their own initiative with minimal supervision
- Means, desire, and discipline to work effectively from home and still achieve desired results

What you'll bring:
Essential:
- Hands on knowledge of, or involvement in system administration for, at least one Customer Care Plan related system
- Previous history of supporting business systems or their use
- Self-starter with good initiative
- Well organised and methodical
- Good problem solving / analytical skills
- Experienced in issue resolution
- Excellent attention to detail
- Success orientated and delivery focused
- Excellent communication skills
- The ability to work to tight deadlines
- The ability to work through conflicting priorities
- The ability to build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders

About us:
Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Please see full job description on our website

Do you believe in the power of the arts to build community and transform lives? At Pimlico Musical Foundation, we work with a diverse community, providing a broad range of opportunities for both children and adults, and free musical education to local children, many of whom face considerable challenges. We bring people together, provide opportunities for young talent, and support the local community's engagement with the arts. We achieve this through various programmes, in partnership with local schools and organisations such as Westminster School, Oxford University, Opera Holland Park, the Rodolfus Foundation, and Future Academies.

We are seeking an experienced and driven fundraiser to take strategic ownership of our income generation across all income streams, leading the next phase of our growth. As Head of Fundraising, you will own and develop the fundraising strategy while continuing to deliver hands-on where needed, supported by an engaged board and CEO. Most of all, we are seeking someone who wants to make a difference, contributing to a community and improving access to the arts for everyone, regardless of their background.

We're looking for a passionate, compassionate and resilient Support Worker to join our Homelessness Social Care Service in Brent. No personal care or experience is required, just the right values

£30,784.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.
Our benefits include:
* Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
* A generous pension - we will contribute up to 8% and life assurance cover up to 3x Pensionable Salary (T&Cs apply)
* Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
* Fully paid induction programme and further training
* ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
* Online wellbeing resources
* Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
* Free DBS
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.
A Support Worker will help to enable vulnerable people with complex support needs to manage their licences and move towards greater independence within the community by providing a flexible and individually tailored support package.
This role will be based at for Pound Lane, which is a high complex needs 24-hour service with same shift pattern.

The working pattern for this role is: - 5 days a week, working over a seven day pattern, weekends included. Shift pattern 8am-4am and late shift 1.30pm-9.30pm

What you'll do:
* Undertake key-working responsibilities for a caseload assigned by the Team Leader / Manager
* Oversee the daily running of the service ensuring all health and safety responsibilities are met
* Raise safeguarding alerts and complete incident reports within specified timeframe
* Undertake initial and continuous assessment of needs and potential risks and agree levels of support and actions
* Create support/action plans for providing appropriate support based on the assessment and reflecting the services and resources available
* Support customers to undertake domestic tasks wherever possible, including practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills, to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of living standards
* Support customers to move on from the service through their identified move on pathway liaising with our Resettlement Officer and Brent Housing team.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:
- Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
- Approachable and open behaviour
- Prefers working as part of a group or team
- Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
- Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
- Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments

What you'll bring:

Desirable:
- Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector.

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
* We focus on Excellence and innovation.
* We are Caring and Compassionate.
* We are Inclusive and Trusted.
* We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Please see our website for full Job description

Caritas Social Action Network

Policy and Public Affairs Officer (maternity leave)

Location: office in London, with mostly working from home, regular travel in England and Wales, and rare travel overseas.

Contract: full-time, to cover a team member’s maternity leave

Salary: £30,00

Closing date: Monday 13 July at 12 noon

Interview date: Thursday 16 July in person, in London

CSAN is the official agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice affecting people who live in England and Wales. We’re facing a steep rise in poverty and significant pressures on social, economic and church resources. Currently, the Church is called to raise a prophetic voice against poverty and the rhetoric of division and work for the building of a more just society.

Over the last 20 years, CSAN has built up a network of 50 diocesan and direct service charities with a combined annual spend on social mission estimated at £400m, excluding the work of schools and religious congregations. Our members build up local community life in diverse ways, and many of them support individuals in difficulty, including with housing, prison and detention, social isolation, ill-health, violence, disability, employment, care, therapeutic and welfare support.

The key responsibilities of the post are:

1. To scan the social policy environment to capture developments in legislation, consultation papers and Bills relevant to the Caritas network for the purpose of comprehensive tracking and briefing.

2. To deliver an effective programme of Catholic advocacy and political campaigns that contributes to the common good, with particular attention to the priorities of the dignity of workers, child poverty, social care and end of life; supporting and connecting well with the team’s other activities, and where possible with the CSAN membership’s priorities,

3. To draft campaign and advocacy materials for the range of media channels used by CSAN and support the CEO in engaging with the press and approaches from campaigning organisations including contributing to CSAN’s social media networks.

4. To provide admin support and contribute to CSAN’s Alliances as required, especially the Advocacy Alliance and the Criminal Justice Alliance with information and education on policy and legislation.

5. To ensure that our advocacy is consistent with the Bishops’ understanding of the Church’s role in society and supports the priorities of the Bishops’ Conference, especially the Department for Social Justice.

6. To act as a conduit of information and communication between the Bishops’ Conference and the CSAN members, under the guidance of the CEO, assisting CBCEW where possible in gathering information and the lived experience of poverty.

7. To develop and contribute to practice materials for the network, especially in the areas of campaigning, advocacy, social policy and formation for mission.

8. To oversee monitoring of the Catholic press and relevant wider networks for relevant articles, developments and campaigns.

9. To support the general work of CSAN as required by the CEO, including leading in the development and organisation of the charity in specific areas subject to skills and experience.

The work of the small national team requires a high level of integrity and teamwork, respect for and capacity to navigate complex civil and church contexts at pace, and a stable commitment to personal formation and training. Our Policy and Public Affairs Officer (maternity leave) will bring a professional track record of relevant research and analysis, production of compelling communications, and diligent administration. A satisfactory basic DBS check and references are required.

CSAN is a member of Caritas Internationalis, one of the largest humanitarian networks in the world, with national agencies in over 160 countries, and among the most successful examples of organised Catholic social action in modern times.

We're looking for an organised, proactive and resilient Business Systems Administrator to join our IT Team located at our Head Office in Islington.

£38,500.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.
Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

Our benefits include:
* Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
* Free DBS
* Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
* Fully paid induction programme and further training
* ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
* Cycle to work scheme
* Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
* Online wellbeing resources
* A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
* Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

What you'll do:
- Ensure all live and test application environments are maintained in compliance with Look Ahead's IT policies and guidelines to meet business needs by working with colleagues and the Business Systems Manager to manage system security and coordinate system changes, patch installations, database copies and upgrades, as applicable.

- Provide application configuration, support, and administration for Nourish (Care plans) and Camascope (eMARS), and cover for other key business systems including MHR's iTrent (Recruitment, HR & Payroll), Cx (Housing Management & Customer Support Plans), OnTrack (Domestic Abuse) and any other applications and products being deployed through the Digital Transformation programme.

- Act as the subject matter expert and coordination point for Nourish and Camascope specific support activities, including updating support tickets and associated details and responses via the ticketing system.

- Manage ticket and incident escalations, as appropriate.

- Support the application owners, business users and team members with the building and running of reports from Nourish and Camascope when required for urgent organisation needs, such as regulator requirements or responding to serious incidents.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:
High levels of customer service - puts self in the place of system users to understand how best to tailor solutions to business requirements and needs.
- Approachable and open behaviours
- A Team Player, willing to share work and learning with the team and builds a positive team culture
- Able to work on their own initiative with minimal supervision
- Means, desire, and discipline to work effectively from home and still achieve desired results

What you'll bring:
Essential:
- Hands on knowledge of, or involvement in system administration for, at least one Customer Care Plan related system
- Previous history of supporting business systems or their use
- Self-starter with good initiative
- Well organised and methodical
- Good problem solving / analytical skills
- Experienced in issue resolution
- Excellent attention to detail
- Success orientated and delivery focused
- Excellent communication skills
- The ability to work to tight deadlines
- The ability to work through conflicting priorities
- The ability to build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders

About us:
Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.
We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Please see full job description on our website

Company Description

Marie Curie is the UK’s leading end-of-life charity. We are the largest non-NHS provider of end-of-life care in the UK, the only provider across all 4 nations, delivering community nursing and hospice care across the country, while providing information and support on all aspects of dying, death, and bereavement. Our leading research pushes the boundaries of what we know about good end-of-life, and our campaigns fight for a world where everyone gets to have the best possible quality of life while living with an illness, they’re likely to die from. 

Team and role overview 

At Marie Curie, our Case for Support team plays a vital role in the delivery of our strategy and supporting fundraising growth, by creating compelling cases for support and innovative propositions for our highest-value campaigns. Working alongside passionate, purpose-driven professionals, you’ll help us maximize impact and create meaningful connections with our supporters. 

As a Case for Support Lead, you will be instrumental in developing impactful narratives that resonate with our supporters and drive our mission forward. Your work will provide essential, up-to-date information about our clinical services, research and policy work. This will support all fundraising teams to build accurate and inspiring fundraising campaigns. By identifying funding opportunities and crafting tailored cases for support, you’ll ensure that our high-value fundraising teams continue to achieve transformational impact. 

What you will be doing:

• Create compelling case for support narratives about all aspects of Marie Curie’s work, articulating the need, solution, and impact for various audiences. 
• Collaborate with service, policy, and research teams to gain a deep understanding of their work and goals, gathering insights to support funding applications and campaigns. 
• Work closely with high-value income streams, supporting Trusts & Foundations, Philanthropy and Corporate teams by coordinating with internal stakeholders to develop compelling propositions. 
• Provide all fundraising teams with accurate, self-service information, including writing narratives and interpreting data. 
• Delivery of online Discovery Sessions with fundraising teams to improve their understanding of our cause. 

What we are looking for: 

• Proven experience in fundraising, service delivery, cause-led communications, or evaluation work. 
• Creative thinker with an independent, autonomous approach to work. 
• Strong communication skills to inspire others and positively influence opinions, with the ability to gain respect at all levels and drive practical, meaningful change. 
• Skilled at understanding and interpreting complex information and data and articulating it in a compelling way, both in writing and verbally. 
• Excellent people skills with a proven ability to integrate quickly into complex organizations. 
• Financial literacy with experience in interpreting budget information. 

Please see the full job description  

Additional Information

Application & Interview Process 

• As part of your online application, you will be asked for a CV and supplementary details. Please review both the advert and job description and outline your most relevant skills, experience and knowledge for the role. 
• Close date for applications but may close early: 2nd July 2026 
• Interviews due to take place 9th and 13th July2026 

** Important we encourage you to apply early as we may close the job advert sooner after receiving a sufficient number of suitable applications**. 

Salary: £36,900 to £39,900 

Contract:Permanent Full-Time 35 hours per week

Based: Remote based within the United Kingdom, occasional travel may be required travel costs covered 

Benefits you’ll LOVE: 

• Flexible working. We’re happy to discuss flexible working at the interview stage. 
• 25 days annual leave (exclusive of Bank Holidays) 
• Marie Curie Group Personal Pension Scheme (we will match your contribution up to 7.5%) 
• Loan schemes for bikes; computers and season tickets 
• Continuous professional development opportunities. 
• Industry-leading training programmes 
• Wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programmes 
• Enhanced bereavement, family friendly and sickness benefits 
• Access to Blue Light Card membership 
• Subsidised Eye Care 

At Marie Curie, our values are central to everything we do. They guide how we care for people, how we work together, and how we make decisions every day. We are committed to creating a workplace that is safe for everyone — staff and volunteers alike — supportive, inclusive and rewarding.  We take stringent steps to ensure that anyone who joins our organisation are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. We actively consider our impact on the planet, embedding sustainability into everyday decisions to create a lasting, positive difference for the individuals we care for and the world we share.

We believe everyone should have the opportunity to thrive and fulfil their potential. Marie Curie is deeply committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, recognising both the social justice imperative and the strength a diverse workforce brings.  We actively encourage applications from people of all cultures, perspectives and lived experiences.

We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process. If you require any support, please contact us at .

Every application we receive is personally reviewed by a member of our Talent Acquisition team, and in return, we ask that your application authentically reflects you — your experience, perspective and voice.

Independent Living Advisor (Self-Directed Support Service)
Salary: £30,000 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Location: Action on Disability, Mo Mowlam House, Clem Attlee Court, London, SW6 7BF

The Organisation

Action on Disability (AoD), founded in 1979, is one of London’s leading Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations. As we believe in the social model of disability, our values and principles embrace inclusive and accessible ways of working both internally and in all our activities, seek the participation and contribution of our members, and encourage and respect diversity.

The organisation is a medium sized charity with a Board of Trustees (at least 75% is disabled trustees), 20 staff and a strong ad hoc staff and volunteer base including many with direct experience of disability – all of whom are passionate about removing the barriers that disabled people face.

AoD provides five key services. These are: Youth, Employment, Welfare Benefits, Independent Living and Our Place.

AoD’s Independent Living Service

The Independent Living Service (Self-Directed Support Service) is a new service that will provide support to Direct Payment users within the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The service will enable disabled people to have genuine choice and control over the way in which they lead their lives.The post-holder will be working alongside disabled people to enable them to have more choice and control over their care and support needs.

Purpose of Post

To work with individuals, their family and friends (where appropriate) to provide them with information, advice and assistance to enable them to access and manage a Direct Payment

(DP) and recruit and manage a Personal Assistant (PA).

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Support to individuals employing their own Personal (care) Assistant (PA) or engage an agency to deliver care and support.

1. Provide information and advice on becoming an employer and the role of the Personal Assistant.
2. Ensure that the client understands their legal obligations and responsibilities of being an employer.
3. Work with clients to: set up a profile on the Find-a-pa website, advertise and recruit a Personal Assistant, create a personalised job description and specification identify the level of experience and training requirements needed for the role.
4. Advise and help to calculate the PA’s salary and on costs (full training provided).
5. Support the client through the interview process and where necessary sit in during interviews.
6. Support individuals to reference, check legal status and where necessary DBS their support worker.
7. Support individuals to set up an induction plan for their PA and enable them to identify training needs.
8. Support the client to complete payroll and insurance documentation.
9. Work with the client to draw up a Statement of Particular (contract) for the employed PA (templates provided).
10. Encourage DP employers to take a lead in all employment issues. Information on where to seek advice e.g. ACAS, Fish and Premier Care helpline will be given and clients will be encouraged to use them.
11. Ensure that the individual has a back-up plan for emergencies.
12. Encourage DP employers to be assertive and proactive with their Personal Assistants.
13. Work with agencies to set up support for clients who may not wish to employ a PA directly.

Ongoing support to individuals in receipt of Direct Payments

1. Providing advice on employment issues.
2. Support individuals to solve practical problems e.g. lateness of staff, change of needs.
3. Support individuals to recruit again if necessary.
4. Assist individuals to re-look at budgets, training and job descriptions as they change over time.
5. Assist individuals to ensure that they continue to manage their Direct Payment or budget.
6. Support individuals to make informed choices.
7. Meet with the DP Support Group on a regular basis.
8. Assist in the development of training and other resources to support employers to manage their DP and their PA relationships.
9. Develop links and professional relationships with Social Work teams to support a healthy level of referrals.

For all work:

• Work in a person-centred way.
• Comply with AoD’s agreed policies and procedures.
• Participate in the wider development of the service and contribute to service improvement as required.
• Be computer literate and administratively self-supporting.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as identified by the Self-Directed Support Service Lead or line manager.

Special requirements

• Ability to travel within the London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
• Some attendance at meetings and events outside of normal office hours will be required.

Person Specification

To be considered for this role, candidates must have:

• Good standard of education.
• Experience of recruiting volunteers or staff.
• Knowledge of employment law.
• Understanding of social care and Direct Payments legislation.
• Experience/knowledge of supporting individuals to recruit and manage employees.
• Experience of working with clients with support needs.
• Experience of using a person-centred approach.
• Ability to think creatively and to come up with solutions.
• Ability to gather and assess information efficiently.
• Numeracy skills and knowledge of budgeting.
• Ability to use Word and Excel packages to a high standard.
• Ability to work under pressure, and to tight deadlines.
• A flexible approach and able to work on own initiative
• Good communication skills including interpersonal, written, presentational and spoken.
• Ability to guide in a sensitive way
• Ability to assess and match skills and personalities to individual needs and preferences.
• Commitment to the Social Model of Disability and to promote choice, independence, rights and inclusion.
• Understanding of and commitment to the aims of the organisation.
• Excellent practical understanding of the need for confidentiality.
• An understanding of equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice

Desirable qualities

• Experience of working with disabled people
• Lived experience of disability

Closing Date: Friday 10th July 2026
N.B. we reserve the right to close this vacancy early and/or begin interviewing before the closing date if a suitable candidate is identified.
Early applications are therefore encouraged.

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.

The successful candidate will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check.

We welcome applicants from all walks of life.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we actively encourage applications from Disabled people and people with long term health and mental conditions. We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme in that we will guarantee an interview to all Disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post. Please state in a cover letter if you wish us to consider you for this guaranteed interview scheme.

AoD is a Living Wage Foundation registered employer and all of our employees, casual workers and contractors are paid above the London Living Wage.

No agencies please.