Learning and development manager jobs

Shop Manager

Service: Relate at Family Action

Location: Warwick

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (full-time)

Salary: £13.10 per hour

Contract type: Permanent

We are looking for a talented Shop Manager who is an enthusiastic self-starter, with a passion for charity retail, to manage our Warwick shop on a full time (37.5 hours per week) basis.

Who we are

Relate is a leading relationships service, offering counselling, information, mediation and support to individuals, couples and families from all backgrounds and sexualities, at all stages of life. We also provide expert training for relationship support practitioners.

Relate is now part of the family charity, Family Action. Supporting people through change, challenge or crisis, we protect children, support young people and adults, and offer direct, practical help to families and communities. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today. With Relate at Family Action, we work to support the creation of secure foundations for children and young people, and safe, supportive relationships for all.

We currently manage 11 shops located within 5 regions across the UK. Our shops generate income to support the work of Relate. The shops are managed by paid Shop Managers, supported by Assistant Shop Managers/Sessional Workers (Retail Assistants) and our amazing Shop Volunteers.

What are we looking for?

• Charity retail experience preferred

• Experience of customer care

• High levels of organisational skills

• Highly focussed on maximising sales

• An eye for detail

• A sound track record in achieving targets and delivering success

You will be responsible for the creation of a warm and welcoming environment for customers, volunteers and donors, with a view to maximising sales, profits and Gift Aid to support the work of Relate at Family Action.

The successful applicant will be required to work flexibly for 37.5 hours each week (5 days per week including Weekends) across a 7 day trading week, Monday to Sunday.

What will we offer you?

We offer flexible working hours, a generous pension scheme and leave entitlements, eye care vouchers, a cycle to work scheme and other great benefits. We have an excellent wellbeing offer and we will invest in your professional development with on-going quality training and career development opportunities. We have six staff diversity networks that offer peer support and contribute to the strategic development of EDI; Accessibility Network, Anti-Racism and People of Colour Network, Gender Equality Network, Inter-Faith Network, LGBTQIA+ Equality Network and Parents and Carers Equality Network. You’ll join an established, supportive and high-performing service and have the opportunity to thrive in an innovative organisation that values your opinion, encourages learning and has the needs of children and families at its core.

We are forward looking, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement. We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all we do and operates with mutual respect. If you share these values and behaviours and have the necessary skills then we look forward to hearing from you.  

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community / particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities because we are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action. We know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support.

All candidates with a disability are welcome to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and request priority consideration for an interview, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role. 

To help remove financial barriers to working with us, we will reimburse travel costs if you are invited to attend an interview in person. 

To Apply:

· Click the ‘Apply’ link below and fill out our digital application form

· Closing Date: Thursday 26th February 2026

Appointments are subject to satisfactory Safer Recruitment checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check where appropriate to the role.

The Strategic Member Programme Manager is responsible for the development and delivery of member programmes, training, and engagement activity, including leading the end-to-end development and delivery of the annual SOLT & UK Theatre Conference programme. The role translates member insights and organisational priorities into compelling, relevant programmes that support the continued professional development of workforce skills, industry insight, and the networking needs of SOLT & UK Theatre members. The postholder will work closely with the Director of Membership & External Affairs and the wider Membership, Advocacy, Employment Relations, and Events teams to deliver highquality, strategically aligned programming that meets member needs, and supports SOLT & UK Theatre’s Business Plan objectives. 

For full details of the role, please see the job pack. 

Contract Type: Permanent 

Location: Lancashire

Assessment Cente: 24th of February in-person

Are you ready for an adventure-filled role that makes a real difference? As a Youth Development Lead, you can expect to spend four days a week outdoors, delivering life-changing programmes to vulnerable young people, rain or shine. With activities like bushcraft, paddling, climbing, and hill walking, you’ll use your skills to inspire confidence and build resilience. Your hands-on approach will help break down barriers and empower young people to reach their potential.

Ideal candidates will have experience working with vulnerable individuals and delivering outdoor learning programmes. While your week will be spent mostly delivering sessions outdoors, expect one day a week at a desk planning sessions and recording data. If you thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about supporting young people through meaningful, adventurous experiences, we want to hear from you!

What happens next?  

Please submit a CV, and Cover Letter that includes your experience, transferrable skills and motivation to work for The King's Trust! The Team will be in touch about the next steps shortly after the closing date. 

Why do we need Youth Development Leads? 

Last year, we helped more than 40,000 Young People, with every three in four moving into a positive outcome for either work, education or training. Youth Development Leads play a crucial role in supporting young people, no matter the young person's background or current circumstances, to fulfil their full potential. We want to continue having a positive impact on young people’s lives and we couldn’t do this without the important work of Youth Development Leads! 

Perks for working at The Trust! 

• Great holiday package! 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays. Office closure on the days between Christmas and New Year 
• Flexible working! Unless the location of the role is remote, the Youth Development Lead role requires a combination of office days and working from home. 
• You can volunteer for and/or attend events – The King's Trust Awards, Pride, active events etc. 
• In-house learning platform! Develop your skills for your career and your role 
• Benefits platform! Everything from health and financial well-being support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas. 
• Personal development opportunities through our Networks – KT CAN (Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network), and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network). 
• Fantastic Family leave! Receive 13 weeks of full pay and 13 weeks of half pay for maternity and adoption leave. Receive 8 weeks of full pay for paternity leave. 
• Interest-free season ticket loans 
• Cycle-to-Work Scheme
• The Trust will contribute 5% of your salary to the Trust Pension Scheme 
• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary) 

WRAP are looking for a self-motivated and proactive person to manage its day-to-day operations, have responsibility for securing necessary funding and lead on strategic development.

WRAP is a small charity based in Stratford-upon-Avon, covering South Warwickshire, established over 25 years ago to preserve and protect the health of those with cognitive brain disorders. It delivers a range of services to support people affected by dementia, including a weekly café, a memory box loan scheme, an education programme for carers and a music group.

Closing date: 27th February 2026

Interviews will take place on the week commencing 9th March 2026

Want your fundraising to change lives, not just balance sheets?

The Friendly Food Club is looking for an ambitious, values-driven Fundraising & Partnerships Manager to grow income, build powerful partnerships, and help create healthier futures for families across Dorset and BCP.

The Friendly Food Club supports people from vulnerable groups and communities by building their cooking skills, confidence and resilience, to help break the cycle of food insecurity and low wellbeing.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of an established and growing charity and deliver real-world impact every day.

This role is perfect for someone who:

• Is aligned with our values of care, good health, inclusion and community
• Brings empathy, energy and a people-first approach
• Has a friendly, creative, resilient and solutions-focused mindset
• It happy to get stuck in and involved at all levels of development and delivery
• Lives in Dorset or BCP areas who likes a mix of working from home and getting out and about.

The role will:

• Develop and deliver Friendly Food Club’s fundraising strategy to align with the charity’s priorities.
• Identify, build and steward strong, values-aligned long-term funding and partnership relationships.
• Write compelling and effective funding applications, proposals and impact reports
• Monitor income performance and report to the CEO and Board
• Represent Friendly Food Club externally as an ambassador for its mission and values

Apply now and help cook up healthier futures for thousands across Dorset.

If you want your work to truly matter — and to be part of a supportive, mission-led team — we’d love to hear from you.

Deadline 28 February 2026 | In person interviews mid-March 2026 | Start date: Flexible for the right person

Evaluation and Research Officer

STEM Learning is committed to understanding and improving the impact of its work. The Evaluation & Research Officer plays a key role in supporting this by designing and delivering high-quality evaluation and research activity that helps teams learn, improve and demonstrate impact across our programmes.

The Role

We are looking for an Evaluation & Research Officer to join our Data and Impact team at STEM Learning. This role plays a key part in ensuring that our programmes and projects are evaluated effectively, realistically, and in line with best practice, enabling us to demonstrate impact and continuously improve our offer.

Working closely with programme management colleagues, you will design and implement evaluations, ensuring relevant data is collected, analysed and interpreted. You will produce clear, high-quality outputs for both internal and external audiences, supporting learning, accountability, and impact reporting.

You will also contribute to external evaluations, liaising with external evaluators where required, and help embed evidence-informed practice across the organisation. A key part of the role is sourcing, reviewing and synthesising external research and sector evidence to strengthen STEM Learning’s evaluation approaches, findings and impact claims.

Our Ideal Candidate

Candidates will be able to demonstrate our values: Sustainable – Innovative – Proactive

• Demonstrable experience in programme and project evaluation and/or social research, using a range of quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Experience of designing and delivering evaluations, from planning through to analysis and reporting.
• Experience of conducting literature reviews and evidence synthesis and translating research findings into practical insights for programme teams.
• Good knowledge of mixed methods approaches and experience of analysing and interpreting complex datasets.
• Experience of producing clear, well-structured written reports for a range of audiences.
• Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, including contributing to externally commissioned research or evaluation.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• An understanding of, or strong interest in, STEM education, social impact, and evidence-informed practice.
• A commitment to ethical research practice and data protection standards.
• Willingness to engage in ongoing professional learning and development.

We welcome applicants who bring equivalent experience gained through different routes, and who can demonstrate the skills and behaviours needed for the role.

 About Us

At STEM Learning, we work to improve lives through STEM education. We are a purpose-driven organisation, supporting teachers through high-impact professional development, inspiring young people to build confidence and curiosity in STEM, and connecting schools with employers to grow the UK’s future talent. Guided by our values, we focus our effort where it can make the greatest difference - helping all young people, whatever their background, to see themselves in STEM.

The Evaluation & Research Officer plays an important role in helping STEM Learning understand, evidence and strengthen the impact of this work, ensuring we meet the expectations of funders, partners and the communities we serve.

 Our Benefits

• 30 days holidays plus bank holidays
• An additional day off on your birthday
• Access to an attractive pension scheme
• Our full-time hours are 37 hours per week
• Up to 3 days paid volunteering leave per year
• A comprehensive employee assistance programme

Next Steps

Closing date: Friday 20th February 2026

First Stage Interviews (online): Week commencing Monday 2nd March

Second Stage Interviews (in person): Week commencing Monday 9th March

To Apply

Please provide us with:

• Your up-to-date CV including the contact details of two referees (please note, references will not be approached without your permission and will not be taken up until the offer stage)
• A covering letter (no more than the equivalent of 2 sides of A4) explaining your interest in the role and why you think you would be the ideal candidate.

STEM Learning strives to be diverse and inclusive – a place where we can ALL be ourselves. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and communities, and are committed to employing teams with diverse abilities, skills, and experiences.

We foster a culture where every employee’s voice is respected and valued.

About Ally Pally

As a charity we are committed to safeguarding our heritage while continually evolving our offer to meet the needs of today's audiences and communities. We are at a pivotal moment in our journey with our 10-year vision A Sustainable Home for All That We Do sets out an ambitious future; enabling everyone to experience inspirational culture, world-class entertainment, unique heritage and restorative green space

About The Role

The Governance Manager is a trusted advisor to the Board of Trustees and the Executive Leadership Team on all governance matters. 

The post holder will manage the day-to-day administration of governance functions.

Essential

1. Board and Executive Team administrative support
2. Ensure full compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements
3. Lead the design of the governance framework, policies and procedures
4. Coordinate Trustee recruitment, appointment and inductions
5. Coordinate risk management systems and reporting frameworks
6. Oversee compliance with UK GDPR and Data Protection Legislation
7. Maintain all statutory records, registers and governance documentation
8. Collate and track organisational performance against KPIs

For further details including how to apply please see the JOB PACK on Alexandra Palace's careers page

The deadline for applications is 5pm Tuesday 17 February

Our Time Charity is seeking an experienced Development Manager to help grow and embed our early help and family mental health services across the UK.

This is a senior, outward-facing role focused on securing statutory income, developing high-quality tenders, and building strong relationships with local authorities, Family Hubs and strategic partners. A key priority will be positioning KidsTime Workshops as a recognised, commissioned early help offer within local authority family support systems.

Working closely with the CEO, you will identify high-impact opportunities, navigate commissioning processes, and help ensure more children affected by parental mental illness receive timely, preventative support.

This role is ideal for someone with experience in local authority commissioning, business development or statutory income generation, who understands early intervention and wants to use their skills to create lasting social impact.

To learn more about the role, responsibilities and how to apply, please download the full recruitment pack.

Join Savera UK

We are looking for a passionate individual with a strong commitment to human rights and driving change. You will bring experience in training, development, and management to take on the role of Training and Development Manager, leading our training and education development projects.

The Role

This is a rewarding leadership role where you will:

• Lead the development and enhancement of Savera UK’s training and education package on HBA, harmful practices, and related issues
• Take responsibility for the development, delivery, and management of the National Lottery-funded Reaching Communities training project, including managing a team to deliver project outcomes
• Develop advanced, in-depth training programmes tailored to a range of professional audiences, including health, social care, education, the voluntary sector, and community groups
• Design flexible training programmes that can be delivered online, in person, or in hybrid formats, with the ability to tailor content to meet the needs of different organisations and CPD requirements

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

• At least 3 years of experience in the field of training and development
• Expertise in designing, developing, delivering, implementing and managing high-quality training and education packages and programmes
• Experience in delivering training to a range of audiences and adding to Savera UK’s own expertise
• Experience in leading, mentoring and supporting staff and volunteers
• Experience in training, project management, and budgeting
• Commitment to Savera UK’s values of respect, inclusion, compassion, innovation, and ambition

What We Offer

• 28 days annual leave (plus bank holidays)
• Wellbeing support and external supervision
• Ongoing training and development opportunities
• Employer pension contribution (3%)

Equality & Occupational Requirement

This post is open to anyone with the right experience and skills required for the project to succeed. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds.

About you

Are you a confident digital leader with a passion for driving impact through digital channels? Do you have a knack for asking good questions that help people get to the heart of what they’re trying to achieve? Do you want to use your skills to make a real difference to the myeloma community?

We’re looking for a Digital Reach and Marketing manager to help us achieve our ambitious reach, acquisition and income growth targets.

About the role

This is a new role and exciting opportunity to help shape our digital channels and communities.

You’ll work closely with the Head of Digital, digital marketing team and key stakeholders across the organisation to bring our strategic brand to life and help us achieve our aim of getting Myeloma UK in front of anyone impacted by myeloma.

You’ll lead our digital team to increase our reach and engagement and build trust and loyalty with our online communities.

You’ll also act as a trusted planning partner to teams across the organisation to help them develop marketing plans that best help them achieve their goals and translate their work into effective digital content.

While the digital team works hybrid in Edinburgh, we will consider remote working (with some visits to Edinburgh) for the right person.

About us

Myeloma UK is the only UK charity focused on the incurable blood cancer, myeloma and its related conditions.  We provide support and influence access to treatments, while researching a cure.  Thanks to life-extending treatments and support, today many people affected by myeloma are able to live longer and to live well.  Together, we support, so no one faces myeloma alone. 

We are committed to bringing together the best and brightest people to help us ensure that every person affected by myeloma has an empowered present and a hopeful future.

Our ultimate goal is to find a cure and make myeloma history. Until then, our mission is to help every person living with myeloma, live well, for as long as possible. We are committed to diagnosing myeloma earlier, discovering and sharing knowledge, transforming the patient experience and influencing positive change.

Our culture

Wellbeing and staff engagement are at the heart of our culture.  We offer employees a range of benefits including a pension salary exchange scheme, flexitime, flexible working which includes both home and hub-based office working, health plan, employee assistance plan and holiday purchase scheme. We are committed to providing learning and development opportunities for all our employees.

How to apply

If you think you would be a great fit for this role, get in touch and tell us more about yourself by sending the following:

1. A cover letter telling us more about you and what you think makes you a good fit for this role

2. A CV that sets out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements

Applications close at midnight on 22 February 2026.  Interviews will be held 26 and 27 February.

Myeloma UK is an equal opportunities employer and always welcomes applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of:

· sex

· race

· disability

· age

· sexual orientation

· gender reassignment

· religion or belief

· marital status

· or pregnancy and maternity

Please note, you will be asked to provide evidence of your eligibility to work in the UK prior to interview selection.

Do you want to develop and facilitate a new youth development programme at Share? We are looking for a passionate and creative team member to join as our new Youth Development Facilitator. 

Share is a registered charity and a centre for training and wellbeing. We provide a range of programmes helping adults with learning disabilities, autism and other support needs become more happy, healthy and independent. Our vision is a world where disabled people are fully included in society, living the life they choose, and we need talented people to help us make that happen. 

You’ll help people build the life skills they need to make positive long-term changes. You’ll develop and facilitate our new programme at Share, delivering session both at our training centres and out in the community. You’ll help our students achieve their personal objectives and keep learning in an engaging, fun and stimulating way. 

Main responsibilities

• You’ll think creatively when planning and facilitating the programme and use a range of methods to support the students learning goal

• You’ll support progression pathways for young people with a learning disability and/or are autistic, many of whom have recently left college

• You’ll work with each young person to understand their individuals' preferences and strengths to develop an accessible action plan

• You’ll work to strengthen our local community and youth networks, developing partnerships with external organisations

Who we’re looking for

• You’ll have experience of working with young people and will be passionate about delivering quality services

• You’ll have a good understanding of the challenges faced by adults with learning disabilities and a strong commitment to the inclusion of disabled people in all aspect of life

• You’ll have excellent planning and time management skills, with the ability to meet deadlines and targets

• You’ll be able to take a collaborative and empowering approach, working with our students, partners and volunteers to plan and deliver person centred services

• Most importantly, you share our strong commitment to the inclusion of disabled people in society, you believe in equality for all

Why work for us?

Share is committed to empowering disabled people. You’ll make a difference every day, helping people to live as independently as possible.

Our values drive us forward. They provide the framework for everything we do, including who we hire. We believe everyone has something to offer others, and we build on people's individual talents, interests and abilities. We think happy employees are successful employees.

We won employer of the year at the Wandsworth Business Awards in 2019 and we hold gold Investors in People accreditation. This means we truly understand the value of people: we focus on what people can do, not what holds them back. And we have robust policies in place so that every single person working at Share takes ownership for making our programmes come to life.

We’ve been praised for our supportive working environment where everyone has a voice and is valued. You’ll be surrounded by people who support you, challenge you, and inspire you. 

How to apply

We actively encourage applications from people from minoritised ethnic communities and with lived experience of a learning disability and/or autism. This is because we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of our student body wherever possible in order to provide the best possible service. 

Please send us your CV and a cover letter. In your letter, please tell us:

1. What are three qualities that make you an excellent Youth Development Facilitator? 

2. What relevant experience do you have of planning and facilitating skills development programmes for young adults (preferable with those with a learning disability or autistic young adults)? 

3. How would you develop the Youth Development programme at Share? 

If you would like to have chat about the role or visit us prior to applying, please contact a member of the HR team.

We focus on ability and believe people work best when they feel valued, safe and happy. We do all that we can to make sure that Share is friendly and welcoming to everyone. All CVs and applications are sanitised to ensure unbiased recruitment. 

This job is subject to two satisfactory references, evidence of qualifications, an enhanced DBS check and providing evidence of the right to work in the UK. If you are disabled and would like to discuss other ways of submitting your application, please contact us.

We look forward to receiving your application. 

ID: 1659 TESOL/TEFL Teacher

Service: The Language of Food, Food Services Team 

Salary: £28,884 - £31,698 FTE per annum (pro-rata for corresponding part-time hours)

- Additionally, £3,679 Inner London Weighting FTE per annum if London based

- OR additionally, £480 home-based allowance FTE per annum if home based

Location: Either Southend or London (part time role) or both areas (full time role)

Hours: 37 full time covering Southend and London (or 18.5 hours per week part time, covering one of the areas)

Contract: Fixed Term until end of August 2026

Job Summary:­

We are looking for an experienced TESOL/TEFL professional to deliver high-quality English language teaching to adults living in Southend and/or London. The successful postholder will deliver engaging language lessons to groups of adult learners with different levels of English within community venues. The postholder will work closely with other members of Family Action staff, particularly those working in FOOD Clubs/Stores, which support people to maximise their income, learn new recipes and try new foods. The successful candidate will play a key role within the Food Services team at Family Action, supporting individuals to develop their communication skills, confidence, and wellbeing.

Family Action & the Role’s Impact:

At Family Action we support people through change, challenge or crisis. It’s what we’ve done for over 150 years. We protect children, support young people and adults and offer direct, practical help to families and communities.

We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced TESOL/TEFL Teacher to join a new project called The Language of Food, supporting local people in Southend and London to develop their English language skills.

Main Responsibilities:

The role involves, for instance: planning lessons for groups of adult learners of English, ensuring they meet learners’ needs, learning styles and language level; adapting, where necessary, existing English language materials to meet the needs of each group of learners; delivering engaging lessons, encouraging learners’ participation through demonstrating a positive and enthusiastic approach; and completing learner assessments before and after each programme, as well as monitoring each individual’s learning during the programme. (See JD and Specification for full details).

Main Requirements:

The successful candidate will:

· Have a Dip TESOL/DELTA or other similar level teaching qualification (eg PGCE including a TEFL element)

· Be experienced in delivering TESOL/TEFL sessions to groups of adults, particularly in diverse community settings (eg children’s centres)

· Have demonstrable knowledge of effective language teaching and learning strategies

· Have experience of assessing and monitoring students’ learning

· Knowledge of, or willingness to learn about, food safety and healthy eating

Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service at Enhanced level.

(See JD and Specification for full details).

Benefits:

· An annual paid leave entitlement that commences at 25 working days, rising each April by one day, subject to a maximum of 30 working days plus bank holidays (pro rata)

· Up to 6% matched-pension contributions

· Enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions

· Eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers

· Cycle to work scheme

· Investing in your professional development with ongoing quality training and career development opportunities

We are forward looking, ambitious and committed to continuous improvement. We are a people focused, can-do organisation, which strives for excellence in all we do and operates with mutual respect.

To Apply:

Click the “Redirect to Recruiter” link above and fill out our digital application form

Closing Date:  12th February 2026 23:59 midnight

For any queries, or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the selection process or the potential for flexible working, please email: Louise Reilly, David Underwood or Michael Cowieson.

All appointments with Family Action are subject to satisfactory Safer Recruitment checks.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that candidates may need during the recruitment process and you will be asked whether you require any adjustments if shortlisted for interview. We also make reasonable adjustments on the job, where required.

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Intersectionality is important to us and we welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates. We are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action because we know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and we strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support.

All candidates with a disability are welcome to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and request priority consideration for an interview, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role.

To help remove financial barriers to working with us, we will reimburse travel costs if you are invited to attend an interview in person.

*Ordinarily Family Action appoints new starters at the starting point of the salary scale (with subsequent annual pay progression), unless you have experience that would justify appointment further up the salary scale or there are any other exceptional reasons.

Learning Disability Community Leader, L'Arche London

ABOUT THE ROLE

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week (including some evening and weekend working, and regular on-call)
Salary: £55,000 (including London weighting)
Reports to: L’Arche UK Director of Care and Communities
Place of work: L’Arche London Community, West Norwood, SE27. Some travel and overnight stays will be required within the UK.
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: Midnight on Wednesday 11 February 2026

Main purpose of the role

The Community Leader is responsible for ensuring that the Community is living the mission of L’Arche, by providing excellent and sustainable care and support services, support for spirituality, and engaging with our neighbours and the wider community around us.

The Community Leader will:

• Lead the Community by responding to the needs, choices and context of our members while being faithful to the L'Arche UK Vision and Values, the L'Arche International Identity and Mission Statement, and to a co-created Community Mandate and plan;
• Maintain and enhance high-quality, person-centred care, support, and housing for people with learning disabilities, both at home and in our day services in partnership with the Registered Manager, the Team in London, the National Leadership Team, individual circles of support, and external partners;
• Ensure the Community's financial sustainability through robust financial planning and management, including setting budgets, controlling spending, maximising occupancy, negotiating care contracts, growing day services, and spotting fundraising opportunities;
• Foster a culture that maximises the voice and power for people with learning disabilities, building listening and collaboration between Community members with and without learning disabilities;
• Lead and manage a diverse, committed, and engaged leadership team to achieve objectives, set a positive culture, and support the personal and professional growth of our leaders;
• Cultivate an open, creative, and spiritual life, inviting everyone in the Community to deepen their connections;
• Model, advocate for, and embrace the L'Arche ethos of deep, long-term, and mutually transforming relationships between people with and without learning disabilities, planning and leading a regular calendar of events that build community belonging and help keep people connected;
• Contribute to the national work programmes of L'Arche UK, as part of the National Council, collaborating with Community Leaders of other L'Arche Communities, to share skills, best practice, and resources;
• Be a visible representative of L'Arche locally in the wider community, with stakeholders like local authorities, professional organisations, schools, faith communities, and L'Arche world wide;

Key essential criteria

• Senior leadership experience in support to adults with learning disabilities (or transferable skills and experience in a closely related field);
• Experience in leading, managing, and developing an organisation or large teams to deliver results, maintain compliance and quality, and to respond to risks and opportunities;
• Good financial planning skills and experiences of successfully managing a substantial budget;
• Ability to think strategically and work collaboratively to develop and implement community plans;
• Experience of living or working alongside people with learning disabilities and/or autistic individuals;
• Passionate about person-centred support and the values and mission of L'Arche;

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS criminal record check.

You can find more details about L'Arche London and additional details about L'Arche can be found on our website.

Discover what makes L’Arche a rewarding place to work—explore our employee benefits on our website.

A full job description and person specification can be found in the Recruitment Pack.

To apply, please submit your CV and answer the questions from our online application form.
The closing date is: Wednesday 11 February 2026 at midnight.

First round interviews are expected to take place on 23 and 24 February 2026, online via Microsoft Teams.
Second round interviews will take place on 5 March 2026 and will take place within the L'Arche London Community.

We encourage you not to wait until the closing date to submit your application, as we may begin interviewing strong candidates before then.
We also reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive enough suitable applications.

Please also read our privacy notice for job applicants.

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The Difference is an education charity, founded to change the story on lost learning. Our vision is to see lost learning falling nationally by 2030 and for schools to be better equipped to support all children, particularly those most vulnerable.

Leading national policy strategy

As Head of Policy and Public Affairs, you will work closely with the CEO to develop and execute a four-year influencing plan.  Together we’ll aim to shift local and national incentives on inclusion by 2030, which see the national trend of rising suspension and absence begin to fall. 

You will hold relationships with the Department for Education and Ofsted and advise on policy priorities ahead, such as:

• Widening the definition of inclusion beyond special needs, recognising the needs of those young people historically or currently interacting with social services

• Reducing perverse incentives for schools to alter their school roll through admissions and pupil exits

• Expectations for multi-academy trusts in capturing and analysing data on lost learning, including how it disproportionately affects different groups

• Improving local alternative provision eco-systems, to improve outcomes for young people

• National standards for inclusive school practice, at a universal and targeted level

• Professional development standards for school inclusion

Developing implementation expertise in the middle tier

In your first six months, you will advise on the internal development of a new programme for middle tier policy actors: multi-academy trust and local authority leaders.  You will support the Programme team in its design, to plan strategically for the recruitment of trusts and local authorities, and you will plan the research and influencing work which will seek to share their success nationally.

Building the evidence base

In your second six months, you will work with the CEO to build out our research function. Your influencing plan will include how The Difference can learn from the work across our multi-academy trust, local authority and internal AP pioneer partners over the next four years, to develop influential publications. Research work ahead will include publishing sector-facing publications of The Difference’s own research, carried out by our research lead and associates; alongside managing external contractors and internal colleagues to bid for and deliver aligned research disseminating our ideas.

Raising your voice

This is an exciting opportunity for someone committed to inclusive policy change. The Difference has always punched above our weight in national and sector press reach. In post,  you will publish blogs and comment pieces, disseminating our shared ideas.  You will be a prominent voice on inclusion.

The Difference is still a small and growing charity. This means that our work is fast-paced, our roles are broad, and there is a culture of being highly autonomous, reactive and flexible, as the needs of the organisation evolve. If this sounds exciting rather than daunting, then this could be the role and team for you!

The Role
This is an exciting time to join The Difference as we increase our impact, reach more schools, and develop our influencing strategy. As Head of Policy and Public Affairs you will: 

Design and execute an impactful influencing plan 

• Design an influencing plan - Identify via horizon scanning opportunities to influence national policy using open policy windows, or by nudging/creating new ones. 

• Execute an influencing plan - Utilise own assets and assets across the organisation, including the Director team, to deliver against the influencing plan.

• Relationship building - Build highly credible and impactful relationships with a variety of stakeholders who hold power. This will include policy makers in national governments, local government officials, politicians, other third sector organisations and think tanks. 

• Leadership - Play a significant role internally and externally in communicating the organisation’s policy position, raising organisational and own brand.

Build policy capacity and credibility across the organisation

• Policy positions and solutions- Use the concepts, work and experience of The Difference’s programmes to develop new, and refine existing, national policy positions to shift incentives. 

• Thought leadership - Be the organisation’s education policy and political expert. 

• Generating income - Use own and team’s expertise and credibility to generate income via speaking engagements and consultancy to support the organisation’s financial sustainability. 

Person Specification

Essential – We are looking for someone with the following knowledge, experience and skills, though you may be stronger in some areas than others:

• Deep expertise in education policy, particularly on the topic of lost learning and the various policy and political debates, including areas of controversy, surrounding this policy topic. 

• Strategic thinker with a proven track record in identifying policy windows and designing activities that lead to meaningful national policy change. 

• Excellent relationship builder, who brings with them their own network of influential stakeholders and has a plan for building new relationships. Adept at navigating tricky situations and explaining complex, sometimes difficult, messages.

• Expert convener with a strong knowledge of the education sector, including which schools, trusts and local authorities are influential and experience in bringing a variety of perspectives together to generate consensus. 

• Persuasive and clear writing style for publication, including reports, press, blogs and ghost writing for members of the senior leadership team, often based on consensus positions, and designed to communicate key messages for impact. 

• Confidence and credibility in communicating nuanced messages in a contentious landscape, in writing, verbally and in public (e.g. on panels), to raise the profile of The Difference. 

• Strong project manager who can design systems and processes to keep self, team and other stakeholders on task and on time. Experience of designing programmes of work and monitoring their effectiveness. Flexible project management style that can adapt to a changing environment. Confidence in managing a variety of stakeholders and supporting them to deliver on time. 

Desired – You are more likely to be successful in your application if you have one or more of the following: 

• Familiarity with The Difference’s programmatic work, theory and practice. 

• Lived experience or insight into the school experiences of marginalised young people (e.g. those with experience of the care system, mental ill health, special educational needs, exclusion, and racism).

We know that some people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, may hesitate to apply unless they meet every listed requirement. If this role excites you and you believe you could make a strong contribution, we warmly encourage you to apply. 
We actively welcome applications from people whose backgrounds are under-represented in the charity sector, including but not limited to: people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with experience in the case system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates.