Learning jobs in aveley, essex

Duration: Fixed Term (Maternity Cover for 12 months)

Salary: £56,000 per annum

Hours: 35 hours per week (other flexible arrangements will be considered)

Location: Working from home and at 1 Westfield Avenue, London E20 1HZ

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is a great opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as Finance Business Partner (early moments leave/maternity cover for 12 months).

This role provides the main Finance point of contact across relevant teams and senior stakeholders and is expected to support various teams, including the Marketing Team that generates a significant portion of UNICEF UK’s income, and the Information and People Teams, amongst others.

Reporting to the Head of Finance Business Partnering, you will work directly with budget holders in your dedicated teams, supporting financial planning and performance reporting with analysis, insight and constructive challenge to support decision making and strategic financial planning, driving positive outcomes for UNICEF UK.

The ideal candidate would be someone that’s analytical and highly numerate, able to identify key performance and financial drivers and convey complex information with clarity. Experience in finance business partnering is key with experience specifically in digital marketing being desirable.  The role entails building strong relationships with senior stakeholders and being able to both challenge and support.

Act now and visit the website via the apply button to apply online.

Closing date: 9am, Monday 5 January 2026.

Interview date: TBC in January.

In return, we offer:

· excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)

· outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role

· impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

· an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.

· the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

Our application process: We use a system called "Applied" that anonymises your responses and focuses on your actual skills that are relevant to this role. This benefits you by giving you a greater chance of expressing your skills in this objective selection process.

We anticipate most colleagues will work one or two days a week in the office on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London and the rest of the time from home. We will happily discuss other flexible options to suit your circumstances.

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

We welcome a conversation about your flexible working requirements, personal growth, and promoting a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

The successful candidate will be required to apply for a criminal records check. A criminal record will not necessarily bar you from working with us. This will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.

We only accept online applications as this saves us money, making more funds available for us to help ensure children’s rights.

If you require support in completing the online form or an application form in an alternative format, please contact the Supporter Care line during office hours.

If you do not hear from us within 14 days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Please note that we only provide feedback to shortlisted candidates.

Registered Charity Nos. 1072612 (England and Wales) SC043677 (Scotland)

As Neighbourhood - Senior Organiser at Pembroke House you will be someone who is highly skilled and experienced at bringing together diverse groups of people to take collective action on local issues.

You’ll have the ability to blend organising and community-building strategies, knowing that we can’t build power without building community and that community is often built through a common cause.

You’ll be excited to bring your organising and facilitation skills to our existing community programmes, including the Walworth Living Room - a new ‘third space’ for the community, as well as playing a crucial role in developing new partnerships and future areas of our work. 

If this job is done well, residents will be growing their skills and capacity to collaborate, groups will be building momentum, and beginning to take action to effect change in the neighbourhood. Pembroke House’s role and approach to supporting neighbourhood change will be further clarified, codified and evidenced. 

Person Specification

You’ll be an energetic person who thrives on making new connections and can inspire others to take action. As an experienced facilitator you will be confident facilitating groups and at ease with designing and adapting formal and informal training sessions appropriate to the context.

Your experience MUST include facilitating groups who don’t already hold a common and agreed set of values. So while academic or activist settings may form a significant part of your experience, it is essential to have worked in a mixed community or neighbourhood setting, where you regularly encountered and brought together a range of contrasting viewpoints, which included views substantially different to your own.

A knowledge of community organising methodology (see for example Act Build Change or Citizen’s UK) is useful, but there may also be other approaches or experiences that you could draw on for this role. You will be curious and keen to learn about the history of community organising and community development at Pembroke House, and keen to build on and contribute to the development of that work. 

Pembroke House

Pembroke House is a centre for social action and residential community in Walworth, South-East London.

We were founded in 1885, by students from Pembroke College, Cambridge, as one of the first settlement houses. Concerned about growing poverty and inequality, the pioneers of the settlement movement sought a new approach: taking up residence to live, work and solve problems alongside local communities. 

For 140 years, we’ve been working to bridge traditional divides and unite people – whatever their background or walk of life – in building a better Walworth.

Responsible to: Director of Partnerships

Location: Pembroke House, 80 Tatum Street, SE171QR, the Walworth Living Room, All Saints Hall, Surrey Square, SE172JU, and surrounding areas in Walworth.

As we are a neighbourhood based organisation we believe it is essential to our work that staff are present in one of our sites in Walworth as much as possible. This role is in person and not suitable for remote or hybrid working.

Job Information Event -Friday 12th December 2025 11.00 - 12.00. Signup required (see website)

Application Deadline: 9am Monday 5th January 2026

Short interview calls: Week of 5th January 2026: A brief online call to clarify your relevant experience.

In person interview: Tuesday 13th/Wed 14th January 2026: Full interview with two members of our team

Final round: Trial session at Walworth Living Room, Friday 16th January 2026

Hours of Work: Full time 35 hrs per week, with some evening and weekends (taken off as TOIL). 

Salary: £38,353 - £40,381

Annual Holiday Leave: 28 days paid annual leave per annum (pro rata), plus the standard Bank and Public Holidays and three discretionary days between Christmas and New Year.

Assistant Warden Job Requirements:

 

Company description
 

William Temple House is owned and run by International Students Club (Church of England) Ltd., a registered charity and non-profit Anglo-Catholic organisation that was established in 1965. Our mission is to provide affordable accommodation for and a place where up to 50 international students from differing backgrounds can share life together in an environment that gives the best chance of success with their studies.
 

Job description

We are looking for someone with a compassionate outlook who enjoys working with young people (students between 18 and 30), can maintain a positive mindset in unpredictable situations and handle responsibility. This is a people-centred workplace and all work we do is geared towards our mission and to look after the welfare of the students living here. It is essential that anyone applying for this role is aligned with our mission and as passionate as we are about it.

You will be working as part of a small team, sharing office space and in close collaboration with colleagues and students. This is a diverse role where you will meet interesting people from around the world. The day-to-day job can be challenging, but we provide full training and the chance of learning many new skills. Reporting to the Warden / Deputy Warden and working alongside another Assistant Warden you willassist with the general office admin duties and various tasks around the house (including some basic maintenance and repairs) for which we will provide adequate training – however, a positive attitude is essential. You will also need to be comfortable with taking personal responsibility to ensure delegated tasks are completed successfully, effectively and, where necessary, using your own initiative.

Whilst your role and daily tasks may vary, they can include (not an exhaustive list):

·Maintaining office admin paperwork, computer filing, responding to e-mails & phone calls

·Completing basic bookkeeping tasks, e.g. inputting/issuing invoices & receipts into Xero

·Inducting new residents - hour-long introductory talk to ensure they are very familiar with the running of the House from their arrival onwards, ensuring rooms are of an acceptable standard when they leave – this needs to be done with the right measure of authority

·Bedrooms & Bathrooms – repairs to fittings, unblocking drains, replacing sealant etc.

·Pest control – e.g. checking for rodent or bedbug activity, organising and potentially carrying out treatment

·Preparing and cleaning rooms before letting where necessary - e.g. following maintenance (note: rooms are otherwise cleaned by residents; communal areas by professional cleaners)

·Pastoral care – e.g. discussing personal or academic issues with residents and finding solutions

·Planning and supervising communal activities, e.g Welcome party, barbeques, etc.

·Social media posts, taking meeting notes, working with the charity trustees.
 

Role requirements:

Essential

·       Empathetic, kind, trustworthy and compassionate

·Enjoying working with people and meeting new people from different backgrounds

·Enthusiasm, adaptability and a willingness to learn new + develop existing skills

·Excellent written and spoken English with good communication skills

·Being able to work well as part of a small team

·Comfortable with manual tasks and problem solving

·Computer literate

·Willing to accept responsibility of emergency out-of-hours contact (on a rota basis), time off in lieu

·Live within easy commuting distance of Earl’s Court

 

Desirable:

Previous experience in any of the following:

·Maintenance/technical role

·Administrative office-based role. Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Teams and Xero useful

·Customer-facing role

·Other languages a big advantage

·Use of social media for marketing

Please note – there is no scope for working remotely.

Summary

EduSpots is an innovative, dynamic, and community-orientated UK and Ghanaian registered charity which connects, trains, and equips grassroots voluntary educators (named ‘Catalysts’) to drive community-led change through education spaces named ‘Spots’. Our vision is of a world in which communities unite to create the futures they want to see, through education.

Since 2016, through collaborating with over 400 local voluntary community educators and actors – named ‘Catalysts’ – who take a central leadership role in the development of the network, we have supported 50 communities in creating and running community-led and owned education spaces named ‘Spots’’. Together, we are developing a model for a community-led education space with accompanying network engagement that could have global relevance. 

Our Ghana-based team creates collaborative learning opportunities through three leadership programmes for Catalysts which are increasingly facilitated by the EduSpots app: the Ignite, Catalyse and Inspire Mentoring Programmes. These enable the Catalysts to lead EduKidz (early years education), DigLit (digital literacy), EcoSTEM (STEM and environmental education) and Ignite Equity (gender equity) clubs for learners typically aged 3-16, alongside locally designed education projects, reaching over 10,000 learners of all ages annually. 

We are in an exciting period of our development, having more than doubled our income, programme breadth and reach in the last two years, with a recent independent evaluation by Expectation State offering further evidence in support of our model’s outcomes. We have been recently selected for two accelerator programmes, who are supporting us as we consider the scaling potential of our model. In the period, we are aiming to double our network reach, bringing an additional 50 Spots into the network.

We won the Tes International Award in 2018 and the Big Give Supporters’ Choice Award in 2022, and we were recently selected as a finalist for the 2023 Their World Scale-Up Innovation Prize. In 2021, our Founder was a Finalist in the UNESCO-backed $1 million Global Teacher Prize.

We are excited by our future. 

About this role 

The Global Head of Operations is a new role being introduced in 2026 with the core purpose of strengthening systems, processes and strategic delivery across both EduSpots Global and EduSpots Ghana, offering hands-on support to the CEO and wider staff across a range of areas.

In this senior role, you will work closely alongside the CEO, offering her the advice and skills needed to move EduSpots successfully through a complex period of growth in a challenging fundraising context, enabling more learners and Catalysts to participate in a unique community-led model of education, whilst sharing our practice more widely.

We are looking for an organised and empathetic strategic leader, ideally with strong or developing skills across project management, finance, HR and MEL skills and an ability to work independently in a fast moving work environment.

This role has the potential to grow into a Director of Global Operations or Deputy CEO role in time for outstanding candidates, and carries significant organisation-wide responsibility.

Candidates should hold a genuine passion for educational equity, a strong belief in the power of community-led models to transform lives at scale and a high level of flexibility in a fast-changing yet friendly and playful work environment.

Whilst this role is remote, and open to all global candidates, you will need to have understanding and experience of UK law, accounting and policy development, or a strong appetite to build experience in this area quickly.

Main duties and responsibilities 

Systems

• Work with the CEO and staff to proactively strengthen systems and processes across the organisation, including monitoring, evaluation and learning frameworks and operations. 
• Support the wider team with IT, including general skill development, leading the Google Space system. 
• Monitor compliance to organisational policies and lead the quarterly review of the organisational risk register, working with the Ghana Head of Operations. 

Finance 

• Work with the Finance and Admin Officer to produce monthly and quarterly global management accounts, cash flow analysis and to complete the annual audit. 
• Lead the financial planning of the organisation, working with the CEO and the Ghana Head of Operations to create the annual budget. 
• Work with the Ghana Head of Operations to strengthen financial systems, processes, and training across the organisation. 
• Work with the Ghana Head of Operations to prepare budgets for funding bids as needed.
• Work with the grants team to track grant spending and produce consolidated financial reports (including expenditure from the UK and Ghana) for donors. 
• Ensure EduSpots’ new accounting software (QuickBooks) is fully embedded and utilised.
• Oversee bank account management, including payments, checking bank statements, and reviewing bank reconciliations for UK and Ghana.
• Ensure staff payroll (likely to be outsourced) and payments to freelancers / consultants are done accurately and in a timely manner.

HR

• Work alongside the CEO, Head of Operations, Safeguarding and Inclusion Managers  and wider staff to develop strategies to sustain and strengthen a high performing and friendly work culture. 
• Work across the team to strengthen HR and performance management structures, informed by best practice and legal frameworks. 
• Lead the recruitment of staff, consultants and volunteers in the UK (advertising roles, drafting contracts, contacting referees and completing all filing and administration relating to recruitment).
• Onboard new staff, provide training on policies and procedures, and track key information (leave, appraisals, etc) for UK staff. 
• Regularly review and keep the Staff Handbook up to date.
• Depending on skill-set, work with the CEO to lead professional development for staff across the organisation, liaising with trustees and advisory group members.

Administration & Governance

• Manage and maintain databases and our Google Drive system. 
• Ensure compliance with GDPR and adherence to our child safeguarding and protection policy. 
• Maintain insurance renewals, tracking and filing.
• Review and keep up to date all organisational policies in line with current legislation, working with the Trustees and Directors. 
• Assist the CEO in the administration relating to EduSpots’ governance, including board meeting arrangements and minute taking.
• Support the CEO in all ad-hoc tasks that arise, working closely alongside her to ensure the smooth running of the organisation. 

Strategic insight 

• Work closely with the CEO and staff/Catalysts across the organisation to ensure all EduSpots’ decision-making is strategic and in the best interests of the Catalysts, Sparks and Communities we partner with. 

Other areas 

• Depending on experience, you may in time take on management responsibilities for some staff, but this role is principally a systems strengthening and quality improvement role, working closely with the CEO to offer advice and additional capacity. 
• Depending on experience, you may support with grants writing / management and/or community fundraising. Experience of fundraising would be of significant benefit to the organisation in this key leadership role. 

Personal Specification 

Essential 

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience of operations in a small/medium charity context. 
• Self-starter with the ability to hit the ground running and work with minimal supervision with high levels of flexibility.
• Self-motivated, with an ability to motivate and energise others.
• High level strategic understanding, critical thinking and the ability to strengthen systems in a fast-paced high performance environment.
• Excellent communication, both oral and written.
• The ability to thrive and adapt in a fast-paced, creative and impact-driven culture. 
• Strong administrative skills with a high level of attention to detail. 
• Experience in creating user-friendly tools and processes to support project and quality management.
• Experience using Google Suite, with strong Excel skills.
• Tech savvy – ability to learn new tech tools efficiently.
• Experience coordinating others. 
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills with strong empathy and cultural sensitivity 
• Strong personal alignment with the mission, vision and values of EduSpots. 

Highly desirable 

• Experience supporting charity Boards, and working with external bodies including auditors, tax authorities, and other official bodies is highly desirable.
• Experience complying and strong familiarity with UK charity regulations and requirements.
• Experience preparing budgets and financial reports for donors/grants. 
• Experience of working in a cross-cultural team.
• Experience of working with an international charity would be advantageous. 

Please send a tailored covering letter and CV addressed to the CEO Miss Cat Davison by Wednesday 31st December with a hope to meet shortlisted candidates for a first-round interview in the week starting Monday 12th January. 

We are seeking a dedicated Grants Officer to join our Online Grants Team ensuring that members of the Armed Forces Community receive crucial financial assistance when they cannot cover essential welfare needs themselves. This role is a vital link in providing immediate, life-changing support.

Come and be part of the leading Armed Forces charity, making a difference to the lives of those who have served to keep us safe and protect our way of life.

The Grants Department is dynamic, adapting its focus based on RBL strategy and emerging community needs. The team operates across two primary functions: the Online Grants Team and the Central Grants Team, and flexibility is essential to meet high service demands and ensure continuous support across the department.

Key responsibilities underpin our service delivery including:

- Case Advocacy: Assess case priority and know when to advocate for established policy exceptions to meet the applicant’s needs most appropriately.
- Customer Service Excellence: Deliver considered, tailored support and communicate all decisions and updates clearly, professionally, and within a 24-hour response time.
- Expert Knowledge: Maintain working knowledge of welfare benefits and relevant statutory provisions.
- Value & Compliance: Identify the most cost-effective products and ensure all data handling adheres to GDPR and charitable requirements.
- Professional Conduct: Manage challenging situations and complex client issues with the utmost compassion, dignity, and professionalism.

You will be contracted to your home address, and you will perform most of your work remotely there using our collaboration tools to work with colleagues, with occasional travel (incl. for monthly team meetings).

Employee benefits include

- 28 day’s paid holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing with service, with optional annual leave purchase scheme of up to 5 working days
- Generous pension contributions, with Employer contributions ranging from 6% to 10%
- Range of flexible working options may be available, depending on your role
- Employee Assistance Programme providing confidential counselling, financial and legal advice
- Range of courses delivered by learning specialists to support your development goals and objectives
- Opportunities to volunteer
- Travel loans, Cycle to Work, and more!

For more detailed information about the role, please see our Vacancy Information Pack attached to our direct advert. Our shortlisting is performed on the evidence provided in your application against the Essential and Desirable criteria in the Person Specification.

RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics.

We may close this vacancy early if we believe we have enough strong applications to be able to successfully fill the role(s). Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
 

Role Description

The purpose of the Executive Assistant role is to provide administrative, organisational and coordination support to the Executive Team, ensuring their time and attention are aligned with organisational priorities, goals, and objectives. The role covers executive coordination, governance administration and project support.  The Executive Assistant enables effective decision making across the Leadership Team, supports the smooth delivery of priorities, and contributes to the execution of long-term strategic goals.

The Executive Team comprises the Chief Executive, Operations Director and Business Development Director.  They work together as part of the Leadership Team, comprising key leaders from across the charity.

Excellent attention to detail is crucial, as is the ability to operate with discretion and flexibility. A high standard of written and verbal communication is essential. The role requires collaboration across Finance, HR, Trustees, and external stakeholders, and an understanding of effective charity governance would be desirable.

This role requires a high level of emotional intelligence, sound judgement, and the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organisation. Success in this role depends on a proactive mindset, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to remain calm and resourceful under pressure. The Executive Assistant must be highly dependable, detail-oriented, and capable of managing sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

Responsibilities

Executive Coordination

• Manage calendars, inboxes, travel and meeting preparation for Executive Team
• Coordinate agendas and logistics for internal and external meetings
• Liaise with stakeholders, clients and partners to ensure smooth engagement

Governance Support

• Own the established governance timetable, board meeting scheduling, and trustee communications
• Draft and distribute board packs, take minutes, and track actions
• Support governance processes in collaboration with the Operations Director
• Support trustee onboarding, training, and engagement
• Ensure timely completion of Charity Commission and Companies House submissions
• Leverage AI tools and platforms to enhance business processes

Strategic communications

• Communicate with external stakeholders on behalf of the Executive Team
• Coordinate staff events and meetings
• Work with marketing and communities & projects teams for conferences and external events

Project support

• Support ongoing transformation projects in collaboration with Head of Business Functions
• Support recruitment and onboarding for senior roles led by the Head of Business Operations
• Support strategic planning and performance tracking led by the Operations Director and Business Development Director
• Support handover and re-onboarding of Executive Assistant on her return April 2027

Role Requirements

Required:

• Minimum of four years’ experience in a similar role.
• Experience supporting senior leaders in a fast paced and changing environment, taking initiative and managing competing deadlines calmly and flexibly.
• Confident communicating with the executive and leadership team, trustees and external partners in a professional and timely way.
• Able to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and good judgment.
• Confident coordinating meetings, preparing papers and taking accurate minutes.
• Ability to research, digest, analyse and present material clearly and concisely.
• Ability to identify and apply AI-driven tools to enhance business activities and using AI to streamline workflows and personalise business engagement.
• Comfortable stepping into an established role quickly and maintaining continuity during the maternity leave period.

Desirable:

• Experience in charity governance
• Experience in project support/management

Employees are also expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties that are consistent with the grade, responsibilities, and typical scope of the role. Any additional tasks should remain appropriate to the nature of the post and not extend into unrelated functions or specialisms.

All employees are expected to work in accordance with the organisation’s values and behavioural standards, which include being supportive, transparent, respectful, kind, honest, and collaborative. This means fostering a culture of empathy, openness, integrity, and teamwork in all interactions, and contributing positively to the organisation’s mission and strategic objectives.

We are committed to flexible working and are open to requests for different working patterns. This includes part time arrangements and four day working week requests, which we will always consider as part of the recruitment process.

To apply for this role, please share your CV with a one-page cover letter setting out why this role appeals to you and how your skills and experiences meet the key skills points in the job description.

Interviews expected to take place on week commencing the 2nd of February 2026.

We're looking for a kind, empathetic and resilient Support worker to join our Homelessness and complex needs Service in Kensington & Chelsea.

£28,808.00 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
* 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.

Support Workers will devise person centred support plans with customers to help them develop the life skills they require to meet their needs and goals. This will include sign posting them to the local drug and alcohol services to address substance misuse issues. They will work with customers to promote social inclusion and alongside other members of the team to promote independent living, encouraging customers to maximise their skills and choices.

Staff are expected to work 8 hours daily on a shift rota basis. This will include weekend working. Shifts are 7.30am to 3.30pm and 2.00pm to 10pm.

The fixed term contract is for 6 months.

What you'll do:
* If a need arises, deliver all aspects of support to enable a customer to develop independent living skills as appropriate to the individual needs of the customer.
* Support customers to maintain their tenancies.
* Support to budget and prevent rent arrears.
* Assess their practical and emotional needs to incorporate in their support plan.
* To develop support plans and risk management plans.
* Carry out weekly health and safety checks.
* Carry out security duties / welfare checks to ensure the safety of the customers and premises
* Monitor the CCTV throughout the shift

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:
* Exudes a warm friendly presence 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
* Flexible
* Open to feedback and self development
* Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
* Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
* Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
* Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
* Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
* Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
* Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviour

What you'll bring:

Essential:
* NVQ Level 2 or equivalent or experience within charity/social care sector

Desirable:
* Relevant specialism experience

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 full Job description on our website

The Organisation

This is a well-established national charity with an income in excess of £100 million, playing a vital role in supporting people affected by a major health condition. The organisation is values-driven, impact-focused, and undergoing continuous improvement in its financial operations. The Finance & Assurance directorate is a trusted partner across the charity, enabling better decision-making through high-quality financial insight and compliance.

The Job

As Financial Accountant, you'll lead a small team and report to the Head of Financial Accounting. You'll be responsible for producing accurate financial statements, managing audit deliverables, ensuring compliance with charity and company law, and driving improvements in financial processes and reporting. This is a hands-on technical role with leadership responsibilities, requiring collaboration across finance, systems, and planning teams to deliver a seamless finance function.

Key responsibilities include:
- Preparing statutory accounts and technical accounting adjustments
- Leading year-end processes and audit engagement
- Ensuring compliance with VAT, Corporation Tax, and Gift Aid
- Driving system and process improvements
- Supporting and developing Associate Accountants

The Person

You'll be a qualified accountant with strong technical expertise in SORP/FRS102 and experience in a large, complex organisation. You'll bring a track record of producing high-quality financial reports, managing audits, and improving performance through data and collaboration. Open to candidates coming straight from practice, especially those who have previously laised with charities.

We're looking for someone who:
- Communicates confidently with senior stakeholders
- Builds high-performing, accountable teams
- Is resilient, adaptable, and committed to continuous improvement
- Works collaboratively across departments and disciplines
- Champions inclusion and values-driven leadership

What's in it for You?

- A meaningful role in a purpose-led organisation making a real difference

- Remote working with occasional office attendance
- Competitive salary in the region of £50,000-£58,000
- 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays, rising with service
- Up to 8% employer pension contribution
- Life assurance and income protection
- Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support
- Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme
- Opportunities for professional development and career progression
- A collaborative, high-support environment focused on learning and impact

What to Do Now

If you're a technically strong accountant who thrives in a collaborative, mission-driven environment, I'd love to hear from you. Apply now or get in touch for a confidential conversation.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

Interview Date(s): 1st Interview: Tuesday 9th December 2025 & 2nd Interview: Tuesday 16th December 2025

Location: Camden (Hybrid Working)

Salary: £55,360 - £59,455 per annum

(Please note that applicants are usually appointed at the bottom of the relevant band)

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (will also consider part time working 30 hours per week)

Contract: Permanent

Closing Date: Tuesday 2nd December 2025

Closing Time: 00:00am

Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as an Deputy Director of Fundraising at Solace Women's Aid.  

You will be joining a team of committed and inspiring individuals whose dedication has saved the lives of thousands of women, men and children in the capital. We are looking for friendly and diligent individuals to join our services and help us make a difference.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Service
Income generation and fundraising at Solace is ambitious, dynamic and rewarding. This role is situated within the Business Development team driving forward our trusts and foundations grant applications and our unrestricted funding portfolio. We work alongside our award-winning Communications, Partnerships & Public Affairs team.

About the Role

We are seeking a forward thinking, creative and motivated individual who can envision and manage commissioned tenders, grant funding, individual giving, corporate partnerships and our training and consultancy functions.

You will be a highly skilled and successful fundraiser and business development professional.

The role will manage the statutory and non-statutory income generation team including tenders, grants and fundraising staff to achieve a net target of approximately £2m per annum. This team plays a pivotal role in the financial wellbeing of the charity enabling us to support the thousands of women and children who come to us each year as a result of violence against women and girls (VAWG).

About You

You will be someone who is committed to the Solace values, who thrives on leading a team to achieve challenging targets and who has excellent verbal and written communication skills.  You will also enjoy managing time and projects to achieve strategic success.

We understand that you may not have all the knowledge, experience, and skills mentioned in the Job Profile Document. However, your interpersonal skills, passion to have a positive impact, commitment to our purpose, and ability to learn quickly and collaborate effectively will be equally important.

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferrable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:

• Values, Behaviours & Competencies
• Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.

No agencies.

The role: This is a rewarding role where every day brings the opportunity to make a positive difference to people's lives. We regularly receive testimonials from service users describing the life-changing impact of receiving support from our caseworkers in the National Road Victim Service.

Working location: mostly remote work with some travel required. Based in Surrey or Hampshire you will deliver a face-to-face service to clients in their own home or safe meeting place across the Surrey and Hampshire area as well as providing support by Teams, phone, email or other means to suit the service user. We take a person-centred approach so the amount of travel will vary depending on your caseload at the time. You’re in control of your own diary. 

 

Why this role is important: Every 20 minutes, someone is killed or seriously injured on UK roads. For families affected, the emotional and practical challenges are immense. As a Caseworker, you will provide trauma-informed care to individuals and families suffering from the sudden bereavement or life-altering injury of a loved one. Working mostly remotely, with some home visits to service users, you’ll offer vital emotional and practical support—including helping them access therapeutic resources, financial assistance, and guidance through the complexities of medical and legal processes. 

About Brake: Brake is a renowned and respected road safety charity with a 30-year history dedicated to supporting people affected by road crashes and advocating for safer streets. 

You'll join a closely knit team of fellow caseworkers, each using their individual experience and skills to provide person-centred support to victims. This provides a ready-made peer group who share best practice and knowledge and support each other so, in turn, they can best support road victims. There's no sugar coating it, this isn't an easy role, it requires a special type of person with strong resilience, but the reward is a strong sense of purpose, every day. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so we have strong support systems in place to support our caseworker's wellbeing, including clinical supervision. 

What we offer:

· A generous 35 days of annual leave (including bank holidays and 3-day end of year shutdown) 

· Birthday day off 

· Flexible working (choose a working pattern to suit you between the hours of 8am-6pm Mon-Fri) 

· Enhanced sick pay and compassionate leave 

· Death in service benefit 

· Pension 

· Employee Assistance Programme 

· Clinical supervision and excellent support 

· A rewarding role with purpose 

· Be part of a skilled, friendly team with an engaged Board of Trustees 

· Opportunity to attend prestigious events such as the Brake annual reception and awards (if you want to) 

Who we're looking for 

Full training will be provided under the guidance of our dedicated Training Officer. Our induction program has been developed to equip caseworkers with the skills they need to provide high quality support to road victims and covers topics such as being trauma-informed, safeguarding and risk management. We're open to candidates from all sorts of backgrounds, as long as you're a compassionate, self-starter with a background in providing high-quality emotional support and advocacy. Your experience in roles within the NHS, any health and social care, road safety, counselling, lived experience or any type of casework could make you an ideal candidate. 

Essential Requirements: 

• A full, clean UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle (travel expenses are reimbursed) 

• Resident in the Surrey or Hapshire area. 

• Experience delivering frontline support, preferably involving sudden bereavement or heightened vulnerabilities. 

· Strong advocacy and research skills to liaise with multiple organisations on behalf of service users. 

• Competency in I.T skills to work remotely. 

Desirable Experience: 

Comprehensive understanding of the processes involved in the criminal justice system and coronial process 

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Brake is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We’re committed to supporting employees to achieve a good work/life balance and flexible around caring commitments. We welcome your application whatever your background or situation. We particularly welcome applications from those who are part of the global majority, the LGBTQIA+ community or disabled. We are proud to be a disability confident employer. We don’t want you to ‘fit’ our culture, we want you to enrich it. So, if you have a passion for making a difference and share in our vision for a world where no one is killed on our roads, we would love to hear from you. 

Apply now: If you're up for a new challenge and have the skills, apply now by sending your CV and cover letter. We'd like to get to know the real you through your application, not an AI version. If you do use AI to write your cover letter, please check it and make sure it reflects who you are. We encourage cover letters in alternative formats such as videos or presentations.  

Not for traffic offenders: Due to the nature of our work we can't accept applications from traffic offenders. Candidates will be asked to disclose whether they have any unspent points on their licence at screening/interview. 

An enhanced DBS check is required due to the sensitive nature of our service. 

Questions? If you would like to discuss the role further, please get in touch, we'd love to chat. 

Homelessness Outreach Support Worker

We are seeking someone who can build trust, support people facing homelessness and help them move away from rough sleeping.

Position: Rough Sleeper Navigator (internal title)

Salary: £27,054 per annum
Location: Bradbury Centre and community based
Hours: 37 hours per week - shift pattern with shifts starting at 6am and finishing at 12am.
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: 7th January 2026

Interviews: 15th January 2026

 

About the Role

This is a hands-on, practical role supporting people who are rough sleeping and living with complex needs. You will work directly with individuals on the street, in the community and across local services, providing tailored one to one support to help them access housing, healthcare, treatment and wider support.

Key responsibilities include:

· Delivering early morning and late evening outreach based on local intelligence and Streetlink alerts

· Acting as a consistent point of contact for people using the service, ensuring they can access the right help at the right time

· Providing a person centred, trauma informed approach to each individual’s support plan

· Supporting people with practical day to day needs including health, benefits, community activities, budgeting and maintaining accommodation

· Helping people address challenges around alcohol or drug use in group or one to one settings

· Keeping clear and accurate records, case notes and reports

· Working with partner agencies including housing, health, voluntary and community services

· Taking part in service development and team meetings

About You

You’ll be someone who genuinely wants to help people change their lives and you’ll be resilient, calm under pressure and comfortable working with individuals who have multiple needs.

You will need:

· Experience of supporting or motivating people with complex backgrounds

· Understanding of housing, homelessness or related support services

· Strong communication and conflict management skills

· Ability to build trust and positive relationships with a wide range of partners

· A recovery focused, person centred approach

· Willingness to work early mornings, late evenings and weekends as part of a rota

It would be helpful if you have an NVQ Level 3 in a relevant field or experience in homelessness, housing, substance misuse or community outreach, but this is not essential. A driving licence or language skills are also desirable.

About the Organisation

You will be joining a team committed to preventing homelessness and supporting people to make long term, positive changes. The organisation provides safe, supportive and high quality services and values compassion, dignity and respect in everything they do. You will be part of a team that works collaboratively, shares learning and continually looks for ways to improve outcomes for people facing homelessness.

Other roles you may have experience of could include

Outreach Worker, Homelessness Support Worker, Housing Support Worker, Recovery Worker, Substance Misuse Worker, Community Support Worker, Complex Needs Worker, Engagement Worker, Rough Sleeper Outreach Worker.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is being advertised by NFP People on behalf of the organisation.

About The Role

We’re looking for a Digital Product Owner who genuinely enjoys turning ideas into practical, well-built digital products. In this role, you’ll sit at the heart of our digital development work working with colleagues across the organisation to understand what users need and what the business is trying to achieve. You’ll help shape the direction of new features, translate concepts into clear plans, and make sure our products are not only functional but genuinely useful.

Come and be part of the leading Armed Forces charity, making a difference to the lives of those who have served to keep us safe and protect our way of life.

You’ll spend your time working closely with developers, Product Managers and UX specialists, helping to refine requirements, prioritise the backlog and keep delivery running smoothly. From writing user stories and understanding technical constraints to supporting sprint planning and championing quality, you’ll be involved in every stage of the product lifecycle. If you enjoy solving problems, digging into technical detail and working in an agile environment, you’ll feel right at home.

This role is ideal for someone who’s confident communicating with both technical and non-technical teams, and who wants to see their work make a real impact. You’ll bring experience of digital product development, a strong grasp of the systems and tools behind modern digital platforms, and the ability to balance user needs with business goals. In return, you’ll join a collaborative team where your ideas are valued, and where you can help shape the future of our digital experience.

You will be contracted to our Haig House hub with a minimum expectation of two days per week working in person at the hub and flexibility for working remotely/at home when not on site.

Employee benefits include -

- 28 day’s paid holiday (plus bank holidays) increasing with service, with optional annual leave purchase scheme of up to 5 working days
- Generous pension contributions, with Employer contributions ranging from 6% to 10%
- Range of flexible working options may be available, depending on your role
- Employee Assistance Programme providing confidential counselling, financial and legal advice
- Range of courses delivered by learning specialists to support your development goals and objectives
- Opportunities to volunteer
- Travel loans, Cycle to Work, and more!

For more detailed information about the role, please see our Vacancy Information Pack attached to our direct advert. Our shortlisting is performed on the evidence provided in your application against the Essential and Desirable criteria in the Person Specification.

RBL is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive organisation, reflecting the diversity of the armed forces community and of wider society. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and personal characteristics.

Interview Dates:        We will be reviewing applications and interviewing on a rolling basis, so early applications are encouraged.

We may close this vacancy early if we believe we have enough strong applications to be able to successfully fill the role(s). Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Abingdon House School is an independent day school for children aged 5–19 with special educational needs including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and associated social communication profiles. We deliver a mainstream-style environment with a fully integrated programme of education, therapy, pastoral support, and personal development.

You’ll be joining a multidisciplinary team of therapists and support staff at Abingdon House School — at the Prep School, this is made up of two OTs, two SaLTs, and one physiotherapist; at the Senior School, a team of three OTs, three SaLTs, and one physiotherapist.

We are proud of our integrated, multidisciplinary approach

At AHS, our holistic approach supports progress in academic studies, communication, independence and wellbeing. Every student follows a personalised pathway and benefits from therapeutic support throughout the day, delivered by a multidisciplinary team including teachers, therapists, and pastoral practitioners.

We are proud to be an ISA-accredited and Google Reference School. Abingdon House is inspected by both CReSTeD and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), and we were recently awarded ISI’s highest accolade, “a significant strength”, for our highly effective interdisciplinary practice and the successful integration of therapeutic approaches into our students’ learning.

The role at a glance

• This will be a full time role
• You’ll be at our Senior School campus, working with students aged 11-18
• You’ll be based in Marylebone, Central London
• You will be a key member of the middle leadership team, reporting to the Assistant Headteacher responsible for therapy and pastoral provision. You will lead the delivery of high-quality speech and language therapy services that support the school’s integrated approach to education, therapy, and personal development.

Sponsorship opportunities

The Cavendish Sponsorship Programme

We are able to sponsor talented, dedicated therapists from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and America through the Cavendish Sponsorship Programme.

Once in a role, you will have the opportunity to upskill in a pathway suited to your professional interests. Within your visa, there will be scope to move into a new role at any one of our sites as you progress, if a suitable position becomes available.

Key responsibilities

The main aspects of this role are:

• Support the strategic development of the school’s SaLT provision and contribute to wider decision-making.
• Line manage the SaLT team, including supervision, performance reviews, and professional development.
• Oversee caseload allocation, workload planning, and therapy resources.
• Deliver SaLT training and CPD to staff across the school.
• Work collaboratively with therapy leads, SENCos and middle leaders to promote a multidisciplinary approach.
• Build strong links with external agencies, commissioners, and professional networks.
• Model evidence-based practice and encourage reflective practice within the team.
• Provide direct speech and language therapy to students.
• Plan, deliver, and evaluate therapeutic and educational programmes.
• Develop and deliver the communication curriculum for whole-class sessions.
• Set and monitor communication targets within pupils’ IEPs, working with parents and teaching staff.
• Adapt resources and learning environments to improve access for students with communication needs.
• Assess, record and report on pupil progress, including annual review contributions and intervention records.
• Uphold safeguarding responsibilities, working in line with policies and supporting the DSL where required.
• Contribute to wider school life, including clinical supervision, team meetings, whole-school events, and supporting therapist recruitment and induction.

Person specifications

We’re looking for an experienced and compassionate speech & language therapist to join our school. You’ll be able to show these essential skills and requisite experience:

• Qualified band 7 speech & language therapist
• HCPC registration
• Demonstrated experience working with children with SEN/SpLD in an education setting
• IT literacy for clinical and administrative tasks
• Strong knowledge of speech, language, and communication needs, with the ability to develop and implement tailored, evidence-based interventions
• Experience in leading, supervising, and developing a therapy team, including providing CPD and support for professional growth
• Knowledge of relevant risk management, health and safety, and child protection practices
• Excellent communication skills
• Proven ability to lead service evaluation, implement improvements, and ensure interventions are aligned with research and best practice
• Experience liaising with external agencies, professional networks, and commissioners to support school-based provision

What are the perks?

• Access to a full CPD programme career progression opportunities
• 13 weeks of holiday per year, plus two term-time personal leave days
• Flexible working opportunities, with weekly PPA that can be taken remotely
• Free lunch every day, plus cooked breakfast twice per week when on-site
• A great employee assistance programme with access to wellbeing support advice
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Competitive salary pensions contributions

Role details & how to apply

Start date: January 2026
Salary: Band 7 range, £47,810 to £54,710 depending on experience
Working schedule: 37 weeks per year (term time only), five days per week.
Applications close on 16th December 2025. If you require sponsorship, please indicate this in your application.
Type: In-person role with the option to work remotely for your allocated PPA hours

You may have experience of the following: Speech and Language Therapist, SaLT Lead / Speech Therapy Lead, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Senior Speech and Language Therapist, HCPC-registered Speech and Language Therapist, Communication Therapy Lead, Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Specialist, etc.

REF-225 229

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

£37,500.00 per annum, working 35 hours per week.

Want to feel like you're making a difference? 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.

For a full job description, please visit our website.

Look Ahead recognises that data and the applications that collect data have an important role in the future success of the business. Look Ahead are delivering a Digital Transformation programme, Move Forward, and we need to have the right business systems management structure in place to offer continual support, development, and improvements to our business systems and to provide insight into the organisation's data.

The Business System Administrator (FTC) role is a support role focused on managing application support requests and providing routine application support, advice, and system administration for key business systems.

The post holder will act as the first point of contact and work as part of a team to maintain these systems. Support services will be delivered by adopting a triage support approach, with more complex issues and project work being escalated to Look Ahead's second line application support specialists.

The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate excellent coordination and analytical skills, be adept at issue management and be able to work as part of a team to deliver issue resolution for the relevant applications and technologies. This role can be delivered as a hybrid role, with the primary office location being Look Ahead's Head Office although the post holder may be required to visit some of our services from time to time as part of their service delivery.

This is a 12-month fixed-term contract, with a potential 6-month extension.

Essential:

Hands on knowledge of and involvement in system administration for various systems, including at least one Housing Management System
Previous history of supporting multiple business systems
Self-starter with good initiative
Well organised, methodical
Good Problem solving / analytical skills
Experienced in issue resolution
Excellent attention to detail
Success orientated
The ability to build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders

Desirable:

Experience working in an aligned sector to Look Ahead or an NFP
Civica Cx (Housing Management System)
CRM workflow solutions
Experience of software testing, including test script creation and UAT management

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.