Outreach worker jobs in east of england

About Us

Our vision is for every child and young person to be safe, loved and happy, to achieve their potential and have a bright future.

St Christopher's is a leading charity for children and young people. We are proud of our history of providing fostering, children's homes and innovative leaving care services across the UK & Isle of Man.  We have a passionate commitment to our young people, placing them at the centre of everything we do.  We provide positive life experiences for young people who are unable to sustain a placement in their parental or foster home.

We are an equal-opportunity employer keen to develop an inclusive workforce where people feel they belong.We hope to attract applications from under- represented groups, including people from different cultures, nationalities, socioeconomic backgrounds, ages, disabilities, religions, faith, sex, orientation, childcare responsibilities, and gender-diverse identities.

St Christopher’s Academy

At St Christopher`s we can provide more than just a care job. We can offer you a career where you can develop your skills and knowledge while making a difference to young people’s lives.

When you join St Christopher’s, we will set you up in your career with a tailored development plan. Whether you want to move across to a different service, become a Manager or just explore further your current role, we will support you to map out your career trajectory and help you achieve your professional ambitions. If you want to learn more about St Christopher’s Academy, please visit our website.

We are proud that 84% of all our Team Leaders, Deputies and Managers are internal promotions.

About the role

As an Experienced Practitioner, you will provide direct support and care for our young people who have complex emotional and mental health difficulties (such as trauma and loss) and can struggle to regulate their emotions.

Working within a therapeutic framework, you will develop a direct programme of work aimed at developing authentic relationships with our children and young people (aged 12 – 17 years old), you will also have responsibility for making sure our residents are safe, providing support, liaison with other professionals and completion of support documents to record information.

If applying for the Waking Night role, you will have the additional support of an on-call manager should there be any emergencies. Further to this, you will be involved in monthly team meetings and receive monthly supervision.

Applicants should have

• Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare or equivalent (i.e. Level 3 Diploma Children and Young People Workforce with the children's social care pathway) or be willing to achieve the Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare within 2 years as per Children’s Homes Regulations 2015 (England).
• Minimum of 1 years’ experience working and supporting children and Young People to achieve their full potential.
• Genuine commitment to working with and supporting children and Young People to achieve their full potential; with the ability to build and promote trusted relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.
• An understanding of the issues facing children and Young People and a basic understanding of safeguarding Regulations and Procedures.
• The ability to cope effectively with challenging behaviour.
• Good communication and team working skills.
• Flexibility to work shifts, including weekends and bank holidays.
• Commitment to undertake any mandatory training (outside of working hours) and continuous learning to ensure a high level of service.
• Creativity, enthusiasm and energy to inspire and encourage young people to achieve their goals.

What you should expect from us

• Salary: £28,912 per annum. Overtime / bank holidays paid time-and-a-half and 2 weekends off per month.
• A friendly working environment, a fun, open and honest culture.
• 25 days holiday rising to 27 days after 3 years’ service, plus Bank Holidays, pro-rata.
• Industry leading training programme including access to level 3 qualifications, children’s right and participation, CSE, empowerment, mental health and social pedagogy.
• Contributory pension scheme, enhanced maternity and company sick scheme.
• UK Life Assurance (Death in service) to the value of 3 times your annual salary.
• BUPA employee assistance programme, offering counselling, financial advice and legal support.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Bluelight card; discount shopping scheme at hundreds of retailers across the UK.
• Discretionary funded training programs.
• Employee awards based on performance and length of service.
• Fantastic opportunities to develop your career within our range of services.

Recruitment Process

At St Christopher’s we are committed to the safeguarding of all children and young people in our care. During the recruitment process you will be expected to complete an online application form to ensure we capture essential information to meet legislation, best practice and vetting requirements.

Applicants will ideally already be on the DBS Update Service; if this is not the case St Christopher's will carry out a DBS (police) check prior to starting.

First Stage Interview 

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview at our Head Office

Second Stage

Successful candidates will then attend the second stage interview at the home they have applied for.

We advise you to apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Please note:

• This post has a minimum age restriction of 21 year for roles working directly with children and young people in our residential and supported accommodation Homes in line with the Equality Act ‘occupational requirement’.
• It is illegal to apply for any role that involves working with children and young people under the age of 18, if you know you are barred from working with children.
• all shortlisted candidates invited to interview will be asked to submit a Self-Declaration and Disclosure form which will need to be returned prior to an interview being booked.

Community Action Redbridge is a local infrastructure organisation working to create a fairer Redbridge where everyone and every community thrives. Our mission is to support strong and resilient communities where people lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. 

Do you believe in the power of social prescribing to create more connected, resilient, and thriving communities?  

Are you an experienced project manager who is passionate about collaboration, inclusion and skilled at demonstrating impact? 

Community Action Redbridge is looking for a Project Manager to lead our Connected Communities Project, a successful social prescribing initiative that helps people build resilience, reduce loneliness, and connect with the support they need to improve their wellbeing. 

In this pivotal role, you’ll lead the day-to-day delivery and ongoing development of the project, guiding and supporting a small, dedicated team. Working in close partnership with voluntary and community organisations, the NHS, and other local agencies, you’ll help strengthen Redbridge’s community support infrastructure. You’ll champion person-led, strengths-based approaches, ensuring our work remains inclusive, responsive, and firmly grounded in what truly matters to the people we support. 

We’re looking for someone who is organised, compassionate, and skilled in partnership working; confident in leading teams and managing projects; adept at maintaining and developing project systems and processes and committed to tackling inequalities and promoting wellbeing across diverse communities. 

Prior experience in social prescribing, project coordination, or health and wellbeing initiatives will be especially valued. 

This role is offered on a hybrid basis, with a requirement to work three days per week in our Gants Hill office. 

What it’s like to work at Community Action Redbridge 

We are committed to creating a truly inclusive workplace culture that embraces and celebrates difference. Building a team that reflects the diversity of our communities and brings together a range of experiences, backgrounds and perspectives is essential to the work we do. 

We want Community Action Redbridge to be a safe space for everyone to bring their whole selves to work, where all our employees have the opportunity to thrive and feel recognised and valued for the work they do. 

We offer some great benefits including 28 days annual leave plus public holidays, a free and confidential employee helpline, face-to-face and telephone counselling, and a travel loan and cycle to work scheme.

How to apply 

Please submit your CV and a covering letter answering the following 4 questions (no more than 500 words each): 

1. Please tell us about a community-based project, activity, or initiative you have been involved in that supported people’s wellbeing, independence, or connectedness. What approach did you take to make sure it was inclusive and person-led, and how did you help shape or measure the difference it made? 

2. This role involves coordinating multiple workstreams and partners to deliver a complex, evolving project. Can you share an example of a time when you had to balance different priorities, organise people or activities, and keep things on track to achieve positive results? Please include the tools or systems you used to manage the work, how you maintained progress, and how you addressed any challenges along the way. 

3. The Connected Communities Project, which includes the Community Connectors (previously known as Social Prescribing Advisers) is rooted in collaboration and partnership. Please describe a time you built or strengthened relationships with community organisations, local groups, or other stakeholders to achieve shared goals. What helped make that partnership effective, and what did you learn from the experience? 

4. Community Action Redbridge’s work is driven by values of social justice, equity, and community-led change. What do these values mean to you personally, and how would you bring them into your approach as a leader within the Connected Communities Project? You might want to reflect on how you’ve championed fairness, inclusion, or empowerment in your past work or life experience.

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

Due to the urgent need to fill this post, we will be shortlisting applications as they are received and may invite candidates to interview before the closing date. We will only shortlist applicants with two weeks' notice.

The Interim Head of Services will oversee the effective delivery, performance, and quality assurance of some of our mental health services in Tower Hamlets, Newham, and Redbridge.

What you'll do: 

• Lead and support Service Managers and Coordinators to deliver high-quality, client-centred services.
• Drive continuous service improvement and foster collaboration across teams and partners.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key stakeholders to enhance service delivery.
• Act as a Designated Safeguarding Officer, providing expert guidance to ensure client safety and staff compliance. 

See the job pack for full details.

The Head of Services will oversee the effective delivery, performance, and quality assurance of some of our mental health services in Tower Hamlets, Newham, and Redbridge.

What you'll do: 

• Lead and support Service Managers and Coordinators to deliver high-quality, client-centred services.
• Drive continuous service improvement and foster collaboration across teams and partners.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with key stakeholders to enhance service delivery.
• Act as a Designated Safeguarding Officer, providing expert guidance to ensure client safety and staff compliance. 

See the job pack for full details.