Physical activity jobs

Social Prescribing Link Worker

We have rewarding opportunity for a Social Prescribing Link Worker to focus on ‘what matters to me’ and taking a holistic approach to people’s health and wellbeing. If you feel you could connect to people, community groups and statutory services for practical and emotional support, we would love to hear from you!

Position: Social Prescribing Link Worker

Location: Birmingham based in GP Surgeries

Hours: Full time 37hrs and part time post 22.5hrs p/w over 3 days ) flexible working available

Contract: 2 post available - 1 x FTE (job share may be considered) & 1 x Part Time

Salary: £27,619 per annum pro rata for part-time

Benefits: The provision of workplace wellbeing support and activities, hybrid working where the role allows, flexible working and a range of family friendly policies and subsidised parking.

Closing Date: Midnight on Sunday 9th November 2025

Interview Date: Thursday 13th & Friday 14th November 2025

The Role

Social prescribing link workers will work as a key part of the primary care network (PCN) multi-disciplinary team. Social prescribing can help PCNs to strengthen community and personal resilience and reduces health and wellbeing inequalities by addressing the wider determinants of health, such as debt, poor housing and physical inactivity, by increasing people’s active involvement with their local communities. It particularly works for people with long term conditions (including support for mental health), for people who are lonely or isolated, or have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing.

Responsibilities include:

• Working with direct supervision from the Programme Lead/Senior Link Worker and input from the PCN’s Clinical Lead GP, take referrals from staff in GP practices within the local PCN.
• Provide personalised support to individuals, their families and carers to take control of their health and wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes, as a key member of the PCN multi-disciplinary team.
• Developing trusting relationships and taking a holistic approach, based on the person’s priorities and co-produce a simple personalised care and support plan to improve health and wellbeing, introducing or reconnecting people to community groups and statutory services.
• Work collaboratively with all local partners to contribute towards supporting local community groups and organisations, making themselves aware of local resources and “assets” through mapping and then building a relationship with these organisations.  Also sharing intelligence regarding any gaps or problems identified in local provision with commissioners and local authorities. 
• Social prescribing link workers will work collaboratively with GP’s and have a role in promoting social prescribing and educating non-clinical and clinical staff within their PCN multi-disciplinary teams on the benefits of social prescribing
• Raise awareness of other services available within the community and how and when patients can access them. Linking into the work of Neighbourhood Network Schemes, locality Adult Social Care & Community Mental Health Teams.

About You

As a Social Prescribing Link Worker, you will have a Level 3 qualification in a relevant field (Health & Social Care, Health Trainer, Health Improvement, Community Family Worker, Psychology) or be working towards/willing to work towards.

You will have:

• Demonstrable commitment to professional and personal development
• Experience of working directly in a community based context (including unpaid work)
• Experience of supporting people with a mental health need and or complexities/vulnerabilities
• Experience of delivering one to one support
• Experience of partnership/collaborative working and of building relationships across a variety of organisations
• Knowledge of VCSE and community services in the locality
• Understanding of the wider determinants of health, including social, economic and environmental factors and their impact on communities, individuals, their families and carers
• Understanding of the barriers faced by those living in isolation
• Knowledge of IT systems including ability to use word processing skills, emails, the internet and able to create simple plans and reports
• Ability to complete paperwork, keep records and carry out own administration
• An interview is guaranteed to suitably qualified and experienced people with disabilities and all successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced DBS check

About the Organisation

A leading provider of services to the health and social care sector, with the aim is to reduce inequalities in learning, employment and health. As an employer the organisation is proud to offer a range of benefits to staff including provision of workplace wellbeing support and activities, flexible working and a range of family friendly policies and subsidised parking.

You may also have experience in areas such as Floating Support, Befriending, Community Family Worker, Social Worker, Community Navigator, Peer Support Worker, Welfare Support, Family Worker, Family Support Worker, Benefit, Care, Therapeutic, Therapy, Advice, Adviser, Health, Wellbeing, Social Care, Social Care Services, Health and Social Care. #INDNFP

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

Gaddum provides therapeutic support within the CYP Bereavement Therapy Service and the Complex Care Therapy Service across Greater Manchester. Our CYP Bereavement Therapy Service is delivered across Manchester and Salford. Our Complex Care Service is delivered across Salford, Rochdale and Stockport. Our Kentown Support Service will be delivered across Greater Manchester.

Role Purpose:

Working as part of the Gaddum CYP Bereavement Therapy and Complex Care Team, your role will be to provide effective and efficient administrative support to ensure the smooth running of Gaddum’s therapy services. You will be responsible for ensuring that all administration tasks are completed with a high level of accuracy and in accordance with relevant policies and procedures.

You will demonstrate appropriate professionalism and empathy towards clients both face to face and over the phone. A keen eye for detail, excellent organisational skills, and the ability to multi-task and effectively prioritise is key to the success of this role.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

· Processing referrals: adding them to our database as well as our waitlist spreadsheet, sending out therapy agreement emails to gain consent from families, communicating with referrers/other professionals where needed

· Screening referrals: for any unsuitable or high-risk cases, identifying those 16+ to help us build list for trainees

· Completing follow ups where needed - such as awaiting carer response to agreement/consent email, or we are waiting to hear back about something

· Responding to queries from professionals or service users

· Monitoring email boxes and supporting to monitor waitlist

· Completing IA’s with families who are due to start therapy

· Assisting with therapy bookings where needed (may be contacting schools or community venues on behalf of therapists)

· Liaising with professionals and assisting with onward referrals

· Keeping records up to date

· Communicating cancellations/scheduling changes to therapists or clients or both

· Support therapists with collecting feedback from parents/carers

· Attend team meetings, assisting with minutes where possible, helping to share information with the team

· Support with onboarding of new staff/volunteers/trainees, including support for CRM training and access

· Signposting for other services

· Communicate referral decisions to clients and healthcare professionals in line with procedures.

· SilverCloud supporter

· Assisting with data gathering for reporting if needed

· MHSDS submissions

All staff are expected to work within all Gaddum policies and procedures. This role is subject to Basic DBS check.

Chief Executive — Help & Care
Location: Home-based within easy reach of Dorset (regular travel across the region)
Salary: circa £85,000 per annum
Contract: permanent, full-time (37 hours per week)

Are you ready to lead a values-driven regional charity and social enterprise that helps people to live the lives they choose?

Help & Care has been supporting communities across Dorset and the south coast since 1985. We deliver person-centred services that promote dignity, independence and connection - from dementia coordination and health coaching to our award-winning Roots gardening programme and social prescribing partnerships. Working with over 25 partners across health, housing and the voluntary sector, we co-produce services that make a real difference to older people, those with long-term conditions, carers and people at risk of isolation.

As our next Chief Executive, you will:

• Strategic leadership: Set and deliver a clear, values-led strategy that secures long-term impact and sustainable growth.
• Values leadership: Put Help & Care’s values - social justice, innovation, personal and collaborative - at the heart of decision-making and model them.
• Growth & income diversification: Lead business development, win new contracts, and develop social-enterprise opportunities to reduce reliance on public commissioning.
• Partnerships & advocacy: Strengthen senior-level relationships with NHS, local authorities and commissioners; represent Help & Care across systems, media and networks.
• Service quality & impact: Embed rigorous monitoring and evaluation so our outcomes drive commissioning, improve margins and strengthen our reputation.
• People leadership: Inspire, retain and develop a high-performing, compassionate leadership team and workforce.
• Governance & financial stewardship: Provide the Board with timely, high-quality reporting, oversee financial recovery plans, and ensure robust risk and compliance frameworks.

Who you are:

• An experienced CEO or senior director from complex, multi-service health & social care or community organisations.
• Proven track record in winning commissioned contracts, tendering and contract management.
• Skilled at building strategic partnerships and influencing at senior system level.
• Comfortable leading transformation and financial sustainability work, with demonstrable budgeting and forecasting skills.
• A values-led, collaborative leader with high emotional intelligence, resilience and a commitment to social justice and co-production.

Why Help & Care?

• Lead a highly respected regional provider with an outstanding track record of co-production and innovation.
• Shape an organisation poised for growth and greater regional influence.
• Hybrid, home-based working, regular travel across Dorset, and the chance to safeguard vital services for local communities.

If you would like to receive an Information Pack for this role with details on how to apply, please send an expression of interest and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile in confidence to our consultant, Jenny Hills via the apply button. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny at the above address with suitable times to speak. 

Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 20th October 2025 

As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.

Hours of Work:  37.5 hours per week, Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00 with some flexibility

Location: Head Office is in Cardiff however the successful applicant can be based anywhere across Wales as we have offices in multiple locations and remote-working can also be facilitated.

Purpose of Role

To work within the Contracts and Planning team supporting the delivery of the Trust, Foundation and Statutory Programme. The role is responsible for liaising with teams across the organisation to develop funding bids which meet the needs of the organisation and prospect research, income monitoring and reporting requirements.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

1. Work with operational teams to develop funding applications to meet agreed income targets to help fund core activities and priority projects.

2. To develop and maintain a list of suitable, well researched prospects and ensure that opportunities for funding are not missed by maintaining a suitable pipeline.

3. Regular review of income pledges and received, and the funding pipeline, reporting progress and risks to manager.

4. Liaise with relevant project staff to coordinate and submit monitoring and evaluation reports to funders.

5. Ensure all reporting requirements are met in line with agreed deadlines.

6. To ensure that all relevant administration is recorded accurately on the fundraising CRM and shared team databases.

7. To monitor payment dates and ensure payments are received when expected.

8. Build and maintain relationships with funders, helping them to understand the impact of their support.

9. Support the Contracts and Planning Team with other duties as required, contributing flexibly to wider team priorities and organisational needs

This role is subject to a Basic DBS disclosure.

Young Lives Consortium are recruiting a Business Operations Manager

Location: Based at Lightwaves Leisure Centre, Wakefield WF1 3LJ

Hours: 30 hours per week, Monday to Friday, core hours of the day are open to negotiation.

Contract: Permanent

Salary: Pay Band D £30,976 - £34,055 pa Commencing pro-rata salary will be £25,116 to £27,612 pa.

Application deadline: 20th October 2025

Are you eager to participate in supporting Voluntary, Community Sector organisations in Wakefield District promoting positive outcomes for children, young people, and families in Wakefield District?

Young Lives Consortium seeks a Business Operations Manager to spearhead the back-office functions and provide essential support to the Chief Executive Officer. As a key member of the Management Team, you will play a crucial role in enhancing business processes, maximising efficiency to support Young Lives Consortium’s development.

In this rewarding position, you will be tasked with managing the business’s day-to-day operations, overseeing financial management, and ensuring operational excellence across all support functions.

If you are a results-orientated professional with a passion for making a difference and possess strong organisational, communication, team, and leadership skills, this role could be a perfect fit for you.

With a focus on fostering a positive work environment and promoting growth and development the Young Lives Consortium provides an exciting opportunity for individuals committed to promoting Voluntary Community Sector organisations supporting children, young people, and families

The main purpose of the post holder is to develop the capacity of new and existing Refugee and Migrant Community Organisations (RMCOs) in Islington and surrounding boroughs by providing high quality information, capacity building training and developmental support.  The post holder is expected to udnerstand the values and challenges of the voluntary sector.

The capacity building project has been running for 18 months, and will continue for another 18 months until 30 June 2027 where funding will end. Renewal of this employment contract beyond of this period is subject continuation of funding

GrantScape is a national grant-making charity that funds community, environmental, and educational projects across the UK. Our grants make a meaningful impact—transforming lives, strengthening communities, and improving local environments in the areas we serve.

The Senior Grant Officer will play a key role in assessing and administering grant applications, and in coordinating meetings with local voluntary Advisory Panels who help prioritise funding decisions.

The ideal candidate will be an excellent communicator, capable of navigating complex situations and identifying practical solutions. You’ll bring strong project management skills to oversee a diverse portfolio of funded projects, and be confident working independently while thriving as part of a collaborative team.

We’re seeking someone with at least one year of experience in project management or grant-making (ideally two), and a solid understanding of the Third Sector. A full UK driving licence and access to a car for business use is essential. Mileage is reimbursed at 45p per mile, and a hire car will be provided for journeys over 120 miles.

The post will be a home-based role located in the Northwest of England, with easy access to the M6 corridor. Preferred locations include Lancaster, Preston or Warrington. The successful candidate must remain based in this region throughout their employment to ensure accessibility to meetings for location-specific funds.

Occasional overnight stays will be required, along with travel to our Head Office in Milton Keynes for team meetings up to three times per year.

A full job description and person specification are available below.

To apply, please email your CV along with a covering letter (maximum one side of A4) explaining how your experience aligns with the role requirements.

Key Dates:

• Application Deadline: 12pm, Friday 31 October
• First Interviews (Virtual): 11 November
• Second Interviews (In Person in the Northwest – venue TBC): 26 November

Contract: Permanent, full time
Hours: 35 per week
Location: London/hybrid
Starting salary: £49,147 - £57,010 per annum includes London weighting
Closing date: 22nd October 2025
​Expected date of interviews: 5th/6th November 2025
Job ref: VA761

Freedom from Torture is the 2023 Charity Awards Winner of the Overall Award for Excellence and the top prize for Campaigns and Advocacy.

Would you like to join our award-winning organisation?

About the role

This is a key role within the Philanthropy & Partnerships Team. You will lead the development and delivery of the Trust & Grants Strategy meeting and /or exceeding income targets, support the ongoing development and delivery of strategic objectives and KPIs, ensure strong stewardship of our existing donor relations and prospect new opportunities for funding. You will personally secure income from Trust and Statutory audiences in support of Freedom from Torture’s work across our clinical work, policy and campaigning priorities.

You will manage a committed team of three Trust & Grants Officers and work closely with the Head of Philanthropy and Partnerships to implement the fundraising strategy. The Trusts and Grants Team sits within the Philanthropy & Partnership Team in Freedom from Torture’s friendly, creative and ambitious Fundraising & Communications Directorate.

You will represent the organisation externally with funders and work internally with colleagues to identify opportunities for funding, in the preparation of proposals and thereafter, reports. 
 

About you

To be successful in this role you must have demonstrable experience of developing and implementing a plan to grow Trust & Grant income, successfully meeting or exceeding fundraising targets from a variety of funders and experience managing relationships with statutory funders and trust and foundations. You will have experience of managing fundraisers and supporting them to manage their priorities and portfolios. You will have experience of measuring and monitoring income and expenditure, and team performance.

It’s essential that you have excellent communication skills and can build relationships across the organisation to develop strong fundraising ideas and support engagement with senior staff in building relationships with trusts. You will have experience of managing donor funded grants including review of financial information, preparation of donor reports and donor compliance. You must have experience and knowledge of statutory and grant fundraising research tools and grant writing in the UK charity sector.

In return, we offer a competitive package, with a generous 30-day annual leave entitlement, and 6% employer pension contribution (minimum 1% employee contribution).

Freedom from Torture is committed to showing the salary for all advertised roles and not negotiating salaries for roles, in light of evidence that this contributes to structural inequality.

Our policy is that all appointments will be at the start of the salary range but successful candidates will have the opportunity to move up the scale over time. The progression up the salary range is reviewed on an annual basis and subject to affordability. For this role, the salary range is £49,147 - £57,010 per annum includes London weighting.

Please note a CV and a cover letter addressing the job description and person specification of the role are mandatory to be considered for the position.

Freedom from Torture is dedicated to healing and protecting people who have survived torture. We provide therapies to improve physical and mental health, we medically document torture, and we provide legal and welfare help. We expose torture globally, we fight to hold torturing states to account and we campaign for fairer treatment of torture survivors in the UK.

We campaign for national and global change, using evidence from our services and survivor voices to protect and promote survivors' rights and hold torturing states to account. We are proud to play a significant role in the global anti-torture movement. Survivors, active and empowered, are at the centre of all of our work.

Freedom from Torture is committed to its responsibilities under safeguarding, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to a satisfactory standard DBS disclosure, as well as a need for full employment history and up to date employment references.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.)

Freedom from Torture is an equal opportunity employer. People with lived experience of torture or asylum, from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQIA+ individuals and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.

No agencies please.
 

About Us

Unfold is an established local charity, supporting young people and families in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea to get where they want to be, identifying and achieving their goals through mentoring and peer support.   

For over 35 years, we have been supporting people who face social injustice, from families seeking asylum and young people excluded from school to women rebuilding confidence after hardship. Our programmes are rooted in empowerment and inclusion, led by trained volunteers who mentor, listen, and champion change.

Last year, we supported over 450 women, young people, and families, and with our team now 19-strong, we’re growing our reach, our partnerships, and our impact.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Volunteer & Communications Coordinator who believes in the power of people and storytelling.
This is a role for someone who’s passionate about community and inclusion, and who can bring both heart and strategy to the way we recruit, train, and celebrate our volunteers.

You’ll lead the development of our volunteer and communications strategy, ensuring our work is inclusive, rooted in social justice, and reflective of the communities we serve. From recruiting and training new mentors to telling powerful stories that shift narratives, this is a role where people skills meet purpose.

You’ll:

• Build meaningful partnerships with community organisations, universities, and employers to grow a diverse volunteer base.
• Oversee each step of the volunteer journey, recruitment, training, and recognition, ensuring every volunteer feels supported and valued.
• Shape Unfold’s digital presence and social media, amplifying Global Majority voices and sharing stories that inspire others to get involved.
• Work collaboratively across programmes to strengthen processes, maintain accurate data, and embed rights-based practice.

About You

You’ll bring:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and a confident, engaging style.
• Strong organisational ability - able to manage multiple priorities.
• Good data management skills and attention to detail.
• Understanding of the volunteer sector and enthusiasm for supporting families and young people to thrive.
• Experience in marketing or external communications, including managing social media and creating materials in Canva or similar tools.
• Ability to create compelling case studies and campaigns, and working with tools such as Mailchimp/

If you’re a storyteller with a social purpose who can bring warmth, structure, and creativity to a growing organisation, we’d love to hear from you.

Why Join Us?

• Holidays: 25 working days (along with additional Christmas closedown days)
• Pension: We offer a generous pension provision. New staff are automatically enrolled for a pension after three months, and after six months, we will match your contribution up to a maximum of 8%.
• Team working: We are a small but brilliant team: we're supportive, diverse, and we help each other out. There are always opportunities to get involved in different aspects of the organisation, or lead on new initiatives.
• Training opportunities: We want to ensure that our team is continuously learning and building expertise in their field. For this reason, we offer each team member two days per year dedicated to professional development and training opportunities.
• Wellbeing - How we feel matters: Staff have access to a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme, and our staff Wellbeing Champions are leading on the design and delivery of our wellbeing strategy, including the review of our quarterly wellbeing survey. Staff have regular supervision sessions to encourage reflection and discussion on our work and wellbeing. Additionally, we’re excited to introduce three days a year dedicated to team-building activities. These days are an opportunity to build skills, foster connections, and recharge as a team!
• Flexible working: We're happy to consider flexible working arrangements in line with the requirements of the role.
• Working Environment: We work in a beautiful, accessible, eco-friendly co-working space with a number of other charities, with plants, a leafy roof terrace and free hot and cold drinks. With comfortable spaces to read quietly or talk in a group, our workspace is somewhere you'll want to be. 

The Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS) is a human rights, feminist organisation led by and for Latin American migrant women in the UK. Our work is dedicated to supporting the immediate and long-term needs of Latin American migrant women exposed to violations of their fundamental human rights; facing violence against women and girls, exploitation or trafficking; enduring difficult living and working conditions in low paid jobs and facing barriers to social protection. We strive to provide essential tools for women to empower themselves in their pursuit of personal and social change.

The post holder will join our Counselling and Psychotherapy team, providing emotional support sessions, clinical assessments and one-to-one short term therapy to Latin American women; delivering group work activities and psychoeducational workshops; and dealing with internal and external referrals, working closely with other teams at LAWRS and external agencies. 

This post is open to Latin American women only* in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and LGBTQ+ candidates as they are currently underrepresented within the team.

*women who identify as Latin Americans (1st and 2nd generation) and speak Spanish and/or Brazilian Portuguese.

Please note that only applicants with the right to work in the UK covering the duration of the contract will be considered for this position.

Programme Manager (Loneliness)

We are seeking a Programme Manager (Loneliness) to join the Astra Foundation. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our growing grants portfolio tackling loneliness among young people in the UK and France.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a small but ambitious foundation. As Programme Manager, you will:

• Oversee and develop our portfolio of grants tackling loneliness across the UK and France
• Work with grantees and partners to generate learning, share best practice, and amplify effective approaches.
• Engage in local and global networks on loneliness, ranging from social-prescribing, funding and commissioning programmes, and research

The successful candidate will report to the Foundation Manager and work closely with our Board and Chair. You will combine rigour in grant making with the vision to influence systemic change – helping us explore what works, share best practice, and catalyse cross-sector collaboration.

This role is ideally suited to someone with experience in programme management or grant making, and with a passion for tackling one of society’s most pressing but often overlooked challenges.

Salary: £40,000–£45,000 (depending on experience, pro-rata if part-time)
Contract: Full-time  – we will also consider candidates wishing to work 0.8 FTE
Location: Hybrid – Victoria, London (two core office days per week)

Please download the full application pack below for further details.

We’re hiring two enthusiastic Dad Matters Coordinators to support the expansion of our project in Surrey and drive this vital work forward.

Job Title: Dad Matters Coordinator x2
Employer: Home-Start Surrey
Hours: Part time, 18.5 hours a week.  Work patterns and hours will be agreed with the successful candidates.
Salary: £27,000 - £32,000 per annum, pro rata
Location: These roles cover locations across Surrey, offering the chance to work face-to-face in community and partner venues. Every day is varied and rewarding, as you help improve the lives of families.

About Us

Home-Start Surrey is a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with young children. Our mission is to give children the best start in life by supporting parents, especially during challenging times.

Dad Matters Surrey exists to support dads to have the best possible relationship with their families. We do this by providing 1:1 and group peer support, helping Dads make sense of parenthood, and providing or signposting Dads to mental health support and access to relevant services. Working closely with other professionals, we are able to better support dads in the first 1001 days of their parenting journey.

As Dad Matters Coordinator your key responsibilities will include:

• Deliver face-to-face support and engagement with dads.
• Raise awareness of mental health and parenting support available to fathers.
• Support volunteers with lived experience of fatherhood.
• Collaborate with Home-Start Coordinators to ensure holistic family support.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Passionate about supporting dads and families.
• An excellent communicator and relationship-builder.
• Confident working independently and as part of a small team.
• Knowledgeable about perinatal mental health and the challenges faced by dads.

What We Offer

• Flexible working hours and locations.
• A supportive, values-driven team culture.
• The chance to make a real, lasting impact on families in your community.

Deadline for applications: 5pm Friday 31st October
First Interviews: w/c 10th November
Second interviews: w/c 17th November

Interested?

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Home-Start Surrey is committed to equal opportunities and safeguarding children.

All roles are subject to an enhanced DBS check and references.

​No agencies please.

We are seeking a Planning Policy and Campaigns Officer to join our cause.

This is a critical time for nature’s recovery.  To meet the UK legal target of securing 30% of land for nature’s recovery and halting wildlife decline by 2030, we need positive and strong laws and policies and for decision makers at both local and national level to ensure that planning and development gives back more to nature than it takes.

Currently there is huge uncertainty with a new Planning and Infrastructure Bill passing through parliament, which could fundamentally change the protections afforded to our most important wildlife sites and the delivery of mitigation.  There are also changes proposed for Biodiversity Net Gain policy and the National Planning Policy Framework.

Locally, our counties face huge development pressures – both through house building and infrastructure development, including major port expansion.  We must challenge inappropriate development proposals which would negatively impact our nature reserves and other key strategic areas or ambitions.  It is also essential that local plans align with the Local Nature Recovery Strategies for the two counties and enable properly sustainable nature-positive development.

With the forthcoming creation of a strategic mayoral authority for the region alongside local government reorganisation, there is a critical opportunity to ensure that spatial development strategies front-load environmental considerations and recognise the wider benefits of planning with nature in mind. 

Planning and development is an issue of huge interest to members and supporters who care about their communities and about wildlife.  We have witnessed recently the power of people using their voice in our campaign with RSPB against the damaging development proposed at Tipner-West.  We want to support and empower individuals and communities to respond, challenge and advocate on nature’s behalf.

This role is critical to achieving our strategic aims.  As part of a small policy and advocacy team, you would lead on planning-related policy issues and work with supporters to achieve greater impact through campaigning.

This role sits within the Advocacy & Engagement team and will work with colleagues from across the Trust and beyond, to develop and deliver compelling, evidence-led policy positions.  Your role will involve engaging with our MPs and councillors and supporting the development of the Trust’s campaigns to drive individuals and policy makers to act for nature.

Wild About Inclusion!
As an inclusive employer we recognise that our workforce needs to better reflect the communities in which we live and work.  We encourage applications from all sections of the community, particularly those underrepresented within our sector, including people from black, Asian, minority Ethnic backgrounds and people with disabilities. We are committed to creating a Movement that recognises and truly values individual differences and identities.

Disability Confident. We are proudly a Disability Confident Committed employer. The scheme is helping us recruit and retain great people to meet our workforce needs. As a member of the scheme, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. You can request adjustments including accessible formats of this vacancy by emailing us.

To be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme you must:

• Identify as being disabled which under the Equality Act 2010 means a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial*, long term** adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day to day activities; or a long-term health condition; and;

 (*Substantial is more than minor or trivial **Long-term means 12 months or more)

• Set out how you meet all the minimum qualifying criteria set out in the person specification for the post at the application and testing stages. This is a requirement for all candidates, not just those applying under the scheme.

We are happy to discuss the possibilities of hybrid and flexible working
This role will be based at our office in Curdridge, however, we are happy to accommodate a hybrid working routine, and discuss a pattern of work which suits the candidate. Traditionally, office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm with an hour lunch break.

We offer a wide range of benefits including a competitive salary, generous annual leave allowance, a contributory pension scheme, life assurance, learning and development support, 24-hour access to our employee assistance programme, discounted staff travel with our corporate partners Wightlink (subject to T&Cs) and more.

To apply for the role, please click on the 'Apply Now' button at the top of the page. In the ‘supporting information’ section, you’ll need to demonstrate, with detailed examples, how you meet the job requirements using the Job Description and Recruitment Pack below. Please note that we may occasionally close vacancies early when we have received enough applications that meet the required criteria.

Please do not use artificial intelligence tools to assist you to complete the application form. We may not accept applications that have been completed utilising AI tools. If you would usually use tools such as these to assist you in filling in a form, please contact us to discuss this further and understand other options. 

In this role, you'll ensure that every pet finds the perfect match with their new family as quickly as possible, while maintaining top-quality care for both our pets and clients throughout the entire adoption journey. Join us in making a difference, one pet at a time! 

More about the role 

Our Devon centre has a wonderful group of dedicated people with varying skills that meld into one team with one mission: to help as many pets as possible. We help pets through our two main services, Home Direct and our fostering network of over 80 volunteer foster carers.

In this role, you’ll play a key part in ensuring exceptional care for both pets and clients while making well-connected, efficient decisions that prioritise pet welfare. As the leader of our home-based pet operations, you’ll oversee the smooth running of daily activities, acting as the subject matter expert in practical animal handling and assessment. Your goal will be to prepare pets for adoption as quickly and effectively as possible. You’ll work closely with your team to ensure timely pet assessments, behaviour management, and training, while providing full support to foster carers. 

You’ll also be responsible for achieving pet-related targets, ensuring your team of Pet Welfare Assistants and Foster Co-Ordinator's maintains the highest standards of animal care and adheres to national processes in case management. Since we don’t have cattery or kennel facilities, innovation and teamwork are essential to address the most urgent cases effectively. 

Motivating and managing your team is central to this role, enabling the centre to provide top-quality home-based pet care while helping your team develop professionally. 

This is a full-time position, working 37.5 hours per week and you will be required to work 1 in 3 weekends.

About you 

You’ll be a great people manager, bringing finely honed skills from your experience in an animal-related environment, along with expert knowledge of pet welfare and care. 

As a dynamic and innovative leader, you know how to inspire and motivate your team, driving continuous improvement. You’ll lead a team of Pet Welfare Assistants and Foster Coordinators, empowering them through effective management and coaching. 

With excellent communication skills, you adapt your approach for different audiences, ensuring your message resonates. While juggling multiple tasks, you remain calm and organised, making confident decisions in high-pressure situations. 

Your strong analytical skills enable you to monitor and evaluate effectively, implementing meaningful improvements. 

Having worked in emotionally charged environments, you understand the importance of resilience and have excellent “bounce-back ability.” Your emotional intelligence and empathy will shine as you support your team and the public, creating a compassionate and effective workplace. 

Knowledge, skills, and experience   

• Significant experience in managing a team. 

• Significant experience in delivering high level Customer service in a fast-paced environment. 

• Significant subject matter expertise and application of pet welfare and handling of domestic animals 

• High standard of verbal and written communication. 

• Current full driving licence 

• The ability to demonstrate, understand and apply our Blue Cross values 

It would be great (but not essential) if you also had:   

• Performance management and improvement experience.

• Experience working with volunteers. 

• Understanding of safeguarding issues. 

Want to know more detail? Great! We have attached the job description which hopefully gives you everything you need.   

How to apply  

Click the apply button below and complete the online application process before the closing date on Sunday 19 October 2025. 

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive an overwhelming response.   

Blue Cross benefits    

Our people are the most important part of delivering our purpose. If it were not for their amazing efforts and commitment, we would not be able to make the difference that we do today.   

In return, Blue Cross wants to ensure we provide you with the best working environment we can. We want you to be happy working for us and will do everything we can to make sure you are.   

Our generous benefits package includes:   

• Enhanced annual leave entitlement: 30 days plus bank holidays    

• Pension scheme with enhanced employer contribution   

• Health cash plan  

• Life assurance   

• Unlimited access to an employee assistance programme  

• Programmes for physical and mental wellbeing support  

• Free access to GP via MetLife  

• Recognition scheme Annual volunteer days 

• Claim for professional fees