Policy and advocacy jobs

About Reading Students’ Union

We are a dynamic, student-focused organisation dedicated to empowering students and enhancing their university experience. Our vision is to be a place for everyone, we inspire and empower students to change the world. Check out our exciting new strategy on LinkedIn!

The Role: Director of Membership Services

Are you ready to make a big impact? We’re looking for an energetic, strategic leader to steer our Membership Engagement Directorate through an exciting period of organisational change.

This is your chance to shape student life, lead passionate teams, and ensure our student-facing services and systems for student democracy are sector leading.

What You’ll Do

Strategic Leadership & Impact

• Set the Direction: Provide clear strategic and operational guidance to managers and teams, aligning priorities with organisational goals

• Drive Collaboration: Foster a culture of teamwork across departments and with elected officers to deliver joined-up services

• Champion Innovation: Identify opportunities to enhance student engagement through data driven creative campaigns, digital platforms, and inclusive activities

• Measure Success: Monitor performance, track KPIs, and report on progress to ensure continuous improvement

• Influence Outcomes: Represent the Membership Engagement Directorate in key meetings, shaping decisions that affect thousands of students

• Build strategic partnerships: Work with the University and external stakeholders to enhance student experience. Raise our profile externally to promote our good work

• Drive membership engagement: Oversee sector leading activities that meet the evolving needs of students

People

• Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering growth, accountability, and innovation

• Offer practical support for Sabbatical Officers, acting as their key point of contact to help them succeed in their roles, particularly as political leaders

Project Delivery

• Drive equality, inclusivity, relevance, and engagement by overseeing campaigns, projects and events

Compliance & Risk Management

• Operate within charity law, regulatory requirements, and organisational policies

• Safeguard Governance Standards and uphold principles of good governance, transparency, and accountability

• Ensure teams operate safely and within SOPs

• Oversee compliance for activities, societies, communications, and elections

• Act as escalation point for safeguarding or risk concerns

• Monitor systems for governance and student democracy and drive student engagement

About You

Essential

• Senior management experience

• A true innovator and challenger of the status quo

• Strong leadership and people management skills

• Passionate about using data to drive transformation and innovation

• Has significant experience of governance, democracy, free speech and student representation

• Can create high quality strategic and operational plans and lead teams to implement

• Budget management experience

• Expert decision maker

• Strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion

• Experience in a charity, education, or student-focused environment

• Expert stakeholder management skills and ability to communicate effectively at all levels with diverse audiences

Desirable

• SU sector experience

Why Join Us?

• Inclusive and supportive team culture

• Flexible working options

• 35 days annual leave including Christmas and Easter closure days

• Professional development opportunities

• Unique working environment in the heart of a vibrant Student’s Union, set on a stunning, green campus.

Ready to make an impact?

Apply today and help us bring our ambitious data strategy to life and transform student life!

Committed to equality, celebrating diversity, and embedding sustainability — building an inclusive workplace and a brighter future for all.

Location: HMP Wymott
Department: Prison delivery
Salary: £11,310 per annum
Hours: 14 hours (2 days a week)
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract
 
Do you want to join an organisation committed to addressing low literacy levels amongst people in prison?
 
Shannon Trust are delighted to be working with His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) to provide peer-led learning programmes at HMP Wymott. Working closely with the prison and their staff, people in prison, Shannon Trust volunteers and mentors, this post will lead the delivery and development of our prison-based reading and numeracy programme, maximising opportunities for people in prison to learn to read.
 
Ideally you will have some experience of prison settings underpinned by the ability to build relationships and personal qualities that include resilience, determination and a problem-solving approach.
 
This role is a fixed term role until 31st December 2026 with the opportunity to be made permanent subject to contract renewal.
 
The role will be prison-based. Employee benefits include a company contribution to pension scheme of up to 5%, 30 days holiday plus bank holidays, life insurance, paid volunteering days, discounts via Reward Gateway and an Employee Assistance Programme. The biggest benefit though is our culture – our people really want to work for the organisation.
 
?We welcome job applications from people with lived experience of the criminal justice system and do not routinely ask for details of any criminal convictions. These roles do require prison security clearance, so we will need to ask for details of any relevant criminal convictions before an offer of employment is finalised.
 
Please note this role is subject to contract award
?Interviews are planned 22nd January 2026
 
Benefits: Standard Shannon Trust: Employee benefits include a company contribution to pension scheme of up to 5%, 30 days holiday plus bank holidays, life insurance, paid volunteering days, discounts via Reward Gateway and an Employee Assistance Programme.
 
REF-225 712

Job Title: Service Manager

Location: Derby City (office based)
Salary: £40,627.32 per annum
Contract type: Permanent, Full Time 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week. As part of this role, you will be required to work from site and participate in an out-of-hours on call rota.

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Service Manager to lead on the delivery of high-quality services to the women and their children living in our refuges and survivors of domestic abuse supported by our community outreach service.

We are recruiting for Service Manager who is passionate about supporting survivors who are impacted by domestic abuse and other gender-based crimes.  This is a multifaceted, fast paced, and exciting role where you will join our team in Derby to lead on the delivery and development of high-quality refuge and outreach services for survivors of domestic abuse and other gender-based crimes.

Our service provision in Derby includes culturally specific service for South Asian women as well as a specialist multiple disadvantage support worker who support survivors facing enhanced needs.

The post holder will provide line management and support to the accommodation based and the outreach service staff. This will include providing supervision on complex and high-risk cases, overseeing operational emergencies, and ensuring high standards of casework. You will also ensure that all service users in refuges and the outreach service always receive a high-quality support service in line with Refuge’s policies and procedures.

The Service Manager will lead on the delivery of the multiagency aspect of work, working jointly with the Refuge teams and wider stakeholders to deliver best services to the survivors.

Candidates must have proven experience of providing direct emotional and practical support to vulnerable people, managing, and motivating staff, managing casework as well as working within multiagency setting.  In addition, you must have an excellent knowledge of domestic abuse and other gender-based violence and its impact on survivors.  

You will have knowledge of relevant criminal and civil law legislation, as well as Housing and Health and Safety legislation.   

As member of the management team, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call management service.

The service manager will be responsible for ensuring that contractual and other funding requirements are met fully, this includes ensuring that the services operate within the allocated budget and that Refuge’s high-quality standards are maintained. The role may involve visiting potential sites and contributing to the establishment of new services in conjunction with the development team.

The job involves working closely with staff that support survivors and their children who are experiencing domestic abuse and other gender-based violence.

Please note that this post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 22 December 2025

Interview Date: 8 and 9 January 2026

About the Service

Children and young people who are looked after don’t always have a trusted adult that they can rely upon for support, with many young people not having someone that they can talk to or trust.

Our independent visitor service provides looked after children and young people with an adult volunteer who spends time with them, offering support and friendship whilst being a positive role model to enable young people to build on their confidence and self-esteem, whilst helping learn new skills and raise their aspirations.

The Vacancy

We are looking for a passionate and enthusiastic IV Coordinator, to work 28 hours per week who will be responsible for the day to day running of the independent visitor service.

You will be responsible for managing and developing a pool of volunteers which includes the recruitment, training, and induction of new volunteers to become volunteer independent visitors, before matching them with a young person who has been referred to the service.

You will provide continuous support to volunteers to ensure that the service is being delivered to a high standard, and that children and young people are safeguarded at all times.

You will also be responsible for monitoring volunteer visits, budgets and ensuring that risk assessments are undertaken as required, whilst acting as a link between NYAS and the local authority by liaising with social workers, carers and other professionals.

For more information, please view the attached job description below.

This role is a home-based role however to meet the requirements of the role you must live within the geographical area.

In your application, you will need to evidence, using specific examples, how your skills and experience meet the criteria laid out in the person specification, within the job description attached. Requirements include:

• Proven experience of face-to-face work with children and young people in a social care setting, particularly children in care.
• Knowledge and experience of the recruitment and training of staff and/ or volunteers.
• Experience and an understanding of child protection and safeguarding procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively.

NYAS operates robust safe procedures to ensure the protection of the children, young people and adults at risk we work with. To comply with NYAS’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, references and a Digital Risk Assessment.

In accordance with UK immigration law, NYAS is required to ensure that all prospective candidates have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom. Therefore, proof of eligibility to work in the UK will be required as part of the recruitment process.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early once we receive a high number of applications.

About NYAS

As an established leading rights-based charity, NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is well positioned to ensure that children, young people, and adults across England and Wales are fully respected, represented, and supported in expressing their views and having their rights upheld.

We work with care-experienced children, young people, and adults who are often reliant on statutory services suffering the negative impact of the cuts in public expenditure. Our combination of social care and legal services places us in a unique position to ensure that they receive the services they need and that their voices are heard.

We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment which means NYAS welcomes applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, or any other protected characteristic.

 NYAS is proud to share that we are a Disability Confident Employer and we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies.

Work with us to help change young lives.

About us

Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) is a values-driven organisation working with Indigenous Peoples and local communities to protect the world’s rainforests and uphold their human rights. Since 1989, RFUK has partnered with forest peoples and grassroots organisations to secure land rights, challenge destructive industries, and influence laws and policies that safeguard forests and the people who depend on them.

Our mission is clear: to combine human rights and environmental protection to tackle deforestation. From the Congo Basin to the Amazon, our work has helped communities protect millions of hectares of rainforest. With a growing team of passionate advocates for social and environmental justice, we are committed to scaling up our impact to confront the accelerating climate and biodiversity crises.

 

About the role

As Fundraising Officer, you’ll play a key role in supporting RFUK’s income generation and donor engagement strategies. Working closely with the Senior Fundraising Coordinator, you’ll contribute to a range of activities—from researching trusts and foundations, assisting with grant applications, and managing donor care, to supporting events like the London Marathon and helping implement our digital engagement strategy.

This is a part-time role (21 hours per week), fixed-term for 12 months with the possibility of extension. Based in London with hybrid working options, we offer flexibility, a supportive culture, and the chance to make a lasting difference.

About you

You’re an organised and proactive individual with demonstrable experience in fundraising, ideally within a charity or international development context. You have excellent communication skills, a strong eye for detail, and confidence in using CRM systems and digital tools to manage donor relationships. You thrive on collaboration, can juggle multiple tasks, and are committed to RFUK’s values of environmental and social justice.

If you’re passionate about protecting rainforests and supporting Indigenous communities, we’d love to hear from you.

Job description and benefits

Please download the full job description. We offer 30 days annual leave (pro rata), 4% pension contributions, Employee Assistance Programme, learning and development allowance, and four weeks of work-from-anywhere flexibility.

Location

Hybrid role based in our Bethnal Green office. The postholder would usually be required to work in the office a minimum of one day per week during their probation period. This can be reviewed with their Line Manager thereafter.

 

Application Process

To submit your application, kindly complete the online application form by Monday 12th January 2026, by 9AM. Please be aware that the form will be anonymised for review by the panel.

Please note that CVs will not be considered.

Regrettably, due to the large number of applications we usually receive, it is not possible to write to you should you not be shortlisted for an interview. If you have not heard from us within 10 days of the closing date, please assume that your application has not been successful on this occasion. 

Interviews with shortlisted candidates will be held on 28th January 2026. Please let us know in your application if you are available to attend an online interview.

Drive Practice Adviser Team Lead

£48,734- £49,771 (plus LA as appropriate)

Home-based, with travel to offices/sites as required

Full time

 

The Drive Partnership, formed by Respect, SafeLives and Social Finance, is working to transform the national response to perpetrators of domestic abuse. We work to end domestic abuse and protect victims by disrupting, challenging, and changing the behaviour of those who are causing harm. Together we have developed the Drive Project to address a gap in work with high-harm, high-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse. We also work to advocate for systems and policy change- to develop sustainable, national systems that respond more effectively to all perpetrators of domestic abuse.

In July 2025 the Home Office announced a £53m investment over the next four years to enable the Drive Project to roll out across England and Wales. To end domestic abuse, we must address the source of the problem - the perpetrator.  This funding will make a huge difference to our efforts to support survivors, by holding perpetrators to account, stopping them from causing further harm and giving them the chance to change.

 

Purpose of the role:

The role of the Drive Practice Adviser Team Lead is to support the practice team in fulfilling their role whilst also acting as a specialist advisor providing expert knowledge in Domestic Abuse to the Drive teams, in addition to supporting the Drive central team in their work.  We have a bank of extensive learnings from 10 years of delivery. The Drive Practice Team Leader will play an important role in applying this best practice to new and existing delivery areas through training.

This role will also involve establishing close working relationships with local PCC leads, police, multiagency partners and delivery providers to ensure structures and processes required for effective Drive Project delivery are established during site preparation; quality of service development; consistency in the development of the Drive Project; fidelity to the evolving model across delivery sites.

The successful candidate is likely to bring extensive experience of working with high harm perpetrators and/or victims of domestic abuse. You are also likely to bring knowledge and experience of effective ways of working/engaging with high harm perpetrators of domestic abuse, or clients with complex needs and challenging behaviours.

A sound understanding of the IDVA and MARAC process and best practice when working with high-risk victims of domestic abuse is highly desirable.

We’re looking for someone to provide support to unpaid carers of people living with dementia through tailored emotional, practical, and advocacy support.

Key responsibilities include:

• Acting as the first point of contact on our Carer Support Line
• Providing one-to-one casework, emotional support and guidance to carers throughout their carer journey
• Signposting and facilitating access to appropriate statutory and community services
• Advocating for carers’ needs within health and social care systems to ensure they receive the support they’re entitled to

Every year in the UK thousands of unpaid carers look after someone with dementia but receive little or no support. At Dementia Carers Count, we stand for them. We campaign for change and provide practical, emotional and financial support to dementia carers across the UK.

We’re looking for someone with a breadth of experience, who has a willingness to support others and learn new skills. The role can be based anywhere in the UK, with attendance at occasional in -person team meetings in London.

We are a small and remote multi-disciplinary team, committed to making a difference for carers and supporting each other.

If you like the sound of the role, and believe you have the skills and experience to join us, then we would love to hear from you.

What we can offer you

• Generous Annual Leave plus the option to purchase additional Leave
• Workplace Pension with up to 6% employer contribution
• Group Life Assurance
• Health cash plan
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced Company sick pay policy
• Enhanced carers, family and other leave
• Remote working with travel costs paid
• A commitment to flexible working
• A commitment to support your learning and development

Do you have some experience of advice work, preferably with a focus on housing issues, and a real desire to advance your specialist level knowledge? Then join Shelter Scotland as a Housing Rights Worker and you could soon be playing a vital role in helping to identify and resolve the homelessness and bad housing issues facing local communities.

About the role

In our Community Team, we identify, investigate and intervene in housing and homelessness issues. We are engaged in our local communities to understand the housing issues people are facing, and we apply our expertise to work toward solutions. Lived experience of the housing emergency is at the heart of everything we do.

Role specifics

You will have the ability to engage and work collaboratively with individuals, communities and with all stakeholders, including running group workshops and presentations. You have experience, knowledge of and/or proven ability in housing and homelessness advice and advocacy, with the ability to progress to specialist level knowledge. Essential to the role will be good time management, carrying out casework related interviews, maintaining detailed case records and offering advice and support to clients to inform their decisions.

Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Benefits 

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

About the team

There are three Community Teams - North, West and East. These teams of housing rights workers engage with and activate communities in delivering insight and evidence and targeted interventions, to address local issues and contribute towards the Shelter Scotland Housing Emergency campaign for structural change

About Shelter Scotland

Shelter Scotland is Scotland’s national housing and homelessness charity. Our vision is of a home for everyone in Scotland. For over 50 years, the way we drive change has remained the same. We advise and support people in housing need today and use the insight we gain to inform our campaigns to change tomorrow. We also raise professional standards for those working in Scotland’s housing and homelessness sector by offering a broad range of training courses.

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday thousands of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter Scotland. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

Safeguarding statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter Scotland is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies. 

Shelter Scotland does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

We’re an award-winning charity running local learning centres in the heart of the communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide a high-impact education programme which includes practical learning support, pastoral care, and motivational and confidence-building activities for young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to enable students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to realise their ambitions and achieve their wonderful potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping over 50,000 young people each year at its 44 learning centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, and we plan to scale-up our provision to 50 centres over the coming years.

We are looking for someone who will enjoy working each day with young people and who will thrive in a frontline, community-based, fast-paced and rewarding role. You will be taking up a fixed-term contract as an Education Worker at our
centre in Oxford.

Location: IntoUniversity Oxford South East
Contract: Full-time, fixed-term until April 2027
Applications close: 9am Tuesday 6th January 2026
Start date: January 2026

Salary

£28,250 per annum

What could my day look like?

The Education Worker role is a frontline, fast-paced and rewarding role where no two weeks will look the same. A typical day will have different activities, possibly spread between the IntoUniversity centre, partner schools and the offices of a corporate partner.

In the morning, you might be setting off with resources to run a workshop for sixth-form students in their secondary school. In the afternoon you may be setting up the classroom ahead of running Primary Academic Support for young people in your IntoUniversity centre. On other days, you may be travelling to a corporate partner to run a business simulation workshop for 15 year-olds or leading a group of final year primary school students on a campus visit for their graduation.

As an Education Worker, you’ll always be delivering the programme as part of your centre team, which means that any delivery is always a team effort. 

The Chief Programmes and Outreach Officer is a member of the Executive Team and a key advisor to the Board and the CEO, responsible for evidence-based pedagogy and practice, partnership development and adoption of innovative methodologies.

This is an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of Holocaust and antisemitism education in the UK at a pivotal moment in history. We are undoubtedly at a crucial juncture in Holocaust education and remembrance. Our work faces two  profound challenges: the international backdrop of rising antisemitism, Holocaust denial and distortion, alongside the inevitable loss of the remaining survivors and the need to develop effective new educational models that no longer rely on live testimony. In this challenging context, this post’s work will be critical in ensuring we carry the legacy of Holocaust survivors forward through innovative, impactful programmes that reach diverse audiences across the UK.

The post is accountable for the strategic vision and operational excellence of all the Trust's educational programmes, developing and delivering innovative, historically sound, educationally robust learning programmes that are recognised nationally and internationally as best practice. A key focus of the role is driving greater technological excellence in both teaching and operations, particularly digital testimony preservation and the use of educational technology.

The post’s success is the continuous improvement of both programme reach and impact, engaging new and diverse audiences and demonstrating meaningful long-term impact in line with the Trust’s mission and vision.

Key Responsibilities:

• Organisational leadership, as a member of the Executive Team
• Team Management and Development 
• Financial Management 
• Programme Innovation, Development and Delivery
• Partnerships and External Relations
• Impact, Evaluation and Learning
• Safeguarding and Quality Assurance

For the full Job Description, Person Specification, and details on how to apply, please follow the link to our website.

Are you an experienced Digital Product Manager looking for an exciting opportunity to help develop digital products and services? If so, join Shelter and you could soon be supporting our income generation, advocacy campaigns and advice services.

About the role

Reporting to the Digital Product and Delivery Lead, you’ll be at the centre of a multidisciplinary digital team, developing products and services to support Shelter’s income generation, advocacy campaigns and advice services.

As part of the Digital Team, you’ll work with disciplines including front and back-end development and user-centred designers, as well as with adjacent teams of specialists in marketing, creative, and campaigning teams.

You’ll develop Shelter’s ability to be user and data-led, leading on the planning, delivery, maintenance, and optimisation of a range of digital products.

Role specifics

A passionate champion of agile product design, you are used to being flexible within a range of business settings and constraints. Through extensive experience collaborating with experts in cross-functional teams, you’ll understand how to successfully bring together different technical specialists and business stakeholders, enabling them to work together towards a common aim.

You’ll have a solid knowledge of product design and development, including facilitating, ideation, and scoping. You will have worked on complex projects with a range of technologies and understand how strategic requirements, business analysis, systems thinking and user insight can be translated into full-stack solutions.

 An excellent communicator, you can advocate for a particular approach while building constructive relationships. Able to balance dependencies and priorities, we’ll look to you to develop a clear roadmap, that everyone can get behind, to deliver on time and budget.

Apply to be part of our team and be the change you want to see in society.

Benefits 

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

We are happy to talk about flexible working, personal growth, and to promote a workplace where you can be yourself and achieve success based only on your merit.

About the team

The Digital team sit alongside our Content and User Experience team, our Strategic Evaluation, Learning and Insight team and our CRM team, within Shelter’s Digital and Audience Engagement (DAE) sub-directorate. DAE is one of three sub-directorates that make up our wider Communications, Policy and Campaigns (CPC) department.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

Safeguarding statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies. 

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.

Job Role

Reports to: National Director 

Budget responsibility: Yes 

Line management: 3 direct reports (Community Outreach Coordinator,Empty Spaces to Homes Programme Manager, Head of Construction & Delivery). Manage the relationship with the Upcycling Programme consultant.  

Post: Permanent 

Location: Home-based with frequent travel and some overnight  stays to internal and external events and project sites across England, Wales and Scotland.  All staff meetings are held in our ReStore, Romford.

About Habitat for Humanity Great Britain 

Habitat for Humanity Great Britain (Habitat GB) is part of the global Habitat for Humanity Federation fighting global poverty and homelessness. We believe that a decent home helps to permanently break the cycle of poverty and allows families to achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance. 

Job Purpose 

To support Habitat GB’s vision of a decent home for everyone, the organisation has recently completed a strategic review, resulting in a new National Strategy and an organisational restructure, to ensure the organisation is able to deliver the Strategy impactfully, efficiently and effectively. 

As a result, a new team has been formed, which will focus on developing and delivering high quality programmes in England, Wales and Scotland. The Director of Programme Delivery will be accountable for consolidating and supporting the new team to flourish. And for co-leading (with the Director of Retail) the development and performance of one out of two Strategic Goals, to: ‘Develop, pursue and share innovative solutions to increase access to decent, safe, affordable homes for communities across Great Britain’. 

Key responsibilities include the design, delivery and performance of Habitat GB’s domestic programmes and to support the effectiveness of a joined-up UK housing advocacy strategy. The Director of Programme Delivery will also act as an external representation on behalf of Habitat GB, working with the National Director, Housing Advocacy Manager and others on influencing & engagement opportunities, including the development of thought leadership to increase Habitat GB’s influence on policy & decision makers, increasing credibility with partners, communities and other collaborators. The role will also work collaboratively across Habitat GB and the Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) network, including working with the Fundraising & Partnerships team to support high quality partnerships and strategic relationships. 

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Programme Delivery works to ensure the impact, sustainability, diligence and productivity of the organisation, including engaging in organisational transformation, within the framework of a values-led approach to people and culture approach. 

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities: 

Strategic development and programme delivery: 

• Accountable for co-leadership (with the Director of Retail) of the strategic leadership, development and performance of Habitat GB’s Strategic Goal: ‘Develop, pursue and share innovative solutions to increase access to decent, safe, affordable homes for communities across Great Britain’. 

• Responsible for overseeing and ensuring the high-quality design, delivery and performance monitoring of programmes under this strategic goal, including Habitat GB’s flagship Empty Spaces to Homes programme which aims to provide solutions to Great Britain’s critical affordable housing need through the conversion of empty commercial and retail properties into homes and through researching, advocating and collaborating in coalition with others to foster a wider uptake of the Empty Spaces to Homes approach. 

• Working in collaboration with other teams, responsible for the delivery and performance of other GB-based programmes and the development of new strategic initiatives. 

• Source and manage contractors/consultants to work on individual projects in line with our procurement and finance policies. Be responsible for effective contract management including quality assurance of their work and ensuring value for money. Proactively work with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure the organisation prioritises and delivers successfully across the 5 Strategic Enablers, including: taking proactive leadership to deliver high quality programmes and projects; increasing capacity and capability for Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning; technical and thought leadership; increasing visibility and leadership of our mission in GB; ensuring we are a thriving organisation; and championing One Habitat approaches. 

• Maintain awareness of the relevant trends to inform organisational and team strategic planning. Create and maintain a learning culture which identifies opportunities to innovate and adapt. 

• Engage with HFHI and the wider sector to inspire, innovate and influence the development of Habitat GB partnerships and programmes. 

• Ensure programmes are accessible, inclusive, and culturally sensitive to provide the best possible support to target communities. 

External representation and strategic partnerships development: 

• Represent Habitat GB in Great Britain and, where required, internationally. Work closely with the National Director and others on influencing & engagement opportunities, including the development of thought leadership to increase Habitat GB’s influence on policy & decision makers, increasing credibility with partners, communities and other collaborators. 

• Work collaboratively with the Fundraising & Partnerships team to support or lead high quality partnerships and strategic relationships. 

• Work closely with other teams to ensure the development of high-quality proposals, propositions and reports which leverage opportunities across institutional and non- institutional prospects and contribute to our credibility as a trusted and impactful organisation. 

• Be proactive in responding to external challenges as well as opportunities to raise the profile and impact of Habitat GB. 

• Ensure the organisation, its mission, strategic aims, services and products are consistently presented positively to relevant stakeholders. Act as an advocate for the organisation. Promote and enhance the charity’s position externally and develop and maintain good relations and effective networks with relevant stakeholders 

Performance management, reporting and monitoring: 

• Set quality standards and meaningful KPIs to encourage ownership and accountability with direct reports, team, and contractors and effectively monitor progress towards agreed targets. 

• Work with the Senior Leadership Team to oversee the active management of the National Strategy through the co-development of a new Performance Framework for the organisation, ensuring it is robust, strategically aligned, and balances prioritisation and focus with innovation and adaptability. Represent relevant areas of performance in governance forums, including Board level. 

• Work closely with the Director of Finance, Operations & Compliance to track performance, and contribute to high quality reporting, income forecasting and budget management. 

Leadership and management: 

• Lead a high performing and ambitious team, inspired to implement and grow the strategy and with a core focus on positive impact for Habitat GB’s community and strategic partners. 

• Develop, lead and focus the Programme Delivery Team, its budget, activities and performance, to ensure the delivery against funding and impact targets. 

• Manage, motivate and develop team members. Ensure regular 1-2-1s are held, set individual objectives, encourage a culture of giving and receiving feedback, where kindness and ambition support the progression of people and plans. 

• Role model our values in line with Habitat GB’s inclusive approach to people and culture. 

Organisational Leadership: 

• Support the National Director in delivering Habitat GB’s strategy and vision, acting as a collaborative and supportive member of a shared leadership team. 

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, provide oversight of organisational priorities, productivity, performance, risk and due diligence. 

• Be an active leader across the organisation, collaborating effectively with teams, and contributing fully to organisational wide initiatives and opportunities. 

• Co-create ways of working to enable an adaptive, collaborative and high performing organisational team. 

• Deputise for the National Director when required and represent Habitat GB in external meetings and forums. 

Person profile: 

• Expert knowledge of programme and project design, delivery and monitoring. It would be helpful (but not essential) if this was in a thematic area related to Habitat GB’s vision and mission of ‘working in partnership to create housing solutions, and break down the barriers to decent, safe and affordable homes for all - in Great Britain and around the world’. 

• Proven track record of developing and leading innovative programme or project delivery strategies, community-development or partnership strategies which deliver ambitious targets. 

• Experience of working in a similar organisation, collaborating across teams and operating in a highly effective way across a diverse, networked structure. 

• Significant and successful experience in senior management roles, encompassing strategic management and team leadership. 

• Strong understanding and experience of complex organisational change projects, including the ability to support new teams to develop and thrive. 

• Strong budget and financial management skills. 

Skills and competencies: 

• You have excellent interpersonal, influencing and networking skills and can communicate with impact across diverse audiences. 

• You are a strategic, analytical and entrepreneurial thinker who is focussed on increasing impact in line with Habitat GB’s mission and a clear vision for how strategy translates into delivery 

• You are resilient, able to lead positively in a role which carries significant responsibility and requires you to prioritise effectively across multiple areas of work, problem solve and demonstrate strong organisational and planning skills. 

• You are a values-led leader, who demonstrates integrity, respect for others and a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Strong leadership skills and commitment to the highest levels of integrity, honesty, openness and good governance with the capacity to inspire and motivate others 

• You are an experienced manager, able to lead and inspire others, offering kind and constructive support to others enabling them to improve their impact and performance. 

• You are confident and able to work across different and competing priorities 

• Business planning acumen, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Excellent negotiation skills. 

The role and responsibilities will be carried out in a way which reflects: 

• Habitat GB’s commitment to safeguarding children in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. 

• A commitment to Habitat GB’s vision, mission, values and approach. 

• A commitment to effective management of risk, by operating within the Charity’s code of conduct, policies, procedures and controls and by carrying out the risk management and assurance responsibilities of the role as set out in relevant Policy and Procedures. 

• If this sounds like it could be a good match for you, please take a look at the Candidate Pack here.

  Please note: this role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK.

  Start your Habitat journey here…

  We want the recruitment process to give you the opportunity to shine, to share your skills and experience as clearly as possible, and for you to find out more about Habitat GB in return. You are welcome to get in touch and arrange an informal chat with Henrietta Blackmore (please see website>vacancies for this email address) before submitting an application.

  To apply for the role, please send us your CV and a supporting statement (max two sides of A4) telling us about the skills and experience you would bring to the role and your motivation for applying.

  Send by email referencing the job title in the subject line to our recruitment email > website>vacancies

  The deadline for applications is Sunday 4th January 2026 (at 11:59 pm).

  Habitat for Humanity requires that all employees take seriously their ethical responsibilities to safeguard our intended beneficiaries, their communities, and all those with whom we work.  Managers at all levels have responsibilities to support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, safeguards the rights of beneficiaries and community members (especially children), and promotes the implementation of our code of conduct. The employment of this position will be subject to a satisfactory reference check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

  At Habitat for Humanity GB, we aim to build, develop and retain a talented workforce that represents a variety of backgrounds, skills and experiences. We welcome and actively encourage applications from anyone who feels they’d be a good fit for our organisation, regardless of race, religion, colour, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, neurodiversity or any other protected characteristics.

  We’d prefer to hear directly from applicants – we won’t be working with third party recruiters on this role. 

Mind BLMK works across our communities to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Working closely with a range of partners, we offer a number of activities from our wellbeing centres and local venues to make a difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people in Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, and our aim is to make sure that no-one has to face a mental health problem alone.

Community Navigator (SPA) – Mental Health
Post no: 651
Salary: £26,600 per annum
Contract: Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week, (Monday to Friday, 09.00 - 17.00)
Location: Eaglestone Health Centre, Milton Keynes

This role is an opportunity to work for Mind BLMK as part of the Milton Keynes NHS mental health service for someone with experience working in health, social care or information and advice, in direct contact with service users.

Working alongside colleagues from Central Northwest London Foundation Trust (CNWL) this role will provide referral management to and from Secondary Services. This will include signposting patients to statutory services including talking therapies and wider community based & voluntary sector support.

The role also includes answering calls through the NHS 111 Mental Health Option whereby you will be required to assess risks in real time and appropriately managing the call, escalating when necessary.

The Community Navigator will work as part of the team to deliver on the aims and objectives of the Mental Health Hub whilst representing the Voluntary and Community sector with the NHS.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 1 years’ employment working in health, social care or information and advice, in direct contact with service users, ideally within a Mental Health setting, and will have worked with challenging or vulnerable patients who present with multiple or complex needs or risk history.

Service Delivery

• Work within the NHS Mental Health SPA (Single Point of Access) Team to review and process referrals received from GP Practices and other sources including those to be subsequently triaged and assessed by mental health practitioners.
• Actively call patients with a view to assisting them through the process and making their onward appointments into community or secondary care service providers.
• Support the hub to signpost patients and direct them to appropriate services including secondary care, the local Voluntary and Community sector services and activities that support the patients’ wider determinates of their mental health and wellbeing.
• Answer calls, ensure sufficient phone cover, respond to messages/voicemails, provide administrative support to the Mental Health SPA for all services and deal with queries in a sensitive and timely way liaising with clinical or team lead as is appropriate.
• Monitor service inboxes during core office hours, responding to any queries professionally providing helpful information.
• Monitor and action tasks within SystmOne and maintain records of all activities carried out, i.e. outbound calls, calls received, archiving any received correspondence.
• Build good working relationships with the voluntary and community sector, relevant services and activities to ensure signposting pathways are kept up to date as well navigating and developing the setup of new signposting pathways through networking.
• Provide clinical and non-clinical information in appropriate chronological templates to other services.
• Carry out health and safety responsibilities as directed by Managers in line with Mind BLMK’s H&S policies, procedures, and guidance (risk assessments, reviews, reporting, safeguarding, incidents/accidents, premises).
• To bring VCSE experience, knowledge and culture into an NHS team.

Entitlements/benefits:

• 25 days (pro rata) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Auto-enrolment NEST pension scheme (employer contributes 3%, employee contributes 5%)
• Optional Health Plan
• Discounts available through Blue Light Card & Tickets for Good
• In-house and external Learning and Development as appropriate for the role.
• Flexible Working On request (in line with Mind BLMK policy on Right to Request Flexible Working)

If you have a passion for working in mental health and possess the required skills, we would love to hear from you.

Closedown: 5pm on Friday 16th January 2026

Please note: We reserve the right to close this advert early if enough suitable applicants apply.

Start date: ASAP

Interested?

If you would like to find out more, please click the apply button. You will be directed to our website to complete your application for this position.

Mind BLMK has been committed to the Mindful Employer charter and the Disability Confident Employer Scheme since 2008.

Please note: Mind BLMK follows Safer Recruitment practices and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Therefore all our roles are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

No agencies please.

Salary: Grade 3 - £31,600 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Location: Merseyside Hub – currently based in Anfield with plans to move to Liverpool City Centre in 2026

Hours: Full time - 37.5 Hours per week

Closing date: Sunday 4th January 2026 at 11.30 pm 

Do you have experience and ability in housing and homelessness advice and advocacy? If you are looking for an exciting new career opportunity, then join Shelter as a Housing Rights Worker and you could soon be playing a vital role in standing up to the housing emergency.

About the role

You will be delivering high quality housing advice and advocacy, in line with our local community plans for Merseyside and will work with people who are experiencing homelessness and bad housing to identify issues facing local communities.  You will plan and deliver casework to individuals and communities to resolve their housing situation, by liaising and advocating with local authorities, housing associations and private landlords. This will include taking referrals from community and advice groups and our National Emergency Helpline, as well people self-referring in person at the Hub.

The role also works in local community settings and with community groups to deliver advice and rights awareness workshops to ensure that people with lived experience of homelessness have opportunities to share their stories, voice their opinions and participate in the design and delivery of Shelter services. Offering day to day support to volunteers, providing learning, shadowing and mentoring and being a consistent role model for our values are also key aspects of the role. This is a challenging, front-line role where you will have a real opportunity to help people improve their lives.

About you

• Listen to, engage and work with individuals and communities, including people with lived experience of homelessness.

• Experience, knowledge of and/or proven ability in housing and homelessness advice and advocacy and are able to progress to specialist level knowledge.

• Experience of carrying out casework related interviews and maintaining detailed case records.

• Advise and support clients to make informed decisions.

• A proven record of delivering group workshops and presentations is essential, as is a collaborative, flexible and professional approach to your work.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About the Team

The Merseyside Hub is a team of seventeen, and you will be a key member of the Housing Rights team, defending the right to a safe home. This team works closely with colleagues in our Legal Team as well as our colleagues in community fundraising, community organising and lived experience. Each of Shelter’s eleven hubs across the country have their own local priorities based on the issues experienced by our clients. For Merseyside, we focus on homelessness, temporary accommodation, the private rented sector and social housing. We want people in Merseyside to be able to access the advice and support they need to secure and keep a home. We believe everyone has the right to reside in accommodation where conditions do not negatively impact their health.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

How to Apply

Please click ‘Apply for Job’ below. You are required to submit a CV and responses to the 'About You' points outlined in the job description of no more than 350 words each. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:

• We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset

Any applications submitted without a supporting statement will not be considered.

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.