Policy leader jobs

Are you passionate about driving change for victims and survivors of domestic abuse?

Victim Support is seeking a visionary leader to become our Strategic Head of Domestic Abuse. This is your opportunity to shape the future of domestic abuse services across England and Wales, ensuring our work is innovative, evidence-informed, and truly impactful.

What we offer

At Victim Support, we are committed to attracting and retaining the best talent. Our competitive rewards and benefits package includes:

• Flexible Working Options: Including hybrid working.
• Generous Annual Leave: 28 days plus Bank Holidays, increasing to 33 days plus Bank Holidays, with options to buy or sell annual leave.
• Birthday Leave: An extra day off for your birthday.
• Pension Plan: 5% employer contribution.
• Enhanced Allowances: Enhanced sick pay, maternity, and paternity payments.
• Exclusive Discounts: High Street, retail, holiday, gym, entertainment, and leisure discounts.
• Financial Wellbeing: Access to our financial wellbeing hub and salary-deducted finance.
• Wellbeing Support: Employee assistance programme and wellbeing support.
• Inclusive Networks: Access to EDI networks and colleague cafes.
• Sustainable Travel: Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans.
• Career Development: Ongoing training and support with opportunities for career progression.

About the Role

We are looking for a dynamic leader to:

• Lead the development and delivery of our national Domestic Abuse strategy, ensuring alignment with policy, commissioning priorities, and our values.
• Champion best practice and drive transformational change in service design and delivery.
• Represent Victim Support in national forums, partnerships, and consultations, advocating for victims and influencing sector-wide policy.
• Oversee the creation and piloting of innovative approaches to increase engagement and quality of domestic abuse services.
• Collaborate with leaders, internal teams and external partners to ensure our procedures, guidance, and training reflect the latest legislation and sector standards.
• Engage with service users and frontline staff to ensure our strategy is grounded in lived experience and operational realities.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with commissioners, funders, and sector partners to secure future opportunities and influence policy.
• Shape evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches

About you

• Significant experience in domestic abuse service delivery, policy, or commissioning.
• Proven ability to lead innovation and large-scale strategic programmes.
• Strong understanding of the DA sector, VAWG policy, commissioning frameworks, and safeguarding.
• Dynamic communication, collaboration, and influencing skills.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed practice and intersectional approaches.

Additional Information

Regular travel across England and Wales is required.

About Us:

Victim Support is an independent charity dedicated to supporting people affected by crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales. We put them at the heart of our organisation and our support and campaigns are informed and shaped by them and their experiences.

Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.

At Victim Support, we're proud to celebrate diversity and create a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We're committed to being an antiracist organisation, and we actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those from Black and Asian and other minoritised communities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria. We are also happy to make reasonable adjustments during the selection process.

How to apply:

To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date. If you have already registered & started an application, then we will contact you to advise of the amended closing date wherever possible.

The FEA are recruiting a fixed term Director of Operations and Impact (maternity cover), who will have responsibility for FEA’s operations, culture, governance and impact and evaluation over the coming year.

Working closely with the co-CEOs and Senior Leadership Team, you will oversee the FEA's core operational functions while ensuring seamless continuity and momentum in this strategic direction. You will line manage key staff, steward relationships with external partners, and ensure that the FEA's culture and systems enable the whole organisation to thrive during this important transition.

This is a strategic leadership role that combines operational expertise with a strong focus on learning and impact, perfect for a leader who values the unique contribution that skilled interim leadership can make at key organisational moments.

Key dates

• Applications close: Monday 13 October (9am)

• First round interviews: Wednesday 29 October (online)

• Final interviews: Wednesday 5 November (in person at the Fair Education Alliance office in London)

• Start date: early January 2026

ImpactEd Consulting is acting as recruitment advisor to FEA on this appointment. 

Closing Date: 28 September 2025
Ref 7149

We're looking for a visionary leader to co-lead our work in England and at Westminster. Working alongside another Head of England & Westminster (mat leave cover), you'll oversee a team that:

• Works in partnership with others to ensure children and families have the day to day support they need – whether that's access to their local baby bank, a grant from Save the Children to help them get by, or support from organisations that can help them
• Campaign for an end to child poverty alongside children, young people and their families – regionally, nationally, and on reserved issues that affect children across the UK

You'll build a high-performing England & Westminster team, oversee our national influencing and hold senior stakeholder relationships, proactively secure funding for our work in England, and ensure our work in communities is impactful and connected to our influencing. The roles are also part of the Leadership Team responsible for our impact for children and families in the UK, and our Corporate Senior Leadership Team.

The role will work on influencing, communities and partnerships work so they can represent the entirety of what Save the Children does in England and at Westminster, with responsibilities clearly split with the other post. However, we are looking for the successful post-holder to have more of a community development and grant giving background as the current post holder has more of a policy / influencing one. 

About Us 
Save the Children UK believes every child deserves a future. In the UK and around the world, we work every day to give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. When crisis strikes, and children are most vulnerable, we are always among the first to respond and the last to leave. We ensure children's unique needs are met and their voices are heard. We deliver lasting results for millions of children, including those hardest to reach. 

About the Team 
This part of the organisation influences debates, opinion, and policies in favour of children's rights. We use powerful evidence and thought leadership to build advocacy strategies that ensure governments know about the problems we have identified and the solutions. We work with children, families, campaigners, and partners across many organisations to secure change. We create and disseminate engaging media content about children's lives to shape debates, put pressure on decisionmakers and build public support. 

The Head of England & Westminster is based in our UK Impact (UKI) department. The department is responsible for driving the delivery of the UK Impact goal in our strategy. Our vision is to make sure families in the UK have the money, services, and power to end child poverty. It's our mission to help build communities of people who care about children, listen to what's important to them and work together to make things better. 

About the Role 
In this role, you will: 

• Lead and develop a high-performing team, creating a culture of trust, inclusion and growth.
• Drive delivery of our England and Westminster change strategy to reduce child poverty.
• Lead place-based approaches that strengthen local systems for children and families.
• Ensure national advocacy and local programmes work hand in hand, with children's voices at the centre.
• Build and influence senior-level relationships with government, funders, charities, media and opinion formers.
• Use political and policy insight to shape strategies in England and across the UK.
• Champion equality, diversity and inclusion across all areas of work.
• Act as a credible spokesperson, representing Save the Children UK externally, including in the media.
• Lead fundraising and innovative ventures that combine income generation with social impact.
• Play a key role in the collective leadership of the UK Impact department.

We are looking for someone with the following experience, competencies, and skills: 

• Proven ability to set clear direction, effectively prioritise a large and complex workload, plan and implement change strategies, manage varied expectations and deadlines, and adapt plans when context change based on data, evidence and professional judgement.
• Significant experience of leading and line managing a high-performing, multi-disciplinary team including supervising, motivating and developing direct reports
• Ability to think and plan strategically, with evidence of securing significant practice and policy changes through the successful design and execution of integrated change strategies covering research, advocacy, policy and practice
• Ability to share and apply learning in order to continuously improve effectiveness, working within a collective impact framework
• Experience of holding a wide range of senior external contacts – including civil servants, senior ministers, parliamentarians, national decision-makers, media, funders - and evidence of influencing for impact
• Significant knowledge and understanding of the political, policy and practice sectors, frameworks and trends in England.
• Significant knowledge of equalities, diversity and inclusion, and how to apply this in order to maximise our external impact and strengthen our internal culture
• Understanding of the causes of child poverty and broad knowledge of the evidence about effective approaches to reducing and ending it
• Experience of building and sustaining relationships, partnerships and networks at a senior level, with individuals and organisations that result in securing new opportunities for the organisation and deliver results
• Experience of securing funding

Please note: To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.

Location & Ways of Working:
The majority of our roles can be performed remotely in the UK, but at times you will be required to come to your contracted office (usually between 2–4 days per month, depending on the needs of your role, team, or service). For many roles, this is likely to be the minimum required to deliver impact.
This will be discussed and agreed with your manager / team and we encourage candidates to discuss our ways of working in more detail at interview stage.

Please note: travel costs to your contracted office will be at your own expense. 

Flexible Working - We are happy to discuss flexible working options at interview.

Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: 
Save the Children UK believes in a world that is fair, inclusive and equitable where all children have the opportunity to change their world. We apply this to our workforce and we are committed to developing and supporting a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organisation where all employees have a sense of belonging and feel that they can be "Free to Be Me". We are not looking for just one type of person - we want to recruit people who can add fresh perspectives, innovative ideas or challenge that disrupts the risk of group think. 

We are especially interested in people whose childhood experiences - of life on a low income, of migration, of being in a racialised community, of the care system, of being LGBT or in an LGBT family or living with (or with someone with) a disability - help us to see things we might otherwise miss. Whatever your story is we want to hear it because we know that different voices, ideas, perspectives and knowledge, working together will enable us to better the lives of children around the world. This is the reason why we are all here.

Head of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition
(Hosted by Centre for Mental Health)

We are seeking an outstanding senior leader to become Head of our small staff team which drives the growth and influence of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition. This is an exciting opportunity to influence positive change at a time of significant policy and political developments.

As Head of the Coalition, you will lead its policy and influencing activity. You will work closely with coalition members to develop policy positions informed by the latest and most robust evidence, ensuring a strong and credible voice. You will campaign to influence government policy on children and young people’s mental health, build strong relationships with senior stakeholders, and ensure the Coalition’s voice is heard across Westminster, Whitehall and in the media.

With over 400 members nationwide, the Coalition has significant potential to expand its impact. Many members already influence locally through NHS Integrated Care Boards, councils and MPs, but need support and coordination to amplify their voices. You will help them do so.

We are looking for someone with exceptional project management skills to help shape and deliver our influencing goals, while clearly demonstrating our impact. Most importantly, you will bring passion and commitment to improving the mental health of babies, children and young people.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Coalition, which is hosted by Centre for Mental Health, delivering its objectives and vision.
• Set priorities in consultation with the Chair, the Centre’s Associate Director for Policy, and Coalition members.
• Design and deliver policy-influencing and campaigning projects with staff, members, children and young people and partners.
• Lead income generation for the Coalition with the Centre’s Associate Director for Business Development, managing relationships with funders, undertaking necessary reporting, and building connections for future prospects.
• Manage and develop the Coalition’s staff team.
• Grow the Coalition’s online presence, ensuring social media and web content is high quality, up to date, engaging and strategically aligned with influencing goals.
• Support and coordinate the Steering Group, ensuring it is active, representative of the Coalition’s breadth and effective in guiding the Coalition’s strategic direction.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 5 October, 23:59

Job requirements & duties

To plan, prepare and deliver a range of Forest School sessions, with guidance/instruction from the CEO, and support from school staff. Groups will include children and adults with learning disabilities and mental health concerns. The Forest School leader will be expected to:

· Plan and deliver Forest School education-based activities to a wide age range.

· Create and maintain a safe, engaging and supportive environment, demonstrating flexibility in planning and running sessions in response to varying/changing needs of the groups.

· Comply with all health and safety policies, measures and legislation.

· Supervise and support groups with varying needs while delivering sessions.

· Be aware of and comply with all Mudlarks Policies and Procedures.

· Participate in training and other learning activities/meetings as required.

· Administer first aid as the need arises.

· Assist with Risk Assessments where required.

· Follow reporting procedures as outlined by the CEO.

· Ensure that receipts for all purchases are kept and passed to the finance officer.

· Ensure that all spending is approved by the CEO.

· Provide information for reports and Mudlarks trustee meetings.

· You may be required to carry out other duties, as within your capabilities and level of responsibility, in order to meet the needs of the organisation and as requested by the CEO.

Person specification

Education, training & knowledge

Essential

· Experience of leading groups or working with people with learning disabilities.

· First Aid Certificate or a willingness to gain one.

· Level 3 Forest School qualification, or a desire to gain one*.

Skills, abilities & attitudes

Essential

· A strong interest and passion in Forest School activities and environments.

· Ability to think logically and creatively to provide practical solutions to a changing range of problems and issues.

· Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to collaborate with staff and volunteers.

· Ability to manage challenging behaviour.

· Ability to work positively both as a member of a team and independently, with general direction and within a clear framework of accountability.

· Self-motivated and able to use own initiative.

· Good verbal communication skills.

· A flexible and proactive work ethic and positive attitude.

· Punctual and organised.

· Ability to work under pressure.

· Willingness to be flexible.

· To have a keen interest in, and/or experience of, one or more of the activities undertaken at Mudlarks

Desirable

· Written communication skills necessary to present information in written reports and correspondence.

DBS Clearance

Please note that as this post will involve working with children and vulnerable adults, your appointment is subject to you receiving satisfactory DBS clearance.

*Please note that The Mudlarks Community would fund a level 3 qualification, however the enrollment, exam and associated costs would be repayable from the candidate to Mudlarks in the event of them resigning from the role within 3 years of completing the course, or failing to complete the course.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team and the HR subject matter expert, you will lead the transition of HR and Culture at DENS. You will develop a People and Culture Strategy that supports organisational aims, responds to increasing HR demands and ensures that DENS is able to attract and retain a diverse workforce of talented staff and volunteers. You will proactively plan for, comply with and respond to the evolving expectations of external stakeholders, including future employees, funders and commissioners, and changes to employment law.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and embed a People and Culture Strategy in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and the Board.

• Be the trusted expert HR Advisor to Senior Leaders, the lead on all formal Employee Relations (ER) related cases, and coach the HR & Culture Officer to support managers on informal cases.

• Keep abreast of employment law, case law and trends, sharing these with key stakeholders to ensure policy and practices are not only compliant but innovative, and supporting the assessment and mitigation of people related risks

. • Gain an understanding and support leaders to innovatively respond to the recruitment challenges faced by low unemployment rates in the local area.

• Lead a proactive, data informed resource/workforce planning approach, based upon internal needs and external insight and trends (including recruitment needs, skills development, employment law changes).

• Develop a HR infrastructure and systems to support DENS’ service development. With the support of the HR and Culture Officer, review, develop and implement standardised processes and frameworks and supporting documents

. • Lead, motivate and develop your team, encouraging a collaborative climate.

• Review and implement staff development initiatives, including a structured training plan, quality assurance of one-to-one meetings and annual performance reviews.

• Oversee employee relations and improved HR systems, ensuring compliance with best employment practices and risk management

. • Promote a healthy workplace culture and employee and volunteer proposition through contemporary HR practices such as wellbeing, recognition.

• Lead the implementation of the EDI policy, ensuring an inclusive and equitable workplace

. • Role model a culture that supports autonomy and responsibility by coaching managers on the use of tools and guidance to enable them to effectively and confidently manage employee related issues

. • Ensure payroll accuracy monthly and ensure post payroll checks have been completed

. • Responsible for managing the HR & Culture budget.

• You may be asked to undertake any other duties that are commensurate with the post as requested by your manager and you must carry out the duties of the post in accordance with DENS’ policies and procedures. 

For an informal chat about the role, please contact Wendy Lewington on 014 42-41 2340

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is recruiting for a new Casework Manager to lead our growing and dynamic Casework and Advocacy Service.You will be joining an impactful local organisation at a crucial time in our development. We are looking for a hard working and dynamic leader who can balance the operational demands of casework and managing frontline services, with excellent HR skills and a keen interest in policy and developing partnerships. This is an exciting and integral role within a supportive and dynamic team at AFRIL. The role is available due to the advancement of the previous post-holder to a more senior post.

AFRIL’s Casework and Advocacy Service is a busy, professional team of 4 caseworkers (3 FTE) , a Community Activities Coordinator, and a number of volunteers. The team has grown significantly in the last 3 years, in response to the needs of our community and due to recognition of AFRIL’s high quality and relevant casework provision. The Casework and Advocacy Service provides AQS accredited complex casework and advice in the areas of Asylum Support, Housing, Benefits and Community Care. The service works to fill the gap, focusing on supporting those with complex vulnerabilities requiring wrap around support. AFRIL takes its services to where clients are; holding regular casework drop-in’s at asylum support hotels, community centres and at Lewisham Foodbank. AFRIL is also recently accredited by the Immigration Advice Authority to provide advice at Level 1, in both Immigration and Asylum and is currently in the process of becoming accredited at Level 2.

AFRIL’s Casework and Advocacy service uses casework trends and data to work with community members in order to engage in policy and systemic change. Utilising casework and community co-production, the service has created sector wide resources on asylum support, engaged in strategic litigation and successfully influenced local, pan-London and national policy outcomes. This is a growing area of work for the service and the successful Casework Manager will be required to balance high quality casework outputs and management of a team, while working closely with the Executive Director on emerging policy and advocacy work.

About AFRIL:

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is a registered charity that supports asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants in South East London. We support people to lift themselves out of poverty, assert their rights and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. We  provide both crisis support to meet immediate need, and longer-term, flexible programmes to  tackle the underlying problems that lead people to be in crisis, supporting people to integrate and thrive. Our work is grounded in the values of professionalism, inclusivity, and solidarity. Our clients are at the heart of what we do and our approach is one of co-production and empowerment.

AFRIL delivers the following core services in the London Boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark, Bexley and Bromley:

• Rainbow Club Supplementary School - providing weekly supplementary education in English and Maths, arts, music and sports activities to children from refugee, migrant  and asylum seeking backgrounds from 4-11 years old, plus youth volunteering programme and Youth Council (NRCSE and Sanctuary Status). 

• Casework and Advocacy Service: providing AQS accredited advice, casework and legal interventions in asylum support, community care, housing, welfare benefits and related matters. Pre-Action Protocol letters to challenge unlawful public law decisions and IAA Level 1 Immigration Advice.

• Destitution Support - a fortnightly Food Bank in partnership with St Peter’s Church providing food, food vouchers, toiletries, and other essentials, alongside a warm hub with free cafe, information and support. Small grants for essential items and cash payments for food in emergencies. Securing and distributing gifts in kind, e.g. winter coats, laptops and data. 

• Allotment of Refuge - a welcoming community of food growers that supports improved health, wellbeing and integration of members, whilst protecting the local environment. 

• Immigration Project in partnership with Southwark Law Centre, providing free legal advice and representation to support people to regularise their immigration status. 

We use our frontline experience, together with our clients, to engage in policy and influencing work to improve the services and policies that impact our clients group. 

Operations Manager – St Paul’s Church, Salisbury

St Paul’s is a lively evangelical church in the heart of Salisbury with a vision to see lives transformed by the good news of Jesus. We are looking for a highly organised and proactive Operations Manager to join our Ministry Support Team and play a key role in enabling our mission.

This role involves leading and coordinating the day-to-day operations of the church, including venue and technical management, health and safety, systems administration, and event support. You will also provide administrative support in HR processes, such as onboarding new staff and helping implement systems.

We are seeking someone with strong organisational and communication skills, a practical approach to problem-solving, and the ability to manage multiple responsibilities with professionalism. Above all, we want a team player who shares our Christian ethos and is committed to supporting the life and ministry of the church.

This is a full-time role (35 hours per week), with a competitive salary, pension, and the opportunity to serve in a dynamic and outward-facing church community.

Team Leader - Night Support 

£25,467 - £27,681 per annum 

Portsmouth 

Permanent, Full Time  

Mon & Tues - 4.30pm-12am  
Wed - 5pm - 12.30am 
Thur & Fri 4pm -12.30am 
(30 minute unpaid break included in the hours) 

Interview Dates: 2nd and 3rd of October 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Team Leader – Night Support to guide and work alongside our dedicated night team, ensuring our clients are safe, supported, and empowered to achieve their goals. In this role, you will help provide not only a home but also the specialist support that enables people to feel valued, secure, and ready to take their next steps in life. 

Oakdene delivers person-centred support, to empower clients and support them on their recovery journey. 

We have a dedicated and passionate team, who deliver intensive support to clients living in the service. This role requires a proactive, and flexible approach. If you’re passionate about supporting individuals, with complex support needs and a range of mental health needs, then this is the role for you. 

If you have an open mind and the drive to succeed, you will thrive at Oakdene, all you need to do is apply! 

The role 

As our Team Leader, you will support your team to achieve their potential through regular staff supervision, coaching, training, reflective practice and team meetings. 

With strong communication skills, you will liaise between the day and night teams to ensure consistency, and you’ll assist with ensuring the service is fully operational and our clients are receiving the appropriate support. 

You will support your team to achieve their potential through regular staff supervision, and you will oversee housing management support to clients such as taking in rent, reporting maintenance issues and keeping the service clean and welcoming  

In addition, you will adhere to safeguarding responsibilities, following strict policies and procedures, and those of relevant local authorities, ensuring these are always followed. You’ll also help maintain health and safety standards, ensuring clients, visitors and buildings are safe in accordance with Health and Safety regulations, policy and procedures. 

Further information:  

• This role will require an Enhanced with Barred List(s) disclosure and barring service check is a requirement for this role. This would be completed on appointment of the role. 

• This role will require you to work flexibly across several sites when on call 

• This role will require you to work with clients on a one-to-one basis 

• This role will require you to work nights and/or weekends 

• This role will require you to lone work when on call 

Our ideal candidate will have:    

• Experience of working in a residential or institutional or similar

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written

• Clear verbal and written English

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Excel and Word plus keyboard skills for data inputting  

• Confident and assertive manner 

• Strong team working

• Ability to respond calmly to crisis

• Ability to deal promptly with and effectively react to challenging situations

• Have an interest and genuine concern for homelessness and related issues 

Desirable Criteria:    

• Experience of working in a leadership role

• Understanding of the complex support needs of people experiencing homelessness or those with complex needs

• Knowledge of voluntary and statutory agencies, housing regulations and the benefits system

• Understanding of risk assessment and person-centred, outcomes-based delivery 

We reserve the right to close our adverts early if a successful candidate is found, so please submit your application as soon as possible. 

ID: 1557

Job Title:  Deputy Director of Services & Innovation, Central Region of England

Service: Services & Innovation

Salary: £65,782 - £72,959 Additionally, £480 home-based allowance FTE per annum

Location: Homebased with regular travel across the central region of England and occasional London Head Office.

Hours: full-time 37 hours per week.

We offer flexible working arrangements - please see below for more details.

Contract: Permanent

Family Action & the Role’s Impact:

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

We see first-hand the power of family to shape lives, for better or worse, so we speak up for the

importance of family in national and local policymaking, amplify family voices and represent the changing needs of families in the UK today.

Are you an innovative, strong, team player, who is solution focused and passionate about making a difference in everything you do?  Do you have a proven track record of growth and retaining services, delivering excellent, inclusive services and cultivating quality and diversity?  Are you looking for a diverse, ambitious and fast paced organisation – if so, you have found it.

About the role:

The roles primary function is to lead the operational teams and lead on strategic development and growth across the region. The post holder will model the organisations values; people focus, can do, excellence and mutual respect.

The Deputy Director leads the strategic development and transformation of Family Action services across the Central region, and implements the organisation’s strategic plan and its 5 key objectives. The role focuses on stakeholder engagement, partnership, service development, and system leadership across sectors. It requires inclusive leadership and the effective line management of Operational Managers and one Assistant Director.

The role has responsibility for service delivery, risk management, performance, quality and practice, safeguarding, income generation and budgets across the region. The post holder drives accountable leadership, innovation, co-creation, and continuous improvement across all the Central region. The Deputy Director will be an excellent communicator, highly resilient, and a decision maker, while always championing Family Action’s values in delivering inclusive, outcome-focused support for children, families, young people and adults.

Main Responsibilities:

· Be accountable for service delivery across the region, contractual performance, safeguarding, quality assurance, risk management, ensuring services meet regulatory standards, delivering positive outcomes and embedding equality, diversity and inclusion in everything we do.

· Lead senior stakeholder engagement and foster strong cross-sector partnerships across the geographic area.

· Line manage Operational Managers, and an Assistant Director, oversee budgets to ensure efficient, cost-effective service delivery. Champion the sharing of learning, development of staff and volunteers and best practice across services to support continuous improvement and innovation.

· Strategic and accountable leadership, leading the region by motivating and galvanizing the team to achieve innovation, growth and quality services maximising outcomes for the people we support

· Working alongside the Business Development & Corporate and Marketing team, drive the region’s income generation through generating and responding to new opportunities, and by leading innovative service design and modelling.

· Be part of a dynamic and supportive team of other regional and national Deputy Directors, sharing and influencing cross-organisational decision making, resource allocation, strategy and organizational development and leadership. 

Main Requirements (for details check the job description and person specification):

· Passionate about social justice and improving the life chances and supporting children, young people and adults who experience disadvantage.

· We are looking for someone who has senior level leadership and management experience and expertise in at least one of the settings in social care, health, young people and community sector. Who is highly robust, able to priorities multiple workflows and issues, with a good understanding of and leadership around service risks and decision making.

· We are also looking for someone who can think strategically across systems, contribute to innovation, creativity and diversity, and is an excellent inclusive leader that can inspire their teams as well as their peers and senior leaders in Family Action.

· Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service – Enhanced and children’s barred list.

· Benefits:

- an annual paid leave entitlement of 30 working days plus bank holidays

- up to 6% matched-pension contributions

- flexible working arrangements and new starters have the right to make flexible working requests from day one of employment

- enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions

- eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers

- cycle to work scheme

- investing in your professional development with ongoing quality training and career development opportunities

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

To Apply:

Click 'Apply Now' to complete our online application form by the closing date of Sunday 28th September at 23:59

Interviews and an assessment exercise will be virtual over Microsoft Teams – Week commencing  13th October.

For any queries, or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the selection process or the potential for flexible working, please email: Helen Cantrell (full email address on advert document)

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

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

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

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

We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role. For this vacancy, we are also applying positive action to improve the representation of people of colour in management roles at Family Action. As such, the guaranteed interview scheme is extended to applicants of colour who meet the minimum criteria.

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

Connexional Worship Renewal Team Leader

London-Hybrid

Hybrid Working: Connexional Team staff based at Methodist Church House have a hybrid work pattern which is currently 2-3 days in the office.

We are offering a hugely exciting role to support Methodist worship renewal across The Connexion and to continue to enhance our wonderful communities of local preachers, worship leaders and musicians through the training and development programmes offered by The Methodist Church in Great Britain.

It is open to both ordained and lay Methodists alike.

In recognition of the centrality of the worshipping life of the Church to Our Calling as both Christians and Methodists, we are absolutely committed to effectively supporting (in theology, craft and with practical questions) all of those who lead worship. We also recognise the missional imperative for high-quality worship. Thus the holder of this post will lead a small team, whose aims are to:

• Empower all of those leading worship through support and development.
• Operationalise and manage the Worship Renewal stream of the Methodist Church in Britain’s God For All ambition and strategy.

This will include working strategically; embedding deep learning and practice; envisaging and developing exceptional training and resourcing for all those involved in worship leading; managing staff, workplans and budgets; and being responsible for the governance aspects which sit within this role.

About you

Thus, we are looking for someone who is a gifted ‘crafter of worship’ and preacher, with deep sensitivity for Methodist worship in its varied traditions, passion for excellence in Methodist worship and creative strategic thinker. You will care deeply about the communities of people who lead Methodist worship, working alongside them to enable all to lead worship which contributes to flourishing Methodist churches. 

It is essential, therefore, that you are a presbyter, deacon or local preacher in The Methodist Church, have a deep understanding of Methodist – and wider – theology with an understanding of how to translate these for contemporary society. You will have an excellent understanding of current training structures for worship within The Methodist Church, alongside experience of leading and managing change in a complex organisation.

The team

The Ministries and Learning Team in which this role sits, is friendly, supportive, vibrant and passionate. Within this team, you will be line-managed by The Director of Ministry Development. The Team exists to equip the Methodist Church by training, developing and supporting those called by God to serve in lay and ordained ministry embedding the strategies which support the Church’s aspiration to be inclusive, justice seeking, evangelistic and growing.

The postholder will manage a small team and work widely with other teams, such as Evangelism and Growth, and across the wider Connexion.

This post carries an occupational requirement for the post holder to be a Christian (in accordance with the Equality Act 2010).

Our Culture, Values and Benefits

Thank you for considering joining our inclusive and welcoming team that strives for excellence and values employee wellbeing.

We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), TOIL, flexi-leave and an on-site Well-being Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme, where the Methodist Church will pay double the employee contribution up to a maximum of 16% employer contribution.

The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups. We also welcome applications from people living with disabilities.

For ministers in Full Connexion the standard terms of service apply.

Closing date: 2 October 2025

Interview date: 21 October 2025 (Methodist Church House, London)

The CSE Team Leader will play a crucial role in supporting the Operations Manager and wider Basis management team to oversee the delivery of 1:1 and group-based support to young people in our service offering high quality, effective safety advice, information and support, enabling young people to navigate exploitative and abusive relationships. The Team Leader will hold a protected caseload to enable them to carry out their other duties.

The Role includes line managing the staff on the Young People’s Team, supporting with reports, recruitment and safeguarding. There will be an expectation to attend Child Focussed and Contextual MACE as an expert panel member and to support the Operations Manager with attendance at Silver MACE meetings. The role will work to ensure young people receive an exceptional service and contribute to the strategic development of Basis.

The Young People’s team work across Leeds and Bradford providing specialist support to young people experiencing CSE.  The team work to Basis’ organisational values, taking a harm reduction approach to enable and empower young people to make positive choices, whilst working to reduce risk.  The team have an established reputation for providing high quality, effective safety advice, information and support, enabling young people to navigate exploitative and abusive relationships.  Services are provided within the community, at venues as young people determine.  

Basis Yorkshire is an award-winning charity that was founded in 1995 and now operates across Yorkshire. This is a unique opportunity to join a challenging and vibrant organisation, working with women and young people who are being sexually exploited or are involved in sex work. 

About Impetus

Our vision is for a society where all young people, regardless of their background, can thrive in school, secure crucial qualifications, and take their first steps into the world of work on the journey to sustained employment in adulthood, for a fulfilling life.

As a leading impact funder, since 2002, Impetus has been helping the best leaders build stronger organisations delivering the most promising interventions that support young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to succeed against the odds. We do this by using our deep expertise and high calibre networks to give the best non-profits the essential ingredients to have a real and lasting impact, through a powerful combination of long-term funding, direct capacity building support from our experienced team and our pro bono partners, alongside research and policy influencing to drive lasting systems change.

We tackle the three most difficult challenges that affect a young person’s ability to succeed in life in Britain today:
• Lost learning through absence, suspensions, exclusions from school.
• Stagnation in education attainment outcomes, which means many are missing out on key qualifications like GCSE English and maths.
• The large numbers of young people out of education, training and employment.

These are challenges that are faced by all young people, but they disproportionately affect young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

You would be joining a team that is passionate, rigorous, determined, creative and warm. We care deeply for our colleagues, our charity partners and the young people we serve.

Impetus is a registered charity and our charity number is 1152262.

About the role

Are you passionate about giving all young people the best chance in life? Are you a brilliant influencer and communicator who relishes harnessing great policy, research and communications to realise social change? Do you want to work in a pioneering charity with impact at its core?

Then this could be the role for you. At Impetus we are looking for our next Director of Public Affairs, someone who can inspire our brilliant Public Affairs team and spearhead our communications, policy and research work. This is an exciting senior role, joining our Senior Management Team and working alongside our CEO, board, donors, supporters, portfolio partners and the wider sector to effect real change for young people.

This is an exciting time to join Impetus. We are at an inflexion point, having welcomed a new CEO this year and implementing a new strategy focusing on strengthening and expanding our impact and influence. A big part of that is through our public affairs and communications work; whether influencing policy makers so that all young people regardless of background get the best possible chance to succeed, reducing the gaps in education and employment between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their better off peers, or working with government and other funders to prove and expand impactful programmes or communicating our findings, insights and message to a wider range of audiences.

The Director of Public Affairs will work with the CEO and Senior Management Team to raise our profile and influence policy, unlock and steward resource and build new partnerships, in order to facilitate growth in impact. They will do this by getting the most out of our high performing Public Affairs team, which covers policy, research, advocacy and communications - as well as working across teams and with the Board to ensure Impetus is well positioned externally.

We’re proud of the work we’ve achieved to date, developing a strong track record of high-quality research and insightful reports, significantly raising our profile through media relations and stakeholder engagement, building strong sector partnerships and coalitions to drive meaningful change, establishing a wide range of relationships across government and the sector and building strong expertise in the team. We’re delighted that you’re considering joining us to take forward this work to the next level.

Here are some examples of the types of work that the Public Affairs team delivers:
• Our monthly policy newsletter, Impetus Insights
• Our news and commentary and blogs
• Our latest research reports on school engagement, attainment and youth employment
• Our coalitions: The Youth Employment Group and Who is Losing Learning?

For more information on what we’re looking for from our Director of Public Affairs & what a typical week can look like – please view the Director of Public Affairs recruitment pack.

Key responsibilities

Fundraising and income generation

• Work with Impetus CEO and SMT to support the delivery of the Impetus strategy and business plan and deliver the public affairs milestones to time and within budget.
• Champion and contribute to embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across all areas of Impetus' work, ensuring that EDI principles related to Impetus’ mission are reflected in advocacy, stakeholder engagement, communications and public positioning.
• Vision setting and strong line management of the Public Affairs team, developing their capabilities, representing the team at SMT and to the Board and ensuring it continues to make a valuable - and valued - contribution to the achievement of Impetus’s objectives, through building and implementing high quality work plans for the team and ensuring the wider Impetus team is aligned on these.
• Increase awareness, understanding and trust in Impetus among key stakeholders, through regular, thoughtful engagement with the sector and securing high profile media coverage.
• Raise awareness of the education and employment gaps faced by young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and what we can do to break down the barriers they face - through research, policy positioning and effective communications.
• Build a positive reputation for Impetus in government and parliament and among funders, as a source of expertise on how to improve the education and employment outcomes of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and as a trusted interlocutor and partner, building on and leveraging the many relationships already established.
• Ensure that all advocacy is supported by high quality research and evidence, with our policy and research agenda well aligned to supporting the delivery of Impetus’ strategy.
• Ensure a positive media profile, continuing to build on the base established to build awareness among the media of Impetus’s expertise and content.
• Position Impetus as a ‘sought-after’ collaborative partner for other organisations with shared objectives; including regularly representing Impetus at relevant sector events.
• Support the delivery of our fundraising strategy and the successful delivery of our events programme, in particular, our flagship Transforming Lives Dinner.
• Where appropriate, collaborate with our portfolio partners to support their public affairs work and to leverage relevant partnerships, drawing on their insights to inform Impetus’ work.
• Contribute to the successful performance of the Senior Management Team, and provide expert advice to them, as well as to Trustees, on all public affairs-related activities and in the implementation of the broader strategy, engaging with decisions and challenges across the organisation.
• Oversee the running of our Public Affairs Committee (PAC), leveraging their skills, expertise and influence for the good of Impetus.

Personal specification

Essential

• A commitment to Impetus’ mission
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• Experience of leading public affairs / communications / policy at a senior level
  Strong track record of influencing (through policy, advocacy, communications, stakeholder relations)
• Strong management skills including strategy development, people management, budgeting and impact monitoring
• Experience of leading multiple and complex workstreams to achieve measurable results
• Experience of representing an organisation externally; in meetings, media interviews and on public platforms
• Exceptional verbal and written communications skills
• Presence, credibility, motivational skills, natural ability to command respect based on experience, and ability to look beyond own area of expertise
• Proven experience of building and maintaining influential external relationships and strategic partnerships
• Ability to motivate a team and work collaboratively, enlisting support from others
• Knowledge of the education and/ or young people sectors

Desirable:

• Experience of fundraising, including trusts and foundations
• Knowledge of digital communications
• Experience of data management and good analytical skills
• Understanding of, and/or lived experience of, the barriers that young people face, that contribute to the education and employment gap
• Knowledge of venture philanthropy / impact management
• Knowledge of private equity and associated industries

Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion

We want our team at Impetus to represent the diversity of the people and communities we serve. We also want our team to be one where different experiences, expertise and perspectives are valued, and where everyone is encouraged to grow and develop.

We want to reach a diverse pool of candidates. We are happy to consider any reasonable adjustments that potential employees may need to in order to be successful.

We recognise the importance of a good work/life balance. We do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, working part-time job shares and other arrangements.

Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore.

Impetus is an equal opportunity employer and is determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We value diversity and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

How to apply

Please click here to apply.

You will need to:

• Upload a comprehensive CV and supporting statement.
• We will also share our equal opportunities form which must also be completed.

The supporting statement should be no more than two sides of A4 and should address the criteria in the person specification.

You should also include the contact details of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Referees will only be approached with your express permission.

As part of our commitment to flexible working we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage.

The deadline for applications is 11:59pm, Sunday 12th October 2025.

Interviews

First round interviews will take place: w/c 20th/27th October 2025.

Second round interviews will take place: w/c 3rd November 2025.

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK.

Personal Data

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area.

EarthPercent is growing and we're looking for a dynamic Head of Finance & Operations to join our small, passionate, and high-performing team. This is a rare opportunity to play a central role in an organisation that’s inspired hundreds of artists to take meaningful action on the climate crisis. As we enter an exciting new phase of growth, we need someone who can help us scale our impact by building smart systems, strengthening our internal operations, and driving financial and organisational efficiency.

This is a pivotal leadership role at a critical moment for EarthPercent. You’ll be responsible for rapidly developing our internal infrastructure, supporting a growing portfolio of revenue and fundraising streams, and ensuring we continue to operate with excellence, transparency, and care - for our mission and for our people.

Your role will also be responsible for ensuring that we operate within UK legal & regulatory frameworks and stay up to date with changes in relevant legislation. This will sometimes include an international scope as EarthPercent operates in other territories too.