636 Practice development lead jobs

YEF Detached Youth Work Area Lead

Relationships change lives.

At M13 Youth Project, we believe every young person deserves trusted adults who believe in them, walk alongside them and help them discover who they are, what they have to offer and the difference they can make. For over 30 years, we've built those relationships through detached youth work - meeting young people where they choose to be, listening deeply and creating opportunities for belonging, belief and hope.

We're now looking for an experienced Detached Youth Work Area Lead to join our team and play a key role in one of the UK's most ambitious detached youth work research pilots.

M13 is leading the Greater Manchester consortium delivering the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) Detached Youth Work Pilot. The Pilot aims to build a strong evidence base for detached youth work, combining outstanding frontline practice with rigorous evaluation to shape the future of youth work nationally.

Reporting to the YEF Detached Youth Work Project Lead, you'll work across three neighbourhoods and lead detached youth work in at least two of these, within M13's delivery of the pilot. You'll be responsible for delivering high-quality detached youth work outdoors in public spaces (on streets, in parks and other community spaces), modelling excellent relational detached youth work practice, supporting less experienced colleagues through day-to-day practice, contributing to monitoring and evaluation, and building positive relationships with young people, local residents, community organisations and partner agencies.

This is first and foremost a frontline detached youth work role. You'll spend much of your week in outdoors in parks, streets and neighbourhoods, building trusted relationships with young people through conversation, consistency and purposeful informal education. Alongside this, you'll help ensure high-quality implementation of the YEF Shared Practice Model within your neighbourhood patches, contribute to monitoring and reporting and work closely with the Project Lead and wider team to support the successful delivery of the pilot.

We're looking for someone who is a qualified (NVQ L2 in Youth Work) and experienced (2 years) detached youth worker, confident leading excellent practice and passionate about relational detached youth work. You'll be organised, reflective and proactive, with experience of taking responsibility for detached youth work within a neighbourhood, maintaining high-quality records, building effective local partnerships and supporting colleagues through encouragement, reflection and shared learning. Most importantly, you'll share our belief that relationships are the foundation for meaningful change.

This is a 22.5- 25 hour per week, community and office-based role (M13's full-time week is 37.5 hours). Your week will include six detached youth work sessions (three afternoons and three evenings), alongside planning, monitoring, partnership working and reflective practice. Some flexibility can be offered around when office-based work is undertaken, where operationally possible.

In return, we offer a supportive, reflective and values-led working environment, regular supervision, ongoing professional development, a generous employer pension contribution, TOIL for out-of-hours working, additional Christmas gift leave and the opportunity to contribute to nationally significant research that could shape the future of detached youth work.

If you're an experienced detached youth worker, confident in leading work in ourdoor community public spaces, ready to combine outstanding frontline practice with leadership of detached youth work across neighbourhoods, learning and innovation, we'd love to hear from you.

Join one of the South West's most ambitious and community-focused theatres.

The Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury is seeking a Development Manager to help grow philanthropic income, corporate partnerships and supporter engagement as we build an exciting future for our charity.

Working closely with the CEO, Marketing Manager, trustees and external fundraising consultants, you'll play a leading role in developing individual giving, patron schemes, sponsorship, trusts and foundations fundraising, and donor stewardship. This is an opportunity to take ownership of a growing fundraising programme and help secure the long-term sustainability of a thriving arts organisation with deep community roots and bold ambitions.

We're looking for someone with strong relationship-building skills and experience in fundraising, business development, sponsorship, sales, account management or partnership development. You may come from the arts, charity or commercial sectors; what matters most is your ability to build lasting relationships and turn opportunities into income.

We offer flexible and hybrid working, job share applications, professional development opportunities, and the chance to make a tangible impact on the future of a much-loved regional theatre.

Salary: £27,000-£30,000 FTE
Hours: 0.8-1.0 FTE (4-5 days per week)
Location: Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, with flexible and hybrid working available
Start date: ASAP / End of September

The Roses Theatre is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

The Role
Policy Development Lead
We are looking for a Policy Development Lead to provide strategic leadership, coordination and expertise in proactive policy development across NDCS. This exciting new role will help us think beyond immediate policy activity, identify where system change is needed, and develop longer-term policy positions that are informed by evidence, specialist insight, lived experience and external practice.
The role will initially focus on Education, while retaining the flexibility to support wider policy development across areas such as early years, social care, health, benefits, sign language and other emerging priorities. Working closely with Platform Leads, Policy and Nation Leads, and colleagues across the organisation, you will help ensure NDCS develops strong, evidence-based policy positions that create meaningful change for deaf children and their families.
What you'll do

• Lead and coordinate proactive policy development activity across NDCS, identifying opportunities for deeper policy thinking and systems change.
• Apply systems thinking to identify complex challenges, explore interdependencies and develop practical solutions
• Identify emerging trends, risks and opportunities, using systems thinking and horizon-scanning approaches to inform future organisational priorities.
• Translate complex evidence, research and lived experience into clear recommendations that support organisational decision-making and influence.
• Influence senior leaders and key stakeholders by providing strategic policy advice, insight and recommendations.
• Lead and coordinate policy development activity across multiple teams, ensuring expertise, insight and activity are aligned.
• Build productive relationships with external researchers, policy networks and sector experts to bring innovative thinking into NDCS.
• Identify cross-cutting themes and opportunities for change by bringing together insight from local, regional and national sources.
• Facilitate strategic conversations that help colleagues explore complex issues, understand system interdependencies and develop long-term solutions.
• Champion a proactive, evidence-informed approach to policy development across the organisation.

What you'll need

• Significant experience in policy analysis, development or strategy within a complex organisation, sector or policy environment.
• Proven ability to translate complex evidence, research and lived experience into recommendations that drive organisational action and influence.
• Experience influencing senior decision-makers and shaping organisational, sector-wide or public policy direction.
• A track record of leading and coordinating complex work across multiple teams, functions or stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality briefings, policy positions and strategic recommendations.
• Experience bringing together evidence and insight from multiple sources to identify emerging issues, trends and opportunities for change.
• Strong systems-thinking skills and experience developing long-term solutions to complex challenges.
• The ability to lead through collaboration, credibility and specialist expertise, building alignment across diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of the policy, practice and systemic issues affecting deaf children and families, and the ability to apply this knowledge to strategic policy development.
• Strong digital skills and a sound understanding of agile values & principles.
• Acriminal record check / DBS disclosure (if offered the position).

What you'll get

• Home-based working with flexible hours.
• 25 days holiday - plus an additional 3 days at Christmas (& bank holidays).
• Pension (5.5% employer contribution).
• Healthcare Cashplan.
• Annual performance-based salary increase.
• Employee Assistance & Wellbeing Programmes.

What we do
The National Deaf Children's Society are the leading charity for deaf children. We give expert support on childhood deafness, raise awareness and campaign for deaf children's rights, so they have the same opportunities as everyone else.

Pre-employment checks
As part of our commitment to creating a safe and trusted environment for the children, young people and families we support, all offers of employment are subject to background checks. These include Right to Work verification, Criminal Record Disclosure, and ID and address verification.

To complete an online Right to Work check, you will need a valid UK or Irish passport, or a government share code if you are not a British citizen. If an online check is not possible, we’ll need to verify your documents in person at our London office. Please be aware that travel time and expenses for this appointment cannot be reimbursed.

Disability Confidence
We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to offering interviews to candidates who request to be considered under the disability confident scheme and meet the minimum requirements for the role.

The National Deaf Children’s Society is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 1016532 and in Scotland no. SC040779.

About the role:

For women facing multiple disadvantage, the right support can be the difference between remaining trapped by systems and beginning to rebuild safety, choice and control. As our Specialist Multiple Disadvantage Worker at Grace House, you’ll provide skilled, persistent and compassionate support to women whose experiences may include homelessness, domestic abuse, trauma, substance use, poor mental health and contact with the criminal justice system.

Using a gender and trauma-informed approach, you’ll build trusting relationships and work alongside women at their own pace. You’ll manage complex casework, advocate firmly on their behalf and help navigate services and systems that can often feel fragmented or difficult to access. You’ll use creativity, professional judgement and tenacity to challenge barriers and help women move forward on their own terms.

You’ll also bring your expertise into multi-agency discussions, ensuring women’s voices, experiences and priorities remain central to the decisions made about their support. Working closely with colleagues and external partners, you’ll help shape responsive, coordinated support and contribute to the continued development of practice across Grace House.

This is an opportunity to deepen your specialist skills, take real ownership of your work and make a visible difference in women’s lives. You’ll be supported by an experienced team, reflective practice and ongoing learning and development at Single Homeless Project (SHP), giving you the tools and confidence to grow while delivering support that genuinely changes lives.

*For genuine occupational requirement reasons, we are seeking applications from women only for this post (exemption under the Equality Act 2010; Schedule 9 Part 1). 

About you:

• You know how to build trust with women who may have been let down by services before, working with patience, honesty and consistency.
• You bring strong experience of supporting women facing multiple disadvantage and understand how trauma, abuse, homelessness, poor mental health and substance use can overlap.
• You stay calm when situations are complex, using sound judgement to assess risk, make decisions and keep support moving forward.
• You are a determined advocate who will challenge barriers, bring partners together and keep pushing when systems are not responding.
• You are reflective, curious and ready to deepen your specialist practice, with support, supervision and development opportunities at SHP.

About us:

We’re London’s leading homelessness charity – and we get things done.

In a city where hundreds are forced into homelessness every day, our work has never been more needed or more challenging. And we’re not shying away. We’re rolling up our sleeves to make change and helping over 10,000 Londoners every year. We prevent homelessness, provide safe places to live and give people the opportunity to rebuild their lives and transform their futures. And we never give up. 

We’re here for Londoners wherever they are on their journey. We start with trust, building relationships that help people feel safe, supported, and ready to move forward. Every day, we put people first in everything we do, challenging injustice and barriers that keep people from the safety, stability and opportunity they deserve. We stand alongside people as they rebuild and shape a future that feels their own. 

Joining Single Homeless Project means joining a team that’s bold, compassionate and determined to do better for the people we support and for each other. You’ll work alongside colleagues with lived experience, in a space that’s trans-inclusive, disability-friendly, and actively striving to be anti-oppressive and equitable. 

We’re not perfect, but we’re real. We listen. We learn. And we push forward, together. Because this isn’t just a job. It’s a chance to lead with empathy, spark change, and help build a London where no one is left behind.

Important info:

Applications will be reviewed and suitable candidates invited to interview online as they are received. Therefore, please submit your application as soon as possible to be considered. We reserve the right to close the vacancy as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. 

Please note there will be a second stage interview in service in Camden for suitable candidates. 

This post will require an Enhanced DBS check to be processed (by SHP) for the successful applicant.

Please note applications are reviewed for AI use in application questions. Applications with insufficient right to work or requiring sponsorship will not be accepted for this role. 

Support, Guide and Lead Services That Change Lives

This is your opportunity to provide leadership to services that make a real difference to people, families and communities across Lancashire. Join a values-led organisation where your leadership will help shape services, support talented teams, and create positive, lasting change.

At New Era North West, we believe everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive. For over 40 years, we have worked alongside children, young people, adults and families to reduce inequality, improve wellbeing, increase opportunities and build stronger communities. Through our work in employment, skills and education, health and wellbeing, and family and community services, we help people overcome challenges, build resilience and achieve their potential. 

As our Charitable Service Lead, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across our charitable services, ensuring they remain high quality, responsive and focused on delivering meaningful outcomes. Working closely with the CEO, Operations Manager and Leadership Team, you will provide direction, guidance and support to service managers and practitioners, enabling them to deliver high-quality services that achieve positive outcomes for the people and communities we serve. You'll play a key role in developing confident, capable teams, fostering a positive and supportive culture, and ensuring our services continue to make a lasting difference across Lancashire. 

This role offers the opportunity to influence the future direction of a respected and growing organisation. You'll lead and support passionate teams, develop strong partnerships, and help create a positive workplace culture where people feel valued, supported and empowered to do their best work. We're looking for someone who can inspire others, bring people together, and balance strategic thinking with a practical approach to leadership.

What We Offer

• Salary: £38,428.46 per annum 
• Contract: Permanent, full-time (37 hours per week)
• Location: Burnley, Lancashire, with travel across service areas required (essential car user) 
• Annual Leave: 32 days per year 
• The opportunity to shape and influence services that improve lives and strengthen communities.
• A supportive, values-driven culture built on Care, Support and Belief.
• The chance to work alongside committed colleagues who are passionate about making a difference.
• A senior leadership role where your ideas, experience and vision can have a genuine impact.

If you are passionate about creating opportunities, supporting communities and leading services that deliver real social impact, we'd love to hear from you. Join us and help challenge inequality, strengthen communities and transform lives.

Job Summary 
The Service Manager - Z House will provide operational leadership for Z House, Caring in Bristol’s emergency accommodation service for young people aged 18–25 experiencing housing crisis. 

The Service Manager will be responsible for ensuring that Z House is a safe, welcoming, well-managed and psychologically informed service, where young people are treated with dignity and supported to move towards greater stability and appropriate longer-term accommodation. 

You will lead the day-to-day operation of Z House, overseeing referrals and placements, safeguarding with support from our Safeguarding team and risk management, staff and volunteer practice, accommodation standards, partnership working and service development. 

The Service Manager role will combine operational management with a strong focus on relationships and practice. You will work closely with the young people using Z House, the wider Caring in Bristol team and partners across Bristol to ensure that the service responds effectively to individual needs while contributing to our wider ambition to prevent and reduce homelessness. 
 
The role will also have capacity to lead or contribute to the development and delivery of additional accommodation or youth-focused projects that sit within the scope of Z House and Caring in Bristol’s Support Services. This may include developing new provision, responding to emerging needs and opportunities, and working with partners to extend or adapt our accommodation offer. 

Reporting to the Head of Support Services, you will be part of the wider Support Services team and will contribute to the development of Caring in Bristol’s approach to accommodation, youth homelessness and early intervention. 

Key responsibilities 

• Lead the day-to-day operation of Z House, ensuring the service is safe, effective, welcoming and responsive to the needs of young people experiencing housing crisis.

• Manage the referral, assessment and placement process, making appropriate decisions about suitability and ensuring risks and support needs are identified and managed effectively.

• Oversee safeguarding practice within Z House, ensuring concerns are identified, responded to and escalated appropriately and in line with organisational procedures.

• Lead the development and implementation of effective operational systems, policies and procedures that support high-quality and consistent service delivery.

• Manage and support staff and volunteers involved in Z House, creating a positive, inclusive and reflective culture and ensuring people have the information, training and support they need to work safely and effectively.

• Build strong relationships with referral partners and organisations across Bristol, ensuring young people can access appropriate specialist support and move towards suitable longer-term accommodation.

• Develop effective pathways with the wider Caring in Bristol support offer, ensuring Z House guests can access appropriate support around housing, independent living and other areas of need. 

• Budget responsibility Manage the Z House budget effectively, ensuring expenditure is appropriately monitored, controlled and managed within agreed financial parameters. 

• Lead or contribute to the development and delivery of new projects and service developments within the scope of Z House and Support Services, responding flexibly to emerging opportunities, funding and identified needs 

The Suicide Bereavement Specialist Manager leads and manages a team of approximately 10–12 Suicide Bereavement Specialists, providing strong and supportive management alongside clear professional accountability and oversight of practice.

The postholder will also maintain a small caseload of approximately 5–10 beneficiaries, enabling them to remain connected to frontline practice and the experiences of people accessing the service.

The postholder has operational responsibility for the beneficiary journey from the point a referral enters the service through assessment, triage and allocation to a Suicide Bereavement Specialist, and for ensuring that subsequent support is safe, timely, appropriate, person-centred and delivered to Pete’s Dragons’ expected standards.

Relationship with the Beneficiary Services Manager

The Beneficiary Services Manager holds overall strategic responsibility for Beneficiary Services, including the direction, development and performance of beneficiary-facing services across Pete’s Dragons.

The SBS Manager holds operational responsibility for the day-to-day delivery, management and quality of the Suicide Bereavement Specialist service.

The SBS Manager is expected to exercise appropriate professional and managerial autonomy in the daily operation of the SBS service, escalating significant safeguarding, workforce, performance, capacity, service-quality or organisational concerns to the Beneficiary Services Manager.

The two roles will work closely together to ensure that strategic decisions are translated into consistent, safe and effective practice.

Key Responsibilities

Referral, Triage and Allocation

The SBS Manager will:

• Take overall responsibility for all incoming referrals to the SBS service from the point of entry through to allocation.
• Review referrals to establish need, urgency, risk, suitability and any additional considerations affecting the provision of support.
• Ensure referrals are processed promptly and in accordance with Pete’s Dragons’ referral pathways, eligibility criteria and service standards.
• Identify and appropriately escalate safeguarding, suicide risk or other significant concerns arising during the referral process.
• Allocate beneficiaries to the most appropriate SBS, considering individual need, practitioner skills and experience, existing caseload, capacity, location and other relevant factors.
• Maintain oversight of referrals awaiting allocation and ensure that beneficiaries do not become lost or unnecessarily delayed within the system.
• Monitor demand, waiting times, caseloads and team capacity and raise emerging pressures with the Beneficiary Services Manager.
• Ensure referral and allocation decisions are clearly and appropriately recorded.

Management and Leadership of the SBS Team

The SBS Manager will:

• Provide day-to-day leadership and management to approximately 10–12 Suicide Bereavement Specialists.
• Lead regular individual management 1:1s with each SBS.
• Lead group supervision and reflective practice opportunities as required.
• Lead daily SBS team meetings and scheduled practice meetings.
• Create a team culture which combines compassion and psychological safety with professional accountability and consistently high standards.
• Maintain regular contact with staff working across different Pete’s Dragons locations.
• Ensure staff have appropriate opportunities to raise concerns, discuss difficult work and seek management guidance.
• Monitor individual workload, caseload and capacity and intervene where concerns arise.
• Support staff wellbeing while maintaining clear expectations regarding professional responsibilities and service delivery.
• Provide appropriate telephone management support for SBS staff working outside normal office hours as required.

Quality Assurance and Practice Standards

The SBS Manager will hold responsibility for the quality of SBS practice and will:

• Undertake formal case audits for each SBS on a quarterly basis.
• Regularly review the quality, accuracy and completeness of beneficiary records and case documentation.
• Monitor SBS practice against Pete’s Dragons’ policies, procedures, practice standards and expected professional boundaries.
• Arrange and review recorded beneficiary sessions at appropriate intervals as part of ongoing practice quality assurance and practitioner development.
• Provide constructive feedback following practice reviews and agree actions or development plans where required.
• Identify excellent practice and ensure learning is shared across the team.
• Identify practice which falls below the expected standard and take timely action to support improvement.
• Monitor beneficiary engagement, missed appointments, case progression, case duration and closure practices.
• Ensure concerns regarding practice, conduct, competence or beneficiary safety are appropriately documented, addressed and escalated.
• Promote reflective professional practice and continuous improvement throughout the SBS team.

Safeguarding and Risk

The SBS Manager will:

• Act as a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) for Pete’s Dragons. Appropriate DSO training can be provided where required.
• Share responsibility for the management and oversight of safeguarding cases within the organisation.
• Provide advice and support to SBSs where safeguarding concerns arise.
• Ensure safeguarding concerns are identified, recorded, escalated and acted upon in accordance with Pete’s Dragons’ Safeguarding Policy and relevant statutory guidance.
• Work collaboratively with other safeguarding leads and senior managers where complex or significant concerns arise.
• Promote confident and consistent safeguarding practice throughout the SBS team.
• Ensure staff understand the distinction between safeguarding, suicide risk, clinical concern and other forms of beneficiary risk and follow the appropriate organisational pathway.

Beneficiary Casework

To remain connected to frontline practice, the SBS Manager will:

• Maintain a small caseload of approximately 5–10 beneficiaries.
• Provide high-quality suicide bereavement support in accordance with Pete’s Dragons’ practice model, policies and standards.
• Maintain timely, accurate and appropriate case records.
• Model excellent professional boundaries, beneficiary communication and case management.
• Participate in appropriate clinical supervision for their own beneficiary work.
• Ensure management responsibilities remain the priority of the role and that their personal caseload does not compromise their availability to manage the service or support the SBS team.

People Management and HR

The SBS Manager will be responsible for all routine HR management relating to their direct reports, including:

• Recruitment and selection of Suicide Bereavement Specialists.
• Induction and probation.
• Regular management supervision.
• Annual appraisal and performance review.
• Identifying individual and team development needs.
• Supporting professional development and CPD.
• Attendance and absence management.
• Managing annual leave and ensuring adequate service capacity.
• Addressing performance, capability, conduct or behavioural concerns promptly and appropriately.
• Supporting staff wellbeing and identifying when additional support may be required.
• Working with the Beneficiary Services Manager and other appropriate colleagues on formal HR matters where necessary.
• Maintaining appropriate and confidential management records.

Training and Development

The SBS Manager will:

• Identify individual and collective training and development needs across the SBS team.
• Ensure mandatory training remains current.
• Support SBSs to develop their knowledge, confidence and professional practice.
• Use case audits, recorded-session reviews, supervision, beneficiary feedback and other quality measures to identify areas for development.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of internal practice training and workshops.
• Support newly appointed SBSs through induction and their transition into independent practice.

Policy, Procedure and Service Development

The SBS Manager will:

• Ensure organisational policies, procedures and agreed ways of working are consistently implemented within the SBS team.
• Communicate changes in policy or practice clearly and ensure staff understand what is expected of them.
• Monitor compliance and address inconsistent practice.
• Contribute frontline operational knowledge to the review and development of policies, procedures, pathways and practice standards.
• Support the Beneficiary Services Manager in implementing service developments and organisational change.
• Identify opportunities to improve beneficiary experience, efficiency, quality and consistency.

Monitoring and Reporting

The SBS Manager will maintain an accurate operational picture of the SBS service, including:

• Referral volumes.
• Referral processing and allocation.
• Waiting times.
• Individual and team caseloads.
• Team capacity.
• Beneficiary engagement.
• Case progression and closures.
• Safeguarding and risk themes.
• Quality assurance findings.
• Staff performance and development.
• Emerging operational risks or pressures.

The postholder will provide appropriate information and reporting to the Beneficiary Services Manager and ensure significant concerns are escalated promptly rather than waiting for routine reporting arrangements.

General Responsibilities

The postholder will:

• Work across Pete’s Dragons Devon locations as required.
• Represent Pete’s Dragons professionally with beneficiaries, colleagues, partners and external agencies.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and comply with data protection requirements.
• Work within Pete’s Dragons’ policies, procedures, values and professional standards.
• Attend relevant internal and external meetings.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries at all times.
• Undertake relevant training and continuing professional development.
• Work flexibly where reasonably required by the needs of the service.
• Participate in a limited out-of-hours telephone support arrangement for SBS staff undertaking authorised out-of-hours work.
• Undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the seniority and purpose of the role.

Person Specification

Essential

Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Significant experience of managing and leading staff.
• Experience of managing a team delivering services to people with complex emotional or mental health needs.
• Relevant experience within mental health, bereavement, psychological support, social care or a closely related field.
• Experience of managing staff performance, development, wellbeing and HR matters.
• Experience of quality assuring professional or support-based practice.
• Experience of managing risk and making sound professional decisions in complex situations.
• Experience of working with confidential and sensitive information.
• Experience of balancing competing demands and managing a busy operational service.

Knowledge and Skills

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong leadership and people-management skills.
• A sound understanding of mental health, emotional distress, grief and vulnerability.
• The ability to assess information and make proportionate decisions regarding risk, urgency and service response.
• Strong safeguarding awareness and a willingness to undertake DSO training where not already qualified.
• The ability to challenge poor or unsafe practice appropriately and constructively.
• The ability to provide clear feedback and support staff development.
• Excellent organisational and workload-management skills.
• The ability to monitor service capacity and allocate work fairly and effectively.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Confidence in managing difficult conversations.
• Good professional judgement and the ability to know when matters should be escalated.
• Strong IT skills and the ability to use electronic case-management systems effectively.
• The ability to analyse service information and identify trends, risks and areas requiring improvement.

Personal Approach

The successful candidate will:

• Combine compassion with professional accountability.
• Be calm and confident when managing complex or emotionally demanding situations.
• Be approachable without losing appropriate managerial boundaries.
• Be willing to make and stand behind difficult decisions.
• Be curious about practice and committed to continual learning and improvement.
• Understand the importance of reflective practice when working with suicide bereavement.
• Be comfortable working within a service where risk, grief, trauma and emotional distress are part of everyday practice.
• Demonstrate integrity, discretion and sound judgement.
• Share Pete’s Dragons’ commitment to providing timely, appropriate and professional support following suicide bereavement.

Practical Requirements

• Full UK driving licence.
• Access to a vehicle for work purposes.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly between Pete’s Dragons locations and elsewhere across Devon.
• Ability to work flexibly according to service requirements.
• Ability to participate in limited out-of-hours telephone support for SBS staff.

Desirable

• Previous experience of suicide bereavement or postvention services.
• Previous experience of managing a geographically dispersed team.
• Safeguarding/DSO training.
• Experience of conducting case or practice audits.
• Experience of reviewing recorded professional practice sessions.
• Experience of delivering supervision, reflective practice or professional development sessions.
• Experience of recruitment within health, mental health, social care, bereavement or similar services.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed and person-centred approaches.

Scope and Accountability

This is a significant operational management role with responsibility for both people and practice.

The SBS Manager is accountable for ensuring that the SBS team is appropriately managed, beneficiaries are allocated safely and promptly, the quality of support is actively monitored, concerns are addressed rather than allowed to drift, and the Beneficiary Services Manager has an accurate understanding of the performance, capacity and risks within the service.

The postholder is expected to exercise professional judgement and autonomy within their delegated responsibilities while recognising when an issue requires escalation or strategic decision-making by the Beneficiary Services Manager.

Practice Consultant

We are seeking an experienced fostering professional to help improve fostering practice, support foster carers and influence positive change across Wales and the wider UK.

Position: Practice Consultant, Wales
Salary: £43,483 to £48,659 per annum
Location: Wales, home-based/hybrid with optional Cardiff office working and some UK travel
Hours: Full-time, 35 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: 23 September 2026
Interview date: 9 October 2026, Cardiff

About the role

As Practice Consultant, you will use your fostering expertise to improve practice and provide high-quality advice, advocacy, mediation, training and consultancy to foster carers, fostering services, social workers and other professionals.

Working as part of a UK-wide practice team, you will help ensure that fostering practice is trauma-informed, child-centred and solution-focused.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing specialist advice, advocacy and mediation
• Delivering training, webinars, forums and practice consultancy
• Supporting improvements in fostering policy and practice
• Developing and sharing evidence-based best practice
• Building strong relationships with foster carers, fostering services and other stakeholders
• Contributing to publications, guidance and learning resources
• Representing the organisation at regional and national events
• Using feedback and data to evaluate impact and support continuous improvement

About you

You will bring significant knowledge and experience of fostering, with a strong understanding of the legislation and regulatory framework governing foster care.

You will be a foster carer, or hold a relevant degree-level or social work qualification with fostering practitioner experience. You will have experience of providing consultancy and advice within fostering or related services, alongside experience of advocacy, mediation and delivering training.

You will also have excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work confidently with a wide range of stakeholders.

The ability to speak Welsh is desirable but is not essential.

About the organisation

You will be joining a leading UK fostering charity and membership organisation dedicated to supporting the relationships at the heart of the fostering community.

The organisation offers flexible and hybrid working, 38 days' leave including bank holidays, enhanced family-friendly leave, enhanced sick pay, pension and life assurance, and access to an Employee Assistance Helpline.

Applications are particularly welcomed from people from under-represented and minoritised backgrounds and those with lived experience of care.

Other roles you may have experience of could include: Fostering Social Worker, Fostering Practice Consultant, Fostering Advisor, Practice Development Consultant, Social Work Consultant, Fostering Training Consultant, Fostering Development Officer, Practice Development Manager, Fostering Support Manager, Fostering Services Manager.

Ymgynghorydd Ymarfer

Rydym yn chwilio am weithiwr proffesiynol profiadol ym maes maethu i helpu i wella ymarfer maethu, cefnogi gofalwyr maeth a dylanwadu ar newid cadarnhaol ledled Cymru a'r DU ehangach.

Swydd: Ymgynghorydd Ymarfer, Cymru
Cyflog: £43,483 i £48,659 y flwyddyn
Lleoliad: Cymru, gweithio gartref/hybrid gyda'r opsiwn o weithio o swyddfa Caerdydd a rhywfaint o deithio ledled y DU
Oriau: Llawn amser, 35 awr yr wythnos
Contract: Parhaol
Dyddiad cau: 23 Medi 2026
Dyddiad cyfweliad: 9 Hydref 2026, Caerdydd

Am y rôl

Fel Ymgynghorydd Ymarfer, byddwch yn defnyddio eich arbenigedd ym maes maethu i wella ymarfer a darparu cyngor, eiriolaeth, cyfryngu, hyfforddiant ac ymgynghoriaeth o ansawdd uchel i ofalwyr maeth, gwasanaethau maethu, gweithwyr cymdeithasol a gweithwyr proffesiynol eraill.

Gan weithio fel rhan o dîm ymarfer ledled y DU, byddwch yn helpu i sicrhau bod ymarfer maethu yn ystyriol o drawma, yn canolbwyntio ar y plentyn ac yn canolbwyntio ar ddatrysiadau. Mae'r egwyddorion hyn hefyd wedi'u nodi yn y proffil rôl Cymraeg a ddarparwyd.

Bydd y prif gyfrifoldebau'n cynnwys:

• Darparu cyngor arbenigol, eiriolaeth a chyfryngu
• Cyflwyno hyfforddiant, gweminarau, fforymau ac ymgynghoriaeth ymarfer
• Cefnogi gwelliannau mewn polisi ac ymarfer maethu
• Datblygu a rhannu arfer gorau sy'n seiliedig ar dystiolaeth
• Meithrin perthnasoedd cryf gyda gofalwyr maeth, gwasanaethau maethu a rhanddeiliaid eraill
• Cyfrannu at gyhoeddiadau, canllawiau ac adnoddau dysgu
• Cynrychioli'r sefydliad mewn digwyddiadau rhanbarthol a chenedlaethol
• Defnyddio adborth a data i werthuso effaith a chefnogi gwelliant parhaus

Amdanoch chi

Bydd gennych wybodaeth a phrofiad sylweddol o faethu, ynghyd â dealltwriaeth gref o'r fframwaith deddfwriaethol a rheoliadol sy'n llywodraethu gofal maeth.

Byddwch yn ofalwr maeth, neu bydd gennych gymhwyster perthnasol ar lefel gradd neu gymhwyster gwaith cymdeithasol gyda phrofiad fel ymarferydd maethu. Bydd gennych brofiad o ddarparu ymgynghoriaeth a chyngor o fewn gwasanaethau maethu neu wasanaethau cysylltiedig, ynghyd â phrofiad o eiriolaeth, cyfryngu a darparu hyfforddiant.

Bydd gennych hefyd sgiliau cyfathrebu a meithrin perthnasoedd rhagorol, gyda'r gallu i weithio'n hyderus gydag ystod eang o randdeiliaid.

Mae'r gallu i siarad Cymraeg yn ddymunol ond nid yw'n hanfodol ar gyfer y rôl.

Am y sefydliad

Byddwch yn ymuno ag elusen faethu a sefydliad aelodaeth blaenllaw yn y DU sy'n ymroddedig i gefnogi'r perthnasoedd sydd wrth wraidd y gymuned faethu.

Mae'r sefydliad yn cynnig gweithio hyblyg a hybrid, 38 diwrnod o wyliau gan gynnwys gwyliau banc, polisïau gwyliau gwell sy'n ystyriol o deuluoedd, tâl salwch gwell, pensiwn ac yswiriant bywyd, a mynediad at Linell Gymorth i Weithwyr.

Croesewir ceisiadau'n arbennig gan bobl o gefndiroedd sydd heb gynrychiolaeth ddigonol a chefndiroedd lleiafrifol, a chan bobl sydd â phrofiad personol o ofal.

Gallai rolau eraill y gallai fod gennych brofiad ohonynt gynnwys: Gweithiwr Cymdeithasol Maethu, Ymgynghorydd Ymarfer Maethu, Cynghorydd Maethu, Ymgynghorydd Datblygu Ymarfer, Ymgynghorydd Gwaith Cymdeithasol, Ymgynghorydd Hyfforddiant Maethu, Swyddog Datblygu Maethu, Rheolwr Datblygu Ymarfer, Rheolwr Cymorth Maethu, Rheolwr Gwasanaethau Maethu.

ID: 1866 Participation & Co-production Lead (London Region)

Service: Family Action London Region Services

Salary:

- Grade 3 point 24-28

- Starting at £36,501 - £40,024 FTE per annum (£21,900.60 - £24,014.40 per annum, pro rata)

- Inclusive of £3,866 Inner London Weighting FTE per annum

Location: London Region (hybrid working arrangements available, subject to service requirements).

Hours: Part-time, 22.2 hours per week (0.6 FTE). We offer flexible working arrangements.

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

Contract: Permanent position (funding is currently secured for two years and may be extended if additional funding is secured).

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.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead and strengthen participation and co-production across Family Action's London services. This role will enable children, young people, families and adults to influence the design, delivery, evaluation and continuous improvement of services, ensuring that lived experience is at the heart of decision-making.

As the regional lead for participation and co-production, you will provide leadership and specialist advice to managers, build organisational capacity, and establish sustainable participation structures across London. While the role has a broad regional remit, youth participation will be the initial priority area.

Main Responsibilities:

· Lead and champion participation and co-production across Family Action's London services.

· Support the implementation, development and continuous improvement of Family Action's national Participation and Co-production Strategy across London services, ensuring regional learning and lived experience inform organisational practice.

· Coordinate regional participation initiatives, including advisory groups, consultations, engagement activities and co-production opportunities.

· Establish sustainable participation structures, including a Young People's Advisory Group during the initial phase of the role.

· Support managers and teams to embed inclusive participation and co-production approaches within services.

· Work collaboratively with EDI, Learning & Development, Practice Development and Communications colleagues to promote participation, share learning and communicate impact.

· Monitor, evaluate and evidence impact, contributing to service improvement, partnership development and future sustainability.

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

We are looking for someone with:

· Experience of leading, facilitating and embedding participation, engagement and co-production approaches within services or organisations.

· Experience of influencing managers, leading projects and driving positive organisational change.

· Experience of working with diverse communities, including people experiencing disadvantage, inequality or social exclusion.

· Experience of facilitating inclusive engagement and empowering people with lived experience to influence decisions affecting their lives and communities.

· Strong communication, relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills.

· Knowledge of participation and co-production principles, frameworks and methodologies.

· A strong commitment to participation, co-production and ensuring the voices of people with lived experience shape service development.

Desirable:

· Personal lived experience relevant to the communities we support.

· Knowledge of national participation structures, standards and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Appointments are subject to Family Action receiving a satisfactory disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service – Enhanced

Benefits:

- an annual paid leave entitlement that commences at 25 working days, and after a full year of service, rising each April by one day, subject to a maximum of 30 working days plus bank holidays / of 30 working days plus bank holidays

- up to 6% matched-pension contributions

- 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 the ‘Apply’ link below and fill out our digital application form

· Closing Date: Sunday, 20th September 2026 at 23:59

Interviews are scheduled to take place from 14th-15th October 2026 at Family Action Head Office, with slots throughout the working day and early/late slots available.

For any queries, or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the selection process or the potential for flexible working, please email: austra.welburn (full email addres located 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 welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates. We are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Actionbecause 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.

All candidates with a disability are welcome to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and request priority consideration for an interview, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role.

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

*Ordinarily Family Action appoints new starters at the starting point of the salary scale (with subsequent annual pay progression), unless you have experience that would justify appointment further up the salary scale or there are any other exceptional reasons.

Self-Employed Associate – General Practice Surveyor

Based in the Midlands & North of England

Key details

• Salary: £250 per day.
• Start date: By mutual agreement
• Location: Home-based, with travel for site visits as required
• Working hours: Flexible, subject to agreed project deadlines
• Reporting to: Head of Property Consultancy
• Qualification: RICS-qualified Chartered Surveyor

• Professional indemnity insurance:  The post holder falls within the definition of ‘Person Employed’ and is therefore included within our PI insurance.

• DBS clearance: Provided by the Ethical Property Foundation

About the Ethical Property Foundation

The Ethical Property Foundation is the UK’s only dedicated property advice charity for the voluntary sector. We provide expert, independent property advice and education to more than 900 organisations each year.

We are seeking an experienced self-employed Chartered Surveyor to join our team and lead development and project management work.

The role

We’re seeking Chartered General Practice Surveyors with experience in:

• Lease renewals and rent review advice
• Development of client property strategies
• Options appraisals
• Property acquisition advice
• Property disposal advice

You’ll need excellent communication skills to engage and empower our clients—many of whom support vulnerable people in challenging circumstances—and the ability to investigate, analyse, and propose practical property solutions.

Skills and experience

· educated to degree level or with equivalent academic or employment experience 

· Chartered Surveyor or equivalent professional qualification 

· minimum of fifteen years’  experience 

· experience of providing advice, including by phone / email 

· experience of communicating a technical subject to the lay person 

· experience of residential and commercial property sectors 

· a proven track record in the delivery of high-quality outputs 

· knowledge or experience of building surveys from a charity perspective 

· experience of working as a consultant 

· interest in, and appreciation of, ethical considerations relating to property 

· experience of working in a small team 

· excellent written and spoken communication skills and computer literate 

What we offer

Our clients support a diverse range of causes and manage every type of property imaginable. In the past year, we’ve advised on office buildings, church premises, oast houses, former schools, libraries, theatres, fields, industrial units, and more.

You’ll be part of a team of extraordinary senior property professionals who share a passion for making a positive impact.

Deadline for Applications:

Thursday 1st October with interviews being held remotely on Teams on Thursday 15th October.

Your covering letter should explain:

• Why you would like to work with the Ethical Property Foundation.
• What you can offer our clients.
• Your voluntary sector and professional experience.

Centre Manager

Norbrook Youth Centre, Bordley Walk, Wythenshawe, Manchester M23 0AR

Grade 6 Point 20 – 25, £30,750 - £34,303. (Full Time 35 hours, Permanent)  

Introduction

Greater Manchester Youth Federation (GMYF) is a long-established charity running vibrant youth centres across Greater Manchester. We are dedicated to raising aspirations and creating opportunities for children and young people, particularly those facing disadvantage. Our work is rooted in youth voice, inclusion, strong relationships, and high-quality youth work practice that supports young people to develop confidence, resilience, and skills for life.

GMYF also delivers outdoor education and residential experiences, including provision at Ormside Mill in Cumbria and other residential settings nationwide, as part of its wider youth work offer, working across teams to ensure young people benefit from safe, inclusive, and developmental opportunities beyond their local communities.

Purpose of Role:  

The Centre Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for the youth centre and its wider community reach, with responsibility for high-quality youth work delivery and day to day centre operations, working within GMYF’s wider operational ad estates frameworks.  high-quality, inclusive local provision. The postholder is the professional lead for youth work practice and delivery within the centre, with responsibility for shaping, developing, and continuously improving provision in line with GMYF’s values, safeguarding standards, and strategic priorities. 

Reporting to the Director of Programmes, the Centre manager leads people, partnerships, and placebased development, ensuring the centre delivers strong outcomes for children and young people while contributing to the wider aims of GMYF.

Outdoor Education and residential opportunities are an integral and embedded part of the centre’s youth work offer, and the Centre Manager plays a key role in shaping, embedding, and developing these opportunities in partnership with the Outdoor Education Team to ensure they meet the local need and are accessible to young people.

This is a hands-on leadership role, balancing operational oversight with visible presence, relationship based practice, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Management of Youth Work Delivery

• Provide strategic leadership for youth work delivery at centre level, including centre-based provision, outreach, and integrated Outdoor Education and residential opportunities, ensuring provision is planned, resourced and developed in response to local need, youth voice, and GMYF priorities.
• Provide clear professional leadership for high quality, inclusive youth work across centre based provision, outreach, offsite venues, and outdoor education youth work.
• Embed and champion GMYF’s youth work values, including youth voice, equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Line manage staff including Youth Work Coordinator(s), Youth Workers, cleaners, and volunteers.
• Provide supervision, appraisal, and performance management, promoting reflective practice and professional development.
• Ensure staffing structures, rotas, and skills mix support safe, effective delivery.
• Foster a positive, professional, and supportive team culture.

Safety, Safeguarding and Compliance 

• Act as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Hold overall safeguarding responsibility for the centre and linked activities.
• Ensure safeguarding procedures are embedded, understood, and consistently applied.
• Promote inclusive, restorative and trauma informed practice.
• Ensure all safeguarding and behaviour related incidents are recorded, reviewed, and followed up.
• Maintain compliance with legislation, statutory guidance, and GMYF policies.

Centre Operations, Site Management and Health & Safety  

• The Centre Manager holds responsibility for day-to-day site oversight and compliance, with additional estates support provided through GMYF’s central operations arrangements.  
• Ensure the centre meets all Health & Safety and statutory requirements, working with GMYF’s Central Team and systems to maintain compliance.
• Oversee day-to-day site issues, Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM), compliance checks, and inspections, escalating and co-ordinating works as required through organisational processes.
• Maintain oversight of building safety, security, and use of space.
• Ensure accurate records are maintained for staff, visitors, and young people.
• Ensure all off site activities, outreach, visits, and residentials are risk assessed and appropriately staffed.
• Hold overall responsibility for the safe opening and closing of the centre and the planning and oversight of fire, evacuation, and lockdown procedures, delegating operational leadership as appropriate when not on site
• Maintain good relations with neighbours and the local community.

Quality, Development and Partnership Working 

• Lead centre-level self evaluation and contribute to GMYF organisational development and quality frameworks.
• Monitor outcomes for children and young people and use learning to improve provision.
• Contribute to funding bids, monitoring, and reporting.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with stakeholders including schools, community organisations, statutory services, and internal teams to support joined-up opportunities for young people.
• Represent the centre in organisational initiatives and networks.

Outdoor Education and Residential Provision

• Hold responsibility for pastoral leadership of young people accessing Outdoor Education provision linked to the centre, while the Outdoor Education Team is responsible for developing and providing outdoor education opportunities. 
• Work collaboratively with the Outdoor Education Team to plan high-quality residentials and Outdoor Activities for the young people from the centre.
• Ensure good pastoral and wellbeing leadership before, during, and after residentials.
• Act as Group Leader and drive the minibus where required and appropriate, in line with compliance regulations.
• Lead reflective reviews following residentials and outdoor education activity.

Professional Conduct and Organisational Responsibilities

• Uphold GMYF’s values, policies, and professional standards.
• Ensure conduct reflects the responsibilities of a leadership and management role.
• Maintain a strong commitment to continuous professional development and reflective leadership practice, using supervision, learning, and organisational feedback to enhance personal effectiveness and support high-quality youth work delivery.
• Contribute positively to the wider culture and strategic development of GMYF.
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the role. 

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications & Professional Development

• Relevant qualification in Youth Work OR significant experience delivering youth work or related children and young people’s provision
• Commitment to continuous professional development (CPD) and reflective leadership practice
• Willingness to undertake further relevant professional or leadership qualifications and development as required

Experience

• Experience delivering youth work or similar provision in a centre based, community, or outreach setting
• Experience supporting, supervising, or coordinating staff and/or volunteers.
• Experience working within safeguarding frameworks, including recording concerns and escalating appropriately
• Experience working with children and young people facing additional barriers to participation (e.g. SEND, trauma, disadvantage)
• Experience contributing to the planning, delivery, or improvement of provision, balancing operational delivery with quality and learning

Knowledge & Skills

• Sound understanding of safeguarding, risk management, and inclusive practice within youth or community settings
• Ability to promote positive behaviour cultures using restorative and trauma informed approaches.
•  Ability to provide clear professional direction and guidance to team and colleagues
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, adaptable to young people, families, partners, and professionals
• Ability to oversee the safe delivery of centre based, outreach, and off site activities
• Ability to maintain accurate records and contribute to reports and organisational learning
• Competence in using IT systems to support communication, administration and service delivery

Leadership & Personal Attributes

• Ability to provide visible, values-led leadership within a busy operational environment
• Sound judgement and confidence in decision-making, with appropriate use of supervision, escalation and advice 
• Ability to work collaboratively within a wider organisational structure and across internal teams
• Strong commitment to equality, diversity, safeguarding, and young person-centred practice
• Resilience, adaptability, and the ability to manage competing priorities and pressures

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to work flexibly, including evenings and occasional weekends
• Willingness to complete required training (e.g. First Aid, safeguarding, fire safety) within agreed timescales
•  Enhanced DBS check

Desirable Criteria

• Degree level qualification in Youth Work
• Leadership or management qualification, or experience of leading teams in a youth work setting
• Experience contributing to funding bids, monitoring, evaluation, or reporting processes
• Experience leading or contributing to centre self evaluation or quality assurance frameworks
• Experience working in partnership with schools, local services, or community organisations

Other requirements

GMYF is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. An Enhanced DBS is required for this post. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

This is a UK-based post and applicants must be living in and have the right to work in the UK. If applicable, please detail your Visa status in your covering email. 

Please let us know if you need us to make any reasonable adjustments during the application or recruitment process and we’ll be happy to support you.

• Closing date for applications: 21st September 2026 @9:00am
• Formal nterview date:29th September 2026
• Young person part of interview date: 30th September 2026
• Start date: As soon as possible

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for an experienced safeguarding professional to join GARAS, a leading immigration charity in Gloucestershire, and help shape the future of safeguarding practice across the organisation.

The successful candidate will hold both strategic and operational responsibility for safeguarding, leading on the management of safeguarding concerns and cases while developing GARAS's safeguarding framework, policies, procedures, training and quality assurance. 

You will work closely with other members of the Senior Team, reporting regularly to trustees, and will act as the lead point of contact for staff and volunteer safety, mental health and trauma-related crisis management, while building key partnerships across the county to reduce risk.

This is an immensely rewarding role, working in a dynamic charity built on an ethos of care and inclusivity. We are looking for an exceptional individual, committed to going the extra mile and bringing expertise, confidence and compassion to safeguarding leadership within our organisation.

Due to the nature of the work, the role will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

Contract:  12 month fixed term contract, part time  (21 hours per week)

Salary:  £21,490 - £28,488 per annum (FTE £35,817 - £47,479)

London Weighting Allowance: £2,373 per annum (£3,954 FTE) for London-based employees

Location:Hybrid working from either Burford, Oxfordshire or Victoria, London

Closing date:  Sunday 20 September 2026

Interview date:  29, 30 September or 1 October 2026

Are you an experienced Business Analyst with a passion for improving systems, shaping future solutions and delivering meaningful change?

Blue Cross is embarking on an exciting project to review and replace its Practice Management System (PMS), the technology that supports our veterinary hospitals and clinical services. We're looking for an experienced Business Analyst to help us understand our current processes, identify future requirements and support the selection of a new system that meets the needs of our organisation for years to come.

This is a unique opportunity to lead a significant discovery and procurement project, working across veterinary, clinical, operational and support functions to help shape the future of service delivery at Blue Cross.

We are recruiting one Business Analyst who can be based from either our Burford or London office. While you may see this opportunity advertised in multiple locations, this is a single 12-month fixed-term role supporting our Practice Management System replacement project.

More about the role

As the PMS Business Analyst, you will lead the discovery phase of our Practice Management System replacement project.

You'll work closely with stakeholders across the organisation to understand how our current systems and processes support service delivery, where opportunities exist for improvement and what capabilities we require from a future solution.

You'll develop a clear picture of business needs across multiple functions, evaluate available options in the marketplace and support the procurement and tender process to help identify the best solution for Blue Cross.

Your work will provide the foundations for one of the organisation's most significant technology investments and will directly influence how we support pets, owners and colleagues in the future.

What you will be doing

• Leading business analysis activities for the Practice Management System replacement project
• Engaging with veterinary, clinical, operational and support teams to understand current processes, challenges and requirements
• Mapping existing ("as is") processes and identifying opportunities for improvement
• Developing future-state process maps and requirements documentation
• Facilitating workshops, interviews and stakeholder engagement activities
• Gathering, analysing and prioritising business requirements
• Identifying functional, operational, reporting and data requirements for a future system
• Researching and evaluating solutions available within the market
• Supporting the development of tender documentation and procurement requirements
• Assisting with supplier evaluation and solution assessment activities
• Producing analysis, recommendations and supporting documentation to inform decision-making
• Working collaboratively with project stakeholders to ensure organisational needs are clearly understood and represented

About you:

You'll be an experienced Business Analyst who enjoys understanding how organisations work and helping them make informed decisions about technology and change.

You will have a strong track record of leading discovery and requirements gathering activities, with the ability to engage confidently with a wide range of stakeholders. You'll be comfortable analysing complex information, identifying opportunities for improvement and translating business needs into clear and structured requirements.

We're particularly interested in candidates who have worked on system selection, procurement or transformation projects and who can balance operational realities with long-term strategic needs.

Experience of working within veterinary, healthcare, clinical or other service-focused environments would be advantageous, although not essential.

Essential Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Understanding of operational or clinical service environments
• Proven experience in business analysis across systems, processes or organisational change
• Strong requirements elicitation skills, including workshops, interviews, observation and document analysis
• Experience of process modelling (‘as is’ and ‘to be’)
• Ability to translate business needs into structured requirements and specifications
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Experience supporting solution design, testing and validation activities
• Analytical thinking and problem‑solving capability
• Understanding of change impacts and supporting adoption
• Ability to demonstrate, understand and apply Blue Cross values

Desirable Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Experience working with Practice Management Systems or comparable healthcare systems
• Experience within veterinary or healthcare settings
• Understanding of clinical governance or regulated service environments
• BCS Business Analysis qualification or equivalent
• ITIL Foundation knowledge or awareness of service management frameworks
• Experience working within a not‑for‑profit or complex multi‑service organisation

How to apply 

To apply for this role, please submit your application through our careers site and answer the application questions, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria.

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

To successfully lead the Grants team and raise voluntary income from a range of Grantmakers including Trusts, Foundations and local Government grant funders contributing to an overall team target of £1-million +. Working effectively with a grants team of three, and across the organisation, you will meet team annual targets of circa £675,000 through finding new opportunities, building excellent relationships with funders and managing the team effectively. This will lead to more young people reached by Eikon’s services.

Responsibilities

Income generation

· Lead responsibility for raising current annual team target of £675,000 for restricted and unrestricted income

· Work to agreed metrices including an annual target of £220,000 - £250,000/year with a pipeline including statutory, national & regional grant funders (some being invite only).

· Develop and lead networking plan (internal/external) to secure long-term grant and statutory funding opportunities to help increase financial income year on year.

Account Management

· Lead a stewardship framework, ensuring excellent account management of funders across the team (including own portfolio)

· Lead plans for the year, thinking creatively to develop new engagement opportunities such as panels, breakfast meetings and other events

· Collaborate with other leads and managers in the team to maximise opportunities through relationships, for example Major Donors, Corporate partnerships and Individual Givers.

Management

· Line management two staff members (Senior Grants Fundraiser and Trust Fundraiser), creating a positive and supportive working culture supporting them to meet their targets

· Lead on managing pipeline information on Donorfy, being able to pull reports for information and analysis including:

o Provision of data and narrative for monthly team meetings

o Contribution to Board reporting with narrative and pipeline information

o Analysis for annual planning sessions

Quality and standards

· Ensure all staff and volunteers understand and deliver within Eikon’s safeguarding policies and practices when taking part in fundraising activities.

· Ensure all activities follow the relevant Fundraising Codes of Practice and Eikon’s Ethical Fundraising Policy.

· Prepare relevant Grant Agreements and contractual information.

· Carry out risk assessments for all activities for which you are responsible.

· Carry out required basic due diligence on new funders.

Finance and resources

· Budget responsibility with authorisation up to agreed limits

· Operate within organisational approved budgets, policies and procedures.

Communications and relationships

· Work collaboratively with the Communications Lead to devise annual communications and marketing plans, ensuring Eikon is strategically positioned externally.

· Work collaboratively with service leads ensure new services developed meet funder needs and requirements

Strategy/transformation work

· Lead on developing and delivering annual grants plan

· Participating in a Leads network, contribute regularly to organisation matters including strategies, annual plans and budgeting.

Organisational requirements

· Work within Eikon’s equal opportunities, health & safety, and safeguarding policies at all times

· Understand and act when safeguarding issues need to be escalated

· · This is a flexible working role. You must be available to attend regular external meetings across Surrey and occasional meetings at Eikon’s New Haw office. Some meetings may take place outside normal working hours or at weekends.

· Work co-operatively and under the management of The Eikon Charity staff to ensure the highest quality of delivery and support

· Work within Eikon’s internal policies, safeguarding and data protection regulations

· Be responsible for equipment/resources

· To promote, monitor and maintain health, safety and security in the working environment