Practitioner jobs in East of england

Referrals Practitioner - The Nehemiah Project

On-site in Streatham, Croydon & Clapham with external travel in and out of London | £32,000 | Permanent | 35 hours per week

The first conversation can change everything.

As a Referrals Practitioner, you'll often be the first person someone meets from Nehemiah.
You'll speak with men taking the first step towards rebuilding their lives beyond drug and alcohol addiction, helping them understand our programme, carrying out thoughtful assessments and ensuring every applicant experiences a welcoming, fair and professional introduction to Nehemiah.
Working closely with applicants, referral partners and colleagues, you'll help more men access recovery while making sure every admission strengthens our recovery community.

Every conversation matters because first impressions last.
"I am very grateful to be part of Nehemiah. I feel supported but still in charge of my life and choices."
— Nehemiah resident

Why Nehemiah?
We're a close-knit charity where relationships matter.
As the first point of contact for many applicants, you'll play a unique role in shaping how people experience Nehemiah before they even arrive. You'll work alongside supportive colleagues, build trusted relationships with referral partners and have the opportunity to influence how our admissions process continues to develop.
As a smaller organisation, your ideas will be heard, your contribution will be recognised and your work will have a direct impact on who joins our recovery community.

How you'll make a difference
You'll help people by:

• Creating a welcoming and compassionate first experience of Nehemiah.
• Carrying out fair, thoughtful assessments that balance opportunity with responsibility.
• Building trusted relationships with referral partners across prisons, probation, treatmentservicesand local authorities.
• Coordinating positive admissions that help people start recovery with confidence.
• Protecting our recovery community through sound judgement and effective safeguarding.
• Improving access to recovery by helping shape an efficient and supportive referral service.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete referral assessments and make recommendations for admission.
• Support applicants throughout the referral and admissions process.
• Build positive relationships with referral partners and external agencies.
• Coordinate admissions and prison gate collections where required.
• Maintainaccuratereferral records and occupancy information.
• Promote safeguarding and contribute to safe admission decisions.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to continually improve the referral service.

You'll thrive here if you...

• Believe people can rebuild their lives beyond addiction.
• Build trust quickly through warmth,professionalismand respect.
• Enjoy balancing compassion with good judgement.
• Communicate confidently with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Like building relationships and solving problems.
• Want to play a key role in helping people begin their recovery journey.

Experience in addiction recovery, homelessness, criminal justice, mental health or supported housing is welcomed, but we're equally interested in people whose values and approach align with ours.

What we offer

• £32,000 salary (35 hours per week).
• Regular supervision and reflective practice.
• Ongoing learning and professional development.
• Health Cash Plan and annual training budget.
• A supportive team where your contribution matters.
• The opportunity to help shape someone's recovery journey from the very first conversation.

How to apply
Visit tnp.livevacancies.co.uk to:

• Submit your CV.
• Answer five short application questions.
• Download the Job Description and Person Specification.

Our recruitment process includes a Teams screening interview, an in-person interview and, for final shortlisted candidates, a practical assessment followed by a conversation with our CEO and a member of our Leadership Team or Board.

REF-230137

DreamArts fuses arts and therapeutic practice to support wellbeing. Our acclaimed EXPERIMENT Juniors programme engages 6-12 year olds to explore and unleash their talents, try things out, express themselves and grow their skills.

Participants take control and create their own original work, from musicals to collaborating with companies such as Les Enfants Terribles. 

EXPERIMENT takes place on a Saturday in South Westminster and on Sundays in Church Street plus some special projects during school holidays. The majority of participants are eligible for free school meals and live in some of London’s most deprived areas.  

We are looking for a Wellbeing Practitioner for our Sunday group who is able to inspire and support young people, in particular those who may struggle in group settings. You must be passionate about engaging participants from marginalised communities and committed to support wellbeing through the arts. You will help young people participate in creative sessions that provide opportunities to explore their challenges, build a sense of belonging with peers and strengthen their emotional wellbeing.

Working alongside creative facilitators, the Wellbeing Practitioner will focus on identifying and removing barriers to participation, identifying appropriate support that responds to emerging needs and creates a sense of community.

In our last staff satisfaction survey 100% of team members felt inspired at DreamArts to do their best at their job, and 100% said that their voice and skills matter at DreamArts. 

We believe young people benefit from seeing a diverse range of positive adult role models. As there are currently no male practitioners within our Sunday EXPERIMENT team, we particularly welcome applications from men, who are currently under-represented within this role. Selection will be based on skills, experience and suitability for the post.

Deadline is 12pm on Monday 31st August. Applicants should refer to the Charity Job link to our website where you will find the application form and job description.

In-person interviews will take place on Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th September.

Start date – Saturday 3rd October induction and training day (10am-3pm).

Next Term Dates

Term 1: Sunday 11th October – Sunday 6th December (excluding 1st November)

Term 2:  Sunday 10th January – 21st March

Plus opportunities to be part of school holiday projects.

EXPERIMENT is an ongoing programme and the Wellbeing Practitioner will continue in the role subject to funding.

About The Connection at St Martin’s

We believe that no one should have to sleep rough on London’s streets, and that everyone should get the support they need to find a place to call home. We get to know every person we work with, understanding what they need to recover, helping them build on their strengths, and supporting them to find their own way home. Help us make London a city where no one sleeps rough on our streets.

London’s diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London’s diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience of homelessness who we believe are an essential asset in our sector.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and welcome the opportunity to consider flexible working arrangements.

About the Role

Daylight Women’s Day Centre is an exciting new service providing a place of safety and support for women who are long term rough sleepers in London. We want to reach women who have experienced abuse, mental illness, addiction, poor physical health, unclear immigration status and homelessness.  Our support will improve their health and wellbeing and enable them to move away from the streets.

Daylight has been designed based on findings from the CHAIN rough sleeping data for London and the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census. This evidence highlights the importance of single gender services for women who hide from mainstream provision dominated by men.  Daylight will reflect the Connection Theory of Change, building relationships of trust with people who have no confidence in most health and social care services.   Therefore Trauma Informed Care lies at the heart of everything we do.

As part of our creative and committed team, you’ll play a key role in:

• Building trusting relationships with women facing multiple exclusion and who are rough sleeping in London.
• Understanding the needs of the women accessing Daylight, providing harm minimisation support, access to healthcare and treatment.
• Helping women to move into accommodation and away from the streets
• Developing strong working relationships with a wide range of partners, ensuring The Connection’s Daylight service is a highly respected part of the response to women’s rough sleeping in London
• Implementing this pioneering new service and sharing our learning with others

You will have experience in delivering psychologically, gender and culturally informed services to women who are experiencing street homelessness. You will be committed to embedding co-production in our service design and engaging volunteers in service delivery.

Salary: £36,380 - £40,682 (Scale Points 19-25)
Closing Date: Sunday 23rd August
Interview Date: Friday 4th September

Our Benefits

• 30 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Generous training budget, plus an annual personal training budget
• Enhanced Sick Pay Policy
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Day off for moving house
• Hybrid working (depending on role requirements)
• Pension – 5% Employer, 3% Employee
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Season Ticket Loan
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Reward Gateway (access to discount vouchers and cashback at the UK’s favourite retailers)

We are a London Living Wage employer

Are you an experienced practitioner with a passion for empowering young people and making a difference?

At NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service), we are dedicated to making a lasting impact on the lives of children, young people, and adults at risk. We believe no child or young person should ever be alone or voiceless in the care system, in family court, or when decisions are being made about their future.

We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Senior Practitioner to join Project Unity England, working 28 hours per week. This is an exciting opportunity to deliver intensive, trauma-informed support to care-experienced young mothers who are pregnant or have recently given birth, helping families stay together and supporting young mothers to build positive futures.

About Project Unity England

Project Unity England is an innovative national initiative focused on improving outcomes for care-experienced young mothers and their children through collaborative, multi-agency working. The project aims to keep families together, strengthen service delivery, promote innovation and ensure that local needs are addressed effectively across England.

At the heart of Project Unity is a collaborative approach that brings together local authorities, health partners and community organisations to provide coordinated, community-focused support. By working closely with partner agencies, Project Unity helps ensure young mothers receive the right support at the right time, enabling them to make informed decisions and achieve the best possible outcomes for themselves and their children.

About the role

As a Senior Practitioner, you will manage a complex caseload, providing independent, rights-based advocacy and one-to-one support to care-experienced young mothers. Working autonomously while supported by the Project Coordinator, you will empower young mothers to understand their rights, navigate statutory processes and make informed decisions that help keep families safely together.

You will build trust, complete assessments, develop support plans and advocate on their behalf within multi-agency settings. You will work alongside social workers, midwives, health visitors and other professionals to ensure each young mother's voice is heard and represented.

Alongside direct casework, you will contribute to peer support groups, workshops and community-based activities that reduce isolation, build confidence and strengthen parenting skills. You will also play an important role in safeguarding, quality assurance and service development by maintaining high-quality records, producing case studies and identifying opportunities to improve local services.

This is a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference to the lives of care-experienced young mothers while working within an innovative, rights-based national programme.

About you

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting vulnerable young people and families. You will be confident working independently while building strong partnerships with professionals across health, social care and the voluntary sector.

You will have experience supporting families or parents with complex social care involvement and a sound understanding of safeguarding, risk assessment and relevant legislation. You will be an effective advocate with excellent communication skills, able to build trusting relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.

You will be organised, resilient and confident managing a demanding caseload, with strong analytical skills and the ability to make sound professional judgements in complex situations.

Above all, you will demonstrate NYAS's values of Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment, sharing our commitment to ensuring children, young people and adults at risk have their voices heard.

How to Apply

Please apply via the the NYAS website. In your application, evidence using specific examples how your skills and experience meet the criteria in the person specification within the attached job description, including:

• Experience with vulnerable young people or families in a social care, advocacy or support setting
• Knowledge of legislation and policy relating to advocacy, safeguarding and children’s social care
• Excellent communication, organisational and report-writing skills, with sound professional judgement

Employee Benefits

We offer the following employee benefits:

• 26 days, increasing to 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time)
• Occupational sick pay (subject to completion of qualifying period)
• Enhanced pay for family friendly leave
• Free parking at some of our offices
• Employee assistance programme
• Group stakeholder pension scheme
• Access to BHSF health cash plan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Support and supervision from your line manager
• Learning and Development opportunities

Safeguarding and Compliance

NYAS operates robust safeguarding procedures, and internal candidates will be subject to references in line with our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. In accordance with UK immigration law, proof of eligibility to work in the United Kingdom will be required as part of the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications.

About NYAS

NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is an established rights-based charity ensuring that children, young people, and adults across England and Wales are respected, represented and supported in expressing their views. We work with care-experienced people who are often reliant on statutory services, and our combination of social care and legal services places us in a unique position to ensure their voices are heard.

We are an equal opportunities employer and a Disability Confident Employer, guaranteeing an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, or any other protected characteristic.

Youth Impact Advert

Community Hidden Harm Awareness Team (CHHAT) Practitioner (Essex)

Permanent with funding until 31st March 2027

Band 6 £29,855 35 hours

About the role: We are looking for an experienced young people's practitioner. You will be confident in your work with young people and join our dynamic, ambitious team.

CHHAT provides a programme of targeted support services to identified, young people/young carers. The CHHAT practitioner will provide support to, and improve the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young carers. You will address a number of target areas including emotional or physical abuse, domestic violence, neglect, social exclusion and isolation, truancy and/or underachievement at school, as a consequence of a parent or other significant family member using illicit drugs, alcohol, prescription medications or parental/carer mental health issues. Our engagement with young carers covers early to high intervention needs. We also support cases of historical parental substance use, where the young carer may, or may not still be residing with their parent, but continues to be affected by the experience.

In order to be successful with this role, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have extensive experience of: -

Delivering direct interventions with vulnerable young people (8-18) on both a one to one and group work capacity.

Co-producing care and safety plans with young people that are young people led, focusing on both a relational & strength-based approach.

Extensive partnership working in a multi-agency environment to ensure that the needs and wishes of the young person are heard and acted upon.

You will work as part of a team and need to be able to work in a flexible way which includes flexing their day and work location as need indicates, including being based in the locality office in Chelmsford and working in the home environment to increase convenience and accessibility, as well as extensive travel throughout Essex to reach and meet Young People.

You will need to demonstrate that you have:

-A relevant professional qualification working with vulnerable children and families is desired e.g., Diploma/degree in social work, counselling qualification, professional youth worker or related NVQ or degree. Or Substantial relevant experience of working with vulnerable young people facing significant challenges within this sector.

-Substantial experience of working with vulnerable young people and families that are hard to reach and from diverse backgrounds on both a one-to-one basis and through group work interventions.

-Experience of supporting adolescents who are dealing with complex and sensitive issues through offering advice and advocacy.

-Experience of partnership and multi-agency working.

-Experience of working on one's own and within a team.

-Experience of using IT based case management systems

Benefits include but not limited to:

-36 days' annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays, increasing with length of service

-Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

-We match up to 8% pension

-Free counselling service

-Opportunities to develop and widen your skills

-2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation

About us:The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.

Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better — and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.

Closing date: Midnight on Tuesday 25th August 2026Interviews: Friday 4th September 2026

The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.

AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You're welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.