99 Programme and policy manager jobs in Leeds

At 2makeit our vision is to be part of a criminal justice sector in which creativity plays a vital role in reducing the risk of reoffending.

Our mission is to help rehabilitate those with lived experience of the criminal justice sector via mentoring coupled with creative expression through programmes in music, art and writing.

We currently work in 5 prisons - support begins with activities to establish trust and confidence. We aim to develop a trusting relationship with participants to raise their self-esteem and confidence to prepare for release and continued through-the-gate support. In the community we deliver programmes in 5 locations in partnership with the NHS, HM Prison and Probation Service and other charities to improve the life chances for some of the most excluded and vulnerable individuals in society.

As CEO you’ll lead an organisation with a plan for growth: developing new projects in prisons and in the community alongside opportunities to showcase the work of the charity and its beneficiaries.

Position: CEO

Responsible to: Board of Trustees through the Chair of the Board

Location: Remote; SE England

Salary: £45,000–£50,000 per annum

Annual leave: 28 days (not including bank holidays)

Job Purpose

Working closely with the Chair of the Board of Trustees, the Chief Executive will:

• Provide leadership and direction to the organisation in the development and achievement of its vision, mission and values
• Take overall responsibility for implementing the agreed strategies and achieving the business plans of the organisation, by effectively managing and developing the resources available to the organisation
• Represent the organisation externally by building and maintaining strategic relationships with senior prison and probation managers, partners, networks, and other charities.

The post holder will be the lead senior executive with overall responsibility for the operation of the organisation.

How to apply: Click the CharityJob Apply button below. You’ll be asked to submit a CV and answer a few short screening questions about your relevant skills and motivation. In your letter of application please show how your experience and skills match the requirements of the role in the full job description and the essential criteria listed in the person specification.

Interviews will take place on Thursday 29th October in Central London.

Closing date: 16th October 2026

Please note: this role can be worked either hybrid working in London (minimum 4 days per month in the office) or Homebased.

Independent Age isthe national charity working towards ending financial hardship in later life.  

Our Helpline and expert advisers offer free information and advice to older people without enough money to live on, while our external training equips professionals with the information they need to support older people on low incomes. Through our grants programme, we fund and support hundreds of local charities working with older people across the UK. We use the knowledge and insight gained from our support services and partnerships to highlight the issues experienced by older people in povertyand campaign for change.  

We believe no one should face financial hardship in later life. We would love to find individuals from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds to join us on this journey. 

Responsibilities and Person Specification:

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the delivery and ongoing evolution of our ambitious Trusts and Foundations fundraising strategy, securing transformational five- and six-figure grants that will drive our long-term impact and growth.

We're looking for an exceptional relationship-builder and communicator with a proven track record of securing five- and six-figure grants from Trusts and Foundations. You'll be confident translating complex data into compelling funding propositions and using your outstanding written, verbal and presentation skills to inspire support for our mission.

For full details on the role and requirements, please review the job description and person specification.  If your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all of the criteria in the person specification but you do meet most of them and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. 

This is a full-time role, 35 hours per week, which you can choose to work over five days or a 9-day fortnight. We also are open to this role being worked on a part-time basis on a minimum of 28 hours per week.

What it’s like to work at Independent Age:

We celebrate diversity at Independent Age and champion the differences that make each of us unique. We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We aim to attract and retain a wide range of talent and create an environment where everyone can feel safe, protected, welcome and included.

We offer great benefits including 28 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme with life assurance, and fantastic learning and development opportunities. We also offer a number of enhanced leave provisions and benefits.

We know that a good work life balance helps us perform at our best and supports wellbeing. Flexible working hours and hybrid working is standard for all (those contracted to work in the office are required to attend the office a minimum of 4 days per month). But if you need a different form of flexibility, we are always happy to talk flexible working. 

With an employee engagement score of 98%, colleagues say Independent Age is a great place to work. You can find out more about what it’s like to work for us on the Careers Page of our website. 

Application Process:

To apply, please visit our website to submit a CV and a Supporting Statement, detailing how your skills and experience meet the criteria within the Job Description and Person Specification.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you require any specific arrangements or adjustments to enable you to fully participate in the recruitment process, such as having the job description in a larger text format or to apply in an alternative format, please get in touch with us via the email address on the ‘Contact Us’ page on our jobs site. 

To support our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion our hiring managers use anonymous shortlisting. Please don’t include your name, photo, or any information that could indicate your gender or age in your CV and supporting statement, and don’t include your name in the title of any documents that you upload. However, please do include all dates of employment. 

Independent Age is committed to safeguarding and follows Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding those we work with. We therefore ask that you supply your full work history with explanations for any gaps in the application documents you submit and, if offered the post, we will require a minimum of two employment references including your current or most recent employer. A Basic DBS check will be carried out for the successful candidate

Closing Date: Sunday, 4 October 11:59pm

Interview Dates: First-round interviews will take place on Tuesday, 13 October (remote); second-round interviews will take place on the Tuesday, 20 October (in-person in our London office)

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to take a key management role within Happy Healthy You, a community-rooted organisation delivering culturally grounded health and wellbeing activity across Bradford, while playing a significant role in the delivery of the five-year Bradford Health Inequities Programme (Bhip).

You will work across HHU’s established programmes and community activity while helping to develop and strengthen the organisation as it grows. Alongside this, you will have a significant role in Bhip, supporting an ambitious programme that brings together communities, the VCSE sector and health and care systems to address health inequities driven by structural racism and discrimination.

The role offers a distinctive opportunity to connect strong community-based delivery with wider change, helping ensure that what is learned through HHU’s trusted relationships and Bhip’s work leads to better practice, stronger services, and demonstrable outcomes for communities.

You will join at a crucial point in the development of both HHU and Bhip, with genuine scope to shape how programmes are delivered, developed, evaluated, and improved as the work grows.

About you / The Role

You will be an experienced and capable programme manager with a strong track record of managing community-based programmes, activities, services, and teams, with the ability to design, develop and implement plans and projects that achieve effective delivery and measurable outcomes.

You will understand the realities of delivering culturally grounded health and wellbeing activity alongside Global Majority communities and be committed to addressing health inequities, structural racism, and discrimination.

You will be equally comfortable supporting the Bhip Programme Lead, HHU’s CEO and senior management with organisational priorities, managing staff and resources, and working alongside community teams to ensure delivery is well coordinated, responsive and of a consistently high standard. You will have a strong focus on evaluation, ensuring HHU and the Bhip programme can demonstrate the outcomes, impact, and value of its work.

As a key member of the Bhip team, you will lead the operational management of HHU’s contribution, ensuring its community engagement, co-design, Insight to Action and related activity is effectively planned, delivered, monitored, evaluated, and continuously improved.

You will understand how HHU’s existing trusted community activity provides an important route through which communities can engage with and shape Bhip’s aims and work. HHU’s established community delivery footprint will provide a key route for Bhip’s structural literacy, listening, story capture and co-design work, enabling community insight and stories to be translated into action and system change.

You will bring strong people management, organisation, and judgement, with the ability to manage competing priorities, solve problems and maintain effective relationships across HHU, Bhip, communities and partner organisations

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity for an exceptional Programme Leader whose strengths combine strong operational delivery, strategic thinking, partnership development and a sound understanding of health inequities and the factors that drive them. You will thrive on building and leading a new, nationally significant programme, working alongside communities and partners to address structural racism and discrimination, strengthen shared power and translate community insight into meaningful action and community stories into lasting system change.

You will lead an evolving programme that generates learning, evidence and evaluation to inform local policy and practice across Bradford District while contributing to the National Lottery Community Fund’s National Collective, helping shape learning and action that extends beyond Bradford.

About you/ The Role

You will be an experienced, motivational and credible leader with a proven track record of successfully leading complex programmes, partnerships or services that improve health equity and deliver meaningful system change. You will relish an opportunity to establish and lead a new, fast-paced programme from the ground up. You will demonstrate an understanding of REN’s anti-racist purpose, HHU’s community-led approach, and a commitment to addressing structural racism, discrimination and health inequities.You will be equally comfortable working across communities, grassroots and VCSE organisations, stakeholder and partner organisations, multidisciplinary teams and with senior system leaders. You will be able to inspire and develop others, contribute to effective governance and deliver programme management arrangements, confidently managing people, budgets, performance and outputs. You will be motivated by addressing racism and improving health equity and understand the importance of working alongside communities to support shared power, enabling communities to influence services, decision-making, commissioning and wider system change.

Importantly, you will be someone who motivates people and brings them together around a shared purpose, builds strong partnerships and a well-supported, effective team, and brings resilience and sound judgement to complex environments. You will be comfortable navigating ambiguity, adapting to emerging learning and opportunities, and maintaining momentum in a programme designed to learn, evolve and influence change.

About You

You will be a highly organised, proactive and values-led programme professional with experience of coordinating and delivering complex programmes, partnerships or community-based work involving multiple organisations, communities and stakeholders.

You will be confident turning plans into practical action, coordinating people, workstreams, developing and delivering training, community leadership, networks and system-facing activity, and ensuring commitments are delivered and followed through.

You will understand REN’s anti-racist purpose, Happy Healthy You’s work and remit as programme partners and Bhip’s approach to turning lived experience and community insight into action and system change, with experience of working alongside Global Majority communities, VCSE organisations, community leaders and system partners.

You will understand the importance of data, evidence and evaluation in demonstrating impact and be committed to embedding consistent use of agreed programme systems and ways of working across REN’s delivery.

As a key member of the Bhip team, you will work with the Programme Lead and closely with the HHU Programme Manager to ensure REN and HHU delivery is joined up and complementary, sharing learning, coordinating interdependent activity and working together to contribute to Bhip’s outcomes.

You will be a practical, people-focused team player who builds strong working relationships and a positive, collaborative team culture. You will bring resilience, adaptability and strong problem-solving skills, with the confidence to get involved, make things happen and respond constructively as the programme develops and evolves.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to take a hands-on role at the heart of Bhip, helping turn an ambitious five-year programme into practical activity across communities, organisations and systems in Bradford.

You will coordinate and deliver a diverse portfolio of REN-led work that will evolve, innovate and create meaningful change, from developing and delivering anti-racism and structural discrimination training, supporting community leaders and mobilising REN’s VCSE network, to strengthening the Health Policy Forum and supporting wider influencing activity.

Working alongside the Programme Lead and wider Bhip team, you will help support and build a genuinely joined-up programme, with scope to shape new approaches and contribute learning that helps change how health and care services, organisations and systems respond to structural racism, discrimination and health inequity, locally and nationally.

About you

As an experienced, innovative and strategic Communications Lead, you will bring a proven track record of developing and delivering communications strategies that build understanding, engagement, influence and meaningful change. This is an opportunity to establish and lead communications for a new, nationally significant programme from the ground up, bringing ideas, energy and initiative to a role that will evolve alongside Bhip.

The role requires someone who can think strategically while also being comfortable getting into the detail and making things happen. You will be equally comfortable developing communications strategy and shaping Bhip.’s narrative as you are producing practical, accessible communications and resources needed by community engagement teams on the ground. You will be able to move confidently between strategic communications, system-facing messaging and hands-on community communications, ensuring each supports the wider aims of the programme. You will be someone who does not wait for a brief or has the imitative to create their own and who actively identifies opportunities, develops ideas and takes them forward. Creativity and innovation will be important in shaping how Bhip communicates its purpose, work, learning and impact, alongside the strategic judgement to understand what needs to be communicated, why, to whom and through which channels.

You will be confident developing and evolving a communications strategy, identifying audiences, shaping messages, narratives and tone of voice, and considering how complex and sensitive issues are communicated.

Strong cultural awareness and understanding will be important, including an appreciation of how culture, language, identity and lived experience can shape how different communities understand and respond to information. The ability to adapt language and communications approaches so that information is clear, accessible, culturally relevant and meaningful, without losing context or nuance, will be central to the role.

The role will span communities, programme teams, partners and creative specialists, from photographers and videographers to designers, digital specialists and other creative partners. You will be able to listen, build relationships, understand different perspectives and use community insight to shape communications that connect with people. You will bring people together around ideas, work confidently across different areas of the programme and use sound judgement to turn opportunities into action.

An understanding of Bhip’s anti-discrimination purpose and community-led approach, alongside a genuine commitment to addressing health inequities caused by structural racism and discrimination, will be essential. You will be comfortable navigating ambiguity, responding to emerging opportunities and bringing curiosity, collaboration and a willingness to try new approaches to the role.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to establish and shape the communications function for Bhip from the ground up, playing a central role in how a new, nationally significant programme is understood, positioned and experienced. The Communications Lead will set the strategic communications direction for Bhip, shaping its narrative, language, messaging and voice, and ensuring communications support the programme’s wider ambitions to address health inequities, challenge structural racism and discrimination, strengthen community voice and influence meaningful system change.

With significant scope to shape the direction of communications, the role will span strategy, positioning, messaging, identity, campaigns, digital communications, creative content, media, storytelling and engagement. It will consider not only what Bhip communicates, but how it communicates it, ensuring language, stories and narratives are accessible, thoughtful, culturally relevant and reflective of the programme’s anti-racist and community-led approach

As Bhip develops through co-design, learning and evaluation, the communications strategy will evolve with it, creating opportunities to test new approaches, respond to emerging issues, share learning and strengthen the programme’s influence. The role will work across the programme and partnership to ensure communications are connected to the wider work of Bhip and contribute to its strategic ambitions.

With the freedom and responsibility to shape the communications direction of a five-year programme, you will help establish how Bhip communicates locally, regionally and nationally. The work will contribute not only to Bhip’s profile and impact across Bradford District, but to wider learning, influence and national conversations around health inequities, structural racism and discrimination through the National Lottery Community Fund’s National Collective.

EASST is an international NGO promoting road safety and sustainable mobility across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

We believe local voices are essential to saving lives and bringing lasting change so we form long term partnerships with local civil society organisations, uniting their on-the-ground knowledge with national and international expertise to deliver evidence-based solutions that are grounded in the local reality.

Across our region, fatality rates are more than twice the European average and can cost up to 4% GDP, yet road safety still doesn't get the priority or investment it needs.

Today, rapidly escalating vehicle numbers are straining urban infrastructure, challenging existing road safety frameworks, and contributing to poor air quality and higher carbon emissions.

Our projects are focused on long-term change, connecting the dots between road safety and sustainable mobility and supporting communities in the transition toward safer, more inclusive transport networks that reduce casualties, strengthen climate resilience, and support sustainable economic growth.

EASST also operates EASST Expertise Ltd, an international road safety consultancy and wholly owned trading subsidiary. EASST Expertise draws on a wide network of specialists to support, advise and manage road safety projects across the world, with all surplus revenues returned to support EASST's charitable work.

Why join EASST?

EASST is a small organisation, and this is a varied role with significant responsibility. You will have the opportunity to work across the full project cycle, from developing new ideas and proposals through to delivery, evaluation and learning. You will work directly with our partners across the region, international experts and major funders, and have real scope to influence how our programmes develop.

Working in a small team means being prepared to get involved across different areas of our work and to take responsibility when needed. In return, the role offers considerable autonomy and variety, and the opportunity to see the direct impact of your work.

Role overview

As Programmes Manager, you will play a central role in EASST’s small team, managing a varied portfolio of road safety and sustainable mobility projects across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Reporting to the Director General, you will take responsibility for projects across their full lifecycle – from project development and planning through to delivery, monitoring, reporting and evaluation.

Working closely with our network of local civil society partners, you will ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget and to a high technical standard. You will build strong, trusted relationships with our local civil society partners, support their organisational and technical development, and combine their on-the-ground knowledge with international technical expertise to influence policy and practice.

This is a hands-on role in a small organisation. Alongside managing programmes, you will contribute to new business development, organisational strategy and wider EASST activities as needed.

Key responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of road safety and sustainable mobility projects across EASST's partner countries, ensuring high-quality delivery against agreed objectives, timelines and budgets.
• Oversee project planning, work plans and budgets, monitoring progress and flagging risks or delays early, with proposed solutions.
• Ensure projects are technically sound, evidence-based and aligned with international road safety good practice.
• Support the development of new project proposals and concept notes, including budgeting, log frames/theories of change, and donor-specific requirements.
• Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with partner organisations, supporting them to strengthen organisational and technical capacity, including through monitoring visits and technical support missions.
• Develop and maintain project monitoring frameworks, tracking outputs, outcomes and impact, and capturing lessons learned to inform future programme design.
• Prepare high-quality narrative and financial reports for donors, ensuring accuracy and compliance with requirements and deadlines.
• Manage project budgets and financial compliance, working with the Director of Operations and Finance to monitor spend and forecast against donor rules.
• Identify and manage programmatic, financial, reputational and safeguarding risks, ensuring compliance with EASST's policies throughout.
• Collaborate with colleagues across EASST and represent EASST with donors, partners and other stakeholders, contributing to organisational strategy, business development, and communications outputs as needed.

Person specification

Essential

• Proven experience managing international development or NGO programmes.
• Experience managing project budgets and donor reporting, with a good understanding of donor compliance requirements (e.g. development banks, trusts, foundations or bilateral donors).
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation frameworks and tools.
• Experience working with and supporting local civil society or partner organisations.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, monitoring and risk management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience producing high-quality reports and proposals.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously, working independently and as part of a small team and taking responsibility when needed.
• Cultural sensitivity and experience working across diverse international contexts.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally.

Highly desirable

• Experience of road safety programmes and a strong understanding of road safety principles, data and evidence-based interventions.
• Experience of sustainable mobility programmes, including areas such as active travel, inclusive mobility, public transport or low-carbon transport.
• Experience working in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, or a comparable region.
• Experience of new business development or proposal writing for institutional donors.

Desirable

• Russian and/or another regional language.
• Degree or professional qualification in a relevant field (e.g. transport, development, public health).

Terms and Conditions

• Location: Based in the United Kingdom, with the right to work in the UK. The team currently works remotely with no office base.
• Travel: Travel may be required within the UK to Team meetings as well as within the region served by EASST and to conferences and other events.
• Hours: This is a full-time post. Some flexibility will be required to accommodate international travel and occasional meetings with partners and funders across different time zones.
• Salary: The salary offered for this post is £40–50K (depending on experience) plus 10% pension contribution and 30 days holiday per year.

We recognise that excellent candidates may not meet every aspect of the person specification. If you have strong international programme management experience and believe your skills and experience could transfer well to EASST's road safety and sustainable mobility work, we would encourage you to apply.

Farm Discovery Programme Manager

Salary: £40,170 | Home-based | 35 hours per week | Permanent

This is a varied senior role combining programme leadership, team and contract management, quality assurance, safeguarding, data and financial oversight, partnership development and programme improvement.

You’ll ensure our Farm Discovery team has the clarity, support and resources they need to deliver consistently high-quality educational experiences for children from disadvantaged communities. You’ll also use data, feedback and evaluation to improve the programme, develop partnerships and contribute to its future growth and development.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has a strong track record in programme management and leading complex delivery
• Is outstanding at enabling and leading educators and dispersed teams
• Understands the primary education context in England
• Can build strong relationships with schools, farmers, funders and partners
• Has experience of quality, safeguarding, health and safety and risk management
• Is confident using data, managing budgets and improving systems and processes
• Can communicate effectively and work collaboratively across an organisation
• Shares our commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for children experiencing disadvantage

The role is home-based, with regular travel across England and North Wales, including overnight stays, an essential part of the role. Reasonable travel and accommodation expenses are covered.

Hours: 35 hours per week, with flexible working arrangements considered, including slightly reduced or compressed hours for the right candidate.

Closing date: Thursday 8 October 2026, midday.
CVs not accepted for this role. Please see our website for more information.

Join SafeLives and help transform the response to domestic abuse across the UK.

As our Project Manager (Drive Partnership), you will play a key role in supporting the delivery and growth of one of the UK's leading programmes working with high-harm, high-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse. Through effective project management, governance and partnership working, you will help ensure that services are delivered consistently, meet their objectives and contribute to safer outcomes for victims, survivors and their families.

Working closely with colleagues across The Drive Partnership, SafeLives, Respect, Social Finance, commissioners and delivery partners, you will coordinate multiple project workstreams, monitor progress against project plans and support effective programme governance. You will help manage risks, oversee compliance processes, contribute to funder reporting and support the development of systems and processes that strengthen programme delivery. You will also play an important role in facilitating collaboration between partners and ensuring projects are delivered efficiently and effectively.

We're looking for someone with strong project management experience, excellent organisational and communication skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple workstreams. You'll be confident building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, comfortable working both independently and collaboratively, and motivated by the opportunity to contribute to meaningful social change. Experience of working within the domestic abuse sector, wider violence against women and girls sector, or the charity sector would be advantageous.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a collaborative and values-led organisation while contributing to the work of The Drive Partnership, which is transforming the national response to perpetrators of domestic abuse. An understanding of the importance of partnership working, systems change and victim-survivor safety is essential. 

About SafeLives We are SafeLives, the UK-wide charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, for everyone, for good. We work with organisations across the UK to transform the response to domestic abuse. We want what you would want for your best friend. We listen to survivors, putting their voices at the heart of our thinking. We look at the whole picture for each individual and family to get the right help at the right time to make families everywhere safe and well. And we challenge perpetrators to change, asking ‘why doesn’t he stop?’ rather than ‘why doesn’t she leave?’ This applies whatever the gender of the victim or perpetrator and whatever the nature of their relationship.

Last year alone, we delivered more than 700 sessions to over 15,000 learners across the UK in policing, health, housing, justice, education and the specialist sector. And we have reached 90,000 adult and 100,000 child survivors through programmes designed and delivered with partners.

In the last 9 years, close to 7,000 perpetrators have been challenged and supported to change through flagship interventions developed by The Drive Partnership and the programme continues to expand year on year. 

Together we can end domestic abuse. Forever. For everyone.

Benefits:

• 34 days holiday inc. public holidays
• Paid annual wellbeing day
• Cycle 2 Work scheme
• Eye care vouchers
• Pension scheme with 4% employer contribution
• Length of service award
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Enhanced family leave Policies
• Holiday purchase scheme - buy up to an additional 5 days

How to apply

If you believe you have the qualities we have described, please look over the full job description and submit your CV and cover letter by 9am on 15th October. As part of our commitment to become a Disability Confident Committed employer we are happy to accept alternative applications such as video, voice note etc.

We are looking for experienced social workers to help take the Weekenders programme into its next chapter. You will join a small, ambitious charity and play a central role in growing a relational, child-focused programme across England.

THE OPPORTUNITY 

• Salary: starting from £40,000, subject to experience

• Hours: full time, 37.5 hours per week

• Location: home-based within England, with regular team co-working and travel

• Contracts: one permanent post and two 18-month fixed-term posts

• Flexibility: occasional evening or weekend delivery, usually around once per month

• Travel: across England, including occasional overnight stays; reasonable expenses are covered

ABOUT NOW FOSTER

Now Foster brings together social work, service design, lived experience and innovation to transform fostering in England. Our vision is to bring many more wonderful people into fostering so that more children and young people can experience stable, meaningful relationships with caring adults.

We are a small team with big ambitions. We value creativity, collaboration, learning and continuous improvement, and we work with partners who share our determination to do better for children and families.

ABOUT WEEKENDERS 

Weekenders is our flagship programme. We recruit and support weekend foster carers – known as Weekenders – who build regular, long-term relationships with children and young people supported by local authorities. It is about showing up, making a difference and becoming an adult a young person can count on.

The programme is entering an exciting period of growth. We are expanding our partnerships with Regional Care Cooperatives, Fostering Hubs and local authorities across England, currently including London, the South West, North West and North East.

THE ROLE – Lead delivery, develop people and stay close to practice

As a Weekenders Programme Manager, you will turn our ambition into consistently excellent delivery. You will lead the day-to-day support of applicants across an agreed portfolio of areas, making sure prospective Weekenders receive a warm, responsive and motivational experience and that our partners can rely on us to deliver what we have agreed.

This is a people-management and delivery role with a strong connection to practice. You will line-manage Journey Guides, manage a network of independent social workers (ISWs), lead our prep group training and undertake some intro chats yourself.

The role does not carry a statutory caseload. It does carry real responsibility for safeguarding, practice quality, operational oversight and relationships across a growing, geographically distributed programme.

Delivery Leadership: Lead programme delivery

• Take day-to-day responsibility for Weekenders delivery across an agreed portfolio of Fostering Hubs and local authority partners.

• Turn partnership agreements and local processes into clear applicant journeys, with roles, handovers and timescales understood by everyone involved.

• Plan capacity across Journey Guides, ISWs, prep group training and your own direct work so that delivery keeps pace with demand.

• Monitor applicant progress, identify delays or risks early and work with colleagues and partners to find practical solutions.

• Maintain a consistent Now Foster experience across regions while adapting thoughtfully to local contexts.

People Management: Manage and develop Journey Guides

• Provide reflective one-to-one and group supervision, clear objectives and timely feedback.

• Allocate work fairly, monitor workloads and create the structure needed for responsive applicant support.

• Coach Journey Guides in relationship-based, strengths-based and motivational conversations, using observation, role play and practice review where helpful.

• Support sound judgement, safe practice and professional boundaries, addressing performance or wellbeing concerns early and constructively.

• Build a connected team culture in which people share learning, ask for help and take ownership.

Practice Oversight: Manage ISWs and assure practice quality

• Build and maintain a reliable pool of qualified, registered ISWs to undertake initial home visits and teach on prep group training days.

• Coordinate ISW recruitment, onboarding, availability, allocation and briefing in line with our safer recruitment and practice arrangements.

• Set clear expectations for the quality, timeliness and tone of home visits, written outputs, training and feedback.

• Review quality, provide constructive feedback and address concerns promptly, while forecasting capacity and arranging cover.

Training: Plan, staff and lead prep group training

• Own the planning and delivery of prep group training across programme areas, including schedules, venues or online delivery, materials, communications and staffing.

• Facilitate and teach on prep groups, modelling inclusive, relational and reflective practice.

• Brief and support ISW co-facilitators so sessions are coherent, well-paced and grounded in the realities of fostering.

• Make sure applicants can reflect meaningfully on children's needs, safer caring, trauma-informed care, cultural matching and working with fostering services.

• Ensure observations and training feedback are recorded sensitively and on time, and use feedback to strengthen future delivery.

Relationships: Stay close to applicants and partners

• Undertake some intro chats, particularly where additional experience, judgement or continuity is needed.

• Step into complex applicant situations or difficult conversations without taking over work appropriately held by Journey Guides.

• Develop trusted operational relationships with Fostering Hubs, Regional Care Cooperatives, local authority fostering teams and other partners.

• Work through differences or blockages constructively, combining persistence with curiosity about other people's pressures and perspectives.

Programme Addurance: Safeguarding, quality and improvement

• Promote a strong safeguarding culture and ensure concerns are recognised, recorded and escalated appropriately.

• Maintain accurate, timely records and use pipeline data, feedback and practice observations to understand performance and improve delivery.

• Contribute to the development of tools, guidance, communications and digital workflows as Weekenders grows.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR – Experience, judgement and a strongly relational approach

Essential

You will need a recognised social work qualification and current registration with Social Work England. Beyond that, we are looking for someone who can combine strong practice judgement with people leadership and operational oversight.

You will thrive in this role if you have

• People-management experience – line-managing, supervising or developing staff, including giving feedback and supporting performance and wellbeing.

• Operational leadership – experience leading a service, programme or complex workflow with multiple people, deadlines and handovers.

• Children's services experience – in fostering, children's social care or a closely related setting, with a sound understanding of safeguarding and professional accountability.

• Training confidence – experience planning and delivering engaging adult learning, workshops or group training.

• Partnership skills – experience building productive relationships across organisational boundaries and working through operational challenges.

• A relational approach – able to hold warm, purposeful and appropriately challenging conversations with people from a wide range of backgrounds.

• Strong organisation and judgement – able to prioritise, delegate, manage dependencies and recognise what needs closer oversight or escalation.

• Digital and data confidence – comfortable using CRM and workflow systems, interpreting delivery information and turning insight into action.

The way you work matters

• Children first – you keep children's needs, relationships and long-term outcomes at the centre of decisions.

• Warm and reflective – you build genuine relationships, remain curious about your own impact and welcome feedback.

• Courageous and accountable – you name concerns, make decisions, follow through and own mistakes.

• Collaborative – you share learning generously while maintaining clear accountability.

• Adaptable – you are comfortable in a small, ambitious organisation where roles and systems continue to evolve.

Bonus points for

• Lived experience of the care system.

• Training or experience in motivational interviewing, systemic practice, coaching or another relational approach.

• Experience of foster carer recruitment, initial visits, assessment, prep groups, panel or post-approval support.

• Experience commissioning, coordinating or quality-assuring ISWs, associates or other independent practitioners.

• A practice educator, adult-teaching or training qualification, or substantial equivalent experience.

• Experience scaling a service across regions or working with a dispersed team and multiple delivery partners.

• Project, budget, contract, risk or resource-management experience.

• Experience of co-production, service design or continuous improvement.

WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU

Joining Now Foster means being part of something different. We are small, ambitious and innovative, and you will have genuine influence over how Weekenders grows. You will stay close to practice and impact without carrying a statutory caseload.

You will join a supportive, collaborative team that cares about doing excellent work in a sustainable and humane way. We work a 37.5-hour week and trust people to manage their time with balance. The programme sometimes requires evening work, weekend training days or travel, and we flex working time around those commitments.

• Salary from £40,000.

• 28 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.

• Home-based working with regular co-working and team days.

• Travel and reasonable work expenses covered in line with Now Foster policy.

• The tools and technology you need to work effectively.

• Workplace pension scheme

• The opportunity to help build a bold, lasting and more relational approach to fostering.
   

We know strong candidates do not always meet every desirable criterion. If the purpose of the role excites you and your experience gives you a strong foundation for the essentials, we encourage you to apply.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS – Key dates and how to apply

• Applications close – Sunday 20 September 2026 at 23:30
• First-round interviews – Online planned for Monday 28 and Tuesday 29 September 2026
• Role play – For candidates progressing to the second round, before the second interview. 30 mins, completed online with one of our Weekenders.
• Second-round interviews– In person planned for Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 October 2026 (reasonable travel expenses covered)

Early application is encouraged. We may close the advert before 20 September if we receive a sufficient number of strong applications.

HOW TO APPLY

Please apply through the Charity Jobs listing by the closing date. Candidates invited to interview will receive further information about the format and preparation in advance.

You must have the right to work in the UK. Appointment is subject to current registration with Social Work England, a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check and our other safer recruitment requirements.

We recognise that candidates may use generative AI tools to support their application. This is acceptable, but your application must remain an authentic reflection of your own experience and motivation. Please tell us if and how you used AI as part of preparing it.

As a small charity unfortunately we do not have capacity to respond to unsuccessful candidates or offer feedback at the application stage. Please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion if you do not hear from us before the interview dates.

OUR COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY 

Now Foster is committed to being an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences. Recruitment decisions are made using fair, objective and transparent criteria, and we will make reasonable adjustments so the process is accessible.

If you want to help grow a pioneering programme, develop a thoughtful team and create more lasting relationships for children and young people, we would love to hear from you.

About you

You will be an experienced, community-focused practitioner with a strong background in co-design, participation, community research or related approaches, and experience of working directly with Global Majority communities and people from different faiths, cultures and backgrounds.

You will be a skilled facilitator and listener, able to build trust, work sensitively with lived experience and use creative, culturally grounded approaches to involve people meaningfully.

You will be curious, practical and adaptable, confident working collaboratively while also taking the lead on developing and delivering Bhip’s co-design approach.

The Opportunity

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to help shape and lead an ambitious approach to community co-design within HHU and the Bhip Programme, working alongside Global Majority communities experiencing some of Bradford’s greatest health inequities.

You will work directly with people and communities to explore their experiences of clinical and community-based health and care, including where racism, discrimination and structural barriers affect access, experience and outcomes. Using co-design, participatory research, deep listening, storytelling and creative approaches, you will explore what matters, what gets in the way and what communities tell us needs to change.

A key part of the role will be developing culturally grounded and accessible ways of working, recognising that conventional consultation and research methods do not work equally well for everyone. You will have the freedom to test and develop different approaches with communities, including creative, visual, narrative and participatory methods, and share what we learn locally and through Bhip’s wider national lottery collective network.

You will lead the development of Bhip’s co-design methodology while remaining a hands-on practitioner. Working closely with the HHU Programme Manager, Bhip Programme Lead, Insight & Evaluation Lead and Community Engagement Facilitators, you will help connect community participation, research and lived experience to Bhip’s Story-to-System approach, ensuring that what communities tell us can contribute to practical learning, action and change.

You will also help build the confidence and capacity of the wider Bhip team to work in genuinely co-designed ways and, where people want to become more involved, support community members and lived-experience leaders to develop as co-designers, peer/community researchers or Story Stewards.

The role will evolve as Bhip develops. We do not expect every method or area of work to be predetermined. We are looking for someone with the experience, curiosity and judgement to work alongside communities, test ideas, learn from what works and help us develop approaches that are meaningful in Bradford and potentially useful much more widely.

About you

You are an organised, practical and adaptable administrator who is confident working with both administrative and data systems. You have strong attention to detail and can manage a varied workload, maintain accurate records and make sure routine systems and processes work effectively.

You are comfortable working with digital systems and data, including maintaining databases or CRM, monitoring or evaluation systems, checking the quality and completeness of information and supporting colleagues to use systems consistently. Bhip will be using Upshot as its data collection & evaluation system, you do not need to have used Upshot before, although experience in using Upshot would be an advantage. You are confident learning new systems and working with system providers where changes or improvements are needed.

You communicate clearly, work well with colleagues across different roles and are comfortable following up when information or actions are outstanding. You can work independently within your responsibilities while knowing when something needs to be referred to your manager or another member of the team.

You understand the importance of confidentiality, accurate record keeping and secure handling of information, particularly when working with information provided by communities and programme participants.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to join Happy Healthy You (HHU) and be part of a dynamic new team delivering the Bradford Health Inequities Programme (Bhip), an ambitious five-year programme working with communities to create fairer health and care.

You will provide essential administration across HHU and take day-to-day responsibility for Bhip’s data system, making sure information is accurate, complete and accessible. Working closely with colleagues across the programme, you will be an integral part of the team, supporting effective systems, data quality, monitoring and reporting, and helping the team understand progress and demonstrate the difference Bhip is making.

The role

We're recruiting for a Programme Logistics Manager to join our Programme Operations team and help strengthen the systems that support Mary's Meals' school feeding programmes around the world.

Working closely with Programme Affiliates, Programme Partners and colleagues across Mary's Meals International, you'll provide technical oversight and support across key areas including inventory, fleet, facilities and supplier management, helping to ensure our logistics systems and processes are effective, efficient and sustainable.

You'll also drive continuous improvement, share best practice and support alignment with our school feeding model and programme operations strategy. At the heart of this role is a commitment to quality, stewardship and simplicity, helping us deliver our mission as effectively as possible.

Key priorities:

• Shape practical logistics policies, processes and tools that support our global programmes.
• Use performance data and insights to identify opportunities, manage risk and support informed decision-making.
• Support country teams to build capability, confidence and consistently high standards.
• Foster collaboration between procurement and logistics colleagues to improve programme delivery.
• Champion safe, efficient and cost-effective fleet management, including vehicle tracking and telematics.
• Strengthen supplier relationships, contract management and performance monitoring.
• Enhance facilities, warehousing and distribution practices across our supply chain.
• Contribute to programme planning, audits, growth initiatives and operational strategy.

About you:

We're looking for a Programme Logistics Manager who combines strong logistics expertise with a collaborative, solutions-focused approach and a genuine passion for our mission. You’ll bring:  

• Significant experience in logistics and/or operations within an international organisation.
• A strong understanding of logistics systems, processes and performance management.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively across cultures.
• Experience using data and insights to monitor performance and drive improvements.
• Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and the ability to balance competing priorities.
• A proactive, adaptable and results-focused approach.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn insight into action.
• Proficiency in MS Office and data analysis tools.
• A genuine commitment to Mary's Meals' mission and values.
• Experience leading or coordinating teams, particularly in decentralised or geographically dispersed environments would be beneficial but not essential.

About us:  

Mary’s Meals is a global movement supported by people from all walks of life and from all faiths and none. We are focused on one goal – that every child receives a nutritious daily meal in a place of education. Today, more than 3 million children receive Mary’s Meals in some of the world’s poorest communities.  

We are a values-driven organisation that believes in the innate goodness of people, respects the dignity of every human being and family life, and values good stewardship of the resources entrusted to us. In line with our values, we are fully committed to a culture of safeguarding.

Mary’s Meals is committed to preventing any form of unwanted behaviour at work, and we expect all members of the Mary’s Meals family to share this commitment and act in the best interests of the communities we serve. Our safer recruitment practices ensure that only those committed to our high standards join our movement.

We are happy for you to work remotely and flexibly, in a way that best supports your work-life balance. We have an office in Glasgow for those who would like to work from here occasionally or on a regular basis. Some travel to Glasgow, will likely be required as part of this role.

We believe in the innate goodness and dignity of every person. In line with this, Mary’s Meals is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment. All applicants will be considered fairly and on merit, without discrimination of any kind. 

Our Benefits:

• 34 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time working patterns) including bank holidays, increasing by 1 day each completed calendar year, to a maximum of 39 days (+ option to buy another week)
• Flexible working
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Life assurance
• Pension

The role

 At Cruse, our strategy, sets out our charity’s plans to grow our income and build on our expertise and unique position in the sector. We provide expert bereavement and grief information and support, and our charity has been supporting people for over 65 years. We support adults, children and young people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, through our national services, over 80 local branches and online information about grief and bereavement.

 To lead and grow Cruse’s community fundraising and events programme, maximising income from existing activities/events while developing new fundraising opportunities. The postholder will take ownership of event planning and delivery, supporter engagement and volunteer and Branch fundraising coordination, helping to increase unrestricted income. This role is responsible for the planning and delivery of major events such as Cruse walks, whilst also creating new fundraising events for supporters to engage with us.

How to apply

Your application must consist of a CV and covering letter, which outlines your suitability for the role with reference to the Job Description and Person Specification and should be no longer than two pages. Please note that if you application does not include both a CV and covering letter, your application may not be considered. 

The closing date for applications is 2 October 2026 with interviews taking place week commencing 12 October 2026. We reserve the right to close the advert early, as interviews will be held as suitable candidates apply.

Please be advised that if you do not hear from us by 12 October 2026, unfortunately on this occasion you have not been shortlisted.

Cruse welcomes and encourages applications from all protected groups as defined by the Equality Act 2010. Appointment will be made on merit.

Criminal Record Checks

All staff are required to complete a Criminal Record check. Staff working directly with clients will be required to complete an enhanced check. We comply with the relevant codes of practice and they can be viewed online: 

· Applicants in England and Wales: DBS Code of Practice

· Applicants in Northern Ireland: AccessNI Code of Practice

Previous convictions will not prevent full consideration of your application to work with Cruse. Our Recruitment of Ex-offenders' Policy & Handling Criminal Record Check Data Policy are available on request by email.

We comply with all relevant data protection legislation and process your data fairly.