Quality and practice development lead jobs in oxford, greater london

This role presents opportunity to work innovatively & responsively, creating new, unique, & informative LGBT+ affirmative resources, crisis support, prevention & wellbeing initiatives; along with having a developmental role in upskilling & supervising sessional staff, trainees, interns & volunteers. 

This is an exciting job opportunity to join a dynamic & committed team, in a key frontline role working directly within our Heads-Out mental health service, which provides individualised mental health plans, crisis safety plans, mental wellbeing workshops, varied mental health support groups including for those seeking asylum, a trans & non-binary group; LGBTQ+ mental health social connections & activities group, and drop-in support.

Opportunities will include delivery of specialised interventions, taking direct referrals and helping to support & stabilise those at heightened risk and/ or living through mental health crisis, plus psychoeducation workshops and group programmes will further enable you to engage, empower & support participants to build confidence, develop skills, strategies & achieve goals to improve, maintain & best manage mental health, increase mental wellbeing, and reduce and/ or prevent future crisis.

elop is a  London based thriving community-led LGBT+ mental health & wellbeing charity offering a range of support, advice, information, counselling, and group support services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT+) communities. 

There will be one regular evening/ week and occasional weekend working required.

NB: Initially there will be some remote home-based working alongside office-based working whilst we relocate to new premises

Interviews will take place Thursday 4 September 2025 between 9.30am – 15.00 pm

We are looking for 2 organised and dedicated Project Workers who have a strong empathy with single homeless people, to coordinate our intensive housing management services across our South London boroughs.

You will be joining a small , friendly registered charity and registered provider with a supportive team.

Job purpose

The Project Worker will be responsible for the delivery of a responsive intensive housing management service to clients allocated by the Team Leader.

The central aim of the role is to support homeless clients temporarily living in CLHT placements to become as independent as possible and to facilitate timely move-on into independent living settings.

This will be achieved through regular client-led keywork sessions and in close collaboration with external partners. 

The Project Worker will coordinate the day-to-day smooth running of each house they are responsible for.

Duties and responsibilities specific to the role

Intensive Housing Management

1. Responsible for a broad range of housing management activities, including signing up new residents, issuing licensing agreements, delivering new client inductions, occupancy management and eviction / abandonment.
2. Evictions are a last resort and CLHT works within the Homeless Link guidance on preventing evictions and abandonment.
3. Work collaboratively with the Finance team to coordinate rent/ service charge collections
4. Carry out regular occupancy checks.
5. Maintain accurate and timely records related to housing management activities, within the requirements of GDPR.
6. Maintain a healthy and safe environment and encourage clients to take individual responsibility for their living environment and for positive relationships with fellow residents.
7. Ensure the accommodation where clients live is clean and maintained to a high standard, in line with CLHT property standards.
8. Ensure the accommodation meets all legal and statutory health and fire safety requirements
9. Work in close collaboration with the Maintenance team to ensure all repairs and maintenance issues are correctly reported and resolved.
10. To promote and encourage client participation in the Intensive Housing Management process and to act as advocate for clients when necessary.
11. This includes leading regular house meetings and encouraging clients to become ‘resident representatives’.
12. To document each visit to projects, detailing tasks undertaken, any changes that have occurred and other relevant information.
13. Manage antisocial behaviour and clients complaints in line with our Anti-Social Behaviour and Complaints procedures.
14. Liaise with senior managers to ensure complaints are addressed in a timely manner.

Health and Safety

1. Adhere to best practice in meeting the requirements of health and safety legislation in all aspects of the organisation’s work.
2. Ensure you undertake required health and safety training.
3. Comply with Health and Safety requirements and conduct all activities in a manner which is safe for yourself and others.
4. Ensure you follow the Lone Working Policies and Procedures - making full use of the IT Lone Working tools made available by CLHT
5. To report and record any accident or incident which may occur- no matter how minor - whether to clients or staff, follow RIDDOR reporting procedures, report to the police where applicable in line with policies at all times.
6. To report immediately to management on any aspect of a service user’s placement that may warrant an investigation or urgent action.

Keyworking, Support planning, risk assessment

1. Ensure all clients have a robust risk assessment, needs assessment and support plan which identifies and meets their needs as far as possible within the remit of the service.
2. Use the SMART process to ensure all actions from keyworking are followed up.
3. Develop client engagement techniques, being creative in your approach to encourage client participation in the keyworking, support planning and risk assessment process.
4. Always ensure that clients are provided with the full range of information required to make informed decisions which encourages freedom and empowerment.
5. Signpost and refer to external statutory and voluntary sector partners where necessary
6. Develop and maintain positive working relationships with all key partners, escalating any concerns about partner agency engagement to your line manager.
7. Maintain up-to-date, GDPR-compliant records on CLHT IT systems, including clients signed copies of all keyworking, support planning and risk assessment documents.
8. Develop and maintain a thorough working knowledge of Adult Safeguarding

Team Working

1. Foster a positive team culture, being supportive of colleagues
2. Participate in minimum monthly one-to-one supervision and team meetings to assist you in carrying out your duties.
3. Perform in line with policies and procedures, including drawing to the attention of senior manager’s matters concerning capability.
4. Support apprentices and volunteers, ensuring that their skills are utilised to support quality service delivery.
5. Work to meet team targets.
6. Support new team members in progressing through an induction programme
7. To advise of any ideas which may enhance or improve the level of service delivered

Other

1. No job description can be entirely comprehensive. The post holder will be expected to carry out such other duties as may be required from time to time in accordance with the job description.
2. Willingness to work flexibly in response to changing organisational requirements.
3. Keep managers informed of all significant issues relating to and affecting service delivery.
4. Ensure compliance with CLHT Equality and Diversity policy & procedure
5. Ensure Client Information is stored in line with Data Protection and Confidentiality guidelines.
6. Attend regular meetings as directed by management. 
7. Adhere to the Company's medication policy at all times, and ensure that medical emergencies are dealt with appropriately.

Person specification

Knowledge

1. Working knowledge of the welfare benefits system, particularly in relation to clients accommodated in intensive housing management settings
2. An understanding of the common reasons for homelessness amongst single homeless people with support needs
3. Knowledge of other key partner agencies, such as Probation, Community Mental Health Teams , Local Authority homelessness services , the Refugee Council
4. Knowledge of the principles of Adult Safeguarding in a housing setting
5. Knowledge of and commitment to the principles of the Equalities Act

Skills

1. Able to develop a quick rapport with clients, particularly those who may be mistrustful of services and reluctant to engage
2. Ability to work under own initiative & maintain enthusiasm for a high level of contact with clients on a day-to-day basis.
3. Assertiveness and de-escalation skills
4. Able to proactively participate in a comprehensive induction to the organisation and the services provided
5. Coaching skills
6. Able to cope under pressure, using initiative to manage time and to meet deadlines
7. Ability to work within a team, promoting open communication skills and creative thinking
8. Proficient IT skills, including Excel and Word and basic keyboard skills.
9. Confident dealing with people at all levels; displays appropriate verbal and non-verbal behaviour 
10. Excellent numeracy & literacy - able to produce clear written records
11. Integrity, sensitivity and understanding.
12. Approachable, adaptable and assertive.
13. Able to recognise learning needs and seek out learning and development opportunities with your line manager
14. Is open and honest about mistakes and willing to use mistakes as tools for development

.

Experience

1. Experience of working with single homeless clients with support needs , or demonstrable equivalent experience
2. Experience of working in partnership with other agencies to achieve effective outcomes.
3. Experience of effectively prioritising your workload in a fast-paced environment
4. Experience of de-escalating situations where clients have exhibited challenging behaviour

Other

1. DBS Check.
2. Strong empathy with homeless people, demonstrating a non-judgmental approach
3. Commitment to the aims & objectives of the organisation.

Education and Qualifications

1. Minimum 5 GCSE’S (A*-C) or equivalent – Including Maths and English.
2. Evidence of a commitment to ongoing professional development
3. It is desirable for the postholder to have a valid driving licence

Reference Number: V550

Job Title: Communications Officer

Location: Remote with travel around the UK required   

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)

Salary: £30,000 

DBS/PVG: Basic 

Job Family: 4 

Line Manager: Head of Brand and Communications 

Closing Date:   12 August 2025

Start Date:        As soon as possible subject to notice periods  

Interview Dates: Week commencing 25 August 2025

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications 

Volunteering Matters  

Who we are
At Volunteering Matters, we believe people have the power to create change. Whether through volunteering by helping others and giving time, or through social action such as speaking up, campaigning, or leading change, everyone can make a difference. We bring people together to build stronger communities across England, Scotland and Wales, making sure everyone has the chance to get involved and create real change.

 What we do
We help people of all ages and backgrounds get involved in volunteering and social action. We focus on making sure that everyone, no matter their situation, has the chance to take part. We work with local people.

 How we do this

We support people to share their time and skills to help others and tackle big challenges in their communities.

· We remove barriers to volunteering and social action, making it easier for people who don’t always get the chance to take part.

· We listen to and amplify voices that aren’t always heard, helping volunteers and communities influence change.

· We help volunteers beyond their first experience, offering training, support, and pathways to new opportunities.

· We connect businesses with communities, creating meaningful employee volunteering projects.

· We show the impact of volunteering and social action, proving how it changes lives for the better.

 Our promise to volunteers

We are always looking for new ways for volunteers to make a difference. We bring people together across generations and backgrounds to learn from each other and create change. At the same time, we make sure that all our volunteers are trained, supported, and valued, so they feel confident in what they do.

It’s a brilliant time to join us. We’re evolving, growing our impact, and shaping a future where everyone can take part and feel they belong. We’re looking for a creative and people-centred Communications Officer.

About the role

We are looking for a creative and proactive Communications Officer to join our small but dynamic Brand and Communications Team. This role requires a basic DBS/PGV check. Our team plays a key role in supporting the work of Volunteering Matters across the UK, ensuring that the impact of our projects, staff, and volunteers is shared widely with both internal and external audiences. This role is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys storytelling, engaging with diverse audiences, and amplifying the voices of communities and volunteers. 

A core focus of this role will be getting to know the incredible work happening across the UK, collecting updates from our projects, and sharing these stories with key stakeholders. As part of our friendly team, you will also have a specific focus on supporting internal communications and content creation to ensure our messaging is clear, inspiring, and reflective of our mission. Our volunteers and the people we support are at the heart of everything we do, and we are looking for someone who shares our strong commitment to these values. A belief in the power of communities and a desire to champion volunteers of all ages and backgrounds is essential for this role. 

Key tasks include:

• Support the development and execution of a comprehensive internal communications strategy that drives colleague engagement and strengthens a unified organisational culture aligned with strategic objectives. 

• Develop and disseminate impactful, timely, and relevant internal communications content that resonates with colleagues across the organisation. 

• Provide operational and administrative support to the Brand and Communications Team to enhance our efficiency and reach. 

• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of internal communications efforts through rigorous analysis of feedback, metrics, and data insights, leveraging findings to refine and optimise strategies at a national level. 

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure all internal communications initiatives reflect and reinforce the organisation’s core values, mission, and strategic vision. 

• Provide guidance, training and support to various departments in crafting effective internal communications materials, ensuring consistency in tone, style and branding.

• Create inspiring and straightforward stories with a focus on powerful imagery and video content. 

• Work closely with communications colleagues in the #iWill Movement to champion youth social action.

About you
You’ll be a creative and thoughtful communicator who enjoys working collaboratively and is passionate about people’s stories. You’ll bring a strong visual eye, great interpersonal skills, and a commitment to ethical storytelling.

Our Values & Way of Working

In all that we are guided by our values: Empowering, Inclusive, Compassionate, Positive & Straightforward. 

Diversity & Inclusion

Volunteering Matters welcomes all applicants and are keen to ensure our team reflects the diversity of the UK and the communities we serve. We encourage applications from disabled, LGBT and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, along with candidates with any protected characteristics and from disadvantaged groups.

Disability Confident & Reasonable Adjustments

We guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the role. Please provide evidence in your application, which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required in the Job Description under skill and experience. To be considered for a guaranteed interview or to discuss any reasonable adjustments during the process, please state this in your cover letter. 

Benefits

Our employee benefits reflect our culture which is built on an approach of full flexibility with accountability, and designed to let you make your most positive contribution; we offer:· Flexible Working by Default (re hours & place of work) 

· Unlimited Annual Leave 

· Employee Pension scheme 

· Life Assurance 

· Cycle to Work Scheme 

· Season Ticket Loan 

· Employee Assistance Programme 

· Enhanced sick and family leave.

· Lifestyle Discount Scheme

We are also open to discussing job share applications.

GDPR Statement

If you apply for a role with us, we will retain your contact details including your name, address, email address and phone number to help us manage your application for up to six months.  We will not use your personal data for any other purpose or share it with any third party. You can contact us at any point to update your personal information or ask us to delete it from our records.

Policy on AI-Generated Applications 

Applications are accepted on trust, and we expect all submissions to reflect the applicant’s own words, experiences, and motivations. While tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) may support the application process, applications should not be generated wholly by AI. 

To Apply

Please send an updated, complete CV and cover letter via the Charity Job Apply button above. In your application clearly state which role you are applying for. In the cover letter please demonstrate how you would fulfil the role requirements, what previous relevant achievements you have (both in life and at work), what skills & experience you can offer, and what you believe you can contribute to Volunteering Matters.

Please note that all applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to progress applications that don’t meet this requirement.