Safeguarding manager jobs in letchworth garden city, england

The Head of Safeguarding is a senior leadership role within the organisation, responsible for driving safer cultures and safeguarding strategies across the organisation. 

You will serve as the organisation’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, working closely with the Chief Officer, Board of Trustees, and a dedicated Safeguarding Subcommittee.

You will lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of safeguarding and safe recruitment policies and practice across the organisation — supporting staff, volunteers, and members in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all, especially children, young people, and vulnerable individuals.You will also supervise our internal safeguarding practitioners and contribute to a culture of continuous learning and improvement by overseeing case reviews, leading appeals processes, and advising on training and the development learning tools and materials in relation to safeguarding policy and practice.

The Methodist Church is committed to ensuring its churches are safe spaces for all. We work hard to ensure compliance with legal requirements, develop good practice, provide effective training and give professional advice on individual cases.  We have an exciting opportunity to join our new safeguarding regional team operating in the north east region and take this forward supporting Methodist churches and work. The post holder will join a team of safeguarding officers who will carry specific responsibility for individual cases, undertake risk assessments, lead training and advise churches. The post will be aligned with specific Methodist districts and provide support to colleagues across the regional area requiring regular travel.

Hours of work: 24 hrs per week. (salary will be prorated to the hours worked)

The successful candidate will hold a relevant professional qualification, experience in child and/or adult protection or significant demonstrable relevant work experience.

Our Culture, Values and Benefits

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

We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), TOIL, flexi-leave and an on-site Wellbeing Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme with pensions matched up to 8%.

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

If you require reasonable adjustments to made at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact HR team.

Closing date:  28 August 2025

Interviews will take place on (in person): 10th September 2025

N.B. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible

The Methodist Church in Great Britain is seeking four part-time Regional Safeguarding Team Coordinators to join our dedicated Safeguarding Service.

Location: Home based (NW, NE, SW, SE) with occasional travel
Hours: Part time (17.5 hrs per week)

The role holders will provide efficient, effective and confidential administrative support and assistance across each of our four regional safeguarding teams.

Working as part of a collaborative service, each Team Coordinator will play a key role in enabling the regional safeguarding teams to deliver timely and professional advice, guidance and interventions to churches and church-based community projects and work across the regions.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Proficient time management and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Proven ability to manage highly confidential and sensitive information, in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements
• Confidence in using digital tools and software with the ability to adapt to new systems
• Emotional resilience to work with safeguarding related matters

This is a great opportunity to contribute to a vital area of Church life. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and especially encourage individuals with a personal understanding of the church context and its safeguarding responsibilities.

To apply please go to the Methodist Church's 'jobs and voluntering' webpage.

Closing date for applications is: Friday, 5 September 2025

Interviews will be held on:

RSTC in North West – Monday, 6 October 2025 in Manchester

RSTC in North East– Wednesday, 8 October 2025 in Leeds

RSTC in South West – Monday 29th September at The Mint, Exeter.

RSTC in South East – Friday 26th September at MCH in London.

ID: 1542 Operational Manager – Central (West Midlands Northamptonshire and sorrounds)

Service: Central Region

Salary: Grade 4 Point 34 – 38: £42,140 - £46,240 FTE per annum 

- Additionally, £480 home-based allowance FTE per annum

Location: Home based with travel to various locations across West Midlands Northamptonshire and surrounds

Hours: 37 hours per week (full time).

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

Contract: Permanent Contract

Family Action & the Role’s Impact:

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

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

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

We are seeking a highly skilled and dynamic manager to provide operational leadership for services in the Central region of England. You will have overall responsibility for the safe, high-quality, and financially sound delivery of services across the west Midlands and Northamptonshire.

You will bring proven experience in managing services for children, young people, and families with complex needs - such as neurodiversity, special needs and disabilities, and family support concerns. You will also have a strong track record in leading, managing, and developing staff teams while maintaining high service standards.

In this role, you will build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders in the region and contribute to the development and growth of Family Action’s services and strategic ambitions.

Family Action are forward looking, ambitious and have a commitment to continuous improvement and development. We are a people-focused, can-do organisation that strives for excellence in all we do, and operates with mutual respect. If you share these values and have the necessary skills we want we look forward to hearing from you.

At Family Action we transform lives by providing practical, emotional and financial support to those who are experiencing poverty, disadvantage and social isolation. We have been building stronger families since 1869 and today we work with more than 60,000 families in over 150 community based services, as well as supporting thousands more through national programmes and grants.

Responsibilities:

Leadership & Line Management

· Provide leadership and line management to service managers and project leads.

· Oversee recruitment, supervision, and staff development in line with Family Action policies.

· Foster a high-performance culture and provide operational cover when needed.

Financial Oversight

· Manage service budgets to ensure sustainability and value for money.

· Identify financial risks and contribute to business planning and service development.

Operational Delivery & Quality Assurance

· Ensure services meet strategic goals and comply with quality, safeguarding, and data standards.

· Lead on new service setup, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement.

· Embed service user participation and report Social Value outcomes.

Strategic Growth & Business Development

· Support regional strategy delivery and contribute to tenders and funding bids.

· Build partnerships, promote services, and help coordinate events to share best practice.

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

- Lead delivery of key projects and high-quality services.

- Manage teams, operations, and new service setups.

- Oversee and lead safeguarding and quality assurance within services

- Champion service user involvement and feedback.

- Monitor performance and drive continuous improvement.

- Balance operations with strategy

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

Benefits:

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

- up to 6% matched-pension contributions

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

- enhanced paid sick leave and paid family leave provisions

- eye care and winter flu jabs vouchers

- cycle to work scheme

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

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

To Apply:

· complete an application form on the Family Action portal

· Closing Date: Sunday 7th September 2025 at 23:59

Interviews - week commencing 15th September and 22nd September - dates to be confirmed.

For direct queries or if you would like to discuss any aspect of the selection process or flexible working requests, please email: Gabriel Hall (full address on advert document).

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

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

We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in all that we do and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Intersectionality is important to us and we particularly welcome applications from ethnically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates because we are committed to increasing the representation of these groups at Family Action. We know that greater diversity will lead to even greater results for families and children and strive for our workforce to be truly representative of the diverse communities we support. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role, and will reimburse your travel cost if you attend an interview.

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

Join Addiction Family Support

Addiction Family Support is the leading UK registered charity for people affected or bereaved by a loved one’s harmful use of alcohol, drugs, or gambling, supporting over 3,500 people each year.

The Role: Services Manager

As Services Manager at Addiction Family Support, you will coordinate the development and delivery of our core services – ensuring they run smoothly, meet high standards, and continue to evolve in response to the needs of the people we support.

You’ll line-manage our team of part-time Family Support Workers and work closely with staff and volunteers across our helpline, one-to-one and group services, and training provision. This is a flexible, part-time role (with potential to grow) for someone who’s confident supporting teams, shaping services, and working with care, clarity, and compassion.

Your responsibilities will span service coordination, team management, safeguarding, and helping us pilot new services – all with the aim of reaching more people affected or bereaved by a loved one’s harmful use of alcohol, drugs, or gambling.

This is a remote role with quarterly team meetings in London. You’ll need to be comfortable working independently while staying actively connected to our supportive and collaborative team.

Responsibilities:

• Line-manage our team of seven part-time Family Support Workers.

• Coordinate and support the day-to-day delivery of services across helpline, one-to-one and group support.

• Help develop, pilot, and evaluate new services to meet emerging needs.

• Support the development and implementation of key policies and procedures.

• Act as one of two Designated Safeguarding Leads (training provided if needed).

Join Our Team of Change-Makers

Are you ready to make a difference? We're on the lookout for vibrant, enthusiastic, proactive and collaborative individuals with the right skills and experience to become part of our incredible charity.

Be Part of Something Special

Our clients' continuous positive feedback speaks volumes about the impact of our work, and we take immense pride in it. Emilia Fox, one of our dedicated Patrons, stands with us in our mission.

Join an Award-Winning Journey

This is your chance to become part of an award-winning charity where every day is an opportunity to contribute to the greater good. If you're seeking a dynamic environment filled with compassionate individuals dedicated to creating positive change, we invite you to apply or reach out with any enquiries.

Join a dynamic, growing charity that inspires children in disadvantaged communities to grow, cook, and enjoy healthy food. We’re seeking an experienced Programme Manager and child-led educator to lead our national Food Discovery team, ensuring high-quality delivery, strategic growth, and strong advocacy for food education.

You’ll manage a dispersed team, oversee recruitment, training, budgeting, and evaluation, and build partnerships with schools, funders, and sector networks. The role demands excellent leadership, communication, and organisational skills, with the ability to travel nationally.

Requirements:

• Proven leadership and programme management experience, ideally in education, community engagement, or food education.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, health & safety, and working with primary school-aged children.
• Skilled communicator, relationship-builder, and advocate.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

About The Country Trust

The Country Trust believes every child should discover first-hand the connections between the food they eat, their own health and the health of the planet. We are the UK’s leading educational charity on a mission to connect children with the land that sustains us all.

When we don’t understand where food comes from, how it’s grown, or have the chance to spend time outdoors, there’s a significant knock-on effect for our health and the environment. Through nearly 50 years of programme delivery, we know children facing disadvantage often have the most to gain from this connection but are least able to access it.

Through food, farming and countryside experiences, our mission is to empower children to be confident, curious, and create change in their lives and the world around them — so that they and society thrive.

Job Title: Financial Reporting Manager
Location: Hybrid (or fully remote will also be considered)
Department: Finance
Reports to: Head of Finance
Job Type: Part-Time 3.5 days (26.25 hours per week)

All Nations Christian College has been leading the way in cross-cultural mission training for over 60 years. We provide a flexible undergraduate programme validated by The Open University, alongside specialist short courses and a well-established postgraduate programme for mission leaders. Based in the UK, Hertfordshire, we are an independent, evangelical, interdenominational Bible college welcoming students from all over the world. Our mission is to serve the global church by training disciples of Jesus Christ for mission in a multicultural world.
 

About the Role

We are seeking a diligent and faithful Finance Reporting Manager to join our team in stewarding the financial resources of the organisation. This role plays a key part in supporting the Head of Finance in ensuring financial integrity, compliance, and wise resource management in line with our Christian values and mission.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide full support to the Head of Finance, especially in the preparation of year-end annual statutory accounts for the College and Trading Company including the audit.
• Assist in producing monthly management accounts for the College and Trading Company.
• Support the preparation of the annual financial data return as required by the Office for Students.
• Supervise the management of cash flow to ensure financial sustainability and accountability.
• Assist with statutory and regulatory compliance, including Charity Commission annual returns, Corporation Tax, and ONS returns.
• Lead the budgeting and forecasting processes across all courses, ensuring each has a minimum viable number for financial planning.
• Produce detailed product-level profit and loss statements for all courses.
• Prepare financial reports for specific projects and funds, including fund accounting and pricing of courses.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting on cashflows, budgets, and forecasts.
• Contribute to regulatory and management reporting requirements.
• Regularly review budgets against actuals and update forecasts in collaboration with budget holders.
• Reconcile service contracts such as catering to ensure appropriate use of funds.
• Oversee the ledgers and follow up on debtor balances as necessary, ensuring good stewardship of resources.
• Proactive in continuous improvements across the finance function.
• Provide support and coaching to the Finance Assistant, encouraging their growth and development.
• Offer flexible support across the finance team, including assisting with payroll and VAT returns as needed.
• Provide cover for the Head of Finance when required.
• Provide cover for other roles in the Finance team.

Person Specification

Essential:

• Demonstrable experience in financial reporting and budgeting
• Knowledge of UK charity accounting and compliance regulations
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Proven ability to lead and support others within a finance team
• Competence in Excel and financial systems
• A commitment to the values and ethos of a Christian organisation

Desirable:

• Experience in the charity or education sector
• Understanding of Office for Students financial reporting
• Experience of project accounting
• A heart for service and a calling to support Christian ministry through financial stewardship

Benefits

· Salary of £39,930 pro rata per annum

· Employer pension contributions of 8%.  A salary sacrifice scheme option is also available.
 

· Life Assurance of three times salary 
 

· Employee Assistance Programme

· 30 days holiday per annum pro rata plus bank holidays (excluding the May bank holidays) plus the days the College is closed between Christmas and New Year.

· Free, freshly prepared lunch at the College on your working days if on site
 

Other Information

§  This role is located at our site in Ware, Hertfordshire (hybrid, or fully remote will also be considered).

§  It is a genuine requirement that the post holder is a committed Christian and fully supports the objectives of the college.

§  All Nations Christian College is committed to safeguarding adults at risk, and children from abuse and neglect. We expect all staff who work with us to share this commitment and staff will be required to be checked with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

§  If you have a disability and wish to request a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact HR.

§  Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week​

Location: Home based with frequent travel to projects in Leeds, Sheffield, Hull and Bradford.​

Contract: Permanent​

Want to work with multiple award-winning charity, FoodCycle? As Regional Manager you will represent, manage and co-ordinate your allocated regional Projects. Our Projects are spaces where volunteers are empowered to run community meals using surplus food.​

You will manage local relationships with venues, community partners, supermarkets and volunteer recruitment channels to enable this to happen. As an excellent communicator, you will manage the volunteers at each Project ensuring they are trained, supported and on-message with FoodCycle strategy, ensuring that volunteers are confident enough to self-organise and make a success of their Projects.​

You will have experience of programme planning, delivery and development including community led/owned programmes. You will also have experience of building relationships with a range of stakeholders and be passionate about food and cooking.​

There will be frequent travel to our projects in Yorkshire and The Humber, with some evening and weekend work needed to cover our projects. A full driving license and access to a vehicle for work purposes is essential for this rewarding role.​

Benefits: We offer 26.5 days holiday plus bank holidays, and additional holiday for length of service (pro-rata for part-time). Our healthcare package allows staff to claim money back on healthcare bills and includes access to telephone counselling and a GP helpline and private prescription service.​

How to apply:Please upload a CV of no more than two sides, and a covering note/letter of no more than two sides explaining why you are suitable for the role, via our vacancy website.​​

Deadline for your application: We will be shortlisting and interviewing for this post on an ongoing basis and the vacancy will close once we have found the successful candidate.Please apply as soon as possible if interested, and no later than 11.59pm on Sunday 31st August. ​

Inclusivity: FoodCycle is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We are a Disability Confident Scheme member. Please email our Jobs inbox if you require assistance or adjustments when applying.​

Safeguarding: Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – FoodCycle is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare / wellbeing of children, young people and adults at risk. This role will therefore require a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check.​

Please note that you will need to have existing Right to Work in the UK to apply for this role. We are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Job Title:  Paediatric Occupational Therapist 

Location:  Watford and Hemel Hempstead 

Salary: Banding depending on experience, with pension option. 

DBS checks are required.

Job Type: Permanent - 15 hours a week on Monday and Fridays, 11 weeks per Hertfordshire term

About us: 

Playskill is an award-winning specialist early intervention charity supporting pre-school children with physical disabilities and delays, and their families, in Hertfordshire. We are the only charity providing this type of support, free of charge, in the county.

Since 2006, our highly qualified and experienced team has supported over 440 physically disabled children and their families to access specialist therapy, advice and support, with the end goal of supporting the children to reach personal development milestones and to achieve better life outcomes. 

About the role: 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Paediatric Occupational Therapist to join and work in a multidisciplinary team alongside a Physiotherapist and Speech and Language Therapist, family support and specialist workers, and the families/carers of the children. 

Skills and Experience Required: 

• Qualified Occupational Therapist

• Relevant experience in the assessment and treatment of children with a physical disability 

• Clear understanding of current legislation regarding safeguarding of children 

• Knowledge of GDPR legislation to ensure clear understanding of confidentiality and the need for data protection 

• IT literate 

• Good communication, empathy, numeracy, and administrative skills 

Diversity statement:  

Playskill is an equal opportunities employer and has a high number of team with caring responsibilities and is keen to encourage applicants from a diverse number of backgrounds. 

Safeguarding statement: 

Playskill is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment. Playskill has a full safeguarding policy and expects all staff to undergo safeguarding training.

Interview date: TBC

Interview location: Hemel Hempstead

Reg Charity no 1198233 (formerly 1122745). Funded by The National Lottery Community Fund. 

Are you a focused leader with a passion for retail and commitment to making a difference? Barnardo's is looking for a motivated and experienced Area Business Manager to lead our retail teams across Northern Ireland, driving income that directly supports vulnerable children and young people across the UK. 

The role is full time (36.25 hours per week) permanent and home based with regular visits to stores across Northern Ireland. The ideal candidate should live within this area or a commutable distance. 

At Barnardo's, we believe in children – and every sale in our stores helps fund vital services that transform lives. This is your opportunity to lead with purpose while making a real impact. 

What You'll Be Doing: 

As Area Business Manager, you'll be responsible for the overall performance of a portfolio of retail stores. Your focus will be on: 

• Maximising sales, profit and income through strategic store management 
• Requirements to visit stores on a regular basis 
• Leading and inspiring store managers to deliver exceptional customer service and strong commercial results 
• Ensuring consistent operational standards across all locations 
• Managing budgets, KPIs, staffing, merchandising and compliance 
• Identifying opportunities to improve performance, grow revenue, and optimise the retail estate 

Previous multi-site retail experience is essential and an understanding of the charity sector preferable but not essential.

Generating the money we need to make children's lives better is a truly fulfilling role so if you'd like to use your talent to make a positive difference then we would love to hear from you! 

The full Job description and Person profile is available below. Please read this before applying to ensure that the job matches your skills and experience. 

 *As part of Barnardo's ongoing commitment to safeguarding, our retail recruitment process requires that successful candidates are asked to consent to a Basic criminal records check. 

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

The United Bible Societies (UBS) is on a mission to make the Bible accessible to everyone, everywhere. Through our International Support Programme (ISP), we invest over $30 million annually in more than 1,000 Bible ministry projects across 140 countries. At the heart of this mission is Solomon - our grant management system that supports this global programme.

We are now looking for a visionary Grant Management Systems Lead to take ownership of Solomon, providing strategic leadership and managing its development. You will be the essential link between our technical partners and our worldwide user base, helping to shape the future of how we manage, develop, and grow this vital system. You will:

• Lead the strategy and roadmap for Solomon’s development.
• Act as a bridge between users and developers to translate needs into technical solutions and manage our outsourced technical team.
• Drive continuous improvement in user experience, data structures, and integration with other systems.
• Ensure compliance with data protection, safeguarding, and accessibility standards.
• Train users and support change through thoughtful engagement and communication.

We are looking for someone with:

• A strong foundation in product or systems management, ideally in a complex user-facing environment. 
• Experience in a grant-making or donor-funded context.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

• A collaborative spirit, curiosity, and with a drive for continuous improvement.
• The ability to work comfortably across cultures and with remote teams.

We're looking for an organised, compassionate and resilient Deputy Manager to join our Learning Disabilities service in Hertfordshire

£34,000.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? You'll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

Our benefits include:

Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
Free DBS
Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
Fully paid induction programme and further training
ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
Cycle to work scheme
Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
Online wellbeing resources
A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution

All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

For a full job description, please visit our website.

Wood Lane End is a specialist supported living service designed for individuals with learning disabilities and Autism, particularly those with complex needs and behaviours that challenge. The service is structured around a single-customer model, meaning the home is tailored to one individual, ensuring highly personalised care and support. Staff are trained in Positive Behavioural Support (PBS) and Autism-specific approaches to ensure the customer's emotional and physical wellbeing is prioritised at all times. As Deputy Manager, you'll support the Area Service Manager in overseeing service delivery, safeguarding, and staff supervision. You'll be a key figure in shaping a stable, nurturing environment where the customer can thrive.

At Look Ahead, co-production is central to our approach. We are committed to collaborating closely with our customers to shape the support they receive. We invited B to develop a job advertisement for their new deputy service manager, and this is what they shared:

"Hi, I'm B, I'm a 56 years old woman, I have a learning disability and autism, and I live in my own house in Hertfordshire.

I'm looking for caring and passionate individual to support me with my daily living skills but also to help me develop skills to live more independently, to share my hobbies and interests and to explore new ones.

I need support to adapt to new environments and to develop trust in my carers, also support to make safe use of my home.

I love the sun and warm weather. I benefit from a Positive Behaviour Support approach as I may hurt myself or others when I'm upset, and I can damage my property.

I am looking for someone who can support me and my support team in doing the things I most enjoy.

If you would like the opportunity to support me, please apply!"

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

Can you inspire and be inspired? Can you deliver great customer service? Are you looking for a chance to shine? We have fantastic opportunities for progression and development and the Freedom to nurture ideas and flair within a Framework of support to develop you.

At Barnardo's we believe in children, the funds we raise in store support the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK and now's your chance to play your part in this vital work. As well as maximising sales and profit in store you'll also ensure the very highest standards of presentation and customer services – your aim will be to make your store the best in town, for customers to visit and for your colleagues to work in.

You're an experienced people manager; you are creative and resourceful and can use this to generate customer, donor and colleague loyalty. You'll need to be well organised with great communication skills to lead your team of colleagues in store to maximise sales and profit and meet your stores targets.

In return you will work for one of the UK's largest charity retailers with benefits, including full training and development package, promotion prospects, pension and benefits.

Generating the money we need to make children's lives better is a truly fulfilling role so if you'd like to use your talent to make a positive difference then we would love to hear from you!

The full Job description and Person profile is available below. Please read this before applying to ensure that the job matches your skills and experience.

* As part of Barnardo's ongoing commitment to safeguarding, our retail recruitment process requires that successful candidates are asked to consent to a Basic criminal records check.

Interview Date: Where an interview date has been given in the advert, this will be the only date available. Please check this before proceeding with your application.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

Join a small commercial team with big ambitions for the public library sector.  We see libraries as part of the solution for some of the biggest challenges in society, and one of the ways we want to bring the reach and strength of the library sector into these discussions is through contracted delivery of national services through the local library networks. 

We are seeking a Business Development Manager to help us realise our plans to secure a menu of commercial contracts that all of our 175+ member library services can choose to benefit from, according to the skills and assets of their service, their focus and strategy and of course the needs of their communities.

This is a great opportunity to be part of a bold vision of community driven social change with public libraries - and the communities they serve - at the core. 

Our Commercial Team

Currently we hold a single commercial contract worth around £3m per year delivered through 12 libraries. Our aim is to reach a point where we have a menu of commercial contracts that all of our 175+ member library services can choose to benefit from according to the skills and assets of their service, their focus and strategy and of course the needs of their communities.

In the current funding climate for local authorities and local government services, these contracts are not just about the income and the services they can provide, but about demonstrating nationally the power of the library sector, and how national services can be delivered locally through library services and the communities they serve.

This is a long term aim of ours – we are seeking to build the commercial team with this role and while it is initially a 12 month contract, our hope is that with the role in place we can generate the income to sustain and build on it.

Main purpose of role: 

• Support the delivery of commercial projects across the library sector
• Lead the bidding process for new contracts and services
• Manage the mobilisation and setup of contracts and services
• Manage the ongoing delivery of commercial contracts and services including management reporting and contract / service optimisation to increase benefit to the libraries and sector
• Support the development of commercial skills and capacity across the library sector
• Contribute to the growing commercial awareness and understanding within the organisation, its partners and its members.

Please see the attached job description for a full description of the role, including person specification. 

Frequent travel within the UK will be required for the role.

About Libraries Connected 

We are an independent charity that supports, promotes and represents public libraries. Our work is driven and led by our membership, which includes almost every library service in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man).  

Across the areas we serve there are 176 individual library services with around 3,000 library branches serving over 61 million people. 

Our unique approach is to bring these services together to share experience, expertise and evidence – driving innovation and impact across the public library sector.

While senior library leaders sit on our board and committees, we work with library staff at all levels.

As well as providing practical support, training and advice to libraries, we represent them to government and raise their profile in the media. We also develop and lead national library projects with cultural, academic and corporate partners.  

We work to a strategic plan that runs until 2027, organised around four themes: drive, grow, connect and engage.  

We generate income from membership subscriptions, commissioned services, events and grants. As an Arts Council Investment Principle Support Organisation, part of our core funding in England comes from the Arts Council to help embed their Investment Principles across the library network.   

Our values 

• We are supportive. We respond to the varied, emerging needs of our members and their communities to enable libraries to learn from each other, and other sector leaders, so that they can safeguard and improve their services.  

• We are inclusive. We work with our members and partners to design and deliver our work and to determine our strategic priorities because we are committed to representing the diverse communities and libraries which we serve.  

• We are open. We are in constant communication with our members and partners on all levels to learn from their experiences, reflect on our practice and develop our services. We welcome challenge and new directions for our work.  

• We are ambitious. We believe that libraries are an essential part of the solution to a range of society’s needs. We promote innovation and collaboration to ensure that libraries are recognised locally and nationally.  

Working at Libraries Connected 

We are a friendly, collaborative team of around 20 staff based all around England and Wales. 

We value diversity and are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment. We strongly believe that inclusive and diverse organisations are not only better places to work, they are more innovative, make better decisions and are more successful. We value people who bring unique perspectives and knowledge to our team. 

We want to make our recruitment process as fair as possible. To reduce bias, we shortlist candidates based on their responses to up to six application questions. These are designed to tell us about your values, experience, attitudes to work, and transferable skills. We do not ask for a separate cover letter or supporting statement. 

We offer flexible working as standard, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities. Many of our staff work their hours in different ways, including flexi time and compressed hours. We are open to discussing what would work for you and be possible for the role. 

All roles are remote and are open to applicants who live anywhere in the UK. We provide staff with a home office set-up including laptop, monitor and phone. There is the option to work from our central London office or use a co-working space if it is not possible to work from home. 

We welcome requests for adjustments to our standard recruitment processes for anyone who needs them.