Senior advice worker jobs in Birmingham
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Context:
Kinship provides direct support to, raises awareness of and campaigns for the rights of kinship carers across the UK. Kinship carers are navigating complex family relationships, trauma, poverty, discrimination. The children that they care for have frequently experienced abuse or are at risk of harm. Safeguarding concerns can be disclosed by kinship carers at all contact points with Kinship.
Safeguarding children and adults at risk of abuse or neglect is a collective responsibility and requires a safeguarding approach that is aligned to statutory frameworks, is professional, consistent, trauma-informed and proportionate to level of risk.
The designated safeguarding officer holds organisational responsibility for Kinship’s safeguarding framework and actions. The role works collaboratively with a team including a Safeguarding Trustee and a group of Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads drawn from key service areas across the charity.
The role provides expertise, professional guidance and clear direction across the organisation, supporting staff and volunteers to make sound safeguarding decisions within a framework.
Purpose of the role:
The Designated Safeguarding Manager works closely with all teams across Kinship to embed proactive, person-centred, and partnership-driven safeguarding practice to protect children and adults at risk of harm.
The role provides professional oversight to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads through individual and group reflective practice and supports high-quality and defensible safeguarding decision-making. The role drives contextual safeguarding approaches, promote professional curiosity, continual professional development and ensures safeguarding responses are informed by lived experience and the realities of kinship care.
At Kinship safeguarding concerns come from risks of harm to adults and children often with risks of harm to multiple people in the same family context.
This requires careful, trauma-informed decision-making and support for staff responding to complex safeguarding situations.
How the role works:
Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the Designated Safeguarding Manager holds responsibility for safeguarding practice across the organisation and provides expert oversight and organisational assurance ensuring safeguarding is embedded consistently, proportionately and in line with best practice.
This role will require flexibility for occasional travel in England and Wales.
Key responsibilities:
Organisational safeguarding accountability and assurance
- Act as Kinship’s Designated Safeguarding Officer, holding organisational authority for safeguarding decision-making and escalation.
- Hold organisational accountability for safeguarding practice, ensuring responsibilities are well defined, understood and embedded across the organisation.
- Maintain and assure a robust safeguarding framework, including defined roles, escalation routes, decision-making thresholds and accountability arrangements and balance safeguarding rigour with compassion and proportionality.
- Provide safeguarding oversight and assurance during service development, mobilisation and organisational change to ensure risks are identified, assessed and mitigated.
Trauma-informed safeguarding practice and oversight
- Embed trauma-informed safeguarding practice, ensuring all decisions, interventions, and organisational processes:
- Recognise the impact of past and ongoing trauma on children, kinship carers, and families.
- Prioritise emotional and psychological safety while balancing protection, autonomy, and empowerment.
- Integrate trauma-awareness into risk assessments, safety planning, case management, policies, and service design.
- Support staff through reflective supervision, guidance, and training to respond effectively.
- Provide professional oversight and reflective practice support to Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.
- Provide expert safeguarding advice and consultation to staff and managers, supporting the assessment of concerns, threshold decisions, appropriate escalation, and proportionate, trauma-informed decision-making.
- Quality-assure safeguarding practice and decision-making to ensure actions are proportionate, person-centred, trauma-informed, and defensible.
- Maintain appropriate oversight of safeguarding records, risk assessments, and safety planning.
Policy, compliance and organisational assurance
- Develop, review and maintain safeguarding policies, procedures and guidance in line with legislation, statutory guidance and Charity Commission expectations.
- Ensure safeguarding systems, processes and recording arrangements are robust, accessible and consistently applied.
- Provide regular safeguarding assurance, analysis and learning reports to senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.
Culture, capability and continuous improvement
- Embed trauma-informed, contextual and culturally responsive safeguarding practice across the organisation.
- Promote professional curiosity and reflective practice, supporting staff to exercise sound professional judgement and avoid overly procedural responses.
- Design and deliver safeguarding training and guidance for staff and volunteers, building organisational capability and confidence.
- Lead learning reviews following safeguarding incidents or near misses, ensuring learning informs service and practice improvement.
Equity, inclusion and anti-racist safeguarding
- Ensure safeguarding practice actively considers how race, ethnicity, racism and intersecting inequalities shape risk, vulnerability and access to support.
- Support teams to identify and challenge bias and assumptions through reflective practice, supervision and learning.
- Embed equity, inclusion and anti-racist principles within safeguarding frameworks, policies, training and quality assurance processes.
Partnership working and external accountability
- Work collaboratively with statutory partners and external agencies to support effective safeguarding responses.
- Represent Kinship in multi-agency safeguarding forums, reviews or regulatory engagement as required.
Experience (Essential)
- Significant experience in adult and child safeguarding practice, including oversight of complex, high-risk, and multi-agency safeguarding situations.
- Experience providing professional oversight, reflective supervision, and structured learning support to safeguarding practitioners or leads, without direct line management responsibility.
- Experience embedding contextual safeguarding approaches and promoting professional curiosity in decision-making.
- Experience of working confidently with complexity, challenging constructively and supporting teams to do the right thing in difficult situations.
- Experience developing, reviewing, and embedding safeguarding policies, procedures, training, and learning frameworks.
- Substantial experience working with dispersed or multi-disciplinary teams, supporting wellbeing, professional development, and reflective practice.
- Experience working in voluntary sector, community-based, or service delivery organisations, particularly where safeguarding concerns arise through multiple routes.
Knowledge (Essential)
- Strong working knowledge of adult and child safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance, and recognised safeguarding frameworks, with the ability to apply them proportionately in practice.
- Up-to-date knowledge of children’s and adult social care systems.
- Understanding of trauma-informed, strengths-based practice in work with adults, children, and families.
- Awareness of how racism, inequality, and structural disadvantage can increase risk and shape safeguarding experiences, particularly for Black and minoritised communities.
- Understanding of organisational safeguarding governance, including accountability, assurance, escalation, and risk management.
- Knowledge of safeguarding responsibilities within the voluntary and community sector, including Charity Commission expectations, trustee duties, and regulatory requirements
Skills and abilities (Essential)
- Strong professional judgement, with confidence in making and defending complex safeguarding decisions.
- Calm, credible, and reflective approach in ambiguous or high-pressure situations.
- Ability to support and challenge colleagues constructively through reflective discussion, learning, and coaching rather than directive management.
- Clear, compassionate, and adaptable communicator, able to translate safeguarding complexity for diverse audiences, including operational and service delivery teams.
- Highly organised, able to manage multiple safeguarding priorities while maintaining attention to detail.
- Ability to work collaboratively across wide-ranging professional teams and external partners.
- Values-led, with a demonstrable commitment to equity, inclusion, anti-racist practice, and culturally responsive safeguarding.
Qualifications (Essential)
- Relevant professional qualification (e.g. social work, health, or related field), or equivalent professional experience.
- Evidence of ongoing professional development in safeguarding children and adults.
- Permission to work in the UK.
Attributes and general characteristics (Essential)
- Commitment to the values, aims, and objectives of Kinship.
- Respectful, empathetic approach to working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Flexible and willing to travel across England as required.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
Desirable
- Lived experience of kinship care.
- Experience using Salesforce, Asana, Notion, and/or general AI tools for case management, project management, or documentation.
- Experience in innovation and continuous improvement within safeguarding practice or organisational culture.
How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Designated Safeguarding Manager by sending a tailored CV and responding to these 5 questions below in the online application process. Please read the guidance notes in the job pack.
Closing date is 9am on Mon 2 March, with a first interview (30 mins online) that week and a second interview in person on Tues 10 March 2026.
For all questions, please provide a maximum of 250 words per answer.
1.Alignment with Kinship: Why do you want to work for Kinship, and why does this Safeguarding Manager (Designated Safeguarding Lead) role matter to you at this point in your career? Please refer to Kinship’s work and services in your answer, and explain what specifically about this role you are drawn to.
2.Trauma informed practice: Describe a specific example where you have led or overseen a safeguarding concern using a trauma-informed approach.
3. Contextual safeguarding and professional curiosity: Tell us about a time you applied contextual safeguarding or professional curiosity to a situation where the initial concern did not tell the full story. What did you notice, what questions did you ask, and how did this change the safeguarding response?
4. Reflective practice and supporting others: Give an example of how you have supported others to improve safeguarding decision-making through reflective practice (for example group reflection or one-to-one discussion). What was the issue and what changed?
5. Equity, racism and safeguarding: Describe a situation where race, ethnicity or structural inequality affected safeguarding risk or decision-making. How did you recognise this and what did you do to ensure a fair and proportionate response?
What we offer you:
- Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
- 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
- Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
- Charity Worker Discounts.
Read the guidance notes in the job pack.
Make sure you’ve read the job description and the essential requirements – make sure your application reflects those points in the requirements very clearly.
Tell us why you want to work for Kinship. We’re interested in working with people who share our values. You can read about our values above.
Keep your response clear – use bullets points and short paragraphs if that helps. It will help the recruitment team to focus on your knowledge, skills and experience.
We know people might use AI – however make sure the answers reflect you and who you are and your experience. So many applications are the same because they’re using AI. Make sure you stand out.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We support kinship carers in their homes and communities, giving advice and helping them work through problems to find the best way forward.
Thank you!
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Submit your application as normal and our system will anonymise it for you. Your personal information will be hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
About the Programmes Officer role:
This is your chance to sit at the heart of a pioneering national programme that could reshape how kinship families are supported across England.
As Programmes Officer, you’ll be part of the operational engine behind a complex, high-profile feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) – keeping delivery tight, evidence strong and nothing falling through the cracks. If you thrive on pace, precision and being the person who quietly makes big things happen, this might be the role for you.
Kinship is undertaking a major feasibility RCT of Kinship Connected, a Kinship Navigator Programmes.
This is a complex, multi-partner programme involving funders, independent evaluators, local authorities, internal delivery teams and kinship carers with lived experience.
The Programmes Officer plays a critical role in ensuring the programme runs smoothly day to day. This is a technically demanding, detail-heavy role requiring excellent administration, strong initiative and the ability to anticipate what is needed next.
The Programmes Officer works closely and day-to-day with the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager and is a key part of the core delivery spine of the Kinship Navigator feasibility RCT.
The role provides structured operational, administrative and coordination support that enables the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager to maintain oversight of timelines, risks, dependencies and delivery quality.
This role requires someone who is comfortable working at pace, highly responsive to direction, and able to anticipate what the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager will need next in order to keep the programme running smoothly and evidence-ready.
Please note - we are looking for people who can start immediately ideally. This is due to the nature of the mobilisation and delivery timescales.
Purpose of the role:
To support the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager in mobilising and delivering the Kinship Navigator feasibility RCT through exceptional administration, proactive coordination and anticipatory problem-solving.
You will act as a trusted operational support, ensuring systems, data, documentation and local engagement activity are accurate, well organised and up to date, allowing the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager to focus on delivery oversight, risk management and external accountability.
Key responsibilities:
Programme delivery and coordination
- Support mobilisation activities across all workstreams, ensuring actions, documentation and timelines are tracked and followed up.
- Maintain delivery plans, action logs and trackers using Asana.
- Support coordination of onboarding activities with local authorities and internal teams.
- Ensure all operational documents are version-controlled, accessible and kept up to date.
- Flag emerging issues, risks or capacity pressures early, with clear evidence.
Local authority engagement and ecosystem mapping
- Coordinate local engagement activity across participating local authorities, including planning, logistics and follow-up for local events.
- Map each local authority’s kinship care ecosystem, including statutory services, voluntary and community organisations, referral pathways and gaps in provision.
- Maintain accurate, up-to-date local authority profiles and ecosystem maps.
- Ensure local intelligence is captured consistently and stored accessibly using agreed systems (e.g. Notion).
Outreach and local marketing support
- Support outreach and engagement activity by helping develop programme-specific marketing and engagement materials, working with the Marketing and Communications team to ensure alignment with Kinship’s brand and messaging.
- Adapt and manage local collateral for each participating local authority, ensuring materials are accurate, up to date and easy to use.
- Maintain clear version control and accessible storage of outreach materials, incorporating feedback from local partners where appropriate.
- Use Canva, Padlet and other agreed tools to adapt and produce local materials for events, Communities of Practice and local authority engagement.
Communities of Practice support
- Provide operational support to the Head of Programmes in coordinating Communities of Practice in each participating local authority.
- Support scheduling, logistics, materials and follow-up actions.
- Capture learning, actions and insights clearly and consistently.
- Support translation of local learning into insight for programme improvement and future scale-up.
Administrative excellence and anticipation
- Deliver a consistently high standard of administration across the programme.
- Maintain clear, structured and accurate records across all systems.
- Anticipate upcoming needs, deadlines and risks, taking initiative to address them early.
- Proactively prepare information, materials and updates without needing to be prompted.
- Act as a reliable operational anchor, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
- Anticipate the information, updates and preparation the Mobilisation and Delivery Project Manager will need to manage delivery effectively.
Data, systems and technical delivery
- Maintain accurate and timely data entry across Salesforce and related systems.
- Support data quality checks and evaluator requirements.
- Use Asana, Salesforce, Notion and Canva confidently and fluently.
- Support documentation, manualisation and knowledge management.
- Ensure systems are used consistently and to a high technical standard.
Coordination, reporting and communications
- Coordinate meetings, agendas, notes and follow-up actions.
- Support preparation of dashboards, updates and reports.
- Ensure information is shared clearly, accurately and on time.
How to apply:
Please apply for the role of Programmes Officer by sending a tailored CV and responding to these 4 questions below in the online application process. Please read the guidance notes in the job pack.
Closing date is 9.30am on Weds 4 March, with interview in person on Tues 10 March 2026.
1. Alignment to Kinship and the role: Why do you want to work for Kinship? And what can you bring to this role (think about the job specification)
2. Programme coordination and administration: Tell us about a time you supported the delivery of a complex programme or project. What were your specific responsibilities, and how did you keep work organised and on track?
3. Initiative: Describe a time when you spotted a potential issue, gap or risk before it became a problem. What did you notice, what action did you take, and what was the outcome?
4. Digital systems and learning new tools: Give an example of a time you had to learn a new digital system or tool quickly to support delivery. What was the context, how did you learn it, and how did you use it in practice?
What we offer you:
- Flexible working - we understand how important it is to balance family and work life.
- 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays (1 April to 31 March) pro rata (3 to be taken at Christmas shutdown)
- Employee Assistance Programme (24/7 confidential advice line and counselling)
- Charity Worker Discounts.
Some tips for your application:
Read the guidance notes in the job pack.
Make sure you’ve read the job description and the essential requirements – make sure your application reflects those points in the requirements very clearly.
Tell us why you want to work for Kinship. We’re interested in working with people who share our values. You can read about our values above.
Keep your response clear – use bullets points and short paragraphs if that helps. It will help the recruitment team to focus on your knowledge, skills and experience.
We know people might use AI – however make sure the answers reflect you and who you are and your experience. So many applications are the same because they’re using AI. Make sure you stand out.
Registered Charity
21 - 50
We support kinship carers in their homes and communities, giving advice and helping them work through problems to find the best way forward.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Since 1899, Birmingham Settlement has been working to create opportunity and choice – connecting and empowering people through action, activities, and shared learning to build and sustain wellbeing for all.
Senior Community Action Worker
Salary: £30k per annum
35 hours per week (flexible)
25 days A/L pro rata + contributory pension scheme
Birmingham Settlement is recruiting a Senior Community Action Worker to help us grow and offer more to the communities and people we serve. Mainly based at our Sports & Community Centre (SCC), the role will help to develop, lead and manage activities that support individual and community leadership, voice and engagement in line with individual, community, and funder needs.
The role will focus on the overall management and development of the Settlement’s Sports & Community Centre to encourage active living, offering a diverse range of opportunities and learning activities to encourage physical health and wellbeing including partnerships and greater use of site facilities – the sports pitch, the gym, halls and large outside space as detailed in the job description.
An open mind, adaptability and a willingness to work flexibly along with excellent customer care skills are standard requirements that we must all always adhere to.
For an informal discussion about the role call Alex Howell.
For an application pack visit our website or email us or write to Human Resources, Birmingham Settlement Sports & Community Centre, 600 Kingstanding Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, B44 9SH
Closing date: 5pm Thursday 26th February 2026
Interviews: Friday 6th March 2026
Birmingham Settlement is committed to Equality of Opportunity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Registered charity number 517303
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Senior Support Worker is the lead practitioner within their designated intensive support domestic abuse refuge, providing day-to-day operational oversight and support to staff, volunteers and bank staff.
Working closely with the Refuge Manager and Deputy Refuge Manager, the postholder ensures the consistent delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed support to women and children fleeing domestic abuse. The role acts as the main point of continuity within the refuge, supporting staff induction, maintaining standards of practice, and contributing to a safe, stable and supportive environment.
Why work for us?
Pathway Project is an inspiring place to be, we are a charity with big ambitions and huge energy.
We have a bold new strategy and a passion for excellence in service delivery with an eye on growth.
Supported by a driven and energetic board of trustees the new Chief Executive is leading Pathway Project through their ambitious plans.
It’s a really fantastic time to join our amazing charity as we move into the next phase of our exciting journey.
We are a flexible and supportive employer, committed to the personal and professional development and wellbeing of our employees. We welcome applications from women with lived experience of domestic abuse and from minority or under-represented groups.
We offer the following benefits:
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25 days paid leave plus statutory holidays (pro rata)
-
A competitive pension scheme
-
Employee Assistance Programme delivered by Health Assured which offers incredible support to staff and their families
We value our colleagues and are constantly reviewing our policies and practice, looking for ways in which we can better demonstrate this. We also recognise the potential impact of working in this field and provide clinical supervision to all of our employees, whatever their role.
About Pathway Project
We are a domestic and sexual abuse service based in Lichfield & Tamworth, Staffordshire.
We offer a range of support services and run two refuges in confidential locations.
We have been operating for over 30 years helping adults and children overcome domestic abuse, and to build a future where they live in safety and are free from fear.
Since our founder, Kathy Coe MBE, created Pathway Project, we have helped over 25,000 people, with 5,814 hours of support provided in the last year.
We offer a wide range of services, including adult and children outreach and community support, mental health, wellbeing and financial advice.
We support the relatives of those who have experienced domestic and sexual violence and offer specialist counselling, advocacy and care to all who need us.
Pathway Project believes in working as a cohesive team and are service user led.
Our helpline is access to all and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
** Please ntoe we may close this application early if we receive sufficient applications**
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Chief Executive - Help & Care
Location: Home-based within easy reach of Dorset (regular travel across the region)
Salary: circa £85,000 per annum
Contract: permanent, either full-time basis (37 hours per week) or part-time (30 hours per week). We are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements for part-time hours, including how these are worked across the working week.
Are you an innovative leader who will put communities and social justice at the heart of transforming how health and social care is delivered in Dorset and the south of England?
Help & Care has been supporting communities across Dorset and the south coast since 1985. We deliver person-centred services that promote dignity, independence and connection - from dementia coordination and health coaching to our award-winning Roots gardening programme and social prescribing partnerships. Working with over 25 partners across health, housing and the voluntary sector, we co-produce services that make a real difference to older people, those with long-term conditions, carers and people at risk of isolation.
As our new Chief Executive, you will collaborate with a dedicated Board and a strong, highly motivated team focusing on the following key areas of responsibility:
- Strategic leadership: Define an ambitious, values-led strategy and deliver it, securing long-term impact alongside sustainable financial growth.
- Values leadership: Place Help & Care’s values - social justice, innovation, personal and collaborative - at the heart of decision-making and model them through visible leadership.
- Growth & income diversification: Lead business development to diversify income streams, winning commissioned contracts and developing social-enterprise opportunities to reduce reliance on public commissioning.
- Partnerships & advocacy: Strengthen and sustain senior-level relationships across the NHS, local authorities, commissioners and the voluntary sector; represent Help & Care across systems, media and stakeholder networks.
- Service quality & impact: Embed rigorous monitoring and evaluation so outcome evidence drives commissioning decisions, improves financial performance and enhances the organisation’s reputation.
- People leadership: Inspire, retain and develop a high-performing, compassionate leadership team and workforce, focused on talent development, wellbeing and accountability.
- Governance & financial stewardship: Provide the Board with timely, high-quality reporting, oversee financial recovery or sustainability plans as required, and ensure robust risk, compliance and governance arrangements.
Who you are:
- An experienced CEO or senior director from complex, multi-service health, social care or community organisations, with experience of developing and delivering multi-agency contracts.
- Proven track record of securing commissioned contracts, leading tendering and contract oversight, and developing income diversification, including social-enterprise opportunities.
- Comfortable driving strategic transformation and financial sustainability, with demonstrable expertise in strategic financial management.
- A values-led, collaborative and visible leader with high emotional intelligence and resilience, committed to social justice, person-centred practice and co-production; an effective public representative and mentor.
Why Help & Care?
- Lead a highly respected regional provider with an outstanding track record of co-production and innovation.
- Shape an organisation poised for growth and greater regional influence.
- Hybrid, home-based working, regular travel across Dorset, and the chance to safeguard vital services for local communities.
For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill via apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence
Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 23rd February 2026. Interviews and assessments on 3rd, 4th and 5th March.
As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.
