Senior community development worker jobs

Do you want to contribute to bringing hope across London? 

Our vision is to bring hope to every one of our patients across London, when they need us most, where they need us most. When patients in London suffer life-threatening traumatic injury, only our teams can provide them with the help they need, performing innovative medical procedures to save lives. 

This role supports the day-to-day facilities, administration and reception tasks across our busy central London office. You will become a key figure in ensuring a smooth and efficient office is maintained at all times. 

London’s Air Ambulance Charity continues to develop a supportive and enabling environment that gets the best out of our people. We promote a culture of progression and professional advancement offering a range of learning and development opportunities. In addition, we offer flexible working options, wellbeing packages and family friendly employment policies. 

Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.  

• Salary: £54,281 FTE (Outside London); £58,195 FTE (London)
• Hours: 35
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Location: Homebased with some travel
• Closing Date: 3 June 2025
• Interview Dates: 12 & 13 June 2025

Change lives in a life-changing career

When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.

The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer. We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.

We challenge the systems and policies that surround children and young people, we highlight gaps and campaign for change. Because we know what a better future could look like. And we know what we need to do to make that future a reality. We need to push harder, reach further and work smarter. And we need the right people on our team to help us get there. People like you.

About the role

At Young Lives vs Cancer, we have our own unique role to play in reaching the North Star. We know our strengths and where we can have the most impact to best support children and young people with cancer. Within our new strategy ‘The Time is Now’ we set out four strategic ambitions, the first stating we will continue to be a major service delivery provider: offering high quality, impactful services. We are proud to lead the way in delivering high-level, psychosocial support and accommodation services throughout cancer treatment, end-of-life, and bereavement and we want to ensure our investment in this area is optimised to make sure we always provide the tailored support that children, young people and families need and that our services remain relevant.

You will be joining an established operational leadership team who are committed to continuous service improvement. Service Managers play a key leadership role in the management and development of a region, which is made up of three social work teams located alongside Principal Treatment Centres which are Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield. Your responsibilities will include delivering service standards, and compliance. You will interface with NHS stakeholder colleagues to promote effective governance and multi-disciplinary relationships with a focus on smooth referral pathways. The team meets weekly to discuss management of the overall service-this effectively allows all team members to play an active role. In addition, to your designated region you will have a lead area of responsibility-this will be Deputy Safeguarding Lead. This role works closely with the Head of Safeguarding to ensure effective management of safeguarding across the charity as well as spanning workforce development and the promotion of best practice.

This position has four direct reports, 3 Team Managers and one Regional Service Coordinator, the latter provides support to the Service Manager and regional teams.

We actively invest in your development and set clear expectations about deliverables and culture. We are looking for someone who is committed to best practice and responsiveness to the needs of children and young people. You will need to be a confident relationship builder, with a track record in social work management. This post requires registration with a professional social work body and criminal record checks.  

What will I be doing?

No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in the job description.

• Senior operational leadership, implementation of service objectives with responsibility for managing practice, people, budgets compliance and DEIB in a designated area. 
• Ensuring the safety of children and young people, staff, volunteers and services. 
• Managing and developing stakeholder relationships particularly with NHS colleagues. 
• Developing team culture in line with organisational values ensuring staff are motivated, supported and developed. 
• Have the Lead Service Manager role for Safeguarding.

What do I need? 

Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.

The key skills we’re looking for in this role are:

• Qualified and registered Social Worker with management experience in social care services for children young people and families.
• Experience of working in partnership with young people and their families.
• Evidence of experience of collaborative interagency working and managing strategic stakeholder relationships
• Understanding of oppression and the barriers that marginalised people face, and strong commitment to deliver anti-oppressive practices 
• Current knowledge of relevant legislation, national policy and guidance in health and social care 
• Highly skilled communicator with professionals and partner organisations; young people and their families with evidence of collaborative working.
• Ability to develop, motivate and empower staff and develop high performing teams whilst offering skilled support and management of performance.
• You will be expected to role model behaviour by caring deeply about your staff’s wellbeing, encouraging feedback and challenging constructively  
• Proven ability to be innovative and solutions-focused in the face of challenges.
• You take ownership of your personal development, and that of your direct reports .

What will I gain?

For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:

• Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
• Wellbeing days: four days a year to do what works for you – from catching up on training to going for a walk
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Great family/caring leave entitlements
• Enhanced pension
• Access to our employee savings scheme

To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.

We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. CVs can be uploaded, but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to fully complete the work history sections of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly and objectively.

Accessibility

We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible.Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.

#ShowTheSalary #NonGraduatesWelcome

Overview

High energy costs are a nightmare for millions of UK households, while huge profits are made at our expense. Poor housing and heating systems are a key part of the problem, along with dependence on polluting, climate-changing fossil fuels. FPA is a campaigning organisation that sets out to attack the root causes of fuel poverty along with the specific injustices facing people and communities. We want to see the UK’s energy system decarbonised as rapidly as possible, with a just transition for communities and workers.that includes affordability. 

Working closely with pensioners groups, trades unions, disabled campaigners, tenants’ organisations and others on the frontline of fuel poverty, we’re using protest and direct action to fight for real, sustainable solutions to the cold homes crisis. We are looking for a committed senior organiser, who shares our passion and values, to bring energy and imagination to developing our base and supporting our members to build their power.

About the role

Fuel Poverty Action (FPA) was started in 2011 by climate activists who wanted to ensure that the green energy transition doesn’t happen at the expense of those with less social and economic power. Rather, they saw the break with fossil fuels as an opportunity to end the scourge of fuel poverty in the UK - a chance to rethink priorities and design inequality out of the energy system.

Immediately, they were drawn into community-based struggles for energy justice, against false, profit-driven solutions and maladministration of ‘green’ measures with no accountability to tenants and residents.

Over the years others joined the fight, growing FPA to a small membership-led organisation comprising people at the sharp end of fuel poverty - people of all ages and backgrounds, mainly located in London. Since 2022, funding has enabled us to employ a small, dispersed team who are accountable to directors and a membership that is now UK-wide. 

We are now looking for an experienced, senior organiser to help FPA grow and evolve our membership network further. We want to reach more people and support members to be active within FPA so that we can build our political impact and remain meaningfully member-led. 

We are seeking a flexible person with significant leadership experience who will be confident working as part of a small team, capable of outward facing work and internal management. You will have experience of organising in collective campaigns,  including digitally, and a background in grassroots or community-based action, with a strong commitment to inclusive and anti-oppressive practice.

As the Organising Lead, you will join our Campaigns Lead and Operations Lead as the third pillar of our self-managing Coordination Team. While line-managing other colleagues and enabling the contributions of members who are unpaid, you will yourself be a member of FPA, and answerable to the group. 

We use the digital platform Action Network to run campaigns and communicate with FPA supporters. Our ideal candidate would have the skills to incorporate ladders, tags and custom fields into our digital campaigns to maximise online to offline impact and convert list growth into membership. They would also actively maintain relationships with existing members who are not always confident with online communication tools. 

There is a lot of scope to bring new ideas and perspectives to shape our work.

What you might find yourself doing:

Strategy development: Leading on creation of a new membership growth and retention strategy in collaboration with existing members

Growing our base: Boosting in-person recruitment and using Action Network to build a digital pipeline into membership

Communications: Ensuring members are connected and informed through one-to-one calls, emails, members’ section of the website, WhatsApp groups and other platforms. 

Member development: Building one-to-one relationships with members, understanding their interests, linking them to opportunities and providing feedback and follow-up

Member activation: Supporting members to participate in our own and allies’ events, actions and mobilisations, digitally and on the ground

Speaker invitations: Representing FPA at events and in media as well as supporting members to do so

Capacity building and training: Providing tools, advice and training to members and supporters, including to FPA’s local groups in Glasgow, Manchester and London

Administration: Managing onboarding systems and securely maintaining records

Organisational management: As part of the self-managing Coordination Team

Line management: Providing light touch management for one or more colleagues

Online meetings: Including prospective member induction interviews and regular members’ meetings which you organise and facilitate

About You

Essential requirements. You’ll thrive in this role if you:

• are highly organised, comfortable self-managing and detail-oprientated in routine admin tasks

• have demonstrable skills in organisational and people management that are relevant for a remote team

• are instinctively collaborative and able to communicate warmly, openly and honestly with colleagues

• are self-motivated, flexible and positive about remote team working, ready to take responsibility for pacing yourself and maintaining your well-being at busy times

• have excellent communication skills, including verbal, written, editing, IT skills, and listening 

• are agile in your use of digital platforms to communicate with different audiences

• have a strong affinity with FPA’s aims, objectives and organisational values of solidarity, empathy and respect

• have a proven understanding of anti-oppression work and commitment to tackling all institutional forms of oppression, bigotry and exclusion 

• have excellent relationship-building skills, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and sensitively, and work effectively with diverse individuals, including those directly impacted by injustice and oppression 

• are confident and creative in your approach to running online and in-person meetings

• have several years of experience in organising or campaigning on issues of poverty and/or the climate, housing or energy 

It is also desirable (but not necessary) for you to have:

• experience of using Action Network or similar platforms to build an activist pipeline

• the skills to craft compelling calls to action and design digital content optimised for engagement

• experience of providing training tools, skills and hand-holding to those at the sharp end of the polycrisis

• links and ongoing relationships with networks and movements with similar aims or values to Fuel Poverty Action

• experience of horizontal organisations and ways to promote staff wellbeing and sustainable remote working 

Compensation Policy 

We’ll compensate team members on the following basis:

• All salaried team members are contracted on the same terms and conditions

• We have a 30 hour week maximum for all team members - most commonly worked as 4 x 7.5 hour days

• Team members are paid an equitable and sustainable compensation rate which is the pro rate equivalent to a full-time (5 day) salary of £40-45,000, regardless of role or level of experience

• Our compensation rates have been set following Platform’s best practice Social Justice Waging System:

Annual salary (30 hours per week):

• Band 1 - No dependents or children and inherited wealth: £32,000 

• Band 2 - One or more children or dependents and inherited wealth OR No inherited wealth but no children or dependents: £34,000

• Band 3 - One or more more children or dependents and no inherited wealth: £36,000 

Further details

• 3% employer-matched pension

• Genuinely flexible working

• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays

• A progressive parental leave policy

•  £15 / month working-from-home broadband stipend 

We have no central office or workspace budget, so it is imperative that you are comfortable working from home

Some costs-paid travel and monthly evening and occasional weekend working will be required

We particularly welcome applications from marginalised groups, especially people of colour and other ethnic minorities, people who identify as LGBTQIA, disabled people and those who identify as working class or have done so in the past 

The appointment will be for one year with a hope of extension, funding permitting, and a four month probationary period

Chief Executive Officer
Swindon, with flexible working
£Competitive local salary
Will consider candidates on either a 4 or 5 days a week basis.
Addressing Food Poverty

Swindon Food Collective is an independent charity that aims to help people in Swindon, or the surrounding area, who are suffering from financial hardship and finding it difficult to provide food for themselves, their family or dependents.

They receive donations of non-perishable, tinned or dried food and toiletries from churches, schools, local companies, community groups, supermarkets and individuals and currently feed nearly 10,000 people per year; one third of these are children.

They work with many approved organisations, schools, doctors and social workers who can refer people in crisis to us. As well as providing food to address food poverty, they also provide a friendly chat and try to signpost people for further help. Indeed, it is this ‘signposting’ or working with people to enable them to enhance their lives where they see their services evolving. Swindon Food Collective are also reviewing how they can best utilise short-life foods. They operate from a central warehouse and have 11 distribution centres around Swindon and surrounding areas where food parcels can be collected.

The charity is financially sound and has the resources to develop their service offering. They have recently hired a Finance Manager, created a new post as Business Strategy Manager and are also out to market to appoint an Operations Manager.

The role

To lead the charity forward, they are creating the role of Chief Executive Officer for the first time. They are seeking an experienced professional who can lead us not only in addressing food poverty but also helping others to help themselves through forging collaborative working arrangements with other organisations, perhaps even forming a co-operative. The charity is open to new ideas.

Key responsibilities will include:

- Be the face and voice of the charity - its principal ambassador, promoting and developing Swindon Food Collective’s work, raising the charity’s profile and maximising its reach.
- Lead the senior management team to lead, support and motivate all staff, aligning employees and volunteers with the charity’s aims, objectives and ambitions.
- Develop and propose a medium-to-long-term strategy for the charity and present it to the Board of Trustees for discussion and approval.
- Oversee the development and implementation of business plans in line with the agreed strategy and report to the Board on progress through agreed priorities & KPIs.
- Identify and assess strategic risks, issues and opportunities and take responsibility for initiating and leading associated changes.
- Maintain a long-term staffing and resourcing plan to underpin the agreed strategy and adopt best practice for the management, development and engagement of staff and volunteers.
- Seek out, develop and maintain effective working relationships with relevant organisations and individuals to promote the work of the charity and facilitate the implementation of its strategic objectives.
- Work towards the achievement of long-term sustainability, developing the charity’s business model, ensuring effective use of assets and maximising income, for example, from fundraising, service contracts and earned income.
- Take executive responsibility for all functions including the warehouse, distribution, administration, finance, fundraising, marketing, communications, and IT.
- Take executive responsibility for the overall financial health of the charity, ensuring financial resources are managed effectively, identifying risks and taking appropriate action.
- Liaise with the Board to ensure that the charity’s overall governance structure, policies and procedures are appropriate and effective, taking remedial measures and implementing changes as necessary.

You
Your background is not important. What is important is your passion and ambition to address food poverty in the Swindon region and support the population. Ideally, you will be an experienced General Manager / COO / CEO with experience of staff management and working in an environment where H&E is important.

Primarily, we are seeking a CEO who will be innovative and provide inspirational leadership both internally and externally.

To apply

The application is by CV and covering letter. Your letter, which should be no more than 2 pages in length, should explain both why you are interested in the post of Chief Executive Officer and why you think you would be an excellent candidate for Swindon Food Collective. Please apply by uploading your application via the apply button.

 All direct applications will be forwarded to Hays Executive.

Campaign dates:
Closing date:  8th June 2025
Preliminary interviews:  Mid-June 2025
Formal interviews:  End June 2025

The above dates are subject to change.

ShareAction is an independent charity and an expert on responsible investment. We work to build a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. We set ambitious standards for how financial institutions, through their investment decisions, can protect our planet and its people and campaign for this approach to become the norm. We convene shareholders to collectively push companies to tackle the climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies. In the UK and EU, we advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core.

ShareAction’s Banking Standards team works towards holding financial institutions accountable for their impact on climate change. We have a history of campaigning on key aspects of banks’ climate strategies – such as their emission reduction targets or fossil fuel policies – and we are gradually expanding our work to include other sustainability themes and banking regulation. We have achieved significant wins, such as contributing to HSBC becoming the world’s largest bank to cease financing for new oil and gas fields, Barclays dramatically reducing its oil sands financing, and mobilising investors to call on Societe Generale to set a renewable energy target.

What you’ll do

Working alongside two other researchers, you will assess banks’ positions on climate change and other sustainability themes. This involves collecting information from banks’ disclosures and external databases, analysing quantitative and qualitative data, and translating insights into actionable steps for banks and investors engaging with banks, among other stakeholders. You will have many opportunities to challenge banks and shape sustainability standards for the banking sector by contributing to:

• Investor briefings and short research notes reviewing climate commitments made by individual banks.
• Banking sector benchmark, ranking European banks on their approach to climate change and other sustainability themes.
• Thematic reports and internal position papers reviewing how the European banking sector aims to address specific issues and/or the relevant standards banks rely on.

This role would be perfect for someone with strong analytical skills who enjoys making sense of complex information and translating it into actionable insights. You’ll thrive if you’re curious about how banks are responding to the climate crisis, eager to get stuck into analysing sustainability data, and excited by the idea of shaping how banks are held to account on their environmental and social impacts. Whether you’re helping design our flagship banking benchmark, writing investor briefings, or supporting engagement with financial institutions, you’ll be using your critical thinking and communication skills to contribute to real-world change. This is a great opportunity for someone looking to grow their expertise in responsible investment and develop a unique understanding of how research and campaigning can work together to influence some of the world’s most powerful financial institutions.

What you’ll bring to the team

• A broad understanding of how the financial sector works and how financial institutions can impact sustainability issues, particularly climate change.
• A keen interest in driving the banking sector to better serve people and the planet.
• Excellent analytical skills, attention to detail, and a proven ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative research.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to adapt your writing style for a range of different audiences and to present ideas and concepts effectively and persuasively.
• Excellent organisational skills, with a proven ability to manage competing demands while still meeting deadlines.
• Comfortable planning or leading sub-areas of research as agreed, with oversight from the Senior Research Manager.
• A great team player, willing to support projects for the banking campaign on an ad-hoc basis, such as filing resolutions and drafting AGM questions (if needed).
• A passion for ShareAction’s vision and mission.

It would also be great – but not essential – if you have:

• Experience using financial databases such as Eikon and Bloomberg or the ability to pick up new types of technologies or software quickly.
• Experience developing and/or managing databases using Excel or other applications.
• Knowledge and interest in biodiversity or human rights and how the financial sector can help address these issues.
• Experience with CRM systems, ideally Salesforce.

While we hope we’ll find someone with the majority of these skills and experience, we’re keen to hear from you, even if you don’t have them all. We appreciate lots of skills are transferable and we welcome opportunities to explore different ways of achieving our goals.

We have a hybrid working policy in place, and the Banking team meets in the office every Tuesday as we find this helps with team bonding and productivity. We expect candidates based in London to come into the office at least once a week every Tuesday and candidates based outside of London to come into the office at least twice a month on a Tuesday.

What we will do for you

We are a fast-paced organisation that has grown substantially over the past few years. We recognise that our people work hard to advocate for responsible investment and drive meaningful engagement with those who have the power to create a brighter future. Every day, they bring their expertise, passion and persistence to build a world where the financial system serves our people and planet. We want to ensure we provide the right environment for our colleagues to thrive, and we are committed to improving our employee offer where possible.

Currently, we are pleased to offer:

• A commitment to flexible working: over 60% of our employees have some sort of flexible working arrangement in place.
• Hybrid working: we are committed to supporting our staff to work in a way that suits their lifestyle and meets the requirements of their role.
• Internal promotion and development opportunities: we offer a range of ways to improve your skills and focus on what you love, including promotion, secondment, or sideways development opportunities. For some levels of roles, we also offer direct progression.
• The opportunity to help make a difference: we tackle some of the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges. We offer opportunities for you to develop your skills and experience in a friendly, flexible and supportive working environment.
• A unionised work environment: our staff have the opportunity to join the union and are supported by our recognised union, Unite. We regularly consult and negotiate with our employees on workplace matters ranging from working conditions to pay.
• Regular in-person meetings, including all-staff away days, retreats and directorate strategy days to create connected teams.
• An 8% non-contributory pension invested with NEST and their green funds.
• A healthcare plan with BUPA.
• An employee assistance programme: advice and support, lifestyle discounts and short-term counselling.
• Death in service cover of 3x salary.
• 25 days’ annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus office closure at the end of the year, ensuring everyone gets time to switch off together.
• Enhanced family leave pay: up to 18 weeks paid at 90% for either parent.
• Enhanced sick pay starting at 5 weeks’ full pay from day 1.
• Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities, and we are working hard to provide an environment where all can bring their authentic selves to work. We know that some people won’t apply for a role unless they meet all the requirements listed in the job description. If this is the case for you, but you think you would excel in this role, we want to hear from you!

For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: 9.00 am on Monday, 9 June 2025.
First-round interviews: Between 18 and 24 June 2025.
Second-round interviews: w/c 7 July or 14 July 2025.

To be considered for this post, you must be legally eligible to work in the UK; unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.