Senior support worker jobs in epping forest, essex

Role Overview 

The role is responsible for delivering comprehensive HR support across the organisation, covering recruitment, onboarding, training, and support for performance management and employee relations. It includes managing volunteer processes and working closely with both internal managers and external HR and payroll providers. The postholder will play a key role in maintaining effective HR systems, ensuring policy compliance, and supporting a positive workplace culture.

Key Responsibilities 

• Managing end-to-end recruitment processes across multi-disciplinary teams; including recruitment, onboarding, DBS checking, training and development, absence, performance management and leavers.
• Ongoing development, coordination, and oversight of SCT’s volunteer recruitment, onboarding, training, and administration in collaboration with SCT’s managers.
• Working closely with SCT’s outsourced HR support.
• Providing SCT managers with guidance on volunteer recruitment and any management issues.
• Implementing, maintaining and reviewing an annual training plan for all employees.
• Maintaining up-to-date staff files and HR system records including DBS validation, handling confidential employee and volunteer data in line with data protection legislation.
• Supporting employee relations by assisting with complaints, grievances, and disciplinary procedures, including provision of support to managers on all employee-relation matters.
• Working with SCT’s Business Operations Officer to ensure accurate information is provided to SCT’s outsourced payroll administrators to ensure accuracy of all relevant information.
• Supporting the ongoing review, development and improvement of clear, consistent, and accessible policies and procedures across the organisation.
• Working closely with SCT’s managers to promote the ongoing communication, implementation, and participation in the review cycle of policies and procedures.
• Undertaking other reasonable duties that may be required from time to time.

Person Specification 

• CIPD qualified to level 5 or significant HR Management experience will also be considered

• 3+ years demonstrable generalist HR Management experience or similar role types

• Demonstrable experience of working across multiple sites

• Excellent communication skills both in the written form and in person with the ability to adapt to all audiences

• Experience of presenting material and report writing to a range of audiences

Essential Skills and Experience

• Proven experience in managing end-to-end recruitment processes, including onboarding, training, performance management, absence, and leaver procedures.
• Awareness of UK employment law and GDPR, with a willingness to learn and apply policies correctly.
• Understanding of volunteer management, including recruitment, onboarding, training, and administration.
• Experience with outsourced HR support services, providing HR guidance and support to managers, particularly in volunteer and employee management matters.
• Experience in maintaining accurate HR records and handling confidential information in line with data protection legislation.
• Practical knowledge of employee relations processes, including handling complaints, grievances, and disciplinary procedures.
• Familiarity with payroll processes and working collaboratively to ensure accurate payroll data.
• Comfortable using HR databases, spreadsheets, and Microsoft Office tools.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across teams.
• Help coordinate internal communications and staff events.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience in developing and implementing annual training and development plans.
• Previous involvement in reviewing and updating organisational HR policies and procedures.
• Experience in the charity or voluntary sector, particularly in managing and supporting volunteers.

Citizens UK 

Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.

South London Citizens 

South London Citizens (SLC) is Citizen’s UK second oldest chapter, established in 2004. SLC has over 100 member institutions spread across seven south London boroughs, working together for the common good.

South London Citizens has developed 1000s of local leaders through training and action teams and won big national campaigns, for example delivering free school meals for children whose parents have no recourse to public funds.

The Living Wage campaign is part of SLC’s DNA and in the last 12 months a campaign to bring the Living Wage Campaign to the Southbank has delivered well over 1000 pay rises to south London workers. The Real Living Wage is currently £13.85 in London, compared with the National Minium Wage of £12.21 (for workers aged over 21).

Community Organising

Through our theory of social change, called community organising, we train thousands of everyday people to lead change in their communities, equipping them with the skills to hold politicians and other powerholders to account. We are made up of 500+ member organisations in powerful alliances throughout the UK. Our members include schools, universities, faith groups, parents’ groups, health practices, charities, trade unions and other civil society organisations. 

Purpose 

The principal responsibility of an Associate Organiser is their own development: learning the craft of Community Organising under the guidance of an experienced Community Organiser. They work intensively with a small number of member organisations under close supervision, growing their experience, skill and responsibility incrementally. An Associate Organiser is working towards becoming a competent practitioner of the craft of broad-based community organising methodology, and focuses on the building of relational power, the recruitment and retention of dues-paying institutions, the development of leaders, the strengthening of member institutions, leader-led public actions, and the winning of systemic change. 

This role is particularly to organise around the issue of low pay and precarious work and participate in Citizens UK’s flagship campaign, the Living Wage Campaign. We need someone who can speak Spanish as well as English, as south London’s Latin American communities are leading the work in South London. There is scope to involve leaders in campaigns around housing, health and migrants' rights, as we recognise that people affected by low pay are very often determined to take action on wider issues beyond work.     The purpose of the role is to develop leadership, especially grassroots leadership, workers from London’s lowest paid sectors, that can power the campaign. Crucially the Associate Organiser will work with colleagues in South London Citizens to build and execute a strategy that develops powerful leaders for South London Citizens and wins the Living Wage, Living Hours and other material gains for thousands of workers across the capital.

Main Responsibilities 

Working as an Associate Organiser in South London for Citizens UK, reporting to the Lead Organiser, South West, SLC, your main responsibilities will include: 

Build relational power to further the goals of CUK 

• Actively participate in the development of a comprehensive power analysis appropriate to the desired sphere of influence for each project/assignment 

• Establish working relationships with identified leaders and demonstrate ability to move them into action, including as part of the wider alliance; taking the initiative to establish new relationships as required 

• Conduct one-to-ones to develop relationships with leaders and understand their concerns. 

• Tell a wide range of Community Organising stories effectively to influence others and achieve CUK’s goals 

Identify and develop relational leaders prepared to act with others for the common good 

• Identify and discern actual and potential leaders with the passion and ability to drive change

• Proactively create opportunities for leaders to develop, in particular tertiary or new leaders; nominate for training on the core taster curriculum 

• Successfully deliver training workshops in local institutions and on the core taster curriculum at a local level 

Strengthen institutions and develop BBOs 

• Ensure good understanding of the basic interests and traditions of typical member institutions and worker leaders. 

• Organise a small number of member institutions or 1 strategic partner to work together for the achievement of common goals relating to the Living Wage campaign. 

• Support pre-existing core teams and create/develop new core teams to provide leadership 

Support leaders through the Cycle of Action in order to create change 

• Support leaders in running listening campaigns 

• Organise Living Wage actions; demonstrating increasing independence in working without the need for close supervision

• Take the lead in supporting groups of leaders through the cycle of action on the Living Wage; aiming to achieve new accreditations and other wins.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of actions; demonstrating ability to incorporate lessons learned into future actions 

  Contribute to CUK’s financial viability through effective fundraising & financial management  

• Recruit new dues paying institutions; work together with a more senior Organiser to negotiate annual membership fees and letters of understanding 

• Contribute substantively to fundraising to ensure the sustainability of the work 

• Liaise with the Finance & Operations team to update the membership database and ensure timely invoicing and fee collection 

Contribute to effective teamwork 

• Be proactive concerning personal professional development and wellbeing; i.e. by reading widely, developing a healthy work-life balance and demonstrating ability to reflect on own organising craft & improve on self-identified weaknesses 

• Demonstrate ability to work effectively with colleagues and participate in a team 

• Produce all required reports and follow CUK’s procedures on time and to the required standards 

Participate in the development of the craft of Community Organising and play a role in the Guild of COs 

• Schedule an average of at least three 1-2-1 relational meetings into your daily schedule as a core part of your professional practice 

• Commit 10 working days pa (pro rata for part-time staff) to the preparation, delivery and evaluation of Citizens UK National Community Leadership Training or other local or regional trainings; 

• Participate in a Guild Team and help it develop as a Community of Practice that enables Organisers across the UK to develop their skills and experience. 

Personal Specification 

(D) Desirable, (E) Essential 

Qualifications 

Bachelor’s degree in any subject (D) 

Subject of relevance to community work or community organising (D) 

Experience 

• Previous campaign experience (D) 

• Evidence of having acted in a leadership role with peers or in local community activities (e.g., organising clubs or societies) (E) 

• Experience of project management; evidence of having delivered work on time and to standard (E) 

• Able to demonstrate previous experience of ‘learning by doing’ in a work or project environment; evidence of being open to feedback and comfortably coachable (E) 

Key skills and knowledge 

• Excellent interpersonal awareness – ability to listen well and appreciate a viewpoint or opinion that is different from one’s own (E) 

• Excellent concern for impact – ability to adapt own behaviour to address the needs or concerns of someone else (E) 

• Good communication skills – able to speak with conviction and passion; and to make a logical argument (E) 

• Fluent in Spanish and English – written and spoken (E) - other community languages, especially Portuguese (D)

Personal qualities & values 

• A self-starter with ability to take initiative and work independently (E) 

• A passion for justice (E) 

• A positive enthusiasm for working with faith congregations, trade unions, schools, and other community organisations (E) 

• An interest in and experience of politics and public life (E) 

• Able to work in a team (E) 

• Willingness to work within accountable relationships (E) 

• Self-motivated and adaptable (E) 

  Our Organisers and some project teams work closely with our member institutions and will be expected to attend member events that take place in the evenings and occasional weekends. We operate a Time Off in Lieu approach and have very flexible working arrangements to ensure a good work-life balance. 

The successful applicant will be required to undertake a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check. DBS checks are renewed on a 3-year cycle. 

About the application process 

We work within diverse communities bringing people together. In line with our Inclusion value, we would love to see applications from LGBTQIA+ people, people from racialised communities, people living with disabilities and people of faith, all to better represent the communities we work in. We want our employees to have the working conditions that allows them to fully participate, be able to be their best authentic selves and thrive doing so, and we have employee networks to support staff. Even if you don’t quite meet all the required criteria still consider applying, as we invest in our employees and support them to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver their role.

 Interview date: Tuesday 22nd July 

We are excited to be recruiting a part-time role for an Operations Manager in our dynamic voluntary sector adolescent mental health service.

Open Door is a young people’s mental health charity that has been based in Haringey, North London for 49 years. It aims to improve mental health and life-chances of young people. We provide an ‘Open Door’ to free, high quality psychological therapy to 12–24-year-olds delivered by experienced and highly trained clinicians. We also support parents and carers, struggling with the issues their children face. We aim for access to be simple and over half of those we support, self-refer. Many young people who come to us have significant mental health difficulties and have faced barriers to services. Open Door delivers evidence informed practice and has been commended for our ambitious approach to outcome driven care. 

Open Door  received national recognition for  impact, as a 2024 finalist for Health Service Journal (HSJ) Award for Reducing Inequality and Improving Outcomes for Children and Young People  Open Door is community embedded, integrated into the local mental health infrastructure, commissioned by North Central London Integrated Care Board and part of the Haringey Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service single-point-of-access. We have a strategic voice which is used to advocate for young people’s mental health and influence practice. Last year we supported over 800 young people, parents and carers and offered over 8000 appointments. This is an exciting time to join Open Door. The candidate will have key role in ensuring Open Door’s operations are efficient and effective.

Open Door works from our bases in Crouch End and Tottenham and provides services in local secondary schools and the @Haringey Autism Hub. Most of our work is delivered in person ad this is what most young people tell us they want. Demand for the service is high. 

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for our service users and staff. More than half of our young people are from global majority communities, and approximately 1 in 4 are neurodivergent.

Growing, maintaining and promoting a diverse team is important as we are made stronger by the unique capabilities, qualities and experience that each staff member brings to Open Door. We welcome applications from candidates with lived experience of all kinds, including global majority and/or neurodivergent candidates.

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.

• £70,000
• 35 hours
• Permanent
• Location- Hybrid, based between home and at the London office on a weekly basis
• Closing date: 6th July 2025
• Interview date: w/c 14th 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

We’re looking for a Associate Director of Brand & Marketing Communications with excellent brand, marketing and digital experience at a leadership level to lead our Brand and Marketing Communications Team.

You'll provide inspirational leadership to a key team at the heart of our organisation. You’ll be responsible for the development and execution of our brand, marketing and digital strategies. You'll also oversee the delivery of impactful and audience-driven campaigns that grow awareness, engagement and income for Young Lives vs Cancer while supporting our influencing goals.

You will be line managing our Head of Strategic Communications and Head of Digital to lead successful, teams who can creatively deliver on our organisational strategy.

The role demands an agile creative thinker with strong leadership, a strategic mindset and a deep understanding of our diverse audiences. As well as managing and inspiring your team, you’ll create strong connections throughout the organisation, ensuring everyone can access the strategic and creative services they need to tell the charity’s story in a way that really connects with people.

This role is subject to a criminal record check. In the event of a successful application a Basic criminal record check will be completed.

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 our Role Details document.

• Lead and develop a high-performing team of marketing, brand and digital professionals.
• Lead the development and delivery of the charity’s brand and marketing communications strategy, aligned to the organisational strategy and the system ‘North Star’, ensuring our positioning and voice are clear, compelling and visible.
• Champion a culture of creativity, collaboration and insight-driven decision making fully aligned with our values.
• Lead the development of our audience personas and engagement work to enable effective journeys and high-quality experiences for all our audiences, equipping the organisation to be customer-centric, insight driven and evidenced-based.
• Collaborate across directorates to align marketing, brand and audience engagement with organisational priorities.
• Provide effective leadership and direction for colleagues in your teams, ensuring accountability to build trust, good morale and teamwork.
• Ensure the voices of children and young people with cancer - and their families - influence decision-making within teams and that we are an accountable and transparent organisation to our beneficiaries, donors and other stakeholders.

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:

• Proven experience leading brand, marketing and communications strategy, preferably in the not-for-profit sector.
• Inspirational leadership of multidisciplinary teams.
• Success in planning and delivering multi-channel campaigns with measurable outcomes, especially within income generation and system influencing contexts.
• Experience in digital marketing, content creation and engagement through digital channels, including social media.
• Experience of audience development and user journey planning.
• Experience influencing at a senior level and managing change.
• Effective planning, budgeting and risk management

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 and Development days: four days a year to do what works for you – from personal development planning, 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.

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.

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Head of Workforce Research

Location: RCN UK HQ with hybrid working

Salary range per annum £79,482 - £89,238 (plus inner London weighting of £5094)

Contract type: Permanent, 35 hours per week
Ref: RCN02691

At the Royal College of Nursing, we represent over half a million nurses, nursing support workers, and students across the UK. We are a voice for the profession – and behind that voice is the evidence. We’re looking for an exceptional individual to lead our workforce research, shaping the agenda that influences policy, practice, and the future of healthcare.

Our aim in the Workforce Academy situated in the Institute of Excellence is to use robust evidence as the catalyst for combatting the nursing workforce crisis. We're focused on the systemic causes of trends that are driving up mental ill health and attrition among nursing staff and driving down the quality of patient care.

We're accredited with Investors in People Silver Standard. Our people are our greatest asset, and we want people who can contribute to our purpose in line with our values.

As our Head of Workforce Research, you’ll lead impactful research and analysis that informs national debate, RCN policy, and advocacy. The post holder will provide leadership and management to the Workforce Academy’s programme of research. You’ll oversee major projects exploring critical issues such as staffing levels, workforce planning, recruitment and retention, and the health and wellbeing of the nursing workforce.

You’ll work closely with policy leaders, academic partners, and external stakeholders across health, education, and government to ensure our research is timely, relevant, and influential.

This role sits at the heart of our mission to improve the lives of those in nursing and ensure safe, effective care for patients. We will demonstrate the value of nursing to achieving nursing excellence and identify means of ensuring care is a safe and positive experience for both staff and patients.

You’ll have a PhD in a relevant discipline, with expertise in mixed methods and / or quantitative methodology and excellent knowledge and understanding of workforce research, data analysis, evidence synthesis and philosophy of social science.

You will bring extensive experience of designing, conducting and leading programmes of research, alongside knowledge mobilisation expertise.

You’ll have the ability to build engaging and accessible content to both academic and non-academic audiences (including members, senior leaders, policy makers).

What we offer you

We expect you to look after our members. And we expect you to be rewarded for it. We offer an impressive range of benefits, a broad range of learning development opportunities and an award-winning health and wellbeing programme. We offer annual leave up to 32 days plus bank holidays and three additional days for the Christmas break plus generous maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave packages.

*We offer a competitive pay structure with annual pay progression until you reach the top of the salary scale. We normally offer new employees the first point of the salary range, although you may be able to negotiate a higher starting salary depending on your skills, experience and current salary.

We are a diverse organisation and understand everyone has different needs and many of our employees enjoy flexible working enabling them to deliver results whilst having a good work life balance. Our hybrid working model allows for up to 60% of your working time to be carried out from home. At least 40% of your working time will be spent working in person.

Our selection process

Please click the ‘apply now’ button to submit a CV and answer the supporting questions online demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this role. You may not be shortlisted if you don’t. Please ensure your CV is in a simple format with minimal tables and sections. Any identifying information in your application will automatically be anonymised for shortlisting purposes.

We want your experience applying for a job with us to be the best it can be. We may hold our interviews and assessments in person or by video call. If you foresee any problems, please let us know.

Equal opportunities for everyone

Equity, diversity and inclusion are a priority for us and we aim to foster an inclusive environment so our people can bring their authentic selves to work. This is integral to our mission to enable you to support our members and ensure their voice is heard by all UK governments to get the best outcomes for them and their patients.

As a proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities.

Contact details

For more information or for an informal discussion about the role please contact Dr Kate Kirk, Associate Director of Workforce, please visit our website for the email address.

For more information about the recruitment and selection process, please visit our website.

Closing date: 13 July 2025.

If we receive many applications after a week of advertising, we may close this vacancy earlier.

Assessment Centre and Interview: TBC

Interview date: TBC

Professional Lead for Workforce Research

Location: RCN UK HQ with hybrid working

Contract type: Permanent, 35 hours per week

Salary range per annum: £66,909 - £75,492

Ref: RCN02692

At the Royal College of Nursing, we represent over half a million nurses, nursing support workers, and students across the UK. We are a voice for the profession – and behind that voice is the evidence. We’re looking for an exceptional individual to lead our workforce research, shaping the agenda that influences policy, practice, and the future of healthcare.

Our aim in the Workforce Academy situated in the Institute of Excellence, is to use robust evidence as the catalyst for combatting the nursing workforce crisis. We're focused on the systemic causes of trends that are driving up mental ill health and attrition among nursing staff and driving down the quality of patient care.

We're accredited with Investors in People Silver Standard. Our people are our greatest asset, and we want people who can contribute to our purpose in line with our values.

As our Professional Lead for Nursing Workforce Research, you’ll make a critical contribution to the Workforce Academy’s programme of research, informing national debate, RCN policy, and advocacy. Your work will help to tackle vital issues such as staffing levels, workforce planning, recruitment and retention, and the health and wellbeing of the nursing workforce.

You’ll work closely with policy leaders, academic partners, and external stakeholders across health, education, and government to ensure our research is timely, relevant, and influential.

This role sits at the heart of our mission to improve the lives of those in nursing and ensure safe, effective care for patients. We will demonstrate the value of nurse staffing to achieving nursing excellence and identify means of ensuring care is a safe and positive experience for both staff and patients.

You’ll have a PhD in a relevant discipline, with expertise in mixed methods and / or quantitative methodology and excellent knowledge and understanding of workforce research, data analysis, evidence synthesis and philosophy of social science.

You will bring extensive experience of designing and conducting programmes of research, alongside knowledge mobilisation expertise.

You’ll have excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to translate complex theory and data to diverse audiences.

What we offer you

We expect you to look after our members. And we expect you to be rewarded for it. We offer an impressive range of benefits, a broad range of learning development opportunities and an award-winning health and wellbeing programme. We offer annual leave up to 32 days plus bank holidays and three additional days for the Christmas break plus generous maternity, adoption, paternity, and shared parental leave packages.

*We offer a competitive pay structure with annual pay progression until you reach the top of the salary scale. We normally offer new employees the first point of the salary range, although you may be able to negotiate a higher starting salary depending on your skills, experience and current salary.

We are a diverse organisation and understand everyone has different needs and many of our employees enjoy flexible working enabling them to deliver results whilst having a good work life balance. Our hybrid working model allows for up to 60% of your working time to be carried out from home. At least 40% of your working time will be spent working in person.

Our selection process

Please click the ‘apply now’ button to submit a CV and answer the supporting questions online demonstrating how you meet the criteria for this role. You may not be shortlisted if you don’t. Please ensure your CV is in a simple format with minimal tables and sections. Any identifying information in your application will automatically be anonymised for shortlisting purposes.

We want your experience applying for a job with us to be the best it can be. We may hold our interviews and assessments in person or by video call. If you foresee any problems, please let us know.

Equal opportunities for everyone

Equity, diversity and inclusion are a priority for us and we aim to foster an inclusive environment so our people can bring their authentic selves to work. This is integral to our mission to enable you to support our members and ensure their voice is heard by all UK governments to get the best outcomes for them and their patients.

As a proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities.

Contact details

For more information or for an informal discussion about the role please contact Dr Kate Kirk, Associate Director of Workforce, please visit our website for the email address.

For more information about the recruitment and selection process, please visit our website.

Closing date: 13 July 2025.

If we receive many applications after a week of advertising, we may close this vacancy earlier.

Selection date: TBC

Interview date: TBC

We are pleased to offer an exciting leadership opportunity at the Lollard Street Adventure Playground, the main activity of the Kennington Association (KA).

The ideal candidate needs to be a child-centred, proactive, enthusiastic individual, with a pragmatic and positive approach. They will need to demonstrate kindness, collaborative skills and strong leadership, fostering an environment of teamwork and mutual respect.                                                                

Highly organised and diligent, the successful applicant will be an excellent communicator, capable of managing multiple priorities while remaining adaptable to the evolving needs of the playground. A genuine passion for free play and a commitment to creating enriching experiences for children and young people are essential.

The Kennington Association (KA) is a registered charity and active community organisation based in North Lambeth. In 2013, the KA rescued the historic Lollard Street Adventure Playground (LSAP) from impending closure, brought on by local government spending cuts. With sustained funding from leading grant makers, the playground has since gone from strength to strength, winning Coolest Place to Play in the 2015 London Play Adventure Play Awards. It is now embarking on further development with a capital programme to replace the indoor play spaces, having already replaced the outdoor play structures and built new changing facilities which make our two sports pitches accessible to children with special needs. LSAP is a vibrant, welcoming space where children can engage in free play, and it offers a dynamic and rewarding environment for staff and volunteers alike.

Citizens UK 

Citizens UK is the UK’s biggest, most diverse and most effective people-powered alliance. We bring communities and local organisations together to work on issues that matter; from campaigning for zebra crossings on dangerous roads, to reforming the immigration system, to the Living Wage campaign. We have a track record of winning change through hundreds of local and national campaigns. We know everyday people have the ability to shape the world around them. We believe that through developing local leaders, we can drive nationwide change and create community-led solutions to big and small problems.

Our Sponsor Refugees team fits within our ‘Migrants and Refugees’ theme of work, which combines place-based and multi-issue organising through our Migrants and Refugees Organising (MARO) team, and effective national campaigns, alongside the pioneering community sponsorship of refugees. Staff joining Sponsor Refugees are joining a thriving team that works collaboratively with the wider Migrants and Refugees theme and with a range of other Citizens UK teams.    

Our MARO team fits within our ‘Migrants and Refugees’ theme of work, which combines place-based and multi-issue organising, with effective national campaigns, and the pioneering community sponsorship of refugees through our Sponsor Refugees team. Staff joining MARO are joining a thriving team that works collaboratively with the wider Migrants and Refugees theme and with a range of other Citizens UK teams.  

Living Wage Foundation 

The Living Wage is an independent movement of businesses, organisations and people who believe that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. The Living Wage campaign was launched by London Citizens in 2001 and aims to ensure low paid workers have enough money to get by and enough time for community and family life. 

The Living Wage is an hourly rate calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK that employers choose to pay on a voluntary basis. The Living Wage Foundation recognises and celebrates employers that pay the real Living Wage through an accreditation programme which awards the Living Wage Employer Mark. 

The independently-calculated rates are announced during Living Wage Week each November when we celebrate our growing network of Living Wage employers. There are now more than 15,000 accredited Living Wage employers across the UK which has secured pay rises for over 475,000 employees. 

The Living Wage Foundation is part of Citizens UK – a community organising charity which works with a broad base of institutions across the political spectrum. At the Living Wage Foundation, we take a deliberately broad-based approach and accredit all organisations who pay the real Living Wage to their directly and indirectly employed staff and are committed to tackling in work poverty. As a team we work across a range of industries and sectors to achieve this mission. We seek pragmatic coalitions in order to progress specific campaigns, and partnership around a particular issue such as Living Wage, does not imply an endorsement of broader purpose and policies. 

Purpose 

At Citizens UK, our organisers and project staff work within communities to develop leaders, strengthen organisations, campaign for change and organise across difference. There are various project roles and operational, communication, finance and HR roles that support the organisation and project staff and organisers to deliver on this mission and work. This work is rewarding and can be challenging; it requires a personal commitment to inclusion, a willingness to listen and disagree respectfully, and an interest in working in an organisation where our staff, member institutions and leaders will come from a diversity of backgrounds and often hold views that may be very different from our own. More information about how we operate within this context and build trusted relationships across difference can be found on our website and is covered in induction. Onboarding and navigating this relational culture, and type of work, is supported by line managers and further training. 

The Living Wage Foundation has an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic team as an Operations and Data Officer. We are looking for a highly motivated and organised individual to help maintain, develop and continuously improve our data and systems. The role will be an integral part of the Living Wage Operations and Insight Team, providing technical support to ensure the integrity of our systems, and supporting with development projects. 

The Operations and Data Officer will need to be highly numerate and have great analytical skills to support our monitoring and evaluation functions, working with the Head of Operations and Insight on financial and budgeting management, reconciliation and forecasting for the Living Wage Foundation. The suitable candidate will be detail-oriented, be able to demonstrate their ability to seek out improvements and problem solve creatively and have experience working with Salesforce or equivalent CRM systems. 

Main Responsibilities 

Working as the Operations and Data Officer– LWF for Citizens UK, reporting to Senior Data & Operations Manager, LWF, your main responsibilities will include: 

Project Management 

Deliver work targets on time and to standard to support the Foundation’s data and systems: : 

•  Support the day-to-day operations and management of all systems within the Living Wage Foundation designed to enable the functioning of Living Wage accreditation schemes. 

•  Proactively seek out systems improvements to make our processes more efficient so the Living Wage Foundation continues to provide an excellent service to the Living Wage network. 

•  Provide operational support for all aspects of the accreditation and recognition systems, including identifying and fixing errors. 

• Maintain integrity of Salesforce database; identify and source incomplete information within the database; take responsibility for tidying, cleansing and backing up existing data. 

• Support maintenance of integrated systems, including syncing data to Act-On and the website. 

• Work with Operations and Data Manager to keep templates, forms and related communications materials up to date 

• Manage merchandise administration including email inbox, day to day queries, and Shopify administration. 

• Support Operations and Data Manager to manage budgets for external contracts (e.g. with developers and suppliers). 

  Learning and expertise 

• Keep up-to-date with functional good practice and technical updates to all our systems, including within the third sector. 

• Support with network data enquiries, including analysing data, creating Salesforce reports and dashboards for colleagues. 

• Work with colleagues to identify learning & development needs and support Operations and Data Manager to develop and deliver inductions, training and guidance to meet requirements. 

• Keep internal training manuals up to date to ensure the Foundation’s team can access clear and consistent information about our systems and processes. 

•  Support Operations and Data Manager to monitor the impact of internal trainings, support, resources and guidance – update and improve internal support offer as required. 

Communications 

• Create and write dashboards and reports to support the analysis of our performance. 

• Champion systems throughout the organisation and advocate for systems-based solutions. Offer ad hoc guidance to the team and help communicate any changes to systems. 

• Run systems surgeries for colleagues to answer ad hoc enquiries and support learning. 

Develop and manage external relationships 

• Communicate effectively with our external contractors (e.g. merchandise suppliers) to ensure contracts are fulfilled in a timely manner. 

• Help identify suitable new suppliers to meet organisational need. 

Develop and manage internal relationships 

• Support Operations and Data Manager to identify technical solutions to meet organisational requirements. 

• Monitor and respond to operations and data enquiries from colleagues. Work effectively with colleagues across Citizens UK, actively participate in the team and organisational wide events. 

Income and resources 

• Maintain Salesforce data integrity to support accurate and timely invoicing. Help ensure the integrity and safety of our data advising wider organisation on best practice where appropriate. 

• Support Operations and Data Manager to track expenditure for Shopify and merchandise suppliers. 

• Contribute to plans and proposals to grow sources of income or resources. 

Contribute towards Citizens UK’s strategic objectives 

• Responsibility for delivering agreed areas of the Foundation’s work plan. 

• To work collaboratively with the LWF team and across Citizens UK to ensure that we are meeting the expectations of our network and stakeholders. 

• Display self-awareness of DEI issues and good practice, considering impact on direct reports and stakeholders. 

• Understand how your role contributes to the purpose of the Foundation and the core mission of Citizens UK. 

• Implement Citizens UK’s and the Foundation policies, procedures, and values in own work and that of the team. 

Personal Specification 

(D) Desirable, (E) Essential 

Qualifications 

• Degree or equivalent professional qualification or experience (D) 

Experience 

• A minimum of 2 years proven, comprehensive experience in an operations role (E) 

• Experience of analysing business requirements and turning them into technical solutions (E) 

• Experience of providing technical support to a team (E) 

• Experience of administrating and updating Salesforce or similar databases, and using database integrations such as Zapier, QuickBooks, Form Assembly and email marketing platforms (D) 

Key skills and knowledge 

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret large quantities of data to evaluate and improve performance (E) 

• Interest in and good understanding of database and systems management and integration (E) 

• Ability to take in and interpret information and communicate in a succinct manner (E) 

• Demonstrable ability to find creative solutions to complex problems and implement new systems (E) 

• High levels of numeracy with strong attention to detail (E) 

• Excellent time management skills with the ability to juggle a wide range of competing demands (E) 

• Strong IT skills to include MS Office and database software (E) 

• Sound knowledge of data protection regulations and GDPR (E) 

• Understanding of the policy and campaign landscape in the UK (D)

Personal qualities & values 

• A proactive approach to all areas of work with a ‘can do’ attitude and a flexible approach to work demands (E) 

• A strong commitment to the Living Wage campaign and the principles of Citizens UK (E) 

About the application process 

We work within diverse communities bringing people together. In line with our Inclusion value, we would love to see applications from LGBTQIA+ people, people from racialised communities, people living with disabilities and people of faith, all to better represent the communities we work in. We want our employees to have the working conditions that allows them to fully participate, be able to be their best authentic selves and thrive doing so, and we have employee networks to support staff. Even if you don’t quite meet all the required criteria still consider applying, as we invest in our employees and support them to develop the skills and knowledge required to deliver their role.

Interview date: W/C 4th August

Want to find out more about us and the role?

If you would like further information on the role, the organisation, or our commitment to addressing under-representation and the development and progression of all colleagues, we would be happy to answer any questions.

Join us for a 45-minute lunchtime webinar to learn more about working at the Living Wage Foundation/Citizens UK. Anyone can attend to find out more about the role, all enquiries welcome. In the past, candidates have found this a helpful space for understanding whether the role is right for them.

The webinar will take place on Monday 7 July from 13:00-13:45 on Zoom. Sign up here.