Senior youth support worker jobs

Are you passionate about using sports to inspire, mentor, and support young people? Do you have a heart for youth work rooted in Christian values? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Role Overview:

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Youth Work Sports Manager to lead and develop our sports and physical activity programmes. You’ll work with a committed team to plan and deliver sports sessions, events, and mentoring opportunities that reflect our Christian ethos and create meaningful change for young people.

Key Responsibilities:

·Lead Face-to-Face Youth Engagement
Deliver regular, purposeful youth work sessions for young people aged 10+, ensuring programmes reflect their needs and the centre’s Christian values.

·Design and Deliver Sports Programmes
Oversee a diverse and inclusive sports programme, incorporating awards, adventure activities, and development opportunities for young people.

·Strategic Planning and Evaluation
Develop and review session plans, set objectives, evaluate impact, and ensure alignment with local and national youth work policies.

·Staff and Volunteer Management
Recruit, supervise, train, and support youth work staff and volunteers, fostering a strong and capable delivery team.

·Fundraising and Financial Oversight
Raise and manage funds for activities, ensuring budgets are used effectively and reporting meets funder requirements.

·Ensure Safety, Inclusion, and Centre Collaboration
Uphold health and safety standards, promote accessibility, and contribute to the wider development and Christian ethos of The Salmon Youth Centre.

About You:

·Qualified Professional
Holds a JNC-recognised youth/community work or sports qualification, Ideally with aFirst Aid certification, and a D1 driving licence.

·Experienced Youth Work Manager
Has 3+ years’ management experience working with young people in informal, voluntary settings—especially through sports.

·Strong Leader and Manager
Proven ability to lead teams, supervise staff, manage resources, and develop effective programmes.

·Skilled Planner and Evaluator
Confident in setting goals, monitoring progress, and evaluating outcomes within a youth work context.

·Inclusive and Safeguarding-Focused
Knowledge of equality, diversity, safeguarding legislation, and experience working in diverse, inner-city environments.

·Christian Ethos and Communication
Able to promote Christian values through youth work, build partnerships, and engage with communities effectively.

Genuine Occupational Requirement:

Due to the nature of this role and the ethos of our organisation, it is an occupational requirement, in accordance with Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010, that the post holder is a practicing, Christian. The successful candidate will be expected to fully support and actively promote the Christian values and mission of our centre.

What We Offer:

·Salary: JNC Points 19–24 (plus Inner London Allowance), with a loyalty bonus for those at the top of the scale

·Pension: 5% employer’s contribution to your pension

·Holidays: 30 days annual leave, rising to 35 days after five years’ service

·Working Hours: 35 hours per week with a flexitime arrangement, including some evenings and weekends

·Purposeful Work: Be part of a dynamic team making a real difference in young people’s lives through sport, creativity, and faith-based youth work

·Supportive Environment: A chance to work in a Christian youth work team

·Training: Opportunities for personal development and training in relevant areas.

·Safeguarding: The Salmon Youth Centre is committed to high quality safeguarding standards and to promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and an enhanced DBS disclosure will be required, along with regular training.

Are you ready to join The King's Trust and step into a vibrant role where you'll build meaningful connections and nurture relationships with our extraordinary external delivery partners and volunteers, all in the pursuit of connecting with the young hearts and minds we're devoted to supporting? If the answer is yes, read on!

Take the lead in welcoming, training, and expertly managing a group of delivery partners and volunteers. Your mission will be to ensure that our young people have an exceptional experience and achieve those positive outcomes that change lives. You will also be kept engaged as you’ll be required to travel within your local area to support the delivery of programmes as well as programme visits.

Assist and support our delivery partners and volunteers in bringing The Trust's programmes to life. They'll rely on you for access to training, resources, qualifications, and guidance in adhering to our top-notch quality standards. You’ll also be our compliance hero, ensuring that our delivery partners and volunteers are up to speed with all the necessary policies that keep things running smoothly. You'll be our go-to person, ready to tackle any minor concerns or issues that come our way.

Your knack for precision will shine through as you meticulously record information and data on young people, volunteers, or partners. It's all about ensuring that each step of their journey is accurately documented in our systems and aligns perfectly with the requirements of our funding contracts and is at the forefront of championing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. Your sheer enthusiasm and commitment will ignite some transformative action, sparking real change as we put those local plans into play and excel in achieving our EDI goals!

If you are a strong communicator with sharp problem-solving skills and can transform ordinary moments into unforgettable events, you could be just the person we are looking for.

Expect the unexpected and embrace it. Come and be a part of our mission!

Are you ready to join The King's Trust and step into a vibrant role where you'll build meaningful connections and nurture relationships with our extraordinary external delivery partners and volunteers, all in the pursuit of connecting with the young hearts and minds we're devoted to supporting? If the answer is yes, read on!

Take the lead in welcoming, training, and expertly managing a group of delivery partners and volunteers. Your mission will be to ensure that our young people have an exceptional experience and achieve those positive outcomes that change lives. You will also be kept engaged as you’ll be required to travel within your local area to support the delivery of programmes as well as programme visits.

Assist and support our delivery partners and volunteers in bringing The Trust's programmes to life. They'll rely on you for access to training, resources, qualifications, and guidance in adhering to our top-notch quality standards. You’ll also be our compliance hero, ensuring that our delivery partners and volunteers are up to speed with all the necessary policies that keep things running smoothly. You'll be our go-to person, ready to tackle any minor concerns or issues that come our way.

Your knack for precision will shine through as you meticulously record information and data on young people, volunteers, or partners. It's all about ensuring that each step of their journey is accurately documented in our systems and aligns perfectly with the requirements of our funding contracts and is at the forefront of championing Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion. Your sheer enthusiasm and commitment will ignite some transformative action, sparking real change as we put those local plans into play and excel in achieving our EDI goals!

Do you have the creativity to facilitate best practice sharing, energise networking sessions, and throw sensational end-of-programme parties? Are you ready to step up and lead sessions with young people when the moment calls? Having a background in education or an understanding of the education system could be an advantage when joining some of our teams, it's like having an ace up your sleeve, whether you're familiar with the intricacies of the school year or you've walked in the shoes of a teacher.

If you are a strong communicator with sharp problem-solving skills and can transform ordinary moments into unforgettable events, you could be just the person we are looking for.

Expect the unexpected and embrace it. Come and be a part of our mission!

About Kinship

We are Kinship. The leading kinship care charity in England and Wales. We’re here for kinship carers – friends or family who step up to raise a child when their parents aren’t able to. 

Together, let’s commit to change for kinship families

About the role

Our advice service provides over 2,000 kinship carers a year with easy access to expert advice and support to empower them to:

- realise their rights

- access the support to which they are entitled

- take the next step forward in tackling their challenges

- and navigate their way through a sometimes complex and confusing system.

We’re developing our advice service and investing in our team to make sure that we can support more kinship carers effectively. You’ll be part of a supportive team who keep kinship carers at the heart of their service.

The role of Advice Worker is pivotal in supporting kinship carers to access the right information, services and entitlements.

In this role, you’ll provide generalist advice and information to kinship carers in line with kinship carers’ preferred methods. Often, this will be by telephone, including taking live calls on our advice line, and by email. You will also need to respond to enquiries using video conferencing, text and other channels as we develop the service.

The type of person we’re looking for:

You will either have significant experience of providing advice to individuals on their rights, or you will have significant experience of providing support to kinship carers.

We will provide the training you need to undertake the role, as well as opportunities for development and progression.

You will need to be resilient and able to remain calm in difficult situations. You will have an eye for detail to identify the key issues requiring advice and the relevant legislation, guidance or practice. You will be firm, sensitive and professional in your approach and will be clear and assertive as you support kinship carers to get their needs met quickly and effectively.

The team work remotely, but there is the option to work from our office in London.

Key responsibilities include:  

Advice provision:

· Respond to enquiries through a range of incoming channels. This includes taking calls on our advice line, as well as responding to enquiries submitted through our website, via internal referral or other channels.

· Provide high quality advice and information to kinship carers on their rights, entitlements and responsibilities in relation to: welfare benefits, local authority allowances, support from children’s services, kinship care arrangements and options, housing, sources of educational, parenting and legal support and other issues that may be required.

· Address all safeguarding concerns in line with policy.

· Make referrals and signpost to other services as necessary.

· Where appropriate, provide additional advice or support to enable the client to take action or undertake follow-up action on behalf of the client to move the case on.

· Facilitate access to our advice service for people with diverse needs.

Service quality, consistency and data management:

· Respond to all enquiries in line with Kinship’s advice service framework, standards and performance targets.

· Ensure independence, impartiality and confidentiality when dealing with kinship carers.

Professional and service development:

· Maintain an up to date knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and guidance.

· Support continuous development and improvement of the service.

Essential knowledge, abilities, skills and experience include: 

· EITHER:

a) Minimum of 2 years recent experience of delivering advice work on social welfare issues (e.g. benefits, housing, education or social care) to members of the public.

OR:

b) Minimum of 2 years recent experience of providing support to kinship carers.

OR:

c) Experience equivalent to, or a combination of, a) or b) above.

· Experience of working with socially excluded or marginalised people and their
families. 

· Detailed knowledge of the statutory systems that people with advice needs frequently encounter.

· Knowledge and evidence of good understanding of safeguarding issues and good practice.

· Excellent interpersonal skills, and particularly, a sensitive and professional telephone manner.

· Excellent written communication skills in English.

· Proven ability to research complex information and communicate this in an easily understandable way. 

· Proven understanding and practice of keeping accurate and appropriate case records. 

· Ability to work flexibly, collaboratively and effectively as part of a team.

· Ability to organise and prioritise a busy workload without close supervision.

· Confident in using digital tools, and an ability to learn new tools.

· A demonstrable commitment to apply equality, diversity and inclusion principles in all areas of work.

· Willingness to travel across England on occasion, as required (such as for events), working flexibly in response to the need.

· Right to work in the UK.

IMPORTANT: See attached Job Pack for full job description, person specification and other details

Kinship are an equal opportunities employer. We warmly welcome applications from appropriately qualified people from all sections of the community and aim to promote diversity. 

What we’ll offer you 

Kinship offers 30 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time) as well as a generous pension scheme. This permanent role is open to flexible working. We have an excellent wellbeing offer including the Employee Assistance Programme. We will invest in your professional development with training and career development opportunities.

Kinship is committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.  We believe our work is greatly enhanced by the varied backgrounds, experiences and views represented within our teams.  We aim to create inclusive teams, celebrate differences and encourage everyone to join us and be their true self at work. We therefore encourage applications from anyone who fits our values, whatever their religion or belief, sex, gender identity, race, age, sexuality or disability and are actively seeking candidates that can bring real innovation and commitment to us. 

This is a fantastic time to join a supportive and well-established team within an organisation with rapid growth ambitions. This role will be what you make it and we’re looking for someone to seize this opportunity!

Growing Younger is our 10 year plan for achieving two bold outcomes and we now need someone to lead this plan.

At the heart of our vision of a transformation in our engagement with children and young people are two commitments:

• that every child and young person in Cornwall will be in reach of a worshipping community in which to explore the possibility of God and be at home; and
• to increase the number of young disciples of Jesus by a factor of ten from a baseline of around 400 to 4,000.

You will be passionate about seeing children, young people, and families flourish in faith. Working  closely with clergy, deaneries and the diocesan staff team you will  have significant experience in church ministry,  working with children and young people, and achieving results against plans.

We are very happy to invest in the right person and can offer a range of training and support.

At the Diocese of Truro, we value work-life balance and employee wellbeing and are committed to supporting your development. We offer additional benefits such as flexible working, up to 26 days holiday plus bank holidays, a range of wellbeing activities and the Church of England Pension Scheme with 9-15% employer contributions. You can find more information about this on our website. 

The closing date for applications is midnight on 27 July 2025 with interviews being held 5 August 2025 in Truro.

Please note that whilst some home working is permitted this role cannot be done remotely and we do not pay staff to commute from outside Cornwall.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons. However, we would particularly welcome applications from those with a disability, or from a UK minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented in our staff.

SAFEGUARDING – EVERYONE MATTERS – EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY

The Diocese of Truro strives to be trauma informed, and is committed to developing safer policies, cultures, and practices.

Do you want to work for an award winning charity? One that values its colleagues and clients alike? Do you want to have an impact and make a real difference to young people who need a fresh start? Do you have tenacity, resilience and strength of character to guide and advocate for young people?

BACKUP North West delivers support and housing services for homeless and vulnerable young people in Bolton. If you have great written and verbal communication skills, are committed to improving the lives of young people, are motivated and resilient, we need you! Due to growth we are looking for several new colleagues to work in front line service delivery roles across our supported housing provision. Your primary role will be to enable young people to achieve their potential, be safe and secure and move out of (literally) homeless services.

(We are Ofsted registered)

To join us, you will have to demonstrate a commitment to the ethos and values of the charity, be a positive role model for young people and colleagues and be person-centred.

Excellent people skills are a must. We are an Investors in People GOLD employer.

Do you want to work for an award winning charity? One that values its colleagues and clients alike? Do you want to have an impact and make a real difference to young people who need a fresh start? Do you have tenacity, resilience and strength of character to guide and advocate for young people?

BACKUP North West delivers support and housing services for homeless and vulnerable young people in Bolton. If you have great written and verbal communication skills, are committed to improving the lives of young people, are motivated and resilient, we need you! Due to growth we are looking for several new colleagues to work in front line service delivery roles across our supported housing provision. Your primary role will be to enable young people to achieve their potential, be safe and secure and move out of (literally) homeless services.

(We are Ofsted registered)

To join us, you will have to demonstrate a commitment to the ethos and values of the charity, be a positive role model for young people and colleagues and be person-centred.

Excellent people skills are a must. We are an Investors in People GOLD employer.

The main job role is to support Spectra in achieving a more inclusive and supportive process as part of our current organisational transformation. The postholder will design and embed practices and procedures that will improve staff wellbeing and inclusion. They will also provide support to managers around organisational change and embedding culture change.

Main Responsibilities:

• Design and deliver a people and culture strategy based on our strategic plan.
• Promote staff wellbeing and provide a supportive culture.
• Develop and deliver Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies.
• Oversee and review people and culture policies.
• Support managers with tailored HR solutions.
• Foster collaboration between senior management and staff.

If you’re an experienced people manager who thrives in an agile and complex environment we’d love to hear from you.

The role offers a combination of working online and at Spectra’s office based in South London.

Regional Youth and Community Director
OASIS UK – Youth and Community (OCP)

Permanent, full-time post, 40 hours per week, inclusive of breaks 

Salary: £51,959 per annum (£54,669 p.a. London Weighting for London based staff)

At an exciting and key stage in our journey we have the opportunity for Youth and Community Directors to join our team supporting Oasis’ youth and community work in neighbourhoods in the following regions;

- London and South East (North, Central and South London and Kent - five local Oasis charities)

- North West (Greater Manchester – two local charities, and two regionwide youth violence contracts)

- North East (NE Lincs, Humber, Bradford and Sheffield – four local charities)

With accountability to the Oasis CEO for Youth and Community the role of the regional Youth and Community Director will have three main functions:

1 Strategic management oversight of local Youth and Community teams

2 Regional development, working alongside other functions within the Oasis family

3 Being part of the national Youth and Community leadership team

The Youth and Community Director will have strategic management oversight of local Youth and Community teams in the region, providing accountability and support to the local leaders and charity boards. This responsibility area falls into two categories; those the Director is directly responsible for, and those they are responsible for ensuring are carried out by those within their region.

ORGANISATIONAL CONTEXT

Oasis neighbourhoods are local places of activity that provide integrated, high quality and diverse services to benefit the whole person and the whole community. The Oasis ethos stems from our Christian roots and is an expression of our character - it is a declaration of who we are and therefore the lens through which we assess all we do. This is encapsulated by the following five statements:

a passion to include everyone

a desire to treat everyone equally, respecting differences

a commitment to healthy and open relationships

a deep sense of hope that things can change and be transformed

a sense of perseverance to keep going for the long haul

An Oasis neighbourhood is a community movement and the joining together of all the work Oasis does in any one place, which could include foodbanks, debt advice centres, family support and advice services, healthcare, youth work, children’s work, alongside other Oasis activities in that community, including formal education through Oasis Academies.

The Youth and Community function of Oasis is responsible for the wider community work that takes place within Oasis neighbourhoods, working closely with the other functions of Oasis to outwork our vision. In relation to governance, Oasis Community Partnerships is the national charity, with each local team operating from their own local Oasis charity.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a growing national organisation, making a difference to communities on a local level, whilst also influencing the national landscape.  As part of the package, Oasis offers:

• A pension scheme, currently offering 7% employer contribution
• A generous holiday allowance, starting at 25 days per year (plus 8 Bank Holidays)

Please contact us to arrange for an informal conversation with our CEO to find out more about the role. If you are interested in this position, please send your CV and a covering letter (ensuring you refer to the job description and person spec).

The successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK.  Oasis cannot assist with sponsorship or visas.

We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and minority and underrepresented groups. If you require any assistance to overcome potential barriers to application, please let us know.

Completed applications should be returned by 9AM on Monday 21st July.

Interviews will take place week beginning 28th July. (Shorter more informal calls may be arranged the previous week to assist with shortlisting)

Oasis is committed to making a difference to the lives of the communities it works in, and as such you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks.

Oasis supports Equal Opportunities.  Registered Charity No. 08749179

Role: Self-employed Independent Fostering Reviewing Officer

Locations:  North West

Pay -  £33 per hour

We are the UK’s largest specialist charity provider of fostering. Our core work involves providing high quality and well supported fostering families for children and young people in the care of local authorities. 

As a ‘not for profit’ organisation, TACT puts the needs of our children and carers first and look to appoint individuals who are as passionate about fostering as we are. TACT invests all surplus income into staff, carers, and child development. This means that we have been able to establish expert in-house support services such as our TACT Health and Education Services and create TACT Connect, our ground-breaking scheme for care experienced young people and adults.  New staff and workers will join us as we  embark on a journey to become a wholly trauma-informed organisation with the aim of increasing our effectiveness and improving outcomes for the children and young people in our care.

As a self-employed worker with TACT, you will be a part of our amazing team of professionals working with our organisational values at the heart of their everyday practice. You can review our values here.

We are recruiting Independent  Fostering Reviewing Officer to undertake carer annual reviews. 

Core Tasks

• To carry out statutory annual reviews of Foster Carers.
• To satisfy TACT that the foster carers continue to be suitable to be professional foster carers and that all safeguarding issues are addressed.
• to make recommendation to TACT in regard to foster carers terms of approval.
• To give the carer, the social worker of any child in placement, birth children and fostered children the opportunity to give feedback about the placement
• To be part of TACT’s Quality Assurance processes
• To ensure foster carers are enabling children to reach their full potential

Rates of Pay

• TACT will pay £33.00 per hour plus travel time at £15 per hour (outside of London) or £16.50 per hour (London only) and mileage at 45p per mile.

Please see the Job Information Pack for a full breakdown of the role.

You will be DipSW, CSS or CQSW qualified and registered with the relevant regulatory body (Social Work England, Social Care Wales or Scottish Social Services Council).

An Enhanced DBS/PVG check will be required for this role and will be undertaken  by TACT on your behalf.

• Closing Date: Friday  15th August 2025
• Interview Date: Wednesday 27th August 2025

Safeguarding is everyone’s business and we believe that only the people with the right skills and values should work in social work.  As part of our commitment to safeguarding, we properly examine the skills, experience, qualifications and values of potential staff in relation to our work with vulnerable young children.  We use rigorous and consistent recruitment approaches to help safeguard our young people. All staff are expected to work in line with TACT’s safeguarding policies.

We reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than advertised if the volume of applications is excessive, you are therefore advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

We do not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them

Do you want to make a difference to the lives of students and equip them to put their faith into action?

SCM is looking for a recent graduate to spend a year working with us to help us to continue to build on the work of our successful Faith in Action project. 

Run in partnership with Project Bonhoeffer, a small charitable trust, the project began in 2012 with a vision that Christian students in Britain would have a greater awareness and understanding of Bonhoeffer’s radical approach to faith and discipleship, and its implications for Christian living in the modern world. 

The project has helped to run over a dozen campaigns from Food Poverty to Peace, and had an immeasurable impact on thousands of students through blogs, resources, and relationships. All of this is bringing to light many ‘Bonhoeffers’ of today negotiating the implications on Christian living in the world.

In 2021 we developed the Faith in Action project as a graduate scheme by employing two graduates to work on the project; one to lead on theology bringing a depth of learning and theological refection, and the other to be a campaigns lead, taking us always back out into the world to make a difference.

The project has been very successful, and now we are looking to grow it for further. We are looking for a passionate graduate to join the project for the 2025-26 academic year.

In this role, you will be a theologian to make other theologians, and will provide the framework for students to be able to reflect theologically on their life and modern Christian Living. You will be responsible for growing the breadth of SCM’s Faith in Action resources, and discovering new ways of connecting with the current membership via the trends of social media or engaging in face-to-face reflections. An activist to make other activists, you will coordinate social action for SCM, engaging the membership in social justice projects that maximise our impact in society and the world.

You will work to build relationships between SCM communities and members to equip students with the skills they need to become faith-filled agents of social and political change and lead them in theological reflection to discern their involvement in local and national campaigns. You will also work to develop relationships with other Christian social justice and campaigning organisations to create opportunities for students to put their faith into action. In all of this, you will be supported by our small but perfectly-formed team, who will share your values and fully understand your aims in this project.

The role will require some travel within Britain, as well as semi-regular visits to the office in Birmingham, which may also include an overnight stay. All reasonable expenses for travel and accommodation will be reimbursed. Some evening and weekend work may be required for which time off in lieu will be given.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and LGBTQ+ individuals who are currently underrepresented in the organisation. Due to the nature of this role and the responsibilities of the successful post-holder, a genuine occupational requirement to be a committed Christian is in place for this role in accordance with the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

Please use the forms provided; CVs will not be accepted. Applications should be submitted electronically in Word format by email to the address provided in the application pack.

Student Christian Movement is a registered charity in England and Wales, number 1125640, and in Scotland number SC048506

The Resident Engagement Manager will be the organisational lead in a new and exciting lottery funded project leading a small team and overseeing the design and delivery of the LEAP service at Homeless Oxfordshire and with wider partners.

Some of your responsibilities will include:

• Provide leadership across the organisation on resident engagement, learning and skills, co-production and activities.
• To promote the active involvement of the resident’s experience and voice in the delivery, development and monitoring of LEAP service.
• To provide support and line management supervision to the engagement team, ensuring they meet all aims, objectives and outcomes, according to the lottery bid.
• Lead on monitoring, data collection and impact measures for all resident engagement work.
• Lead on the design of the peer mentoring training and traineeship programmes.
• Develop and maintain key relationships with key stakeholders including education, employment and third sector partners.
• Develop and maintain strong internal working relationships to ensure managers and teams deliver high quality services that are reflective of Homeless Oxfordshire’s values and address local needs.
• Lead on the development of a mutual support network for staff with lived experience
• Comply with Homeless Oxfordshire’s policies and procedures
• Contribute to a positive working environment in which equality and diversity are valued and staff are enabled to do their best.
• Contribute to the work of the broader team.

About LEAP

LEAP is built on the foundation of strong, supportive relationships that empower residents to move towards stable, independent living. Through one-to-one key worker support, trauma-informed care, and community engagement, residents rebuild trust, form friendships, and gain confidence. Activities like gardening, arts and crafts, and creative writing foster connection and personal growth, while group involvement helps residents feel part of a wider community. LEAP also supports residents to take steps into peer mentoring, volunteering, and training, helping them build positive networks beyond their immediate circle and develop the skills and confidence to thrive independently.

At LEAP, community involvement is at the heart of their work. Empowering residents through co-production is a key organisational goal. LEAP offer a range of inclusive engagement methods—from informal gatherings like group breakfasts and creative activities, to structured sessions such as support needs mapping and Residents’ Forums. These forums provide regular opportunities for feedback and co-design, with input reaching senior management and trustees. They are enhancing resident engagement by developing a mutual support network for staff with lived experience of homelessness and/or addiction. This group will shape services and policies, and guide resident outreach. LEAP also collaborates with local partners like RAW, a social enterprise offering training and employment to those with lived experience, and strengthens ties with adult education providers such as Abingdon and Witney College. We also create pathways to volunteer with cultural institutions like the University of Oxford Museums.

LEAP empowers people with lived experience of homelessness and/or addiction, helping them build the confidence and skills needed to move towards independent living and employment. Over three years, the project aims to support 750 individuals. Through a wide range of engaging and meaningful activities, residents will experience positive outcomes such as increased confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of inclusion. They will build supportive networks, learn key life skills and access training, volunteering, and employment opportunities. Many will gain qualifications and secure long-term accommodation. The project strengthens peer support and enables residents to shape services through formalised Residents’ Forums, ensuring their voices influence senior decision-making. For Homeless Oxfordshire, LEAP enhances our capacity to deliver peer-led support, builds staff knowledge, and informs service improvement. Wider community benefits include reduced stigma around homelessness, stronger partnerships with employers and organisations, and improved understanding of the issues faced by our residents—ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and compassionate society.