Service improvement advisor northern jobs in london
At Alzheimer's Society, we're a team of advisors, supporters, fundraisers, researchers, and advocates - united by one purpose: to make life better for everyone affected by dementia.
We're looking for a Company Secretary and Governance Lead to play an important leadership role in ensuring our charity operates to the highest standards of governance, transparency and integrity.
Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer and working closely with the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Chief Executive, Executive Leadership Team and Board Committees, this role will shape and strengthen our governance framework to enable confident, informed decision-making that supports delivery of our strategy and impact. This is an outstanding opportunity for a strategic governance leader who can combine technical expertise with strong relationship management and a genuine passion for driving good governance that supports our mission.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as Company Secretary for Alzheimer's Society and its subsidiaries, ensuring compliance with Charity Commission and Companies House requirements.
- Provide trusted advice to the Chair, Board of Trustees and Executive Leadership Team on their legal, fiduciary and regulatory responsibilities.
- Oversee governance arrangements, ensuring effective information flow and clear decision-making structures across the organisation.
- Develop and lead a team of Governance professionals, promoting a culture of high performance, collaboration, accountability and inclusivity.
- Lead the design and continual improvement of our governance framework, embedding transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision making.
- Serve as Whistleblowing Officer for the Society, and champion integrity and openness in all governance processes.
- Support the governance team to deliver efficient Board and Committee meetings, forward planning, and statutory reporting.
- Foster strong relationships across teams, embedding governance and compliance as enablers of effective, ethical leadership.
About You
You're a confident, collaborative leader who combines professional rigour with empathy, diplomacy and a values-led approach. You bring the strategic insight to advise senior leaders and the operational focus to ensure governance processes run seamlessly.
We're looking for someone who can:
- Demonstrate a strong track record of advising Boards and senior leaders on governance, compliance and organisational risk.
- Bring excellent knowledge of charity law, company law, and the UK governance landscape.
- Communicate complex information clearly and credibly to a range of audiences.
- Lead with authenticity and integrity, building trusted relationships across all levels.
- Drive continuous improvement — from simplifying processes to fostering a culture of learning and accountability.
- Lead and develop a small team, championing collaboration and professional growth.
- Model Alzheimer's Society's values of Determination, Better Together, Compassion and Trusted Expertise in all that you do.
This role is Home-based with occasional travel across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Important Dates:
- The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 30th November 2025.
- Interview invites will be issued from 8th December.
- Involvement (lived-experience) Panel will take place on 12th December 2025.
- Competency Panel interview will take place at our Crutched Friar's London Office on 16th December 2025.
- Candidates will have the opportunity to meet with our CEO and Chair of the Board of Trustees virtually on 17th December 2025.
About Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.
At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.
Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.
Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.
Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.
We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society.
Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.
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Senior Adviser
Job Title - Senior Adviser
Contract - Permanent
Hours - 28 hours per week
Salary - £36,800 per annum (£46,000 FTE)
Location - Coram Campus, London WC1 (with flexibility for hybrid working)
About Coram
Coram is committed to improving the lives of the UK’s most vulnerable children and young people.
We support children and young people from birth to independence, creating a change that lasts a lifetime.
Coram is the UK’s oldest children’s charity founded by Thomas Coram in London helping vulnerable children and young people since 1739. Today, the Coram group helps more than one million children, young people, families and professionals every year by providing access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive.
About CoramBAAF
CoramBAAF is the UK's leading membership organisation for professionals dedicated to improving outcomes for children and young people in care. Our corporate members in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland represent 94% of all local authorities as well as regional adoption agencies, health and social care trusts, independent fostering providers and voluntary adoption agencies, and cover 88% of all children and family social workers.
Our 650+ individual and associate members - comprising lawyers, health professionals, educational institutions, therapeutic and family support services, and more - reflect the multidisciplinary nature of our work. Together, our members make up the largest network of organisations and individuals involved with children in their journey through the care system.
About the role
The Senior Adviser post is a new role to increase capacity within our small and friendly Advice and Information Team. The Senior Adviser will be responsible for delivering high quality, evidence-based, advice and information by email and phone to Coram BAAF members. Our enquirers are primarily social workers at all levels including senior managers, along with associated professionals in health, legal and other areas of children’s social care.
The role will also support our Outbound Permanence Service which provides specialist advice and resources for local authorities across the UK seeking to place a looked after child with relatives overseas, and also offers training and consultancy. The post holder will, once familiar, have the opportunity to participate in Outbound training delivery.
We envisage this as a 4 day per week role, but are open to considering additional flexibility within the constraints of our core service hours (see full job description).
This role may suit you if you have considerable experience in childcare social work, in one or more of adoption, kinship, or foster care, together with experience in advising fellow professionals. You will have a clear understanding of the key principles involved in providing accurate, evidence-based advice and information.
You may have experience of working for a similar national helpline or advice, though this is not essential. You should have good knowledge of relevant regulations, guidance, minimum standards, and published good practice, along with the ability to research and translate complex information into accurate, clear, evidence-based, and practical advice.
Although we have an extensive database and internal Consultants to draw upon, the ability to present this information as a concise, logical summary tailored to each individual query is essential.
If you are looking for an opportunity to influence practice, advise and support fellow professionals, consolidate your current knowledge, research, and continually learn, including areas of practice currently unfamiliar to you, please see the job description and person specification for full details.
Please note that you must have the right to work in the UK.
Closing Date: Monday 1st December 2025 at 8am – we reserve the right to close this job early if we have sufficient applications, so early application is advised.
Interview Date: Tuesday 9th December 2025 - Please note that interviews will take place in-person and will include a written test.
Coram is an equal opportunities employer and we believe a diverse workforce enables us to improve the services to the children and families we help. We are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from all sections of the community we seek to support. This includes those from global majority ethnic backgrounds, those that identify as LGBQT+, those with disabilities, those with lived experience of care, those with neuro-diversity, and those from other groups who are underrepresented at Coram.
If applicants feel comfortable, we would encourage them to draw on lived experience as well as professional experience in their personal statement as part of their application.
We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Registered Charity No. 312278.
