Social Care Jobs in Hounslow, Greater London

We have an exciting new opportunity for a Social Prescribing Link Worker to join our team in Merton.

The Merton Social Prescribing service is one of the most established and mature services in the UK and is celebrating its 7th anniversary this year. We are seeking an individual to join our successful service in Southwest London. This role will help to strengthen the links between Primary Care, voluntary and public services to improve patients’ health and wellbeing. 

You will support patients within Primary Care in Merton, and you will support each patient to access appropriate services provided by voluntary and community organisations and other agencies. We expand the options available in Primary Care by creating a ‘managed’ way for referrals of patients with social, emotional and/or practical needs to a variety of local non-clinical services in the community. These include leisure, social activities, education, welfare, housing and employment advice and support. 

About The Role | How to Apply: 

• 35 hrs per week 

• six months fixed term contract with possible extension, subject to funding 

• £31,395 per annum plus 5% pension, includes Outer London Weighting 

• Closing date for applications:  Wednesday 1st May 2024 (midnight)

• Applications may close before the deadline, so please apply early to avoid disappointment.  

• Formal interviews will be held between 7th and 10th May 2024 

• The starting day will be in June 2024 

• Applicants will be notified by telephone if they are to be invited for interview 

• Please complete and submit your application form by email to

We have a brand new homeworking role in our People and Culture team.  This is a fantastic opportunity to shape the role and make it your own.  You will be the  first point of contact in the team.  You will have experience of HR administration and continuously improving processes to ensure they are both efficient and effective.  An understanding of UK employment legislation is a must. You should have a demonstrable track record of successfully building and maintaining working relationships across an organisation. You should be adept in identifying pragmatic solutions considering the full circumstances of a situation.

We are a small yet busy team. The ability to work at pace whilst maintaining attention to detail is vital, as are good organisational and prioritisation skills

SCIE is a national charity with a clear vision of a society where care and support maximise people's choices. removes social inequality and enables people to live fulfilling, safe and happy lives.

To achieve this we research, evidence, share and support the implementation of best practice. We use this evidence and experience to shape policy and outcomes, and to raise awareness of the importance of social care and social work for creating a fair and equal society. Everything we do is informed by people with experience of care and support.

We are clear that to achieve our purpose we require a workforce of capable, valued and engaged employees.

At SCIE, we are driven by our values:

• Progressive – always learning and developing.
• Inclusive – working together for equality, diversity, and fairness.
• Credible – evidence-based, robust, and reliable.
• Transparent – open and honest.
• Committed – focused on making a difference to people’s lives.

About Al Basar International Foundation (BIF): 

Al Basar is a leading charity working toward a world free from preventable blindness, where people have access to affordable and sustainable eye care. We are on a mission to create meaningful change in communities across the globe.

The Opportunity: 

We are seeking a dynamic Social Media Officer who possesses strong skills in social media management and graphic design. This role is central to enhancing our digital presence and engaging effectively with our diverse audience to raise awareness about our initiatives and impact.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Develop and execute social media strategies to enhance engagement and increase awareness across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
2. Create compelling, visually appealing content that aligns with our brand and mission, including graphics, videos, and infographics.
3. Monitor, moderate, and respond to audience comments; manage social media partnerships with other brands and influencers.
4. Analyse and report on social media performance using metrics to guide future campaigns.
5. Stay updated with the latest digital technologies and social media trends; implement these innovations in developing campaign strategies.
6. Collaborate with other departments to ensure a cohesive and accurate portrayal of the foundation's activities and campaigns.
7. Manage and oversee the visual content library, ensuring all media is organised and easily accessible.

Competencies and Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Communications, Graphic Design, or a related field.
2. Proven experience managing professional social media accounts, including content creation and digital analytics.
3. Strong graphic design skills with proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) or similar software.
4. Excellent writing, editing (photo/video/text), and communication skills.
5. Creative and innovative thinker and planner.
6. Capable of working independently as well as part of a team in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
7. Detail-oriented with an ability to prioritise and juggle multiple projects.

Why Join Us:

• Impact: Make a real difference in combating preventable blindness.
• Collaboration: Work in a dynamic, collaborative environment.
• Innovation: Bring your creative solutions to the forefront.
• Development: Access to professional development opportunities.
• Culture: Be part of a dynamic and empowering work culture

Application Process:

Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume and a cover letter outlining their suitability for the position.

BIF is committed to equal opportunity employment. We celebrate diversity and aim to create an inclusive environment for all employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.

Please note, due to the nature of the service, it is an occupational requirement that the post holder is female and the post is therefore exempt from the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 in terms of Schedule 9, Part 1, and Paragraph 1 of the Act.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We're looking for a Children and Family Worker to join the team in our West London Women's refuge. The service is a refuge accommodation for women and children surviving domestic abuse many of whom are living with trauma. we are looking for someone who really cares about the rights of women and their children.

As a Children and Family worker, you will support in providing a much needed safe and nurturing environment for children and their mother's, providing pathways, support and appropriate interventions to enable resettlement. You will support various teams to co-produce a tailored support plan which is altered to the individual's needs through a recovery model providing trauma informed and enabling environments to achieve this. 

Shift Pattern: 37.5 hours per week, working on a rota which is over 7 days including evenings. You will be based on site within the service.

ABOUT YOU

We're looking for someone who can demonstrate compassion, empathy, empowerment and support to our residents in a trauma informed approach, able to communicate effectively with others and build purposeful relationships. You will be comfortable with the environment in which you will be working, with a passion to support women and their families rebuild confidents, relationships, and work towards their personal goals. You will be comfortable with lone and group working and have a passion to provide high quality care and support to others.

Benefits, including Non-Contractual Perks

• 25 days annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Medicash includes discount gym memberships, routine optometry care, dental treatments, and physiotherapy treatments
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing.
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards

If you have the passion, creativity, and tenacity to make a real difference in people's lives, challenge stigma and make our communities safer, we would love to hear from you!

OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Children and Family Relationships

• Provide parenting advice to support mothers and their families.
• Provide stimulating play opportunities to encourage children from all backgrounds to develop and express themselves, as well as support the children with their general learning, homework, and literacy.
• Support with early learning development, supporting mothers through advice and activity packs which aid their children’s learning and development.
• Deliver family sessions to support contract orders by social services and other organisations, as well as to help rebuild relationships, life skills, confidence, reliance, self-esteem and manage trauma.
• Offer age-appropriate sessions to children to provide a safe, encouraging, and development led environment which provides meaningful and memorable experiences.
• Work with residents and their keyworkers to understand complex needs to help build children’s and their families lives.

Support Working

• Build and sustain trusting and respectful relationships with our residents, including children.
• Create a safe, stable, psychologically informed environment which is nurturing to children and families.
• Provide support for residents, contributing to the development of support plans, risk assessments, reviews, regular support sessions and other personal development activities.
• Support with reducing barriers to reintegrating into communities, and re-developing confidence, skills, and coping mechanisms to support those with previous trauma.
• Develop and sustain therapeutic relationships with our residents, providing practical and emotional support with a trauma informed approach to ensure they are always treated with respect and dignity. Deal with sensitive information in a professional manner.

Additional Responsibilities

• Attend appointments as and when required in support of residents.
• Undertake shift lead responsibilities on rotation, taking responsibility for ensuring day-to-day support delivery is effective, with staff carrying out their designated responsibilities, alongside ensuring resident and service-specific follow up actions are completed.
• Housing Management responsibilities, ensure residents and staff are safe, and the surroundings are kept clean and well maintained.

Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position. 

KEY CRITERIA

What we are looking for:

• Understanding and/or experience of working with people of complex backgrounds
• Previous experience and/or in-depth knowledge about working with children who have experienced trauma
• IT Proficiency, ability to learn new software programs, basic Microsoft experience
• Understanding of the trauma children and families may go through due to domestic violence and other previous experiences
• Understanding of the social needs and support required for people with multiple and complex needs
• Understanding and/or practical knowledge of the social and societal marginalisation that can be attached to people with various challenging backgrounds, mental health, addiction, exploitation, homelessness, and previous convictions

What we would like, but not essential:

• Previous experience creating co-produced support plans, key working, and care planning, providing appropriate interventions for service users
• Previous experience providing housing support and practical assistance within a residential support role
• Appropriate Professional Qualification in: Social Care, Early years Education, Certificate in Childcare or other relevant
• Understanding and/or practical application of key legislation regarding social care, housing, criminal justice, and mental health
• Ability to Recognise signs of deteriorating mental health and initiate appropriate interventions to prevent crisis

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

WORKING FOR US

ABOUT US

Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planned, well-managed services to make a difference. We work with high standards and external and internal regulatory frameworks.

Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change

Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group. 

Our Values

Ambition – Eager to succeed and to accomplish as much as possible for our people

Empowerment – Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential

Transparency – Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff

Inclusivity – Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website.

Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea

Healthwatch was set up in 2013 to champion the rights of health and social care users, and hold the health and social care system to account for how well it engages with the public. Its remit covers all publicly funded health and social care services for adults and children. 

Healthwatch’s remit covers all publicly funded health and social care services for adults and children.

The Advocacy Project delivers Healthwatch services in Kensington & Chelsea, Brent and Westminster – three of 152 local Healthwatch organisations. We’re building on the important work that’s been done to date, while bringing new insights from the voices of seldom heard and hard to hear groups. 

About the role

The role is to lead the work of Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea, working with a small skilled staff team and a range of volunteers and other community stakeholders. In particular, you will share our commitment to embed user engagement and community development at the heart of the Healthwatch service model, empowering user voices and improving access to health services. 

You’ll have an opportunity to develop the service in line with our ambitious vision. This will include leading on the planning and delivery of targeted projects, supporting a diverse and varied engagement programme, and building relationships with a range of strategic partners. The Healthwatch Manager (Kensington & Chelsea) also takes the lead on managing our local Advisory Board.  You will work closely with the Healthwatch teams in Westminster and Brent. 

Key responsibilities

 Ensure Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea’s work conforms to all required principles, objectives and statutory obligations, and meets all contractual requirements between The Advocacy Project and Brent Council. 

 Manage and motivate a small staff team to deliver an effective and vibrant local Healthwatch.

 Provide leadership to make sure the patient and public voice is heard across health, social care, children’s and other sectors in a continuously changing external environment. 

 Support the effective working of the Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea Advisory Board. 

 Ensure local communities are able to participate fully in our work, particularly those that are least likely to have had their voices listened to. Support these communities in influencing local and national policy. 

 Represent Healthwatch Kensington & Chelsea at strategic governance and external meetings with key stakeholders, liaising with nominated Board leads regularly. 

 Develop the service to respond to emerging trends and needs, keeping abreast of Healthwatch England best practice to continually enhance the quality of the service. 

 Monitor the service to make sure it delivers to time, budget and quality; provide reports evidencing this to key stakeholders, including local commissioners, Healthwatch Advisory Board, the Bi-borough Health and Wellbeing Board and Healthwatch England. 

 Develop effective partnerships with key staff in health and social care services. 

 Work with the communications and engagement lead to make sure all relevant internal and external stakeholders receive relevant, timely and up-to-date communication about all Healthwatch projects. 

 Work with the Healthwatch Service Manager and Head of Business Development to identify opportunities for funding additional work which will add value to our Healthwatch services. 

General responsibilities

 Participate in team meetings, training and organisational development. 

 Contribute to monitoring reports. 

 Keep to our policies, including health & safety, safeguarding and risk regulations. 

 Work to our mission, vision, and values. 

 Work flexibly to meet the needs of the service, in line with the changing local and national landscape and carry out other projects and tasks as needed.

Person specification

Essential 

 Excellent knowledge of and experience of working with the health and social care system and the voluntary and community sector.

 Thorough understanding of user engagement, community development, user involvement and co-production principles and practice. 

 Experience of working with diverse communities and tackling discrimination and inequality. 

 Understanding of the public health challenges in Kensington & Chelsea. 

 Experience of managing team members. 

 Experience of contract management and compliance. 

 Excellent communications (written and verbal) and interpersonal skills. Effective in working with a wide variety of stakeholders ranging from trustees, commissioners, partners, colleagues and local residents.   

 Able to interpret complex information and deal effectively with competing interests and challenging situations. 

 Excellent organisational skills who can work on their own initiative and plan and prioritise your own workload. 

 Experience of working with a budget. 

 Commitment to working within The Advocacy Project and Healthwatch code of conduct, equality and safeguarding policies. 

 Willingness to attend further training as appropriate and to adopt new procedures. 

 Willingness to promote Healthwatch and The Advocacy Project in line with our mission, vision and values

Desirable

 Evidence of ongoing personal development and training.

 Experience of working with senior managers in public sector bodies. 

 Experience of developing ideas for new areas of work.

 Experience of working directly with volunteers.

Benefits of working for us

We’re committed to providing an empowering, flexible and supportive working environment for all our staff.
Our employee benefits include 30 days annual leave (including up to 3 days between Christmas and New Year), participation in a pension scheme with 6% employer contribution, access to a free confidential counselling service, and an interest-free travel/bike loan.
All our staff are supported to learn and develop in a variety of ways, including a monthly lecture series where we invite sector experts to talk to our staff on topical issues.
We are a Disability Confident Committed and Mindful Employer.

Ruils is a user-led charity that supports disabled adults and people with long-term health and/or mental health conditions to live independently, be part of their community and live life to the full. We provide information, advice, practical support, befriending and accessible activities to our clients and families.

We are working with the SWL ICB and local GPs to deliver an exciting new service within Hampton North. The Community Health and Wellbeing Worker will speak to households about health and wellbeing, alongside offering support to connect people to services and activities in their local community. The role aims to empower people to take control of their lives.

It involves working with people who may be experiencing a number of issues, so you will need outstanding listening and communication skills, empathy and enthusiasm. You will need excellent organisational skills, be adept at seeking out information for relevant community services and have the tenacity to help people achieve sustainable improvements in their wellbeing.

Main duties include:

• Managing a caseload of households, providing monthly home visits and providing a continuous point of contact for all members of the household.
• Working with the client to assess their needs, create personalised action plans and locate support within the community.
• Supporting clients to prioritise and address practical, health, social and emotional issues in their lives which affect their wellbeing.
• Engaging with community organisations and specialist services that provide support to ease the pathway for your clients.
• Building and maintaining relationships with primary care networks, GPs, health care professionals and services across the borough.

What we can offer you:

• A vibrant and interesting work environment – every day is different.
• An experienced and supportive leadership team.
• Training and development opportunities.
• Flexible working.
• Kind and caring colleagues who work as a team.
• A cycle-to-work scheme.
• An employee assistance programme (EAP).

We operate a Guaranteed Interview Scheme; we will guarantee an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post. Please state in a cover letter if you wish us to consider you for this guaranteed interview scheme.

To apply, please email Viv Sage, HR Consultant, via the Apply button.

Closing date: 9th May 2024

Interview date: w/c 13th May 2024

At Independent Age, we believe that no older person should face financial hardship. That’s why, by 2027, our goal is to have improved the lives of one million older people. Our impact across policy, campaigning, information and advice, grant-making and partnerships improves lives by increasing the financial well-being of older people in financial hardship, enabling greater choice and independence in wider areas of life. We want to find talented individuals from diverse backgrounds to join us on this journey.

Responsibilities and Person Specification: 

This role is an integral part of the day-to-day delivery of our Advice and Support Service, which has been re-shaped and is due to go live in the summer of 2024. The service is targeted at older people in or facing financial hardship, and provides information, advice and follow up support relating to a range of issues, including Welfare Benefits, Social Care and Housing.  

As a Generalist Adviser you will be responsible for supporting older people, their families and carers through our duty service with their welfare benefits and housing and other issues relating to financial hardship in later life.  

You should have a good level of knowledge of welfare benefits, social care and housing as well as experience of working within a high-volume advice service, ideally a telephone-based service. 

For full details on the role and requirements, please review the job description and person specification.  If your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all of the criteria in the person specification but you do meet most of them and are excited about the role, we encourage you to apply anyway. 

This is a full-time role, 35 hours per week, which you can choose to work over five days or a 9-day fortnight. We also are open to this role being worked on a part-time basis on a minimum of 28 hours per week.

What it’s like to work at Independent Age: 

We celebrate diversity at Independent Age and champion the differences that make each of us unique. We actively support and encourage people from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets to join us and help shape what we do. We aim to attract and retain a wide range of talent and create an environment where everyone can feel safe, protected, welcome and included.

We offer great benefits including 28 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme with life assurance, and fantastic learning and development opportunities. We also offer a number of enhanced leave provisions and benefits.

We know that a good work life balance helps us perform at our best and supports wellbeing. Flexible working hours and hybrid working is standard for all (those contracted to work in the office usually attend 1 day per week). But if you need a different form of flexibility, we are always happy to talk flexible working. 

You can find out more about what it’s like to work at Independent Age by visiting our website.

Salary information:

Hybrid working in London: £32,682 per year, increasing to £33,600 after 6 months and £34,493 after 12 months Pro-rata if part-time

Homebased (with regular travel to London): £29,453 per year, increasing to £30,267 after 6 months and £31,054 after 12 months. Pro-rata if part-time. 

Application Process:

To apply, please visit our website to submit a CV and a Supporting Statement, detailing how your skills and experience meet the criteria within the Job Description and Person Specification (please do not hesitate to contact us if you have specific requirements and need support to apply in an alternative format).

To support our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion our hiring managers use anonymous shortlisting. Therefore, please do not include your name, photo, or information to indicate your gender or age in your CV and supporting statement. Please do not omit dates of employment. Please ensure the title of any uploads does not contain your name. 

Independent Age is committed to safeguarding and follows Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding those we work with. We therefore ask that you supply your full work history with explanations for any gaps in the application documents you submit and, if offered the post, we will require two employment references including your current or most recent employer. A basic DBS Certificate will be required for this role.

Closing Date: 6th May

Interview Dates: 

First Round: 15th or 16th May, Second Round: 22nd May

Why Access Social Care Exists 

Every day millions of older and disabled people are denied the social care they need. Most local authorities can’t meet the growing demand for care, and none are confident they can meet their legal duties in the future. This affects all of us - we will all need social care at some point in our lives.

We all have a right to hold public bodies to account, but most of us cannot afford lawyers so rely on legal aid. The 92% drop in legal aid cases since 2010 means that we have nowhere to turn. Without access to justice, our rights do not exist. The rule of law is broken.   

What we do 

Access Social Care provides free legal advice and information for people with social care needs, helping achieve a better quality of life. We work with communities to increase knowledge of the law and our rights. We highlight the gap left by cuts to Legal Aid and provide advice for those who can’t afford it.

With a 98% success rate, our network of lawyers provide access to justice when things go wrong. We collaborate with social services whilst ensuring legal obligations are met. We are working towards a future where social care is adequately funded and we all get the support we need.   

We provide rights awareness training to front line managers, and legal advice and support to families and individuals. As well as providing access to justice, our aim is to drive system level change through evidence-led influencing and strategic casework. We operate our casework service mainly under a membership model where organisations involved in the social care sector contract with Access Social Care to provide legal assistance to their clients.

This is an exciting time to join ASC. We have a new strategy and are growing quickly. We have more than doubled in size and income since we started operating in April 2020 and we anticipate that this strong growth will continue for the duration of our next strategic period. We are dedicated to the people who need our help, but we also care deeply about our team, and we think that work should be an exciting and satisfying place to be.

About the role

As we move into 2024, Access Social Care is launching a new workstream aimed at training more experts in community care law. To achieve our aims, we will be developing learning and development programmes for internal and external use. We are looking for an experienced learning and development professional to lead this programme of work.

 We want you to:

• Oversee the development and delivery online and in person training on the Care Act 2014 and associated legislation, regulations, guidance and caselaw.  We already have some training materials in-house, but you will need to expand and develop these for different audiences (carers, social care providers, advocates, advisers and caseworkers).
• Work with external stakeholders at academic institutions to develop degree/diploma level learning modules.
• Work closely with others at ASC and play a key role in developing the skills and knowledge of our trainee caseworkers and other new staff.
• Work alongside the Head of Business Development to develop a learning and development income stream.

Responsibilities

1. Project management of the Access Social Care learning and development offer: Working with internal and external stakeholders and using project management tools and software you will drive the project forwards ensuring milestones and deadlines are met, delivering reports 

2. Content and resources development: Work closely with our Head of Digital Content, Product Manager and legal team members to develop training materials for use online and in person on the Care Act which enable people with different starting points to understand the rights of social care users, to enforce those rights, and to understand the responsibilities of social care providers and local authorities.

3. External training strategy development. Work with the Head of Business development to develop an income stream from learning and development.

4. Training delivery: Deliver training internally and externally, online and in person, using a variety of training techniques, and tailored materials to engage different audiences with different immediate purposes.

5. Intelligence gathering: Contribute to our understanding of systemic problems in the social care and community care law systems, feeding back to legal colleagues' issues that are brought up in training session.

6. General tasks: Undertake such other tasks as may reasonably be required or asked of you in order to respond to organisational needs and specifically needs within the legal team.

This list of tasks is not exhaustive and will be reviewed from time to time in discussion with the post holder.

For full details on this role please see attached job discription.

How to apply 

We hope that having read this far; you still want to apply!

Please ensure that your CV and supporting statement do not include your name – use initials only. This will ensure that we avoid unconscious bias in our shortlisting process. To apply, please provide the following documents:

• An up-to-date CV
• A completed diversity monitoring form - linked in the full job discription attached.
• A supporting statement of no more than two pages, addressing why you meet the essential requirements of the person specification

If you want support applying, contact us.

Timeline for the recruitment process

Closing date:  23.59pm on Tuesday 23rd April 2024

Interviews: will be held virtually on MS Teams on Thursday 2nd May and Friday 3rd May 2024

Please ensure you keep these dates free.

At Access Social care, we aren’t interested in tokenism. We know that if we are to make the biggest difference for the people that need us the most, we need to get Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-racism right. Part of this is recruiting greater diversity in all our teams. 

With this in mind, we particularly welcome applications from candidates with experience of the communities we serve, including people with direct experience of the social care system, and from marginalised groups, particularly Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, older and disabled people, and trans and non-binary people.

To note we are only able to accept applicants with the right to work in the UK.

Why Access Social Care Exists 

Everyday millions of older and disabled people are denied the social care they need. Most local authorities can’t meet the growing demand for care, none are confident they can meet their legal duties in the future. This affects all of us, we will all need social care at some point. 

We all have a right to hold public bodies to account. But most of us cannot afford lawyers so rely on legal aid. The 77% drop in community care legal aid cases since 2010 means we have nowhere to turn. Without access to justice, our rights do not exist. The rule of law is broken. 

What we do 

Access Social Care provides free legal advice and information for people with social care needs, helping achieve a better quality of life. We work with communities to increase knowledge of the law and our rights. We highlight the gap left by cuts to Legal Aid and provide advice for those who can’t afford it. 
With a 98% success rate, our network of lawyers and barristers ensure fair access to justice when things go wrong. We collaborate with social services whilst ensuring legal obligations are met. We are working towards a future where social care is adequately funded, and we all get the support we need. 

About the role 

This is an exciting time to join our organisation. We have a new strategy and are growing quickly including across our senior leadership team. We have nearly tripled in size and income since we started operating in April 2020 and we anticipate that this strong growth will continue for the duration of our next strategic period. 

We are looking for someone with excellent people skills to play a key role in developing and piloting an approach to support people to engage with and use our on-line Social Care early legal help tool. Initially, this project will be focused on how to support carers who have multiple barriers to accessing the support they and the person they care for need.

We want to pilot a network of Peer Navigators who will act as an interface between the tool and people who are most underserved by social care and advice services and experience intersectionality of barriers. The role would particularly suit someone who has experience of the social care system as a family carer or disabled person and/or someone who has experienced barriers to accessing services due to other protected characteristics. 

The role is new and will initially focus on working within our place-based Hubs of Croydon and Gloucestershire. The role will require a creative person who can work in partnership with other members of the team, people with lived experience of social care support and social care organisations.  They will need to develop a set of policies and procedures for the delivery of the project and recruit, train and supervise the Peer Navigators.

To be a success in this role, you should be an excellent team worker, communicator, proactive, flexible, excellent people skills, highly organised and able to meet deadlines. You should also have a thorough understanding of co-production.

Responsibilities 

• With Hubs manager, Hub team members and people with lived experience – refine the aims of the project and identify priorities 

• Develop and implement a project plan for delivery of the project 

• Develop a role description for the Peer Navigators 

• Identify and test different options for advertising and recruiting Peer Navigators 

• Train Peer Navigators in the Care Act and use of the chatbot 

• Develop guidance on how people can seek advice about their employment and benefit status in relation to fulfilling the role 

• Develop and run an appropriate supervision process to ensure good quality support is offered 

• Arrange further training as chatbot develops 

• Set up and run Peer Navigator team meetings to ensure they feel supported, and we learn from their experiences 

• Devise a monitoring and evaluation framework and set up proformas for peer navigators to capture outcomes 

For the full job discription, values, key responsilities and personal specification please see attached.

How to apply  

We hope that having read this far; you will want to apply!  

Please ensure that your CV and supporting statement do not include your name – use initials only. This will ensure that we avoid unconscious bias in our shortlisting process. To apply, please provide the following documents:  

• An up-to-date CV  

• A completed diversity monitoring form  -  link found in JD attached.

• A supporting statement of no more than three pages, addressing: 

  • The essential requirements of the person specification 

  • Looking at our workplace values, please share with us what our value ‘inclusive’ means to you and an example of something you have done in your work, volunteering or personal life which show us that you share this value. 

 If you want support applying please contact us.

Timeline for recruitment process  

Closing date: 9am on Monday 22nd April 2024 

Interviews on Monday 29th April 2024 

Please ensure you keep these dates free.  

At Access Social care, we aren’t interested in tokenism. We know that if we are to make the biggest difference for the people that need us the most, we need to get Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-racism right. Part of this is recruiting greater diversity in all our teams.    

With this in mind, we particularly welcome applications from candidates with experience of the communities we serve, including people with direct experience of the social care system, and from marginalised groups, particularly Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, older and disabled people, and trans and non-binary people.  

To note we are only able to accept applicants who have the right to work in the UK.

MS Society are looking for a Senior Policy Officer (Health and Social Care) to join our ambitious and expert Policy and Evidence team. Helping us to secure improvements to neurology services, treatments, care and support for people living with MS.

Senior Policy Officer (Health and Social Care)
Type: Full-time (35 hours a week), permanent
Location: Office-based in London, N4 with flexibility to work remotely
Salary: £36,309 - £38,786 per annum plus excellent benefits 
Salary Band: Band F1 

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do. And it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK. 

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference. 

About this job

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a high-performing team, operating at the heart of a friendly and supportive directorate, with an excellent track record of influencing policy change. You’ll be part of the team shaping our policy priorities as we move towards the General Election.

As part of the role, you’ll be:

• Reporting to our Policy Manager for Health and Care, and contributing to the development of our policy positions, statements and arguments in pursuit of our goals to improve the lives of people living with MS.
• Ensuring our policy work is built around strong evidence and is informed by, and developed with, people living with MS, their carers and health and care professionals
• Working closely with our colleagues in Campaigns, Public Affairs, Stakeholder Engagement, PR and Research to develop effective policy positions, campaigns and influencing programmes around key issues facing people living with MS. 

We have strong relationships across the sector. You’ll have the opportunity to collaborate closely with coalition partners to effectively influence external stakeholders and amplify the voices of people living with MS.

We recognise the significant and excellent contributions; experience; and skills our employees bring to the MS Society.

Working with external pay and reward consultants, we’re taking active steps this year to review our employees’ pay and benefits package. Ensuring we’re aligned with the most accurate and up-to-date benchmarks for the UK charity sector.

Closing date for applications: 9am on Tuesday 23 April 2024
Anticipated interview date: week commencing 6 May 2024

PLEASE PRESS THE 'HOW TO APPLY' BUTTON FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Right to work in the UK 
The successful candidate must have the right to work in the UK. If we do offer you employment, you’ll be required to provide documentation to show that you’re eligible to be employed in the UK before starting employment.

The full list of UK visas and permits that grant you the right to work in the UK can be found on the UK government website. We currently don’t have a Sponsor Licence agreement with the Home Office and will not be in a position to support you with any visa applications you may make.

Equal Opportunities 
We’re a Disability Confident Employer. We’re committed to promoting equality and diversity. We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and/or from ethnic minority backgrounds, where we’re looking to build stronger and better representation among our staff.

We’d be grateful if you could complete the equality and diversity monitoring form on our website and submit it with your application.

As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, the HR team will anonymise your CV and supporting statement before forwarding to the shortlisting panel.

No agencies please.

ABOUT THE ROLE

A new opportunity has arisen to join a new contract in Lewisham. You will support over 2 properties which supports residents and participants with acute and/or complex mental health needs who are supported/treated in the community in their recovery as appose to hospital inpatient care. You will focus on rehabilitating and reintegrating our residents and participants and help our residents and participants achieve their personal goals and gain a level of recovery that enables them to return home or move into supported housing.

Shift Pattern: Rota based Monday to Sunday between 08:00 and 19:30 

ABOUT THE SERVICE

The Integrated Community Rehabilitation Services will enable people to receive a community-based offer and avoid admission into a rehabilitation unit. 

The service is across 2 properties in Lewisham (one 8 self contained rooms, and another with 6 self contained rooms) located in close proximity to each another and both will be staffed 24/7 by a minimum of 2 Mental Health Recovery Workers (MHRW) at all times, at each site. This will include Shift Leads to support the Management Team. 

These addresses are a short walk from each other and are served by good public transport links; close to Bellingham, Catford and Catford Bridge train stations, and close to bus stops.

Benefits, including Non-Contractual Perks

• 25 days annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Medicash includes discount gym memberships, routine optometry care, dental treatments, and physiotherapy treatments
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing.
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards

If you have the passion, creativity, and tenacity to make a real difference in people's lives, challenge stigma and make our communities safer, we would love to hear from you!

ABOUT YOU

We're looking for a resilient individual, who has a desire to support our residents and participants to be the best versions of themselves, providing a fully flexible service. You will be driven to provide high quality care and support to others, an effective team member who can communicate effectively, and can be compassionate, supportive, and empowering to others. 

OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and sustain therapeutic relationships with residents and participants, providing practical and emotional support.
• Support residents and participants with relevant skills, knowledge, and understanding about their mental health and wellbeing.
•  Identify activity needs and wishes and support with participation and projects.
• Act as a key worker for participants and residents, contribute to the development of support plans, risk assessments, and subsequent reviews. 
• Support with various personal needs as required.
• Attend appointments when required.
• Housing Management; ensure safety throughout and report repairs and maintanence as needed. 
• Various other responsibilities within the position as required.

Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position. 

KEY CRITERIA

What we are looking for:

• Previous experience working with people with multiple complex backgrounds/needs, mental health, substance misuse, alcohol, and behaviours 
• Previous experience creating co - produced support plans, key working, and care planning, providing appropriate interventions for service users
• IT Proficiency; ability to learn new software and basic Microsoft
• Understanding of the housing and social needs of people with multiple and complex needs
• Understanding and/or practical knowledge of the social and societal marginalisation that can be attached to people with various challenging backgrounds, mental health, addiction, exploitation, homelessness, and previous convictions

What we would like, but not essential:

• Understanding and/or practical application of key legislation regarding social care, housing, criminal justice, and mental health
• Ability to Recognise signs of deteriorating mental health and initiate appropriate interventions to prevent crisis

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

WORKING FOR US

ABOUT US

Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planned, well-managed services to make a difference. We work with high standards and external and internal regulatory frameworks.

Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change

Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group. 

Our Values

Ambition – Eager to succeed and to accomplish as much as possible for our people

Empowerment – Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential

Transparency – Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff

Inclusivity – Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website.

Transform lives with The Nehemiah Project! We are seeking a dynamic and compassionate person to join our team as a Recovery Practitioner. This is a full-time permanent position, working Monday to Friday with additional monthly on-call duties. In return, you will receive a salary of £30,759 per annum, be enrolled into our staff health and wellbeing plan, and become part of our Nehemiah culture that is supportive, honest and incredibly rewarding. 

If you were working for us, here are some of the things you would have done last week:

1. Programme Delivery: You would have taken the lead in planning and delivering our in-house programme that is designed to help our men break free from destructive cycles of behaviour.
2. Keywork Support: Your compassionate, well-boundaried approach towards the men you keywork would have supported them in their journey through early recovery and back into society.
3. Families Liaison: You would have helped forge strong, lasting connections with residents and their families. 

What we are looking for

• Someone who is skilled in delivering a person-centred and trauma-informed approach to their work
• NVQ Level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent.
• Provable experience of working with men recovering from addiction.
• Experience in facilitating groups that focus on behavioural change, addiction and other recovery-related activities.
• Excellent communication skills and an understanding of Customer Relationship Management systems (such as Salesforce).

What you can expect from us

• A 35 hour working week Mon-Fri, with an additional monthly paid on-call requirement.
• 25 days annual leave, plus Bank Holidays.
• A contributory pension scheme: Nehemiah will contribute the equivalent of 3% of your annual salary.
• Staff Health Plan that includes insurance and wellbeing packages.

Why Nehemiah?

• Make a direct impact on the lives of those in need and bring positive change to the local community.
• Work with a passionate and talented team committed to our mission.
• Benefit from opportunities for skill development, leadership growth, and career advancement.
• Experience a culture that values innovation and always looks to refine our best practice.

To be considered please submit a CV and Supporting Statement/Expression of Interest

Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis

This post will require an Enhanced DBS check to be processed for the successful applicant 

ABOUT THE ROLE

We have a new opportunity for a specialist Dual Diagnosis Worker to join the team in Croydon on a 12 month fixed term contract. This is a new role to the team and you will deliver evidence-based interventions based on  holistic assessments to support personalised recovery, integration, and promotion of independent living skills. You will work to the long term support needs of our residents and work towards facilitating improved outcomes. 

Our service has 27 residents across 4 sites, which specialise in Forensic Mental Health aiming to enable and empower our residents to achieve their maximum levels of functional independence and enhance their sense of wellbeing.

Shift Pattern:  This role is full time 37.5 hours per week. Hours to be discussed, you will be based in service.

Finding us: East Croydon Train and Tram Link.

Benefits, including Non-Contractual Perks

• 25 days annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Medicash includes discount gym memberships, routine optometry care, dental treatments, and physiotherapy treatments
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing.
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards

If you have the passion, creativity, and tenacity to make a real difference in people's lives, challenge stigma and make our communities safer, we would love to hear from you!

ABOUT YOU

This role is perfect for someone who is driven to provide high quality, effective and person-centred support to others. We are passionate about what we do and welcome the same drive, values, and interest in performing in our field. We are looking for someone who has a trauma-informed approach in everything they do, who thrives when working as part of a team, be effective at communicating, and able to build long-term purposeful relationships.
Initiative, adaptability, and proactiveness will be essential in this role, being able to follow processes and policies and resolve any challenges face on. 

If you are compassionate, supportive and empowering to others do keep reading!

OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Set up realistic and flexible strengths-based support plans, working closely with colleagues and support teams to support and advise on interventions and approaches to meet resident/participant needs.
  Include appropriate substance misuse interventions within support plans for those with co-occurring substance dependence and mental health need devising systematic plans for care; implementing this plan; coordinating the input of others and evaluating effectiveness.
• Undertake joint holistic assessments and risk assessments with residents/participants to help determine service and support needs and identify where these can be met. Provide outcome-based support measured against goals, recovery, and achievements.
• Encourage residents/participants to identify and define their own goals and work towards being resilient and independent as possible, support with reducing reliance on clinical interventions and hospitalisations. 
• Promote active involvement of those with dual diagnosis, assist residents/participants to identify their own strengths, personal interests and goals and support them to access and participate in activities of their choice.
• Undertake time-limited, SMART, and a range of evidence-based interventions such as 1-1’s, including harm minimisation, increasing awareness and motivation through stages of change and relapse prevention.
• Support in creating and maintaining a welcoming, psychologically informed home environment for residents/participants, ensuring a continuous focus on safety, health, and wellbeing.
• Positively promote and support connections with local communities and boroughs of SIG’s services and liaise with other teams to maintain and share knowledge and links to support people to access resources which include print, personal and digital.
• Develop community links and liaise regularly with a range of agencies and individuals across voluntary and third sector services in the community including but not limited to; drug and alcohol services, supported employment schemes, gyms and healthy living programmes, recovery colleges, and benefits and advice agencies.
• Act as a role model for staff of all disciplines and grades working with people with co-occurring mental health, alcohol and/or drug problems. 
• Share knowledge and skills to help enhance awareness around dual diagnosis and best practice, challenges, and services available with other services of Social Interest Group.

Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position. 

KEY CRITERIA

What we are looking for:

• Knowledge, understanding and experience of working with people of complex backgrounds. Ideally ex-offenders, those with enduring mental health, substance misuse and challenging behaviours
• Experience of assessing needs and strengths, and supporting people with dual diagnosis and complex needs
• Previous experience in a similar role, providing holistic assessments and support for people experiencing mental illness who use substances
• IT Proficiency, including Microsoft Office, and the ability to navigate and learn new case management systems and other types of organisational software
• Able to recognise ill health and additional support and need for interventions
• Knowledge of the interactions between mental health problems and drug and alcohol use and the issues facing people trying to stabilise their situation
• Applied knowledge of the principles of risk assessment and risk management, particularly in relation to harm minimisation
• Ability to engage those who may be hard to reach, able to influence and negotiate positive outcomes with others

What we would like, but not essential:

• Experience in delivering training in motivational interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Theory informed approaches and other relevant recovery models

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

WORKING FOR US

ABOUT US

Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planned, well-managed services to make a difference. We work with high standards and external and internal regulatory frameworks.

Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change

Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group. 

Our Values

Ambition – Eager to succeed and to accomplish as much as possible for our people

Empowerment – Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential

Transparency – Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff

Inclusivity – Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website.

We have a very exciting opportunity for anyone who enjoys working on the front-line of patient support across Dorset.

This role will deliver Kidney Care UK’s Patient Support and Advocacy service in the region. This varied role deals with every aspect of a patient’s life that supports better outcomes: welfare benefits, practical, emotional and social support. As well as directly supporting patients, you will raise awareness of the wide range of local and national resources available to kidney patients, and build strong relationships with kidney patients, professionals, and other stakeholder groups in the region.

Based at home (laptop and mobile phone provided), you will be expected to travel independently across Dorset and manage your own caseload with the support of your line manager and other members of our national friendly, committed team.

We’ll provide the training, you’ll bring enthusiasm and your experience of working with chronically ill patients in a social, care or health role.

The role is a two-year contract initially. We can consider applications for a split role or job share, please indicate the hours you are seeking. Applications from those with experience of living with CKD in a personal or professional capacity are particularly welcome.

Please apply through CharityJob with your CV and a covering letter outlining why you are perfect for this role.