Specialist advocate jobs in Birmingham

Ataxia UK is in an exciting phase of expansion in its Fundraising activity, specifically regarding investment in a Philanthropy function with a dedicated member of staff. In the past, High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) have been managed reactively by the CEO and other Fundraising staff as opportunities have arisen. Ataxia UK (AUK) now wants to make a step change, in response to identified potential within the current fundraising landscape, towards strategic management of a pipeline of HNWI. As part of this, AUK is looking to engage a consultant on a fixed term contract, to work closely with the Senior Philanthropy Manager to undertake comprehensive research & scoping, in order to populate a HNWI pipeline for AUK. 

Please note, due to the large number of applications we receive, you will only be contacted should we wish to invite you to interview.

Prospectus is pleased to be collaborating with a UK charity founded by families who lost loved ones to gambling-related suicide to recruit for a Head of Public Affairs, Policy and Advocacy to join them on permanent contract to start in 2026. The charity operates as a fully remote working organisation however there will be significant London and UK travel required as part of this role.

The Head of Public Affairs, Policy and Advocacy is responsible for the delivery of the charity’s public affairs and lived experience advocacy strategy. This role is the most senior operational position within a small advocacy function and is accountable for ensuring that agreed strategy is converted into effective, timely and impactful advocacy action by and in support of bereaved families.

The post holder will feed in to overall organisational strategy and will play a critical role in shaping delivery plans, prioritising activity, and personally undertaking significant advocacy work — including drafting letters, briefings, parliamentary questions and amendments, co-ordinating political engagement, and ensuring policy asks are actively advanced within Parliament, government and regulatory processes. The post holder will support and enable bereaved family members to engage in meeting with MPs and Peers and in provision of evidence to committees

The successful candidate will have significant experience in political advocacy or public affairs influencing, with a proven track record of responsibility for delivering policy and political outcomes. You will bring drive and passion to the role, with an empathy for people with lived experience. You will bring experience of hands-on policy delivery and a strong understanding of the UK political system, parliamentary processes and policy-making cycles. You will also have excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, persuasive and politically astute documents.

To apply please submit your CV and a two page supporting statement, preferably in Microsoft Word/PDF format. The statement should outline your motivation for joining the charity and why you feel you would be a good fit for this role. You should also demonstrate your experience and skillset with examples relating to the Person Specification section in the Job Pack. If you have any further questions or would like to know more about this opportunity please contact Steven Fraser from Prospectus.

As a specialist Recruitment Practice Prospectus are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations, and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Prospectus invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you in your application.

The CYP Link Counsellor role makes a real difference by providing children and young people who have experienced Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) or other forms of sexual violence and abuse with timely, appropriate, trauma-informed, and compassionate specialist support as part of our wider CYP Services.

• Deliver specialist, boundaried, relational, and trauma-informed counselling for children and young people aged 5–17 who have been subjected to or are at risk of CSE.
• Actively engage children and young people to rebuild trust and encourage participation in Counselling and Independent Sexual Violence Advocacy (ISVA) services.
• Provide counselling in safe, secure environments where young people feel supported.
• Tailor counselling and therapy to individual needs and abilities, including conducting assessments and creating therapeutic plans.
• Maintain awareness of contextual safeguarding issues and respond promptly and professionally to any concerns.

The role: This is a rewarding role where every day brings the opportunity to make a positive difference to people's lives. We regularly receive testimonials from service users describing the life-changing impact of receiving support from our caseworkers in the National Road Victim Service.

Working location: mostly remote work with some travel required. Based in the north/central area of the South West region you will deliver a face-to-face service to clients in their own home or safe meeting place across the Dorset, Avon, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire area  as well as providing support by Teams, phone, email or other means to suit the service user. We take a person-centred approach so the amount of travel will vary depending on your caseload at the time. You’re in control of your own diary. 

Why this role is important: Every 20 minutes, someone is killed or seriously injured on UK roads. For families affected, the emotional and practical challenges are immense. As a Caseworker, you will provide trauma-informed care to individuals and families suffering from the sudden bereavement or life-altering injury of a loved one. Working mostly remotely, with some home visits to service users, you’ll offer vital emotional and practical support—including helping them access therapeutic resources, financial assistance, and guidance through the complexities of medical and legal processes. 

About Brake: Brake is a renowned and respected road safety charity with a 30-year history dedicated to supporting people affected by road crashes and advocating for safer streets. 

You'll join a closely knit team of fellow caseworkers, each using their individual experience and skills to provide person-centred support to victims. This provides a ready-made peer group who share best practice and knowledge and support each other so, in turn, they can best support road victims. There's no sugar coating it, this isn't an easy role, it requires a special type of person with strong resilience, but the reward is a strong sense of purpose, every day. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so we have strong support systems in place to support our caseworker's wellbeing, including clinical supervision. 

What we offer:

· A generous 35 days of annual leave (including bank holidays and 3-day end of year shutdown) 

· Birthday day off 

· Flexible working (choose a working pattern to suit you between the hours of 8am-6pm Mon-Fri) 

· Enhanced sick pay and compassionate leave 

· Death in service benefit 

· Pension 

· Employee Assistance Programme 

· Clinical supervision and excellent support 

· A rewarding role with purpose 

· Be part of a skilled, friendly team with an engaged Board of Trustees 

· Opportunity to attend prestigious events such as the Brake annual reception and awards (if you want to) 

Who we're looking for 

Full training will be provided under the guidance of our dedicated Training Officer. Our induction program has been developed to equip caseworkers with the skills they need to provide high quality support to road victims and covers topics such as being trauma-informed, safeguarding and risk management. We're open to candidates from all sorts of backgrounds, as long as you're a compassionate, self-starter with a background in providing high-quality emotional support and advocacy. Your experience in roles within the NHS, any health and social care, road safety, counselling, lived experience or any type of casework could make you an ideal candidate. 

Essential Requirements: 

• A full, clean UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle (travel expenses are reimbursed) 

• Resident in the north/central area of the South West Region. 

• Experience delivering frontline support, preferably involving sudden bereavement or heightened vulnerabilities. 

· Strong advocacy and research skills to liaise with multiple organisations on behalf of service users. 

• Competency in I.T skills to work remotely. 

Desirable Experience: 

Comprehensive understanding of the processes involved in the criminal justice system and coronial process 

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: Brake is passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that values diversity. We’re committed to supporting employees to achieve a good work/life balance and flexible around caring commitments. We welcome your application whatever your background or situation. We particularly welcome applications from those who are part of the global majority, the LGBTQIA+ community or disabled. We are proud to be a disability confident employer. We don’t want you to ‘fit’ our culture, we want you to enrich it. So, if you have a passion for making a difference and share in our vision for a world where no one is killed on our roads, we would love to hear from you. 

Apply now: If you're up for a new challenge and have the skills, apply now by sending your CV and cover letter. We'd like to get to know the real you through your application, not an AI version. If you do use AI to write your cover letter, please check it and make sure it reflects who you are. We encourage cover letters in alternative formats such as videos or presentations.  

Not for traffic offenders: Due to the nature of our work we can't accept applications from traffic offenders. Candidates will be asked to disclose whether they have any unspent points on their licence at screening/interview. 

An enhanced DBS check is required due to the sensitive nature of our service. 

Questions? If you would like to discuss the role further, please get in touch, we'd love to chat. 

We’re looking for a marketing all-rounder with strong social media experience, alongside an understanding of web, newsletter and search marketing. You’ll be supported in testing new approaches as the digital landscape evolves, and you’ll have direct access to people across the charity to develop your content plans. This role would particularly suit a social media specialist with a desire to develop those skills across the full user journey.

TACT is recruiting caring, committed, and resilient individuals and families to become foster carers and help transform the lives of children and young people who need a safe, stable, and nurturing home.

Fostering is not an employed role, but as a self-employed foster carer you will receive competitive fostering fees and allowances, comprehensive training, and ongoing professional support every step of the way.

Eligibility

To become a foster carer with TACT, you must:

• Be over the age of 21
• Be a UK resident or have Indefinite Leave to Remain
• Have a spare bedroom

Financial Stability & Recognition

We value your dedication and expertise – and ensure you are rewarded fairly:

• Up to £27,053 per year (£520 per week) when a child is placed
• Additional payments and allowances available
• Special fostering tax exemptions, meaning lower tax compared to most employed roles

The Support You’ll Receive

At TACT, you are never alone. We provide high-quality support to help you feel confident and supported in your fostering role: 

• A dedicated Supervising Social Worker for guidance and supervision
• A Family Wellbeing Worker to support you and the child
• Access to a network of specialist foster carers for peer support
• Comprehensive training, including therapeutic and neurodevelopmental courses
• Psychological consultations and access to specialist therapeutic input
• 24/7 out-of-hours support whenever you need it

How to apply

Interested in finding out more? We’d love to hear from you. Apply today on the TACT website.

Foster carers are self-employed and subject to fostering regulations and approval processes, including checks, training, and assessment.

TACT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all foster carers to share this commitment.

Do you want to work with a leading advocacy charity organisation supporting those in need?   

Do you have experience of successful delivery of safeguarding strategies and initiatives?  

Are you keen to make a difference to people who want to be heard through a profound commitment to safeguarding, protection and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults? 

Then come and join us here at VoiceAbility.  

We have an exciting opportunity for a Designated Safeguarding Lead to join our team to Act as the expert organisational designated safeguarding lead (DSL) for all work 

covering children, young people (CYP) and adults in equal measure. Your role will be homebased but may require you to travel to locations such as hospitals and care homes nationally to meet with stakeholders; therefore, a suitable home internet connection is essential.

About us  

VoiceAbility is an independent charity and one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. We deliver a wide range of service contracts funded by local authorities, health trusts and other voluntary and private sector organisations.  

We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions about their health, care, and wellbeing for over 40 years. We make sure people are heard when it matters most.  For more information on what Advocacy is and the services offered then please visit our website.  

About you 

You will have at least 2 years’ experience of working as a Designated Safeguarding Lead with line management responsibility, developing, implementing and evaluating of CYP and Adult safeguarding policies, procedures, and training programmes, reflecting current legislation and best practices.You will also have demonstrable experience in leading, managing, influencing diverse teams on safeguarding, focusing on developing a positive culture and promoting continuous professional development. 

You should have experience in managing complex safeguarding cases, including conducting risk assessments, deciding on immediate actions, and coordinating with external agencies and key stakeholders. 

How will you make a difference? 

You will be called upon internally and/or by external bodies as a source of organisational expert knowledge. 

You will provide leadership and accountability for the advancement of safeguarding best 

practices. 

You will work resourcefully and collaboratively across agencies and adapt child protection systems to address risks in diverse social environments as part of a contextual safeguarding approach, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of young people, vulnerable groups and adults alike.

Benefits  

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time colleagues) rising to 30 days upon 5 years’ service  

5% employer pension & minimum 3% employee contribution  

Salary sacrifices pension scheme  

Separate Life Assurance Cover (equivalent of two times your annual salary)  

Staff discount scheme including retail discounts, entertainment, holidays, gym membership etc  

24/7 Employee Assistance programme  

Access to remote counselling service  

Paid Disability Leave  

Paid compassionate Leave  

Home Working Allowance   

Support with continuous professional development  

Access to Clifton Strengths Coaching for development   

Personal Development Plans  

How are staff supported to work remotely?  

VoiceAbility has a small number of offices. Employees including Team Leaders are homebased for Administration and meetings will be held online as well as in person in the relevant community.  

When you need to travel for work, expenses will be paid (mileage or public transport costs).   

VoiceAbility offers the usual regular manager one to ones, Staff forums and communities of practice depending on role. Team meetings with a mix of virtual and in person approach.  

Equality and Diversity 

VoiceAbility believes in fostering an inclusive workplace which welcomes, values and celebrates the diversity of its staff and partners, treats all on a basis of equality and encourages all to meet their maximum potential. 

VoiceAbility are a Disability Confident employer, any applicant that identifies themselves as having a disability and can demonstrate that they meet all the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. 

About Social Investment Business:

By providing finance and support, at SIB we enable charities and social enterprises to exist, grow and thrive. We have disbursed nearly £0.5bn to thousands of organisations since 2002. Our team believes in the power of the social economy, champions the charities and social enterprises we support - and we are all working together to build a more equal society. 

It is a hugely exciting time to join the organisation. We are growing, investing in our expert team, and building on the successes of the last few years. 

Our values are: People First, Curious, Bold, Collaborative, Accountable

For further information on what it is like to work with us and our generous benefits please visit our website.

About this role: Reporting to the Deputy CEO, the Head of Business and Market Development will build on SIB’s existing research and findings on market scope and scale, organisational financial resilience, the cost of capital and fund financial modelling to support the delivery of SIB’s ambitious new strategy, and hit our business development targets as part of an ambitious growth plan. This new post will develop SIB’s work and the rigour and robustness of our market and financial analytics in order to grow the organisation, the amount of investment under management and the annual disbursement of grant funds.

Key responsibilities

1. Working closely with the CEO and Deputy CEO support the delivery of ambitious growth targets under the new strategy.

2. Oversee the regulatory transition to FCA regulation for a defined number of SIB subsidiaries, drawing together the relevant internal documentation, working with the FCA – and any specialist retained consultants – to ensure that SIB is quickly and effectively accredited.

3. Work with the CEO and Deputy CEO to advance SIB’s applications for capital from Public Finance Institutions including the National Wealth Fund.

4. Working with the wider BD team, draw on market and financial modelling that incorporates existing data on SIB’s customers across its funds (using e.g. IMD, turnover, assets, age, business model) to develop excellent bids and tenders for new grant funds and to structure successful investment raises.

5. Oversee the reporting of all funds managed through the SIB group subsidiaries to their investors. This should include quality control of regular analytics, KPIs and case studies, regular catch up calls with investors and occasional presentations remote and in person.  

6. Oversee the regularity and quality of analytics of SIB’s enterprise level impact to provide a consistent snapshot across all funds, including for SIB’s internal subsidiary board meetings.

7. Work with the Market and Financial Analyst to develop a strategic approach to financial modelling of funds. This should include an approach to cost base calculations (taking into account variability in disbursement rates, portfolios under management, loan vs. grant, capital vs. revenue, pace and automation), consistent treatment of interest payments, management and administrative fees and internal investment. The base model should be able to inform forward planning and business development, as well as serve to stack up the financial viability of BD opportunities as they arise.

8. Work with the Systems and Data teams to ensure that the base model is embedded within SIB’s operations and informs fund and programme management.

9. Lead a horizon scanning function that effectively drives comparative benchmarking against competitor / peer organisations.

10.  Oversee the team’s work with the Finance and Governance teams to ensure that market analytics include effective customer feedback, collected regularly and embedded in key performance indicators.

11.  Alongside the Deputy CEO and the wider Data, Insights and Advocacy team, oversee the delivery of the annual impact report, bringing colleagues together to identify key findings and deliver each report. Ensure that the impact report reflects market analytics, providing context that identifies SIB’s leadership and place within the wider sector.

12.  Oversee the management – as needed – of any external consultants working on more complex financial models / additional research and learning that contributes to market or business development.

13.  Alongside the Deputy CEO and the wider BD team, design and facilitate general learning sessions and programme specific learning sessions with small and large groups, this may include partners, customers and the SIB Board as well as colleagues. Elicit learning from these sessions, share findings and support your colleagues to integrate action points into our systems. This learning approach should particularly reflect how customer need / satisfaction is met by different fund and programme structures.

14.  Line manage the Market and Financial Analyst, Marketing Manager and BD Manager.

15.  To work in line with the organisation's values, principles and processes to achieve operational excellence.

16.  To adopt our continuous improvement and learning ethos

17.  To support and embed equality, diversity and inclusion into day-to-day behaviours and activities within your role as well as contributing more widely across SIB’s commitment to E, D & I

18.  To support and contribute to the implementation and delivery of SIB’s strategy

19.  In agreement with manager to undertake other tasks and work on cross team projects that support the objectives of SIB as required

Core competencies

• Familiarity with raising investment
• Experience of managing a high functioning business development team achieving strategic objectives
• Knowledge of financial analytics
• Excellent excel skills
• Excellent writing skills
• Excellent project management to tight deadlines
• An understanding of how to share research and data analysis with audiences of mixed experience
• Strong leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire teams across functions to work in an integrated way
• Strong planning skills and an ability to multi-task, work well under pressure and meet deadlines
• Excellent IT skills and the ability to learn new programmes quickly

Desirable competencies

• Understanding of FCA regulation
• Prior experience of working in a regulatory environment
• Understanding of the UK charity and social enterprise sectors

Education / Professional experience

Team leadership experience

Social Work Adviser

Location: Westminster 

Salary: £40,000 per annum

Vacancy Type: Full Time/ Contract

We currently have an exciting opportunity to join us as a Social Work Adviser (Child Welfare and Safeguarding) based at the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in Westminster, seconded from Heathrow Travel Care (HTC), the airport social work team. You will join us on a full-time, 18 month contract (potential extension upon mutual agreement) and in return, you will receive a competitive salary of £40,000 per annum, plus benefits.

The role of our Social Work Adviser (Child Welfare and Safeguarding) is to enable the FCDO to offer advice and assistance to vulnerable British nationals known to the UK Consular Network.

Responsibilities as our Social Work Adviser (Child Welfare and Safeguarding):

FCDO

• Providing advice, support and guidance to consular assistance staff in London and staff based overseas on child safeguarding social work issues for British nationals
• Working jointly with the consular child policy unit (CPU) to review child-related cases and policy
• Working collaboratively with the social work advisor team to review cases and relevant policy
• Investigating, signposting, planning with consular staff who are working with British nationals to provide specialist children and families advice to the consular staff
• Referring 'meet and assist’ cases to relevant service providers at UK ports
• Undertaking the risk assessment of cases
• Ensuring policy, guidance and training are inputted to the consular staff on child welfare issues
• Building and maintaining links with relevant assistance NGOs & travel partners via outreach work
• Building and maintaining links with Consular Regional Directors
• Covering for the Social Work Adviser team as required
• Recording all cases on a secure consular information network and monthly reporting to HTC
• Maintaining international outreach – there may be opportunities for international travel to support FCDO staff abroad

HTC (1 day per 5 weeks)

• Working within the airport crisis team at Heathrow
• Advising and assisting a wide variety client groups
• Being part of a unique and interesting social work environment
• Participating in emergency preparedness and response at Heathrow
• Continuing professional development

What we’re looking for in our Social Work Adviser (Children & Families):

• 2 years’ recent statutory social work experience
• Recent experience of working directly with children and families to statutory standards
• Experience of direct work, working with the impact of trauma and ensuring safeguarding is always prioritised
• Experience of making and recording risk assessments, including Safe Lives RIC and other evidence-based assessment tools
• Experience of problem-solving under time pressure
• Experience of prioritising casework according to risk and need
• Working knowledge of child safeguarding procedures within Local Authorities
• An understanding of child safeguarding policy
• The ability to work effectively in partnership with other agencies
• The ability to make clear recommendations on how to address risk and need based on professional judgement and experience.
• The ability to recognise signs that a child may not be meeting developmental milestones, has been harmed or is at risk of harm
• The ability to advocate for children and young people, to ensure they receive organisational focus, resource and support as appropriate

Application form closing date: 9am, Tuesday 20th January 2026

Interview date: Tuesday 3rd February 2026

To Apply

If you’re looking for a new challenge, please click apply to be considered as our Social Work Adviser (Child Welfare and Safeguarding)! We look forward to hearing from you.

You must be legally able to work in UK. Security clearance is required for this role. You must have been resident in the UK for a least 2 of the previous ten years, at least one year of which must have been a consecutive 12-month period and you must have resided for at least 3 consecutive years in one country. All applicants should be aware that a lack of sufficient background information may preclude an applicant from being granted security clearance.

This new role at Young Sounds UK will lead on securing grant income from and coordinating relationships with Trusts and Foundations. This will include identifying and researching funders, submitting compelling applications and completing timely and accurate reports.

You'll need to be comfortable with managing budgets, using CRMs, and demonstrating our impact through writing case studies that bring our work to life. You'll also need to have excellent communication and relationship building skills, and be organised, flexible and with a great attention to detail.

We're looking for someone who has at least three years experience of fundraising in a charity, especially if they’ve focused on fundraising from Trusts and Foundations, and who is looking for an opportunity to take the next step in their career.

For full information on this role, including key responsibilities and person specification, please view the job pack.

The closing date for applications is Monday 19 January 2026 at 12 noon.

About Young Sounds UK 

Young Sounds UK exists because musical talent is everywhere but opportunity isn’t: family finances and other obstacles too often get in the way. We’re here to change this in two key ways:

• We support young musicians from low-income families with funding and other help 
• We support music education through training, advocacy and research.

Established in 1998 we work across genres and across the UK. Our four programme areas are: 

• Discover: training teachers in how to spot young people’s musical potential 
• Connect: targeting and sustaining young people’s emerging talent through strategic support
• Thrive: funding young talent UK wide through annual grants and tailor-made help for individual musicians
• Innovate: leading new thinking and action on talent development

Learning and Development Officer (Aligned to Wales Synod Cymru and West Midlands)

Welsh speaking

Salary: £41,810.00 per annum

Location: Home based but within commutable distance to Wales Synod Cymru District and West Midlands District.

Hours: 35 hours per week 

This role is part of the Connexional Team Learning Network, supporting, encouraging, and equipping the Church to live out ‘Our Calling’ through worship, mission, evangelism and discipleship. The Learning Network primarily works with lay and ordained leaders, helping them equip others.

This post contributes to Connexional-wide learning and development initiatives, and is specifically aligned with the Wales Synod Cymru District as the Welsh speaking Learning and Development Officer (LDO) and the new West Midlands District following the merger of the current Birmingham District and the Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury District on 1st September 2025. Wales Synod Cymru is a bilingual District of 16 circuits, including the Welsh language Cymru Circuit which covers the whole of Wales, and the West Midlands District has 20 circuits across Birmingham, Wolverhampton and the Black Country, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Both districts are diverse in terms of population groupings and serve communities in rural, market towns, suburbs and city centre settings.

The Ideal Candidate for This Role

The person best suited for this Learning & Development Officer role will be:

A Passionate and Committed Christian:

• Deeply engaged in their faith and motivated to help churches grow in discipleship, worship, mission and evangelism.
• A member of a church in good standing with Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (or an equivalent organisation).
• Committed to the values of inclusivity, justice, evangelism, and church growth.

A Skilled Educator and Facilitator

• Experienced in learning and development, with transferable skills to a church setting.
• Confident in designing, delivering and evaluating training, both and online and onsite.
• Able to engage adult learners effectively, making theological concepts accessible, and equipping people for vocations within the life of the church.
• A strong theological thinker, able to guide and develop conversations to enable A Methodist Way of Life.

A Strong Communicator and Relationship-Builder

• Able to connect with and inspire people across the church to enable them to serve in their varied communities.
• Skilled in facilitating discussions on vision, mission and growth planning.
• Comfortable using digital tools and online platforms for training and communication.
• Adept at working across cultural and theological contexts, bringing sensitivity and adaptability.
• Proactive in identifying learning and development needs and responding with creative, tailored solutions.
• A fluent Welsh speaker with strong oral and written communication skills in both Welsh and English

A Collaborative Leader

• Capable of working with diverse teams, including ordained and lay church leaders.
• Skilled in planning, organising, and evaluating learning and development initiatives.
• Proactive in identifying training needs and responding with creative, tailored solutions.
• Open to collaborating across Methodist districts and the wider church network.

A Flexible and Self-Motivated Professional

• Comfortable with travel and occasional evening/weekend work.
• Based in the either Wales or the West Midlands, with the ability to travel across both districts as required.
• Organised and self-driven, able to manage multiple projects and responsibilities.
• Creative and adaptable in responding to the changing needs of churches and communities

Our Culture, Values and Benefits

Thank you for considering joining our inclusive and welcoming team that strives for excellence and values employee wellbeing.

We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), annualised hours and a Wellbeing Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme, where the Methodist Church will pay double the employee contribution up to a maximum of 16% employer contribution.

The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups. We also welcome applications from people living with disabilities.  Please note that this is a post which includes Welsh language work for which the ability to speak and write in Welsh to a high standard is essential.

The successful applicant will be required to live either within or close to either District and will be expected to travel extensively across both Districts and beyond for work purposes.

Please note previous applicants need not apply.

Closing date: 2 February 2026 @ 9am

Interviews to take place on:

Tuesday 10th February 2026:   First stage telephone interviews, conducted in Welsh, between 1 and 4pm.

Thursday 19th February 2026: Second stage interviews conducted in English and Welsh in Shrewsbury.

The rest of the recruitment process will be conducted in English.

N.B. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives.

We train specialist dogs to detect the odour of human disease, providing life-saving alert assistance dogs to people with complex health problems across the UK and collaborating with NHS Trusts and other researchers and Universities both in the UK and internationally to advance the early diagnosis of disease.  

We have an exciting new opportunity to join this innovative charity that is a world-leader in its specialist field.

JOB TITLE:Regional Assistance Dog Instructor Scotland

LOCATION:Scotland (Central belt, between Glasgow and Edinburgh)

SALARY:£24K - £29K per annum, depending on experience

JOB TYPE:                         Part time and full time hours considered, with occasional evening and weekend work required

REPORTS TO:                   Instructor Manager

The Job

We are looking for a passionate and driven person who ideally has previous experience and skills working as an Instructor within an Assistance Dog organisation, who has worked with clients and partnerships. The role includes supporting both clients who have had a MDD dog placed with them and also our own dog applicants with their puppies and young dogs to ensure they receive the highest standard of socialisation and early training in terms of obedience, public access and developing an alert to the applicant’s condition, with the aim to reach an accreditable assistance dog partnership status. It is also will include carrying out client specific and odour training for MDD own dogs, placing these dogs with their new clients and looking after a number of established partnerships. This role would suit somebody residing in the central belt of Scotland, between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Duties that encompass the role of an Instructor include:

• Be the first point of contact for the allocated partnerships in your area, covering all areas of Scotland. To provide guidance and instruction to applicants who have applied to the charity to have their own dogs considered for the training programme guidance and instruction on handling, behaviour and obedience and odour training as well as newly placed partnerships.
• Alongside the Instructing team, to run puppy classes, public access training, recall sessions in small groups for applicant own dogs that are in line with the charity’s quality standards and in accordance with timescales and targets. 
• To also carry out support visits and home interviews for applicants and clients that have been allocated to you.  
• Regularly monitor progress of the puppies and partnerships in training in your area and provide detailed, evidenced feedback to Instructor Manager and Head of Assistance Dog Programme.
• To carry out client specific training with any MDD owned dogs that have been matched, including the required odour scent training.
• Instructing, guiding and supporting new assistance dog clients in managing and handling a Medical Alert Assistance Dog effectively, via pre training, placement training and aftercare visits.
• Supporting partnerships in training in successfully reaching an accreditation standard and in maintaining this
• standard throughout the life of the partnership.
• To support a number of established partnerships in the form of aftercare, refresher training and yearly re-accreditations, assisting further afield on occasions as required.

Responsibilities

• To escalate issues and problems to the Instructor Manager as appropriate.
• To assist the Dog Supply Team with carrying out scent assessments on any MDD dogs in socialising as and when required with the support of the Instructor Manager and rest of the Instructing Team.
• To plan, organise and deliver practical and theoretical training to clients, meeting their individual needs in line with agreed standards to include areas such as dog welfare, appropriate handling, commanding and overall management. This will involve working with the parents as Team Leader and child as Client and working with adult clients.
• Assess the team dynamics of the family & balancing the needs of all family members as well as those of the dog.
• Assess the individuals preferred learning style and amending as relevant to aid a client.
• To accompany the client into all regular environments that they will take the dog to, ensuring the dog behaves in an acceptable manner and that the client and others are aware and clear in terms of where they dog should reside and behave for eg public transport, place of work. To complete a check list of environments for any applicant own dogs in training who are on the programme to be assessed within.
• To support and advise clients in transferring the odour training from pot training and recognising alerting behaviours to establish real life alerting.
• To monitor the correct and false alerting percentages of allocated partnerships via data analysis, advising where necessary until the correct alerting levels are achieved.
• To complete comprehensive reports and paperwork for any time spent with applicants or partnerships in training or established. Maintain accurate records by providing verbal and written information with agreed timescales about clients, dogs, applicants and apprentices as appropriate.
• To work alongside allocated partnerships with the aim of the partnership reaching an accredited standard and feeding back to the Instructor Manager and Assistance Dog Programme Manager if there are any concerns that the accreditation cannot be achieved.
• To provide clients with appropriate aftercare services at regular intervals in their own homes in the form of annual visits, support visits or at refresher workshops run at the Centre to agreed standards.  This will include continual re-assessment of the dynamics of family and dog, formulating and training on appropriate solutions, as well as offering additional dog training advice.
• To deliver handling days as part of an applicant’s pre training to include ‘Introduction to Assistance Dog’ ‘Advanced Handling’ and Family Handling.
• To scent train and seizure proof advanced dogs in preparation to be partnered with an adult or child client and ensure that applicant own dogs have received this at the earliest opportunity.
• To maintain the ongoing public access training with any advanced dog in scent training that has been allocated to them.
• To provide local support to the growing puppy socialisation scheme, based in and around Perth.
• To provide support to the Charity’s public relations and fundraising functions as required, specifically in your area.
• To act as the ‘contact’ person for the assistance dog programme in relation to training policy procedures with clients and their families, other professional service providers and members of the public.  This will include on-going research and development of the project.
• To liaise with and provide support for Volunteers who may operate as part of the aftercare programme provided by the charity.
• To ensure all partnerships are in line with the ADUK regulations with regards to behaviour, obedience and welfare and branding.
• Due to the nature of the role, flexible working hours may be required in some instances to facilitate the effective delivery of the work e.g. working during the school holidays with school age clients.

Other

• Share best practice with colleagues across the charity.
• Any other duties or tasks that are required to ensure the successful running of the Medical Alert Assistance Dog Department and the Charity overall.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• High level of preparation, organisational and co-ordination skills
• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills
• Experience of running puppy classes and carrying out public access training and recall sessions
• High level of self – motivation and planning
• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life threatening conditions
• Happy to travel alone within the UK to visit any clients as necessary.
• Happy to be on call at all times for partnerships as and when required.
• Happy to stay away from home and stay in local hotel when the client’s location is too far from your home to travel back.
• Happy and able to have Medical Alert Assistance Dogs in training to reside in their home.
• Good team worker, but equally able to work alone.
• Positive, empathetic and calm attitude
• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation
• Flexible

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Previous Assistance Dog Instructing or Dog Training with puppy socialisers experience
• Knowledge of AD(UK) and ADI regulations
• Law in relation to dogs. 
• Knowledge of medical conditions relevant to puppies between 8 weeks and 2 years of age. 
• Dog and human psychology. 
• Proven evidence and experience of dog handling and training skills
• Previous experience of teaching and instructing
• Sound dog training and dog behaviour knowledge
• IT literacy and report writing skills
• Experience of using Microsoft based programs such as Outlook, Word,
• Excel, Internet Explorer and Power Point, teams, zoom and Microsoft
• Share point for data etc
• Full UK driving licence
• Pass a DBS (CRB) check due to regular contact with children

Preferable

•  Knowledge of debilitating medical conditions and understanding of how they can impact people, both physically and psychologically, particularly when they are unstable and fluctuating.
•  Previous knowledge of odour/scent training.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• High level of preparation, organisational and co-ordination skills
• Strong and clear teaching and instructing skills
• High level of self – motivation and planning
• Approachable, calm and empathetic to children and adults with debilitating and life threatening conditions
• Happy to travel alone within the UK to visit any clients as necessary.
• Happy to be on call at all times for partnerships as and when required – to include outside standard working hours.
• Able and willing to stay away from home and stay in local hotel when the client’s location is too far from the Centre to travel back.
• If able, possibility of having Medical Alert Assistance Dogs in training to reside in their home through the 6 – 8 week training phase.
• Good team worker, but equally able to work alone.
• Positive, empathetic and calm attitude
• Able to embrace a constantly evolving organisation
• You should be supportive of the charitable aims of Medical Detection Dogs and capable of working as part of a team, as well as able to motivate yourself. 
• You should be adaptable and positively embrace change by not only being flexible towards the ideas of others but also putting forward ideas to colleagues. This will involve creativity in problem solving and making appropriate responses to new ideas and unexpected situations.
•  

DIVERITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION

We are a welcoming, diverse and inclusive charity. Medical Detection Dogs thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Values & Behaviours

Working at Medical Detection Dogs will be a richly rewarding experience.

Our Values & Behaviours encapsulate who we are, what we stand for and what it will feel like to be part of our team:

• We are respectful.
• We stay positive.
• We strive for excellence.
• We communicate and listen.
• We are ambassadors.
• We are one team.

And of course, we advocate for Medical Detection Dogs whenever we get the chance, and we pride ourselves on our role as ambassadors for the charity.

Finally, the successful candidate will also be expected to:

• Hold a full UK Driving Licence
• Provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the UK.
• Undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• Work some evenings and weekends
• Be willing to travel to the Centre based near Milton Keynes

The Vacancy

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is a faith-based humanitarian relief and development organisation working to save and transform the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.  Established in 1984, with an active presence in over 45 countries, we strive to make the world a better and fairer place for those affected by poverty, conflict and natural disasters. 

IRW’s Finance & Corporate Services Division is recruiting for the position of Senior Systems Accountant to join its dynamic team based out of its offices in Birmingham, UK. The organisation currently operates to a hybrid working model.

Job Purpose

The Senior Systems Accountant is a key role within Islamic Relief’s Finance team, providing ongoing strategic and operational support for our cloud-based financial system, Unit4 ERP (version 7 – Cloud Release). This role ensures that the finance system is optimally configured and maintained to support efficient business-as-usual (BAU) operations across the organisation.

You will act as the organisation’s Unit4 SUPER user and subject matter expert, responsible for system administration, user support and training, issue resolution, and driving continuous improvement. Working closely with Finance, IT, and system users, you will ensure the ERP system supports accurate financial reporting, robust internal controls, and process efficiency.

This is not a project implementation role it focuses on the long-term embedding, optimisation, and support of Unit4 ERP7 (CR), delivering both strategic oversight and day-to-day system management.

The successful candidate must have:

• Fully qualified accountant (e.g., ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA) or equivalent with proven delivery of ERP system administration, configuration, and optimisation in a live finance environment.
• Strong hands-on experience with Unit4 ERP v7 Cloud (financial modules) in a support or administration role.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, accounting principles, and reporting frameworks.
• Proficiency with reporting and analysis tools (e.g., Power BI, Excelerator).
• Ability to diagnose and resolve system and user issues independently.

For more information, please click on the Documents tab above to view the full Job Description.

If you are talented, reliable, service-minded, resilient and a highly motivated professional looking for a meaningful career, with a strong commitment to IRW’s mission and values of sincerity, excellence, compassion, social justice and custodianship, please apply by completing our online application form.

For more information on the excellent company benefits we offer our employees, please visit our website.

PLEASE NOTE: Interviews are expected to take place on an ongoing basis until a suitable appointment is made. We therefore may close the advert sooner than the advertised date.

Pre-employment Checks:

Any employment with Islamic Relief will be subject to the following checks:

• screening clearance
• proof of eligibility to live and work within the UK
• receipt of satisfactory references

Please note, for UK-based roles, we are only able to accept applications from candidates who are eligible to work in the UK. We are unable to progress applications which would require sponsorship.

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

IRW is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom IRW engages. IRW expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records checks. IRW also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.

In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.

By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Islamic Relief is an equal opportunities employer

Job Title: Floating Support Worker

Location: Warwickshire
Salary: £15,514.27 per annum
Contract type: Part Time, Permanent

Hours: 22.5 hours per week

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Floating Support Worker to provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and their children living in our dispersed refuge accommodation in Warwickshire. This service will provide emergency accommodation across Warwickshire with high-quality domestic abuse support, ‘by-and-for’ services for survivors of domestic abuse and their children. 

The post holder will provide high quality support and safety planning to survivors and their children who are fleeing domestic abuse. This includes enabling survivors to access housing, welfare, benefits and legal advice.  A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that survivors are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment in accordance with Refuge’s philosophical principles.

The Floating Support Worker (FSW) will carry a caseload of survivors of domestic abuse to enable them to provide a more holistic and intensive support package. They will work closely with survivors from the point of crisis through to move on from the emergency accommodation. FSWs will work in partnership with both statutory and voluntary sector partners to ensure that the whole range of survivors’ needs are met.

As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 28 January 2026

Interview Date: 16 February 2026