Specialist family support worker jobs in Birmingham

For over 140 years, the Forces Employment Charity has proudly supported service leavers, veterans and their families in building successful civilian careers. We provide veterans with life-long, life-changing support, jobs and training opportunities regardless of circumstances, rank, length of service or reason for leaving. 

By working for FEC, you will become part of a vibrant team living the Charity's values: Expert, Supportive, Passionate, Open and Honest, Resilient and Collaborative. 

Op NOVA is a specialist programme delivered by the Forces Employment Charity that supports veterans that are in contact with, or at risk of entering, the criminal justice system. This support is delivered across the UK through NOVA Scotland, NOVA Wales and NOVA Northern Ireland. 

​

Brief role description

The Nova Support Team (NST) Client Advisor plays a key role in the NOVA Support Team, acting as the first point of contact for veterans who have served in the UK armed forces and are at risk of, or are involved in, the criminal justice system. They provide timely initial advice, guidance and support, assess individual needs and connect veterans to appropriate services.

The role includes receiving and triaging referrals, making prompt first contact, completing initial registrations and maintaining accurate and detailed records on the case management system to support effective casework.

​

Who we're looking for

We are seeking a compassionate and people-focused individual who can build trust and communicate clearly while supporting veterans with a range of complex needs.

You will have experience and guiding and supporting individuals with strong interpersonal skills and the confidence to provide accurate advice and direction. You will also be highly organised, detail-oriented and able to manage multiple cases effectively while handling sensitive information with professionalism and care.

You will be proactive, IT confident and able to work both independently and collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders. The ideal candidate will also bring an understanding of the justice system, experience using Salesforce, or a similar CRM system, and a resilient, adaptable approach.

​

This is a fixed term position for about 2 years. The contract end date will be confirmed at the offer stage. 

​

Interested? Want to know more about the Charity? Check out our website.

​

Eager to know more about the role? Have a look at the Job Description. 

​

What's in it for you? Check out our Benefits.

​

Have we convinced you to apply? If so, submit your CV and Covering Letter by Sunday, 16 August 2026.

​

Got questions about the role? Get in touch with the People Team at the Forces Employment Charity.

​

Please note: Applications will be reviewed and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert; therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as possible. If you are an internal applicant, please ensure you have made the People Team aware before applying. 

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff by creating an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone, including those with disabilities, can thrive, develop and achieve their full potential. We actively encourage applications from individuals with diverse backgrounds and ensure reasonable adjustments are made to support candidates with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process.

​

#LI-DNI

Job Purpose

Sequence ME & Long Covid is one of the most ambitious whole-genome sequencing studies ever undertaken into ME and Long Covid, co-led by Action for ME. Building on the success of DecodeME, this proposed £20 million study will use large-scale, long-read whole-genome sequencing to analyse the entire genetic code of 9,000 people with ME and 9,000 people with Long Covid - making it the world's largest 'long-read' whole-genome sequencing study of any disease.

Current funding supports project mobilisation, partnership development, and the development of the Long Covid arm of the study, including agreeing case definitions and gathering expressions of interest from people with Long Covid. Phase 2 has recently been confirmed, backed by £4.75m from the UK government and a further £174,414 from the WE&ME Foundation, and will focus on sequencing 6,000 ME/CFS samples previously collected through DecodeME using Oxford Nanopore's long-read sequencing technology, running alongside Phase 1.

You will play a pivotal role supporting the Sequence ME & Long Covid project in several different ways. Working closely with the project's management team and other team members, you will help ensure the smooth day-to-day running of this landmark study, providing administrative support to the various people and partners involved in delivering it.

As a self-starter, you will manage a range of tasks including meeting scheduling, taking meeting minutes, preparing governance documents, event administration, and broader project support - no two days will be the same.

You will need to maintain a high level of confidentiality at all times, particularly when supporting governance meetings and handling sensitive project documentation.

As a team player, you will provide comprehensive, confidential and organised administrative support, developing a deep understanding of the project and building strong, effective working relationships with colleagues, researchers and external partners.

Remote working at home can be challenging for some and works incredibly well for others. You will need to be able to work independently, use your own initiative, and remain proactive in maintaining good levels of communication with colleagues.

Key Duties

• Help monitor inboxes and respond to routine project enquiries in a timely and sensitive manner, escalating more complex matters as appropriate
• Assist the project's management team and other team members with meeting scheduling and diary coordination
• Take accurate minutes at project, management and other project-related meetings, and follow up and track resulting actions to completion
• Prepare, format and proof-read governance documents and papers
• Maintain and update project databases including the Teams channel, ensuring documents are saved correctly, other management information/recording systems to ensure accurate and timely record-keeping. Help with the tracking of expressions of interest from potential study participants.
• Provide administrative support for project events - from planning and logistics through to on-the-day support
• Help prepare presentations, slide decks and briefing materials for internal meetings, funders, partners and participant-facing communications
• Support the drafting, formatting and coordination of project communications, such as updates for partners, funders or the wider ME and Long Covid community
• Support coordination between internal teams and external partners, including research and funding partners
• Maintain project files and documentation in line with agreed communication operating procedures with internal and external partners ensuring information is well organised, up to date and easy for the team to access
• Maintain confidentiality at all times and in line with relevant policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with GDPR and that all data consent processes have been followed in relation to data protection
• Positively promote the work of the Sequence ME & Long Covid project and Action for ME at all times
• Undertake any other reasonable activity in line with the responsibilities of the post, as requested by the CEO, Business Development & Partnerships Manager, Senior Research Manager or the project's Management Team

Person Specification

Essential skills and experience

• Organisational skills - Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks across a fast-moving research project, with attention to detail and accuracy maintained under pressure
• Communication - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with diverse audiences including researchers, funders and people affected by ME and Long Covid
• IT literacy - Proficient with common office software, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint), and able to quickly learn relevant project management, database or communications systems as needed
• Problem-solving - A creative and solution-focused mindset to address challenges and find innovative ways to improve processes
• Adaptability - Capable of managing changing priorities, working flexibly, and adapting to the needs of a fast-paced, ambitious research programme
• Initiative - A proactive approach, with the ability to work independently and take initiative, while also following clear instructions when given
• Teamwork - A collaborative team player with a proven ability to work effectively as part of a team, including a remote-working team spanning multiple partners and stakeholders
• Interest in the sector - A genuine interest in health research, the Third Sector, and a desire to take action to improve the lives of people with ME and Long Covid
• Experience - Demonstrable ability to be an effective administrator, ideally within a charity, research, or project environment. Experience supporting governance processes, events, or communications would be an advantage but is not essential

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience providing administrative support for scientific or research-related projects
• Experience writing and communicating with non-specialist or general audiences

We are looking for a Safeguarding Lead to provide dedicated safeguarding leadership as our flagship Drive Project working with high-harm, high-risk perpetrators of domestic abuse, scales across England and Wales. Acting as a Safeguarding Lead, you'll hold oversight of safeguarding governance across our network, lead a shift from compliance towards collaborative, relational learning, and support delivery partners as a trusted peer and source of expertise. This is a pivotal, newly created role for someone energised by culture change, skilled at holding both accountability and compassion, and comfortable working in complexity.

Closing date: Tuesday 25th August, 9am. Please refer to the job description for further details.

To apply, please visit Respect UK website 

About Us

We are an environmental charity with science at our heart. We help people to take action to protect the nature around them; by connecting them with it and giving them the tools they need to do so. We passionately believe in citizen science and are leaders in it. Our current focus areas include helping to create nature-friendly urban spaces, growing the impact of internationally known citizen science programmes such as Freshwater Watch, developing early career scientists and sharing learning internationally, and working with partners to advance the science, tools and thinking behind citizen science.

What we are looking for

Earthwatch Europe is recruiting a Director of Science and Impact. We are looking for someone with a deep understanding of the pressures facing our natural world and how citizen science and community action can help address these challenges, using high quality data, knowledge and practical demonstration to influence governments and corporations.

You will have a background in citizen science and an in depth understanding of current and future environmental policy trends and priorities.  You will be an experienced leader with excellent interpersonal skills and a track record of successful relationship and partnership development at all levels. You will have strong project and budget management experience, and you will be an exceptional strategic thinker with the ability to create and deliver effective strategies and action plans

Please see the full job description attached.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK; Earthwatch is unable to support visa applications. 

Earthwatch is committed to making any adjustments we can for short-listed candidates, to facilitate participation in our interview process. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The successful candidate will be required to undergo a DBS check and other due diligence checks, given the nature of this position within the charity.

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.