22 Specialist family support worker jobs in East of England

Please note - this role is homebased in Scotland, with some travel througout Scotland and to London required.

Independent Age is the national charity working towards ending financial hardship in later life.  

Our Helpline and expert advisers offer free information and advice to older people without enough money to live on, while our external training equips professionals with the information they need to support older people on low incomes. Through our grants programme, we fund and support hundreds of local charities working with older people across the UK.  We use the knowledge and insight gained from our support services and partnerships to highlight the issues experienced by older people in poverty and campaign for change.  

We believe no one should face financial hardship in later life. We would love to find individuals from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds to join us on this journey.

Responsibilities and Person Specification:

This new role is an integral part of the day-to-day delivery of our Advice and Support Service. 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 an Adviser (Scotland) you will be responsible for providing specialist support to older people, their families and carers through our advice service with their enquiries relating to housing and welfare benefits in Scotland as well as providing generalist level support on a range of issues through our duty service.

You should have in depth, specialist level knowledge of Housing or Welfare Benefits in Scotland as they relate to older people. Experience of working within a high-volume advice setting and advice supervision framework such as the AQS framework.

We plan to further develop our advice offer in Scotland to cover advice around charging for Social Care, so whilst not essential, knowledge of this area, or a desire to develop will be beneficial.

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 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 21 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. But if you need a different form of flexibility, we are always happy to talk flexible working. 

With an employee engagement score of 98%, colleagues say Independent Age is a great place to work. You can find out more about what it’s like to work at Independent Age by visiting the Careers page on our website.

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. 

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you require any specific arrangements or adjustments to enable you to fully participate in the recruitment process, such as having the job description in a larger text format or to apply in an alternative format, please get in touch with us via the email address on the ‘Contact Us’ page on our jobs site. 

To support our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion our hiring managers use anonymous shortlisting. Please don’t include your name, photo, or any information that could indicate your gender or age in your CV and supporting statement, and don’t include your name in the title of any documents that you upload. However, please do include all dates of employment.  

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 a minimum of two employment references including your current or most recent employer. A Level 1 (Basic) Disclosure check will be carried out for the successful candidate.

Closing Date: Sunday 4th October 2026 11:59pm

Interview Dates: 

First round of interviews will take place online on Tuesday 13th & Wednesday 14th October

Second round of interviews will be held in person, in Glasgow, on Wednesday 21st October

If you are passionate about making a difference for PWS families in Northern Ireland, we want to hear from you!
PWSA UK is a small charity providing lifelong support to all those affected by Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). PWS is a rare genetic condition causing an overwhelming and uncontrollable drive to eat that can be life-limiting, as well as learning and physical disabilities. We provide a dedicated helpline, a comprehensive information hub, a network of peer support groups, a varied programme of community events, training for professionals working with those with PWS, and support for vital research. Our aim is to help our amazing community overcome the challenges and live life to the full with PWS.
We are looking for a part time PWS Specialist Adviser for Northern Ireland to support the PWS community in Northern Ireland. PWS is a rare and isolating condition and our ambition it to reach families in Northern Ireland to provide impactful advice, support, information and training. The ideal candidate will have an in-depth working knowledge of health and social care systems and education in Northern Ireland as well as a belief in the potential and value of people with Prader-Willi syndrome. 
You will need to be able to demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills, as well as being self-motivated and able to engage with families, health care professionals and policy makers. You will build on the excellent work of our existing support worker to continue engage and enable the PWS community. 
The position is part time (14 - 18 hours a week) and is home based and ideal for someone living in Northern Ireland

Assistant Headteacher – Inclusion, Safeguarding and DSL

• Location: TreeHouse School, Woodside Ave, London, N10 3JA
• Hours: Permanent, full time (37.3 hours per week)
• Salary: £62,541 to £66,744 per annum
• Start date: January 2027

About TreeHouse School:

TreeHouse School, part of Ambitious about Autism, is an Ofsted outstanding specialist school supporting children and young people aged 4–19 with autism and complex learning needs. We are committed to providing an exceptional learning environment where every pupil can thrive and achieve their full potential.

About the role:

We are looking for a resilient and values led Assistant Headteacher of Inclusion, Safeguarding and DSL to join our Senior Leadership Team.

This is a pivotal role with responsibility for safeguarding, inclusion and pupil welfare for autistic children and young people with complex needs.

You will lead on child protection and safeguarding, working closely with our team of deputy and assistant DSLs and with external partners including Social Care, Health, Police, LADO and Prevent.

You will also provide strategic oversight of inclusion, behaviour, wellbeing, healthcare, therapeutic support, Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and least restrictive practice, working collaboratively with education, nursing and wider multidisciplinary teams.

This is not an office based role. You will need to have a strong presence across the school, supporting pupils, families and staff, providing visible leadership and responding calmly and effectively when complex situations arise.

What we are looking for:

• Has strong safeguarding experience and ideally experience as a DSL or Deputy DSL.
• Has a good understanding of autism, SEND and complex needs, with experience in an education or specialist setting preferred.
• Could be an experienced education professional, SEN specialist or social worker with substantial relevant experience and a strong understanding of education.
• Is confident making difficult safeguarding decisions, managing referrals and escalating concerns when necessary.
• Is resilient, persistent and able to manage complex cases involving vulnerable children.
• Can build strong relationships with pupils, families, staff and external agencies.
• Can lead and develop staff, ensuring safeguarding training, recording and procedures are consistently followed.

What we offer:

You will be well supported by an experienced safeguarding team, Senior Leadership Team and receive regular supervision and mentoring. There will also be opportunities to develop your expertise through DSL, trauma informed, autism and CALM training.

This is an opportunity to make a significant difference to the lives of autistic children and young people, while leading a team and helping shape excellent safeguarding and inclusive practice across the school.

If you are a confident safeguarding professional who combines expertise with compassion, resilience and determination, we would love to hear from you.

Shortlisting date: Friday 2nd of October

Outcome of application: Friday 2nd/Monday 5th of October

Interview date: Friday 9th and Tuesday 13th of October

Ambitious About Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious About Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search may be carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The safeguarding responsibilities of the post are as per the job description and person specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance

One full time role (35 hours per week) and one role for 21 hours per week (part time) or 2 roles, each at 28 hours per week (part time).

About Toynbee Hall

Based in the East End of London since 1884, Toynbee Hall is a charity working alongside people facing poverty, injustice, and inequality to build a fairer East London. We provide vital advice and support, working in partnership to tackle unfairness and ensure everyone has an equal chance to thrive. We have recently launched a new strategic plan which reinforces that our purpose is to build a fairer future with an end to poverty, injustice and inequality.

Job description and purpose of the role

The successful candidates will provide advice, information and guidance to clients as part of Toynbee Hall’s Generalist Advice Team. Postholders will have a background in providing generalist advice on a wide range of social welfare law issues e.g. welfare benefits, housing, employment, debt, consumer and family law. Advice will be delivered through a range of channels, including face to face, telephone, email, home visits and at outreach locations.

The post holders will provide a high-quality, person-centred advice service, focusing particularly on people who may face barriers to accessing mainstream support. Working collaboratively with statutory, voluntary and specialist agencies, the role will help strengthen clients’ financial resilience, housing stability, employment rights and overall wellbeing through coordinated support.

Key duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide holistic advice, information and casework service to the general public on their rights and entitlements in a range of areas including welfare benefits, housing, employment, debt, consumer and family matters.
2. Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of legislation, regulations, policies and practices relevant to the post including changes to the benefits system, housing legislation and employment legislation.
3. Use case management systems and Microsoft Office applications, for statistical recording, record keeping and document production. Ensure all work conforms to Toynbee Hall’s systems and procedures.
4. Refer clients on to colleagues or other agencies as appropriate for specialist help with major issues that fall outside the remit of the service.
5. Provide advice at a range of locations and through various channels. This includes at Toynbee Hall, on home visits and at outreach locations; in person, by telephone and email.
6. Meet targets as set by line manager, in line with our contractual and grant obligations.
7. Form effective working relationships with outreach agencies and other relevant stakeholders to ensure we reach our target group across all our services,
8. Support Toynbee Hall‘s social policy work by providing case studies and feedback on issues affecting service users.
9. Work at all times within Toynbee Hall policies and procedures, including our safeguarding and Equal Opportunities policy and work in an anti-discriminatory/ non-judgemental manner.
10. Ensure all work conforms to the relevant Quality Mark Standard and other organisational standards including our vulnerable client’s and safeguarding policy.

Person Specification

1. Experience of Advice work

You will have at least 2 years experience of providing an advice and casework service in social welfare law, working to AQS standards or equivalent. You will be comfortable carrying a varied caseload, using a case management system and working in a performance driven environment to meet set targets.

2. Knowledge of Social Welfare law

You will have an in-depth knowledge of welfare benefits and in addition, generalist level knowledge of at least 2 of the following areas: housing, employment, debt, consumer; family law.

3. Communication Skills

You have the ability to explain complex information clearly and succinctly using your excellent written and oral communication skills. You will be able to produce clear and detailed case records and draft letters in plain English. You will have strong interpersonal skills with the ability to respond sensitively to a diverse client group.

All roles rerqure fluency in spoken and written English. Fluency in spoken and written Spanish is an advantage. At least one of the advertised roles will be offered to a candidate who satisfies the Spanish speaking requirement.

4. Planning and organising:

You plan, prioritise and organise your workload to meet deadlines, and other competing demands. You can maintain high quality standards whilst working under pressure.

Our Benefits Package

We believe in supporting our employees with a well-rounded benefits package designed to enhance work-life balance, financial security, and overall well-being.

Annual Leave

• 25 days of annual leave, plus 3 additional days for our Christmas shutdown (on top of bank holidays).
• After 2 years: +3 extra days of leave.
• After 3 years: +1 additional day.
• After 5 years: A total of 30 days annual leave, plus the 3-day Christmas shutdown.

Pension

• Standard Life Pension Scheme – Employer contribution: 4%, Employee contribution: 5%

Additional Perks & Support

• Enhanced Sick Pay for peace of mind during illness
• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to support growing families
• Employee Eyecare Vouchers to support your vision health
• Employee Assistance Programme for free, confidential advice and support
• Mental Health First Aid to ensure workplace well-being
• Tenancy Deposit Scheme to help secure your home
• Interest-Free Season Ticket Loan for cost-effective commuting
• Cycle to Work Scheme to promote a healthier, greener way to travel
• Charity Mentoring Network to support professional development and networking
• Westfield Healthcare Cash Plan
• Perk Box

Please download the full Job Description for more details.

Are you passionate about making a direct financial difference in the lives of unpaid carers?

Join the Carers’ Hub Lambeth team and help ensure carers across our borough receive the financial recognition, stability, and specialist support they deserve.

In this vital role, you will deliver specialist, high-quality welfare and disability benefits support across our Young Carers and Adult Carers teams. Working directly with unpaid carers and their families, you will help maximise household incomes, navigate complex benefit systems, and ensure their rights are upheld.

What you’ll be doing:

• Specialist Casework & Income Maximisation: Deliver 1-to-1 welfare benefits casework, carry out calculations, complete application forms, and support carers through mandatory reconsiderations and appeals (covering PIP, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit, Attendance Allowance, etc.).

• Workshops & Outreach: Design and facilitate engaging information workshops and drop-in sessions (online and face-to-face) on key benefit topics affecting carers.

• Collaborative Support: Respond to internal and external referrals (from health, social care, and voluntary partners), working closely with team leaders to support particularly vulnerable carers.

• Partnership & Impact: Maintain accurate case records, track outcome metrics (e.g., financial gains), and represent Carers' Hub with local statutory and voluntary services.

What we are looking for:

• Benefits Expertise: In-depth, practical knowledge of the UK welfare benefits system and proven experience delivering 1-to-1 casework, form-filling, and reconsideration support.

• Strong Communicator: Excellent written and oral skills with a knack for breaking down complex benefit regulations into clear, understandable advice.

• Organised & Database Literate: Confidence managing a busy caseload, prioritising deadlines, and using CRM databases (e.g., Charity Log) and benefit calculation software.

• Empathetic & Inclusive: A genuine commitment to carers' wellbeing, safeguarding protocols, and non-judgmental, inclusive support.

About Carers' Hub Lambeth

Unpaid carers make huge sacrifices to look after loved ones, often facing steep financial, emotional, and practical challenges. At Carers' Hub, we work to limit these obstacles by raising awareness, influencing local policy, improving carer wellbeing, and connecting carers to essential resources and networks.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and warmly welcome applications from carers, disabled people, ethnic minority communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and South London residents. As part of our disability commitment, we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant meeting the essential criteria.

Ready to apply? Download our full Application Pack for detailed person specifications and instructions on how to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!

Closing date: 9am Wednesday 7th October
Interviews will take place on Thursday 15th October at 336 Brixton Road

We are Hestia. We make a difference.

At Hestia, we are guided by our core values and are dedicated to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive organisation. Our mission is to empower individuals to rebuild their lives and achieve independence. Right now, we are looking for a Support Worker to play a pivotal role in our Mental Health Service in Croydon.

Sounds great, what will I be doing?

As a Support Worker, you will provide person-centred support to service users by carrying out comprehensive assessments, support planning, and safety planning that promote recovery, independence, and individual wellbeing. Working closely with the Service Manager, Team Manager, external agencies, families, carers, and other key supporters, you will help develop and review support, risk, and move-on plans tailored to each individual's needs. You will encourage participation in social, educational, training, employment, and skills-development opportunities, while supporting access to relevant health services. You will also help maintain a safe and positive environment, monitor housing-related responsibilities, and promote tenancy sustainment, including supporting occupancy agreement compliance and rent payments.

What do I need to bring with me?

You'll need to be able to demonstrate the core skills this role requires as well as match our values and mission. You don't have to tick all the boxes right away; the important thing is that you're willing to learn. We also value lived experience of the areas we support, so if you feel comfortable, please do mention this on your application.

Displays skills to convince, persuade and influence others including excellent negotiation skills Uses appropriate interpersonal styles and collaborative approaches with colleagues and stakeholders. Professional Consultancy Skills- Operates professionally and ethically with the ability to gain the trust and respect of others Excellent IT and Digital skills and confident in the use of Microsoft Office functions Use of MS Word –ability to compose bids and reports Use of MS Excel –ability to create and manipulate spreadsheets Use of MS Powerpoint – ability to prepare presentations Use of MS Outlook – ability to read and compose emails and maintain Outlook Ability to maintain and develop the contracts database with IT colleagues Ability to work flexibly as this role is to work shifts and will require occasional weekend work.

Interview Steps

We keep our interview process simple, so you know exactly what to expect.

• Shortlisting call: We have a team of dedicated recruitment specialists who will speak to you about your experience, motivations and values. They will also tell you about all the great work we do!
• Face to face interview: Now you will have face to face interview with the hiring manager. Our interviews are value and competency based.

Don't be alarmed if there are other stages in the process, it's all part of the plan for some of our roles.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Our services users come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes us stronger. We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce and value the skills, abilities, talent and experiences, different people and communities bring to our organisation.

We are a disability confident employer

Hestia is proud to be a disability confident employer, dedicated to the employment and career development of individuals with disabilities. We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all applicants with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the role they have applied for. We also provide reasonable adjustments during the selection and interview process, and throughout your employment with us.

Safeguarding Statement

Hestia is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of adults, children and young people who are potentially at risk, and we therefore expect all staff and volunteers to do the same. We require all staff to undertake internal and external safeguarding training throughout their employment with Hestia.

Important Information for Candidates

If your application is successful, please be aware that you will be required to undergo pre-employment checks before a formal offer of employment can be confirmed.

We reserve the right to close this job advert early should we receive a high volume of applications or if the position is filled before the closing date. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible to ensure their application is considered.

To work as a Opiate Recovery Worker which includes: 

To provide allocated clients with 1:1 support with achieving their substance misuse recovery goal, using psycho-social interventions, SMART goals, motivational interviewing, risk management planning and working closely with our clinical staff and pharmacies around prescribing needs and partner agencies. 

To ensurethat patients receive the right level of help at the right time and experience ajoined-upservice between health and social care, especially where multiple services are going in.

About Mind in the City, Hackney and Waltham Forest: 

We are a multi-disciplinary provider of specialist mental health services and a part of the Mind Federation.

We promote both recovery from ill health for people with recurrent and enduring mental health difficulties and early intervention for those at risk of developing mental health issues, or who struggle with common mental health conditions. We currently support around 5,000 people a year through a variety of services focusing on psychological, social, economic and workplace wellbeing, and support minoritised communities.

Working with Mind CHWF means you’ll be part of a dedicated, passionate, and professional workforce who cares about the work they do and make a real difference to the lives of the people in the City of London, Hackney, and Waltham Forest. 

Our values are: 

Connected: Creating a compassionate and supportive community.

Fair:  We strive for equity- no-one's needs should go unmet. 

Brave: We walk with people, offering help by doing what works - proven or new 

We are committed to ensuring all our employees are treated fairly and equitably at work and promoting equity in physical and mental health for all.

Those with lived experience of Mental Health are encouraged to apply. 

Value-based Recruitment:  

We know that for various reasons, not everybody who can successfully perform in a role, performs their best under traditional interview/selection procedures. We are therefore seeking ways to breakdown further barriers in our recruitment & selection process.

Shorted-listed candidates will be provided with some questions to help them prepare for the interview.

How to apply:  Please apply using the application form found here:and your CV: 

The closing date is by Monday 28th September at 5pm, however, please do not delay applying as this advert may close before the stated deadline if we find a suitable applicant for the role. 

We are a disability confident employer. All applicants with a disability, who meet the minimum essential short-listing criteria are guaranteed an interview. If this applies to you, please let us know in your application. 

Your privacy and the security of your data is our top priority. Please take a moment to read through our applicant’s privacy notice. 

Earliest Start Date: 2nd November 2026

Contract: 12 Months with Potential for Exentension

Job Title: Known internally as "Key Work Manager (Maternity Cover)"

Location: 30 Petworth Street, Battersea, SW11 4QW. The post will also involve working in the community so some local travel will be required.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, including some evening & occasional weekend work

About the Role

As Key Work Manager you will lead on and oversee all Key Work activity at Carney’s Community. This includes undertaking key work yourself on a one to one basis with young people involved in the criminal justice system as well as managing a small team of key workers.

You will provide advice, practical support and befriending to a caseload of participants, aged 11-30, who are at risk of/involved in offending; to encourage and enable them to participate in Carney’s Community’s personal development opportunities and to access the wider services and support they may need in order to give them the best chances of being “the best they can be”. This will involve supporting young people to engage in positive and constructive activities, attend Youth Justice Service or Probation appointments and creating opportunities for their personal, social and emotional development

You will work alongside the employment support manager to plan and deliver the employment group, supporting participants that attend this group and leading specific employment programmes. As manager of the key work project you will oversee the small team of key workers, provide support, guidance and supervision. You will be involved in monitoring and reporting for the project, collecting feedback from participants. You will manage referrals to the project from other organisations including schools, social services, probation and the youth justice service.

About You:

You must have proven experience of working directly with young people in a youth work or key work setting, providing one to one support. You will have the ability to empathise and mediate for young people, a strong understanding of the local area, barriers facing young people, the interplay between material disadvantage, vulnerability and social exclusion and be highly skilled in diplomacy, professional distance, demonstrating empathy, boundaries and sound judgement. You will have experience managing other staff or volunteers.

About Carney’s Community

We support young people living in and around Wandsworth, targeting ages 11-30 facing extreme challenges including criminal justice system involvement or care experience. Carney’s works differently by providing long-term, consistent, unconditional support with empathy; a safe space and activities including boxing, bike workshops, employment support, studio sessions, mentoring and key work. Inspired by boxing legend Mick Carney, the charity was founded in his name after his passing in 2011, building on work led by our co-founders. We aim to create a “virtuous cycle”: while support is free of charge, we ask that when young people are ready, they channel the positivity they have received into others. As a result, many go on to volunteer, mentor, join our staff team or even set up their own community initiatives. Former participants make up the majority of our workforce. They provide the most authentic role models, people who genuinely understand the challenges our young people face and who show what is possible. For our young people we strive for equality and aim to: Improve Physical and Mental Health; Improve Education, Skills and Employability; Improve Community Engagement; Reduce Offending and Reoffending.

We’re looking for a compassionate and motivated Community Connector to join our GP Integrated Mental Health Service and Mental Health Integrated Community Service in Surrey Heath.

This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of local communities, supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing by helping them access the right support at the right time. Working alongside GPs, mental health practitioners, partner agencies and community organisations, you will provide timely assessments, brief psychosocial interventions and practical support that helps people build on their strengths, overcome barriers and connect with services, activities and networks that promote independence and recovery.

As part of Catalyst Support, you will be joining a Surrey charity committed to supporting wellness together through kindness, integrity and commitment. We are looking for someone who is confident working with people experiencing mental health challenges, able to build positive relationships with professionals and community partners, and passionate about making support more accessible, joined-up and person-centred.

Location: Surrey Heath
Salary: £30,280
Hours: 35 hours across Monday to Friday
Contract type: Permanent

Key responsibilities:

To work jointly with the Mental Health Practitioner in conducting assessments, including risk assessment, and to work with patients to support them in identifying their socially determined needs and goals, provide self-management tools and facilitate the development of personal support plans

• To provide a range of motivational and structured psychosocial interventions
• To promote independence through an enabling asset-based approach that draws on individuals’ strengths, preferences and ‘natural’ support networks
• To establish effective working relationships with a range of agencies to facilitate a ‘joined up’ approach to support plans
• To liaise with, develop and maintain good relations with GPs, practice managers and other health practitioners across mental health and physical health pathways and wider support networks
• To provide continuity throughout recovery; engaging the patient with key services such as Safe Havens, accessing CMHRS, and providing support for those engaged with and leaving CMHRS, and linking into local wellbeing services and activities
• To co-ordinate and support patients to access a range of community services such as wellbeing services, housing providers, family and carer support services, debt and employer advisors where appropriate
• To assist with community resource mapping exercises and maintain a database of community resources; map where there are gaps in provision across the PCN and wider geography and work with other VCS organisations to develop resources where most needed
• To promote and support (where necessary) advised follow up actions from physical health checks for people with serious mental illness
• To support patients to engage with local peer support workers and volunteering services
• To support and supervise any peer support workers linked to PCN
• To work with the service to identify opportunities to expand provision particularly in local communities where there is a lack of service provision identified
• To broker and establish new partnerships between public and voluntary sector agencies to enhance service delivery and access to services
• To develop and sustain professional relationships with service users, partner agencies and appropriate external agencies
• To complete locally agreed quality outcome measures, with patients and to undertake regular reviews
• You may be required to cover duties not listed within this job description.

About the organisation

Through Community, Specialist and Outreach services, we support recovery, mental health, and wellbeing—together, every step of the way.

 About you

Essential:

• A diploma or degree in an appropriate subject, e.g. counselling, psychology, social work, probation, mental health, or Health and Social Care Level 3; and/or a minimum of two years’ community experience in drug, alcohol or mental health work.
• Understanding and ability to work to confidentiality, consent, information sharing and safeguarding policies within an integrated service.
• Good communication and written skills, with a commitment to accurate and confidential record keeping.
• Ability to interact effectively with the client group, colleagues and other professionals while maintaining clear boundaries.
• Ability to break down stigma and barriers associated with working with the client group.
• Understanding of the issues and needs of the client group.
• Knowledge and understanding of community working and lone working, with the ability to maintain safety while working in the community.
• Ability to work to all policies, procedures and standards of the service and joint-working arrangements with key partners.
• Good understanding of personal limitations, with the ability to identify when to seek advice and support and deal with emotionally challenging issues objectively and professionally.
• Ability to manage challenging behaviour, anger and verbal aggression from patients.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel.
• Ability to enter data onto a database as required by the service.
• Demonstrates Catalyst’s values of kindness, commitment and integrity.
• Ability to maintain equal opportunity standards at all times.
• Ability to be resilient when working with the client group, while demonstrating compassion and willingness to go the extra mile.
• Ability to maintain respect for the client group, peers and partners.
• Adaptable to change.
• Dynamic and self-motivated.
• Proactive, motivated and energetic.
• Ability to work calmly in a challenging environment.
• Capacity to innovate and work flexibly on own initiative as well as part of a team.
• Commitment to developing skills and knowledge through ongoing learning and development.
• Ability to work flexibly across operational hours.
• Ability to work to the policies, procedures and standards of the charity.

Desirable

• If holding a professional qualification, maintain up-to-date professional registration, e.g. BACP, HCPC, BPS or recognised equivalent.

Benefits

• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays (increasing with service)
• Pension scheme and access to Simply Health (including optical, dental, counselling sessions)
• Birthday leave, employee discounts, and flexible working where possible
• Supportive probation, sick pay after probation, and wellbeing/EAP resources

Safeguarding & Checks

• This role is subject to a basic DBS check.
• A past history of drug/alcohol issues or criminality will not necessarily exclude you from this role; we encourage applications from people with lived experience where appropriate.
• All applicants must have a valid right to work in the UK

Catalyst Support is an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate difference and are committed to fairness, accessibility, and inclusion throughout recruitment and employment.

We welcome requests for reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process.

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

The Baobab Centre is a non-residential therapeutic community supporting unaccompanied minors who have experienced human rights abuses and are seeking asylum, refugee status and settlement in the United Kingdom.

The role of a Therapeutic Community Caseworker at the Baobab Centre is to support unaccompanied asylum seeking and refugee adolescents and young adults to access care, basic rights and entitlements and to support their social development and rehabilitation.This role involves working closely with the clinical key worker of each young person and with our wider multidisciplinary team. As a Caseworker you will aim to empower individuals to build stable, independent lives in the UK, including by supporting them to communicate their views, needs and experiences in decision-making processes, and supporting them to make challenges when necessary. Caseworkers assist young people to make effective choices about what happens in their lives and encourage them to speak up and build agency.

Baobab aims to be a non-residential therapeutic community with a holistic and integrated perspective.As a Caseworker, you will play a key role within our multidisciplinary team. We aim to be a thinking organisation and place a high value on shared thinking time and shared responsibilities. Our team work together with each other and with agencies and key individuals in young people’s lives, both within and outside of Baobab. A key aspect of the role is communicating with members of the clinical and admin staff team within the Baobab Centre and with other workers in the network around each young person including social workers, teachers, foster carers, lawyers, hospital consultants, housing and benefits workers. etc. You will strive to develop relationships across networks and advocate access to rights and entitlements for our community members. 

It is critical that as a Caseworker: 

• you have an insight to the backgrounds and experiences of both the internal and external factors impacting on the lives of unaccompanied young people attending our centre and an understanding of the broader context in our society as it impacts on young asylum seekers (including invisibility, marginalisation, discrimination and the fact of waiting in uncertainty for a long time.

• You have an insight in how trauma and the many human rights violations and persecution that most members of our community have experienced impact on all aspects of a young person’s internal and external world. 

• You have an insight in how current immigration rules and social care system procedures act as barriers to rehabilitation, including by restricting access to education, adequate benefits, housing and healthcare provision.

Registered Manager (Support & Care Coordinator), L’Arche Ipswich

ABOUT THE ROLE

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week 

Salary: £38,870.89 per annum 

Place of work: L'Arche Ipswich

Reports to: Community Leader/Director, L’Arche Ipswich

Contract type: Permanent, full-time

Closing date: Monday, 12th October, at 9 am

Discover what makes L’Arche a rewarding place to work – explore our employee benefits here.

Main purpose of the role

We are looking for a passionate, caring and proactive Registered Manager who will be responsible for the day-to-day management of a high-quality, person-centred care and support service for adults with learning disabilities. 

The right candidate will lead a supportive team of two House Leaders, working across two locations, and will support the Community Leader in enabling the Community to grow and flourish while ensuring our care and support is not only consistent with CQC requirements but also with the values of L’Arche. 

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• At least a level 3 Health and Social Care qualification.
• Capability to complete a level 5 qualification in leadership/management in Social Care.
• Knowledge and experience in social care or supported living is a key requirement for this role, but we’re also looking for someone with a commitment to our values and the ability to inspire others. 
• Demonstrable experience of a minimum of 2 years of management experience in social care, including supervisory experience in health and social care. 
• Experience of managing or being involved with CQC inspections in a social care environment.
• Knowledge of current care and support legislation and good practice, including adult protection and capacity issues. 
• Experience in leading and working with teams to provide high-quality support and care to people with learning disabilities. 
• Ability to manage the performance and development of others: to be able to assess, give feedback, manage conflict and make evaluative judgements about the performance of staff and volunteers. 

You may have held these job titles in the past: Support & Care Coordinator, Registered Manager, Service Manager, Deputy Registered Manager, Deputy Care Manager, Assistant Service Manager, Senior Service Manager, Head of Care, Senior Operations Lead, Learning Disability Services Manager, Head of Mission and Community Life, Health & Social Care Manager, Local Authority Commissioning Lead.

You can find more details about L'Arche Ipswich here.

A full job description and person specification can be found in the Recruitment Pack.

To apply, please submit your CV and answer the questions from our online application form. 

The closing date for applications is Monday, 12th October, at 9 am.

• First stage interviews will take place on 21 October via Microsoft Teams.
• Second stage interviews will be in person with the community (date to be confirmed).

However, we encourage you not to wait until the closing date to submit your application, as we may begin interviewing strong candidates before then.
We also reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive enough suitable applications.

Please also read our privacy notice for job applicants.

An exciting opportunity!

This is a rare and genuinely exciting opportunity to lead the UK's only dedicated charity supporting children, adults and families affected by MPS, Fabry disease and related lysosomal storage disorders. Following the current Chief Executive's planned move to become Managing Director of Rare Disease Research Partners (RDRP) in January 2027, the incoming CEO will take the helm of an organisation with over forty years of history, a trusted national reputation and a growing role on the international rare disease stage. The successful candidate will shape the strategic vision for more than 1,800 families, oversee the close partnership between the Society and its research subsidiary RDRP, and champion the patient and family ethos that sits at the heart of the organisation's work. It is an opportunity to combine ambitious strategic leadership with deeply meaningful, human impact, working alongside a committed Board, Senior Leadership Team and wider community of clinicians, researchers and pharmaceutical partners.

As our next Chief Executive, you will

• Define and deliver the MPS Society’s strategic vision.
• Provide confident oversight of governance, finance, compliance and reporting.
• Effectively manage the operational alignment between the MPS Society and RDRP.
• Always keep the members and family voice at the heart of strategy, service design and decision-making.
• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with statutory bodies, government agencies, pharmaceutical partners, clinical expert centres and other key stakeholders to support the Society’s objectives, influence policy and practice, and protect its professional reputation.
• Act as a visible and credible public voice to raise awareness, improve visibility, support, treatment access and outcomes for people affected by MPS, Fabry disease and related conditions.
• Collaborate with other rare disease bodies, patient organisations and other key audiences.
• Lead and empower the senior leadership team through effective delegation, early involvement in strategic discussions, clear accountability and support for individuals to flourish.
• Encourage an open, supportive work environment allowing creativity and building staff confidence.
• Help shape the future of the MPS Society.

About you

•  Self-motivated, with the drive to lead the organisation through a period of change and transition.
• Unquestionable probity and personal integrity, given the trust placed in the CEO by families, trustees and partners.
• Exemplary written and verbal communication skills, able to convey complex scientific and clinical information to audiences ranging from clinicians to families with no prior knowledge of MPS disorders.
• Strong self-awareness, with insight into their own leadership style and impact on others.
• Emotional resilience, able to sustain performance while supporting a community facing life limiting conditions.
• A collaborative and empowering leadership style, able to build trust, delegate effectively and help individuals across the organisation flourish.
• Genuine passion for the Society's mission, with a family and member-first ethos.
• Confidence to build relationships across a wide range of stakeholders, from beneficiaries and Trustees to politicians, media and pharmaceutical partners.
• A proactive, positive approach, comfortable reacting to change and organising their own work to meet deadlines.
• Confidence speaking publicly on behalf of the organisation and the people it represents.

Why join us?

A close-knit, values-led culture. With just over thirty staff across the Society and RDRP combined, this is a place where the CEO can know the team personally, work closely with families day-to-day, and see the direct results of decisions rather than managing at a distance through layers of bureaucracy.

• Genuine autonomy to shape direction. The Board is explicitly looking to the new CEO to bring fresh thinking on technology, AI, and digital tools, and to give real freedom to modernise fundraising, services, and engagement rather than simply maintaining what already exists.
• A stable foundation to build from over forty years of track record, trusted relationships and a strong national reputation mean the incoming CEO can focus energy on vision and growth rather than firefighting or rebuilding credibility from scratch.
• Proximity to cutting-edge science: the Society's close relationship with RDRP gives the CEO regular exposure to advances in rare disease research and treatment access, while day-to-day research leadership sits with the RDRP Managing Director, allowing the CEO to focus on strategy, people and sustainability.
• A high-visibility, high-influence platform. Regular contact with government, pharmaceutical companies, clinicians and international rare disease bodies offers strong opportunities to build a public profile and personal network well beyond the charity sector.
• A team that already shares the mission. Staff are described as passionate about the Society's aims, and as having a family-first ethos, so the new CEO inherits a culture to lead and empower rather than one that needs to be built from the ground up.
• Work with a different kind of return. Beyond salary and career progression, this role offers the less tangible reward of knowing that strategic and financial decisions translate, into better support for families facing some of the rarest conditions in the country.

Benefits

Join us and you will be working for a caring charity offering:

• A competitive salary
• Generous annual leave
• Extra leave between Christmas and the New Year
• Contributory pension
• Life assurance (subject to the conditions of the scheme)
• Employee assistance programme offering support 24/7

Further information

The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the UK.

The main duties, responsibilities and requirements of this role can be viewed in the job description on our website.

Salary to be agreed depending on experience and will be pro-rata for part time hours.

This is an essential car user post. The applicant must hold a current UK driver’s licence, with no more than 6 points, have access to a car and be able and willing to drive UK wide as required.

This senior role requires flexibility in working hours and location.  It is primarily offered on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in our Amersham, Buckinghamshire, office each week. As part of the role, UK and overseas travel is necessary, which may on occasion include early morning and/or evening working and sometimes overnight stays. We have policies in place to ensure that any unsociable hours worked over the weekend are fairly compensated through TOIL.

This role will require an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check (DBS) details of which can be found in the job description.

For an informal discussion about the role or the work of the MPS Society, please contact Dr Fiona Stewart.  Contact details can be found on the full job description. Kindly note, meetings with other relevant people will be available to shortlisted candidates at interview stage.  

At One YMCA, we work alongside young people to help them develop confidence, skills, resilience, and positive futures. We are looking for an inspiring, experienced and motivated Youth Work Manager to lead and develop our local youth work provision, ensuring that high-quality, impactful services reach young people across our communities.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering our Youth Work Strategy, managing a dedicated team, driving quality and developing services that make a real difference in the lives of young people.

About the role:

Reporting to the Head of Youth Work, you will take operational responsibility for the delivery, development, monitoring, and quality assurance of our youth work services. You will lead and support Youth Work Coordinators and wider youth work staff, ensuring services are safe, effective, youth-centred, and aligned with One YMCA's strategic priorities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and delivery of youth work programmes, specialist support services, mentoring initiatives, life skills courses, and large-scale youth events.
• Managing and supporting staff through recruitment, induction, supervision, training, and performance development.
• Monitoring contract performance, outcomes, impact data, and key performance indicators to demonstrate the difference our services make.
• Building strong relationships with schools, local authorities, partner agencies, and community stakeholders.
• Leading quality assurance, compliance, safeguarding, and continuous improvement across the service.
• Acting as Designated Safeguarding Lead and participating in the safeguarding on-call rota.
• Working with young people and teams to ensure youth voice is at the heart of everything we do.

We're looking for someone who combines strong operational leadership, experience in managing contractual compliance, with a genuine commitment to young people.

You will bring:

• Significant experience delivering and managing youth work programmes, projects, or contracts.
• A strong understanding of issues affecting young people's lives and a passion for helping them achieve positive outcomes.
• Experience leading, motivating, and developing staff teams.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and partnership-working skills.
• The ability to analyse data, monitor impact, and use insight to improve services.
• A youth work or related community-focused qualification at degree level, or significant equivalent experience.
• A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes.

Location: Home-based role but with regular travel to YMCA youth work delivery sites across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, as well as to support the broader youth work within One YMCA. 

Driving licence and access to a car is essential for this role.

If you are an experienced youth work leader ready for your next challenge, we would love to hear from you! 

Important: Please include a supporting statement with your application/CV.

We do not provide visa sponsorship; you must be eligible to work in the UK. You must reside in the UK for the duration of your employment and provide Right to Work evidence.

As some of our roles involve working with vulnerable members of society, this position may require a Basic or Enhanced Criminal Disclosure, which will be conducted once a conditional offer is made

Previous Applications: We welcome applications from all qualified candidates. However, if you have applied for a similar role within the last 6 months and were not successful, please consider whether your experience has developed further before reapplying

Accessibility & Adjustments: We are committed to making reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and will strive to be as accommodating as possible. Please inform us in advance of any arrangements you may need to fully participate in the process.

At One YMCA we are an inclusive organisation and actively promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We do not discriminate on the basis of Age, Disability, Gender Reassignment, Marriage/Civil Partnership, Pregnancy/Maternity, Race, Religion/Belief, Sex and/or Sexual Orientation. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities, and industries, and are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences, and abilities.

Working hours: 37.5 hours per week, generally Monday to Friday but with flexibility of working pattern to support both the ideal candidate and business need. Some evening work expected, and occasional weekend, overnight stays or residential work.

Are you passionate about helping others? Do you want to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable families? Have you considered working in the Charity Sector and are you passionate about supporting Volunteers? If so, we want to hear from you!

Home-Start Medway is a well-established Charity which has been supporting parents with children aged 0-5 years since 1987. Our ethos is simple and clear, ‘To be there for parents when they need us the most because childhood cannot wait’.

It's an exciting time to join our growing team. Having been identified as a leading light amongst Home-Starts and recently received the Kent Charity Award for best use of volunteers and the Queens Award for Voluntary service, we are now looking for a new Volunteer Co-ordinator.

The Volunteer Co-ordinator is responsible for the recruitment, training and supervision of Volunteers who provide 1-1 support to parents / carers of children aged 0-5 years, sometimes providing direct support themselves.

Job Title: Volunteer Co-ordinator

Employer: Home-Start Medway (Charity no: 1108057)

Location: Medway

Hours of Work: Part time and Full time hours considered

Salary: £26,355 – £29,190 per annum dependant on experience

Responsible to: CEO

Main Responsibilities

· Work co-operatively with other team members to recruit and train volunteers and maintain a satisfactory level of available volunteers to meet demand.

· Manage a case load of families who are referred to the Scheme, matching them with appropriate volunteers and overseeing this support.

· Work with partners to review and design the volunteer training courses so that they include specialist models as identified by client need.

· Ensure essential records and checks for volunteers are accurate and up to date.

· Match appropriate volunteers with families and introduce them / monitor support.

· Provide support and supervision to volunteers that are working with families on your caseload.

· Provide regular bulletins / newsletters to volunteers and potential volunteers to retain enthusiasm and motivation.

· Develop and facilitate Volunteer social events and support meetings.

· Maintain accurate records of the support provided for families on our database system.

· Support parent to enrich their living environments by applying for grants for white goods or furniture when needed.

· To refer to and / or work in partnership with other agencies and service providers as and when required.

· To model age appropriate play activities to parents/carers and offer a range of strategies and activities to manage behaviour and assist child development.

· Signpost families to parenting groups that can support them such as the Solihull course or Incredible Years.

· Signpost parents / carers to relevant services to ensure they have the necessary provisions to meet their child/ren’s needs.

· Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.

· To attend regular supervision meetings and annual appraisal.

· Work co-operatively with Management to support the preparation of the monthly, quarterly and annual reporting requirements.

· To contribute to the effective day to day operation of Home-Start Medway in accordance with governing documents, standards and methods of practice, Home –Start agreement and Quality Assurance standards.

· To keep efficient, accurate and confidential records, including statistics collection and collation. This would include the use of evaluation tools to enable us to evidence the impact of our work.

· To work within all Home-Start’s policies and procedures including: Confidentiality, Safeguarding Children Policies and Procedures and Health and Safety Policies.

· Be flexible and carry our other associated duties as may arise, develop, or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.

· To work within the ethos of Home-Start and have high standards of practice. The need to respect confidentiality is paramount, as is a mature and flexible approach to the work.

This role is a permanent post. You will be based at our office in Strood although will be required to work across the Medway area. As well as joining a friendly, dedicated, and hardworking team you will have access to numerous benefits, including:

· 30 days annual leave (including 8 Bank Holidays)

· 2 days special leave days per year

· Birthday leave day

· Free tea and coffee provided in the office

· Pension contribution of 3%

· Christmas staff appreciation token

· Annual pay reviews

· Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) via D.A.S

· Access to the Charity Worker Discount Scheme
Access to a reduced-price local gym membership

Home Start Medway is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for children, families, staff and volunteers. As part of our safer recruitment process, the successful applicant will be asked to complete relevant pre employment checks, including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, satisfactory references, right to work checks and verification of qualifications and employment history. All staff are expected to share our commitment to safeguarding and to follow our safeguarding policies and procedures.