Specialist housing first worker jobs in watford, hertfordshire

Job purpose

This is an exciting time to join Action for ME. With developments in research and policy alongside delivering services which are in high demand, you will enjoy working in a fast-paced and continually changing environment. You will be responsible for overseeing operational programme design and delivery, reporting of progress, and measuring the impact of all Action for ME work to improve the lives of people affected by ME. Better meeting their needs today while taking action to secure change for tomorrow. You will also assist the Chief Executive in implementing the organisational strategy, and by adapting and evolving delivery models on the ground. As you will have operational management and oversight for our Healthcare Services and hold the Designated Safeguarding Lead role for the organisation, you will bring considerable services-related experience at a management and leadership level. The Chief Executive will focus predominately on external matters and therefore you must have experience of managing an organisation to achieve high quality programmes with evidenced impact and motivated teams. You will act for the Chief Executive on topics, as agreed, and deputise during their absence.

Key duties

1. Leadership

• Ensure that children and adults with ME are at the heart of everything we do through meaningful engagement and participation to influence all aspects of our work.
• Deputise for the CEO and represent and promote the Charity at national meetings and events.
• Deputise for the CEO during periods of absence, and in relation to specific matters, issues or elements of operation as delegated from time to time by the CEO, ensuring a consistency of approach and decisions aligned with the organisation’s objectives.
• With the CEO and HR Business Partner, lead on implementing the People and Culture Strategy and ensuring our Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging plan is achieved.
• To provide support, leadership and coaching to the Management Team to ensure the smooth running of the organisation and development of the Charity.
• Contribute to the development of the overall strategy for Action for ME, ensuring that the best use is made of available resources within agreed priorities. Ensure that agreed strategy is delivered to target and in line with agreed budgets.
• Work closely with the Chief Executive and Trustees to ensure effective reporting to the Board and sub-committees.

2. Operations & management

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Charity ensuring high quality service provision that meets all best practice, legal and regulatory frameworks and internal policies and procedures.
• Hold overall management responsibility for our Healthcare Services including the role of the CQC Nominated Individual, ensuring all regulatory requirements and compliance are met.
• Manage the staff and volunteer team, including holding regular meetings and ensure the efficient running of the office ensuring a culture that supports, inspires and motivates the team while ensuring required standards and quality are met at all times through effective performance management.
• Act as the organisational Designated Safeguarding Lead (children and vulnerable adults), working closely with the Designated Safeguarding Officers, colleagues and the Safeguarding Lead Trustee; facilitate the annual safeguarding audit (led by the Lead Trustee) and ensuring safeguarding standards across the organisation are maintained.
• Contribute to the learning and development of key personnel including coaching support (either directly or through the identification of external coaches) to enhance performance.
• Establish (where not already in place) and maintain a clear performance outcome-focused management system driving positive change and improvement across all teams.
• Ensure that policies and procedures are effectively implemented and kept up-to-date to enable the effective management of operations and support growth.
• Take the lead role for data protection, health and safety, compliance and risk management across the organisation and act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

3. Finance & income generation

• Hold financial leadership responsibility, working closely with the Finance Manager and the Fundraising Director to ensure sustainability for our work.
• Ensure effective financial management with procedures in place which are kept up-to-date and implemented accordingly.
• Provide support and engagement, where appropriate, to actively grow our income.

4. Working with others

• Lead, nurture and develop relationships with key stakeholder groups and partner organisations, both locally and nationally, supporting Action for M.’s place as the ‘go to’ organisation for people affected by ME
• Lead on new business ideas and pilot projects in line with the strategic objectives; with colleagues, develop the business case, identify and manage risks, lead implementation across teams, evaluate success and learning and make recommendations for future development.

5. Other key accountabilities

• Be proactive in keeping up to date with developments affecting operations and maintain and improve personal competence through continuous professional development.
• Take direction on projects and priorities from the CEO, which may vary from time to time.
• To ensure best value in all service delivery.

Person specification

Experience and Knowledge

• Proven experience in an operations, leadership, or senior management role, ideally within the charity service delivery or healthcare sector, with the ability to develop and implement strategic plans that drive organisational growth and reporting that demonstrates impact delivered. If you come from outside a support services background, you must demonstrate sound understanding of the regulatory and best practice requirements related to delivering support and/or healthcare services.
• An understanding of ME and associated/overlapping illnesses, the impact on people affected by it or a commitment and ability to understand the illness and lead services to meet the needs of children and adults with ME
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams, including remote workers, and fostering a supportive workplace culture where change is a constant.
• Safeguarding understanding at a management/decision-making level.
• Proven experience of building and nurturing strong relationships internally and externally at all levels.
• A sound understanding of outcome-focused, effective performance management, quality assurance and risk management.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, financial planning, and resource management in the voluntary sector.

Skills and Behaviours

• Experience of governance, risk management, and compliance, including within regulated services, ideally within a charity and/or service delivery setting.
• Proven ability to think strategically, balance competing demands, use initiative to solve problems and actively seek innovative approaches to problem solving and delivering results.
• Strong interpersonal skills including motivational, negotiating influencing and networking skills which build strong internal and external relationships.
• An ability to understand, analyse and make effective use of data across all of our work.
• A proven ability to coach and motivate staff and to build and lead teams reflecting organisational culture and values, a respectful, constructive and energetic style.
• Proven, strong MS Office skills that supports writing, email, internet and database use.
• Demonstrable ability to work within our organisational values

Thank you for your interest in working with us at Hopeful Futures CIC! We are a small but growing grass roots not-for-profit community interest company based in the London Borough of Newham. Motivated by our Christian faith, our mission is to create opportunities for autistic people, those with learning disabilities and their families to thrive in local communities.

This is an exciting, brand-new role at Hopeful Futures; we are looking for an ambitious individual to successfully lead all of our community-based projects.

This role would suit a candidate who has developed community projects before; someone who has taken vision/s and built them up from scratch until they have become flourishing projects, making a real difference to people's lives in a local community.

Please note that there is a genuine occupational requirement for the post-holder to be a practising Christian.

Overview of the Projects

• Wave (We’re All Valued Equally): our inclusive Christian worship events
• Family Support services
• Friendship Hub & Joy Hub: A new project enabling adults with learning disabilities to meet, plan and enjoy activities and outings in Newham
•  Art Group & Art Hub: Art based projects for autistic artists and artists who have a learning disability

Our Community Lead will also be responsible for:

• Line managing up to five identified staff members
• Successfully delivering the aims set out in our fundraising strategy
• Setting up a volunteer recruitment and retention scheme

For more detailed information about our community projects, for the full job description and person specification please download the 'Community Lead Job Summary and Description'. 

The Role

• Based at our office address of School 360, Sugar House Lane, Stratford, E15 2QS as well as various community project locations across the London Borough of Newham, with one day per week available for working from home
• Full time - Monday - Friday - 37.5 hours per week offered as a permanent contract
• Closing date: Apply by 12pm on Friday 6th June
• We will be shotlisting week commencing 9th June with first stage interviews scheduled for 17th & 19th June

Further Information for Applicants

• We are passionate about creating a diverse workforce and particularly encourage applications from candidates of the global majority
• All job offers are subject to a satisfactory DBS check and references
• Prospective candidates must have the right to work in the UK

Benefits of Working at Hopeful Futures CIC

• We provide high quality training & a robust induction process to settle you into your role
• Enhanced maternity & adoption leave scheme
• 28 days annual leave increasing by 1 day for each year of continuous service (up to 33 days)
• An additional day off for your birthday
• We are a recognised disability confident employer
• We have an Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme with access to free counselling and other wellbeing services
• Ability to join the Blue Light Card Scheme which provides members with thousands of amazing discounts online and on the high street across categories such as holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, phones and many more

We are currently looking for dedicated Immigration Advisers (IAA Level 2) to join our growing team to provide immigration advice and casework to destitute migrants. We will be recruiting on a rolling basis for a number of upcoming roles, one of which is a woman only role, so we welcome applications from women. Please do get in touch if you would like to discuss this further.

Praxis Community Projects is a dynamic, award-winning human rights charity supporting migrants in crisis or at- risk, ensuring that their essential human needs are met and that they are able to overcome the barriers they face. We provide legal advice and a range of welfare support including group work. We build community, challenge exclusion and discrimination, influence policy, improve services and inspire solidarity with migrants.

The ideal candidates will have an in-depth knowledge of immigration and asylum law, as well as have a good understanding of the challenges faced by migrants with NRPF and those at risk of homelessness. They will be able to step immediately into a busy advice environment that includes independent outreach.

At Praxis, we work to build community, challenge exclusion and discrimination, influence policy and improve services. We played a leading role in exposing the Windrush scandal and advocate and campaign for lasting changes to policy and practice to address the root causes of the issues faced by at-risk migrants.

Praxis is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourage applications from those with lived experience of migration, and from diverse applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital/civil partnership status, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, or pregnancy/maternity leave status.

Please see our website to find out more about our work.

Our Attractive Benefits Package Includes 

· A 35 hour working week including flexible working hours

· A hybrid work model 

· 25 days annual leave, increasing annually to the maximum 30 days (plus paid Bank Holidays) 

· You can buy up to 5 days annual leave each year 

· A defined contribution pension scheme 

· Our employee assistance programme offers counselling and support for you 24/7. 

· A season ticket loan to help you spread the cost of your commute 

If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email our Recruitment team who will contact you to discuss how we can help.

For further details, please contact Maria Iglesias Head of Operations and Business Development

To apply, send us your CV and cover letter demonstrating your capabilities in relation to each of the points of the job description marked ‘A’. Where relevant use your answers to illustrate how your competencies have helped you to achieve positive results. This will give you the best possible chance to be shortlisted. Applications will only be accepted with a cover letter.

Interviews: Offered on a rolling basis

Start date: Ranging from immediate to TBD.

Project Background

Come and join our award-winning place-based volunteering programme that works with residents living across Hackney and the City of London.

You will be based out in the community - the programme is based at GP practices - to engage, support and enable local residents and patients to deliver local services for themselves, to meet local needs. We support residents to come together, to share their skills and experience for the benefit of each other, to deliver local groups and activities such as a book group, film club, exercise classes or cooking group. Residents from diverse backgrounds and demographics attend these activities together and make new connections, building strong local communities, all working together to make their area a better place to live. People, many of whom are isolated across all ages, and who have difficult life circumstances, are brought together, providing each other with mutual support and encouragement to develop new skills and pursue life goals, and to feel better able to voice their concerns to services.

You will be joining a nationally recognised project - having won an award from the Royal Society of Public Health in November 2024 - to support residents to fulfil their personal goals, make connections with others, and design activities and services that meet local needs. You will also be supporting people to improve their mental and physical health through signposting them to appropriate services and encouraging them to talk to their GP if they have concerns; and will be working in partnership with GP practice staff to co-create volunteer roles to make the practice more efficient and a better place to visit.

Who are we?

Volunteer Centre Hackney is a medium sized charity (currently 30 staff) based in the London borough of Hackney, working to support local residents to realise their skills and passions through volunteering and social action, and to share these for the benefit of others.

Our mission is to build and strengthen communities across Hackney through supporting residents of all ages and backgrounds to volunteer and build projects together.

In 2021, we were awarded the Freedom of the Borough Award by Hackney Council for our efforts to support residents during COVID, which included mobilising over 2000 volunteers to deliver food, prescriptions and essential items, provide emotional support to isolated residents and support the vaccine rollout. 

We work with hundreds of diverse community organisations and deliver various programmes to help residents share their skills and deliver their own social action projects to improve people’s lives. These include a befriending programme, volunteering brokerage matching local people to volunteer roles based on their skills, interests and goals, a specialist mental health programme, peer research and multiple resident engagement programmes at GP surgeries and estates across Hackney.

Post holders need to be enthusiastic and engaging, bringing energy to the role, be self-motivating and confident to work primarily alone, albeit with some support from the team members based at other sites.

Mental Wellbeing Manager

Job Summary:

The Mental Wellbeing Manager will lead Manor Gardens’ culturally competent, trauma-informed mental health work with young men aged 18–25 funded by City Bridge Foundation, and oversee our wider wellbeing programme, funded through other sources including individual giving. They will be responsible for delivering early intervention and therapeutic support for young men from Black and minoritised backgrounds and refugees and asylum seekers, while also managing the delivery of a broader programme of community wellbeing activities for adults.

The postholder will line-manage two Activities Workers and have oversight of a pool of sessional staff and volunteers delivering peer support, group activities, and therapeutic interventions. This role requires a strong understanding of mental health, experience in group and 1-to-1 support, and a commitment to culturally competent, person-centred approaches.

About Manor Gardens Welfare Trust

Manor Gardens Welfare Trust (MGWT) is a health and wellbeing charity based in Islington, supporting communities for over 100 years. Our mission is to reduce health inequalities and empower people to take control of their lives through culturally competent, trauma-informed, and person-centred services. We provide accessible support in multiple languages and work with people experiencing multiple disadvantages, including poverty, poor mental health, social isolation, and barriers to accessing essential services.

We deliver a wide range of services including advocacy, mental health support, youth work, and wellbeing activities. Our approach is rooted in co-production and lived experience, and we work closely with local partners across statutory and voluntary sectors to improve outcomes for underserved communities.

Our core values are:

· Resilience – building strength and adaptability to meet challenges.

· Inclusivity – ensuring everyone feels valued and respected.

· Empowerment – enabling individuals to take control of their lives.

· Teamwork – fostering collaboration and mutual support.

Reporting to:

Director of Services and Development

Hours:

21 hours per week

Salary:

NJC Scale PO1 point 28 - 31 (£40,641- £43,450) pro rata

Liaison with:

Clinical Lead, Service Managers, staff, volunteers, community members, local partners including Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (CANDI), Islington Public Health, Metropolitan University, VCS groups and other stakeholders.

Role Overview and Purpose:

The Mental Health Nurse is a key member of our team, focused on delivering high-quality mental health services to young men in the community. This role requires a proactive approach to engage with individuals who have not previously accessed mainstream mental health support, using culturally sensitive methods to build trust and promote mental well-being.

Key Responsibilities:

1. City Bridge Mental Health Programme Delivery (50%)

· Ensure the effective delivery of therapeutic and early intervention support for young men aged 18–25, including one-to-one and group support.

· Oversee work delivered by sessional psychotherapeutic staff and ensure quality, safeguarding, and continuity.

· Facilitate or coordinate safe, inclusive peer support spaces in community settings.

· Use culturally competent and trauma-informed practices to build trust and engagement among the target group.

· Conduct initial screening or assessments where appropriate and manage referrals to statutory and specialist mental health services.

· Collaborate closely with the Clinical Lead and Evaluation Lead to ensure the quality, safety, and effectiveness of delivery.

2. Recruit, train and support Peer Mentors

· Recruit two cohorts of 8 young bilingual adult men and women from Black, minoritised and refugee backgrounds, who have lived experience of mental ill health, exploitation, violence or traumas related to their experience of migration.

· Oversee the accredited training of 16 young adults as Peer Mental Health Mentors (two cohorts) in partnership with CANDI and ensure additional training in safeguarding, cultural competency and equalities

· Provide 121 support to Peer Mental Health Mentors and ensure they access clinical supervision

3. Management of Wellbeing Team and Sessional Staff (20%)

· Line-manage two Activities Workers responsible for delivering adult wellbeing activities (e.g. gardening, yoga, ESOL, conversation cafés).

· Provide supervision, direction, and support to ensure delivery aligns with MGWT’s values and trauma-informed approach.

· Oversee a pool of sessional facilitators and volunteers, ensuring coordination, safeguarding, and quality of delivery.

· Support co-production and ensure wellbeing activities are shaped by the voices of service users with lived experience.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation (10%)

· Maintain accurate records of all therapy sessions, assessments, and referrals.

· Collect and analyse data to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health interventions.

· Work with partners at Metropolitan University to ensure the external evaluation of the service.

· Contribute to the development of evaluation reports and share findings with key stakeholders including the All-Age Mental Health Partnership Board and Locality Leadership Boards.

5. Partnerships and Community Engagement (5%)

· Build and maintain strong relationships with local partners (e.g. CANDI, MIND, housing providers, youth and refugee organisations).

· Represent MGWT in borough-wide forums (e.g. All-Age Mental Health Partnership Board, Bright Lives Alliance).

· Promote the service through local outreach, events, and communication with community partners.

6. Organisational and Other Duties (5%)

· Contribute to MGWT-wide initiatives and cross-organisational learning and planning.

· Attend internal meetings, training, and working groups.

· Undertake other duties as reasonably required to support the effective functioning of MGWT services.

Person Specification:

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience

· A recognised qualification in mental health or psychological support (e.g. RMN, PGDip in Psychotherapy or Counselling, Occupational Therapy (Mental Health), or other UK-recognised accreditation).

· Significant experience delivering mental health or wellbeing support to people from minoritised or refugee backgrounds.

· Experience delivering trauma-informed and culturally competent support.

· Proven experience facilitating group and 1-to-1 support in community settings.

· Experience line-managing staff or volunteers.

· Experience supporting monitoring and evaluation or working with academic evaluators (desirable).

Knowledge and Skills

· Understanding of structural and cultural barriers to accessing mental health support.

· Familiarity with tools like SWEMWBS and Brief Resilience Scale, or similar wellbeing assessments.

· Strong organisational skills, including managing caseloads and staff supervision.

· Ability to support reflective practice and provide emotional support to peers or staff.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· IT proficiency including data entry and case recording.

Attributes and MGWT Values Alignment

The successful candidate will demonstrate a strong alignment with MGWT’s values:

· Resilience: Emotionally robust, calm under pressure, and able to support others through complex challenges.

· Inclusivity: Culturally sensitive, anti-oppressive, and committed to accessible services for all.

· Empowerment: Committed to co-production, believing in people’s ability to grow and recover.

· Teamwork: Collaborative, respectful, and committed to supporting colleagues and service users alike.

Additional attributes:

· Self-motivated, flexible, and able to manage competing demands.

· Commitment to safeguarding, confidentiality, and ethical practice.

· Ability to work across cultures, languages, and experiences with sensitivity and humility.

· Fluency in a relevant community language (e.g. Arabic, Somali, Tigrinya, Bengali) is desirable but not essential.

Training and Consultancy Manager

Salary: £38,655-£41,841 (£43,091-£46,643 London)

Contract: Initial two years fixed term

Closing date: 10:00 6th June 2025

Interviews: 16th June 2025

*please note - the role is home-based but with regular travel across England. 

Making Every Adult Matter (MEAM) is the national charity supporting practitioners, policymakers and people with lived experience to transform services and systems for people facing multiple disadvantage - a combination of experiences including poverty, trauma, homelessness, substance misuse, mental ill health and contact with the criminal justice system.

Following an exciting period of growth in our support to local areas, we are now looking for an ambitious and effective person to join our team as Training and Consultancy Manager.

As Training and Consultancy Manager, you will help us achieve our mission for people facing multiple disadvantage by:

- Developing, coordinating and helping to deliver our training programmes,

- Leading on sales, marketing and new business for training and consultancy,

- Contributing to our commercial strategy,

- Acting as a valued and active team member.

We are seeking someone with experience of sales and marketing in a similar environment, alongside knowledge and experience related to multiple disadvantage, allowing you to deliver some aspects of our training as required.  You will be highly organised, commercially minded and able to work closely with team members and associates who also deliver training and consultancy work.

You will join a small and committed team working with more than 50 local areas, and build deep relationships with local areas across the MEAM Approach network and beyond.

MEAM values and prioritises different perspectives and all lived experience and as such we welcome applications from all under-represented groups, people with experience of multiple disadvantage and people with convictions.

If you feel this role is for you, please visit the Team -> Jobs section on our website for a full recruitment pack.