This is not just recruitment – it's a revolution.
Sikh Women's Aid stands at a pivotal moment. With unprecedented support from major funders including Comic Relief, Lloyds Bank Foundation, National Lottery, Smallwood Trust, The Circle, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, and various other funders and generous donations from corporates and the community, we are scaling our impact to reach thousands more women who need our support.
Our groundbreaking Gender, Power & Abuse Report 2024 revealed the shocking truth: 61.48% of Sikh Panjabi women have experienced domestic abuse, yet 58.13% never report it. The silence ends now. We are seeking a transformational Chief Executive who will:
• Lead service delivery transformation for survivors
• Challenge harmful practices rooted in culture
• Build movements for change in communities
• Influence policy at local, regional and national levels
• Create sustainable growth from £250K to £1M+
Why Lead Us Now?
Purpose: Your leadership will literally save lives Impact: Be the architect of systemic change in the Sikh community
Growth: Lead a rapidly expanding organisation with major multi-year funding secured Innovation:
Shape pioneering approaches to culturally-specific services Legacy:
Build: an institution that will protect generations of women
Genuine Occupational Requirement: This position is restricted to Sikh Panjabi women only under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010. This is essential to provide culturally specific services to women who have experienced gender-based violence and require support from those who share their cultural and faith background.
Please note that candidates who applied during our previous recruitment round are not eligible to apply again.
We value the time and effort every candidate invests in applying and look forward to hearing from individuals who share our passion for supporting women and girls affected by domestic abuse and harmful practices.
1. Covering Letter: Explain your motivation for applying and what you will bring to this role. Please
address how you meet the essential requirements in the person specification. Maximum 2 pages.
2. CV: Including your relevant experience, qualifications, and two referees (references will not be taken
up without your permission).
Registered Charity The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Chief Executive - Help & Care
Location: Home-based within easy reach of Dorset (regular travel across the region)
Salary: circa £85,000 per annum
Contract: permanent, either full-time basis (37 hours per week) or part-time (30 hours per week). We are happy to discuss flexible working arrangements for part-time hours, including how these are worked across the working week.
Are you an innovative leader who will put communities and social justice at the heart of transforming how health and social care is delivered in Dorset and the south of England?
Help & Care has been supporting communities across Dorset and the south coast since 1985. We deliver person-centred services that promote dignity, independence and connection - from dementia coordination and health coaching to our award-winning Roots gardening programme and social prescribing partnerships. Working with over 25 partners across health, housing and the voluntary sector, we co-produce services that make a real difference to older people, those with long-term conditions, carers and people at risk of isolation.
As our new Chief Executive, you will collaborate with a dedicated Board and a strong, highly motivated team focusing on the following key areas of responsibility:
- Strategic leadership: Define an ambitious, values-led strategy and deliver it, securing long-term impact alongside sustainable financial growth.
- Values leadership: Place Help & Care’s values - social justice, innovation, personal and collaborative - at the heart of decision-making and model them through visible leadership.
- Growth & income diversification: Lead business development to diversify income streams, winning commissioned contracts and developing social-enterprise opportunities to reduce reliance on public commissioning.
- Partnerships & advocacy: Strengthen and sustain senior-level relationships across the NHS, local authorities, commissioners and the voluntary sector; represent Help & Care across systems, media and stakeholder networks.
- Service quality & impact: Embed rigorous monitoring and evaluation so outcome evidence drives commissioning decisions, improves financial performance and enhances the organisation’s reputation.
- People leadership: Inspire, retain and develop a high-performing, compassionate leadership team and workforce, focused on talent development, wellbeing and accountability.
- Governance & financial stewardship: Provide the Board with timely, high-quality reporting, oversee financial recovery or sustainability plans as required, and ensure robust risk, compliance and governance arrangements.
Who you are:
- An experienced CEO or senior director from complex, multi-service health, social care or community organisations, with experience of developing and delivering multi-agency contracts.
- Proven track record of securing commissioned contracts, leading tendering and contract oversight, and developing income diversification, including social-enterprise opportunities.
- Comfortable driving strategic transformation and financial sustainability, with demonstrable expertise in strategic financial management.
- A values-led, collaborative and visible leader with high emotional intelligence and resilience, committed to social justice, person-centred practice and co-production; an effective public representative and mentor.
Why Help & Care?
- Lead a highly respected regional provider with an outstanding track record of co-production and innovation.
- Shape an organisation poised for growth and greater regional influence.
- Hybrid, home-based working, regular travel across Dorset, and the chance to safeguard vital services for local communities.
For full details of the role including how to apply, please download the full appointment brief. For an informal and confidential conversation about this position, please contact Jenny Hills at Harris Hill via apply button with times to speak and (optional but appreciated) a CV or professional profile which will be treated with the strictest confidence
Closing date for applications: 9am, Monday 23rd February 2026. Interviews and assessments on 3rd, 4th and 5th March.
As leading charity recruitment specialists and a certified B Corp, Harris Hill is committed to high and ever-improving standards of equitable and inclusive recruitment. We actively welcome applications from all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexuality and other protected characteristics.
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