Visiting support worker jobs in Belfast

Help us to grow our Environmental Education Charity’s impact and income by fundraising, allowing us to deliver our mission to create outstanding opportunities that inspire everyone to engage with and care for the environment. 
 

• The base location for this position is negotiable, with full remote working / home working a possibility.
• It’s a permanent full-time contract working an average 37.5 hours per week.
• Circa £30,197 per annum + excellent benefits – including 28 days leave + bank holidays, life assurance 5 x your salary, Health and Wellbeing Support and much more! See the full list below.
   

Love where you work!

We are a national charity established in 1943 to promote a better understanding of the natural world. 

Our aim today is unchanged – to create a world where everyone feels connected to the environment so they can enjoy the benefits it gives and make choices that help protect it. We do this by offering a wide range of education courses and materials, so that everyone – and especially young people – can increase their knowledge, understanding and love for the natural world.

We value each of our team members and understand that every role is vital to achieve our goals, so, we provide great benefits* to reward and support you while you work with us.

What you’ll be doing

Your focus will be to grow our charity’s impact and revenue streams by fundraising for environmental education, benefitting people and nature by securing funds from supporters, trusts/foundations, and businesses.

This will include building relationships with potential legators, inspiring supporters to maintain their commitment, eventually leaving the Field Studies Council a gift in their Will as well as turning strategic and operational priorities into practical funding bids.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Researching and identifying potential trusts/foundations/businesses as suitable external funders for designated target projects
• Working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to draft fundraising bids, developing persuasive proposals and collating appropriate supporting documentation.
• Proactively develop positive, long-term relationships that grow Field Studies Council’s pipeline of prospects
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge and understanding of relevant governmental, sector and business opportunities to identify potential funding opportunities
• Fundraising administration including gift processing, donor thanking and stewardship
• Supporting at events and funding meetings, as required

Please refer to the vacancy pack for the full responsibilities of the position.

Where you’ll be based

The base location for this position is negotiable, with full remote working / home working a possibility. However, if you prefer working in office, we have Field Studies Centres throughout the country which you are also able to work from. We will also consider hybrid working options.

There may the occasional need to travel to meet with, colleagues, prospective funders and other stakeholders. We expect this to be limited, no more than once every 2-3 months.
 

Who we’re looking for

You will be passionate about our charity’s mission and understand the importance of Environmental Education.

It’s essential that you have experience working in a fundraising role or department. We need an experienced individual who is confident to write and submit successful fundraising bids to trusts, foundations and businesses.

You will also have experience creating and managing successful supporter journeys to optimise our donations, particularly legators.

As a natural at building relationships with internal and external stakeholders, you will be able to tell compelling stories to encourage individuals and organisations to support our aim to connect people to nature.

If this inspires you, we would love to hear from you.We look forward to your application.

* Your benefits whilst working with us will include:

• Competitive salary 
• 28 days annual holiday entitlement plus bank holidays 
• Extra loyalty days dependent on length of service 
• Health and Wellbeing Support App which provides access for you and eligible family members to remote GP appointments, mental health consultations, physiotherapy and second medical opinions
• 24hr Counselling Helpline Service 
• Life assurance 5 x your annual basic salary
• Cycle to work and EV schemes
• Discounts and cashback opportunities
• Flexible working options where roles permit
• Quality learning and development opportunities 

The closing date for receipt of your completed application is 4 January 2026.
 

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we’re in receipt of sufficient applications. Please apply early to avoid disappointment.

Shortlisted applicants will be contacted after the close date and interviews will be arranged accordingly

Medical Detection Dogs trains dogs to save lives.

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

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

JOB TITLE:Regional Assistance Dog Instructor Scotland

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

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

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

REPORTS TO:                   Instructor Manager

The Job

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

Duties that encompass the role of an Instructor include:

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

Responsibilities

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

Other

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

PERSON SPECIFICATION

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

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

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Essential

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

Preferable

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

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

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

DIVERITY, EQUALITY & INCLUSION

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

Values & Behaviours

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

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

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

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

Finally, the successful candidate will also be expected to:

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

Research and Impact Manager

Location: Remote with flexible working arrangements. You will be expected to attend monthly team meetings in Bristol (with paid travel and subsistence). 

Salary: £38,584 - £40,000 per year FTE, dependent on experience

Contract: We are open to this role being part time (0.6 FTE or 0.8FTE) or full time. We offer fully flexible working. 

Closing date for applications: Sunday 11th January 2026, 11:59pm.

*Please note, both a CV and a cover letter must be submitted for applications to be considered.

Screening calls/Interviews: Due to high numbers of applications, prior to interview we plan to carry out initial screening calls with prospective candidates before selection for interview. We will be asking about your reasons for applying and how you think your skills and experiences align with the role.

Screening calls: w/c 26th Jan

Interviews: w/c 2nd Feb

Start Date: ASAP

About: The Warm Welcome Campaign

Founded in 2022, the Warm Welcome Campaign wants everyone in the UK to find a place of belonging and reconnection at a Warm Welcome Space near their home. We have a bold purpose to enable a more deeply connected society where we all have free access to welcoming community spaces. 

We resource, connect and champion a network of almost 6,000 Warm Welcome Spaces and bring together a growing coalition of local, regional, and national partners representing the worlds of charity, faith, business, government, and philanthropy. By working together, we can unlock the power of community spaces made by and for everyone, creating a thriving network of hope and reconnection fueled by human warmth. 

We’re working hard to reach everyone with the message that a Warm Welcome is waiting for them just around the corner, all through the year.

Throughout all our work and within our team we live out our values of being inclusive, collaborative and courageous and our personality that is friendly, adventurous and uplifting.

We value diversity, and we recognise the enormous benefits and the social imperative of bringing together diverse groups of people. We therefore warmly welcome applications from a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

It’s an important moment for us – in the last year we have launched a new five year strategy which shows a clear picture of the path we have set ourselves ahead to continue to deliver and deepen our impact. In October 2024 we launched our 100% Pledge Campaign. and in January delivered a hugely successful first ever Warm Welcome Week in collaboration with a wide variety of partners.

The Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity for a purposeful and proactive individual to work within a small (but growing), friendly and dynamic team in a varied role.

We are expanding our team and so we are looking for a Research and Impact Manager. This hands-on role would suit an insightful, evidence driven researcher and monitoring and evaluation specialist and who is a strong partnership worker. We are looking for someone who is willing to step up when something is needed and determined to see things through. 

You will need to enjoy working proactively and flexibly in a fast-paced environment, and have a logical, systematic approach, as well as excellent communication and IT skills. Our team works remotely, but there are also opportunities to co-work (depending on location). You’ll be encouraged and supported to grow and develop your research and impact evaluation skills and expertise within this role.

Responsibilities

Working closely with the Warm Welcome Operations Director and wider team your primary responsibility will be to lead on research and impact evaluation to ensure that our strategic approach is driven by evidence. You would take ownership of specific tasks as required, including;

Research:

• Developing a research strategy for the Warm Welcome campaign to help to ensure we can meet our overall campaign strategy.

• Leading on the co-design of research projects to meet the needs of the Warm Welcome campaign and our partners. 

• Developing a research and insights hub for the Warm Welcome team where they can easily access the latest statistics on relevant topics such as poverty and loneliness.

• Supporting any individuals or organisations undertaking research on behalf of the Warm Welcome campaign to ensure it is of a high quality and rigorous standard.

• Ensuring high ethical standards and safeguarding are maintained in any research project related to the Warm Welcome campaign.

• Sharing the results of this research in reports and presentations where key evidence and learning is easy for others to understand 

• Offering training and support to the Warm Welcome team related to research.

Impact Assessment:

• Supporting the continuous development of our Impact framework.

• Leading the collection of high-quality data, via methods such as survey design, polling and qualitative interviews, with the wider Warm Welcome team and Spaces network to help us to monitor, evaluate, learn and develop our collective impact.

• Ensuring we collect data with Warm Welcome spaces at every stage of their journey in joining the network, i.e. when they register to join and at regular intervals once registered to ensure we understand their impact and their support needs. 

• Developing evaluation tools and systems to ensure the Warm Welcome team are easily able to capture evidence related to our impact framework.

• Offering training and support to the Warm Welcome team related to monitoring, evaluation, learning, development and impact assessment

• Leading on partnership work related to monitoring, evaluation, learning, development and impact assessment for the Warm Welcome team

• Being the go to person for key statistics and impact data within the Warm Welcome team to be used in our communications and reporting

Teamworking:

• Supporting the work of the wider Warm Welcome/Good Faith Partnership Team as capacity and need allows

• Other responsibilities commensurate with the post.

Person specification

We are looking for candidates with the following skills and experience: 

• Strong track record of carrying out a range of relevant research projects, especially those involving community groups

• Experience of collaborating with others on research and evaluation projects

• Experience of developing and continuously improving tools and data for monitoring, evaluation, learning, development and impact assessment

• Strong analytical skills with a proven track record in qualitative and quantitative

methods

• Clear communication skills and experience of sharing research and impact assessment data in clear, concise and easy-to-understand formats for presentations and reports

• Experience in training and developing people’s skills in research and impact assessment

• Experience of contributing to and developing an impact framework

• Accurate and evidence-driven with a passion for ensuring research and impact assessments are completed to a high quality 

• Knowledge of ethical research practices, safeguarding and power dynamics in the research process

• Experience in using a CRM system 

• Tenacious with a natural drive to push tasks through to completion and to the required standards of excellence

• Highly computer literate: proficient users of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Google Workspace, as well as being comfortable and keen to learn new technologies and use new tools

• Able to relate well to a range of stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds

• Highly organised and details-focussed

• Confident to take the initiative and solve problems pro-actively

• Self-starter, able to manage themselves and their time, juggling a variety of tasks and priorities

• Willing to work flexibly, which may occasionally require working out of normal working hours

• Willing and able to work remotely, predominantly from home, but with the possibility to co-work with other members of the team (depending on location)

• Have the right to work in the UK

Competencies and behaviours in our team

The core competence of everyone in our team is the ability to build trusted relationships among people with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. We are looking for people who are:

• Committed to the power of relationships to facilitate social change 

• Collaborative, inclusive, ambitious, aligning with our core values 

• Self-starters with high levels of commitment, energy and motivation 

• Curious and show initiative, with problem-solving skills and an ability to learn quickly and adapt to a rapidly changing context 

• Calm under pressure, and can adapt quickly in a fast-paced environment 

• Willing to pitch in to help other team members if needed 

•  Organised with effective time management skills. 

Working arrangements 

• Current members of the team are based across the UK, with some in London, Reading, Bristol, Manchester and Northern Ireland. Applicants must be able to travel to Bristol, Reading or London once a month for a Tuesday full team meeting. Given the nature of this role, we would also expect the applicant to carry out a reasonable amount of travel to both projects and partners across the UK. 

• This role is remote, full-time, with flexible working arrangements

• All employees, volunteers, partners, suppliers and consultants working with Good Faith are expected to adhere to our Code of Conduct and safeguarding policies. Good Faith’s commitment to safeguarding means we seek to ensure that no harm comes to people as a result of contact with the organisation’s programmes, operations or people.

• You will need to have the right to work in the UK.

Supporting your application

• If you disclose a disability during your application process and you meet the minimum criteria for the role, we will contact you to discuss any reasonable adjustment you might need at the interview. If you wish to disclose a disability, please us

• We’d be very happy to answer any specific questions relating to this role - please email us with ‘Query for Research and Impact Manager’ in the email subject line and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. 

• Please specifically address the requirements listed in the person specification in your covering letter as we will use this to shortlist applications. 

• For more information, visit our website or find us on X at @goodfaith 

To apply, please send a cover letter (max 1 side of A4) which sets out why you believe you are a good fit for the role, along with a CV by  Sunday 11th January 2026.  Please use ‘Application for Research and Impact Manager role’ in the email subject line. 

• Accelerate building decarbonisation, support Paris goals & resilient buildings
• Strategic communications leader for new global hub shifting climate narratives
• Europe/UK-based, remote; built environment/climate expertise ideal

The Organisation
  
The Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC), hosted by Meliore Foundation and funded by philanthropy, is a network of communications professionals in the fields of climate, energy, and nature. A collaborative network in over 20 countries, across 6 continents, GSCC covers themes including climate science and impacts, food and nature, finance and economics, energy, transport, industry, and multilateral climate processes.

With a focus on media debate and public discourse at the global level, and in major economies across Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and the Americas, GSCC supports partners in a variety of sectors and geographies via unbranded strategic communications strategies to support the goals encapsulated by the Paris Agreement.

Decarbonising the built environment is among the most urgent and under-communicated climate imperatives but is often framed as costly, bureaucratic, or politically challenging. To address this, GSCC is establishing a dedicated Built Environment Strategic Communications Hub, within the broader GSCC network. The hub will bring together strategic communications expertise and campaign delivery to support the transition to near-zero and resilient buildings.

Benefits & Culture

• Build and manage a new team of international climate communications professionals across Europe and Asia.
• Huge growth potential. Collaborates with the global climate network and ecosystem partners.
• Competitive remuneration, generous holidays.
• Full time 24-month fixed-term contract with possible renewal subject to performance and funding.
• Global, remote, ideally in Europe, work/visa sponsorships and relocations are not provided.

• Shape and implement the overall vision and strategy of the Hub.
• Build, manage, and develop a high-performing, cross-cultural team of up to 7 communications professionals in the initial phase, fostering strong collaboration across countries, disciplines, and political contexts.
• Identify policy issues to shift via strategic interventions for maximum impact.
• Oversee effective national campaigns, ensuring they are achievable and evidence-based.
• Manage the budget, financial reporting, and stakeholder relationships.

• Leadership of campaigns, media, and digital teams across European geographies, with experience collaborating across global markets.
• Strong geopolitical nous and political strategy expertise to influence change.
• Budget management (€1M min), compliance, and reporting experience.
• Ability to operate successfully — and lead others effectively — in complex, dynamic, political, and cross-cultural contexts.
• Excellent English communication skills: a European language is a plus.

If you are a skilled strategic communications leader in Europe, with the decarbonisation expertise to drive the visibility, ambition, and action needed to place buildings at the centre of the climate transition, then please  apply by submitting a CV and cover letter, responding to the skills and experience required, quoting # 1408448. 

Alternatively, request a full information package call Lois Freeke in Melbourne on +61 (0) 3 8080 8978 for a confidential discussion.

Please note there is no formal closing date for this role, if you are interested, we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

NGO Recruitment values equitable recruitment practices and is committed to representing candidates reflective of the diverse organisations and communities we work with. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds, ages, and identities, and are happy to adjust our recruitment process to support accessibility needs. If you are interested in this position and have most of the skills or experience we are looking for, please go ahead and apply.