Volunteer occupational therapist jobs

Lead with compassion. Inspire through purpose. Shape the future of Hospiscare.

Hospiscare has been at the heart of our community for over 40 years, providing outstanding specialist end-of-life care and support to people and their families across Exeter, Mid and East Devon. As we look to the future, we are seeking an exceptional Chief Executive Officer to lead our charity with vision, empathy and strategic strength.

The opportunity

This is a pivotal leadership role — guiding a much-loved local charity through a period of challenge but also opportunity. You’ll work closely with a dedicated Board of Trustees and an experienced Leadership Teams to shape and deliver our strategic goals, ensuring Hospiscare remains resilient, sustainable, and true to our founding values of care, compassion, and dignity.

You’ll be the public face and voice of Hospiscare — inspiring confidence among our staff, volunteers, supporters, healthcare partners, and the wider community. Your leadership will ensure we continue to deliver the highest standards of specialist palliative care while innovating to meet the changing needs of our patients and our community.

About you

You are an accomplished and compassionate leader, able to inspire and unite people around a shared purpose. With substantial senior leadership experience — ideally gained in the charity or health and social care sectors — you bring a track record of shaping strategy, managing complex budgets, and achieving sustainable results.

You’ll understand the challenges facing healthcare and charitable organisations and bring creative, collaborative solutions. You are confident working with a Board, comfortable in the public eye, and driven by a genuine commitment to making a difference to people’s lives at the most profound of times.

Key strengths you’ll bring

• Strategic vision and proven experience leading organisational change and growth
• Strong understanding of governance, finance, and regulatory environments
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills — connecting easily and authentically with people from all walks of life
• A leadership style that combines compassion, clarity, and courage
• A deep alignment with Hospiscare’s mission and values

Why join Hospiscare?

At Hospiscare, you’ll find a community of extraordinary people — staff and volunteers dedicated to providing the very best care and support when it matters most. This is more than a leadership role; it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impact on a vital local charity and the lives of countless people in Devon.

We are working with Charity Recruitment Consultant, Jackie Dawkins of Shine Charity Recruitment,who is supporting our search.  For further details about Hospiscare, please read the Recruitment Pack 

Key Dates:

• Closing Date – 26th January 2026 at 5pm
• First Interview with Jackie Dawkins (via Zoom) – 2nd/3rd February 2026
• Shortlisted candidates informal meeting with Chair – 23rd February 2026
• Interview and Assessment Day at Hospiscare – 24th February 2026

Rape Crisis South London is looking for a skilled, passionate Family Prevention Practitioner to join a growing children and young person’s counselling team.  The successful candidate must be a qualified therapist with significant experience in providing family intervention work from a trauma informed environment. 

The Family Prevention Practitioner will be part of RCSL clinical team which facilitates innovative, responsive, trauma-informed and culturally responsive services for women and girl survivors.   

Our Feminist Commitment
Rape Crisis South London is a proudly feminist organisation. Our work is rooted in the belief that sexual violence is both a cause and consequence of gender inequality. We recognise that women and girls experience disproportionate levels of sexual violence, and we are committed to challenging the structures, attitudes, and behaviours that enable this harm.

We centre the voices, rights, and experiences of survivors in everything we do. Our approach is grounded in empowerment, intersectionality, and inclusivity, recognising that women’s experiences are shaped by factors such as race, class, sexuality, disability, migration status, and identity.

By joining our team, you will be part of a movement working to end sexual violence and to create a society where all women and girls live free from oppression, fear, and harm.

EDI Statement
RCSL is an equal opportunities employer, and we are particularly keen to receive applications from women underrepresented in leadership roles in the violence against women and girls movement. Particularly if you have experience working in diverse background.

We particularly welcome applications from women underrepresented in leadership roles in the VAWG sector. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Accessibility 

We want our recruitment process to be as accessible as possible. If you need us to make an adjustment or provide additional support as you apply for a role, please email our People & Culture team to discuss how we can help. 
 

Safeguarding and Confidentiality
RCSL is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, respectful, and trauma-informed environment for all survivors who use our services. We recognise our responsibility to protect adults and young people at risk from harm, abuse, and exploitation, and we understand that safer recruitment is a vital part of safeguarding. We welcome candidates in particular who have experience understanding of issues affecting women and girls.

Safer Recruitment

Rape Crisis South London is committed to safer recruitment practices to ensure the protection and wellbeing of the survivors who access our services. All recruitment decisions are made with safeguarding as a central consideration.
 

Our safer recruitment process includes:

• Conducting thorough interviews that explore values, behaviours, and safeguarding awareness.
• Verifying identity, qualifications, employment history, and references.
• Requiring an Enhanced DBS check (with barred-list checks where applicable).
• Providing safeguarding training and ongoing supervision for all staff and volunteers.
   

We expect all members of our team to share our commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and trauma-informed environment. Any information disclosed during the recruitment process will be treated confidentially and in line with our safeguarding policies.
 

DBS Requirement

Rape Crisis South London is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of survivors. All roles within our organisation involve working with vulnerable adults and may involve contact with young people. As such, employment is subject to a satisfactory Enhanced OR Basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, including checks of the relevant barred lists.

A world free from sexual violence, where survivors are believed, respected, and supported.
 
Mission Statement
Providing specialist support to women and girls who have experienced rape and/or childhood sexual violence and abuse.

Charity Vision 

A world free from sexual violence, where survivors are believed, respected, and supported. 
Interview process
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a one stage interview process:

Stage one: Formal interview with Clinical Lead MS Teams

Interview questions
As part of our values-led interview process, we will explore your experience and approach to safeguarding, EDI, wellbeing, feminism, role-specific responsibilities, and trauma-informed practice. For management positions, we will also discuss your people-leadership skills.

While we endeavour to contact all applicants, and we thank everyone who takes the time to apply, we have limited resources.  Therefore if you do not here from us within 1 month of applying, please presume you have been unsuccessful but we welcome future applications.

Learning and Development
As a charity currently going through an exciting period of transformation, we welcome people who are enthusiastic about continuous learning and development.

This post is open to female applicants only, as being female is deemed a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010.  We are particularly keen to receive applications from women underrepresented in leadership roles in the violence against women and girls movement.

The position is offered on a permanent (subject to funding) part-time basis with 3 days in the office.  

The post is open to female applicants only as being female is deemed to be a genuine occupational requirement under Schedule 9, Paragraph 1 of the Equality Act 2010. 
 

How to apply
Please apply with an up-to-date CV and cover letter (of up to 1000 words) identifying how you meet the essential and any desirable qualifications, skills and experience.

While we endeavour to contact all applicants, and we thank everyone who takes the time to apply, we have limited resources.  Therefore if you do not here from us within 1 month of applying, please presume you have been unsuccessful but we welcome future applications.

 All positions are located in the UK and require the right to work in the UK.

Interviews will be rolling from week to week.

Closing date: 31 January 2025 with the interviews taking place in February 2026