Vulnerable victims advocate jobs

We Are Survivors is a survivor-focused voluntary sector organisation that aims to create and facilitate safe spaces for male (including trans and non-binary individuals) survivors of sexual harms across Greater Manchester, providing access to quality-assured support. Our work is focused on developing ways for individuals to empower themselves to work through personal and sometimes painful issues, guided and supported by our trauma-informed team, following the trauma and recovery model.

Our vision is to have “A society where NO male survivor is left behind”

The Outside Outspoken Navigator supports men as they leave prison or another secure setting and begin rebuilding their lives in the community. This role provides intensive, practical case management, helping individuals navigate the challenges of release by connecting them with services such as GP practices, housing, benefits, employment, and wider community support. The aim is to reduce barriers, promote stability, and help people establish a positive foundation for the future.

You'll be someone who is comfortable working with trauma and has experience in mental health, support, or community engagement. We're particularly interested in hearing from people who have worked with men, sexual 

harms, and their loved ones, but we also recognise that great people bring transferable skills and different experiences. If you're committed to learning, building trusting relationships, and making a meaningful difference, we'd love to hear from you.

At We Are Survivors, our values shape how we work every day. Transparency underpins our relationships, creating the openness that abuse so often takes away. Integrity is at the heart of everything we do, recognising that trust is fundamental to healing. Understanding means we take every survivor and their experiences seriously, meeting people without judgment and with genuine compassion. Being Responsive means we're committed not only to supporting survivors today, but also to predicting, educating, and preventing sexual harm against boys and men in the future.

If you're passionate about creating a society where no male survivor is left behind, and you share these values, this could be the role for you.

Why Join Us?

· a competitive salary.

· annual leave package with incremental rises plus bank holidays.

· company sick pay.

· Birthday annual leave.

· monthly clinical supervision.

· pension contribution.

· and a range of discount and benefit programmes.

The Youth Endowment Fund

Senior Research Manager (SRM)- Youth Justice

Reports to: Head of Guidance and Policy 

Salary: £54,320 

Contract: 13-month maternity cover (fixed term contract) 

Location: Central London, hybrid* (see p.6) 

Closing date for applications: 9pm Monday 6th July 

  Interview dates: 22nd and 23rd July

About the Youth Endowment Fund 

We’re here to prevent children and young people becoming involved in violence. We do this by finding out what works and building a movement to put this knowledge into practice. 

Violence continues to shape the lives of too many teenage children. In the past year, nearly one in five said they had been a victim, one in eight admitted to carrying out violence themselves, and half told us they had witnessed violence being committed against someone else. This violence takes many forms— from physical and sexual assault to robbery and threats with weapons. And the consequences are often severe. Nearly three in ten victims, equivalent to 5% of all teenage children in England and Wales, needed medical treatment from a doctor or a hospital. 

At the Youth Endowment Fund, we work to prevent this violence. To do this, we aim to build the evidence base on what works, and then use this to change policy and practice.

In the first instance, this means producing strong, relevant evidence through research, data analysis and insights into young people’s lives. But evidence on its own isn’t enough. We must use this evidence to promote real change in day-to-day practice and ambitious system reform to better protect children.

About the role  

This role is a hugely exciting opportunity to change practice and policy in the Youth Justice sector. Using the vast body of evidence YEF has compiled (including four new research projects that are currently underway), the Senior Research Manager (SRM) for Youth Justice will spend the year writing two reports: 

1. A Practice Guidance Report (publishing in May 2027). 
2. A System Guidance Report (publishing in September 2027). 

Practice Guidance Report 

The Practice Guidance Report will provide 5-8 evidence-based recommendations on how individual Youth Justice Services can prevent children’s involvement in violence. It will be similar in style and approach to previous YEF Practice Guidance in other sectors (such as the education practice guidance, and youth sector practice guidance report). It will likely recommend a range of evidence-based strategies including:

• The importance of commissioning evidence-based interventions (detailed in the YEF Toolkit). 

• How to meet the health needs of children in the Youth Justice System. 

• How to respond to serious violence and weapons carrying. 

• How to support the sentencing process. 

• How to support children in and after custody.

• How to ensure effective diversion takes place. 

The SRM for Youth Justice will lead the development and writing of these recommendations.

System Guidance Report 

Targeted at policy makers and system leaders (including national government and the inspectorate) this guidance report will make 5-8 policy recommendations on how the Youth Justice sector can be reformed to better protect children from involvement in violence. While the practice guidance will focus on day-to-day changes that Youth Justice services can make, the system guidance will focus on how the system itself should be changed to make it easier for Youth Justice services to do ‘what works’. It will be similar in style to the education system guidance. It will likely recommend a range of evidence-based reforms, including: 

• How to use funding, training and inspection to improve the provision of evidence-based interventions in the Youth Justice System.

• How to ensure that other agencies and sectors (such as health and education) effectively collaborate with Youth Justice Services. 

• How to improve responses to the most vulnerable children and young people, and how to improve sentencing, custody and resettlement.

The SRM for Youth Justice will also lead the development and writing of these recommendations. 

Both guidance reports will include as a priority recommendations that will reduce the racial disproportionality currently evident in the Youth Justice System, and you will work closely with a Race Equity Advisor who will play a vital role as a critical friend.

You will also be supported by a brilliant internal YEF Youth Justice Change Team (former Youth Justice practitioners who work within YEF to change practice and policy across the sector), in addition to external expert input from the leading sector experts. This will include liaising closely with the Ministry of Justice in producing both reports. You will also be able to draw from the practice and system guidance reports that YEF has already produced on diversion.

This role is a unique opportunity to change the Youth Justice System and YEF will invest significant resource in making the recommendations that you write happen. For instance, we published our Education System Guidance Report in May 2025. Three of the eight recommendations included in it have already been enacted. We intend to push for practice and system change at pace and will use the work you produce to do so.

The Senior Research Manager will be part of YEF’s Research team. The Research team is at the heart of our efforts to learn what works and put it into practice. We do this by developing the YEF’s funding strategy and creating free, highly accessible research summaries and actionable recommendations for policy makers, commissioners and practitioners. We’re a high-performing team which values intellectual rigour and getting to the truth, compassion for children, ambition about what we can achieve and humility about what we know. We love to discuss the latest developments in research methods, but we’re not just interested in research for its own sake. We want research to lead to actual changes in outcomes for children. 

Key responsibilities 

You’ll... 

• Write a practice guidance report for the Youth Justice Sector. This will use the best available evidence (including a range of research that YEF has funded, commissioned, and synthesised) to provide evidence-based recommendations to Youth Justice Services on how to prevent children’s involvement in violence. You will work closely with the internal YEF Youth Justice Change Team, an external expert panel and the Ministry of Justice to produce high quality guidance.

• Write a system guidance report for the Youth Justice Sector. This will use the best available evidence (including a range of research that YEF has funded, commissioned, and synthesised) to provide evidence-based recommendations to Youth Justice policy makers and system leaders on how the sector can best protect children from involvement in violence.You will work closely with the internal YEF Youth Justice Change Team, an external expert panel and the Ministry of Justice to produce high quality guidance.

• Become the YEF’s expert on Youth Justice. You’ll make sure we understand the key issues, stay on top of the latest research and are connected to the right people. 

• Read, comment on, and support the publication of four research projects focused on the Youth Justice system concluding in late 2026.These projects, which are currently underway, are reviews of current practice that focus on: Youth Justice responses to serious violence, VAWG and weapons; a review of how community sentences and court orders are used for children involved in violence; a review of custody aftercare and resettlement programmes for children and young adults; and a review of whether the youth justice system is currently meeting the health needs of children within it. Alongside YEF’s existing research (particularly the YEF Toolkit), these reviews will support the development of guidance.

• Develop great relationships with experts and represent YEF in external meetings and events. You’ll promote evidence-based policy and practice by speaking at conferences and events. 

• Work with our Change Team to produce resources and accessible summaries for Youth Justice colleagues on the evidence. This will also include supporting the Youth Justice change team in producing a self-assessment tool based on your practice guidance report.

About you 

You are this sort of person: 

• You want to play a significant part in reducing the level of violence affecting children and young people. You care about having an impact. This might mean you’ve worked directly with young people at risk of becoming involved in crime, for organisations that fund or deliver relevant programmes, or have conducted research on this topic. 

• You share our belief that an evidence-based approach is our best hope of 

preventing violence. You’re fascinated by research, but you’re not just interested in research for its own sake. You want to achieve actual changes in outcomes for children. 

• You know a lot about Youth Justice. You know the key ideas and debates, recent policy developments and key people. You’re comfortable talking about Youth Justice with experts. There are many ways to acquire this knowledge. You might have worked in Youth Justice, in associated organisations, or learnt about it during a degree. 

• You take ownership of your work. You demonstrate ownership and agency and can take the leading role on a project. You can take broad objectives and deliver a concrete workplan to make them happen.

• You’re a confident reader of research and have strong critical appraisal skills. You know when research can be trusted and when it can’t and can confidently articulate your views on the strength of research. You might have gained this expertise through your academic studies, research or professional experience. 

• You have at least three years’ experience working in a role that required you to think about research. This could include a range of roles in policy, academia, funding or practice. 

• You write in a way that people easily understand. You have that rare skill of writing in plain English. You have experience of translating complex research findings into plain writing that everyone can understand. 

• You have excellent project and time management skills. You can work independently, quickly and to a high standard.

• You are good with people. You’re comfortable working with a wide range of people, including senior academics and other research experts, children and their families, practitioners and policy makers. You’re able to provide constructive challenge when required. You care more that good things happen than who gets the credit. You support your colleagues to produce excellent work. 

• You learn fast but remain humble. You like learning. You’re very good at synthesising information. You know how much you don't know and that you can always learn more. 

• You’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. You believe and act in a way that celebrates and encourages a range of experiences, views and values.

While it’s not a criterion, we’re especially interested to hear from applicants 

who have lived experience of youth violence. 

It’s also important to us that the people we hire do not discriminate. We believe in being inclusive and giving everyone an equal chance to succeed. Applications are welcome from all regardless of age, sex, gender identity, disability, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, race, sexual orientation, transgender status or socio-economic background. 

Additional benefits include 

£1,000 professional development budget annually, 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, four half days for volunteering activities. 

Hybrid working details 

The office is based in Central London. Those living in and around London are expected to be in the office a minimum of 2 days per week. If you live outside of London and work remotely, you’ll be expected to work from the London office 2 days per month.

To apply: 

To apply, please send a CV, cover letter and the monitoring form via our application page by 9:00 pm Monday 6th July.  

When applying for this role, ensure you complete our Monitoring Form and attach your CV. Additionally, please submit a supporting statement that answers the following questions. Your response to each question should be no longer than 400 words: 

1. Why do you want the job? 
2. Can you give an example where you’ve had to summarise evidence on a specific topic that was highly contested? How did you manage the process and communicate the result? 
3. Please provide an overview of your experience in relation to Youth Justice and explain why this experience makes you a good fit for this role. 

You will also be required to provide proof of your eligibility to work in the UK. As part of our commitment to flexible working, we will consider a range of options for the successful applicant. All options can be discussed at interview stage. 

Interview process 

Interviews will take place on 22nd and 23rd of July.  

There will be a task to prepare for in advance. 

Personal data 

Your personal data will be shared for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes our HR team, interviewers (who may include other partners in the project and independent advisors), relevant team managers and our IT service provider if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles. We do not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and we make you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. We do not transfer your data outside the European Economic Area. 

Overview

Change Grow Live are a charity dedicated to the belief that we can make a difference to our Service Users lives, offering support and respect in a safe environment, treating each user as an individual and working with them to find the right treatment and care options.

Our core values are ‘Be open, be compassionate and be bold’ and our team members apply these daily to achieve our mission of helping people change the direction of their lives, grow as individuals, and live life to its full potential.

We are currently recruiting a Programmes Facilitator to work within HMP Channings Wood. Our ideal candidate will have the skills and experience to assess and engage with our service users, ensuring that they access the right intervention at the right time, in a way that best meets their needs. 

We are seeking a committed and dynamic person to support the delivery of substance misuse interventions within a custodial setting. In this role, you will work directly with individuals in prison who are affected by drug and alcohol use, helping them to understand their behaviours, build motivation for change, and engage in structured recovery‑focused programmes.

You will facilitate group sessions, complete assessments, and provide 1:1 support that promotes harm reduction, stabilisation, and long‑term recovery. Working closely with prison staff, healthcare teams, and partner agencies, you will ensure that every individual receives safe, effective, and person‑centred support.

This role is ideal for someone passionate about empowering people to overcome substance misuse challenges, able to build rapport in a fast‑paced environment, and motivated to help improve outcomes and reduce re‑offending.

Where: HMP Channings Wood 

Full Time Hours: 37.5 per week

Please note: Full-time hours at Change Grow Live are 37.5 hours per week. For part-time roles, the salary and payments will be pro rata based on contracted hours. 

Responsibilities

About the role:

• You will work with service users to initiate recovery from drug and/or alcohol dependence, to enable service users in the prison to build their own recovery capital and to support them to move into long term sustained recovery and social (re)integration.
• To develop and deliver group psychosocial interventions. This involves facilitating Foundations of Rehabilitation programme, in addition to pod working tailored to the needs of the caseload.
• To be creative and innovative so that the post best meets the needs of the service user, promoting access into treatment, and encouraging engagement with underrepresented communities.
• Assess suitability for groups related to risk and special needs, working closely with prison partners to schedule attendance.

About you:

• Sensitivity in working with complex and diverse needs.
• Demonstrate a strong recovery focus and have knowledge of a range of psychosocial interventions.
• Ability to manage change successfully in a way that prioritises the needs of service users.
• Understand the importance of information governance processes and commit to follow and apply all necessary safeguards.
• Seek out learning opportunities to improve and broaden your professional knowledge and skills and to contribute and oversee the learning and development of others.

What we will give to you: 

• 25 days holiday (+ bank holidays) rising by 1 day for each years’ service “Capped at 30 days”
• Paid ‘Wellness’ hour each week along with a ‘Wellness’ hub and Employee Assist Programme
• Contributory pension scheme
• Several benefits incl. discounts for shopping, cinema, holidays, etc.
• A friendly and supportive team
• Training, career development & progression opportunities

Please read attached Job Description for a more detailed out line of responsibilities and Person Specifications 

Please note: This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must already have the right to work in the UK at the time of application. For applicants with time-limited visas, unfortunately, we are unable to support new visa applications or extensions.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Salary Range (pro rata if part time)

CGL points 23 to 28 (£27,861.26 - £32,002.35)

Closing Date

7/7/2026

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.

We believe that having diverse people working as part of our team makes us the organisation that we are.

We actively encourage applications from people from all backgrounds to help us to provide the best possible experience for the people who use our services and to make Change Grow Live a great place to work. If you have any feedback on our recruitment processes (good or bad) we’d love to hear from you so that we can make sure they are fair and we attract and recruit the best, most diverse workforce possible.

The safety of vulnerable children, young people and adults is our absolute priority. We will support you in your role to make sure that you are equipped to support the safety of people who use our services and those around them, to the highest standard possible.