Welfare rights jobs in tower hamlets, greater london

About SPANA

SPANA (The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) is the global charity for the working animals of the world. Since our foundation in 1923, we have worked where they work, to support the welfare of working animals, including horses, donkeys, mules, oxen, dogs and camels.

About this role

The Communications and Media Officer, part of SPANA’s Communications and Campaigns team, creates high-quality content and drives impactful communications to support the charity’s mission and raise the profile of working animals in the global news agenda.

The role involves producing engaging written, digital and visual content across multiple platforms, ensuring consistency with SPANA’s brand and messaging. It also includes managing and cataloguing content assets to support the organisation’s ongoing communications needs. Through compelling storytelling and collaboration across teams, the role helps drive awareness, advocacy, fundraising and internal engagement. The post holder will also support the Head of Communications and Campaigns in building and maintaining relationships with high-profile public figures, including celebrities and social media influencers.

Contract, location and salary

This is a full-time (34.5 hours per week), permanent role. SPANA works on a hybrid basis, with staff required to work for 1-2 days per month (or more if preferred) from our London office. Staff must be based in the UK with the current right to work.

The salary for this role is approximately £33,000 per annum subject to skills and experience. SPANA offers a generous package of benefits to employees, including a pension scheme where SPANA contributes 10% if the employee contributes at least 5%, healthcare cash plan and volunteer day.

Further details

Please review the job description for full details on this role including a person specification and information on how to apply. The deadline for applications is 23:59 BST on Monday 25 August 2025. 

Salary: £81,869 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Hours Per week: 37.5 hours per week you will be required to work in - person a minimum of two days per week In line with our hybrid working model,

Our Foundation

We are an independent charitable organisation working to build a healthier UK. Health is our most precious asset. Good health enables us to live happy, fulfilling lives, fuels our prosperity, and helps build stronger society. Yet good health remains out of reach for too many people in the UK and services are struggling to provide access to timely, high-quality care.

It doesn't have to be like this. Our mission is to help build a healthier UK by:

1.Improving people's health and reducing inequalities

2.Supporting radical innovation and improvement in health and care services

3.Providing evidence and analysis to improve health and care policy.

We aim for excellence across our work and will achieve this by producing research and analysis, shaping policy and practive, building skills, knowledge, and capacilty and acting as a catalyst for change. Everyone has a stake and a part to play in improving our health. By working together, we can build a healthier UK.

About the role

Are you passionate about shaping policy to improve workforce health and reduce inequalities?  Do you bring deep expertise in the labour market and/or working-age welfare, and a proven ability to influence change at the highest levels?

The Health Foundation is seeking a Senior Fellow to lead a complex and high-impact programme of work focused on employment, welfare, and health. This is a unique opportunity to drive forward the recommendations of the Commission for Healthier Working Lives, shape national policy, and work directly with employers to test innovative workplace interventions that support better workforce health.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has a strong grasp of employment and/or welfare policy and its impact on health.
• Brings experience in shaping and delivering complex programmes of work.
• Is confident representing an organisation externally, including with senior stakeholders and in the media.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment with high levels of autonomy.
• Communicates with clarity and influence, producing high-quality policy outputs.

• Is proactive, strategic, and committed to reducing health inequalities.

You’ll join the Economic Determinants of Health team within the Healthy Lives directorate. Our work focuses on the wider determinants of health, such as employment, education, and housing—and how they shape people’s lives. We use our independence and endowment to innovate, influence, and test real-world solutions that can drive long-term change.

How to apply

Our priority is to find the right individual for each opportunity. We are dedicated to building an inclusive workplace that values diversity and invite you to find out more. If you would like to apply, please submit your CV, and using no more than 1000 words answer the following application questions:

1. Describe your experience of working in employment, welfare and/or health. Include the programmes of work you have delivered, where your policy and analysis skills are strongest and where you have expertise?

2.Share your achievements in developing ideas that have had an influence on national or local employment or health policy. How did you make the case for change and gain traction for the idea?

3.Give an example where you have led a programme with a number of different elements of varying levels of complexity and duration? How did you go about designing this programme, ensuring it ran to time and had the intended impact?

Our commitment to inclusion and diversity 

We are committed to an inclusive hiring process, where every candidate has the chance to showcase their unique skills and experience in an accessible, and supported environment, to ensure that we can make the best appointment for each job on merit.We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage those from underrepresented groups in this field to apply to us.

We have identified three diverse groups, in particular, we want to achieve a better balance across our organisation between men and women, increase representation of people from black and ethnic minority backgrounds and recruit more people with disabilities. As part of this commitment, we particularly welcome applications from these groups.

Apply to join our team and let's work towards building a diverse and inclusive workplace together. Help us work together to make the recruitment process and potential future employment more accessible and enjoyable for you.

Closing date: August 25, 2025, at 23:00

Interview date: September 4 or 5, 2025

We invite applications for the Debt Adviser post from individuals who share our commitment to supporting the legal and human rights of people whose lives are affected by substance dependency and drug policy.

As a member of our dynamic legal team, based in London, your responsibilities will include: Providing specialist debt advice to clients, including those facing complex financial and legal challenges. The role is embedded in our legal team and will work collaboratively by taking internal referrals from our outreach services and harm reduction hub to provide holistic support. Conducting drop-in sessions, outreach visits, and one-to-one appointments to meet clients where they are — emotionally and geographically. Negotiating with creditors and advocating for sustainable, client-centred solutions. Supporting clients to understand their rights, navigate the benefits system, and access wider support services. Maintaining accurate case records and contributing to service development through feedback and insight.

We welcome applicants with lived experience and encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply. If you’re passionate about social justice, thrive in fast-paced, people-centred environments, and want to be part of an organisation that offers real hope, we’d love to hear from you.

The post-holder will maintain a manageable caseload of clients needing support with their welfare rights and benefits. The role is to support the Welfare Rights Advice Project Team with the following:

1. To carry out an initial client assessment, identifying any issues with their benefits and any claims they can make to maximise their income.
2. Provide casework (including challenging decisions) for welfare benefits available to clients with mental health difficulties and their carers: i.e. Personal Independence Payments, Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit.
3. Provide information and advice as appropriate about issues related to a client’s particular situation.
4. Provide advice and casework for mobility and discretionary schemes and personal grants that could be of benefit to clients.
5. Take referrals directly from service users, carers or staff from other agencies (encouraging use of our online referral form)
6. Signpost and refer clients to agencies that assist with transition from hospital to community living, or to tackle social isolation and improve mental wellbeing.
7. Maintain records in accordance with Hear Us policies and procedures, including the handling of confidential and private documents and keeping written and computer records up to date and secure.
8. Liaise with GPs, CMHT’s and other agencies to obtain supporting documents, by telephone, letter and e-mail.
9. Taking confidential telephone messages from clients and outside agencies.
10. Take part in weekly WRAP team meetings regarding case allocation, and stay up to date with changes in benefits legislation. 
11. Attend regular supervision and yearly appraisals with line manager.
12. Assist WRAP manager to write reports and evaluate the project for funding bids and to support and promote the project.
13. Collect and distribute flyers and leaflets for signposting purposes.
14. Attend Hear Us staff meetings, staff development days, and other Hear Us events (e.g. Hear Us Open Forum) where directed by line manager.
15. Attend identified training and other personal development activities that will support you in this role.
16. Develop and maintain healthy working practices for yourself, with clear personal and professional boundaries.

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:

28 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.

JCWI are looking for an Advocacy and Communications Director

Location | London N7 and flexible hybrid working
Reports to | Executive Director
Direct Reports:   | Advocacy and Communications Team (currently 4 members)

Who we are

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) is an independent charity established in 1967. For over 57 years, we have promoted our vision of a society in which people can live safely and are treated with equal dignity and respect, regardless of where they are from or how they came to the UK. To achieve this, we provide legal advice, representation and holistic support to migrants experiencing injustice, poverty, and discrimination; we undertake parliamentary advocacy and expert policy analysis; we speak out and challenge damaging and discriminatory media narratives about immigration; we use law as a tool of resistance;  we work in solidarity with migrants and grassroots groups, and we build campaigns that work towards a fairer approach in immigration and asylum law and policy. We root all aspects of our work in humanity, compassion, anti-oppression and anti-racist values, taking an approach that radically challenges the way that things are to build a new and better world for migrants.

Role purpose

This is a new role, where the director will bring together the work of the Advocacy and the Communications teams to lead JCWI's campaigns. The Director leads JCWI’s campaigns and community organising; policy and parliamentary advocacy; working in alignment with directly impacted communities and partners within and beyond the migration sector. The Director builds and maintains strong relationships with key stakeholders, and ensures the organisation’s collective expertise influences political debates and the public narrative on migrants’ rights and racial justice.

The role provides strategic leadership for JCWI’s campaigns to drive forward positive change for migrant rights in an increasingly hostile political climate, and supports a wide range of work building campaigns, coalitions and networks to advance migrant justice, ensuring that JCWI is a generous and collaborative partner, working in solidarity with all groups, including grassroots and community groups, unions, faith groups and NGOs.

The Director provides line management and strategic leadership to the Advocacy and Communications Team, overseeing the direction of the team, overseeing the teams' work and ensuring close, collaborative working relationships across all teams.

The Director is a lead spokesperson for the organisation, representing JCWI and our values at public forums, in the media and within coalitions. They will set the narrative and agenda for public discourse on migrant rights and border reform, lead the organisation’s long-term digital outreach and engagement work and support the team to create compelling and accessible content, driving traffic to our digital channels and converting this into successful supporter and donor recruitment and engagement strategies. They maintain the visibility of JCWI and its messages and protect & promote JCWI’s reputation as a leading voice in the discourse on migration, rights, and racial justice in the UK.

JCWI has a proud history of leadership from racialised people and people with lived experience of the immigration system, and therefore we strongly encourage applications from people with lived experience of the immigration system and are representative of the communities we work with.

Leadership

• Anti-oppression: Ensure that JCWI’s work remains situated within a wider movement against racism and oppression, and that our strategies better centre and support grassroots and community groups and people directly impacted by border violence, by maintaining and building strong relationships with migrant-led and racial justice organisations  

• Senior Leadership: Collaborate with other members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to deliver the organisation’s five-year strategy, ensuring we live our core values

• Strategic Leadership: Support the Advocacy and Communications Team to develop, implement and review effective strategies for all policy, advocacy, campaigning, and community organising work. These strategies will cohere with JCWI’s legal work, and aptly respond to an evolving political landscape, by knowing which levers to pull when in order to build power and influence
• Line management: Support all direct reports with regards to well-being and development, through one-to-one supervision, guidance and long-term work planning, ensuring staff have autonomy over their work, with their skills, expertise and strengths valued, and embodying a non-hierarchical approach to line management

• Positive culture: Embody and embed a positive and healthy working culture within the Advocacy and Communications Team and across the organisation, which includes fostering a safe space for learning and growth, maintaining a positive work-life balance and collaborative work ethos

• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning: Work with the Grants Manager to develop and maintain improved Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning systems, set targets and measure outputs within the Advocacy and Communications Team which cohere with the organisation as a whole and our collective strategic objectives.

• Collaboration: Maintain and foster strong intra and inter-departmental relationships at every level, ensuring collaboration and open communication to deliver our organisational objectives

• Spokesperson: Represent the organisation as a lead spokesperson in public forums, in coalitions, on broadcast, and in print media

• Team development: Support the Team to grow through continuous investment in training, learning, and development, with people from racialised and marginalised backgrounds meaningfully supported against any structural barriers they may face. Manage recruitment for the Advocacy and Communications Team, encouraging better representation at JCWI, including increasing the number of people from racialised and marginalised backgrounds, especially those with lived experience of the immigration system

• Financial planning: Work with the Operations Team to ensure the budget for JCWI’s advocacy work is effectively planned for and managed, and that the team is appropriately resourced 

Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns Work

• Lead on JCWI’s core campaigns, driving forward policy, advocacy, and campaigns outputs, and ensuring the campaigns centre the views and experiences of people with lived experience

• Lead on JCWI’s ‘reactive’ policy, advocacy and campaigning work in response to an ever-changing and increasingly hostile political landscape, representing JCWI in coalitions and developing sound policy and political analysis on key threats facing migrant communities, including but not limited to: refugee rights, human rights protection, the hostile environment, Windrush, digital justice, detention, and family reunion.

• Represent JCWI at meetings and events with key decision makers, including parliamentarians, policymakers and other organisations in the sector, to make the case for policy change, influence narratives, and hold those in power to account in solidarity with communities at the sharpest end of UK immigration controls 

• Work closely with the Legal Directors and wider team to ensure our casework and outreach informs JCWI’s advocacy work, and to together identify opportunities for public-interest litigation relevant to JCWI’s campaign priorities 

• Ensure JCWI’s Lived Experience Strategy is embedded into the Advocacy and Communications Team’s ways of working and oversee the implementation of the Strategy across JCWI with the support and collaboration of the whole organisation.

Public Campaigns, Outreach and Engagement Work

• Lead, develop, implement, and review effective strategies for communication and engagement work across traditional, digital and paid media
• Support a proactive, safe culture that identifies, creates, and jumps at opportunities to increase JCWI’s impact
• Work with the Communications team to ensure their input is incorporated into organisational strategy and ensure communications strategies support both strategic campaigns and broader organisational objectives
• Support our traditional press and digital engagement work to ensure JCWI is at the forefront of public discourse on migrant rights and border reform
• Work closely with the Legal Directors and wider team to ensure our casework and outreach informs our external communications
• Grow and engage JCWI’s audiences, ensuring a consistent tone of voice and brand across outputs and channels and influencing public discourse in support of flagship campaigns
• Set quantifiable targets and have a strong understanding of reporting, evaluation and measurement of comms outputs.
• Ensure the voices of JCWI’s service users, our grassroots partners and community-based campaigners with lived experience of the sharpest end of the border regime/immigration controls borders are elevated and supported.
• Provide oversight on written and multimedia outputs, including comments, pitches, editorials and digital content, reviewing and quality assuring for sign-off, and ensuring spokespeople are well trained and well briefed before engaging with the media
• Support reactive or ‘breaking news’ work and ensure rotas (including out-of-hours rotas) for media and press are well managed

Person Specification – Advocacy and Communications Director

The ideal candidate has experience:

• In a management or leadership role (essential)
• Developing and implementing campaigns on migrants’ rights, racial or social justice issues (essential)  
• Working with complex policy issues in a highly politicised setting (essential)
• Engaging both digital and traditional media in a strategic way for campaigns or public narrative change (essential)
• Developing and implementing long-term, strategic plans which are rooted in firm values and visions (essential)
• Working collaboratively and building strong relationships with individuals and coalitions (essential)   
• Working meaningfully with communities and people who have lived experience of oppression (essential)
• Lived experience of the immigration system, or from a racialised or marginalised background (desirable)
• Working in immigration, asylum, and/or human rights law (desirable) or willingness and ability to learn (essential)
• Developing, supporting, or implementing plans for supporter recruitment & mobilisation (desirable)

NB: experience may be in a paid or unpaid capacity, and includes work undertaken in a range of organisational forms, which includes but is not limited to non-profit organisations, political campaigns, trade unions, community and grassroots groups, and organising movements

The ideal candidate is:

• Committed to defending and furthering the rights of all people who move, and embodies wider anti-oppressive values and practices, including anti-racism, queer and trans liberation, gender justice, class solidarity, and the importance of an intersectional approach to social justice 
• Recognises the value of legal representation when used as a tool of resistance, and is committed to legal aid as fundamental to access to justice
• Someone who proactively collaborates with others and nurtures and develops relationships both internally and externally, seeing the value in the diversity of skills and methodologies that drive organisations and campaigns forwards  
• A strategic thinker who is politically astute, has an advanced understanding of the political landscape as it relates to migrants’ rights and racial justice and can identify threats and harness opportunities when working on politically contentious issues  
• A relationship-builder, able to support their Team and the organisation by building and maintaining relationships with external partners, including with key media
• Creative and innovative, and eager to encourage and support others’ creativity  
• A person who comfortably deals with new and complex information, digesting this quickly and simplifying nuanced policy or legal issues for a range of audiences 
• An excellent written and verbal communicator, able to produce written outputs and review or edit drafts for quality, consistency and accessibility, and also represent the organisation at key events, meetings and in the media clearly and persuasively
   

How to apply
Please submit your CV and a covering letter (no longer than 2 A4 pages) which outlines your suitability for the role as set out in the job description and how you meet the person specification above, via our website.

DEADLINE:  
Submission of CV and covering letter  | 11.30pm 28th August

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is seeking our next Executive Director to lead our small, dynamic charity. You will be joining an impactful local organisation at a crucial time in our development. Since 2021 we have grown significantly and sustainably, developing new services based on client needs. You will be leading a highly competent and passionate team who are community minded and experts in their fields. 

The Executive Director has overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the charity, including finance and fundraising, as well as supporting the development and delivery of services. They will work with four experienced project leads to deliver and develop our core services: Casework and Advocacy Service, Rainbow Club Supplementary School, Destitution Service and Food Bank, and our Allotment of Refuge, as well as our Policy and external influencing work led by our Deputy Director for Casework and Policy. 

We are seeking to appoint an exceptional candidate who can balance the demands of strategic leadership with the operational execution and development of our services and policy work. We are seeking someone with a high level of operational skill and accountability in operational management and governance. You will be responsible for the central services of the charity including finance, fundraising, legal, HR and communications. We are looking for a thoughtful leader who is passionate about staff and volunteer support. You should have experience and understanding of small charities and the external context within which we operate.

About us:

Founded in 2004, AFRIL supports refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants to lift themselves out of poverty, assert their rights, and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. We provide both crisis support to meet immediate need, and longer-term, flexible programmes to tackle the underlying issues that result in poverty. We engage in policy and legal interventions to affect change. Our work is grounded in the values of professionalism, inclusivity, and solidarity, and our approach to service delivery is one of co-production and empowerment. We work with partners locally and nationally to deliver high quality services and advocacy.

Our Services:

• Casework and Advocacy – AQS and IAA accredited advice, casework and legal interventions in housing and homelessness, complex welfare rights, community care, asylum support,  immigration, access to education and employment, healthcare and related matters. 

• Destitution Project - supporting families to overcome extreme food poverty through regular food vouchers, fresh culturally appropriate food, toiletries, and essential household items plus small grants and a free café.

• Rainbow Club Saturday School - improving educational attainment, wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem, and raising the aspirations of disadvantaged primary age children. 

• Allotment of Refuge - a welcoming and integrated community of food growers improving the health, wellbeing and healthy food access of children and adults seeking sanctuary in Lewisham.

• Immigration Project in partnership with Southwark Law Centre - free legal advice and representation to support families to regularise their UK immigration status in the UK.

In addition, we hold a monthly Members Forum, and use the evidence from our frontline work together with the testimony of our members to influence improved policy and practice.

AFRIL is currently in a good position, with the several long-term grants and statutory funding secured, and good relationships with community and individual donors. The Executive Director position represents an exciting opportunity to work with a passionate and highly competent team and the wider community to bring about real, positive change for vulnerable migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees in South East London. 

AFRIL is an equal opportunities employer. We are a diverse staff team and particularly encourage applications from BAME candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and those with lived experience of asylum/irregular migration. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support our staff to flourish.

We are proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network which aims to increase representation of people with lived experience in the charitable sector. Please feel free to use their information and resources which may help in preparing your job application.

Please read full Job Description and Person Specification. Applications will only be accepted through CharityJob - please submit a CV and cover letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) detailing how you meet the person specification. 

Are you passionate about leading and shaping an advice service dedicated to supporting and empowering Disabled people? Do you want to use your expertise to grow a small team into a leading provider of high-quality, accessible advice?

This role would suit someone already working in an advice role seeking career development OR someone with experience managing advice services. We particularly welcome applications from Disabled people with lived experience, in line with our commitment as a Disabled people’s user-led organisation. We also encourage strong non-disabled allies who share our values and dedication to disability justice to apply.

You already believe in the Social Model of Disability and are keen to deepen your understanding. Together, we will grow in how we communicate, make decisions, and approach our work, championing a radically inclusive world where society removes barriers rather than disables people.

You will have in-depth and up-to-date knowledge and recent experience of providing welfare benefits casework, with a willingness to undertake further training in housing and community care. We will consider applicants able to build their base welfare benefits knowledge through intensive training over a short period.

You will carry your own caseload while providing line management, mentoring, and support to one advisor. As the team grows, your caseload will reduce, allowing you to focus more on leadership, service development, and quality assurance.

A key part of the role is leading the organisation’s preparation for the Advice Quality Standard, including the recruitment, training, and support of volunteer advisors, as part of a collaborative team with the CEO and Operations Manager.

You will foster a positive and inclusive team environment where staff and volunteers feel valued and empowered to thrive. You will be proactive in developing the service, preparing information to support funding bids, and thinking creatively about how we meet the needs of Camden’s diverse Disabled community.

The role is advertised as hybrid as some in-person presence in the office will be essential at the Greenwood Centre in London NW5 1LB.

About Camden Disability Action (CDA)

At Camden Disability Action, we believe in a world where no one is disabled by society. As a Disabled people’s user-led organisation, our work is driven by the lived experience of Disabled people and grounded in the Social Model of Disability.

We don’t just support individuals to solve immediate problems; we proactively challenge the systems that create inequality and exclusion.

Our Advice Service is central to this mission. We see advice as more than form filling or casework. It is a powerful tool to support rights, autonomy, and independent living. Through advice, we help Disabled people navigate complex systems, claim their entitlements, and take action. We listen carefully to their experiences to reveal wider societal barriers. This insight helps us influence policy, push for change, and collaborate with partners to make services more inclusive.

We are a medium-sized and growing charity. Our Advice Service is small but ambitious. We currently have one full-time Advisor and deliver a specialist service for d/Deaf people in partnership with deafPLUS. The Advice Manager will lead the development of the service to better reflect and respond to Camden’s diverse disabled communities.

Job Title: Duty IDVA

Hours: Part time, 28 hours per week

Salary: £26,000 - £28,000 pro-rata

Location: Hammersmith with some home working

Contract Type: Part-time-4 days per week on a fixed term contract until the end of March 2026

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

Advance is committed to equality and diversity and strongly encourages applications from women with diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities, BAME and LBT communities.

Job Summary

The IDVA will work within a dynamic, fast paced, crisis intervention, advocacy and support service to ensure the voice of survivors informs every stage of the process.

They will advise women on criminal justice and civil remedies and related matters, support women to attend court where necessary, and coordinate the provision of multi-agency support.

The post holder will hold a reduced caseload of survivors and will also be required to work as part of Advance’s duty team based in Hammersmith which will involve completing intake assessments and providing crisis intervention support.

The post holder will have an excellent understanding of domestic abuse and its effects on women and children, and of best practice within the domestic abuse sector. As an experienced domestic abuse advocate who has worked with complex and multiple needs, the post holder will be skilled in risk management and safety planning, remaining calm in a crisis and in handling sensitive information on a daily basis.

Experience of direct work with female survivors of domestic abuse and of working within safeguarding procedures is essential for this post, as is the need to adopt and promote a strong partnership approach to service provision.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Ensure effective access to the service for women and girls and encourage their engagement with services through multi-agency working and service flexibility.
• To work within the team to conduct comprehensive assessments of needs and risk for women experiencing domestic abuse referred to our services.
• To carry out short- and longer-term risk management, safety planning and support; and identify and refer to services appropriate to their needs, including attendance at specialist/dedicated courts and MARAC as required.
• Develop and deliver safety and support plans that include delivery of high-quality face-to-face or telephone crisis intervention, information, advocacy, and support, in respect to criminal and civil remedies, housing, health, welfare rights, children’s legislation and other appropriate interventions.
• Advise women of their rights and options for seeking help and support from other agencies, making referrals and co-ordinating the provision of multi-agency support where necessary, and proactively advocate ensuring barriers to accessing support and protection are minimised.
• Proactively assess the needs and safety of any children that women using the service may have, ensure that any risks/needs identified are addressed directly with the woman, and take appropriate action to safeguard them.
• If a client is involved in the criminal justice system as a witness, provide them with information, advocacy, and support as cases progress through the criminal justice system, supporting them to apply for special measures and to give impact statements, to maximise their safety to help them give best evidence and accompanying women to court where necessary.
• Work with the management team and Data Insights Analyst to ensure all monitoring and evaluation for the project is accurate and fully maintained, keeping managers informed of any issues and successes.
• Ensure that agreed case recording and monitoring systems are kept up to date and secure, and write internal and external reports where required, including for safeguarding conferences, team meetings, managers and others as required.
• Use appropriate institutional advocacy to maximise positive outcomes and use the appropriate reporting mechanisms to highlight persistent or recurring issues that arise.
• Be responsible for your own personal learning development and keep up to date on research, relevant legislation, policy and practice, and other literature relevant to the role.
• Participate in supervision, training and meetings as required and assist in the development of services in line with agreed development plans.

How to apply

Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications made via the job advert on the Advance careers page, and those that include a cover letter will be considered.

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits

• A 35-hour working week
• An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!)
• Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home
• Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more
• Pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity/adoption provision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee eye-care scheme
• Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles
• Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation
• Organisation wide away days
• Thorough induction and training
• Career development pathways

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Under the Equality Act 2010, we are required to make any reasonable adjustments. If you have a disability as defined under this act and/or have special needs, please email the Talent Acquisition Team via the Advance website and will aim to make the necessary arrangements to accommodate your needs.

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

We are committed to providing equality of opportunity and actively seek to recruit people from groups underrepresented in our current team. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay and benefits.

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe. We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks. We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing

We are recruiting a Suicide Prevention Officer to facilitate the development, sale and delivery of high quality and impactful training and education programmes, upskilling individuals and organisations in suicide prevention.

What you will do:

• Facilitate in-person and online training sessions, ensuring interactive and impactful learning experiences.
• Develop and promote PAPYRUS’s training offer, tailoring to stakeholder needs and securing sales.
• Build relationships and partnerships to expand our reach and influence.
• Support the creation of e-learning and digital training resources.
• Prepare stakeholders for, and debrief them after, suicide interventions.
• Stay informed of best practice and national strategy, contribute to campaigns, and represent PAPYRUS in the media and at events.
• Champion safeguarding, health and safety, and equality across all activity.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• A degree or professional qualification in a relevant field such as Education, Counselling, Training, Psychology, Community Development or Youth Work.
• A recognised training qualification or willingness to work towards one.
• Experience in delivering and developing training programmes and community-based projects.
• Ability to manage sensitive conversations and facilitate learning in emotionally complex areas.
• Strong relationship-building, presentation and time management skills.
• Professional curiosity, resilience, and a commitment to safeguarding.
• Confidence in working independently and remotely, with ability to travel as required.

Please visit the careers site for the full job description and person specification for the role.

Salary: £30,559 per annum (SCP 18), progressing by increments to £33,366 per annum (SCP 23)

Hours: 36 hours per week  

Location: Although this role is home based, the applicant should be based in Cardiff due to the regular travel across the area and South Wales

Contract: Permanent

Benefits: You will receive 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time workers), hybrid and flexible working arrangements, an attractive pension scheme, Simply Health membership, enhanced sick pay and enhanced parental pay. Please visit our website for more details.

Closing date: 17th August 2025

We reserve the right to close the vacancy earlier if we receive sufficient applications so, please submit your application as soon as possible.

PAPYRUS is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in employment and its recruitment policies are designed to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

PAPYRUS is committed to safeguarding all children, young people and adults at risk that interact with the organisation. The organisation recognises its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of these vulnerable groups by a commitment to procedures to protect them. The charity expects all staff and volunteers to fully support and promote these commitments.

Birth Companions is a charity that supports women experiencing multiple disadvantage during the perinatal period in the community in London and the southeast, and in prisons across the country.

Our work aims to improve the lives of mothers and babies by:

- improving the mental health and well-being of pregnant women and new mother
- enabling new mothers to give their babies the best possible start in life
- empowering women to fulfil their potential through engagement
- driving improvements in the local and national policy and practice that impacts on mothers and their babies.

By working towards these aims, we hope that all women who face disadvantage and inequality during this crucial point in their lives will have the support they need to give their baby the best possible start, and to fulfil their own potential, whatever their circumstances. 

Birth Companions’ values have shaped the organisation’s approach from the outset and are still as important to us as ever. We are a women’s organisation built on feminist principles, delivering woman-to-woman support. Choice, empowerment and protecting women’s rights have always been central to the way we work. Through the work of our staff and trained volunteers we offer practical and emotional support before, during and after birth. We work in a woman-centred way that is trauma-informed, flexible and non-judgemental, basing our support on what a woman tells us she needs. 

Work across our frontline services shows us what matters to women, and where things can and should be better in the care they receive from others. Based on these insights, we commission academic and peer-led research and direct the attention of local and national policy-makers, commissioners and service providers to what needs to change, and how. Everyone at Birth Companions plays a role in this. Communication and collaboration between our frontline practitioners, policy and engagement staff and the women in our Lived Experience Team means we are able to identify and monitor issues and themes and draw on learning in order to feed them into conversations with senior stakeholders across maternity, criminal justice, social services and immigration. In this way we ensure our policy and influencing work is rooted in the day-to-day experiences of women and what will make most difference to them and their babies. 

The Criminal Justice Services Manager will manage and develop all aspects of Birth Companions’ criminal justice-based services and line-manage the criminal justice services Coordinators, (currently three staff members but this likely to increase as we expand our services).

They will develop and maintain strategic partnerships with other relevant agencies and ensure the successful delivery of services through internal monitoring and evaluation, external evaluation and the charity’s governance structures.

The Criminal Justice Services Manager will be responsible for contributing to the development and implementation of new prison and wider criminal justice system-based services through stakeholder engagement and service design where opportunities are identified.

The Criminal Justice Services Manager will also contribute to the policy, engagement and strategic work of the organisation where appropriate.

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) are recruiting for an Expert by Experience Coordinator to join our supportive and growing team. The Expert by Experience Coordinator is a new role in our small dynamic charity. The postholder will work to ensure the voices and perspectives of individuals with lived experience of asylum and forced migration are integrated into the design and delivery of AFRIL services and policy work. This role involves facilitating communication, promoting co-production, and empowering individuals to share their expertise to improve services and guide policy priorities. 

The post involves coordinating our monthly Members Forum, and working with the core team to feed this into policy and service development, alongside thematic and sometimes practical support to our Allotment Steering Group, Rainbow Club Youth Council and Asylum Hotel Residents Forum. The postholder will develop the AFRIL ambassadors scheme, creating opportunities for former clients to continue to be involved in shaping AFRIL, and work with the Director to develop a governance level co-production structure as agreed with the Board of Trustees. 

We are looking for a good people person, able to engage and inspire others, who demonstrates a collaborative approach to working with a range of stakeholders and in particular AFRIL clients who come from a variety of backgrounds. The postholder will be highly organised, have good project planning and execution skills, and a good working knowledge of the issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Community language skills are an asset.

About AFRIL

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is a registered charity that supports asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants in South East London. We support people to lift themselves out of poverty, assert their rights and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. We provide both crisis support to meet immediate need, and longer-term, flexible programmes to tackle the underlying problems that lead people to be in crisis, supporting people to integrate, contribute and thrive. Our work is grounded in the values of professionalism, inclusivity, and solidarity. Our clients are at the heart of what we do and our approach is one of co-production and empowerment.

AFRIL delivers the following core services in the London Boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark, Bexley and Bromley:

• Rainbow Club Supplementary School - providing weekly supplementary education in English and Maths, arts, music and sports activities to children from refugee, migrant  and asylum seeking backgrounds from 4-11 years old, plus youth volunteering programme and Youth Council (NRCSE and Sanctuary Status). 

• Casework and Advocacy Service: providing AQS accredited advice, casework and legal interventions in asylum support, community care, housing, welfare benefits and related matters. Pre-Action Protocol letters to challenge unlawful public law decisions. The service currently provides Level 1 immigration advice under the Immigration Advice Agency.

• Destitution Support - a fortnightly Food Bank in partnership with St Peter’s Church providing food, food vouchers, toiletries, and other essentials, alongside a warm hub with free cafe, information and support. Small grants for essential items and cash payments for food in emergencies. Securing and distributing gifts in kind, e.g. winter coats, laptops and data. 

• Allotment of Refuge - a welcoming community of food growers that supports improved health, wellbeing and integration of members, whilst protecting the local environment. 

• Immigration Project in partnership with Southwark Law Centre, providing free legal advice and representation to support people to regularise their immigration status. 

We also use our frontline experience, together with our clients, to engage in Policy and influencing work to improve the services and policies that impact our client group. This includes advising the GLA on 3 asylum related working groups, and as a member of the London Housing Panel.

AFRIL is an equal opportunities employer. We are a diverse staff team and particularly encourage applications from BAME candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and those with lived experience of asylum/irregular migration. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support our staff to flourish.

We are proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network which aims to increase representation of people with lived experience in the charitable sector. Please feel free to use their information and resources which may help in preparing your job application.

Please read full Job Description and Person Specification. Applications will only be accepted through CharityJob - please submit a CV and cover letter (no more than one side of A4) detailing how you meet the person specification. 

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) are recruiting for a Community Activities Coordinator to join our growing, dynamic organisation. This exciting new role will sit within AFRIL's busy Casework and Advocacy Service, working collaboratively with our asylum seeking and recently granted refugee clients to plan and deliver a range of activities, improving wellbeing and community solidarity. 

We are looking for a good people person, able to engage and inspire others, who demonstrates a collaborative approach to working with a range of stakeholders and in particular AFRIL clients who come from a variety of backgrounds. The postholder will be highly organised, have good project planning and execution skills, and a good working knowledge of the issues affecting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. Community language skills are an asset. 

About AFRIL

Action for Refugees in Lewisham (AFRIL) is a registered charity that supports asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants in South East London. We support people to lift themselves out of poverty, assert their rights and rebuild their lives in the heart of our community. We provide both crisis support to meet immediate need, and longer-term, flexible programmes to tackle the underlying problems that lead people to be in crisis, supporting people to integrate, contribute and thrive. Our work is grounded in the values of professionalism, inclusivity, and solidarity. Our clients are at the heart of what we do and our approach is one of co-production and empowerment.

AFRIL delivers the following core services in the London Boroughs of Lewisham, Greenwich, Southwark, Bexley and Bromley:

• Rainbow Club Supplementary School - providing weekly supplementary education in English and Maths, arts, music and sports activities to children from refugee, migrant  and asylum seeking backgrounds from 4-11 years old, plus youth volunteering programme and Youth Council (NRCSE and Sanctuary Status). 

• Casework and Advocacy Service: providing AQS accredited advice, casework and legal interventions in asylum support, community care, housing, welfare benefits and related matters. Pre-Action Protocol letters to challenge unlawful public law decisions. The service currently provides Level 1 immigration advice under the Immigration Advice Agency.

• Destitution Support - a fortnightly Food Bank in partnership with St Peter’s Church providing food, food vouchers, toiletries, and other essentials, alongside a warm hub with free cafe, information and support. Small grants for essential items and cash payments for food in emergencies. Securing and distributing gifts in kind, e.g. winter coats, laptops and data. 

• Allotment of Refuge - a welcoming community of food growers that supports improved health, wellbeing and integration of members, whilst protecting the local environment. 

• Immigration Project in partnership with Southwark Law Centre, providing free legal advice and representation to support people to regularise their immigration status. 

We also use our frontline experience, together with our clients, to engage in Policy and influencing work to improve the services and policies that impact our client group. This includes advising the GLA on 3 asylum related working groups, and as a member of the London Housing Panel.

AFRIL is an equal opportunities employer. We are a diverse staff team and particularly encourage applications from BAME candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and those with lived experience of asylum/irregular migration. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to support our staff to flourish.

We are proud to be a member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network which aims to increase representation of people with lived experience in the charitable sector. Please feel free to use their information and resources which may help in preparing your job application.

Please read full Job Description and Person Specification. Applications will only be accepted through CharityJob - please submit a CV and cover letter (no more than 2 sides of A4) detailing how you meet the person specification. 

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Bank Support Worker to join our Newham services.

£13.85 per hour on a 0 hours contract

Want to feel in control of your career? You'll feel at home here.

Making you feel at home here means helping you thrive in every way. That's why we offer a wide range of benefits, award-winning Learning & Development and a culture that welcomes all. These aren't token gestures - we've thought long and hard about how best to support our team. After all, our people are doing something amazing: helping to transform lives every day.

Our benefits include:

*Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
Exclusive discounts and cashback via Reward Gateway® and opportunity to buy a Blue Light Card
Fully paid induction programme and further training
ILM courses and Apprenticeship Programmes
Cycle to work scheme
Employee Assistance Programme for 24-7 confidential support
Online wellbeing resources
A generous pension - we will contribute up to 4% and life assurance cover up to £10,000 (T&Cs apply)
Quarterly Staff Awards to reward & recognise our amazing staff's commitment and contribution
All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the UK by the start of employment as Look Ahead are not able to offer sponsorship.

Bank Support Workers have the ability to accept any shifts available on an ad-hoc basis across from all of Look Ahead's specialisms including Mental Health, Learning Disabilities, Homelessness and Young People. Bank Support Workers will provide support to customers to help them develop the life skills they require to meet the assessed needs of the customers of the service. They will work with customers to promote social inclusion and alongside other members of the team to promote independent living, encouraging customers to maximise their skills and choices. Within Learning Disability services, this will include providing physical, domestic, emotional and social care. Within Mental Health and Homelessness services they will enable vulnerable people living in a variety of different tenures to manage their tenancies/ licences and move towards greater independence within the community by providing a flexible and individually tailored support package. While carrying out activities, Bank Support Workers should deal with all customers, visitors and staff in a professional and appropriate manner and report to Look Ahead staff and management any observations relating to customers' welfare.

What you'll do:

Working proactively with other members of the team to handle the service caseload and administrative responsibilities
Building supportive, trusting relationships with customers
Conducting key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks associated with customers within an attitude of 'positive risk taking'
Proactively manage risk and safety both in and outside of their physical living environment
Support customers to undertake all domestic tasks wherever possible, including practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills, to ensure customers enjoy a high quality of accommodation
Undertake all administrative work and keep accurate and comprehensive tenant/customer records to professional standards
Report any observations relating to customers welfare
Develop and maintain links with all key agencies and service providers in the local area to provide a range of engagement opportunities for customers in the community
Enable customers to make full use of community facilities by providing support as directed
Carry out support duties to enable customers to integrate into the community including e.g. accompanying the customer to attend benefit agency appointments and meetings, go shopping, to enquire at colleges about possible courses, to visit various public amenities
Empower customers to ensure they receive the service and benefits they are entitled to
Engage in learning and development activity to increase knowledge and skills

About us:

Look Ahead is a leading, not-for-profit care and support provider in London and the South East. Our vision is to build better lives through social care and housing in local communities. As an organisation we deliver over 100 services, providing support to thousands of customers each year. Our mission is to co-design and deliver services that offer innovative social care solutions and support people to thrive. We work across mental health, homelessness and complex needs, young people and care leavers and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

Look Ahead is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk, and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.

If your application for this role is unsuccessful, but we feel that you would be suitable for another role, we may contact you to discuss alternative opportunities. If this occurs you would not need to submit another application for the alternative role.

We reserve the right to close this advert early if we are able to appoint to the vacancy before the advertised closed date.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion at work and are accredited with Silver in the Inclusive Employers Standard 2021. We are a proud member of the Employers Domestic Abuse Covenant and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants of all backgrounds.

For a full job description please see our website.