Women support worker jobs in Oxford

Job Title: Children's Support Worker

Location: Warwickshire - Travel required across Warwickshire, predominantly South Warwickshire. Use of a car is essential to the role. 
Salary: £25,857.12 per annum 

Contract type: Full Time, Permanent 

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

We are recruiting for a Children’s Support Worker who will be working closely with children and their parents who are living in our dispersed accommodation refuges escaping domestic violence and other forms of violence and abuse, to provide personal welfare support and ensure that our clients are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment.

A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that women are provided with a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment. The post holder will support children who have witnessed or experienced domestic violence and plan and provide stimulating, safe, and appropriate play opportunities.

Please note that post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

A driving license and access to a car is essential to the role. 

Closing Date: 09:00 am 17 April 2026

Interview Date: 28 April 2026

Job Title: Floating Support Worker

Location: Warwickshire
Salary: £15,514.27 per annum
Contract type: Part Time, Permanent

Hours: 22.5 hours per week

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Floating Support Worker to provide high quality practical and emotional support to survivors of domestic abuse and their children living in our dispersed refuge accommodation in Warwickshire. This service will provide emergency accommodation across Warwickshire with high-quality domestic abuse support, ‘by-and-for’ services for survivors of domestic abuse and their children. 

The post holder will provide high quality support and safety planning to survivors and their children who are fleeing domestic abuse. This includes enabling survivors to access housing, welfare, benefits and legal advice.  A key requirement is to provide personal welfare support and to ensure that survivors are provided with a safe, supportive and welcoming environment in accordance with Refuge’s philosophical principles.

The Floating Support Worker (FSW) will carry a caseload of survivors of domestic abuse to enable them to provide a more holistic and intensive support package. They will work closely with survivors from the point of crisis through to move on from the emergency accommodation. FSWs will work in partnership with both statutory and voluntary sector partners to ensure that the whole range of survivors’ needs are met.

As part of this role, you will be required to participate in an out-of-hours on call rota.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies.

Closing Date: 09:00am 27 April 2026

Interview Date: 8 May 2026

Night Support Mentor

When registering to this job board you will be redirected to the online application form. Please ensure that this is completed in full in order that your application can be reviewed.

Due to the nature of the service, it is an occupational requirement that the post holder is female and the post is therefore exempt from the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 in terms of Schedule 9, Part 1, and Paragraph 1 of the Act.

Job Title: Night Support Mentor (FTC)

Location: Luton. Unfortunately, this service does not have step free access.

Salary: £24,500

Shift Pattern: Fixed Term contract until May 2028. 37.5 hours per week Monday to Sunday on a rota which can range between 20:30 - 8:00  You may be required to work outside these hours dependent on service and resident requirements including weekends and bank holidays.

About the Role

We are looking for a dedicated Night Support Mentor to join us in delivering a person centred and bespoke trauma informed support to women in Luton. This new service will provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment for women facing sexual exploitation and substance dependency – a place they can truly call home. Through stable, person-centred care, you'll play a vital role in empowering women to rebuild their lives and embrace brighter futures. 

In this role, as a Night Support Mentor, you will work within a 24 hour service which provided person centred support to our residents, working to ensure the safety and wellbeing. Our residents have experienced multiple forms of exclusion, such as historical/ongoing abuse, involvement in the criminal justice system, mental health challenges, drug and/or alcohol dependency and enduring high levels of violence and coercion. You will build trusting professional relationships with residents, helping them to achieve their goals and aspirations.

 Responsibilities Include:

• Holding a caseload, conducting key work sessions which are personable to resident needs
• Carry out regular welfare checks, safeguarding checks, and general living checks
• Encourage residents to take part in activities and events both within the service and the community
• Keep support plans up to date on a regular basis
• Work closely with the rest of the team to provide overall excellent service delivery, this may mean also supporting with their caseloads, and other tasks as necessary
• Building trusting professional relationships with residents, helping them to achieve their goals and aspirations which could be through tailored one to one sessions, group sessions, in and out of service activities, and general wellbeing check ins.
• Focusing on empowering our residents to take control over their lives and meet their personal goals

About You

We are passionate about working in a supportive, solution focused and trauma informed way to support our residents and participants to make and sustain positive change. The successful candidate will work as part of a team to deliver exceptional support to women at a particularly challenging time in their lives. We are looking for passionate, motivated and proactive individuals who are dedicated to making a positive difference.

• Due to the nature of the service, it is an occupational requirement that the post holder is female and the post is therefore exempt from the provisions of the Equality Act 2010 in terms of Schedule 9, Part 1, and Paragraph 1 of the Act.
• Experience of working with people of complex backgrounds and/or a good understanding of the sector, particularly around multiple and complex needs
• Ability to show empathy and compassion to our residents, and different challenges they face
• Experience working with, or thorough understanding of, domestic abuse and the systemic barriers faced by women.
• Alignment with our values of Ambition, Empowerment, Inclusivity, and Transparency

Please refer to the JDPS attached for more details on the vacancy and our requirements/key criteria.

What we Offer

• 25 days (Full time equivalent) annual leave, increasing with the length of service
• Employer Pension Contribution
• Eligibility to register with Blue Light Discount Card
• Access to discounted tickets for music events, shows, sports and more
• Reflective Practice regular sessions with a therapist provided by an external provider to support Mental Health and Wellbeing at work
• Training and Development, including access to courses, upskilling, and progression plans
• Employee Assistance Programme, including counselling
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Annual Staff Awards
• EDI Ambassador programme

About Social Interest Group (SIG)

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings, probation settings, and hospitals. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, Kent and Liverpool. Our goal is to transform lives through empowering change. 

We believe good care and support improves lives with the vision to create healthier, safer, and more inclusive communities. Join us on our mission to empower independence through trauma-informed solutions and dynamic partnerships that keep people out of prison, out of hospital, and off the streets.
 

Additional Information

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide sponsorship, please ensure you have full right to work in the UK prior to applying to our positions. 

Care | Support | Social Work | Social Worker | Support Staff | Homelessness Support | Complex Needs | Mental Health | Substance Use | Alcohol Dependency | Person Centred Support | Recovery | Independence | Housing Support | 24 hour Service | Night Shift Support

SMART CJS – Trust and Foundations Bid Writer

Role Overview

Are you committed to supporting people who are homeless or rough sleeping?

Are you proactive with a positive attitude?

Job Title: Trust and Foundations Bid Writer (with some responsibility for corporate fundraising)

Hours: 37 hours per week

Location: Working from our office in central Bedford, with some provision for remote working.

About SMART CJS

Founded in 1997, we are a charity that provides safe spaces for people who are facing or experiencing homelessness, are rough sleeping or have fallen on tough times. As times have changed, our services have adapted and grown, but we’ve always kept the people we support at the centre of all that we do. We believe that everyone needs a little help sometimes and, with trust, respect and honesty, people can make incredible changes. Our vision is to transform communities so that everyone has the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential, participate in and contribute to all aspects of life. Our mission is to provide safe spaces to work with vulnerable people within our communities, empowering them to make positive changes and take control of their lives.

Why Join Us?

We believe in diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

Benefits include:

• 27 days Annual Leave (rising to 30 after 3 years) + Bank Holidays (pro rata)
• Generous Pension scheme (after successfully completing a probation period)
• Excellent Development and Growth Opportunities
• Access to a Charity Worker Discount scheme
• Access to the company health and wellbeing service including support with mental health, legal advice and more
• Access to an online GP service

We require all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). This job description will be supplemented by annual objectives which will be developed in conjunction with the post holder.

The Role

SMART CJS is looking to recruit a Trusts and Foundations Bid Writer. The successful candidate will also have some responsibility for corporate fundraising with businesses based in Bedford and beyond; this responsibility will be shared with our Community and Corporate Fundraiser.

The main responsibility, though, will be to generate income by writing bids to charitable trusts and foundations, and to statutory funders.

The role will include researching and identifying charity trusts and similar bodies which are able to make an award to SMART. It will also include keeping abreast of developments in fundraising in the charity sector as a whole, especially in the field of grant awarding and, to a lesser extent, of corporate giving.

There will be a probationary period for the role. As it generally takes six months for a grant to be awarded (though some arrive more quickly), the probationary period will need to be for a minimum of seven months, though its precise duration can be negotiated with the successful candidate.

Training will be given; the scope of the training will depend on the candidate’s previous experience.

This is an exciting opportunity to join SMART’s friendly and dedicated team. You’ll need to be able to manage your time effectively; the role is primarily self-directed. We envisage that you’ll be working primarily from our offices in Prebend Street, Bedford, though you'll be able to work from home for some of the time as well. Given the nature of our work, personal resilience is important; some of the stories we use when applying for funding can be emotionally challenging.

Our fundraising comes from regular gifts, donations from the community (individuals and groups), and corporate bodies (businesses). The majority of our fundraising income comes from grants. There will be a realistic target for the amount you need to raise; this will reflect the performance for grant applications in the charity sector as a whole and it will not be unrealistic. Fundraising is not an exact science; the assessment of performance against the targets will be fair and reasonable. The final responsibility for SMART’s fundraising rests with the trustees; they appreciate and understand the complexity of the issues involved.

Main Purpose of the Role

You will work closely with the CEO, the Chair of Trustees, the Head of Business and the fundraising team. The post involves gathering information, writing the bids, tracking the progress of submissions, and reporting back to grant awarders on how their money has been spent, if they require this.

There will also be a responsibility for corporate fundraising. This will involve building relationships with businesses in and beyond the Bedford area. The responsibility for this will be shared with our Community and Corporate Fundraiser.

Key Responsibilities

Fundraising and Bid Writing

• Research and identify suitable grant and funding opportunities from charitable trusts, foundations, and statutory bodies.
• Write and submit high-quality funding applications and proposals in line with SMART’s strategic priorities.
• Work collaboratively with service leads and front line teams to gather accurate, up-to-date data and service information for applications.
• Tailor the applications to the funder’s criteria, using storytelling effectively.
• Manage a pipeline of applications and submissions, ensuring deadlines are met and income targets are tracked.
• Maintain and build relationships with key funders, providing timely reports and updates on grant-funded work.
• Work to realistic targets and be able to provide feedback on these.
• Organisational Development and Support
• Contribute to the strategic development of SMART’s income generation plans.
• Support development of strong internal bid and grant management systems.
• Monitor success rates and provide monthly reporting on funding performance to the Head of Business and to the Chair of Trustees.
• Represent SMART CJS at funding briefings, webinars, and networking opportunities where appropriate.

Other Responsibilities

• Participate in SMART’s performance management and appraisal process.
• Attend the monthly meetings of the Fundraising Committee (a sub‑committee of the Board of Trustees).
• Comply with health and safety policies and procedures.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role, as required by the CEO, the Head of Business or the Chair of Trustees.

Person Specification

Whether you’re already an experienced bid-writer, or whether you think this is something that you could learn to do effectively, we’d like to hear from you. You need to have excellent skills in written English and be able to write in prose that’s clear and readily understandable to the general reader. The criteria for each grant awarder are different; you need to be able to match your bid to what they would like to fund (homelessness, mental health, relief of poverty, women’s issues and so on). You need, then, to tell SMART’s story in a way which appeals to each funder.

You need to have excellent inter-personal skills and be able to work as part of a team. While there is a strong element of self-direction in the role, you need to be able to work closely with senior management and also with the trustees; the trustees have the final responsibility for fundraising in the charity.

You will need, too, to have a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and to have a genuine interest in homelessness and the work of the charity, and a commitment to improving our clients’ lives and wellbeing.

• Location: Oxford UK/ (with the ability to work from home under Oxfam GB's hybrid working arrangements)
• Workplace Type: Hybrid
• Hours: 36 hours per week
• Salary: £49,601 (with a discretionary range up to £57,000 depending on experience)
• Job Family: Business Support & Admin
• Division: Operations
• Grade: B
• Job Type: Open ended
• Closing Date: 3 April 2026
• Country: United Kingdom

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

The Role:

As Legal Counsel (Employment) at Oxfam, you will play a pivotal role in supporting teams across Oxfam GB on a wide range of employment-related queries and litigation, both in the UK and globally. You will advise country programmes worldwide alongside UK-based HR colleagues on complex employment law matters, delivering clear, practical guidance that aligns with Oxfam’s values and balances legal, operational, and reputational risks.

A key part of this role will be helping Oxfam understand and apply the law in ways that advance its Equality and Anti-Racist Strategies, including advising on positive action and other lawful measures that promote equity and inclusion across the organisation.

As a member of the OGB Legal Team, you will also contribute beyond employment law, providing commercially astute advice on a broader range of legal issues as needed to support Oxfam’s strategic priorities. This is a collaborative and impactful role, ideal for someone who can combine technical expertise with sound judgement and a commitment to Oxfam’s mission.

What we are looking for:

We’re looking for a candidate who cares about Oxfam's mission to end poverty and is personally aligned to our feminist principles and values of empowerment, accountability and inclusion in all you do.

An ideal candidate for the role will also have:

• 5+ years PQE and legally qualified in the UK
• Experience of advising on complex and varying UK employment law and HR matters, including investigations and whistleblowing.
• Broad commercial experience either in-house or private practice advising a range of stakeholders
• Ability to support on colleagues internationally on employee relations processes, employment disputes and litigation
• Experience of advising on the drafting of HR policies and procedures
• Ability to identify key legal questions within complex queries and manage responses in accordance with legal team workload, level of legal risk identified and organisational priorities
• Experience of producing guidance notes and training
• Ability to work equally in a detail-focused manner as well as big-picture oriented, so as to effectively prioritise workload and projects

We offer:

We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including flexible working options, generous pension scheme, annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits. 

From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in-house courses, e-learning modules, on-the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more. 

You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer 

Flexfam:

We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you. We think this role would work particularly well working within our Hybrid Working guidelines which includes regular home-based working. The successful candidate would be expected to be based in our Oxford office one day per month.

How to apply:

As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.  

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our  are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the .  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

About us

Oxfam is a global community who believe poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s right activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers and more. And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.

 is a member of  of 21 organisations working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. 

A thriving diverse Oxfam:

It’s people power that brings about change. To play our part as a global organisation working to overcome poverty and inequality, we need equality, diversity and inclusion across our community of staff, partners and volunteers. Together, we’re committed to becoming a more diverse workforce, better able to tackle the global challenges that face our world today.

To do that:

• We need to dismantle the unequal power structures that exist everywhere, this including Oxfam and the wider development and charity sectors.
• We need an inclusive Oxfam where everyone can bring who they are to our work and feels celebrated for the differences they bring.
• We want and need everyone, and that means we need you.