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Are you an experienced practitioner with a passion for empowering young people and making a difference?
At NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service), we are dedicated to making a lasting impact on the lives of children, young people, and adults at risk. We believe no child or young person should ever be alone or voiceless in the care system, in family court, or when decisions are being made about their future.
We are seeking an experienced and compassionate Senior Practitioner to join Project Unity England, working 28 hours per week. This is an exciting opportunity to deliver intensive, trauma-informed support to care-experienced young mothers who are pregnant or have recently given birth, helping families stay together and supporting young mothers to build positive futures.
About Project Unity England
Project Unity England is an innovative national initiative focused on improving outcomes for care-experienced young mothers and their children through collaborative, multi-agency working. The project aims to keep families together, strengthen service delivery, promote innovation and ensure that local needs are addressed effectively across England.
At the heart of Project Unity is a collaborative approach that brings together local authorities, health partners and community organisations to provide coordinated, community-focused support. By working closely with partner agencies, Project Unity helps ensure young mothers receive the right support at the right time, enabling them to make informed decisions and achieve the best possible outcomes for themselves and their children.
About the role
As a Senior Practitioner, you will manage a complex caseload, providing independent, rights-based advocacy and one-to-one support to care-experienced young mothers. Working autonomously while supported by the Project Coordinator, you will empower young mothers to understand their rights, navigate statutory processes and make informed decisions that help keep families safely together.
You will build trust, complete assessments, develop support plans and advocate on their behalf within multi-agency settings. You will work alongside social workers, midwives, health visitors and other professionals to ensure each young mother's voice is heard and represented.
Alongside direct casework, you will contribute to peer support groups, workshops and community-based activities that reduce isolation, build confidence and strengthen parenting skills. You will also play an important role in safeguarding, quality assurance and service development by maintaining high-quality records, producing case studies and identifying opportunities to improve local services.
This is a rewarding opportunity to make a tangible difference to the lives of care-experienced young mothers while working within an innovative, rights-based national programme.
About you
We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting vulnerable young people and families. You will be confident working independently while building strong partnerships with professionals across health, social care and the voluntary sector.
You will have experience supporting families or parents with complex social care involvement and a sound understanding of safeguarding, risk assessment and relevant legislation. You will be an effective advocate with excellent communication skills, able to build trusting relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.
You will be organised, resilient and confident managing a demanding caseload, with strong analytical skills and the ability to make sound professional judgements in complex situations.
Above all, you will demonstrate NYAS's values of Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Empowerment, sharing our commitment to ensuring children, young people and adults at risk have their voices heard.
How to Apply
Please apply via the the NYAS website. In your application, evidence using specific examples how your skills and experience meet the criteria in the person specification within the attached job description, including:
- Experience with vulnerable young people or families in a social care, advocacy or support setting
- Knowledge of legislation and policy relating to advocacy, safeguarding and children’s social care
- Excellent communication, organisational and report-writing skills, with sound professional judgement
Employee Benefits
We offer the following employee benefits:
- 26 days, increasing to 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time)
- Occupational sick pay (subject to completion of qualifying period)
- Enhanced pay for family friendly leave
- Free parking at some of our offices
- Employee assistance programme
- Group stakeholder pension scheme
- Access to BHSF health cash plan
- Cycle to work scheme
- Support and supervision from your line manager
- Learning and Development opportunities
Safeguarding and Compliance
NYAS operates robust safeguarding procedures, and internal candidates will be subject to references in line with our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. In accordance with UK immigration law, proof of eligibility to work in the United Kingdom will be required as part of the recruitment process. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high number of applications.
About NYAS
NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is an established rights-based charity ensuring that children, young people, and adults across England and Wales are respected, represented and supported in expressing their views. We work with care-experienced people who are often reliant on statutory services, and our combination of social care and legal services places us in a unique position to ensure their voices are heard.
We are an equal opportunities employer and a Disability Confident Employer, guaranteeing an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria. We welcome applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, or any other protected characteristic.
Registered Charity
101 - 500
At NYAS, we listen to what children, young people and vulnerable adults want. We empower them to have their voices heard.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Community Hidden Harm Awareness Team (CHHAT) Practitioner (Essex)
Permanent with funding until 31st March 2027
Band 6 £29,855 35 hours
About the role: We are looking for an experienced young people's practitioner. You will be confident in your work with young people and join our dynamic, ambitious team.
CHHAT provides a programme of targeted support services to identified, young people/young carers. The CHHAT practitioner will provide support to, and improve the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of young carers. You will address a number of target areas including emotional or physical abuse, domestic violence, neglect, social exclusion and isolation, truancy and/or underachievement at school, as a consequence of a parent or other significant family member using illicit drugs, alcohol, prescription medications or parental/carer mental health issues. Our engagement with young carers covers early to high intervention needs. We also support cases of historical parental substance use, where the young carer may, or may not still be residing with their parent, but continues to be affected by the experience.
In order to be successful with this role, you will need to be able to demonstrate that you have extensive experience of: -
Delivering direct interventions with vulnerable young people (8-18) on both a one to one and group work capacity.
Co-producing care and safety plans with young people that are young people led, focusing on both a relational & strength-based approach.
Extensive partnership working in a multi-agency environment to ensure that the needs and wishes of the young person are heard and acted upon.
You will work as part of a team and need to be able to work in a flexible way which includes flexing their day and work location as need indicates, including being based in the locality office in Chelmsford and working in the home environment to increase convenience and accessibility, as well as extensive travel throughout Essex to reach and meet Young People.
You will need to demonstrate that you have:
-A relevant professional qualification working with vulnerable children and families is desired e.g., Diploma/degree in social work, counselling qualification, professional youth worker or related NVQ or degree. Or Substantial relevant experience of working with vulnerable young people facing significant challenges within this sector.
-Substantial experience of working with vulnerable young people and families that are hard to reach and from diverse backgrounds on both a one-to-one basis and through group work interventions.
-Experience of supporting adolescents who are dealing with complex and sensitive issues through offering advice and advocacy.
-Experience of partnership and multi-agency working.
-Experience of working on one's own and within a team.
-Experience of using IT based case management systems
Benefits include but not limited to:
-36 days' annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays, increasing with length of service
-Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
-We match up to 8% pension
-Free counselling service
-Opportunities to develop and widen your skills
-2 days of paid volunteering time per annum to support another part of the organisation
About us:The Children's Society has been helping children and young people in this country for over 140 years. We deliver essential local services that provide safe, trusted support to children and young people during times of significant need.
Our Youth Impact domain creates impact for children and young people. With highly skilled and experienced staff working across England and Wales, we provide direct support to children, young people, parents and carers, as well as conduct research and influence Government to make changes. We also provide training for professionals. Our value driven team change the lives of children in this country for the better — and with your help and expertise, tomorrow we can support even more.
Closing date: Midnight on Tuesday 25th August 2026Interviews: Friday 4th September 2026
The Children's Society is committed to safeguarding and protection of the children and young people we work with. As such, our safer recruitment process includes a Basic or Enhanced DBS check, 5 years of references, and additional vetting checks relevant to the role. We have a comprehensive range of policies and procedures in place to promote safeguarding and safer working practices across all areas of our organisation.In support of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, shortlisting is carried out on an anonymised basis. Personal details are hidden from the shortlisting panel, and candidates are referenced by a candidate number only. As part of this process, we ask that your CV is anonymised before submission - this means removing personal information such as your name, contact details, age, and any other identifying details.
AI tools can support your application but only when used appropriately. You're welcome to use them to improve clarity, structure, and research. However, overuse or misuse (e.g. inventing experience or using AI during assessments) may lead to rejection at any stage. We want to hear the real you - authenticity matters.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Job Title:
Victim Support Casework Team Lead
Salary:
Actual salary is £27,200 per year (FTE £34,000).
Contract/Hours:
Permanent. 4 days per week / 0.8 FTE. The normal working week is 30 hours.
Annual Leave:
FTE annual leave entitlement is 23 days pro rata plus public and bank holidays.
Location:
NUM delivers its services UK-wide through a combination of digital resources, remote services and in-person hubs. Staff work on a hybrid basis, with the balance of home and location-based working depending on business needs. This role is primarily remote, with occasional travel possible for meetings, events, and outreach. If you are based in one of our hubs, Glasgow, Manchester or London then this is desirable.
About NUM:
National Ugly Mugs (NUM) is a UK-wide charity which delivers a holistic safety, wellbeing and economic support model for sex workers, combining digital harm prevention, specialist casework, mental health support and pathways to economic stability. Activities are delivered UK-wide via a digital platform, remote services, and in-person hubs. We run a wellbeing drop-in service in Glasgow and other in-person services and events in Manchester and London. We have developed Vocational Support Services for those exploring careers both in and outside of sex industries and we run a Racial Justice project and Youth Justice project that makes visible the lived experiences of harm among racialised and young (18-25) sex workers towards systems change.
NUM values those with lived experience in sex industries and work with them to shape services and responses, conduct research, develop education packages, and participate in policy advocacy to change the conditions that lead to survival sex work, gain rights and recognition, and improve the safety of UK-based sex workers.
Background and Responsibilities:
The casework team is at the heart of NUM. We provide vital support from assistance through the criminal justice journey to essential emergency financial support. We are looking for a Casework Team Lead to lead our casework team. If you are driven, have a keen eye for detail, can effectively motivate others in a demanding and emotive area of work with the ability to support people in an empathetic and trauma informed way then this could be the role for you.
This role will specifically focus on the day-to-day running of the casework team alongside carrying your own caseload. The work involves utilising and monitoring our digital platform and CMS maintaining and monitoring the documentation of cases and coordinating responses to ensure sex workers received the high standard of support they deserve, to prevent and recover from violence as well as seek justice and recourse. The Victim Support Casework Team Lead is responsible for maintaining high standards for all digital, individualised and in-person support provided by the casework team. All responsibilities can be grouped under five umbrella categories. The successful candidate will evidence suitability for the role based on the strength areas below:
1) Management: Manage the operations and administration associated with victim and vocational support casework.
2) Leadership: Lead and motivate the team of national case workers towards service excellence. The best leaders can also be led. The successful candidate will value the lived and learned experiences on the casework team and ensure that everyone works to their strengths and strives for the best outcomes for sex workers.
3) High Standards: Support good performance and quality outcomes for sex workers.
4) Creative and Innovative: Ability to strategise and problem-solve. Sex workers experience forms of violence before and after accessing support. At NUM, our principle of 'Sex Workers First' means that we work with them to achieve the outcomes that they desire. Sex workers are in control of their healing and recovery, and it will be the successful candidate's job to ensure that lives are improved as a result of contact with NUM.
5) Well-being Focused: Provide care for the health, safety and welfare of the case work team and the sex workers we serve.
Day-to-day tasks include but are not limited to the following.
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Managing your own caseload, providing individualised support to sex workers alongside your leadership role ensuring that sex workers are put at the forefront of all services offered. Maintaining our high standard of support.
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Continued monitoring and development of the NUM platform backend functions to find efficiencies and boost productivity. Develop and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on new policies and service priorities, new platforms/ procedures, and new innovations or services.
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Problem-solving to ensure the smooth and efficient operations of the casework team eg, managing resource and rota’s including leave and absences, delegation of task where appropriate to the casework team.
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Audit overview and quarterly reporting to Operations Manager with responsibility for data management and the production of case studies.
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External communications with practitioners to ensure best practice of utilising NUM service, promoting NUM membership where possible and attending external meetings as a NUM representative where required.
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Host or contribute to the ongoing meetings of the National ISVA/SWISVA forum and continue to foster useful and productive spaces for SWISVAs (specialist sex work ISVA’s) throughout the UK to share experiences, insights towards delivering quality support services to sex workers with maintaining high service standards and prioritising self-care.
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Deliver weekly operations meetings, keep them short and concise to discuss operational updates NUM wide/internal. Analyse statistics and case work trends and discuss any issues or take aways with the Operations Manager to inform Casework Team strategy.
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Communicate and collaborate with other work streams and projects at NUM. Contribute to organisational priorities and support initiatives that strengthen National Ugly Mugs’ overall impact.
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Lead 1-2-1 check-ins and appraisals with staff, acknowledging individual and team success in appropriate ways, motivating the team and resolving conflict and managing team dynamics (with support where needed).
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Onboard and train new members of the casework team.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential Skills and Experience
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Demonstrable casework skills, with experience in delivering advice, information, emotional and practical support and advocacy in partnership with health, wellbeing and criminal justice outcomes for individuals who may have experienced traumatic events.
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Experience managing a team, providing line management support, and managing rotas and team resources.
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An understanding of coordination responsibilities and the requirements of middle management in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment.
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Qualified ISVA or relevant casework support experience.
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Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work with multiple partners on complex cases.
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Excellent administrative and organisation skills, able to manage both your own and other people’s workloads effectively.
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An understanding of Equal Opportunities, the diversity of sex workers and the impact of criminalisation, stigma, and marginalisation on sex workers and a team comprising those with lived experience.
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Effective communication skills and the ability to deliver training, guidance, advice and support to a diverse range of stakeholders to promote best practice in relation to supporting sex workers when they’re victims of crime.
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Experience of using online communication tools, CMS (Oasis), google workspace, MS suite, slack and other digital platforms to maximise efficiency and productivity of your own casework and that of the casework team.
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Experience of dealing with internal and external complaints and having difficult conversations.
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Strong empathic and active listening skills.
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Willingness to undertake continued professional development.
Desirable:
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Experience of the sex work community.
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Experience completing detailed reports on workstream productivity, both statistically and in written form.
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The ability to understand local, regional and national policy and evidence-based research in relation to community safety, health and social inclusion.
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Ability in languages other than English is beneficial but not required.
If you are passionate about NUM’s mission to ‘end all forms of violence against sex workers’ we would love for you to hear from you!
HOW TO APPLY:
Applications close on 13th August 2026 at 11:30pm BST. We encourage applicants to apply before the deadline as interviews may be held on a rolling basis. You can apply via Charity Jobs or by emailing admin[at]nationaluglymugs[dot]org with your name and ‘Victim Support Casework Team Lead’ in the subject line.
Please include a CV (max 3 pages) and a cover letter (max 2 pages) describing your suitability for the role. The cover letter should address the points in the ‘Personal Specification’ section of this posting.
NUM is a diverse team committed to inclusion and equal opportunities in the workplace, and we actively encourage applicants of all different ages, genders, social and economic backgrounds, ethnicities, religions and sexual orientations, and from people with disabilities. If you have any access requirements related to applying, please contact admin[at]nationaluglymugs[dot]org.
We understand that everyone’s experience is different and encourage applications from those who may not meet all of the person specifications. If you’re passionate about equality, economic empowerment, and ending violence against sex workers, we want to hear from you.
Interviews are planned to take place remotely on week starting August 17th. We will let you know by August 18th if you have been selected for an interview. Please note that due to the high number of applications expected for this role if you do not hear back from NUM by the August 18th unfortunately your application has not been successful. We are not able to provide feedback on your application at the application stage.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.