Youth worker jobs

Project Worker 2 - Volunteer Co-ordinator (Maternity cover)

Are you looking for a new challenge? 

Would you like to join our exciting and innovative Barnardo's Swansea Bloom Service working with young people who are care experienced as they make the transition to independence?

About the Bloom Service

Barnardo's Swansea Bloom Service works directly with care experienced young people to help improve their emotional wellbeing, resilience and self confidence. Our aim is to create a positive space for them to explore their identity, passions, and potential. The support on offer includes  the opportunity to take part in amazing activities, life coaching, befriending and peer mentoring.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual to join Barnardo's as a Volunteer, Befriending and Peer Mentoring Co-ordinator (Project Worker 2).

The contract is for 25 hours a week to cover the maternity leave of the substantive post holder until 31st March 2025.

Bloom is a growing service offering a unique opportunity for the right person to develop, co-ordinate and deliver our Volunteer, Befriending and Peer Mentoring work using established and innovative approaches. The Co-ordinator will be responsible for recruiting and managing a team of volunteers, befrienders and peer mentors who will help young people to improve their physical and mental well-being by supporting them to access a range of exciting activities, helping them to find new interests and hobbies and engage in healthy activities in the community

You will undertake the role of Volunteer, Befriending and Peer Mentoring Co-ordinator reporting to the Children's Service Manager and acting as line manager to the service's volunteers.

The successful candidate will be required to carry out the following duties (in addition to those on the generic job description):- 

• Continued development and delivery of the Volunteer, Befriending and Peer Mentoring element of the Bloom service.
• Recruit and train volunteers, befrienders and peer mentors
• Effectively match volunteers/befrienders/peer mentors to support young people
• Effectively utilise the Barnardo's specialist volunteer management system (Vol 1)
• Provide ongoing support and supervision of volunteers
• Keep accurate statistical information and assist in producing service performance reports for the organisation and funders.
• Support project engagement events and empower young people to share their voice and ensure that Bloom continues to be a young person led project
• Assist in quality assurance of every aspect of the service
• The service requires flexibility of work as we support young people around their needs.

You will have: 

• Experience of working within a volunteering setting preferably at the level of co-ordinating the service this can be in a employment, education, training or volunteering setting
• Experience of recruiting, inducting and retaining volunteers
• Experience of keeping statistical information and completing performance reports for funders
• The ability to line manage  volunteers
• An understanding of the needs of care experienced/vulnerable young people and an awareness of the factors impacting on their lives

Bloom is made up of three elements all of which work together:

Life Coaching - there is a dedicated life coach

Giving young people the power to unlock their own potential for positive change, by providing them with the tools to build resilience, improve wellbeing and understand themselves better. Coaching empowers young people to think about and move forward positively in their lives, by creating and working towards specific goals through 1:1 sessions with our life coach. 

Volunteer, befriending and peer mentoring - there is a dedicated volunteer coordinator

• Volunteers – to help with activities
• Befriending - members of the local community befriend and provide ongoing assistance to service users are moving to independence
• Peer mentors – care experienced adults who can offer invaluable guidance to care experienced young people by drawing on their own experiences

Activities there are 2 engagement workers 

Giving young people regular opportunities to get together to experience activities not easily accessed by care experienced young people. Led by the expressed wishes of young people they could be experiences such as sports, adventuring, outdoor events, gardening clubs, cooking clubs.

Additional Information:

You must have the ability to travel independently to meet the requirements of the post.

You must demonstrate in your application that you currently use the skills outlined above, and in the Job Description/Person Specifications, or have used them previously in employment, education, training, volunteering etc.

This contract is for 25 hours a week to cover the maternity leave of the substantive post holder until 31st March 2026 .

Your main office base will be at Barnardo's Swansea, Heol Cadifor, Penlan, Swansea but you will be expected to work out and about in Swansea and Neath.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Need more information?

If you require any further information about this opportunity, please contact Christine Parry (email address can be found via the job vacancy link on our website).

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application. 

Our client, a renowned young person's homeless charity based across East Surrey, is currently seeking a Weekend Night Housing Support Officer to provide personal development opportunities to young people in one of their supported housing services (low-medium needs) based in Redhill.
 
In this role, you will provide structured support in response to identified needs as documented in each young person’s Developmental Support Plan, equipping them with the confidence and skills to work towards living as independently and sustainably as possible. You will provide a trauma-informed approach, involving the supported individual, devising, reviewing and updating developmental support plans, recording events and observations and keeping appropriate records as required by the service. You will respond/attend to emergency situations that arise in other services and will have a full understanding of the on-call process.
 
If you are interested in finding out more about this opportunity, please register your interest and submit your CV by clicking 'apply now' below.

At Prospectus, we are committed to building inclusive and diverse organisations and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We invest in your journey as a candidate and are committed to supporting you in your application. If you are enthusiastic about working with a fantastic charity that makes a real difference in people's lives, we would love to hear from you!
 
Please note this role is to work 33 hours per week: Fri/Sat/Sun 7.00pm - 7.00am
 
Please note this role is initially a 12 month FTC, covering maternity leave.

37.5 hours per week / permanent / working onsite on a seven-day rolling rota, including evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

Our mission is to help children and young people have a fair chance to be who they want to be. We do this by providing a safe home, increasing life skills and self-confidence, and improving emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Worthing Foyer is a 29-bed medium-low supported accommodation for young people between the ages of 16-25 that is staffed 24/7. We have a dedicated team of Support Workers, Night Workers and additional Bank Workers who provide support, guidance, and signposting around areas such as housing, budgeting, living skills, jobs and relationship building. Situated in the centre of Worthing, the project has strong links with and contributes to the local community.

We are looking for a Supported Housing Support Worker to join our Worthing Foyer team. Main areas of responsibilities are:

Housing

• Coach young people to manage their occupancy agreement and adhere to house rules, in preparation for independent living. 
• Promote a credit culture, encouraging young people to keep up to date with all payments for rent.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of housing and welfare benefits for young people and be well-informed on significant changes to housing law.
• Deal effectively with non-compliance issues, such as non-payment of rent or damage to room, using restorative practices and working collaboratively with the rest of the team.

Coaching and Engagement

• Coach young people so they can articulate their aspirations and ambitions and take the lead in acquiring the skills they need to live independent and fulfilling lives.
• Ensure young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their own personal development, to engage with the services on offer and build strong networks and connections within the local community. 
• Ensure consistent standards of safeguarding and Trauma Informed Practice when supporting young people, observing our safeguarding procedures, and keeping yourself and residents safe by respecting professional boundaries.
• Maintain client records on In-Form (client database) detailing the young person’s journey in relation to their strengths and needs, any risks, and any outcomes (to monitor service performance). 

General 

• Work as part of a team, on a rota shift pattern, ensuring young people at the service have non-judgemental, objective, and supportive staff during the day/evening, along with taking responsibility for personal safety during periods of lone working
• Contribute to a great working environment, with a calm, yet assertive manner, being able to handle potentially difficult situations.
• Participate in relevant continuing professional development and utilise Reflective Practice Supervision as part of leading psychologically informed practice. 

There will be times when lone working will be a requirement for this role, but you will get to know the team and service, along with an induction and training prior to starting on a rota.

If you’re enthusiastic about this opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway and demonstrate how your experience is transferrable. You may be just the right candidate. 

This is a dynamic and varied role; you will be passionate about being involved in the support and growth of young people.

Experience and Knowledge

• Experience relating to housing, support work, and/or working with young people at risk
• Experience of working proactively with a caseload of young people with multiple and complex needs to enable them to achieve independent living. 
• Knowledge of statutory and voluntary resources available to young people with multiple and complex needs.
• Knowledge of good safeguarding procedures in relation to young people and the ability to maintain effective professional boundaries.
• Demonstrated confidence and competence in recording notes/actions in service log, incident forms and health and safety check lists.

Skills and Abilities 

• Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing for appropriate recording of a resident’s progression, and to evidence outcomes achieved.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with all stakeholders, including signposting and advocating for clients as necessary. 
• Ability to work autonomously, and use own initiative, as well as being part of a team.
• Clear verbal and written communication skills, good IT, and keyboard skills.
• Ability to de-escalate volatile situations and manage challenging behaviour appropriately.

CLOSING DATE: Sunday 4 May 2025 at midnight

Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role

An inclusive workplace We are committed to policies and practices of equity, diversity, and inclusion and to supporting our people to make sure our culture is consistent with this commitment. 

Accessibility If you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us.

YMCA DLG requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children’s and Adults’ barred lists) check, along with a reference and background check carried out by a third-party service provider.

About UP

Unlocking Potential deliver high performing therapeutic programmes and education provision for children and young people with SEMH needs. We work in collaboration with families, communities, and other partners to ensure that children and young people access the interventions they need to thrive.

Mission

We work collaboratively with communities to enable children and young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs to unlock their full potential

Values

Trust

We build trust by being honest, transparent, and accountable in the way we work with children and young people, staff, and partners and by providing services and programmes whose outcomes are measurable and evidenced based.

Collaborative

Relationships are at the heart of our work. We prioritise communication and collaboration with partners, families, and communities, believing that by working together we create more effective and holistic outcomes for children and young people.

Empowering

We co-create opportunities for our children, young people, parents/carers and staff to actively participate in decision-making that influences change. We promote the voices of children and young people in our organisation and the wider community.

Nurturing

We provide a nurturing approach based on safety and space for creativity, exploration, and growth. We support and care for our children, young people, and staff to realise their potential.

Impact

We are committed to measuring our impact through a data driven method to develop our programmes and make a greater difference to the lives of children, young people, and their parents and carers.

Overview

We will be launching our new programme from September 2025, initially as a pilot working with families across Wandsworth, with aims to be able to expand and continue beyond this.

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Family Support Manager to play a pivotal role in establishing our new Family Support programme. Your initial focus will be leading on the development of the service, implementing policies and procedures, building referral pathways, and recruiting a team of skilled Family Support Workers.

Once the service is established, you will manage a high-quality programme providing support and guidance to families facing complex challenges. Your role will involve overseeing a team of Family Support Workers, case management, fostering effective collaboration with internal and external multidisciplinary teams, and leading the service under a shared vision to ensure the well-being of children and their families.

Using a restorative approach, you will develop strong relationships to support families and empower them to take an active role in their own support plans and interventions, helping them build resilience and make informed decisions. A commitment to safeguarding excellence will be at the heart of everything you do.

This role would be an exciting opportunity for a qualified Social Worker or an experienced professional with a background in setting up and developing family support services. It offers a genuine opportunity to shape a new service and build an impactful team to make a real difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families.

Kentown Family Support Worker

£23,000 annual salary plus Company Car (additional benefit of approx. £5K), 5% employers pension contribution and 25 days annual leave.

South Cumbria, Lancaster and Morecombe

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity is going through an exciting time where we are growing, with the aim of reaching more families in need.

About the role:

We are looking to appoint a Kentown Family Support Worker to deliver a high-quality family support service as part of the pilot Kentown Children’s Palliative Care Programme, in collaboration with Kentown Wizard and Together for Short Lives.

Reporting to the Kentown Project Lead out of our Lancaster team base and working in partnership with health, education and social care professionals, you will take responsibility for providing needs-led emotional, social and practical support to families where a child/young person has a life threatening or terminal illness.

What we’re looking for:

· An experienced child health, education or social care professional - applications will be particularly welcome from those who have worked in a community environment and those with a recognised qualification in education, health or social care.

· A warm, inclusive approach to achieving goals quickly and correctly.

· Practiced in child protection, information sharing and the rules around data protection - you lead by example, drawing on your own professional experience and working within established guidelines.

· Practical and people-oriented - you will thrive working at a fast pace whilst maintaining accuracy and be a confident user of IT (including MSOffice)

· A persuasive and open communicator, you will work collaboratively with your team and volunteers to ensure delivery of a high-quality service and support fundraising colleagues by writing case studies and family updates

· A practical knowledge of diversity issues affecting children, young people, and their families – aware that being responsive to others needs and concerns, is essential.

What we offer:

We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees, this includes.

· Flexible working hours to balance home and working life

· 25 days of annual leave plus public holidays – rising to 26 days after 1 year, 27 days after 5 years and 30 days after 11 years, with an additional 5 years to use in your 10th or 20th year of service (pro rata for part time)

· Employee Assistance Programme with access to remote GP, counselling, physiotherapy, resources to support your mental health and financial wellbeing, as well as a 24/7 helpline via Help@Hand

· Company car for front line care posts

· Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme, and other rewards and discounts

· Bike to work, season ticket loan and payroll giving schemes, as well as a recommend a friend recruitment bonus

· Family friendly policies, focused on employee wellbeing, and an active cross-organisational wellbeing group running a number of initiatives throughout the year

· Pension scheme where we contribute 5% of your salary and you contribute at least 3%

· The option to buy/sell annual leave, as well as additional leave for your birthday, wedding/civil ceremony and an extra half day off for Christmas shopping

· Robust training and development programmes to support your learning and growth

We have a range of fantastic benefits that we offer our employees. If you’d like to find out more about these benefits and working with us, please visit our website.

We also have a fantastic learning and development programme - the Anne Harris skills development programme - in which we aim to provide a high level of training and development opportunities for all staff, so you are able to perform to the best of your ability, achieve individual and team objectives aligned to Rainbow Trusts strategic plan, supporting staff to be the best they can be, and feel a valued member of a high performing organisation.

Our Family Support Workers are given the opportunity to complete a number of diverse training courses in their first 12 months, including but not limited to: Mental Health First Aid, Makaton, counselling skills, and Introduction to Play.

The programme aims to provide a building block for you to individually tailor your own learning and development needs, with all family support workers having a foundation level of skills within their first year.

About us:

Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity enables families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness to make the most of their time together, providing expert practical and emotional support where they need, it for as long as it is needed. For families living with childhood illness, time is everything. Right now, there are too many families coping alone with no support, no time to think, no time to make memories and no time for each other. We believe that no family should go through this alone, so we are here to change that.

How to apply:

To apply please visit our website via the link and apply online.

Interviews will take place via Teams or in person with a date to be confirmed. We will only contact those applicants who have been successful.

There will be a requirement for flexible working and a full current driver’s licence to accommodate the team and family need. An enhanced DBS disclosure will be required for this post.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment.

Rainbow Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are a Best Companies One-Star rated organisation.

We are looking for someone who can support people to take positive steps to improve the way they manage their mental wellbeing and day-to-day lives, based on what matters most to them.

Taking referrals from GP practices, you’ll work with adult mental health patients to identify what is affecting their health and wellbeing. You’ll then work with them to create a personalised support plan to improve resilience, health and wellbeing. You’ll find services and activities that offer practical, social and emotional support, working as a team with other healthcare professionals who may provide more traditional medical interventions. 

This might mean connecting people with art classes, walking groups or gardening clubs, or it could be signposting to more practical support, such as services providing advice on debt or housing issues. It’s essential that you can listen carefully, build relationships, and motivate people to make choices and changes about the things that matter to them.

The position is based in Sheppey and applicants must have experience of working with adults in a medical or social care setting, and of providing mental health support. Additional experience of providing mental health support to children and young people would be an advantage as a small number of referrals are from this group.

You should be organised, self-motivated and able to work as part of a team and on your own. Car driver essential.

Don’t wait. Apply today.

 

We offer our employees:

· Inclusive values-based environment

· Competitive remuneration package

· Workplace pension scheme

· Generous annual leave entitlement plus bank holidays

· Opportunities for hybrid working

· Benenden Health Care

· Death in Service Benefit

· Cycle to Work Scheme

· Employee Supported Volunteering scheme

· Development opportunities

· and more

Imago is committed to Safer Recruitment practices, and the post is subject to references and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Please either submit your CV with a short covering note or visit our website for full details.

Imago recognises that many people in our society experience discrimination or lack of opportunity for reasons that are not fair. We aim to create a culture that respects and values each other’s differences, and see these differences as an asset, as they improve our ability to meet the needs of the organisations and people we work with. We proactively seek to increase opportunities for inclusion, and celebrate diversity across our organisation and within communities.

Imago recognises its duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of the children, young people and adults at risk who access its services or with whom it comes into contact.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate, and resilient Support Worker to join our Learning Disabilities service in Tower Hamlets.

£27,352.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel like you're making a difference? You'll feel at home here.

Our benefits include:

Annual leave increasing up to 30 days with length of service
Free DBS
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
Healthcare Cashplan through our partner Healthshield
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
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. In some services, this will include providing physical, domestic, emotional and social care. 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.

The shifts for this role are Monday - Friday.

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.

What you'll do:

If a need arises, deliver all aspects of support to enable a customer to develop independent living skills as appropriate to the individual needs of the customer. In some services, this will include delivering personal and physical care as appropriate
Support customer's practical assistance where they have not yet developed the skills
Participate in the support planning and risk management. Enable customers to make full use of community facilities by providing support as directed
Enable customers to make full use of leisure and learning-based opportunities in the service as well as in the community by providing support as directed e.g. Gym, swimming and visiting various public amenities
Supporting customers in the delivery of their prescribed health, physio, nutritional and sensory routines with guidance from/in partnership with external healthcare professionals
Partnership working with a range of stakeholders including families, healthcare professionals, external personal assistants other support agencies to maximise outcomes for customers
Providing support around personal care and mobility as well as the moving and handling of customers with physical disabilities/wheelchair users

For the full list please see our website.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead.

About you:

Exudes a warm friendly presence and open behaviour
Prefers working as part of a group or team
Is fundamentally calm and resilient, does not let emotion adversely affect them or obscure their judgement
Flexible
Open to feedback and self development
Has a practical and logical mind and is naturally well organised
Thrives on change and enjoys dynamic diverse environments
Is confident with high levels of self-esteem
Is respectful, articulate and sensitive in style of communication
Is motivated towards excellence and improvement of personal performance with a can do attitude
Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage customer involvement
Ability to cope positively with challenging and diverse behaviour

What you'll bring:

Essential:

NVQ Level 2 or equivalent or experience within charity/social care sector

Desirable:

Experience in working with people with Learning Disabilities and Autism
Experience in PBS approach
Bengali speaking

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.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
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.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Waking Night Support Worker to join our Mental Health service in Ealing.
£20,514.00 per annum, working 30 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? 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
* Free DBS (take this out if BSW advert)
* 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
* Healthcare Cashplan through our partner Healthshield

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.
Oaklands & St Kilda is a pair of 6 unit supported accommodation mental health rehab services working with young people between the ages of 18-25 who may have experienced a mental health related hospital admission to gain and develop skills for future independent living. The service will support individuals transitioning from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to Adult services.

This role consists of three weekly shifts from 22:00 to 08:00, with double cover for each shift.

What you'll do:
- Building supportive, trusting relationships with young people and creating a positive atmosphere
- Working proactively with other members of the team to handle the service caseload and administrative responsibilities
- Conducting key work sessions as required, that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
- Co-producing ongoing assessment and management of risks in collaboration with young people with an attitude of 'positive risk taking'
- Providing support with daily living activities, including practical assistance to support young people s to independent living e.g. budgeting, cooking, establishing a night time routine
- Supporting young people to maintain a healthy environment and where appropriate assisting them to clean their accommodation and maintain good personal hygiene
- Assisting in the recording and reporting of customer incidents

This is not an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required from time to time and is subject to change in accordance with the needs of Look Ahead

About you:
- Ability to advocate for young people in different professional and community spaces
- Values working collaboratively with young people to ensure the service best meets their needs.
- An understanding of peoples' contexts and how this might be impacting them their lives and mental health
- Cultural awareness and respect for the many different ways a person might make sense of their experiences and distress.
- We welcome applications from people with lived experience of some of the challenges that this service aims to support with for example, mental health difficulties.
- Plans and encourages involvement in local activities.
- Approachable and open behaviour
- Recognises the value of both 1:1 working with young people and the importance of working working as part of a group or team
- Confident in the completion of regular paperwork and is well organised

Essential:
- Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience supporting young people or people experiencing mental health challenges.

Desirable:
- Experience working in complex mental health environments

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.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
* We focus on Excellence and innovation.
* We are Caring and Compassionate.
* We are Inclusive and Trusted.
* We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
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.

Please see our website for full Job description

We are recruiting a high energy and hands on Garden Manager to work closely with the Senior Leadership team at Sufra to support the development and expansion of the community garden, and manage the team of garden staff and volunteers. This is an exciting time in the development of St. Raphael’s Edible Garden, as we are looking for an experienced Garden Manager to oversee the next steps in the development of the site, deliver a range of learning outcomes and fully implement, manage and further develop all aspects of the garden project.

Alongside practical educational outdoor experience, the successful candidate will understand how to design educational programmes that are accessible and engaging for a range of audiences, including school children and young people, adults with additional needs, and wider community. Project management and organisational skills are also essential. This is an immensely rewarding role working in a dynamic charity built on an ethos of sharing, hospitality and inclusivity, that would suit a committed individual who is willing to go the extra mile. Through their activities, the Garden Manager will be able to convey the charity’s passion and commitment to supporting vulnerable people in Brent and transforming the lives of beneficiaries. 

Location: Bury
Contract: Fixed Term to 31^st December 2028
Hours: Full time
Salary: Full time - £27,560 - £31,800 per annum FTE (Term time – £23,652.68 - £27,291.55)

Shades is a racial justice and faith project that supports schools and churches to be a place of belonging and flourishing for everyone. The project’s activities enable schools and churches to create a safe space for dialogue and learning, empowering children, young people and adults to celebrate diversity, champion difference and put love into action as modelled through the life of Jesus.

The project aims to develop discipleship pathways for children, young people and their families, enabling them to grow in their Christian faith and to belong to a thriving church community. 

In response to the exciting growth of the Shades Project, they are looking to appoint three Shades Schools Worker to support the growing opportunities for Christian discipleship, and to embed the Shades ethos in primary and secondary schools and parishes across their diocese.

They welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. A passion for racial justice, the Christian faith and working with children and young people is essential. Experience of working within a racial justice context, although desirable is not essential, given the wide range of training and development opportunities provided. 

There is an Occupational Requirement for the post-holder to be a practising Christian, in accordance with Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010. 

The post will be offered to the successful candidate subject to an enhanced DBS check with barred list check (child workforce), satisfactory references and proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

To apply please click the APPLY button. Application should be made via a laptop or desktop rather than a mobile device. Please refer to the job description and person specification for further information. 

Closing date:                          Saturday, 10^th May 2025 at Midnight.

Interviews:                             Tuesday 20^th May 2025 in Bury. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates.

You may have experience of the following: Christian Discipleship Schools Worker, Racial Justice & Faith Education Worker, Schools & Communities Discipleship Officer, Christian Faith and Racial Justice Facilitator, Schools Engagement and Discipleship Worker, Faith and Diversity Schools Coordinator, Christian Schools Engagement Worker, Faith and Racial Justice Program Coordinator, Christian Faith Outreach and Schools Worker, Racial Justice & Christian Education Worker, etc.

REF- 221 046

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Support Worker to join our Mental Health Service in Slough.

£26,208.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week. Benefits include 25 days Annual Leave, pension schemes, staff discounts, healthcare and career progression.

Want to feel like you're making a difference? 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.

This role enables vulnerable people with mental health needs to maximise independent living skills and opportunities for social inclusion as wells as manage their tenancies. The purpose of this role is to support customers developing the skills needed to move on to other appropriate accommodation with lower levels of support and greater levels of independence.

This role involves early and late shifts as well as occasional weekend and bank holidays.

For a full job description, please visit our website

What you'll bring:

Essential:

NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience in the social care/charity sector
Practical understanding of mental health conditions and how they impact the life of those affected by them
Excellent communication skills including a good command of spoken and written English in both formal and informal contexts
Demonstrable ability to build positive professional relationships
Experience of working as part of a team
Good command of MS Office, ability to use computer and learn new systems

Desirable:

Experience working in mental health
Experience working in supported living schemes
Experience dealing with challenging behaviours

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 120 services, providing support to around 6000 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, young people and learning disabilities so there are plenty of opportunities to grow and progress your career with us.

We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:

We focus on Excellence and innovation.
We are Caring and Compassionate.
We are Inclusive and Trusted.
We work in Partnership and are One-Team.

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.

We're looking for a kind, compassionate and resilient Specialist Support Worker to join our Mental Health service in Ealing.
£28,500.00 per annum, working 40 hours per week.

Want to feel like you have an exciting future? 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
* Free DBS (take this out if BSW advert)
* 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
* Healthcare Cashplan through our partner Healthshield

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.
Specialist Support Workers within Look Ahead are required to have either an extra dimension of experience or a higher qualification level as determined relevant for the particular post.

This role is set for 9-month, ending on 12 January 2026, with the possibility of extension.

The Specialist Support Worker role involves early shifts (8:00-16:00) and late shifts (14:00-22:00) throughout the week, including some weekends each month.

What you'll do:
- Building supportive, trusting relationships with young people and creating a positive atmosphere
- Carrying out holistic assessments which incorporate relevant statutory referral information
- Conducting regular key work sessions that are innovative and engaging in order to achieve Support Plan goals
- Create support plans for providing appropriate services based on on-going assessment and reflecting the services and resources available to support young people in their journey
- Ensuring ongoing assessment and management of risks within an attitude of 'positive risk taking
- Supporting young people to access relevant services and empower them to self-manage their medication through informed consent and decision making
- Undertake support work in partnership with external stakeholders to compliment their interventions
- Developing productive relationships with partner organisations to improve service outcomes
- Demonstrate strong commitment to the functioning of the staff team and to support colleagues in providing a high level of service and safety t0 customers

About you:
- Ability to advocate for young people in different professional and community spaces
- Values working collaboratively with young people to ensure the service best meets their needs.
- An understanding of peoples' contexts and how this might be impacting them their lives and mental health
- Cultural awareness and respect for the many different ways a person might make sense of their experiences and distress.
- We welcome applications from people with lived experience of some of the challenges that this service aims to support with for example, mental health difficulties.
- Plans and encourages involvement in local activities.
- Approachable and open behaviour
- Recognises the value of both 1:1 working with young people and the importance of working as part of a group or team

What you'll bring:

Essential:
- Up to NVQ Level 2/3 or equivalent or experience supporting young people or people experiencing mental health challenges.
- Specialist knowledge relevant to supporting young people with a Mental Health diagnosis.

Desirable:
- Experience of working in a complex mental health environment
- Demonstrable experience of trauma-informed practice

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.
We have a strong social purpose and we live and work by our values:
* We focus on Excellence and innovation.
* We are Caring and Compassionate.
* We are Inclusive and Trusted.
* We work in Partnership and are One-Team.
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.

Please see our website for full Job description

Our Area Leads are new roles that will add capacity and strength to our team of Bereavement Practitioner’s, Family support workers and volunteers across a defined geographic area. The roles will work with the Head of Service delivery and lead Sandy Bear activity across their designated area, develop strong links across a variety of networks and forums to ensure our beneficiaries access the right support, at the right time.

These roles are great for those passionate about having the opportunity to support our families directly, whilst also being involved in broader development work to enable strong collaborations and partnerships which empower people to achieve better outcomes.

We can't do it alone, so you will spend time working with other organisations and services in collaboration to ensure we don't duplicate provision, instead focussing on gaps in services supporting bereavement for Children, young people and families.

Posts are offered on a full-time basis, though flexible working patterns and some reduced hours may be considered.

Welsh Speakers are particularly welcome for this position or a willingness to learn.

Start date:  Mid-August 2025 (subject to Enhanced DBS Check and satisfactory references).

Salary: £36,411 - £38,261 per annum, pro rata.

Hours: 35 hours a week, with some flexibility possible.

Contract: This is a 9 month maternity cover contract, with possibility of extension to 12 months

Place of work: To work flexibly at CARA premises across mid and north Essex, including Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester, Harwich and Dunmow, with some remote home working.

Holiday: 25 days per year pro-rata, plus additional closure days between Christmas and New Year.

To apply: Please complete the application form, which can be downloaded from our website, explaining how your skills and experience relate to the person specification. 

Applications must specifically address each essential and desirable criteria, giving evidence from previous experience or qualifications.

Application deadline:  10am, Monday 2nd June 2025 

Interviews:  Monday 9th June 2025 

Start date: Mid-August, subject to receipt of satisfactory references and enhanced DBS check.

Mandatory Training Dates: To be confirmed.

This post is restricted to women applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.

Job Description

The role of CARA’s Child and Young Person’s Practice Manager is to lead CARA’s teams of Young Person’s Practitioners and Child and Family Practitioners and manage the provision of specialist sexual violence counselling for young people, play therapy and support for parents and carers.  The post holder may hold a small caseload of clients and undertake some assessments, but the main emphasis of this role will be on the management, support and coordination of the team.

This is a varied and interesting role, giving the post holder opportunity to lead a talented and committed team of practitioners.   As well as overseeing day-to-day operations of the team, the post holder will be part of CARA’s management team and will have the opportunity to play a key role in CARA’s wider development, working closely with the CEO and Deputy CEO.   The post holder will work with our sister centres, SERICC and SOS Rape Crisis to gain an understanding of Child and Young Person’s services across Essex and coordinate these as appropriate.   

Main Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

• To manage all operational aspects of CARA’s Child and Young Person’s Practice, including overseeing the delivery of our specialist young person’s counselling service, play therapy and support for parents and carers.    This may also include managing any new Child and Young Person’s Practice projects that CARA develops.

• To work in accordance with CARA’s policies and procedures and embed a feminist approach in CARA activities.

• To co-ordinate, review and develop effective processes within the Child and Young Person’s Practice, working closely with the Deputy CEO, the Young Person’s Practitioners and the Child and Family Practitioners.

• To line-manage a team of Young Person’s and Child and Family Practitioners, providing day-to-day support, monitoring performance and identifying training and development needs.   This will include keeping up to date notes of line management meetings and conducting and recording annual staff appraisals.

• Work with our Adult Practice Manager to oversee the work of a wider team of sessional counsellors, including supporting Practitioners in line managing sessional and volunteer counsellors and identifying training needs. This will include helping to co-ordinate a monthly sessional and volunteer counsellor meeting. 

• To support practitioners and sessional counsellors in maintaining up-to-date client records and ensure that gaps in data are proactively addressed, as required.

• To work with CARA’s Deputy CEO to recruit and train new staff and sessional and volunteer counsellors, as required.

• To lead regular Young Person’s Practice and Child and Family Practice meetings, producing notes to share with team members and with senior management.

• To maintain an overview of waiting lists, working closely with practitioners and with the Deputy CEO and CEO to ensure that staff and resources are deployed effectively.

• To keep up to date with relevant legislation, policy and practice issues, including BACP and child safeguarding guidance and ensure the practitioners are aware of changes.

• To liaise with CARA’s other teams and more widely with Synergy Essex teams, resolving problems and ensuring good communication and mutual understanding of respective roles and ways of operating.

• To liaise with external agencies, including children’s mental health and social care, ensuring CARA is represented at meetings as required and developing effective relationships to ensure our services co-ordinate with statutory and voluntary services.

• To be part of the CARA management team and attend regular management team meetings, contributing to CARA’s ongoing development.

Counselling and client support

• To oversee client work within the teams, working closely with all team members to resolve client issues and ensure high quality service provision.

• To undertake client assessments and make appropriate arrangements for support.

• To provide specialist counselling for young people and/or play therapy for children and support for their parents, holding a small caseload of clients.

• To keep client records up to date. 

• To work flexibly at CARA centres across mid and north Essex, providing face-to-face and remote sessions, as required.

General

• To work flexible hours, including some evening work and occasional weekends.

• To participate in CARA team meetings, supervision, training and development.

• To provide specialist advice to other workers and agencies, including participation in delivery of training sessions.

• To raise awareness of sexual violence and its impact in the community and within other agencies.

• To keep appropriate records in accordance with CARA policies and procedures.

• To adhere in full to all CARA’s organisational policies and procedures, including safeguarding procedures.

• To be administratively self-servicing.

• To report to the Deputy CEO, CEO and Trustees as required, including the production of regular written reports and verbal reports.

• To undertake any other related activities as required by the Deputy CEO, CEO or the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

About CARA 

CARA (Centre for Action on Rape and Abuse) works with victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse, providing independent, specialist support and promoting and representing their rights and needs.

CARA is a registered charity working with adults of all genders, young people and children from across mid and north Essex.  We have a head office in Colchester and outreach premises in Braintree, Chelmsford, Clacton-on-Sea, Great Dunmow and Harwich. We also provide remote services.

CARA seeks to be an inclusive organisation that actively encourages, supports and values diversity amongst both our service-users and our workers.  We wish to create a culture in which discrimination, in all its forms, is recognised and addressed.

You can read more about CARA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion here.   We encourage and welcome applications from candidates from diverse backgrounds.

About Synergy East

CARA is part of Synergy East and we work closely with South Essex-based SERICC and Southend-on-Sea Rape Crisis (SOS Rape Crisis) to deliver the contract for the Office for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex for services for victims and survivors of sexual violence and child sexual abuse across Essex.