Are you skilled at building relationships with people?
Got a passion for parenting support and children’s early years?
Use your experience to make a big impact for families and young children in the local area.
We’re seeking a dynamic individual who shares our passion for supporting parents and young children.
In this role you will engage directly with families, visiting them each week to provide holistic support to families with young children, for a wide range of needs. The Early Years Family Worker will tend to support families facing more complex circumstances. This might include factors like disability or emerging additional needs, multi-agency support, or a history of domestic abuse.
You will play a crucial part in assisting parents as they navigate the challenges of family life. This will involve listening to parents, building on their strengths, and helping them access activities, or help to improve family life. Additionally, you will work with the children, engaging in play and other activities that support their development. Through role modelling and direct interaction, you will help create a nurturing environment that encourages both parental confidence and child growth.
You will play a crucial part in offering and developing resources tailored to their needs. As well as offering practical support, a key aspect of the role is building trusting relationships. This position offers a meaningful chance to make a positive impact when families need it the most. Our ideal candidate will:
· Be able to put people at ease and embody the Home-Start ethos of no judgement and #RealLifeParenting
· Have experience working in a family support role
· Have a strong understanding of the needs of families with young children (0-5)
· Have knowledge or experience of supporting children’s early learning and development
· Have safeguarding experience
· Be able to work collaboratively and build positive relationships with a variety of people and organisations.
Hours of work: 24 hours per week
Salary: £29,572 (FTE), pro-rata for part-time hours, actual salary £19,182
We believe that diversity in the workplace enables us to create a relevant, innovative and effective organisation. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from candidates with diverse life experience. We are committed to recruitment that is fair and free from bias.
Home-Start Oxford is a Disability Confident Employer. Please get in touch if you require this information in an alternative format, or to discuss an alternative form of application or other forms of reasonable adjustment.
We are committed to equality of opportunity and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults. We expect all employees to share this commitment, and we ensure it is reflected in our recruitment and selection practices.
Closing date: Midday on Tuesday 22nd April. With interviews expected to take place on Wednesday 30th April.
We offer flexible working, 26 days holiday, plus bank holidays (pro rata), and matched employer and employee contributions to a pension scheme (up to 5%). We guarantee that you’ll be working with incredibly friendly and committed colleagues.
This post is subject to an enhanced criminal record check through the Disclosure & Barring Service.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Job Purpose
The Specialist Policy Officer plays a vital role within Clinks’ National Influencing & Networks team, delivering high-quality policy work that supports systemic change in the criminal justice system. The postholder will contribute to shaping evidence-based policy and influencing decision-makers, working closely with colleagues across Clinks and external stakeholders. More information about our policy work please visit our website.
Duties and key responsibilities
1. Policy Intelligence and Research
· Lead horizon scanning of central, local and devolved government policy developments (with the Senior Engagement & Development Officer – Wales) to assess implications for the voluntary sector.
· Conduct member-focused research to inform Clinks’ consultation responses and policy publications, including blogs, briefings, and outputs from the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3).
· Lead the design, delivery, and publication of Clinks’ annual State of the Sector research.
2. Policy Development and Influence
· Draft clear, evidence-based policy materials for engagement with political stakeholders, including Ministers and officials.
· Develop mechanisms and opportunities for voluntary sector organisations to engage in policy development with statutory agencies.
· Provide policy support and analysis for Clinks’ Chief Executive and Director of National Influencing & Networks in high-level meetings.
3. Internal Collaboration and Support
· Work closely with Clinks' Area Engagement & Partnerships team to ensure member experiences and regional insights inform national policy work.
· Support colleagues across Clinks to understand policy contexts and improve their influencing work—including restricted specialist projects.
· Share policy updates and emerging trends during internal staff meetings.
4. External Representation and Stakeholder Engagement
· Represent Clinks at external meetings and events, including with senior political stakeholders and at Clinks-facilitated regional forums.
· Contribute to the development and operation of policy-focused groups, networks, and advisory structures.
· Work with the communications and admin team to maintain Clinks’ stakeholder database and ensure the distribution of policy content.
5. Content and Communications
· Collaborate with the Specialist Communications Officer to produce accessible and engaging social media and website content related to policy.
· Contribute written materials that engage audiences, influence decision-makers, and promote understanding of key issues.
General responsibilities
· Act as a positive ambassador for Clinks and uphold its mission and values.
· Work flexibly, supporting other duties as required in line with the role.
· Champion equity, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of work.
· Work collaboratively and constructively across teams.
This job description does not form part of your contract of employment and can be amended from time to time as the needs of the organisation require.
Person specification
· Working well in a team with a flexible approach to work
· Ability to manage multiple and sometimes competing priorities
· Personal resilience and ability to stay focused in a rapidly changing environment
· Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities, including for people with lived experience of the criminal justice system
· Ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work
· Commitment to upholding the rights of people facing disadvantage and discrimination in the criminal justice system
Education and experience
· Experience in a criminal justice-related policy role
· Demonstrated experience of drafting policy positions for use with political stakeholders.
· Experience of developing evidence-based policy positions
· Experience of utilising different research methods in order to support the case for systemic change of the criminal justice system
Skills and abilities
· Written communication skills which engage audiences, persuade, and encourages understanding and participation
· Strong critical thinking and analytical skills; confident summarising complex policy.
· Sound knowledge of parliamentary processes and policy levers.
· Skilled at balancing competing priorities and managing stakeholder relationships.
· Confident working both independently and in a team.
· Organisational, administrative and IT skills at a level that supports notetaking, producing timely and accurate minutes and managing email correspondence
· Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
· Ability to balance and prioritise competing tasks in order to meet tight deadlines
· Adaptability and flexibility in being able to take on new roles and manage a range of internal and external relationships.
Knowledge
A good and critical understanding of issues related to:
· The role of the voluntary sector in addressing social exclusion and inequalities
· The criminal justice system, in particular prisons and probation.
· A thorough understanding of the policy development process
Other requirements
· Able to travel nationally across England and Wales.
· Able to work evenings and weekends and stay away from home overnight where necessary.
· Commitment to anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities.
· Commitment to the values and ethos of supporting people in the criminal justice system.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Joint Public Issues Team Internships 2025-2026
X2 Internships: Two Fixed-term contracts to end of August 2026, for Christians aged 21-30:
- Joint Public Issues Team Intern (Communications Support)
- Joint Public Issues Team Intern (Constituency Action Network Support)
Are you a young Christian who is passionate about issues of justice and peace? Do you want to explore the intersection of faith, policy, and politics, and potentially pursue a career in one of these fields? The Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) is recruiting to two full time paid internship positions: one focused on Communications (to start as soon as possible) and the other on supporting local churches to build relationships with their MPs (to start in September 2025).
You would be working as part of a small ecumenical team on a diverse range of tasks and initiatives including communications, policy, campaigning and supporter engagement, contributing to the public advocacy and political engagement work of the Baptist, Methodist and United Reformed Churches.
About JPIT
JPIT is a partnership between the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church, and the Church of Scotland is an associate partner. Its purpose is to help the Churches to work together for peace and justice through listening, learning, praying, speaking and acting on public policy issues. It is a team which brings together around ten staff working across the denominations. In recent years it has focused on issues around poverty, the economy, refugees and migration, the environment, peace and conflict, and politics.
The Internships
These internships provide opportunities to develop skills in campaigning, communications, research, and policy within a dynamic team environment. There will be opportunities for professional and personal learning and development to equip the intern for further employment after their time on the internship. Whilst we are looking for some evidence of certain skills and experience, candidates will have the opportunity to develop relevant skills during their time in the role.
These are full time paid roles with fixed-term contracts to the end of August 2026, and a salary of £25,513 per annum (we are committed to paying at least the London Living Wage).
About You
We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. You should be aged 21-30, have excellent communication skills, be enthusiastic and willing to take on new challenges, and be a practicing Christian. An Enhanced DBS Check will be required. We particularly welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups (BAME), as they are currently under-represented within the team.
Our Culture, Values and Benefits
Thank you for considering joining our inclusive and welcoming team that strives for excellence and values employee wellbeing.
We value and support all those who join our team through a positive work-life balance augmented by generous annual leave (plus an extra 3 days over Christmas/New Year), TOIL, flexi-leave and an on-site Well-being Adviser service. We offer a generous occupational pension scheme, where the Methodist Church will pay double the employee contribution up to a maximum of 16% employer contribution.
The Methodist Church is an inclusive and supportive employer. We are actively committed to encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. We welcome applications from people of Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic groups. We also welcome applications from people living with disabilities.
Application Details
If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please contact our HR team (details on the website)
Webinar: JPIT is running a webinar for anyone thinking of applying for these roles, on Wednesday, 2 April from 4–4:30pm. For further details and to sign up, or to watch a recording afterwards, please visit our website.
- Closing Date:Tuesday, 22 April 2025
- Interviews:Wednesday, 7 May 2025 in London
Registered Charity
101 - 500
The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.