Independent Community Advocate Jobs

Children's Rights Advocacy Worker

Barnardo's: Your Rights, Your Voice is an umbrella service that manages a portfolio of Children's Rights and Advocacy contracts. 

Barnardo's is commissioned locally to provide a visiting Children's Rights and Advocacy Service to children and young people being held at Barton Moss SCC.  In addition, Barnardo's is commissioned by the MoJ to provide a service to the wider secure estate: all Secure Training Centres (STC's) and Young Offender Institutions (YOI's) across England and Wales.

Our service objective is to provide knowledge on Children's Rights, independent advice, support and advocacy services to children and young people in accordance with the aims and objectives of Barnardo's: Your Rights, Your Voice (Secure Estate), the Children Act (1989, 2004), United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the National Advocacy Standards (DOH, 2002).

In addition, to work as part of a team to deliver an effective and efficient service which empowers children and young people detained within a secure setting to have a voice, access available services and entitlements.  Also to ensure their rights are being met in relation to issues relating to their welfare, care and treatment.

Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.

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

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.

Job Title: Advocacy and Campaigns Officer
Contract: 12 Months Fixed Term
Hours: Part Time (15-18 hours per week)
Salary: £25,290 - £27,100 FTE
Location: Homeworking

About Us:
Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance is a user-led charity dedicated to promoting choice, control, and quality of life for teenagers and adults with muscle-weakening conditions. We strive to empower our members by ensuring they have access to essential support, resources, and opportunities to thrive in their communities.

The Role:
Are you passionate about advocacy and driven to make a real difference in the lives of individuals with muscle-weakening conditions? We are seeking a dynamic Advocacy and Campaigns Officer to lead the expansion of our advocacy services and drive impactful campaigns. In this role, you will be instrumental in shaping our advocacy provision across housing, healthcare, social care, and benefits, ensuring that our members feel empowered to express their needs and rights.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage the advocacy service, supporting members in navigating complex systems of support.

• Conduct outreach and marketing efforts to raise awareness of our advocacy services.

• Create and maintain a database to track advocacy needs and support, informing future funding applications.

• Lead our campaigning initiatives, collaborating with members and stakeholders to highlight key issues and drive policy changes.

• Produce engaging campaign materials for our website, newsletter, and social media platforms.

Who You Are:
You will have at least two years of experience in advocacy or advisory roles, ideally connected to housing, healthcare, or social care for disabled individuals. Your understanding of the challenges faced by those with muscle-weakening conditions is essential. Strong communication and organisational skills, combined with a commitment to equality and diversity, are crucial for this role.

Why Join Us?
This is an exciting opportunity to play a vital role in advocating for those seeking better support and influencing policy for better services. As part of a passionate team, you'll have the chance to drive meaningful change and contribute to the development of a supportive community.

Application Details:
To apply, please send a completed application form by Sunday, 10th November at 11:59 PM. Interviews will be conducted between 13th-22nd November. You can download the application form from our website or request it via email.

Join us at Pathfinders Neuromuscular Alliance and help empower individuals to take charge of their health and future!

Children's Rights Advocacy Worker

Barnardo's: Your Rights, Your Voice is an umbrella service that manages a portfolio of Children's Rights and Advocacy contracts. 

Barnardo's is commissioned locally to provide a visiting Children's Rights and Advocacy Service to children and young people being held at Barton Moss SCC.  In addition, Barnardo's is commissioned by the MoJ to provide a service to the wider secure estate: all Secure Training Centres (STC's) and Young Offender Institutions (YOI's) across England and Wales.

Our service objective is to provide knowledge on Children's Rights, independent advice, support and advocacy services to children and young people in accordance with the aims and objectives of Barnardo's: Your Rights, Your Voice (Secure Estate), the Children Act (1989, 2004), United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the National Advocacy Standards (DOH, 2002).

In addition, to work as part of a team to deliver an effective and efficient service which empowers children and young people detained within a secure setting to have a voice, access available services and entitlements.  Also to ensure their rights are being met in relation to issues relating to their welfare, care and treatment.

Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.

Although this contract has a permanent status, please be aware that this post is subject to funding currently to 31 March 2025 and therefore should this funding not be extended further, you may be subject to a redundancy consultation or a TUPE arrangement. This contract is due to expire on 31 March 2025.

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

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. 

The successful candidates will work 35 hours a week over 5 days, including evening and weekend work as required by the company. 

We have 9 roles available in the following locations:

Blackburn, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wrexham

At Help for Heroes, we believe those who serve our country deserve support when they are wounded. Every day, men and women have to leave their career in the Armed Forces as a result of physical or psychological wounds; their lives changed forever. We help them, and those still serving, to recover and get on with their lives.

And who are we you’re wondering? We are experts and beginners. Generalists and specialists. Ordinary people with an extraordinary passion towards making a positive change to the lives of our veterans (and having fun while doing it).

As One Team we share a philosophy – I.C.A.R.E. It’s the way we walk and talk, the way we interact with others and how we approach everything we do. We are:

Innovative – Collaborative – Authentic – Resourceful – Energetic. 

We have an incredible opportunity for a COMMUNITY BUILDER to join our Community Development team.

Please see below for more information on what just might be your future role.

About The Role 

The Help for Heroes Community Development team are looking to recruit a team of Community Builders to assist in their reshaped participation and connection strategy. Using Asset Based Community Development, we seek to support the charity’s objective to enhance reach and positive impact for members of the Armed Forces Community facing challenges within their local communities.

Are you interested in the Armed Forces community and harnessing their strengths and gifts? Can you identify what already exists in an area and utilise it to create new networks and make things happen?

We are looking for a motivated, dynamic and confident people who are passionate about collaborating with communities in the design and delivery of interventions that bring and connect people together to strengthen networks within the local community. If you believe in the advantages of having a strong community, this role could suit you.

Working closely with Community Development Managers across regions within the UK, the Community Builders will play a vital role in helping to improve lives for Armed Forces Community members by creating a supportive environment that allows them to re-engage and connect with the services at Help for Heroes and with the wider community. 

The main purpose of this role is to connect local people through their skills, passions and assets and support the creation of new connections, bringing people together to improve wellbeing and make the community a better place to live. This will include listening to different points of views, building relationships and motivating people to work together and create their own action influenced by their interests and skillsets to positively impact local communities and help them to flourish.

About You

You will have experience leading and facilitating the mobilisation of local communities, asset mapping, bringing together people for engagement that matters to them. You will have knowledge and experience of Asset Based Community Development work, outreach methods and you will have good organisational skills, energy and the ability to animate local communities. 

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver outreach to drive local connection, engagement and participation opportunities for the AFC 

• Develop and embed an ABCD informed way of work 

• Asset map 

• Organise and facilitate community meetings to share ideas, encourage collective decision making and build a sense of belonging 

• Encourage and pilot community lead action in response to local AFC needs/interests through peer led/co-designed initiatives 

• Increase awareness of the challenges faced by military personnel, veterans and their families

PLEASE NOTE: The successful candidates will need to be based within an hour’s commute of their allocated locality and there is a requirement to travel within a 75-mile radius of this location (travel expenses covered). Flexibility in working hours is necessary to ensure a total of 70 hours is covered over a 2-week period so please take this into consideration before applying. 

We are looking for someone with the following: 

• A Community Development qualification and/or at least 3 years' experience working within a community development or similar role, with responsibility for bringing about social change and improving quality of life 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop relationships which lead to actions  

• Demonstrable experience within an integrated multi-disciplinary service  

• Experience of engaging and working collaboratively with partners/stakeholders 

About the Team 

You will work as part of the Community Development team; this newly formed team will approach working in defined localities using an asset based community development approach. Together the Community Development Managers and the Community Builders will strengthen local communities using resources and networks that are readily available. You will do this to proliferate opportunities for sustainable participation and engagement alongside a multi-disciplinary team in order to support the Armed Forces Community to live well after service. 

Please see job description for more details about the role. 

*There will be a two-stage interview process for this role, with the 1st stage of interviews taking place the w/c 25th of November.

Please note due to a high volume of applicants, we might close this vacancy early if we find the right candidate - previous applicants do not need to reapply*

Do you want to work with a leading advocacy charity organisation supporting those in need?

Do you have experience of working or volunteering in welfare, support or health and social care and are looking for a new challenge?

Are you keen to make a difference to people who want to be heard?

Then come and join us here at VoiceAbility.

We are looking for a new Team Leader to join our team in Moray, Highlands, and Island.  We are seeking applicants who have transferable skills, a willingness to learn and a desire to help those in need of support.

About us

VoiceAbility is an independent charity and one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. We deliver a wide range of service contracts funded by local authorities, health trusts and other voluntary and private sector organisations.

We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions about their health, care, and wellbeing for over 40 years. We make sure people are heard when it matters most.  For more information on what Advocacy is and the services offered then please visit our website.

About the role?

We have an exciting opportunity for a Team Leader to join our team covering Moray, Highlands, and Island.  You will be a passionate supporter of quality driven, outcome centric, advocacy provision and in coaching others to achieve the exacting standards of excellence in advocacy required to support our clients.

About you

We are looking for a strong and resilient leader with experience of managing a team. Desirably you will have worked or volunteered in a welfare, supporting role, or caring for adults or young people who have support needs.

You will be committed to driving high performance and practice standards by actively engaging with our Practice Management team to interpret data. Thereby, making informed decisions and ensuring that the highest standards of advocacy are achieved.

You will ensure a culture of learning and continuous development through a mix of team and supervision meetings, and reflective practice.

You will be experienced in managing risks relating to the safety and wellbeing of staff members and the safeguarding of service users.

How will you make a difference?

You will be responsible for ensuring your team delivery of the highest standards of advocacy, ensuring that all contact with clients is outcome driven.

You will support your team and ensure that they have the necessary skills to make a difference in peoples lives on a daily basis.  Assisting them to grow in confidence and empowering them to assist those in need of support.

You will work resourcefully and collaboratively with people across the organisation to assist you and your team, fostering a learning culture where all views are respected.

Benefits

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• 5% employer pension & 3% employee contribution
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme
• Separate Life Assurance Cover
• Staff discount scheme including retail discounts, entertainment, holidays etc
• Discounted Gym Membership; Employee Assistance programme.
• Supportive working environment fostering a good work/life balance.
• Support with continuous professional development.

Equality and Diversity
VoiceAbility believes in fostering an inclusive workplace which welcomes, values and celebrates the diversity of its staff and partners, treats all on a basis of equality and encourages all to meet their maximum potential.

VoiceAbility are a Disability Confident employer, any applicant that identifies themselves as having a disability and can demonstrate that they meet all the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview. 

How to apply

To apply for this role please sign up for a recruitment account by clicking the apply button on this page. Follow the instructions to create your account, upload your CV, and complete our short application form.

Important Dates:

Closing date for applications: midnight on 10th November, however, VoiceAbility reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy before this date.

In this role you will connect people, ideas and resources to empower the community of Roehampton to thrive. Every day will be a chance to listen, to understand and to make a difference where it matters most as Roehampton is a place where there is a great need to build the ability, knowledge and potential of our community. This work will aid people in the community to collaborate in tackling inequalities which are deep and entrenched. You will be a confident self-starter who is unafraid of taking the initiative but understands the importance of democratic processes, openness and accountability. 

We are seeking an energetic, empathetic and resourceful community lead who has the skills, experience and tenacity to engage widely and support effectively. You will be our person on the ground - getting to know residents and organisations, making things happen, not just with the existing community groups and leaders in the Roehampton area, but also forging new connections with residents, activists and across the wider community and voluntary sector. 

Your day-to-day work will be varied and we expect this to include tasks such as:

• supporting local community organisations on a one-to-one basis, as well as creating and delivering high quality resources and support for them 

• delivering meaningful engagement with residents, empowering them to develop their own networks and co-design projects and programmes which support them effectively 

• managing a local grants programme which pilots and develops effective responses to community needs 

• co-producing and developing our Community Weeks programme as a platform for community support and engagement 

• gathering feedback and carrying out evaluation of our projects and of those we fund. 

Please send a CV and a cover letter of no more than two sides of A4, explaining why you want the job and how your experience relates to the person specification.  We’ll use your cover letter to assess your application alongside your CV. Please ensure that your cover letter explains how you meet the essential criteria that are assessed at application stage i.e. criteria numbers 1-9 on the person specification.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for a Community Key Worker

Salary:   £26,000 - £32,000

Location:            Hammersmith

Contract: Fixed Term Contract – until 31st March 2026

Hours p/w           35 Hours per week

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

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending.  We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community. 

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability. 

About the role:

Are you an excellent relationship builder who can work with women and a diverse range of delivery partners to ensure that she meets her potential and successfully progresses through and beyond her probation supervision? Can you meet a women wherever she is at in her journey and work with her to create an individualised support package that gives her the best chance of breaking the cycle of offending?

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for a feminist organisation who understand that supporting women in the criminal justice system requires a specialist and gendered approach? Do you believe in our values; to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaborate, innovate, and take accountability? 

In your role as a Community Keyworker, you will be working with women involved in the Criminal Justice System; those on Probation in the Community and those women being released from Prison as part of their Post Sentence Supervision; providing some in-reach and ‘Through the Gate’ support. You will be working in a team of Community Keyworkers in your region. Each Keyworker will provide holistic one to one community support to women with a variety of needs.

About You:

To be successful as the Community Key Worker you will need the below experience and skills.

You will need to hold a UK driving licence with access to car that can be used for work purposes. A creative self-starter who will support the service and look for innovative solutions to support clients with complex needs. You are confident professional relationship builder with have good awareness of Safeguarding procedures. Strong Administration skills and understanding of compliant behaviours also, experience of supporting. With good knowledge of the criminal justice system and awareness of other support provisions within the North London.

How to apply:

Please submit your up to date CV along with a covering letter to the Talent email address  - PLEASE WRITE THE JOB TITLE IN THE *SUBJECT* 

• Closing Date for Applications: 16th November 2024 @23:59
• Interviews are taking place on a rolling basis

*Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits: 

• A 35-hour working week
• An exceptional 30 days of paid holiday per year (pro rata for part time), PLUS public holidays on top (that's nearly 40 days paid holiday per year!) 

• Additional days off to celebrate International Women’s Day, and for religious observance and moving home
• Perkbox - an employee discount platform where you can receive free rewards as well as take advantage of savings on clothes, groceries, travel, leisure and more
• Pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity/adoption provision
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
• Employee eye-care scheme
• Clinical supervision for front line staff and first line management roles
• Refer a Friend Scheme - £250 for each referral who passes probation
• Organisation wide away days
• Thorough induction and training
• Career development pathways 

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

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

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

Safeguarding

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

About us 

Founded in 1951, the Refugee Council exists to support people who come to the UK in need of safety and speak out for compassion, fairness and kindness. We achieve this by providing expert advice and casework, building the capacity of refugee community organisations, and working with allies across society to change government policy. 

Our vision for refugees to be welcome to live safe and fulfilling lives contributing to the UK has never been more urgent and needed.

About the role

For 70 years the Refugee Council has enabled people seeking refugee protection in the UK by providing independent advice and practice support. Today we are one the leading organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers in the UK, and an influential and effective advocate of refugee protection rights, supporting and empowering refugees to lead safe, dignified and fulfilling lives both nationally and locally. For more information about our work, please visit our website.

The Barnsley Refugee Advice Project team provides advice and support for asylum seekers and refugees to help them access services and mainstream provision and establish community links.

Working closely with local stakeholders and in partnership with other voluntary sector agencies running similar services across the UK, the BRAP team in Barnsley promotes both the integration and independence of refugees.

Barnsley is a city with high numbers of people seeking asylum and refugees living there, within a community with high levels of social and economic deprivation. The Barnsley Refugee Advice Project (BRAP) service exists to enable people seeking asylum and refugees to live with safety, connected to the expert support they need to live with dignity and independence in their local community, and able to rebuild their lives in Barnsley. BRAP is a partnership project with Barnsley CVS funded for 5 years by the National Community Lottery Fund, funded until 2026. The BRAP service plays a vital role bringing together statutory and voluntary and community sector partners to develop collaborative solutions to shared issues such as access to legal advice, while also providing solutions to key service gaps such as immigration and housing and welfare advice.

The post holder will develop and implement a community development strategy centred on the needs of people seeking asylum and refugees designed to achieve systemic change with refugees in Barnsley. They will achieve this by work with like-minded partners to create a coordinated ‘whole town’ change strategy that if successful could be replicated elsewhere as a model of good practice. The aim is to leave a legacy within Barnsley – a sustainable system that enables people seeking asylum and refugees to live in safety, connected to their communities, and able to rebuild their lives.

Main duties and responsibilities

• To enable asylum seekers and refugees to identify their needs and aspirations and play an active role in fulfilling them.
• To develop and take part in social, cultural, recreational and other community activities.
• To develop community development initiatives that promote links between asylum seekers & refugees and the wider community, including established refugee communities.
• To promote the successful integration of refugees through community initiatives that may include key factors such as health, employment, housing, education and training.

For more information on the role and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button. 

Closing date: 4 November 2024

Interviews: TBC

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request. 

Join Age UK Bromley & Greenwich as a Generalist Adviser and Make a Difference in Later Life!

Are you passionate about supporting older people and ready to play a vital role in the community? Age UK Bromley & Greenwich is seeking an enthusiastic, skilled Information & Advice Generalist Adviser to join our team. In this role, you’ll provide essential guidance to older adults and their families, empowering them to make informed decisions about welfare benefits, care options, and legal matters.

As part of our team, you’ll support older adults in navigating sometimes complex systems, helping them live with dignity, confidence, and independence. This role is based in our Bromley office, with occasional travel across Bromley and Greenwich for community outreach.

About the Role:

The Information & Advice Generalist Adviser provides rights-based advice to clients, helping them understand and access services, entitlements, and benefits. Working closely with our team of volunteer advisers, you’ll be a valued source of expertise, conducting benefits checks, assisting with claims, and providing guidance on a range of issues that affect older adults. You’ll also take part in outreach activities, collaborating with partner agencies and representing Age UK Bromley & Greenwich in community events.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide accurate, accessible advice on welfare benefits, care provision, housing options, legal issues (such as Lasting Power of Attorney), and more.
• Conduct benefits assessments, support claims processes, and advocate for clients in appeals.
• Perform rights-based casework, including helping clients with complaints and making representations as needed.
• Maintain detailed, up-to-date client records in our case management system.
• Collaborate with volunteer advisers, providing training, support, and guidance to ensure consistent service quality.
• Conduct outreach and participate in community events across Bromley and Greenwich to expand our reach.
• Work closely with colleagues and external partners to facilitate client referrals and deliver joined-up support.
• Stay informed of relevant laws, policies, and local services to offer the most current and effective advice.

About You:

We are looking for a compassionate, organised individual who understands the challenges faced by older people and is eager to support them. To succeed in this role, you’ll need experience in a rights-based advice setting, knowledge of issues affecting older adults, and strong communication skills to engage effectively with a wide range of people. Empathy, patience, and a commitment to equality and diversity are essential to provide our clients with the respectful, understanding service they deserve.

Essential Requirements:

• Proven experience in providing rights-based advice, ideally related to welfare and support for older people.
• Excellent administrative and organisational skills, with a methodical approach and attention to detail.
• Strong IT skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with client databases.
• Ability to work independently, manage your time effectively, and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Willingness to travel across Bromley and Greenwich as required.
• Commitment to Age UK Bromley & Greenwich’s values of equality, respect, and creativity.

Why Work With Us?

Joining Age UK Bromley & Greenwich means joining a supportive, mission-driven organisation that has been dedicated to the well-being of older adults for over 50 years. We are a close-knit team, where each member’s work is valued, and everyone has the chance to make a positive, tangible impact in our community. As a Generalist Adviser, you’ll be part of a dynamic, client-focused environment that prioritises flexibility, professional development, and meaningful work.

We offer 27 days of annual leave (plus bank holidays), a competitive pension scheme, an employee assistance programme, and the potential for hybrid working arrangements, allowing for work-life balance.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you’re a compassionate, organised individual with a commitment to supporting older adults, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today to join us in making Bromley and Greenwich a place where everyone can enjoy later life to the fullest.

Apply now to be part of our team transforming later life across Bromley and Greenwich.

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for an organisation with the feminist agenda at the core of its ethos? Then Advance Charity could be the career choice for you!

We are looking for x2 Community Key Workers

Salary:             £22,000 - £26,000 

Location:         1x  Keyworking across Colchester and Chelmsford. Must attend our main office once a week in Waltham Cross (Hertfordshire)

1x Keyworking across Basildon and Thurrock. Must attend our main office once a week in Waltham Cross (Hertfordshire)

Contract:         Fixed Term until 31st March 2026

Hours p/w    Full Time 35hrs per week

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

Please note: Any offer of employment will be made subject to references, confirmation of the right to work in the UK, and satisfactory enhanced DBS check. This role is also subject to Police & Prison Vetting.

About us

Advance is an award-winning and innovative women-only organisation, established in 1998, providing emotional and practical support to women and girls survivors of domestic abuse and supporting women with short-term sentences to reduce offending.  We believe in empowering women and girls to lead safe, non-violent, equal lives so that they can flourish and contribute to the community. 

We are a community-based organisation who lead in best practice approaches to supporting women in their local community. We achieve this by being available to meet and support women in local settings and at our women’s centres, and by working in close partnership with other agencies.

Our values are to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaboration, innovation, and accountability. 

About the role:

Are you an excellent relationship builder who can work with women and a diverse range of delivery partners to ensure that she meets her potential and successfully progresses through and beyond her probation supervision? Can you meet a women wherever she is at in her journey and work with her to create an individualised support package that gives her the best chance of breaking the cycle of offending?

Are you looking for a dynamic and rewarding role working for a feminist organisation who understand that supporting women in the criminal justice system requires a specialist and gendered approach? Do you believe in our values; to listen and support, to empower and respect, collaborate, innovate, and take accountability? 

In your role as a Community Keyworker, you will be working with women involved in the Criminal Justice System; those on Probation in the Community and those women being released from Prison as part of their Post Sentence Supervision; providing some in-reach and ‘Through the Gate’ support. You will be working in a team of Community Keyworkers in your region. Each Keyworker will provide holistic one to one community support to women with a variety of needs.

About You:

Are you a strong believer in advocating for others? Are you empathetic, patient and determined? Then this opportunity could be right for you.

The Minerva London service provides holistic, trauma-informed support for women in touch with the Criminal Justice System. We do this through offering dedicated one to one support, safer women’s centre spaces and specialist interventions and partnerships.

To be successful as the Community Key Worker you will need the below experience and skills.

You will be working in a supportive, friendly, and welcoming team whilst having oversight of a caseload of women, who may be under the supervision of the National Probation Service or in custody, enhancing the offer of holistic support and advocacy services available to them throughout their journey.

Building relationships with other statutory and non-statutory agencies in local communities is vital to build referral pathways and provide a whole system approach to supporting individuals.

To carry out this work you will meet women in the community in your designated borough and co-locate with other agencies including the National Probation Service, as well as regularly attending Advance’s North London vibrant Women’s Centre/office space.

You will be a creative self-starter who will support the service and look for innovative solutions to support clients with complex needs. You are confident professional relationship builder and has good awareness of Safeguarding procedures. Strong Administration skills and understanding of compliant behaviours also experience of supporting. With good knowledge of the criminal justice system and awareness of other support provisions.

​Interviews are taking place on a rolling basis

*Advance reserves the right to close the advert early, or on the appointment of a candidate

What we can offer you - Employee Benefits: 

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

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

Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities

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

Safeguarding

Advance is committed to safeguarding and creating a culture of zero-tolerance of harm and expects all staff, including volunteers to share this commitment. We believe all individuals have the right to live their life free from violence and abuse and the right to feel and be safe.  

We have a suite of safeguarding policies, procedures and practice guidance, accessible to all staff, which promotes safeguarding and safer working practices across all our services and activities. When we recruit staff, we follow rigorous safer recruitment practices, this involves carrying out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, and identity checks.  We ensure all staff undertake mandatory safeguarding training relevant to their role and responsibilities, to empower them to be competent and feel confident in recognising and responding appropriately to safeguarding issues and promote wellbeing.

To coordinate and grow York Mind’s community and events fundraising income through effective networking, event, and volunteer coordination.

This role sits within our Corporate Wellbeing Service team, where you will mainly work alongside our Head of Corporate Wellbeing Services and Corporate Fundraiser, to generate income for the charity through community engagement and events. You will be responsible for meeting the annual community and events income target. The role will require someone with strong organisational skills, and prior experience as a Fundraiser in another organisation. You will divide your time between developing, planning, and running events, supporting people to raise money on behalf of York Mind, and creating new relationships in the community, such as with schools and sports clubs. We have an annual calendar of both internal and external events, including our annual Mental Elf run, as well as challenges such as the York 10k and Yorkshire Marathon. Your role will be to fill events, and effectively steward and support people to raise as much money as possible through their participation. As part of your role in event coordination, you will be responsible for our fundraising volunteer base, including recruitment and effective utilisation of volunteers at our various events. Flexibility will be key, as some events happen on evenings and weekends. Another important part of this role will be engaging and developing relationships with community supporters. You should have strong interpersonal skills and enjoy getting out and about in the community (eg. sports clubs/community organisations) to grow our supporter base and look after those who we currently work with. Finally, the Corporate Wellbeing Services Team work collaboratively and therefore you should be able to work effectively as part of a team and be willing to support others in their roles to ensure the effective running of the whole department. For example, you may be involved in running campaigns and referring individuals to our training courses. This will require someone who is adaptable and supportive.

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.

Guildford Foyer provides 24 hour supported accommodation housing up to 34 young people aged 16-25 who have multiple and complex needs, including many who are unaccompanied asylum-seeking young people. We provide support to our residents to help them build essential life skills, identify their goals and work towards aspirations so that they can move on to enjoy fully independent futures. Our supportive staff team comprises of Support Workers, night staff and two managers.

We are looking for a Housing Night Worker to join our Guildford Foyer team. Main areas of responsibilities are:

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). 

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.

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. Please download the job profile for full role details.

ABOUT YOU: We know that there are great candidates who will not fit everything described below, or who have important skills we have not mentioned. If that is you, please do not hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

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.

At Refugee Action Kingston (RAK) we're dedicated to helping the successful integration of refugees and people seeking asylum into the local community. With over three decades of experience, we provide a comprehensive range of services including welfare support, immigration and legal advice, education, counselling, and career guidance.  

RAK employs 15 staff and currently has nearly 200 volunteers. In 2023/24 more than 2,000 people benefited from our services: 

• 1,171 clients accessed advice and advocacy services, including immigration advice 

• 305 clients attended our ESOL classes 

• 250 children, young people and families benefited from our after-school and family support services 

• 61 people were supported by our counselling team 

What we can offer you 

• Work in a highly respected organisation punching above its weight – providing quality support to over 2,000 individuals and families a year

• A friendly and supportive environment, with an experienced team of professional teachers, counsellors, solicitors and advisers working to quality standards 

• A collaborative approach to meeting fundraising targets, working with our new Fundraiser and our Partnership and Digital Marketing Coordinator 

• Flexible and hybrid working 

• A committed community in south west London that supports RAK through volunteering, sharing information about our work, and donations

• Real potential for growth and a clear and deliverable strategy already in place 

Our values  

• Empathy: we put ourselves in the shoes of those we work with.  

• Enterprise: we're innovative and resourceful in our approach to supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.  

• Empowerment: we strive to empower our clients, helping them achieve their aspirations.  

Role Overview

Location: We have an office in Kingston Upon Thames, greater London. Flexible and hybrid working is offered to all staff. 

Hours: 35 hours per week (including paid half-hour lunch break) 

Salary: £55,000 to £60,000 per annum permanent

Leave: 26 days per annum plus bank holidays 

Responsible to: Chair of trustees 

As the CEO of Refugee Action Kingston, you'll lead our organisation in supporting refugees and people seeking asylum in south west London to lead fulfilled and independent lives. Your responsibilities will include:  

Strategic leadership  

• Developing and implementing annual plans aligned with our strategy, in collaboration with the Board of Trustees, to achieve desired outcomes.  

• Maintaining efficient systems for the charity's operations, ensuring good governance and financial sustainability.  

• Overseeing all aspects of organisational management including finances, resources, services, and communications, in cooperation with trustees.  

 
Governance and organisational management  

• Working closely with trustees to direct and deliver RAK's objectives according to the charity's strategy.  

• Leading and supporting the RAK team to fulfil objectives, emphasising client needs, monitoring outcomes, and integrating learning into operations.  

• Ensuring compliance with governance requirements, supporting board responsibilities, and contributing to trustee meetings and reporting.  

 
Financial management and human resources  

• Ensuring effective financial management, leading finance and project management teams to maintain controls, preparing reports, and managing spending within budget.  

• Developing organisational structure and processes for positive people and service management, adhering to legislation and quality standards.  

• Fostering a healthy working culture that encourages staff and volunteers to excel, contribute ideas, and embrace diversity.  

 Fundraising  

• Developing and executing RAK's fundraising strategy, exploring new avenues to diversify funding sources.  

• Collaborating with RAK’s fundraiser to cultivate relationships with funders, submitting funding bids, and providing reporting.  

• Focus on growing unrestricted funds to reduce reliance on grants.  

Advocacy and influencing  

• Cultivating strong relationships with stakeholders to amplify the impact of RAK's work.  

• Advocating for the needs of our clients to local authorities, healthcare providers, and other relevant agencies.  

• Maintaining an effective advice and advocacy service, meeting quality standards (AQS & OISC) and regulatory requirements.  

 General duties  

• Undertaking any other related duties as required and appropriate to the role.  

Person specification  
Essential criteria  

1. Leadership and change management: proven track record of leading client-focused services, driving strategic development, and managing change effectively.  
2. Project and programme management: experience in creating and delivering complex projects aligned with strategic objectives.  
3. Fundraising expertise: understanding of fundraising importance in the charitable sector, with a history of successful and innovative fundraising initiatives.  
4. Digital proficiency: ability to harness digital tools so that roles are carried out efficiently and competently.  
5. Financial management: track record of managing budgets and contracts effectively.  
6. Analytical skills: experience in complex report writing and data analysis.  
7. Cultural awareness and commitment to EDI: a track record in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, specifically in the context of working with refugees and people seeking asylum.  
8. Team leadership: excellent people skills, with the ability to empower and motivate staff and volunteers to operate effectively.  
9. Partnership building: strong ability to build partnerships, manage coalitions, and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders.  
10. Communication skills: excellent communication and persuasion skills, including experience in public speaking.  
11. Governance knowledge: understanding of governance principles in the voluntary or public sector.  
12. Safeguarding: experience in leading on safeguarding and health and safety.  

Desirable Criteria  

1. Asylum system knowledge: lived experience related to displacement and migration is highly desirable together with an understanding of the asylum system.  
2. Policy and advocacy: experience in asylum-related policy or advocacy work.  
3. Commercial awareness: experience in negotiating with statutory, local, or voluntary organisations/authorities.  

Our workplace 

We want RAK to be a great place to work and to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thought.

RAK is an equal opportunities employer.  We are committed to recruiting staff, trustees and volunteers who reflect the communities we serve and the wider community of London where we live and work. We particularly welcome applications from people: from Black, Asian and other minority-ethnic communities; refugee and migrant backgrounds; LGBTQ+ communities; with disabilities; and neurodiverse communities. 
 
Asking for adjustments - RAK is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making changes for neurodiverse people, people with disabilities or long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview, or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please get in touch via the contact details on our website. 
 
RAK is obliged to comply with the Asylum and Immigration Act (1996), and this requires certain documents to be presented by candidates before an offer of employment can be made. If you are invited to interview, we will ask you to bring these documents with you. For jobs which involve, for example, working with, or having access to children and/or vulnerable adults and their records, we will require an Enhanced Disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau and need to have information from you regarding any previous, existing, or pending convictions or cautions. This will form part of the recruitment process if you are successful after interview.

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Location: At Citizens Hammersmith & Fulham offices and other locations in London with occasional home working

Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham (CAHF), part of the national Citizens Advice network, is a thriving local advice organisation that provides information, advice and casework support to 12,000 local people per year. We are participating in a GLA funded project to deliver crisis prevention support to those most in need.

At CAHF, we have a Crisis Prevention Adviser who is the first port of call for advice for referrals from community groups. Where the advice required is complex or specialist and a casework approach is required, the client will be referred to you, one of our two part-time Specialist Advisers. We also take referrals from our partner Citizen Advice offices in Westminster, Camden and Islington.

We require an individual who can deliver in-depth and complex welfare and housing advice to vulnerable clients with multiple issues. This role requires considerable self-motivation and resilience to create strong relationships with our partners who work with marginalised groups such as those suffering from homelessness, addiction and poor mental health.

You will need to be confident in giving high quality advice in an independent setting, but with the full support of the Citizens Advice Hammersmith & Fulham team.

To find out more please click on the Apply button.

Interview Date: Thursday 21st November