Policy and advocacy officer jobs

The Healthwatch Service Manager will have significant knowledge of health and social care services and community engagement including working with people who use services. Exciting opportunity to manage the Healthwatch North Northamptonshire Service.Our aims and mission are to give voice to the public and engaging communities especially those who are least heard and the most vulnerable. You will also be committed to working collaboratively with communities, VCSE and statutory sector services.

The Service Manager will also be able to lead all the key functions of Healthwatch including:

· Providing an effective Information & Signposting service for the public.

• Priority Research Projects

• Gathering Public and Patient Experiences

• Proactively managing Community Engagement & Outreach work

• Meeting Enter & View requirements

• Promoting and supporting Volunteering

We are looking for someone who is committed to social justice and equalities and able to translate this into practice. We need a confident manager who is credible and can lead an effective work programme relevant to meeting the needs of local communities and informing change to policy and practice of health and social care services.

Service Manager: Healthwatch North Northamptonshire

Background

Healthwatch North Northamptonshire is one of more than 150 local Healthwatch formed in response to the Health and Social Care Act 2012.  Healthwatch represents the views and experiences of local people and help communities to exercise greater choice over the services they receive.

Healthwatch North Northamptonshire will champion the health and social care needs of our communities, acting as an independent local voice and ensuring that services meet the needs of our communities and remain high quality.

Our vision is to inspire positive change in North Northamptonshire’s health and social care service through effective community engagement and ensure people and communities have a strong voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided.

We hope to ensure that Healthwatch North Northants has a strong presence, with an effective, proactive and independent local voice.  We act as a ‘critical friend’ to the commissioners and providers of health and social care services to enable progressive and beneficial decisions to be made.

Job Purpose:

To lead and manage all aspects of the Healthwatch North Northamptonshire service in line with statutory duties, service specification, performance requirements and in line with the values and objectives of Support Northamptonshire.

Our aim is to raise awareness amongst commissioners, providers and other agencies about the importance of engaging with communities, and the expertise and value that individuals can bring to discussion and decision making on local and national issues.

We hope to carry out this work in North Northamptonshire through specific ways:

· By capturing community views through people’s experiences and by understanding and reporting on these experiences to health and social care services.

· By actively promoting community involvement in the commissioning, provision and scrutiny of health and social services, giving people and communities a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care services are provided within their locality.

· By undertaking community-led research in priority areas to examine the impact of health and social care services, its pathways and make any recommendations for change.

· Healthwatch can monitor and review how local services are planned and run (except for social care facilities for children and young people) and have the statutory power to ‘Enter and View’ premises delivering health and social care services. This enables authorised representatives of Healthwatch to observe the nature and quality of services, report on their findings and make recommendations so that local authorities and health services can exercise their duty to respond. 

· By providing Information & Signposting Service to help people understand the services available in their local area and to make informed choices about different health and social care services.

KEY TASKS:

To work closely with the Healthwatch NN Advisory Group and the Support Northamptonshire’s CEO to:

1. Fulfil Healthwatch NN’s statutory purpose, contractual requirements and its strategic and operational plans and objectives.

2. Contribute and challenge at a strategic level, influencing and shaping decisions made by commissioners and providers, in line with the vision and priorities of Healthwatch NN.

3. Implement a project management approach to the design and delivery of all workplan activity and deliver on respective programme areas including:

• Providing an effective Information & Signposting service for the public.

• Priority Research Projects

• Gathering Patient Experiences

• Proactively managing Community Engagement & Outreach work

• Meeting Enter & View requirements

• Promoting and supporting Volunteering

4. Coordinate all statutory functions including enter and view visits, information requests, escalations to Healthwatch England, and the coordination of intelligence gathering from a range of sources including the Information and Signposting function, and the NHS Complaints Advocacy service. ·

5. Work closely with the Care Quality Commission, Experts by Experience representatives, Social Service Quality Inspectors and any other stakeholders that perform a quality or inspection role to ensure coordination of activities and awareness of each other’s workplans. ·

6. Lead on all communications with Healthwatch England, the CQC and other national partners, ensuring the timely distribution of intelligence collated locally, and escalating matters of serious concerns.

7. To lead and undertake research and issue led investigations. in priority areas, provide quantitative and qualitative analysis on key data, ensuring projects and reports are achieved on time and to a high quality and that recommendations are reported and reviewed.

8. To develop a core team of community volunteers who can support and contribute to the work of Healthwatch NN and support them to be proactive and enthusiastic in fulfilling their roles.

9. To represent and promote Healthwatch NN with the NHS, Local Authority and Third Sector stakeholders and

10.  Deliver presentations and progress reports at key statutory bodies including the Health & Well Being Board, Health & Care Partnership and Overview and Scrutiny Committee as required.

11.  Act as the central point of contact for key stakeholders, commissioners, and service providers and sit on issue led boards and networks and attend such meetings when deemed it could add value to the work of Healthwatch.

12.  Ensure effective working relationships are in place with neighbouring Healthwatch, and explore opportunities for cross boundary working and joint utilisation of resources. and ensure appropriate protocols are in place for collaborative working. ·

13.  Identify, advance and manage collaborative relationships with key strategic stakeholders and partners to achieve our statutory roles (including voluntary sector, statutory agencies and other local Healthwatch)

14.  Act as ambassador for Healthwatch NN, working with other organisations and bodies as appropriate, taking part in external working groups and events to further the work and reputation of the organisation.

15.  Lead and develop and maintain productive networks, relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders and other appropriate bodies and organisations. 

16.  Where deemed appropriate, prepare formal requests for information to providers and commissioners, and keep a record of requests and timelines for responses. Identify appropriate actions when a late or insufficient response has been received, including onward referral to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee. ·

17.  Identify gaps in the knowledge of Healthwatch North Northamptonshire about the health and social care needs of local residents and look to address these, particularly working with key partners. ·

18.  Assess local strategies and policy documents, to identify gaps where local public concerns are not being addressed.

19.  Adopt an effective and shared approach to information management with appropriate sharing of data to avoid duplication, misinterpretation or underuse of data. ·

20.  Work with the team to identify gaps in service provision and alert local commissioners of any such gaps.

21.  Act as the central point of contact for all incoming press enquiries and be available to provide comments when health and social care related articles appear in the news, or direct enquiries to Senior Management where appropriate.

22.  Act as the central point of contact for any complaints made against Healthwatch North Northamptonshire and escalate accordingly to internal policies.

23.  Deliver key performance targets and ensure contract monitoring reports are produced in a timely manner.

24.  Manage the Healthwatch NN website and social media , production and publication of reports and all external materials and content.

25.  Line manage Healthwatch NN staff and carry out supervisions and appraisals in line with Support Northamptonshire policies and procedures

26.  Working with the relevant staff ensure the necessary infrastructure, resources and relationships are in place for the effective and efficient management of Healthwatch NN.

27.  Ensure compliance with all Support Northamptonshire policies and procedures

The ideal candidate for this role:

· Is passionate about social justice and addressing health inequalities

· Has experience of co-production and best practice in community engagement

· Is knowledgeable about key health and social care services.

· Is an experienced manager who is driven to manage a small team to capture views and experiences of local health and care services and produce recommendations for change to reflect what people tell us.

· Has the skills and confidence to influence change by working in partnership with other organisations and system partners

About Gaddum

Gaddum is a mental health and carers charity supporting people of all ages. As well as providing services we act as an anchor institution to support the sustainability and development of the wider VCSE sector. Our vision is for every individual and community we walk alongside to have equitable health, wealth and self.

Our Mission

Being almost 200 years old, Gaddum has seen some of the most challenging and inequitable times in the UK’s history, and the world we are living in is still one where so many don’t have the opportunities or resources they need to achieve their aspirations. Today we continue our mission – and we will do this by supporting, influencing, and campaigning as we push for equitable health, wealth and self.

We amplify the voices of the communities we serve, and we empower individuals to overcome challenges by listening, supporting, and advocating for their needs.

We believe…

• everyone has mental health, and it is as important as physical health

• life can be hard, and everyone needs a helping hand sometimes

• everyone has a right to support, when and how they need it, and that no one should be overlooked

• in being of service by holding the whole individual at the heart of our approach and embracing solutions that lie within communities

• there is injustice in the world but both systems and society can change for the better

• we can be agents of positive change; working with others, learning from diverse lived experience, and advocating for fairness

Our Values…

…are our foundations – they are what holds us firm in uncertain times, and they are our reference point for all that we do.

We value:

Being Heard: no matter why or how someone finds their way to us, we will listen

Collaborative Curiosity: harnessing our skills, knowledge, talents and the insights of others, we create new possibilities by exploring with people

Purposeful Work: paying attention to others’ needs and voices, we channel our resources into actions and outcomes that matter to the people we serve

Meaningful Connection: treating every individual as a whole person, developing relationships through empathy and acceptance

Thoughtful Safe Services: providing clear reasons for decisions and efficient, safe and effective practices, we earn confidence and trust by focussing on quality

Role Purpose

The purpose of this role is to provide operational leadership and oversight of the Carers Manchester Volunteer Programme and support the wider development of the Volunteer Programme at Gaddum. The Volunteer Coordinator will work with Carers Manchester colleagues to ensure volunteers feel equipped and supported to use their skills and lived experience in a range of established volunteer roles.

They will also work with the team to develop and recruit volunteers for new roles that support Carers Manchester to deliver on its aims and objectives. The role will involve maintaining close working relationships with our Central Team, Health & Safety systems, and compliance responsibilities. 

All staff are expected to work within all Gaddum policies and procedures. This role is subject to a basic DBS check.

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. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dynamic and person-focussed charity dedicated to supporting and empowering disabled people, their families and carers in the Barnsley community. As our Marketing & Communications Officer, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering our marketing strategy, growing brand awareness, and ensuring our message reaches the right audiences in an engaging and impactful way. 

Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you will create compelling content, manage digital channels, and promote our services to enhance our reach and strengthen our connections in Barnsley. This role is perfect for a proactive individual who is passionate about the possibilities for DIAL’s future marketing.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in developing and executing a comprehensive marketing and communications plan that aligns with the charity’s overarching goals and values 

• Plan, create, execute and manage integrated marketing campaigns to promote services, events and fundraising initiatives, ensuring that all communications adhere to our Brand Guidelines

• Create engaging promotional materials, including posters, social media images, leaflets, roller banners, and booklets using Canva

• Promote the charity’s services and build brand awareness across various social media platforms

• Monitor and manage all social media channels, appropriately responding to comments as well as creating, scheduling and analysing engaging content

• Regularly update and monitor the charity’s website, such as adding events, updating web pages and tracking analytics via WordPress

• Create and send regular newsletters with organisational and community updates, tailored to both client and stakeholder audiences, and measure their effectiveness

• Contribute to the review of policies and procedures relating to marketing and communications as required

• Promote our services at events in the community

• Assist the management team with tasks that support the overarching organisational strategy, providing marketing guidance as required

• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the role as requested by management

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 Senior Specialist Housing IDVA

Salary: £30,000 - £32,000

Location: Hammersmith

Hours: 35 Hours per week

Contract: Fixed Term until March 31st 2026

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:

The Specialist Housing IDVA will work within a dynamic, fast paced team to provide intervention, advocacy and support that empowers women and ensures that the voice of survivors informs every stage of their journey towards improved safety. This is a new and exciting service, and we are looking for someone passionate about ensuring that all survivors of domestic abuse are able to access safe and appropriate accommodation which meets their needs.

To be successful as the Senior Specialist Housing IDVA you will need the below experience and skills:

You will bring solid experience of supporting women who have experienced domestic abuse in all its forms; coming from a sector with transferrable skills or possess a feminist/VAWG higher level qualification.

You will have an excellent understanding of domestic abuse and its effects on survivors and their children, and of best practice within the domestic abuse and housing sectors. You will be skilled in risk management and safety planning, remaining calm in a crisis and in handling sensitive information on a daily basis. The post holder will hold a caseload of survivors and will also be required to support Advance’s duty team on a rota basis which will involve completing intake assessments and providing crisis intervention support.

How to apply:

Please submit your up-to-date CV with a supporting statement. Please note that only applications made via the job advert on the Advance careers page, and those that include a cover letter will be considered.

Closing Date for Applications: 4th May 2025

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 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.

Do you have the skills to empower families and help children and young people with sight loss achieve their fullest potential? As a Family Outreach Officer, you'll play a pivotal role in guiding and supporting families navigating the challenges of vision impairment.

Based in the Paediatric Ophthalmology Department at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, you will work closely with Ophthalmologists and clinical staff as a vital part of the team. This role will be supported by an Honorary Contract, requiring you to adhere to the values, policies, and procedures of both Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and Guide Dogs. You’ll work 4 days per week in the hospital, supporting the Paediatric Ophthalmology Clinics from 9am to 5pm, with the flexibility to work from home for 1 day per week.

Within this role you will:

·Provide Support in Eye Clinics: Assist parents of children and young people in an eye clinic setting, offering both emotional support and guidance.

·Offer Information & Guidance: Deliver expert advice on health, education, welfare, and social care, ensuring families are well-informed and empowered to make decisions.

·Collaborate with Professionals: Liaise with internal and external professionals to ensure coordinated care and support, facilitating smooth communication across services.

·Handle Registration & Referrals: Complete necessary paperwork for registration and refer families to relevant Guide Dogs services, as well as statutory and voluntary agencies for further support.

·Support Funding Applications & Clinical Staff: Assist families with external funding applications and provide support to clinical staff with any related enquiries.

·Promote Guide Dogs’ Services: Raise awareness of Guide Dogs services and activities, ensuring families know about the full range of support available.

We’re looking for someone with experience in supporting individuals with sight loss and disabilities, who brings an empathetic approach to their work. You should be skilled at identifying needs and signposting to the right services.

The role involves collaborating with health, education, welfare, and social care professionals, so a joined-up approach is essential. Knowledge of eye care health will be key to providing informed support.

We need someone with strong communication and relationship-building skills, able to work independently and as part of a team. Organisational skills and proficiency with IT systems are also essential.

No two people with sight loss are the same, and none of our people are either. So, we are proud to offer a range of person-centred benefits that can support each member of staff in ways that really mean something to them – and show them how much they mean to us. We offer a flexible benefits package, discounts and cashback scheme, a generous holiday allowance and matched contributory pension scheme to care for our people.

How to apply 

Further details on the full role are attached below. When you are ready to apply, submit an online application form via this page. If you require any accessibility support to apply our friendly recruitment team is ready and waiting to help. 

As part of your application ensure you provide evidence and examples of how your skills & experience meet the criteria as set out in the attached job description and candidate pack. You will also be asked to complete a few job-specific questions as part of this application process, so please be prepared to write your answers to these questions. 

If you want to know more about the teams who work at Guide Dogs, you can find it on our Careers Page

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Guide Dogs welcomes applications from all sections of the community and actively encourages diversity to maximise achievements, creativity and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or nationality. 

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are proud, whenever possible, to offer an interview to all candidates that meet our selection criteria, and who indicate they wish their application to be considered under our Disability Confident interview commitment. For more details, visit our careers site.

If you are successful you will need to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK via our digital ID checking supplier; in addition, we cannot offer visa sponsorship at this time.

Safeguarding

Guide Dogs is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children, young people and adults at risk of harm with whom we work. We expect all our employees and volunteers to fully share this commitment.

At Guide Dogs, we believe in fair and equitable hiring practices. A criminal record will not automatically disqualify an applicant from consideration for a position. Each case will be evaluated individually, taking into account the nature of the offense, its relevance to the role, and the time that has passed since the incident. We encourage all candidates to disclose relevant information, and we assure you that it will be handled confidentially and fairly.

Guide Dogs follow Safer Recruitment practices to ensure we are safeguarding the vulnerable people we work with. As part of this, we require a full work history with any gaps accounted for & a minimum of 2 professional referee details fully covering the past 5 years. If you are applying for a disclosure role, please note that you will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and sign up to the DBS update service.

For high volumes of applications, we reserve the right to close adverts earlier than advertised.

Could you make a difference for Carers in Wandsworth?

We are currently offering a rewarding opportunity for a motivated and proactive self-starter to join our dynamic team.

Our Charity:

We are a busy, ambitious charity operating at the heart of the Wandsworth community since 1995, helping thousands of people across the borough in unpaid Caring roles. We give information and advice, organise respite, offer complementary therapies, deliver training, provide peer support, arrange fun events and much more.  In short, we are the Carer's friend and advocate, often helping Carers through difficult times.

The Role:

This role involves one to one support for Carers of people with dementia, providing information, guidance, and advocacy, developing and delivering dementia training for Carers and facilitating support groups. This role also includes coordinating and delivering monthly Dementia Cafes for people with dementia and their Carers, including supervising cafe volunteers.

Your skills and Experience:

The successful applicant will have outstanding organisational and communication skills, be confident delivering training and outreach. They will be able to manage conflicting demands with tight deadlines, be a key team player and committed to working with Carers and volunteers.

They will have excellent IT skills and be able to adapt to providing services both face to face and via virtual platforms, whilst maintaining a consistent service for Carers. 

Does this sound like you?

Benefits of the role and working for Wandsworth Carers’ Centre:

- Friendly team and working environment

- Some weekend and evening work with time off during the week

- Annual leave from 26 days increasing to 31 days plus bank and public holidays

- Contributory company pension

- Ongoing training and development opportunities

- Employee assistance program.

- Cycle to work scheme

To apply:

Please submit a cv and a comprehensive cover letter detailing how your experience, skills, and qualifications align with the requirements of the role as set out in the person specification. Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor candidates. 

Wandsworth Carers’ Centre is an inclusive employer, committed to the continued development of a diverse workforce.

Please note: we will be interviewing candidates as suitable applications come in and therefore reserve the right to close this vacancy before the stated closing date. We encourage applications as soon as possible.

This role is a new post within our Fundraising and Communications team and an exciting opportunity to shape a growing area of our work. The successful candidate will have some experience of working on a range of events, ideally challenge and sports fundraising, including tasks such as participant recruitment, tracking income, contributing to supporter journeys and assisting with event day activities.

Doctors of the World UK (DoTW) is part of the global Médecins du Monde (MdM) network, which delivers over 400 projects in more than 70 countries, 6,000 volunteers and 5,000 employees. We deliver both emergency and planned medical support, staying to support people in need of healthcare for the long term. We advocate directly for the rights of everyone to access healthcare, no matter who they are or where they are from.

In the UK, we deliver our own domestic programme supporting people excluded from healthcare in the UK, including people seeking asylum and those who are homeless. Across our network we have projects ongoing in countries ranging from emergency responses in Gaza and Ukraine through to development work in Sierra Leone and Myanmar.

This role plays a part in our fundraising and communications team helping us to meet our fundraising targets and drive growth in both our responsive and strategic communications.

Our vision is of a world in which people affected by war, natural disasters, disease, hunger, poverty, or exclusion get the healthcare they need.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Additional leave days, on top of the 28 days per calendar year:

o Birthday leave

o Religious leave

o 2 days for volunteering

o 1 day for moving house/relocating

- Pension

- Cycle to work scheme

- Flexible working: operating on a 35hr working week

- Registered as a London living wage employer

- Eye tests and subsidised glasses/contact lens

- Blue light card

- Breastfeeding arrangements

Application deadline Sunday 25th May 2300hrs.

Interviews week commencing Monday 9th June

Applications should include CV and cover letter (mandatory).

Senior Communications Manager

Salary: up to £45k 

Term: Permanent 

Line manager: Head of Policy and Advocacy 

Background:

Our vision is a world where data is at the heart of understanding and decision-making 

Founded in 1834, the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) is one of the world’s leading organisations advocating for the importance of statistics and data. We’re a professional body for all statisticians and data scientists – wherever they may live. 

We have more than 12,000 individual members in the UK and across the world. As a charity, we advocate for the key role of statistics and data in society, and work to ensure that policy formulation and decision making are informed by evidence for the public good. 

The membership of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) constitutes a preeminent source of statistical expertise. Members work with RSS staff to support our work across areas such as policy development, education, training, statistical communication, and statistical literacy. Communicating what we do is important to ensure that our work has impact, and that our members are informed. 

Job Purpose:

The main purpose of this role is to lead and coordinate communications activities across the Society’s policy and external affairs activities, ensuring that our work is communicated strategically and visible to appropriate audiences.

Key responsibilities:

Understanding opportunities and the changing external environment  

• Develop our understanding of the preferences and needs of our key internal and external audiences to better align our policy and external affairs communications to those preferences and needs. 
• Monitor and respond to emerging trends to ensure our communications channels and content for policy and external affairs remain timely and relevant.
• Build a network of key contacts across critical and adjacent organisations to maximise potential routes into influencing decision-making and make the best use of resources through collaborative working. 

Development of strategies and plans

• Lead on strategic communication of the Society’s campaign priorities
• Contribute to the development of the Society’s communications strategy across media, social media and communications planning.
• Work closely with colleagues across the organisation to maximise the communications value of the Society’s key policy and external affairs outputs and activities.
• Contribute to costed plans for communications campaigns that meet key strategic goals and include monitoring for impact.

Media relations

• Lead on the Society’s media relations work – proactively identify and exploit appropriate media opportunities to promote campaign priorities, drafting media statements and managing launches and announcements.
• Develop and maintain relationships with journalists across our key topic areas and respond to press queries. 
• Expertly advise, assist and brief the Society’s key spokespeople in respect of media relations issues and opportunities. 
• Manage, and develop the Society’s statistical ambassador scheme, supporting individuals and ensuring we have a pipeline of spokespeople that reflects the diversity of the data professions.

Content creation and editorial

• Develop communications content including blogs, press statements, posts and thought pieces to communicate our campaigns and policy work. 
• Contribute to the operation of the Society’s social media accounts, working with wider staff to ensure we are reflecting the breadth of the Society’s activities across the various platforms.
• Produce write-ups of events and roundtables.

External affairs

• Work with the CEO and Head of Policy and Advocacy to identify and develop relationships with external stakeholders, both UK-based and international and across government, civil society, academia and business, acting as a convenor, trusted advisor and critical friend. 
• Lead on the Society’s statistical excellence awards programme, including developing and maintaining relationships with awards sponsors to ensure the awards are both impactful and financially sustainable.
• Lead on the planning and delivery of policy focused events 
• Support the publication, launch and dissemination of relevant outputs across the policy team, and work with colleagues to ensure relevant and timely and communication of policy positions to support policy and advocacy objectives. 
• Maintain a database of relevant stakeholders.

Management

• Monitor and report on progress and performance against targets. 
• Project manage campaigns, external affairs and communications activities, ensuring that work is appropriate, of high quality, and sufficient volume to maintain presence and reputation. 
• Manage the budget for the communications function.

Interfaces with other teams and groups 

• Contribute to a cross-RSS communications group to share comms plans and outputs and identify opportunities for synergy and collaboration. 
• Provide support to key Society groups, for example the Campaigns Advisory Group. 
• Work with staff responsible for business development to pursue sponsorship opportunities where appropriate. 
• Engage with teams across the organisation to identify comms opportunities to advance our campaign priorities.

Person Specification

• Significant relevant experience in media relations and external affairs 
• Excellent written / oral communication skills, including writing, editing, sub-editing and proofreading 
• Excellent organisation, project and budget management skills
• Ability to work effectively, managing multiple projects and deadlines and reprioritising and achieving results in a changing environment.
• Ability to work on own initiative, escalating issues where appropriate. 
• Experience organising events in a policy context 
• Strong interpersonal skills: ability to persuade, inspire, influence, achieve results through others. 
• Collaborative team worker: proven ability to work efficiently and effectively with colleagues, committees, volunteers, and people with a wide range of perspectives, and to foster consensus. 
• Ability to establish and develop an extensive network of external contacts in the industry.
• Work closely with members of the Society who provide expert support on a voluntary basis including the President and Vice-President for External Affairs.

Desirable

• Interest in or experience of statistics, research, or other aspects of the Society’s work 
• Familiarity with developments within data science, statistics, machine learning, AI and related subject areas. 
• Experience working with volunteers. 
• Scientific background or experience. 

Working for the RSS

Pension and benefits

Our defined contribution pension scheme can be joined after three months in post. Your contributions of up to 8% of salary will be double matched by the Society (making a maximum contribution by the Society of 16%). A training budget, season ticket loan, cycle to work scheme and employee assistance programme are also available. 

Location

The RSS office is in central London. We offer flexible working arrangements, and this is a hybrid role with a minimum two days a week working in the office. In person attendance for certain meeting is required, including all-staff / team meetings and governance / committee meetings that take place in person. Limited travel within the UK and internationally may be required.

Working hours

35 per week full-time. Applications for job shares, part-time and flexible working will also be considered. The post-holder will be the point of contact for any out-of-office hours press queries. 

Holidays

25 days per annum, plus bank holidays and an additional shut down between Christmas and New Year. 

Probation

This post is subject to a six-month probation period.

How to apply:

Applications should be sent to via email and be in the form of a supporting statement telling us:  

• Why you should be considered for the role and how it fits with your career
• How your skills and experience align with the person specification  

Please also send us your CV.

Note that applications by CV-only will not be considered. We may arrange interviews before the deadline has passed. Any questions about the role should also be sent via email. If you are interested in applying but cannot do so until nearer the deadline, please email us to register your interest. 

Managing Director, Home-Start Wandsworth (HSW)

The Role:

The Managing Director sets the vision and strategy for HSW. They lead on income generation and profile raising; working with local stakeholders, building partnerships, and growing funding relationships to achieve that.  Working closely with the Board of Trustees, the MD will set annual objectives alongside long term goals - whilst providing vision and leadership to the team. The role will ensure operational excellence, providing direction & coaching when needed, to deliver innovation, sustainability & compliance. 

The Person:

• We are looking for a passionate, dynamic and empathetic leader who is committed to the Home-Start ethos.

• A track record in income generation, partnership working and team management are essential. 

• The successful candidate will combine collaboration, creativity and resilience, with a proven ability to deliver.

• Experience of leading change and driving sustainability within a small charity would be particularly valuable.

Reports to: 

• Chair, Board of Trustees 

Key Responsibilities:

•  Set the overall strategy, vision and annual objectives for the organisation, alongside the Board of Trustees.
• Be accountable for the overall performance of the organisation and leadership of the team, including guidance and coaching for direct reports.
• Develop and deliver a robust and sustainable funding strategy 
• Develop and deliver the long-term grant funding strategy, leading the bidding process for the organisation. Actively research and build relationships with grant funders to maximise opportunities and success. Write & submit grant applications, working with relevant members of the Team and Trustees. Give strategic direction to the Operations Manager, as required, on progress reporting  to grant funders.
• Develop and drive the community fundraising strategy for the charity working with relevant members of the team and Trustee committee members. Build local partnerships with businesses, schools and churches to increase regular giving. 
• Actively champion and contribute to fundraising events - and generate ideas for new activity. 
• Manage key strategic partnerships, relationships and donors on an ongoing basis to ensure income, volunteer and referral pipelines are maintained to optimise the organisation’s impact. 
• Working with the Operations lead, ensure the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation. 
• Provide regular performance and progress reports to the board as requested  and ensure the charity is compliant with all HSUK policies and procedures. 
• Set and manage the annual operational budget, and ensure the effective management of all HSW resources, IT provision and operational contracts. 

Additional responsibilities: 

• Develop and advocate for the profile of the organisation within the borough and represent it to relevant bodies, including HSUK and HSL, taking an active role in working groups.  Act as an ambassador and embodiment of the organisation’s values. 
• Deliver the annual impact report alongside the Communications Manager. 
• Ensure the completion of all Operational HSUK Quality Assurance assessments.
• Be accountable for safeguarding in the operational team, working closely with the Safeguarding lead, who is responsible for delivery.
• Act as the Data Protection officer for the organisation. 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Management experience of small/medium teams in the voluntary sector. 
• Proven track record of success in charity fundraising and grant application processes. 
• Experience of strategy conceptualisation and delivery- including leading others or working collaboratively to develop strategic & operational plans. 
• Successful experience of stakeholder, network or partnership working.
• Understanding of current legislation and regulatory frameworks for babies, children and families.
• Operational coordination and project management experience.
• Financial understanding & experience of managing budgets >£100,000 (TBC)
• Highly IT literate with a confident understanding of Google applications, and Charity Log, or other database management systems. 
• The ability to manage and address governance, financial, IT and personnel matters swiftly and confidently with little need for supervision. 
• Ability to produce accurate and timely reports.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written.
• Knowledge of the local area and beneficiaries. 
• A commitment to and understanding of safeguarding, equal opportunities and data protection. 

Join our dynamic Communications team and be part of a rare opportunity to shape the narratives and visuals that amplify the life-changing initiatives of 1625 Independent People. If you're passionate about crafting powerful communications that make a difference, this is your chance to affect change and leave a lasting impression.

Please find full details of how to apply via our website in the advert below. The deadline for application submissions is 23:59 Thursday 08 May 2025.

We are striving to better represent the young people we support and therefore are particularly keen to increase applications from minoritized ethnic groups, Muslim and male candidates as they are currently under-represented in our organisation. We also encourage applications from people with relevant lived experience. 

If you need an adjustment to be made to any part of the recruitment process, please let us know as soon as possible. 

Who are we?

We are a leading youth homelessness charity based in the Southwest, working with over 1,500 young people. At 1625ip we are driven by Social Justice and Passion: we strive to do something that matters and take pride in seeing the results of our work in social outcomes and improving young people’s lives.

What you will be doing:

• By being empathetic and seeking to understanding the complex needs of homeless young people, young people leaving care, and the barriers they face, you will work with them and their support workers to tell their stories. 
• Utilising your creative skill’s, you will create branded collateral that supports a variety of campaigns and events.
• Through your enthusiasm, you will be able to work on own initiative but also alongside your team, ensuring all communications are suitable for specific audiences. 
• By being detail orientated you will be managing a variety of platforms including the website and all social media channels.
• You build strong relationships both internally and externally; you communicate excellently, and you influence others externally to support 1625 Independent People

You will be in Fundraising and Communications Team and your line manager will be our Communications and Community Fundraising Manager.

At 1625 we are led by our Competency Development Framework. This connects our values to our behaviours in everything we do and gives us the tools to develop. The framework ensures our recruitment is better informed, applications and interviews are behaviourally based, and job profiles are developed on the ‘how’ of a job. 

If you have transferrable skills and you are interested in this role, but you are worried about the application process, please get in touch with us. We encourage you to have an informal chat with the recruiting manager to discuss how your personal or professional experience and skills could be transferred to this role. Details of how you can do that are further down in this advert.

Contract details 

• Hours per week: 37.5 (this represents 1 FTE)
• Contract type: 1 year contract (Maternity Cover)
• Pay: £27,852 - £29,439 per annum 
• The location: Kingsley Hall, Old Market - there is also flexibility and support to manage working from home. We currently meet as a team 2 days a week at Kingsley Hall. 

A few benefits at 1625ip

In return for your dedication, we offer:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days per annum plus all Bank Holidays
• Employee Health Cash Plan with HSF
• A supportive and approachable team with an emphasis on colleague wellbeing 
• “1625 Independent People is an amazing organisation, and I feel very lucky to work here”, Colleague Wellbeing Survey 2024.
• “I couldn’t be happier with the opportunities and support I have received in my career progression that has led me to my dream job!” See what other colleagues have said about their career development with us, on the vacancy page of our website. 
• 1625ip is a Disability Confident Employer.
• Flexible working

Important dates

• Application deadline closes: 23:59 Thursday 08 May 2025.
• If you have not heard from us by the end of the day on Wednesday 14 May 2025, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. 
• Interviews are on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 May 2025. 

Application information

Ready to see yourself in this rewarding role? We can’t wait to hear from you.

• To access the Job Pack and submit an application, please visit the vacancy page on our website.
• You will be asked to answer 3 questions at the end of the Word application form. These are required to ensure your application can be shortlisted. 
• Please note the online e-application form cannot be saved so we recommend you prepare your Word application form before you start filling in the e-form.
• Please get in touch with us if a hard copy of the application form would be preferred. We will organise a time for you to collect it from and return it to Kingsley Hall (our main office in Old Market). An online application will then be created for you. 

Equitable opportunities for everyone

We believe those with a criminal record should have an equal chance to become employees or volunteers and encourage applications. 

As an organisation who safeguard and promote the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, any job offer will depend on a satisfactory DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. Successful candidates will need to provide our organisation with sufficient documentation to prove ID. We comply fully with the DBS code of practice and undertake to treat all applications for positions fairly. For successful candidates with a criminal record, a risk assessment process will take place with the recruiting manager.

We also pride ourselves on being an equitable opportunities employer for everyone regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion and beliefs, sex and sexual orientation. We have committed to being a Disability Confident Employer, and have made the Menopause Workplace, Mental Health at Work, and Bristol Equality Charter pledges.

Please see our Policies section on the website, for further information.   

The London Metropolitan University Students' Union is looking to grow our team of dedicated Student Advisers. Our Student Advisers support students to navigate the university’s academic regulations, offering impartial advice, supporting with written submissions and attending formal hearings in support of students. 

We are looking for someone who is a good listener, is empathic and non-judgemental and who has a genuine desire to ensure that every student has the best student experience whilst studying at London Metropolitan University. The ideal candidate will be organised and efficient, confident in working with academic regulations, and excellent at communicating complex information clearly verbally and in writing. 

We are looking for a full time adviser, but we are open to applications from those seeking either full time or part time work, for a minimum of 2.5 days per week (please state your availability in your cover letter). 

Job purpose for the role 

· To deliver a high-quality professional academic advice to students at London Metropolitan University 

· To provide independent, confidential and impartial advice and representation that has a positive impact on the experience of students 

· To ensure the advice service operates in line with best practice and that students and elected officers are well-informed on the issues affecting students 

· To support the Advocacy & Communications team in identifying and reporting on issues affecting the wider student body, providing evidence-based support for the Students’ Union’s representative work.

Application deadline: 1pm on 9th May 2025 
 
Interviews will take place on the week commencing 19th May 2025 

 
What's in it for you? 
 
Hybrid and Flexible working arrangements  
Learning and development opportunities  
27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays, office closure and sick leave  
Cycle to work scheme  
DSE assessments and eye tests  
Free access to Gym & Classes

Competitive pension contribution scheme 
Interest-free loans - Seasonal ticket and tenancy deposit loans 

Other Standard employees’ benefits 
 
At LMSU we are committed to maintaining a diverse workforce, as we understand the importance of having staff with varied lived experiences and backgrounds that reflect various needs of our student community. We welcome applications from all interested applicants, and we strongly encourage applications from people of ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, people with dependants and people who identify as LGBTQIA+. We conduct anonymous shortlisting, and ll of our interview panels have Unconscious Bias Training in order to support a fair recruitment process.

Purpose of the Role 

The Helpline Manager will manage and provide support and advice to a team of Helpline Support, Caseworkers, IDVA, and Helpline volunteers who will be handling calls. The role will also include occasionally providing helpline cover during staff shortages. The helpline supports women on more than 45 different issues with most of the calls relate to violence against women and girls (VAWG) as well as mental health and wellbeing. The Helpline Manager will be responsible in ensuring that the service continues to be culturally sensitive and be able to respond to a diverse population of women with complex needs; managing the rota for staff and volunteers, ensuring there is sufficient helpline cover, identifying and managing safeguarding issues, monitoring staff performance, maintaining the helpline database, and providing helpline data to other staff. 

The role will also include occasionally attending external stakeholder meetings and raising awareness of the helpline service. The Helpline Manager will also have some involvement in other MWNUK projects, services and activities as required. The role requires a proactive, organised and practical approach to ensure MWNUK’s projects are delivered effectively and efficiently, providing high quality support and customer service across the organisation, both internally and externally.

Main responsibilities 

• Supervising the Helpline team of 11 staff (however this is equivalent to 3 full-time staff per day only) and ensuring there is sufficient helpline cover and monitoring their wellbeing. 

• Recruiting and training helpline staff and volunteers with the support of senior management and ensuring their development needs are flagged up. 

• Monitoring performance of helpline staff through daily check-ins, debriefs, monthly supervision meetings and annual appraisals. 

• Holding regular helpline team meetings and sharing learning as well as identifying and sharing interesting cases with Senior Leadership Team including the Advocacy Officer. 

• Planning and delivering training to staff and volunteers in line with changes in law, policies and procedures, including safeguarding. 

• Regularly attending external meetings such as MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference), liaising with police, social services, and other partner agencies. These meetings are a critical part of safeguarding and time for preparation and follow-up is built into the role. 

Safeguarding 

• Implementing MWNUK Children and Adult Safeguarding policies and procedures. 

• Responding to safeguarding concerns in a timely manner and promoting good practice. 

• Identification, handling and recording of all safeguarding risks and issues for both children and adults, including in instances of domestic abuse, forced marriage, honour-based violence, sexual abuse, self-harm, isolation, housing, marriage and divorce etc. 

• Escalating and de-escalating risk, report writing and recording accurately all decision-making during case reviews. 

• Having regular case reviews and making evidence-based decision-making. 

• Monitoring and evaluating safeguarding practices. 

• Liaising with external agencies as and when required. 

• Reviewing helpline cases before they are closed ensuring the data has been properly recorded. 

Managing cases 

• Triaging, managing, prioritizing and allocating helpline cases. 

• Maintenance of accurate records, online databases, filing systems and computer files and gathering of statistics as required by the Operational Director and / or CEO and external evaluating consultant. 

• Maintenance of all information in line with confidentiality and data protection policies while observing professional boundaries at all times. 

• Monitoring helpline data and identifying any trends and sharing them with senior management and the Advocacy Officer. 

• Ensuring policies and procedures are followed. 

Other duties 

• When required (i.e. when there are staff shortages) provide cover on the helpline and respond to phone calls, emails, texts, webchat and the newly launched Amal Safety Mobile App, in a faith and culturally sensitive manner. 

• Keeping up to date with helpline issues such as forced marriages, domestic violence, honour- based violence, sexual violence, female genital mutilation, mental health, discrimination and women’s rights – including assisting with projects and services on these issues. 

• Promoting the helpline’s services to a range of stakeholders. 

• The role will occasionally involve delivering training workshops and leading discussions on critical issues such as forced marriages, domestic violence, FGM, and honour-based violence, primarily with schools, colleges, and community organisations. These responsibilities will be planned in advance and integrated into the team’s schedule. 

• Carrying out duties to support the Operational Director and CEO. 

• Attending training for professional development, as required. 

• Undertaking outreach work, if required. 

Person Specification 

Professional Experience, Knowledge and Understanding 

• Strong experience of dealing with minority ethnic women particularly from Muslim communities who have suffered domestic violence and other forms of abuse such as forced marriage, honour- based violence, sexual violence, mental health issues etc. 

• Knowledge of key issues that will arise on the helpline such as domestic violence, forced marriage, honour-based violence, sexual violence, mental health, hate crime etc. 

• At least one year's experience in handling children and adult safeguarding. 

• Willingness to participate in further training and development opportunities. 

• Working in a trauma informed way by recognizing impact of trauma on women. 

• Experience of managing, supporting and supervising a small team. 

• Second language such as Arabic, Bangla, Punjabi or Urdu. 

• Excellent IT skills (Microsoft365: word processing, databases, PowerPoint, spreadsheets and Outlook). 

• Desirable line management experience. 

Abilities and Skills 

• Significant organisational and administrative skills, supported by a proficiency with ICT. 

• Able to build relationships with whilst maintaining professional boundaries. 

• Proactiveness, enthusiasm and commitment along with an honest and trustworthy approach to the role. 

• High level of professionalism when dealing with internal and external stakeholders. 

• Strong organisational and interpersonal skills with solid communication skills – written and verbal. 

• Experience of effective teamwork i.e. listening (including taking on feedback), being respectful and instilling confidence and motivation in staff and volunteers. 

• Ability to work independently without supervision and being able to use initiative. 

• Communicating information from management to staff in an accessible way. 

• To be able to work under pressure, whilst keeping calm and levelheaded. 

• The ability to work in a demanding environment, meeting tight deadlines by prioritising and delegating as necessary. 

• Understanding of and adherence to confidentiality and data protection issues and an understanding of maintaining professional boundaries. 

• Understanding and knowledge of the voluntary / non-profit women’s rights sector. 

• Drive and willingness to go above and beyond role and be able to demonstrate a commitment to women’s rights. 

Personal Qualities 

• Flexible, motivated and committed to a high standard of working, with a willingness to take on additional duties. 

• Adaptability to changing circumstances and new ideas. 

• Resilient and determined to achieve goals. 

• Committed to vision, mission and aim of MWNUK. 

Equal Opportunities Awareness 

• An awareness of diversity issues and a positive, non-discriminatory and non-judgmental approach. 

• A commitment to working in a flexible and collaborative manner with all members of the MWNUK team. 

Application Process 

If you have any questions about the role or would like to discuss it further, you can book a 15-minute online slot with the Operations Director, Shameem Hussain, using Link 

 Please note that this is not an interview and is strictly for informational purposes only. 

1st Stage 

• Please email your CV (including two references details) and a cover letter (no more than two pages) to by 5pm on Monday, 5th May 2025. In your cover letter, please address the following questions: 

1. Why does this role appeal to you, and what experiences make you an ideal candidate? 

1. Why do you want to work in the women’s sector, and how do you believe you can make a difference? 

1. Safeguarding is a crucial part of this role—what experience and knowledge can you bring to this aspect? 

• We will only process completed applications and will not chase up missing CVs or cover letters. 

• Please note that feedback will not be provided at stage 1 of the application process. 

2nd Stage 

• Shortlisted individuals will be invited to attend an interview on either Monday 12th May or Tuesday 13th May 2025. 

Further Information 

• Basic DBS clearance is required. 

• Evidence of your right to work in the UK is required. 

• If successful, references will be requested. To help speed up the process please include references in your CV. 

• Please note that in accordance with The Equality Act 2010 (Schedule 9, Part 1, Paragraph 1), this post is open to women only. 

About Us

We are passionate about God’s mission and eager to see more people become followers of Jesus. For over 225 years, CMS has been at the forefront of global mission, living out the gospel of Jesus, seeing lives changed and communities transformed across the globe.

Founded by William Wilberforce and other members of the Clapham Sect group of activists in 1799, today CMS supports hundreds of people and partners in mission working together across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the UK displaying the love of Jesus to many people who might not have believed he was for them.

Context

With mission no longer being a “West to the rest” endeavour, and as Christianity has flourished in parts of the majority world, we have undertaken a prayerful review of our organisation. We have rediscovered and been re-inspired by the pioneering spirit of our founders. We believe our calling for this time is to the “edges”: to the edges of society, the edges of church and to the edges of our comfort zones. To that end, we have been aligning our organisation and focus to play a catalytic role in facilitating movements of mission to and from these edges through our new “hub” approach to mission and often working with partners in the wider Anglican Communion.

The Role

We are looking for a collaboratively-minded and empowering CEO to take this new approach and focus to mission forward, to promote it to this generation, to the Anglican Communion and beyond. With a strong senior leadership team, committed board and annual income of around £8m, you will lead our strategic development, implement the agreed plan to 2027, and build the financial sustainability of CMS for the decades ahead.

We are therefore looking for a mission-hearted leader of integrity with a strong strategic ability, deep theological understanding, mature Christian faith and an ability to build relationships and compellingly share the amazing way that God’s Kingdom is coming to the edges through CMS.  

If this sounds like you, please see the application details attached. Closing date 9th May.