Inclusive & Blind Recruitment Statement:
In line with Caudwell Youth’s recruitment policy, we operate a blind recruitment process to help ensure a fair and unbiased selection. At the initial application stage, we ask all candidates to submit only a CV and a covering letter (maximum 1 side of A4)
Please use your covering letter to explain why you are interested in this position and to explain how your experience, skills, or achievements enable you to meet the person specification and support your application.
Your anonymised cover letter to this question will be the only information shared with the interview panel for the blind shortlisting process, so we encourage you to make it clear and impactful.
Should you be shortlisted for an interview, you will then be invited to fill in our full application form.
We value equity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities.
ABOUT US
Not all young people have the same opportunities in life. Caudwell Youth exists to level the playing field for young people at risk. We support young people up to 25 years, who face real challenges in their lives. They may experience mental health challenges, be leaving care or be at risk of exploitation or offending.
We provide person centred support through volunteer-led mentoring for up to 18-months, alongside a targeted intervention programme called Shaping Futures for high-risk young people. Founded by the philanthropist John Caudwell in 2022, we now support young people across Milton Keynes, Hertfordshire, Slough, Buckinghamshire, and Luton.
Over our first 3 years as a charity, our work has consistently achieved exceptional outcomes for at-risk young people. 95% reduced offending behaviour, 64% reduced their exploitation risk, 83% reported improvements in their mental health and 45% had moved into education, employment or training. When a young person makes progress, families and communities benefit too. In fact, economic analysis shows that for every £1 invested in our programme, we save the public purse £6.05.
Unfortunately, demand for our service far outstrips supply, meaning we have often had to close our waiting lists. Whilst the risks and challenges young people face continue to grow. We currently support around 400 young people. The driving ambition behind our forthcoming strategy is to reach more.
To achieve this we are setting out to develop and expand our programmes. To become a national charity. We will do this working with at-risk young people, empowering them in everything we do. Our ambition to support more at-risk young people is shared with them.
OUR VISION: A brighter future for at-risk young people.
OUR MISSION: Empowering at-risk young people to shape their own future through mentoring and youth-led support.
Purpose of Role:
Provide strategic leadership on all Caudwell Youth’s external communications, ensuring they are effective in driving engagement and delivering our strategic goals.
Responsible as part of the Senior Leadership Team for the overall leadership of Caudwell Youth. Promoting the mission, vision and values of the charity, and the development and implementation of our strategic plan.
Key Duties:
Corporate leadership
- As part of the Senior Leadership Team work with the Board of Trustees to: develop and progress the organisation’s strategy, set and manage the organisation’s budget and ensure risks are managed effectively
- Lead by example, instilling a values-led and inclusive culture, with strong youth involvement
Commnications
- Lead on brand strategy, developing the brand to become more youth-led, reviewing our visual identity, core messaging, content and channels.
- Be responsible for digital strategy, leading development of our website and social media channels.
- Be responsible for our CRM, maintaining good data practices and delivering timely, integrated communications to our key audiences.
- Lead the development of communication plans, storytelling, assets and content; increasing the proportion of content created and delivered by young people.
- Provide the framework and support for youth participation in communications activities, working effectively with the Operations teams.
- Work with young people to identify influencers and celebrity/ambassador support to raise awareness and support our brand values.
- Lead proactive and reactive media engagement; including crisis communications with support from the CEO and John Caudwell’s PR team.
- Ensure our brand and communications convey a powerful case for support; working with the Fundraising team to create compelling donor communications to recruit and engage challenge participants and donors.
- Develop and deliver marketing strategies for volunteer recruitment to enable our mentoring programmes to grow.
- Gather and share the views and experiences of young people to influence change, building policy and campaigns activity as resources allow.
- Oversee the production of digital, printed and physical assets as required.
- Lead and manage the Communications team effectively, supporting development to maximise performance.
- Ensure effective processes and analytics are in place, reporting to SLT and the Board of Trustees on KPIs
Administration
- Manage the Communications budget
- Be responsible for our marketing software, including CRM, and adhere to data retention schedules.
- Act as Data Protection Officer for Caudwell Youth
- Undertake and identify training as required and take a positive approach to personal development.
- Undertake any other reasonable tasks deemed necessary.
Experience:
Essential
- Proven experience in senior communications roles.
- Sound leadership and team management experience, with the ability to manage and motivate teams to achieve targets.
- A minimum of five years’ experience in communications, media relations/PR, advocacy and/or marketing.
- Experience of involving beneficiaries in communications activities, preferably young people
- An good understanding of GDPR.
Desirable
- Experience of working on charity communications
- Knowledge or experience of fundraising practices
- Experience of policy and campaigns
- Experience of working with young people
- Lived experience that aligns with the young people we support
Skills:
- Ability to work strategically and collaboratively as part of a senior leadership team.
- Strong strategic thinking and ability to translate vision into actionable plans.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a talent for storytelling.
- An understanding of developing support journeys to promote engagement
- Proficiency in digital marketing and social media management.
We are an experienced team that are dedicated to improving the lives of the young people we support.
Benefits:
- Flexible working
- Hybrid – working from home with travel as required
- WPA Healthcare (including Employee Assistance Programme and extended counselling sessions)
- Group Personal Pension with a 5% employer contribution and Salary Sacrifice Scheme
- 25 days annual leave (FTE) plus bank holidays, plus charity closure between Christmas and New Year
- Extra paid day off on your birthday
- Paid day off for volunteering in your community
- Training opportunities to support your personal development
- Employee discounts on everyday goods and services
- Being part of a passionate and dedicated team
Caudwell Youth is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. As part of this commitment, we undertake disclosure checks in accordance with the Codes of Practice for all. Having a criminal record will not automatically exclude applicants.
As an organisation supporting young people with care experience, with mental health and those at risk of criminal exploitation and offending, we are keen to receive applications from those with lived experience. For those who are care experienced, we will guarantee an interview.
We actively seek to bring diverse perspectives and experience, and especially welcome applications from disabled people and those from Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic backgrounds and LGBTQ+.
Registered Charity 
21 - 50
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
As a Senior Finance Business Partner, you'll work alongside senior leaders across Alzheimer's Society, turning complex financial information into clear insights that support more informed decision-making.
In a role where every pound matters in the fight against dementia, you'll ensure our resources are directed where they can make the greatest difference. Whether that's funding groundbreaking research, delivering vital support services, or campaigning for systemic change. You'll build meaningful relationships, develop budget holders' capabilities, and offer challenge and support to help colleagues navigate financial complexity with clarity and purpose, empowering them to make decisions that maximise our impact for the 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK and their families.
You'll be part of our Finance & Assurance directorate, where our vision is to be the Society's single point of truth. Working within the Financial Partnering, Planning & Analysis function, you'll connect Finance with the wider organisation, translating strategic plans into sound financial frameworks that enable our mission rather than holding it back.
This is also a people leadership role. You'll develop and manage a team of Finance Business Partners, creating an agile, high-performing culture where accountability and support go hand in hand. Together, you'll role-model best practice, share knowledge freely, and flex your resources to meet the changing needs of the Society throughout the year.
About you:
You're an experienced accountant with a track record of financial partnering at senior levels. You understand that excellent business partnering combines accurate numbers with storytelling, influencing, and helping others see the bigger picture. You're comfortable working across boundaries, challenging assumptions constructively, and coaching colleagues to strengthen their own financial knowledge.
You'll have:
- CCAB qualification through education or demonstrable knowledge.
- Significant experience strengthening financial capability across large or complex organisations, including developing training and coaching programmes.
- A proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams, with strong focus on development and performance management.
- Expert knowledge of financial planning, budgeting and forecasting processes and tools.
- Substantial experience working with finance systems, particularly ERP systems (we use Unit4).
- Experience driving quality improvement through data-driven metrics and reporting.
- A track record of challenging assumptions and holding others accountable for their financial responsibilities.
What you’ll focus on:
- Partnering with senior leaders across the Society to provide insights and recommendations that support effective, informed decision-making.
- Strengthening financial knowledge and confidence with budget holders through coaching, training programmes and partnership-based support.
- Leading and developing a high-performing team of Finance Business Partners, building a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Working collaboratively across the Finance team to design intuitive reports and analysis that meet the needs of colleagues across the Society.
- Building strong relationships with senior leaders to understand their strategic objectives, anticipate challenges and identify cost optimisation opportunities.
- Using storytelling and creative approaches alongside data-driven analysis to communicate key financial messages effectively.
Are you ready to influence at senior levels, bringing both challenge and practical solutions?
Can you lead a team that's valued not just for their technical expertise, but for the partnership and insight they bring to every conversation?
Important Dates
- Deadline for applications is Sunday 1st February 2026.
- Interview invites will be issued by Tuesday 10th February 2026.
- Interviews will take place across 17th, 18th and 19th of February 2026.
There will be a presentation task to prepare ahead of the interview. Depending on volume of applications, you may be invited to a second stage interview during W/C 23rd February 2026.
About Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.
At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.
Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.
Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.
Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.
We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society.
Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people.
Our hiring process
During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply. Please also contact Alzheimer’s Society Talent Acquisition Team via [email protected] for application support or any adjustments you might need.
To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.
We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.
We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a DBS check at the relevant level.
Giving back to you
Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society.
You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it’s like to be an employee at the Society.