Women Jobs

Are you passionate about volunteering and its ability to transform lives and build fairer, healthier communities?  Volunteer Centre Tower Hamlets (VCTH) is looking for an outstanding Volunteering Advisor to join our supportive, impactful team. 

You will work across two programmes, both of which support Tower Hamlets residents from Global Majority communities into volunteering.  Co-delivering our Improving Employability Through Volunteering progamme, you will help unemployed people to secure volunteering placements where they will gain skills, experience and confidence to enhance their job prospects.  Leading on our new Health & Wellbeing Champions project, you will work closely with our partner, LBTH Public Health, to recruit and induct local volunteers who will help improve health outcomes in communities experiencing deprivation and health inequalities.

Key responsibilities of the role include:

· promoting volunteering widely; conducting community outreach, running stalls at events, giving targeted presentations online and in person, organising borough-wide Volunteer Fairs, and working with referral agencies

· enrolling volunteers, motivating them to overcome barriers, helping them to secure suitable volunteering placements, and tracking their progress

· working with local Volunteer Involving Organisations to develop and advertise inspiring volunteer roles that meet a wide range of needs, abilities and interests

· booking training venues and refreshments, monitoring training participation, and processing volunteer expenses

· using your analytical and digital skills to monitor progress against agreed targets, evaluate impact, and produce statistics/reports for funders.

This hybrid role is mainly home-based, but with a requirement to undertake regular work at community venues around Tower Hamlets.  We are open to discussing how the 4.5 days are worked during office hours. 

The ability to speak Bengali/Sylheti would be highly beneficial, as you will be working closely with the Bangladeshi community.  Local knowledge of Tower Hamlets and its communities would be an asset, but is not essential.  We are very keen to hear from candidates with lived experience relevant to this role, from experienced Volunteer Managers, and from people who are passionate about improving health and employment outcomes for marginalised communities.

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK for 31.5 hours per week until at least 30 November 2027.  We regret that we are unable to provide sponsorship.

Deadline for applications is 9.30am on Thursday 30 January 2025.

Interviews are scheduled for Tuesday 11 February 2025.

Job Summary 

The purpose of the Area Giving and Finance Adviser role is to provide comprehensive finance support to churches within the Stepney Area, aiding them in the development of their ministries, manage Common Fund giving and to support the Area Bishop’s staff team in the management of resources including monitoring clergy post numbers, curate funding, and other financial matters. As part of a small team of Area Giving and Finance Advisers, the role involves offering training, resources, and advice on parish financial management and administration, and advice on various giving methods, including online and contactless options. Additionally, the role entails promoting generous giving through training initiatives, facilitating the award of grants and loans to churches from Area funds, and fostering effective communication and relationship-building between the Area team, Finance team, and parish officers. 

Job responsibilities 

Financial support  

• Enable churches to develop their respective ministries, manage their finances effectively, and meet their statutory responsibilities.

• Provide finance and other appropriate training, support, resources and advice to the clergy, PCCs and parish officers.

• Assist the Bishop, Archdeacons and Area Deans in managing Common Fund giving by the churches in the Area.

• Facilitate and monitor the award of grants and loans to churches from Area funds.

• Support the Area Bishop’s staff team and Area Council in monitoring the use of Area resources, including post numbers, curate funding and other matters.

Giving  

• Supporting parishes to encourage a culture of generosity and giving. 

• Promote generous giving through training, preaching and providing resources to clergy and parish officers.

• Support the introduction of different methods of giving, including online, contactless, and Parish Giving Scheme.

Relationship management  

• Build relationships with, and promote effective communication between, the Area team, Finance team, parish officers and the other Area Finance Advisers.  Work with the National Giving Team on projects that support parish ministry.

Other duties  

• The role will require regular evening and weekend working.

• Complete other duties commensurate of the role. 

Please refer to the attached Job Description for the full details on the main responsibilities. 

Person Specification 

Essential 

• Experience of encouraging charitable giving.

• Experience managing a wide variety of professional relationships. 

• Educated to A Level or equivalent standard. 

• IT proficiency (MS Office suite). 

• Fluency in spoken English and ability to communicate clearly in English. 

• Understanding of the ethos and mission of the Church of England, and of the role of parish clergy. 

• Effective written and oral communication skills. 

• Numerate and financially astute – comfortable working with financial data. 

• Strong administrative skills, including use of Microsoft Office. 

• Self-motivated, as work needs to be undertaken proactively and with limited supervision. 

• Attention to detail – accurate and efficient. 

• Strong interpersonal skills, including relationship building and discretion. 

• Christian faith with empathy to the mission and values of the Church of England. 

• Right to work in the UK. 

• The person will not require a DBS check. 

Desirable 

• Experience of charity accounting (accounting qualifications are not a requirement).

• Educated to degree level. 

Please refer to the attached Job Description for the full details on Person Specification. 

About the London Diocesan Fund 

The London Diocesan Fund (LDF) is the employment body that serves and supports the Diocese of London and Church of England. The Diocese of London comprises of c400 parishes north of the River Thames and within the M25 motorway. 

The Church of England in London is growing, vibrant and at the heart of communities throughout the capital. At the London Diocesan Fund we seek to do everything we can to support this mission and growth, using our resources to help our parishes and chaplains to serve over 4 million people. 

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion 

The Diocese of London is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce which represents our context and wider community. 

We are aware that those of Global Majority Heritage/United Kingdom Minority Ethnic (GMH/UKME), women, and disabled people are currently under-represented among our clergy and workforce, and we particularly encourage applications from those with the relevant skills and experience that will increase this representation. 

Safeguarding 

The Diocese of London is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. 

Benefits of working with us 

The LDF offers a supportive working environment, opportunity for career development and the following financial benefits: 

• Competitive remuneration package 

• 27 annual leave days to rise to 30 after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays 

• 15% employer pension contribution and salary sacrifice available 

• Death in service benefit x3 of basic gross salary 

• Enhanced maternity leave of six months full pay, after 12 months’ of employment 

• Season ticket loans of public transport 

• Access to Benenden Health Insurance 

• EAP counselling through Health Assured

• Up to £100 for eye test and contribution to spectacles

• Two additional paid days for community volunteering 

About Cord

Cord is an international charity working to make peace a reality where people don’t have the freedom to exercise their rights. We work to build the relationship between those in power and local communities. 

We believe that people flourish when all parts of society work together. Peaceful relationships make that possible. The simple act of talking begins a journey of growth which transforms mistrust, includes the excluded and turns adversaries into allies.

Cord operates in eight countries and implements programmes in the following areas:

• Empowering Women & Girls
• Accessing Fundamental Freedoms
• Climate & the Environment
• Economic Empowerment
• Supporting Stronger Societies

We are a small, committed team who love working together to make a huge impact. If you like the sound of us, then take a look at the recruitment pack and come and join our team!

About the Role

Are you someone who is passionate about seeing positive change in our world? Can you bring knowledge and creativity in designing innovative and effective peacebuilding programmes?

We are looking for someone to support our programmes and institutional fundraising with excellent writing skills, who is passionate about addressing the root causes of and inequalities caused by conflict. You will be someone passionate about the work Cord does and who can bring technical institutional funding expertise alongside peacebuilding knowledge to our small and committed team.

In this role you will lead the development of new programmes and institutional funding bids in line with Cord’s peacebuilding approach and 5 main programme areas. You will manage proposal submissions to Cord’s key donors such as the EU, US State Department, GIZ, SDC, UN Peacebuilding Fund etc. You will be working closely with country teams to design and write proposals based on strong project designs developed in partnership with our local partners.

The role will also operate at a strategic level by managing Cord’s relationships with key donors and shaping how Cord communicates about its programmes and the added-value that Cord brings.

If you like what you read and are passionate about real and lasting change, come and join us and be part of the Cord story.

As the organisation’s technical subject matter expert, this role will develop and oversee the delivery of Girlguiding’s strategic and operational priorities in relation to Activity Health and Safety. This is all activities where young members (girls) and adult members (volunteers) are involved.

The role manages the risk and holds responsibility for activity health and safety in all Girlguiding’s activities for girls, this includes adventure, events, local and international travel, venues and local Girlguiding properties.

The role leads work to develop, implement and embed improvements to Activity Health and Safety and will take responsibility for remaining informed about and advising on the implications of current and emerging health, safety and welfare legislation, including horizon scanning, evaluating options, making recommendations and generating action plans to ensure regulatory compliance. 

Working in partnership and collaboration with staff and volunteers across the UK country and region teams, this role will support and develop strategies to ensure Activity Health and Safety is understood and implemented. The role will oversee investigations into activity health and safety incidents or near miss events. 

The successful candidate must hold a relevant professional qualification and have experience of implementing health and safety management systems, strategy, policy and best practice. They will be able to drive and influence change whilst building strategic relationships both internally and externally. 

Please note that this role will be known internally as National safety manager.

About Girlguiding

This is a really exciting time to join Girlguiding. We have much to be proud of in our one hundred years of history, but we know that to remain vibrant and relevant to young people we must continually evolve.

We’ve begun a process of significant change: transforming the organisation so it can meet the challenges of the future by putting young people at the heart of our organisation. We’re on a mission to amplify the voices of girls and young women, so they can champion change in their own lives and the wider world; to build strong partnerships that can increase our reach and impact; and to increase the support we offer our amazing adult volunteers who deliver incredible experiences to young people across the UK every week.

Girlguiding values the differences that a diverse workforce brings and is committed to inclusivity, and to employing and supporting a diverse workforce. We are proud to work with a number of organisations who support us to create and maintain a culture that celebrates diversity and champions inclusion in the workplace. While Girlguiding’s young members may be women only, our staff team is mixed gender. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Girlguiding operates a hybrid working arrangement where office based staff are required to attend the office on average two days a week, or 40% of working time across the year. Location allowance is payable to those who work in accordance with out hybrid working model. We’re committed though to supporting our staff to achieve a good work-life balance and offer flexible working options wherever we reasonably can. All staff are required to carry out our online health and safety training and complete a DSE risk assessment to ensure we can provide the support you requir

We are recruiting for 2 IDVA's to join our team in Hertfordshire; the scope on this job involves….

Job Title: IDVA

Location: Hertfordshire
Salary: £28,104 per annum
Contract type: Full-time, Permanent

Hours: 37.5

We want kind and empathic people to work at Refuge, who believe in equality, diversity, and inclusion, are experts in their area of knowledge, want to make a positive difference and improve the lives of the women and children we support.

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as Independent Domestic Violence Advocate to supporting women and children who are impacted by domestic violence. You will work closely with victims of domestic abuse from the point of crisis, to provide high quality independent advocacy and support to survivors of domestic abuse at the highest risk and their children.

A £2,000 recruitment and retention allowance is given as a one-off payment on completing probation.

Closing date: 9.00am on 27 January 2025

Interview date: 3 February 2025

Benefits

Refuge offers a variety of exciting opportunities to learn, develop and grow in your career. We recognise the value everyone brings to the organisation to achieve our aims and are dedicated to developing and rewarding our staff. More details of our benefits can be found in Job Information Pack.

Introduction and background

The Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) was founded in 2011 by people with lived experience, healthcare professionals, and organisations who understood the impact of perinatal mental problems and shared a commitment to improving the lives of women and their families.

Today, the MMHA is a UK-wide charity and network of over 130 member organisations. We work with parents, families, clinicians, and academics to ensure all women, birthing people, babies, and families have access to high-quality, compassionate mental health care. We bring the perinatal mental health community together and make change happen by combining the power of real-life experience with clinical and professional expertise.

We actively contribute to significantly improving mental health outcomes for people who experience discrimination, trauma and deprivation during the perinatal period and tackle systemic inequity and injustice.

We are now seeking a Chief Executive to take over from our interim CEO and lead the MMHA in the next stage of our development.

We have recently been awarded a 5-year grant by the National Lottery Community Fund to tackle maternal mental health inequities through community action. This project, due to start in Spring 2025, will develop, test and replicate a model of community-based decision making, support and service provision that is led by women with lived experience. This project aims to achieve system change locally and nationally to improve the mental health of marginalised women and is the next phase of the MMHA’s programme to tackle maternal mental health inequities across the UK. This will be our biggest piece of work over the next five years and will dovetail with other activities aimed at achieving our mission, where funding allows.

For further information about the MMHA please visit our website.

Main responsibilities

Leadership and strategy

• To provide clear strategic and inspirational leadership to the MMHA To drive the MMHA forward into the next stage of its development
• To ensure MMHA tackles maternal mental health inequities across the UK
• To be responsible for the management and administration of the charity within the strategic and accountability frameworks laid down by the Board of Trustees
• To work with Chair and Trustees in shaping the MMHA’s strategic mission, policies, aims and objectives
• To ensure long term sustainability of the MMHA through effective governance, sound finance and implementation of operational plans.

People

• To take overall responsibility for all permanent and temporary staff, and other members of the MMHA team, including contractors, champions and ambassadors
• To promote diversity and equality of opportunity for all staff in accordance with the MMHA EDI policy and strategy and foster a workplace culture built on inclusion, respect and equality.

Governance, finance and compliance

• To support the Chair and Trustees to ensure that the governance of the charity is proportionate and effective, and that the charity fulfils its legal, statutory, regulatory and moral duties and responsibilities
• To be responsible overall for the financial sustainability of the charity, and ensure that there are effective mechanisms to ensure the robustness of external and internal controls (financial and non-financial), supported by the Consultant Finance Director
• To support the Consultant Finance Director to ensure the timely and complete preparation of key reports, information and activities, including management accounts, budgets, annual report and accounts, and payroll
• To ensure that the major risks to which the charity is exposed are reviewed regularly by the Board and the Executive team, systems have been established to mitigate these risks
• To work with the Chair and the Board Secretary to ensure that meetings of trustees are effective and that Trustees have appropriate information to perform their duties.

Income generation

• To take overall responsibility for the MMHA’s income generation activities, securing the future of the organisation and delivering its ambition for the mental health of women during the perinatal period
• To lead on all trust, foundation and lottery fundraising, establishing and maintaining relationships, including with the National Lottery Community Fund
• To support the Marketing & Partnerships Director to develop corporate partnerships, taking the lead on the relationship with Tommee Tippee
• To work with the Marketing & Partnerships Director to secure funding from individuals.

Communications and external affairs

• To support the Head of Engagement to maintain a relevant, diverse and effective range of members organisations, and ensure their ongoing contribution to achieving the goals of the charity 4
• To have oversight of the social, economic, clinical and policy context and how they impact on maternal mental health and MMHA strategy
• To ensure the Alliance is working effectively across the 4 UK nations and devolved administrations
• To act as a visible leader for the charity, representing the MMHA at external events and networking opportunities, and act as a spokesperson
• To oversee the development and delivery of marketing and communications strategies which effectively promote all aspects of the Alliance.

Other/service delivery

• To embed MMHA’s values throughout the organisation
• To promote a culture of commitment, trust, mutual support and professional behaviour
• To run the charity efficiently and effectively by ensuring that it has an appropriate management structure and management systems in order to fulfil its strategic objectives and to carry out its work
• To take forward the MMHA EDI strategy and plan and be a champion for anti-racist and anti-discriminatory behaviour
• To develop an organisation that is constantly seeking ways to learn and to improve its performance
• To work with staff to ensure the views of the members, champions, and ambassadors shape the work of the MMHA and its members.

This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the main duties and responsibilities only. The post holder may be asked to carry out any other delegated duty or task that is in line with their post, seniority, or the needs of the organisation. Whilst most of the work will be undertaken during standard working hours, some work will be required in the early morning, evenings, or weekends.

How to apply

Application is by CV and a cover letter of no more than two pages of A4 each. In the cover letter, please explain how you meet the list of essential experience detailed above.

We will be anonymising applications before shortlisting. To make this easier, please ensure that your cover letter includes your initials rather than a full name.

Applications should be sent to the email address provided in the attached job pack by 10am on Tuesday 28th January 2025. Applications received after this time, or which do not follow the requested process, will not be considered.

The first interviews are expected to take place in London in early February, provisionally on Wednesday 5th or Thursday 6th.

The MMHA is committed to increasing the diversity of our team. We would appreciate it if candidates could fill out our equal opportunities monitoring form. This is anonymous and will not be linked to applications.

We are keen to ensure that our recruitment process helps us find the best candidate for the role, not the candidate who is best at completing applications and carrying out job interviews. If there is anything we can do to assist you in the recruitment process, if you have any queries, or if you would like an informal conversation about the role with the interim Chief Executive, Justin Irwin, please contact us on the recruitment email address provided in the attached job pack.

The successful candidate will be appointed subject to satisfactory references and will need to undertake a DBS and other employment checks. 

Therapy Coordinator

Location: Hybrid working – HERSANA Offices (Crawley and Croydon) 1 day per week and homeworking (with travel as required)
Salary: £45,000 per annum
Hours: 35 hours per week
Department: Clinical
Job Type: Full time
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract

ABOUT US

HERSANA CIC is a non-profit organisation providing tailored support to Black femmes who have faced all forms of gender-based violence (GBV). Our commitment lies in offering a unique service shaped by and for Black femmes, ensuring a holistic approach to addressing the intersectional needs of Black women, Black non-binary people, and Black trans individuals who identify with and feel safe within femme-led spaces.

Our vision as an organisation and for our community is that one day we will live in a society where Black femmes feel confident in reporting their experiences, accessing holistic support services, and being believed, empowered, and supported on their journey to recovery. We envision a society where support services, policies, and communities work together to provide compassionate, culturally informed care and where every Black woman can find the resources she needs to rebuild and thrive.

Our mission is to create wholistic, gender-specialist, culturally specific and trauma-informed safe spaces for Black women and girls affected by or at risk of gender-based violence across England and Wales, as well as campaign to eradicate violence against women and girls in all its forms. We aim to centre Black femmes in every narrative and to provide these services in a safe and Black femme only environment. Over the years, our service has sought to support and empower Black femme survivors to cope and build resilience, be better informed, reduce the risk of further victimisation, improve health and wellbeing, and receive the right support. HERSANA provides advocacy services to clients who have experienced or are at risk of all forms of GBV. Our Independent Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocates and dedicated team offer holistic support to survivors navigating the criminal justice system, housing, health, and other immediate and long-term needs.

As a leading expert on violence against women and girls, HERSANA provides accredited and tailored training to a wide range of statutory professional services and workshops to schools, colleges and community groups. We use the knowledge gained through working on the frontlines with clients to advocate for national and local policy change, to improve outcomes statutory guidance for Black femme victims and survivors of GBV. We equally contribute to ongoing research and knowledge development on Black femme specific subjects. We push for legislative change, improved statutory guidance for victims, and better understanding of the needs of Black femmes around the country. These resources reflect our dedication to enhancing understanding, support, and empowerment within our community. Additionally, we provide in-person and online therapeutic support to our service users in Sussex, Surrey, and London. Our daily work aims to contribute to and create value within the sector, ensuring Black femmes are not just accommodated but become principal players in the design, delivery, and access to support services

BEING A THERAPY COORDINATOR AT HERSANA

As an experienced Therapy Coordinator you will manage the delivery of and hold clinical responsibility for developing our adult and young people therapy service in London, Surrey and Sussex. The successful candidate will hold a counselling/therapy qualification and will have at least 2 years post-qualification experience of working with people affected by gender-based violence/abuse. You will also hold a BACP, UKCP or HCPC accreditation and have a depth of knowledge, understanding and experience of trauma informed therapeutic support, safeguarding and possess good all-round IT skills.

You will have experience of recruitment, induction, training and line management. You will have experience in delivering clinical supervision or be a skilled and experienced manager who demonstrates a commitment to Black feminist principles and has demonstrable experience of implementing these principles. If successful, you will also be part of the HERSANA Management Team which has operational responsibility for the day-to-day management of HERSANA and its services, in order to meet the aims and objectives of the organisation.

You will be highly organised, self-motivated, and passionate about ending gender-based violence and creating safe spaces for survivors. You will have a "can-do" approach and demonstrable commitment to HERSANA's feminist approach to supporting Black women and girls to be safer.

You will receive training and support for this role, as necessary.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, you’ll need to complete the Application Form, including the Equal Opportunities Monitoring Section. When completing it please relate your application to the requirements stated in the attached person specification, as shortlisting for interview is dependent on the extent to which your application matches these. We are unable to accept CVs.                                           

The deadline for applications is Saturday 15th February 2025.

Benefits: 25 days holiday per year, plus UK public holidays. Flexible working. 5% employer pension contributions. Learning and development. Retailer and restaurant discounts.

REF-219075

XLP is a vibrant youth work charity dedicated to shaping bright futures for young people. Leading the charge against poverty and educational failure in inner London, we offer holistic, long-term support to 11 to 25 year olds in both schools and communities.

Our Sports Team work across London running 18 sports projects a week using gym sessions and football and running.  These sessions form part of our wider community work in which we run 25 sessions a week on our mobile youth centres which encourage, motivate and mentor young people towards positive futures.​ These sessions enable a team of experienced youth workers to provide a range of services for young people. Whether table tennis or trivial pursuit, cooking or competitions, games consoles or group discussions, FIFA or Forza, we use our mobile youth centres to help London’s young people create their positive future. We pride ourselves on being able to provide a safe and consistent environment where young people can grow. ​​

We’re looking for a Senior Youth Worker to join the team to enable us to continue this amazing youth work. As well as to grow our current offer for girls and young women. You’ll also increase young people's physical participation in sports and fitness activities and help them develop greater life skills and more positive relationships along the way.

There is an occupational requirement that this newly created role is performed by a female: we are particularly wanting to grow our fitness and sports activities for girls and young women and provide a supportive and safe environment we are therefore welcoming applications from females for this position.

Our Sports motto is Set it, Reach it, Beat it. Could you help a young person reach their goals?​

It is an occupational requirement under the Equality Act 2010 (Schedule 9, part 1) for this post to be filled by a woman.

About the organisation
For nearly 50 years, nia has provided high quality, women-led services across North and East London. nia has three main aims: to provide services for women, children and young people who have experienced male violence, working to end men’s violence against women and girls, and to inform and influence policy and public awareness.

nia’s values, and our commitment to upholding them, set us apart. We put women first – always and without hesitation: we believe women, we are run by women, for women. We leave no woman behind: we challenge inequality and discrimination and believe that uniting women of all backgrounds is essential to ending the sex-based oppression of women.

East London Rape Crisis provides free, confidential specialist support for women and girls who have been raped or experienced any other form of sexual violence or abuse at any time in their lives, regardless of whether or not they have reported to the police. We offer confidential and independent support. Services include advocacy, emotional and practical support, one-to-one counselling and group work.

About the post
The post is currently funded until September 2025 with a possibility of extension.
In the role of Social Justice Counsellor, you will provide one to one counselling and group therapy to survivors of sexual violence. You will also be championing the role that counselling plays in addressing social justice causes that women we support are affected by. You will work as part of a growing feminist Rape Crisis service that is developing to meet the needs of women and girls.

About you
We’re looking for a highly organised and self-motivated woman who is passionate about ending violence against women, girls and children. You’ll have a ‘can-do’ approach and demonstrable commitment to nia’s feminist approach to supporting women and their children to be safer.

CV’s will not be accepted.

Closing date: 10am, Monday 20th January 2025

Interview date: Thursday 30th January, Tuesday 11th February and Thursday 13th February 2025

The post is subject to an enhanced vetting and barring check and open to women only. Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR), Schedule 9 (Work; Exceptions), Part 1 (Occupational Requirements), of the Equality Act (2010) applies.

CEO

Location: The Clockhouse, Defiance Walk, Hybrid
Salary: £61,858 - £65,344
Hours: Full Time

Her Centre, a women’s advice and advocacy service in Greenwich, provides advocacy for women who have experienced domestic and sexual violence, working in our accredited domestic abuse service. 

After 17 years our current CEO is retiring, and we are seeking a woman with the right skills, experience and commitment to continue to support and develop our vital service. The new post will be full time 32 hours a week over 4 days. At least 3 days are needed in the office to build team rapport and oversee the service. 

With a strong and experienced management team the new CEO will need to focus on fundraising. She will have the skills to bring in revenue from trusts, maintain good links with Greenwich council, and facilitate the trustee meetings and decision making. 

Salary is set on the NJC PO 10 scale 51-54, £61,858 to £65,344. Closing date is Friday 7th February, with interviews in week of the 10th or 17th February and second interview in early March. We are exempt from equalities act

REF-219042

Job Title: Young Person's Advocate

Location: The Gaia Centre, Lambeth, London
Salary: £28,104 per annum, including London weighting if applicable
Contract type: Full Time, Permament

Hours: 37.5 hours per week - Operating hours of the service are 8:00am - 6:00pm Monday- Friday with the expectation to work on some days 8:00am - 4:00pm or 10:00am- 6:00pm to cover operational hours of the service.

This is an opportunity to join Refuge as a Young People’s Advocate. Suitable candidates must be experienced in advocating in a multi-agency setting to secure positive life outcomes for your clients and to making the service a success.

You will be self-sufficient, assertive and possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills combined with empathy and sensitivity to build and develop supportive relationships with young people. You will maintain professional boundaries and adhere fully to Refuge’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

In the role the key responsibilities will be to be methodical and well-organised, with proven experience of providing direct emotional, practical and welfare support, ideally within a relevant field such as a refuge, children’s advice centre or residential setting. You must have experience in identifying and responding to the risks to and needs of survivors of domestic violence. With an up-to-date knowledge of relevant civil and criminal legislation, you will have a demonstrable ability to use Microsoft Office and the ability to build and develop supportive relationships with young people affected by domestic violence.A Safe Lives qualification is desirable.

This post is restricted to women due to the nature of the role. The Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9 (part 1) of the Equality Act 2010 applies. 

Closing Date: 24 January 2025

Interview Date: 31 January 2025

About the organisation
For nearly 50 years, nia has provided high quality, women-led services across North and East London. nia has three main aims: to provide services for women, children and young people who have experienced male violence, working to end men’s violence against women and girls, and to inform and influence policy and public awareness.

nia’s values, and our commitment to upholding them, set us apart. We put women first – always and without hesitation: we believe women, we are run by women, for women. We leave no woman behind: we challenge inequality and discrimination and believe that uniting women of all backgrounds is essential to ending the sex-based oppression of women.

East London Rape Crisis provides free, confidential specialist support for women and girls who have been raped or experienced any other form of sexual violence or abuse at any time in their lives, regardless of whether or not they have reported to the police. We offer confidential and independent support. Services include advocacy, emotional and practical support, one-to-one counselling and group work. The service is provided across Barking & Dagenham, Hackney, Havering, Redbridge, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

nia is a professionally approved member of Rape Crisis England and Wales; an umbrella organisation supporting Rape Crisis Centres across the country. Rape Crisis is completely independent of the government and the criminal justice system.

About the post
We are seeking to recruit to the following post:
Job Title: East London Rape Crisis Counsellor (Employed)
Job Ref: nia 179
Hours: 28 hours per week (2x 14-hour posts will be considered)
Salary: £24,400-£27,200 (£30,500- £34,000 pro rata depending on experience and qualification, rising incrementally by £500/year to a maximum of £34,000) for 28 hours per week
£12,200 - £13,600 (£30,500- £34,000 pro rata depending on experience and qualification, rising incrementally by £500/year to a maximum of £34,000) for 14 hours per week
Location: The post involves travel and working across East London

The post is currently funded until September 2025 (with a possibility of extension).
In the role of Counsellor, you will provide one to one counselling and group therapy to adult women who are survivors of sexual violence. You will work as part of a growing feminist Rape Crisis service that is developing to meet the needs of women and girls. Counselling is delivered face to face, online and via the phone. We are looking for counsellors who can provide a commitment of 14-28 hours a week of counselling services.

About you
We are looking for a highly organised and self-motivated woman who is passionate about ending violence against women, girls and children. You will have a ‘can-do’ approach and demonstrable commitment to nia’s feminist approach to supporting women and their children to be safer and well.

CV’s will not be accepted.

Closing date: 10am, Monday 20th January 2025

Interview date: Thursday 30th January, Tuesday 11th February and Thursday 13th February 2025

The post is subject to an enhanced vetting and barring check and open to women only. Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR), Schedule 9 (Work; Exceptions), Part 1 (Occupational Requirements), of the Equality Act (2010) applies.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a dedicated team to deliver person centered and bespoke trauma informed support to vulnerable women in Luton. 

As part of a new provision, this service will be open to women who experience sexual exploitation and are dependent on drugs/alcohol, and will offer stable and psychologically informed support in safe, secure surroundings they can call their home. 

The service will work in collaboration with multiple services and partners, to embrace a flexible, strengths based approach, displaying tolerance, recognition and understanding the impact trauma can have on behaviour.   

The service will engage with women who are sexually exploited and are facing homelessness due to multiple forms of exclusion, such as historical or ongoing abuse, involvement in the criminal justice system, mental health challenges, drug and/or alcohol dependency and who are engaging in survival sex or sex work, enduring high levels of violence and coercion.  These are women who often find themselves repeatedly going through the accommodation pathway and have exhausted all other available options.

We are looking for Relief bank Support Mentors to work with a passionate and committed team focused on delivering essential support and safe accommodation to sexually exploited women in Luton who suffer extreme levels of violence, coercion and trauma. 

You will support and empower our residents and participants to maintain their health and wellbeing, to be part of the wider community and help them to lead more fulfilling lives. You will be involved in organising and delivering stimulating and engaging groups and activities across our sites to address the challenges faced by our residents and participants, to support them on their journey towards independent living.

We will be holding a recruitment day for this service on the 14th of January 2024 in Luton.  (This is a Women's Service and we will not be accepting applications from men).

ABOUT THE SERVICE

The service will consist of 11 self-contained flats, plus one sit-up space for women in crisis and private space for keywork sessions.   The accommodation has been designed to offer women their own homes, behind a protected front door.    This model is delivered locally in mixed units and has shown that people with a range of needs can thrive in this type of accommodation. 

The service will embrace a flexible approach, displaying tolerance, recognition and understanding the impact trauma can have on behaviour.   The service will remain conscious of the societal tendency to unconsciously exhibit bias against women, whereby behaviours considered acceptable from males are often deemed unacceptable for females due to ingrained gender stereotypes.   Sexually exploited women will not be expected to change to fit into a service model, rather the service model is designed to support women with high levels of trauma and a complex array of support needs and behaviours.

The service will provide tailored support on an individual basis, adopting an intensive, strengths based, person-centered approach in collaboration with multiple services and partners as required.   The service will work with each client on a co-produced, comprehensive support plan where the priorities are set by the client. 

Support plans will include:

• Health and mental health needs
• Drug/alcohol and other dependencies
• Exploitation
• Exiting sex work
• Risk and resilience
• Self-care
• Offending
• Relationships
• Move-on/Resettlement
• Education/training/employment

If you have the passion, creativity, and tenacity to make a real difference in people's lives, challenge stigma and make our communities safer, we would love to hear from you!

ABOUT YOU

You will be creative and able to support and implement new ideas and initiatives, being a team player and able to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds! You will be able to use your own lived experience to support and empower others, whilst recognising the diversity of experience and journeys that our residents and participants have. We’re looking for someone who is passionate about what we do and can live through our values and culture to help make a difference. 

What we are looking for:

• Basic IT – ability to learn new software programs, including Microsoft
• Excellent communication skills both written and oral relationship building
• Ability to manage own workload and determine priorities – time management skills.
• Able to manage emotionally challenging, distressing and potentially triggering situations
• Able to work as part of a team with internal and external partners

What we would like, but not essential:

• Experience coordinating and/or delivering activities and interventions to vulnerable people
• Experience working with complex needs and challenging behaviour

OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support our residents to achieve their personal goals, in line with their support plan, liaising with internal and external professionals.
• Plan, implement and promote a range of internal and external activities and programme opportunities.
• Empower our residents and participants to make decisions and take control over their lives, by creating a positive and enabling environment.
• Recognise signs of deteriorating mental health or general wellbeing, initiative appropriate support and interventions.
• Support the team, residents and participants with knowledge of your own lived experience, coping mechanisms, and other relevant information and guidance.
• Deliver harm reduction advice and educate others whilst working alongside professionals.

Other responsibilities than those described above may be required to be undertaken from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as it is within the capability and level of the position. 

Further details of the role, responsibilities and key criteria can be found in the JDPS attached.

WORKING FOR US

ABOUT US

Social Interest Group (SIG) believes good care and support improve lives. Our values of ambition, empowerment, transparency, and inclusivity drive everything we do. Our mission is to empower people who are marginalised by building powerful partnerships and creative solutions that bridge gaps in provision and aid recovery, reablement and resettlement.

SIG is a not-for-profit organisation providing thousands of people with good-quality support and care in residential, drop-in centres, community floating support settings (including people's own homes), probation settings, and hospitals awaiting discharge. We do so across London, Brighton, Bedfordshire, Luton, and Kent. We believe in the power of well-planned, well-managed services to make a difference. We work with high standards and external and internal regulatory frameworks.

Want to know how we work? Watch our short Theory of Change video to see how we support people towards a brighter future: Theory of Change

Further details can be found on our website here: Theory of Change - Social Interest Group - Social Interest Group. 

Our Values

Ambition – Eager to succeed and to accomplish as much as possible for our people

Empowerment – Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential

Transparency – Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff

Inclusivity – Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please note that this job advert may close early due to screening applications on an ongoing basis. We advise applying as soon as possible for your application to be taken into consideration at the early stages.

Additional information on our company policies including Gender Pay, Equality and Diversity, Company Benefits and our Candidate Privacy Policy can be found on our website.

We are looking for a bold, ambitious, and dynamic Director of Fundraising and Communications to lead our first ever Fundraising and Communications team as we celebrate our 40th year. 2025 will also see the Charity launch a new brand, and new name as we change from Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) to Rape Crisis South London (RCSL).

Working closely with the CEO, and as part of a newly formed Senior Leadership Team, you will play a crucial role in creating and implementing our ambitious plans. You will lead on creating a strong fundraising culture across the organisation and build a fundraising mindset into our marketing and communications. You will lead the development and implementation of a new fundraising strategy, including working with teams across the organisation to build a funding pipeline that not only sustains our current services in the longer term but increases income in line with our strategy for growth. This will include diversifying our income through generating a mix of funds from trusts and foundations, corporate partners, individual giving and community fundraising. You will also support the development and delivery of our Communications Strategy. 

This is a career-defining role, working with a wonderful and passionate team. If you share our ambition and our values, we will give you the resources and support you need to succeed. You'll have a programme of activity to enthuse and engage the support we need to fulfil our mission of providing specialised counselling, support and independent advocacy for women who have experienced rape or sexual violence.

The successful applicant will be able to demonstrate their support for Rape Crisis South London’s values and commitment to feminist principles.

The position is offered as permanent, full-time opportunity, with three days in the office. The 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.

To apply, please upload with an up-to-date CV and cover letter (of up to 1,500 words) identifying how you meet the essential and any desirable qualifications, skills and experience by clicking on the ‘Apply’ button.