Youth Support Worker Jobs

Your new company
Your new company is a leading health research charity dedicated to fighting diseases that impact children. The organisation funds research into the causes and treatment of diseases, supports families dealing with childhood diseases and raises awareness. This role is working in a flexible, welcoming and high-performing team which pride themselves on developing staff and creating a culture in which employees can perform at their best.

Your new role
Your new role will be responsible for raising significant funds through securing new business partnerships and writing successful bids and grants. This will include:

• Researching and identifying relevant grant and bid opportunities from government agencies, trusts and foundations, pharmaceutical organisations, charities and other funding sources.
• Preparing persuasive grant proposals and applications with the support of the wider research team.
• Track and report on grant progress, ensuring compliance with funding requirements and timely submission of reports.

What you'll need to succeed
To be successful in applying for this position, you will need to have 2+ years' experience in a similar grant, trust or bid-writing role directed towards successfully generating funds for a charity or commercial organisation. A successful applicant will be able to work autonomously and effectively manage stakeholders of varying seniority with competing priorities. It is considered heavily advantageous if you have previous experience of raising funds for a research-based charity.

What you'll get in return
You will have the opportunity to work with a leading, well-established charity who operate with purpose at the core of all they do. This is a fantastic opportunity for any candidates with private sector experience, seeking a change to the purpose-driven sector. Further to this, flexible working options are available with a team culture that rewards collaboration and successful performance.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

Your new company
Your new company is a leading health research charity dedicated to fighting diseases that impact children. The organisation funds research into the causes and treatment of diseases, supports families dealing with childhood diseases and raises awareness. This role is working in a flexible, welcoming and high-performing team which pride themselves on developing staff and creating a culture in which employees can perform at their best.

Your new role
Your new role will be responsible for raising significant funds through securing new business partnerships and writing successful bids and grants. This will include:

• Engaging potential grantees, donors, sponsors, and partners, including corporate organisations, government departments and agencies & foundations
• Researching and identifying relevant grant and bid opportunities from government agencies, trusts and foundations, pharmaceutical organisations, charities and other funding sources.
• Preparing persuasive grant proposals and applications with the support of the wider research team.
• Track and report on grant progress, ensuring compliance with funding requirements and timely submission of reports.

What you'll need to succeed
To be successful in applying for this position, you will need to have 3+ years' experience in a similar grant, trust or bid writing role directed toward raising funds for a charity. A successful applicant will be able to work autonomously and effectively manage stakeholders of varying seniority with competing priorities. It is considered heavily advantageous if you have previous experience of raising funds for a research-based charity.

What you'll get in return
You will have the opportunity to work with a leading, well-established charity who operate with purpose at the core of all they do. Further to this, flexible working options are available with a team culture that rewards collaboration and successful performance.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C's, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays.co.uk

Research and Evidence Officer
Reporting to: Deputy CEO, with dotted line to Campaigns and Influencing Manager
Salary: £31,200 per annum
Contract: Full-time, permanent. We are open to discussing flexible or part-time working.
Benefits: Access to a defined contribution pension and 25 days annual leave per year (pro rata) + three working days between Christmas and New Year.
Location: Hybrid working, with 2-3 days in the office (currently core team days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays) Shoreditch, London E2 8JF

About the role

Agenda’s Research and Evidence Officer will play a key role in our data, evidence and research and workstreams.

They will design, hold and deliver research projects; centre women and girls’ voices through coproduction; share evidence and insights with the wider team, trustees, and funders; and produce a range of materials, including reports and briefings, for different kinds of external audiences.

They will gather a range of evidence through data collection and desk-based research, and carry out research, using interviews, focus groups and data analysis as well as less-traditional research methods.

Responsibilities include:

• Conduct desk-based, primary, secondary, qualitative and quantitative research, including; submitting Freedom of Information requests; analysing data and evidence from a range of sources; conducting interviews and focus groups; and other evidence gathering as necessary to develop clear cases for change across the issues Agenda Alliance works on.
• Design and maintain systems, project plans and research methodologies to develop evidence across Agenda’s priority areas, centring voices of women and girls with lived experience of the areas we work on, and the expertise of Alliance members.
• Produce engaging ways of sharing Agenda’s learning and communicating research findings, including through writing reports and briefings, and providing other members of the team with evidence and insights for their work, including the Communications and Campaigns Coordinator, and the Policy and Public Affairs Officer.
• Grow and maintain relationships with a network of organisations, practitioners and experts, including systems of engagement and intelligence gathering (e.g. online, focus groups, roundtables, project visits).
• Work closely with the rest of the team to develop evidence to inform Agenda’s policy positions, campaigns and influencing.
• Engaging with stakeholders, decision makers, politicians and government officials as appropriate.
• Work with the wider team to embed and utilise effective monitoring and impact evaluation processes for our research activities.
• Lead on embedding anti-racist and trauma-informed approaches into our evidence and research practice.

About you

We’re looking for an experienced researcher, with a background working with experts by experience, committed to embedding women and girls’ voices in research in a trauma-informed way.

We’re seeking someone who can demonstrate compassionate, person-centred research skills, an ability to understand and analyse quantitative and qualitative data, and an appetite for designing new projects and processes to uncover evidence and insights.

This is an exciting and varied role, providing the right candidate with a unique blend of in-depth research; using evidence to inform policy-influencing and campaigns; and engaging experts by experience. It is ideal for someone who has experience of research and data analysis, but is interested in centering the lived experience of women and girls, alongside the front-line experience of our members, to develop insights for change.

We are less interested in your qualifications, and more interested in your values, background and both lived and learned experience. We are actively trying to diversify our team, so if you are from the Black, Asian and minoritised communities, identify as LGBTQ+, have a disability, and/or bring lived experience relevant to the areas we work in, we would love to hear from you.

Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 23 March 2025
We will shortlist by 25 March and first round interviews will be held on Monday 31 March.
If you are shortlisted following your first interview, there will be a second round on Thursday 3 April in which you will discuss the role and your approach with one or two experts by experience who we work with.
Please keep those dates clear if you apply.

Interested?

Please scroll down to the bottom of the advert to download the job pack, here you will find full information about the position.
When applying through the job board, you will need to send us your CV and cover letter of no more than two pages answering the questions below. In your cover letter, please state where you saw the role advertised. 

Cover letter questions:

1. Why does this role appeal to you, and what about your experience makes you feel it is a good fit for you?
2. Tell us about a piece of research, data analysis or evidence production which you feel particularly proud of. What went well, what impact did it have, and what learning would you take from this into future projects?
3. What opportunities do you see to embed and amplify the voices of women and girls with lived 

Equal opportunities 
Agenda Alliance selects all candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications, experience and ability to do the role advertised. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability (physical or learning), gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

We will provide reasonable support to disabled applicants throughout the recruitment process. Please contact us to identify any additional support that you may require to enable you to make an application.

Because our work is about centring women and girls’ experiences, and our organisation is led by and for women and girls, this post is open to women only (exempt under the Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, part 1). When Agenda refers to women and girls, we mean cisgender, intersex, and transgender women and girls, alongside nonbinary people who experience misogyny.

APPLICATIONS SENT WITHOUT A COVER LETTER WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

No agencies please.

Key Information:

Location: Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, London and Manchester (hybrid working pattern).

We will be prioritising applications for the Nottingham, Bristol and Newcastle locations in line with our regional development strategy.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week (flexible working around core hours of 10am-4pm)

Start Date: 11th August 2025

Duration: 18-month graduate programme with optional apprenticeship opportunity upon completion. Permanent contract from August 2025. 

Salary: £26,575 per annum (Bristol, Manchester, Nottingham and Newcastle), £29,150 (London).

Deadline: Wednesday 9th April at 12pm (noon).

Early applications are encouraged as we will be assessing them, and inviting candidates for assessment centres on an ongoing basis.

Assessment Centres will take place across April and May. They will be conducted on Zoom and consist of 2 tasks over 70 minutes: An interview, and a pre-prepared presentation (we will send out the task brief upon invite to Assessment stage).

About upReach

Do you think that your socio-economic background should determine your career prospects?

upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has an equal opportunity to realise their full career potential. Our work is important because right now a student from a disadvantaged background who gains a first-class degree from a top university is less likely to secure an elite job than a more privileged student with a 2.2.

We are an award-winning charity employer working to address this issue in partnership with employers and universities. We help undergraduates from lower socio-economic backgrounds achieve their career potential by providing an intensive programme of support that addresses socio-economic barriers to graduate employment. 

To find out more about how we support our students, visit our website and read our Annual Report, and Impact Report. 

About the Role

upReach is recruiting for our unique Future  Charity  Leaders  Programme (FCLP). This is a great opportunity for anyone who is passionate about social mobility, and looking to gain exposure to  various aspects of charity management whilst working with university  students who are exploring their career options. We welcome applications from those in the corporate world who are looking for a career change as well as recent graduates wanting to kick-start their career in the third sector.

About the FCLP

upReach’s Future Charity Leaders Programme (FCLP) is a graduate programme combining delivery work (supporting our Associates) with exposure to a range of aspects of charity management. 

As a Programme Coordinator on the FCLP you will be delivering personalised employment-focused support to a cohort of approximately 80 Associates, helping transform their lives by equipping  them with the necessary skills to secure a top graduate job. During a typical week, you should expect to be working across a range of projects including 1:1 undergraduate coaching, group workshops, webinars (we refer to them as Video Forums), partnership management (with university partners or employer partners) and more!

In addition to this, the programme offers the opportunity to develop skills in key areas of charity management by participating in 3 rounds of six-month 'rotations'. After your initial 18 months and the completion of 3 six-month rotations, you will have the opportunity to undertake an apprenticeship in Leadership and Management to further develop your skills.

Throughout the programme, you will receive dedicated internal training developing your leadership skills and building your confidence in the role.

Through our partnership with The Circle Line, you will be part of a supportive peer group, offered regular personal development training workshops online and in-person on their '12 Tools for Life'. You will also be able to choose your own practitioner to support you with 1:1 sessions throughout the programme to help you unlock more of your unique potential.

What will I be doing?

The FCLP is a fast-paced but rewarding role. Programme Coordinators spend 80% of their time (4 days per week) working directly with associates to enhance their career knowledge and skills and 20% (1 day per week) on a charity management rotation (or an apprenticeship after 18-months). No two days are the same, but your responsibilities may include:

• Building and maintaining strong relationships with Associates, helping them to achieve their career goals 

• Developing and delivering professional development-focused support

• Individual and small group work with Associates 

• Assisting Associates with their applications to undergraduate positions and graduate jobs 

• Developing sector and/or employability skill knowledge while building resources to aid all Associates 

• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with university and/or employer partners 

• Delivering informative workshops to enhance sector knowledge and employability skills

• Planning, delivering and reporting on events and workshops with partners

When applying for this role we ask that applicants are able to commit to the full 18-month training programme and we encourage participation in the apprenticeship scheme beyond this. As you will be working directly with our beneficiaries throughout their degree, this consistency will allow you to build bonds with your Associates and ensure continuity, thus allowing us to have the most impact for the young people we work with.

What Skills and Experience do I need?

This programme would be suited to individuals who are committed to upReach’s mission, motivated to work with undergraduates and interested in learning about, and gaining experience in, charity management. We are looking for people who are passionate about social mobility and believe that background should not be a barrier to graduate employment. 

Essential Skills/Experiences:

• Working in a fast-paced environment and working independently to find solutions to problems

• Strong organisational and time management skills with a keen eye for detail and the ability to manage a varied workload

• A University degree in any discipline, or equivalent experience

• Self-motivation and an ability to work in a small team as well as solo

• Excellent communication skills and strong written English

• The ability to engage and communicate confidently with undergraduates, corporate volunteers (mentors) and employers via phone, email, and in person

• Experience of public speaking or facilitating workshops 

Desirable Skills/Experiences:

• Knowledge of the graduate labour market in the UK and experience supporting individuals through an application process 

• Strong negotiation skills and experience in roles requiring influence

• Working in one or more of the career sectors that upReach support Associates in applying to.

Team Culture & Benefits: 

By joining the upReach team, you will be joining a team who are dedicated to encouraging you in your career journey and fostering an inclusive culture. 

We offer: 

• Flexible working, hybrid working and reduced Summer Hours (June-August)

• Statutory Holiday Entitlement of 25 days, plus bank holidays. (This increases to 27 days entitlement after 2.5 years and then to 30 days after 5 years of working with us)

• Enhanced Parental Leave beyond statutory requirements for all team members

• Birthday leave, 1 day of Volunteering leave and annual wellbeing days

• Optional extended unpaid leave during summer months

• 3% Pension Contribution, this increases to 5% after 5 years of working with us 

• Cycle-to-work scheme, Tech loan scheme

• Monthly socials, Annual in-person Team Day

• Dedication to Staff Wellbeing through our Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aid Training and Ethnic Minority Mentoring Scheme

• A range of discounts through the Charity Workers Discount and Tickets for Good websites

• The opportunity to participate in our fantastic staff networks: 

  • Disability and Inclusion Network

  • Ethnic Minorities Network 

  • Green Network 

  • LGBTQ+ Network

  • Mindfulness Network

  • Parents and Carers Network

  • Socio-economic background Network

Ready to apply?

We are dedicated to making our recruitment process inclusive. All applications will be blind screened, and our job packs are available in Braille, large text or another format upon request. We can provide reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment application process and on the job, and we'll always endeavour to be as accommodating as possible. 

Applications close at 12pm, Midday, Wednesday 9th April 

Equal Opportunities

upReach is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate in employment matters on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, sexuality, social background or any other protected class. We advocate for workplace diversity and believe it creates dynamic and effective organisations. We are working hard to increase diversity in our team and would particularly welcome applications from ethnic minority candidates.