Programme Lead

About EdShift

EdShift is an arts-based charity supporting children and young people affected by domestic abuse. Our work sits at the intersection of creativity and care, creating spaces where children can feel safe, express themselves, and begin to make sense of their experiences through imaginative and relational practice.

The Role:

The Programme Lead is a practice-led, non-clinical role that combines a small caseload with responsibility for coordinating delivery, supporting practitioners, and maintaining strong relationships with schools and partners.

The role supports the effective running of SpotLight (early intervention) and InTouch (Tier 1 group provision), ensuring children and young people remain connected to EdShift and are supported safely across transitions in the pathway.

The Nature and Reality of the Work

This role sits across both direct work and coordination, requiring the ability to move between working alongside children and young people and holding oversight of the wider programme.

While the Programme Lead maintains a small caseload, much of the role involves supporting practitioners, strengthening relationships with schools, and ensuring children and young people are consistently engaged and safely supported.

The work involves maintaining visibility of children where there may still be ongoing risk in the home, even where support is lower intensity, and ensuring that no child is left without connection to the service.

As with all roles at EdShift, there will be exposure to complex and sometimes distressing material. This requires emotional resilience, professional curiosity, and the ability to remain grounded and boundaried, while contributing to a supportive team culture.

Support, Supervision, and Practice Frameworks

EdShift is explicit about both the challenges and the support structures within this role. We have robust frameworks in place, including:

• Line management
• Reflective practice
• Case management
• Weekly safeguarding and case discussion meetings

The Programme Lead also plays an active role within these frameworks, contributing to safe, consistent, and accountable practice across the team.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking a Programme Lead who:

• Is confident in supporting and guiding practitioners in their day-to-day work
• Understands the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people and can respond thoughtfully to complexity
• Has a strong, working knowledge of safeguarding, risk, and multi-agency processes
• Can build and maintain strong relationships with schools and external partners
• Values creativity, connection, and relational practice alongside structure and accountability
• Is organised, proactive, and able to balance multiple responsibilities

This Job Profile outlines the main purpose and responsibilities of the role Programme Lead at EdShift CIO. Duties are indicative and may evolve in line with service development and organisational need. Post holders are expected to work flexibly within the scope and level of the role.

Key purpose of post

The Programme Lead will coordinate and strengthen the delivery of EdShift’s community-based support for children and young people affected by domestic abuse.

This is a practice-led, non-clinical role combining:

• A small caseload within SpotLight (early intervention)
• Coordination and development of InTouch (Tier 1 group provision)
• Oversight and support of Community Practitioners
• Strong relationship management with partner schools and organisations

The role plays a key part in ensuring children and young people receive consistent, trauma-informed support, remain connected to the service, and do not fall through gaps in the pathway.