Vacancies

Pledge Development Lead

About the role

The care experienced pledge is being developed to support all children and young people in care and care leavers so that they can access a wide range of support and opportunities. Businesses and organisations across Northamptonshire will pledge a variety of things such as employment opportunities, discounts, wellbeing support and more that will all form part of the pledge that children and young people can access.

As the Pledge Development Lead, you will lead the development and continuous improvement of the Care Experienced Pledge, ensuring it remains responsive to the needs of children in care and care leavers across Northamptonshire.

Working in a hybrid role based at One Angel Square, with travel across the county, you will champion the voices of young people through engagement and co-production, working closely with care-experienced young people, social workers, Personal Advisers and the Children’s Rights Team.

You will build strong partnerships with businesses, community organisations and stakeholders to secure meaningful commitments that improve outcomes for young people. Using your communication, networking and influencing skills, you will identify opportunities to grow the pledge, develop strategic partnerships and ensure alignment with other Northamptonshire Children’s Trust initiatives, including the Fostering Pledge and local offers.

A key part of this role will be driving the ongoing success and growth of the pledge through effective project management, evaluation and stakeholder engagement. You will monitor impact, produce reports, develop communications content and identify new partnership and funding opportunities.

You will be a proactive, creative and resilient professional with experience in partnership development or corporate social responsibility, a strong understanding of the care system and a passion for improving the lives of care-experienced young people.

We welcome the opportunity to speak to any interested candidates so please feel free to email: Rachael.Tootell@nctrust.co.uk and they can agree a mutually agreeable time to call you.

In person interviews are planned for 03 September 2026.

What will you be doing?

Lead the development,delivery and continuous improvement of the Care Experienced Pledge, ensuring it meets the needs of children in care and care leavers.
Champion the voices of young people through engagement and co-production, working closely with care-experienced young people and key internal teamsusing inclusive and creative engagement methods so diverse voices are heard and valued.
Build and maintain partnerships with businesses, community organisations and stakeholders to secure meaningful commitments and opportunities.
Identify opportunities to grow the pledge, develop strategic partnerships and explore funding opportunities.
Ensure alignment with other Northamptonshire Children’s Trust initiatives, including the Fostering Pledge and local offers.
Monitor and evaluate the impact of the pledge, producing reports,communicationsand presentations for a range of audiences.
Represent and promote the pledge at meetings,events and networking opportunities across Northamptonshire.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.

About you

You will be a proactive, creative and resilient professional with experience in partnership development, business development or corporate social responsibility. With excellent communication and networking skills, you will be confident building relationships, influencing stakeholders and securing meaningful opportunities for children in care and care leavers.

You will have a strong understanding of the care system and a passion for championing the voices of care-experienced young people, ensuring their views shape the support and opportunities available to them.

With strong project management, organisational and problem-solving skills, you will be able to manage competing priorities, identify opportunities and deliver results. You will also be confident producing reports, analysing information and presenting to a range of audiences.

A minimum Level 3 qualification, at least two years' experience in a similar role, strong IT skills and the ability to travel across Northamptonshire are essential. Experience of funding applications, bid writing or developing communications content would be advantageous.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Barred List check

When applying please ensure your supporting statement details how you fulfil the essential criteria set out in the person specification as this will be used for shortlisting. You will need to provide a full employment history including any gaps since leaving full time education.

Our benefits

We are committed to continuous improvement, building a skilled, knowledgeable, and flexible workforce alongside promoting innovation and creativity whilst keeping children, young people and families at the heart of all we do.

We really value our workforce and offer you a great benefits package including:

28 days annual leave, plus 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata for part time) and an additional 5 days, after 5 years
Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health pension protection.
Opportunity to purchase up to 25 days annual leave
Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
Flexible and family working arrangements including enhanced maternity benefits
A permanent, supportive and inclusive management team where you will be empowered to make good professional decisions
Extensive Learning & Development and career development opportunities
Subsidised town centre car parking scheme

About us

At Northamptonshire Children’s Trust, children, young people and families are at the heart of everything we do. Every decision we make and every action we take is guided by our commitment to delivering high-quality services that make a lasting difference to the lives of children, young people and families across Northamptonshire.

We know that our people are our greatest strength. Our workforce is at the centre of our success, and we are committed to creating an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported and empowered to do the best job of their lives every day. We foster a culture built on kindness, collaboration and trust, where achievements are recognised, ideas are welcomed and innovation is encouraged.

We are proud of the positive impact we make together and delighted that our work has been recognised by Ofsted, with an Outstanding rating for Leadership and Management and Good ratings across Help and Protection, Children in Care and Care Leavers.

At NCT equality, diversity and inclusion are part of us and in everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and thrive in our organisation.  We are a Disability Confident employer and have a commitment to care leavers, who we guarantee an interview if they meet the essential criteria.

If you are passionate about making a difference and want to be part of an ambitious, supportive and forward-thinking organisation, Northamptonshire Children’s Trust could be the place for you.

Supporting Children – A Career That Matters

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