Age Well East is currently recruiting for an Operations Manager to lead and support its Advice & Welfare Service, helping people aged 60 and over across North East Essex and Braintree, with potential expansion into other areas of Essex.
This full-time, permanent role (37.5 hours per week) offers a salary of £36,000 and a hybrid working arrangement, combining home working, time at the Clacton office, and visits to community locations across Essex.
The Operations Manager will play a key role in overseeing the day-to-day delivery of the service. Responsibilities include supporting a team of Advice Caseworkers, a Carer Navigator and Senior Dementia Coordinators, supervising staff, managing referrals and case allocation, and providing guidance on complex issues relating to welfare benefits, housing and care. The postholder may also provide direct advice and information to clients where needed.
Working closely with colleagues and local partners, the role will help strengthen relationships with statutory and voluntary organisations, represent the service at meetings, and support community engagement activities to raise awareness of available support.
The position also involves monitoring service performance, contributing to contract reporting, reviewing case files to ensure quality standards, and gathering feedback and case studies to demonstrate the impact of the service. Ensuring compliance with Age Well East policies — including safeguarding, confidentiality, lone working and GDPR — will also be an important part of the role.
Age Well East is looking for candidates with experience or strong knowledge of welfare benefits and entitlements for older people, along with experience supervising staff or teams and managing complex situations with professionalism and sensitivity. Strong communication skills, attention to detail and the ability to build effective partnerships are essential.
A full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes is required. Desirable experience includes contract monitoring, service development, safeguarding practice, advocacy, CRM systems such as Salesforce, and qualifications in Advice, Information and Guidance.
You don’t have to do it alone ❤️ Discover local stop-smoking support groups, wellbeing services and community help near you with Essex Map.
Your healthier future could start today. 🔎 Find support near you: www.essexmap.co.uk
Helping people live healthier lives in Essex? Join Essex Map – it’s free to list your group or service and reach those who need your support. email: communications@essexalliance.org.uk
Across Essex, incredible women are leading groups, running services, supporting families, championing wellbeing and creating safe spaces for others to thrive — and you can find them all in one place on 👉 https://www.essexmap.co.uk/
The Essex Map is a free directory designed to help residents discover local community groups, charities and activities that make a real difference — not for profit, but for people.
✨ Looking for a women’s support group? ✨ Want to meet like-minded people? ✨ Ready to promote a group you run?
Let’s make women’s voices, spaces and achievements more visible this #InternationalWomensDay
🔎 Explore 📍 Connect 📣 Add your group – email: communications@essexalliance.org.uk
Author: Emily Smith
Posted:
Categories: Events, News
If your website isn’t accessible, you could be unintentionally shutting people out.
Accessibility isn’t just a technical requirement – it’s about making sure everyone can use and benefit from your website, including people with disabilities, older users, and those accessing services in different ways.
To help organisations take practical steps towards more inclusive digital spaces, Few and Far® are hosting a free webinar: “A Web for All.” on Wednesday 11th March 2026 at 11am.
What the webinar will cover
This two-hour session focuses on simple, practical ways to improve the accessibility and usability of your website. Rather than theory or jargon, the webinar will provide clear guidance and tools that you can start using straight away.
Topics will include:
Practical steps to improve website accessibility
Common barriers that prevent people from using websites
Tools and techniques to help you assess and improve your site
Realistic changes you can make without needing major redevelopment
Who should attend?
This webinar is ideal for:
Organisations responsible for managing a website
Communications and marketing teams
Community groups and charities
Anyone interested in making their online services more inclusive
Looking for a cosy weekend activity? Harlow Library are hosting Screentime Free Film Club every Saturday from 2pm – 4pm in the ACL Classrooms.
No need to book, and refreshments available at a small charge. Perfect for a relaxed Saturday afternoon.
Films showing include:
Saturday 28th February – Compañeros (1970)
Spaghetti Western with great Morricone soundtrack. Two men form an uneasy alliance rescue a pacifist professor and seize a fortune during the Mexican Revolution. English, 2hrs long.
Saturday 7th March – Belle de Jour (1967)
A wealthy yet emotionally repressed young housewife spends her afternoons secretly working in a high-class brothel. Gorgeous surreal film with costumes by Yves Saint Laurent. French with English subtitles, 1hr 40 mins long.
Saturday 14th March – Deep Red (1975)
An English pianist in Rome gets embroiled in a dangerous investigation after witnessing the brutal murder of a psychic, teaming up with a journalist to track down the serial killer. Italian with English subtitles, 2hrs long.
Saturday 21st March – The Smoking Fish (1977)
A cunning madam maintains control over her Caracas bordello, even as she manages, rotates and manipulates lovers and henchmen who vie for power with her operation. Spanish with English subtitles, 2hrs long.
Saturday 28th March – The Flesh and the Fiends (1960)
In 19th-century Edinburgh, an anatomist purchases fresh corpses from the notorious grave-robbing duo Burke and Hare. English, 1hr 40 mins long.
Saturday 4th April – The Yellow Teddy Bears (1963)
British social drama, with scenes filmed in Harlow swimming pool and good 60s style music. A group of schoolgirls wear a badge to show off their experience with men; Linda, their leader, fears she may be pregnant. English, 1hr 30 mins long.
Saturday 11th April – The Vagabond, Part 1 (1951)
Bollywood musical with ‘heaven and hell’ showstopper. A slum-dwelling thief falls for a privileged lawyer but unbeknownst to him, the judge presiding over his case is his estranged father. Hindi with English subtitles, 2hr 50 – this film will be shown in parts across two weeks.
Saturday 18th April – The Vagabond, Part 2
📍 Location: Harlow Central Library 🆓 Entry: Free (no booking required) ☕ Extras: Snacks & soft drinks available for a small charge
For the full programme, including film descriptions, see here: Film Programme
Could you volunteer to make a difference of a lifetime? Help us to support parents through pregnancy, birth & beyond…
Join us for our Community Support volunteer training courses this April!
We have courses running in North and South Essex:
COMMUNITY SUPPORT VOLUNTEER TRAINING -NORTH ESSEX – APRIL 2026 When: Wednesdays 15, 22, 29 April and 6 May 2026, 10:00am-1:00pm Where: Morrisons Community Room, Morrisons Little Clacton, Centenary Way, Little Clacton, Essex, CO16 9SB
COMMUNITY SUPPORT VOLUNTEER TRAINING – SOUTH ESSEX – APRIL 2026 When: Wednesdays 15, 22, 29 April and 6 May 2026, 10:00am-1:00pm Where: in-person training, venue tbc
Having a baby should be an exciting life changing event for any parent. However, this is not the case for all parents – at the moment, we are experiencing a huge demand for emotional support pre- and post-birth from mothers, fathers and birthing people.
Peer support can be a lifeline for parents who are feeling vulnerable, anxious or isolated. Some friendly, informal and free peer support can make the difference of a lifetime. We are looking for kind, friendly individuals who have a listening ear, who are non-judgemental and who have experience and an understanding of the pressure of having a baby.
To help meet the demand for support for families across Essex, we’re looking for volunteers to help support new and expectant parents at our outreach events. We currently run regular outdoor walk and talk sessions, antenatal information sessions, coffee mornings, fitness and first aid courses and would like volunteers to assist our friendly team at these events. We are also looking for Facebook Ambassadors and support at other events organised or attended by the Parents 1st team.
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What does the training involve?
Our volunteer training course is 4 weeks of 3-hour in-person training sessions. You will need to attend all 4 weeks to complete the training.
We will cover important topics such as safeguarding, boundaries of the role, communication, confidentiality and listening skills.
Our approach is friendly and relaxed so that you enjoy the experience whilst also building your knowledge and skills. You will also be offered ongoing support and training. Most of all we want to equip you to be a confident volunteer.
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Why should I volunteer?
Join the Parents 1st award-winning volunteering team and help to make a real difference to expectant and new parents.
Empathy, kindness and a listening ear can make a real difference to someone navigating pregnancy and parenthood. By providing non-judgmental support, you can help a parent feel heard respected and help build their confidence. Volunteering with Parents 1st is flexible and rewarding, and you can choose how much time you can give.
During your training and time supporting parents in Essex, you will get to know other volunteers, learn new skills, make new friends and build your confidence.
Some of our volunteers progress to providing one-to-one peer support to families during pregnancy and after birth. The Community Support training is the first step in building the skills to become a one-to-one peer support volunteer and a requirement before you can book on to further training.
Volunteering can be an amazing experience, and here at Parents 1st UK we highly value the contribution that our volunteers give to the communities we serve. In return, we endeavour to give our volunteers a rewarding and enjoyable experience, with full training and regular supervision sessions to ensure they’re prepared and feel supported themselves.
How do I get involved?
Book onto one of our training courses! For full details, please visit the Parents 1st website:
We’re pleased to announce that the Essex Alliance newsletter is back!
Thank you for your patience and understanding while we worked to resolve the recent issue that temporarily interrupted our regular updates. We know how important the newsletter is for keeping our community informed, connected, and up to date with the latest news, events, and opportunities across Essex.
Our team has now fully resolved the issue, and we’re excited to resume sharing valuable updates with you.
We truly appreciate your continued support and patience while we worked behind the scenes to get everything back on track.
If you have any questions or would like to contribute to a future newsletter, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via communications@essexalliance.org.uk
Essex VCSE Alliance Supporting Your Essex Community
We’re pleased to share that the Essex VCSE Alliance is now proudly supporting Your Essex Community.
The voluntary and community sector (VCS) plays a vital role in creating strong, resilient communities across Essex. From supporting residents to tackling local challenges and driving change, charities, community groups and social enterprises make a real difference every day.
To continue having that impact, organisations need the right support — and that’s where Your Essex Community comes in.
What is Your Essex Community?
Your Essex Community offers free support to all voluntary and community sector organisations in Essex. Its aim is to help the sector thrive by creating a more connected and collaborative environment.
It works with organisations to:
Minimise duplication
Maximise available resources
Make the best use of skills and community assets
Design and deliver solutions together
By strengthening connections and encouraging collaboration, it helps ensure the sector can continue meeting the needs of local communities.
Our Role
As the Essex VCSE Alliance, we’re proud to support this work — championing the sector’s voice, promoting partnership working, and helping organisations stay connected to wider opportunities and conversations.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more joined-up VCSE sector across Essex.
If you’re a charity, community group or social enterprise in Essex, we encourage you to find out more about the support available through Your Essex Community.
Find out more at www.youressexcommunity.org/welcome-your-essex-community
