Sutton Carers Centre

Overview of post: This is a 12-month paid internship starting in March 2026, supported by the Jack Petchey Internship Programme. The successful candidate must be available to take up the post by Monday 23rd March 2026. This internship is designed to provide a structured learning and development opportunity for someone interested in building a career in the youth, charity, and/or community sector. The post-holder will gain specialist knowledge working with unpaid Carers and their families, as well as exposure to how the broader health, social care, and education sectors operate. The post-holder will support the delivery of activities and breaks for Young Carers (YCs) and Young Adult Carers (YACs), including social, educational, and wellbeing groups, groups which support YC and YAC personal development, create opportunities to build friendships and peer support networks as well as provide time out from caring roles. They will help raise awareness of Young Carers by attending e.g. outreach events and school assemblies alongside staff, will contribute to identifying new YCs, and undertake a specific project focused on engaging more YACs aged . This project will involve researching their needs and preferences and piloting activities to meet these. Through Sutton Carers Centre s support and the additional opportunities provided by the Jack Petchey Internship Programme, this internship offers a high-quality, developmental experience for someone starting out in the sector. It could be particularly rewarding for someone who has lived experience of caring and/or wants to develop specialist knowledge and skills in this area. Principal Tasks Activity Delivery • Support the planning, organisation, and delivery of creative, educational, therapeutic and/or social group activities, workshops, and trips for YCs and YACs. • Attend school assemblies and other outreach events with colleagues to raise awareness of Young Carers and help identify new referrals. • Encourage YCs/YACs to participate in the planning and shaping of activities, including through forums and feedback. • Contribute to creating safe, inclusive, and positive environments where YCs/YACs feel valued and supported. Young Adult Carers Project • Lead a time-limited project to engage YACs (), engaging with currently identified YACs about their interests and barriers to participation. • Design and pilot a programme of activities and breaks based on findings, with support from colleagues. • Contribute ideas of how we can identify and support more YACs. • Share learning and recommendations with the wider team to inform future service delivery. Learning and Development • Take part in regular supervision, induction and a structured training programme, including safeguarding, project planning, group work, and communication skills. • Shadow colleagues across Sutton Carers Centre to build knowledge of Carer support and wider health and social care systems. • Receive mentoring to support professional and personal development. Partnerships and Networking • Work alongside staff to liaise with schools, colleges, and other community organisations, as well as colleagues in social care and health settings. • Build relationships with external partners, providing opportunities to network with other organisations and potential employers. • Help promote SCC s activities through newsletters, social media, and events. Monitoring and Evaluation • Support the collection of feedback and monitoring data from activities and events. • Assist with record keeping, reporting, and communications. Policies & Procedures: • Carry out the above duties with due regard at all times to the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, Data Protection & Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Environmental, Business Continuity, Health & Safety and all other policies and procedures of Sutton Carers Centre. Other Duties • To attend and take advantage of managerial and/or peer supervision, team/staff meetings and undertake appropriate training and any other professional or personal development. • To develop and maintain current and accurate personal knowledge of unpaid Carers issues and any statutory or legislative changes. • To participate in staff meetings, staff forums and training events. • To be flexible with your availability for working hours, as the role will include very occasional, weekend and evening work, for which you will receive TOIL. • To work as part of an overall team, contributing to the development of the Centre and participating in activities, fundraising and promotional events. • To undertake other duties as appropriate to the post, as agreed with your Line Manager. Developmental Opportunities As part of the Jack Petchey Internship Programme, (information here) the post-holder will also benefit from: • An individual £1,000 training budget. • A dedicated professional mentor for independent advice and guidance. • Four personal development workshops during the year. • The opportunity to be part of a peer support network of interns across London and Essex. • Participation in Action Learning Sets with other interns. • Attendance at a programme launch conference and an end-of-programme celebration. In addition, the intern will: • Gain experience of working directly with YCs and YACs. • Benefit from working within a passionate, ambitious and supportive team environment as well as a wider community of Sutton organisations determined to effect positive change for young people and their families. • Develop skills in activity planning, delivery, and evaluation. • Learn about safeguarding, equality, and inclusive practice. • Build competencies that will form a portfolio of evidence for future roles in the youth, charity and health and social care sectors. This Job Description is not prescriptive; it outlines the key tasks of the post-holder and is subject to change in consultation with the post-holder.