Scotty's Little Soldiers - Head of Casework (START Programme)

Cobseo; Hartford; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A military support charity in the United Kingdom seeks a Programme Lead for the START initiative aimed at supporting individuals affected by military-connected bereavement. You will oversee operations, recruit and lead a small team, and ensure timely, compassionate support for bereaved families. Ideal candidates will have strong leadership skills, experience in service delivery, and excellent organizational abilities. This role also requires an understanding of military family dynamics, making it a vital position within the charity's mission to empower the bereaved community.

Qualifications

• Experience in casework or personalized support services.
• Ability to lead a programme from concept to delivery.
• Strong relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational planning and rollout of the START Programme.
• Recruit and support caseworkers, ensuring effective service delivery.
• Monitor beneficiary engagement and service outcomes.

Skills

Service delivery experience

Team leadership

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Job description

To lead the creation and delivery of Scotty's new navigating entitlements casework (START) Programme, a single point of contact service designed to support anyone affected by military-connected bereavement. This is a hands‑on, pioneering role. You'll help shape the infrastructure, recruit and lead a small squad of caseworkers, and ensure that everyone in the bereaved military community receives compassionate, personalised, and well‑coordinated support.

Service Design & Delivery

• Working closely with the Head of Service, lead the operational planning and phased rollout of the START Programme
• Develop and refine service model, workflows, triage criteria, and beneficiary journeys
• Own the SPOC offer, ensuring clear onboarding, needs assessments, support plans, and follow‑up
• Ensure the service is trauma‑informed, inclusive, and responsive to beneficiary feedback
• Manage your own caseload alongside Programme Head responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Help recruit and then directly support 1 initial caseworker (with potential to grow team in 2027 depending on demand)
• Provide coaching, oversight, and reflective practice opportunities for squad members
• Create a strong squad culture that reflects The Scotty's Way and encourages personal growth
• Lead START Programme Daily Huddles

Collaboration & Partnership

• Build strong referral pathways with external organisations (military & non‑military charities, NHS, social care)
• Become the charity's expert on navigating entitlements for the bereaved community
• Work collaboratively with other Programme leads to ensure consistency, shared learning & efficient internal referrals
• Support the Head of Service in forming partnerships that enhance START's offer

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Track and report on beneficiary engagement, support outcomes, and follow‑up actions
• Use insights, working with the Head of Research & Impact, to adapt and improve the service over time
• Ensure CRM records are complete, accurate, and used to inform delivery decisions

Contribution to Charity-Wide Goals

• Feed into cross‑functional projects including Outreach, Fundraising, and Strategy
• Act as a representative of Scotty's at sector events or external meetings where appropriate
• Support content development by sharing anonymised stories, insights, and themes

30‑Day Goals

• Built a deep understanding of Scotty's mission, our audience, the services we provide, and strategic direction
• Worked closely with the Head of SUPPORT to understand the history of Scotty's helping families navigate entitlements, including reviewing current and recent cases
• Began to map the key stakeholders, partners and organisations (including statutory, charitable and others) for casework in the START Programme

60‑Day Goals

• Scoped and met with key stakeholders
• Worked with Head of Service to map the new casework (START) programme and beneficiary journeys
• Worked with the Head of Service and the Head of Impact to ensure that processes are in place to monitor the outcomes and impact of the new START Programme
• With the Head of Service, supported the design of a light CRM for initial use in START casework
• Drafted all other necessary processes and procedures for casework including safeguarding, triage, wait time limits etc.
• Drafted a training plan for new START caseworkers

90‑Day Goals

• Launched the new START Programme
• Built strong partner networks for any needed referrals or information gathering to support casework
• Created a road map of future Programme releases (e.g. new services within the programme, themes, cohort specific activities etc.)

Must‑Have

• Experience in service delivery, casework, or personalised support services
• Ability to lead a new programme from concept to delivery
• Strong team leadership and relationship‑building skills
• Excellent organisational and communication skills

Nice‑to‑Have

• Familiarity with military family life or bereavement support
• Background in adult mental health, social care or wellbeing services
• Experience in service co‑design with users or lived experience groups
• Safeguarding knowledge or training

For over 15 years, Scotty's Little Soldiers has been supporting children and young people who have been bereaved of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. We are about to embark on an exciting journey which will see the charity evolve to support anyone affected by a military‑connected bereavement and ultimately empower a community of more than 25,000 bereaved individuals and their families by 2035. Founded in 2010 by Nikki Scott following the death of her husband, Corporal Lee Scott, the charity currently offers a unique blend of emotional, practical, and educational support to over 750 young people. We are proud of our vibrant, non‑traditional culture, which puts the needs of bereaved children and young people at the heart of everything we do. We embrace innovative approaches, are committed to creating smiles and believe in the power of community, resilience, and connection.

Requirements

• The role may require occasional evening or weekend work
• Enhanced DBS check required
• Travel will be required to events and team training days

The Scotty's Way

At Scotty's, our personal performance is only 50% of what success looks like. Our culture is equally important. When you join our team, you sign up to The Scotty's Way, rooted in our four core values: 1. Families Come First 2. Everyone a Supporter, Every Supporter a VIP 3. Love What You Do 4. Remember, Every Day Our values are further supported by our four non‑negotiable behaviours of Show Respect, Speak Up, Take Ownership and Actively Collaborate. We are looking for an individual who embodies these values and behaviours.