An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our ADHD Awareness Schools Training Team.
This valued service is commissioned by the Surrey Wellbeing Partnership and delivered under Mindworks, offering essential support to the Surrey community. As of April 2026, we are entering year 6 of a 7‑year contract, with the potential for a further 3‑year extension. The service has grown from strength to strength, with a significant number of Surrey state schools engaging in our training offer, provided free of charge to Surrey mainstream schools.
Our core aim is to raise awareness and deepen understanding of ADHD within school communities. Through our training, attendees gain insight into how ADHD may present in young people and explore practical strategies that schools can implement or adapt their current measures to best support their students. The service consistently receives positive feedback, highlighting its impact and value.
The team delivers a range of training formats to meet school needs, including:
- Inset day training (3‑hour or 5‑hour sessions)
- Twilight sessions (2‑hour sessions run after the school day)
- A newly developed 4‑week online course, currently in its pilot phase
This is a unique opportunity to contribute to an expanding, well‑respected service that is making a meaningful difference across Surrey schools.
The role: ADHD Awareness Trainer
Internal Role Title: Project Worker One
Flexible Working Hours (22.2 hours per week)
The role requires flexibility in how the 22.2 hours are worked across the week, often worked 3 days each week. Wednesdays are currently the busiest and most consistently booked day, with Tuesdays also seeing high demand. Working patterns may change in response to service needs, this is often known in advance as schools book their training in, weeks to months in advance. Our online 4-week course has set dates across the school year. This role is 38 weeks per year and falls in line with Surrey's school terms. Following a discussion with the team there has been a benefit to touching base before a term starts, for example the team had some admin time pencilled in late August to cater for sessions starting on 1
stSeptember. This happens often at the beginning end of a term/half term due to inset days.
The hours over the week are spent, but not limited to, delivering sessions, managing the inbox, planning the diary and making the bookings, discussing changes and developments to the programmes content, admin time to manage our internal records system, and attending wider ND Team meetings.
We have a hot desk office space based in leatherhead. This is where you will be able to claim your mileage to and from. Plus your commute working journey is based from this location. Travel to schools is Surrey wide.
When not delivering sessions in school the team work from home communicating via email, phone or teams calls. There is flexibility to work in the office together when needed and for team days as planned. Our team meetings are often held at a local garden centre once a month.
Criteria
- In‑Depth Understanding of ADHD/ND Conditions
Successful applicant will possesses strong knowledge of ADHD and its varied presentations, gained through professional and/or personal experience. Able to apply this expertise to support the team in meeting all contractual requirements. - Strong Team Player
Successful applicant will demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively and effectively within a small team. This position works alongside another practitioner. These two positions jointly oversee the delivery of the training and the referrals/enquiries coming into the service. - Reputational UnderstandingSuccessful applicant will understand that whilst in this role they are always representing Barnardo's and the Mindworks Alliance professionally.
- Adaptable, Approachable and Quick‑Thinking
Able to respond flexibly to the changing needs of the service while maintaining the high standards of delivery expected. Brings a positive, solutions‑focused approach and contributes actively to continuous team performance. - Confident Public Speaker
Comfortable delivering content to groups and sustaining engagement over extended periods. Demonstrates empathy, strong communication skills, and active listening to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment. Strong English language is essential. - Full UK Driving Licence, Access to a Car & Business Insurance
Holds a valid driving licence, has access to a vehicle, and is willing to obtain business car insurance. Travel across the whole of Surrey is required. - Ability to Work from a Suitable Home Environment
Has strong, reliable internet suitable for delivering online sessions, along with a safe, private, and distraction‑free workspace to ensure high‑quality and confidential delivery. - Session‑Driven Scheduling
Our online session diary is fully booked for the remainder of the academic year and will be shared with the successful applicant. Sessions must be delivered as scheduled, which means working days may vary.
While Wednesdays and Tuesdays are typically the most popular days, sessions may also be booked on other days. If a session is booked on a Monday, the post‑holder will be expected to work that day, as noted above notice of this is common due to schools booking training in advance. - Online Sessions Running Until 5:15pm/Face to Face Session end at 6pm
Some of our sessions, online and face to face can finish post 6pm. This is flexible to meet the demands of the session for example, questions from attendees and clear down time as well as administrative tasks. It is essential that the successful candidate is aware of this as it is a requirement of the role. - School‑Dependent Requirements
Demand may shift based on school timetables, including inset days, which influence when sessions are booked and delivered. - Travel Requirements Across Surrey
The role requires regular travel across Surrey to meet the needs of schools and partner organisations. Applicants must be prepared for varying locations depending on booking demand. Successful candidate must also source business car insurance at their expense. - Confident IT User and Experience
We use Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, TEAMS and MS Forms as well as our internal data storage system. Confidence navigating these systems is essential. - Willing to transport session materials such as projector, paperwork, sensory aids etc to and from sessions with some storage of these items at your home.
- Education Experience
Being able to develop our training and strategies to best meet our audience who are all school staff from Reception – Year 13. Any understanding or experience working in a school environment will be beneficial for the role but not essential.
If you would like a confidential conversation about this role please reach out to Children Services Manager Michaela Hussey on michaela.hussey@barnardos.org.uk or alternatively our Team Manager Diane Charles on diane.charles@barnardos.org.uk
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)
- Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
- Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
- The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
- A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
- Service related sick pay from day 1
- Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
- Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
- Cycle2work scheme
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
- 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
- Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
- Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
- Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer
*T&C's apply based on contract
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
- Reference number:22835
- Job Title:ADHD Awareness Trainer
- Location:Surrey Wellbeing Hub
- Contract type:Permanent (Fixed term funded post)
- End date:31 march 2028
- Hours:22.2
- Salary:£26,003 - £30,351 FTE Term Time only 38 weeks (£12,889 - £15,044 actual) plus Office at Home Allowance - £312 per annum FTE
- Closing Date:6 May 2026
- Interview Date:TBC
Benefits
Vacancy Alerts
Additional Info
- Information Sheet for Applicants Applying for Positions Working with Children and Vulnerable Adults (updated July 2021).pdf (107.00 KB)
- Barnardo's Workplace Offer Visual Summary.pdf (27.58 KB)
- Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy Dec 2024.pdf (164.07 KB)
- Project Worker 1 - Children's Services - Job Description and Person Specification.pdf (118.81 KB)