Join Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme at Kensington and Chelsea

Our offer

Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme is an excellent opportunity for committed graduates to make a positive impact in supporting Kensington and Chelsea, and provide experience in a dynamic, transforming and socially responsible council.

We are a proud supporter and sponsor of the Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme and our departmental placement managers are continuously looking for National Management Trainees (NMT) to join their teams. Successful candidates will be able to pick from a variety of placements so they can begin to shape their careers.

You will be working in key strategic areas with senior managers, directors and councillors across the Council. We highly value the innovation and enthusiasm of our graduates and are proud of our over 10-year involvement with Impact from which we have retained 95% of our graduates!

All graduates will attend a structured induction programme and have access to extensive ongoing learning and development opportunities

We are committed to ensuring the experience for our graduates is positive, challenging and unique. We provide each graduate with a placement support mentor and an alumni graduate buddy. Plus, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet peers through our Early Careers Network and other staff networks, join cross-cutting council initiatives such as becoming a Diversity Champion or Digital Helper, or volunteer through our Employee Volunteering Scheme!

Your placement

Our programme aims to partner the interests of our graduates with the Council’s strategic needs to deliver the greatest value to the local community while enhancing the management capacity of the trainee. Placements are available across the entire council, including with the Chief Executive and Leadership Team and shared service with Westminster City Council.

You will gain a postgraduate CMI, Chartered Institute of Leadership, Leadership and Management qualification Level 7.

Graduates are employed on a 36-hour week, 2-year, fixed-term contract and complete 4 placements over the 2 years. The salary of each graduate starts at £35,862 in the first year and rises to £37,575 in the second year on the scheme.

Our graduates' experience

Why did you choose Kensington and Chelsea?: Molly Carew, Cohort 23

The values of the organisation were most closely aligned with my own - integrity and community-centric ways of working are very important to me. I was also impressed by how many staff from different levels and teams came to speak at the NGDP Q&A. It signalled that the graduate programme is well established here. The placements on offer are very varied, presenting a unique amount of choice to explore significantly different fields.

Sylvie Dulson, Cohort 24

Being a part of K&C brings some amazing opportunities that many other councils can’t offer. As well as being in the centre of London, surrounded by some of London’s most famous museums, parks and streets, you get work across a huge range of services. Furthermore, some of Kensington and Chelsea’s services are bi-borough, which means you also become familiar with Westminster City Council.

How have you found the start of the scheme in Kensington and Chelsea?

Mahirah Rahman, Cohort 25

I’m currently reaching the end of my first placement in Children’s Services, and it’s been really fulfilling. Working for a bi-borough service within 2 teams, Strategy & Policy and Transformation, I’ve gained double the experience for one placement. There is an extensive support network on the scheme ranging from placement managers to work buddies.

I’ve been given many opportunities for personal development and to enhance my skills including market research and data analysis in fostering and semi-independent living accommodation, corporate performance reporting, writing policy digests, Ofsted inspection readiness, stakeholder engagement, chairing meetings, collaborating and designing the care leaver housing protocol and local offer. I’m really enthusiastic about the grad scheme so far and looking forward to my next placement in Adult Social Care Strategy.

James Murphy, Cohort 25

My time at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea over the last 6 months has been very insightful.

For my first placement, I have worked in 4 main areas:

setting up an EDI Board, where I have shaped the project by researching and putting forward the roles of responsibilities, as well as helping to shape the purpose and objectives of the board
policy analyses to make sure we are in line for the Social Housing Act 2024 implementation in April
researching, gathering data and reporting on our Tenant Satisfaction Measures, and developing a strategy on how we can improve them
developing a strategy to increase our engagement with residents in our borough without access to the internet

So far, the whole experience has been amazing, and the team I work in has been very supportive, friendly and helpful, and there are ample opportunities to improve yourself via training, or just enjoy yourself through the Early Careers Network or sport. I couldn’t recommend RBKC enough.

Eva Randall, Cohort 25

My experience of my, first placement in RBKC has been great. I’ve been working in NRPF and Refugee Services, working on strategy and policy for asylum seekers in the borough. It’s been such an interesting and politically relevant area to work in that not many other councils have a dedicated team for. The work has been varied, from creating research reports on housing provision to drafting policy updates for service delivery. I’ve been able to visit the asylum hotels to work face-to-face with asylum seekers to understand how our service can best help them. A highlight has been working with the NRPF and Refugee Services team themselves. They’re a hugely passionate, knowledgeable, and friendly group who have been incredibly supportive in helping me learn the ropes.

I’ve also loved working in RBKC as a borough. It’s a beautiful area steeped in history and culture. Its diverse population creates a unique set of needs for each ward in the borough, making it a politically fascinating area to work. It’s also really well-connected meaning afterwork drinks can be anywhere you want them to be! I’ve made great friends with the other graduates on the scheme, and there’s an abundance of support to hand at every level of the council.

Jade Calder, Cohort 25

In my first 6 months at RBKC I genuinely feel that I have learned so much just in one placement. My team have consistently been proactive in seeking opportunities to develop my skills and gain confidence, and it’s great that I’m trusted to lead on key projects that have a real impact on our service and communities.

Being at a council with lots of experience looking after graduates also means that I’m reassured that there’s people looking out for me and ensuring that I’m having a quality experience across my placements, and I’ve got great prospects after the scheme ends.

Matt Hall, Cohort 25

I’ve had a great time since starting the scheme at RBKC. My first placement has been in the Growth and Delivery team in planning and place. I worked to support place shaping projects on high streets across the borough as well as a night-time strategy to support night workers and tackle violence against women and girls. The council has a great range of staff programmes including badminton at Kensington leisure centre which I go to every Tuesday.

Alice Ragsdale, Cohort 25

I have thoroughly enjoyed the NGDP (now Impact) so far at RBKC. My first placement in Children’s Services Early Help team has exposed me to a wide range of work allowing me to collaborate with teams such as Youth Offending, Family Hubs and Communications. I have been entrusted with significant responsibility, leading on an exciting evaluation of a school inclusion project based in North Kensington, introduced post-Grenfell. This evaluation has now secured a further 2 years of funding for the project to continue!

As someone new to London, working at RBKC has provided lots of opportunities for exploring the borough. Councillor-led ward walks showcase the diverse areas we serve, as well as Culture Fridays inviting you to discover the different museums we have across the borough. There are also many volunteering opportunities to engage more directly with the community such as helping digitally excluded residents access the web at our libraries. It’s a great place to work to feel connected to the community we serve.

What has been the highlight of the scheme so far?: Ahmed Mahbub, Cohort 23
One of the best things about RBKC is the variety of activities you can get involved in outside of your normal job role. Being in the cultural heart of London, there’s always something going on!

One of my highlights has been working at Notting Hill Carnival. This experience allowed me to go ‘backstage’ and see all the work that happens behind the scenes to make Carnival a success. My role allowed me to go out to the festival to make sure the sound systems and facilities were all in working order, while also enjoying the Carnival vibe!

Megan Roscoe, Cohort 24

It’s difficult to pick a single experience as I have really enjoyed all of my time on the scheme. One of my favourite aspects has been meeting so many wonderful people from different teams who have a real commitment to helping others in the borough. It has been an incredibly valuable experience to both work with and learn from them. People here really take the time to help you and my confidence and skillset has developed as a result.

Reisha Gill, Cohort 22

I loved my time on the NGDP. Working in a range of services allowed me to meet so many wonderful people from across the organisation and understand how the council operated in different areas. There are too many highlights to choose from, but I have especially enjoyed interacting with residents from different walks of life and delivering new and exciting projects that make a difference in people’s lives.

Alumni success story: Bella Jewell, Cohort 17

I completed the programme in 2017 and secured a role as a Commissioning and Transformation Lead, following my final placement in Children’s Services Commissioning. My role here focused on support for residents affected by the Grenfell Tower, and that is the most important and impactful work I’ve done, and probably will ever do. I then took on a different role in that space, as a Strategic Programmes Delivery Lead, on the Lancaster West Estate, focusing on estate improvement projects.

In 2019, I moved back to Children’s Services as a Strategic Transformation Lead, where I worked on savings programmes and service redesigns, for the next 3 years. Now, I am Head of No Recourse to Public Funds, Refugee Services and Special Projects, which is a wonderful role, and I work with outstanding colleagues and partners. The programme was a great starting point for my career in local government and I couldn’t recommend it enough!

Why join the Impact Local Government Graduate Programme at RBKC?

Why work for us:

fast track your professional development
earn a highly competitive graduate salary with a minimum starting salary of £35,862
work for Kensington and Chelsea, one of the most vibrant, diverse and changing areas in London
enjoy placements in key strategic areas across the council, such as policy, social care, transformation or economic development
structured induction programme, along with extensive ongoing learning and development opportunities, tailored mentoring and career development programme
access to professional networks such as our Early Careers Network, Ability to thrive Network (Disability Network), Proud Network and Race Equality Network
dedicated Employee Volunteering Scheme
access to a range of sport and leisure activities in the borough at discounted rates such as gym memberships and free swimming at Kensington leisure centre and Chelsea sports centre
upon completion of the Impact programme, graduate trainees receive a CMI Level 7 Certificate in Management and Leadership, equivalent to 20 credits at postgraduate level.

Ready to apply?

Visit the Local Government Association's National Graduate Development page.

Last updated: 10 September 2024