Children First
Children First

Charity registered in Scotland SC016092

Children First is Scotland's National Children's Charity. We help Scotland's families to put children first, with practical advice and with support in difficult times. And when the worst happens, we support survivors of abuse, neglect, and other traumatic events in childhood, to recover.

Current vacancies

Project Worker – Fit Like Family Wellbeing Service Aberdeen

  • Full time
  • £30,602
  • On site: Aberdeen
  • Closing 16th October 2026

In this role, you'll:

Deliver high-quality, relationship-based support to children, young people and families through whole-family support, group work and community-based interventions. You will have the opportunity to work across various projects within the Fit Like Family Wellbeing Service, providing flexible and responsive support that helps families build on their strengths and achieve positive outcomes.

Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary and multi-agency environment, you will support children and families to stay safe, recover from adversity and strengthen their relationships and connections within their communities. Your work will contribute to Children First's commitment to early intervention, prevention, community resilience and upholding children's rights.

About Fit Like Family Wellbeing Service

Fit Like Family Wellbeing Service is a multi-agency partnership delivering whole-family support across Aberdeen City. Bringing together professionals from a range of organisations and sectors, the service provides coordinated early intervention and family support to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. Through a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach, the service helps families access the right support at the right time, promotes wellbeing and resilience, and contributes to preventing difficulties from escalating.

We'd love to hear from you if you can:

• Build trusting, compassionate and respectful relationships with children, young people and families using a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach.

• Deliver direct emotional, practical and therapeutic support that promotes safety, wellbeing and stability.

• Complete high-quality assessments and work alongside families to develop and review meaningful support plans.

• Champion children's rights and ensure children and young people are supported to express their views and influence decisions affecting them.

• Design, deliver and evaluate group work that builds confidence, resilience and connection.

• Develop strong partnerships with schools, communities and other agencies to ensure families receive the right support at the right time.

• Work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team and contribute positively to safeguarding and family-led decision making.

What we offer:

• A workplace with values of with love, with purpose and with strength.

• 40 days annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays.

• Pension scheme and wellbeing support.

• Flexible working opportunities.

• Access to Westfield Health, giving colleagues and their families confidential counselling support, wellbeing resources, and access to health and lifestyle benefits to support physical and mental wellbeing.

• Blue Light Card discount.

• A Fair Work accredited workplace.

Why Join Us?

This is an exciting opportunity to join an innovative and collaborative family wellbeing service at the heart of Aberdeen's approach to early help and prevention. You will be part of a passionate team committed to making a lasting difference for children, young people and families, while working in an organisation that values learning, wellbeing, flexibility and professional development.

Our Values

Living our values, you will help create a workplace where our people can thrive, ensuring we deliver the best possible support to children and families.

With love, we put children first.

With purpose, we transform lives together.

With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland's children.

Shortlist

Information and Content Officer (Support line)

  • Part time
  • £30,602 – £35,778 pro-rata
  • Hybrid: Edinburgh
  • Closing 30th October 2026

In this role, you’ll:

  • Create helpful, clear and accessible resources and information for parents and carers for the support line section of the Children First website.
  • Translate complex information about support and services into clear, accessible and engaging communications for families.
  • Update and manage website content using the CMS, ensuring information is accurate, accessible and up to date.
  • Drive forward organic social media activity promoting the support line, share new resources created for families and develop engaging multimedia content, including video.
  • Support children and families to safely and appropriately share their stories, following Children First’s story‑gathering, consent and safeguarding processes at all times.
  • Use insight, learning and feedback to inform continuous improvement in communications activity.

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
  • A proactive, collaborative approach and commitment to our values.
  • Previous experience in a similar communications role.
  • Strong social media skills.
  • Excellent ICT skills and strong experience of Canva and creating video content.
  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to concisely summarise key information.

What we offer:

  • A workplace with values of with love, with purpose and with strength
  • 40 days annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays
  • Pension scheme and wellbeing support
  • Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
  • Access to Westfield Health, giving colleagues and their families confidential counselling support, wellbeing resources, and access to health and lifestyle benefits to support physical and mental wellbeing.
  • Blue Light card discount
  • A Fair Work accredited workplace

Our Values

Living our values, you will help create a workplace where our people can thrive, ensuring we deliver the best possible support to children and families.

With love, we put children first.

With purpose, we transform lives together.

With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children.

Shortlist

Line Volunteer Coordinator

  • Full time
  • £30,602 – £35,778
  • Hybrid: Edinburgh
  • Closing 18th October 2026

Every conversation can change a childhood. Every volunteer can change a life.

Help us build Scotland's biggest team of volunteers standing alongside children and families

At Children First, we believe every child should be safe, loved and able to enjoy a happy childhood.

We're transforming how families across Scotland access support through our growing national Support Line. Backed by Scottish Government investment, we're expanding our reach so that thousands more families can access practical, emotional and financial support when they need it most.

To help us achieve this, we're looking for an exceptional Support Line Volunteer Coordinator to recruit, inspire and lead a team of volunteers who will help children and families across Scotland thrive.

Why this role matters

This is not simply a volunteer management role.

You will build and lead a volunteer programme that directly contributes to tackling child poverty, reducing isolation and improving outcomes for children and families across Scotland.

Working across our Support Line and Whole Family Support Programme, you'll ensure volunteers are recruited safely, trained effectively and supported to make a real difference. You'll create opportunities for people to use their skills, compassion and lived experience to strengthen communities and improve lives.

Your leadership will help ensure more families have somewhere to turn before challenges become crises.

What you'll do

  • Recruit, train and develop volunteers across Scotland
  • Create a positive, inclusive and rewarding volunteer experience
  • Provide supervision, coaching and wellbeing support
  • Ensure the highest standards of safeguarding and safe practice
  • Build partnerships with communities, colleges, employers and third sector organisations
  • Use data, feedback and insight to improve volunteer impact
  • Help shape a national volunteer programme that supports Children First's ambitious growth plans

We're looking for someone who

You might be the right person if you:

  • Have experience recruiting, managing and developing volunteers
  • Enjoy helping people grow their confidence and skills
  • Can build trusted relationships with a wide range of people
  • Are organised, adaptable and able to balance competing priorities
  • Understand safeguarding, professional boundaries and quality assurance
  • Believe in the power of volunteering to create social change
  • Share our commitment to tackling child poverty and supporting families
  • Are passionate about improving outcomes for children and young people

Experience in volunteer management, family support, advice services, community services or the third sector would be particularly valuable.

What you'll get from us

With Love. With Purpose. With Strength.

Alongside a role where you can make a genuine difference, you'll receive:

  • 40 days annual leave including public holidays
  • Flexible and hybrid working
  • Generous pension scheme
  • Westfield Health and wellbeing support
  • Blue Light Card discounts
  • A Fair Work accredited workplace
  • Learning, development and career opportunities
  • The chance to help shape a growing national service supporting families across Scotland

Who we are

Children First is Scotland's national children's charity.

We protect children from harm, support recovery from trauma and abuse and provide practical, emotional and financial support to families. We stand alongside children, families and communities because we believe every child deserves a safe childhood.

Our values guide everything we do:

With Love - We put children first with compassion and kindness, always.

With Purpose - We collaborate to transform children's lives together.

With Strength - We do whatever it takes to protect Scotland's children.

Join us and help build a volunteer movement that gives every family in Scotland a place to turn.

Shortlist

Support Line Service Manager

  • Part time
  • £42,500 – £48,900 pro-rata
  • Hybrid: Edinburgh
  • Closing 18th October 2026

Do you want to create a safer, brighter future for all children in Scotland?

Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, is seeking to appoint a part-time (17.5 hours) Support line Service Manager. By joining our team, you will help us stand up for children, keep them safe and support them to recover from trauma and abuse through our national and local services.

The role

Based in Edinburgh, with hybrid working an option, the role involves leading on the day-to-day implementation, management, development and growth of our free confidential support line for families, carers and professionals in Scotland.

Today’s generation are facing unprecedented challenges. From mental health, money worries and online harm, to struggles at school, our support line can offer emotional, practical and financial support to any family in Scotland. We also offer advice to anyone who is concerned about a child’s wellbeing.

Taking a child-centred approach, you will work to ensure the safety of children and young people by protecting and promoting their rights.

What we are looking for

You will be an inspiring leader and will possess a degree or diploma in social work, or equivalent professional qualification at SCQF level 9, in addition to recent significant experience in a relevant practice area relating to young people. Experience working in mental health, emotional wellbeing or trauma-informed support services is desirable.

What you can expect from us

As well as a rewarding career and development opportunities, we offer 40 days annual leave per year pro rata, a contributory pension scheme, generous maternity/adoption and paternity leave, flexible working opportunities and wellbeing support.

With a supportive and inclusive working environment, the salary for this role is £42,500 - £48,900 pro rate per annum covering 17.5 hours per week (21,250 to £24,450).

Our values

Living our values, you will make a direct impact to the lives of children across Scotland. With love, we put children first. With purpose, we transform children’s lives together. With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children.

We believe all children should have hopes, dreams and opportunities. But for many they don’t exist. This has to stop. We must put children first.

We welcome and encourage applications from potential colleagues from all backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief, disability who share our values.

Do you have what it takes to join our team and help us protect children and keep them safe? We would love to hear from you.

Shortlist

Project Worker (North Ayrshire)

  • Full time or Part time
  • £30,602 – £35,778
  • On site: Irvine based covering North Ayrshire including Islands
  • Closing 11th November 2026

A fantastic opportunity to come and join the Children First team in North Ayrshire

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of our Family Wellbeing Service in North Ayrshire and an innovative partnership between Children First and The Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP), working alongside families, building strong relationships, taking an approach that is restorative, relational and trauma responsive striving to achieving positive outcomes for families. This post is funded by the ADP and will contribute to the delivery period 1st September 26- 31st August 27 (this post being from 1st Jan 27 – 31st Aug 27 fixed term).

We are also determined that the full incorporation of the UNCRC means that children will have their rights respected in all areas of their lives and will have a real say in the way they are supported. If you share this determination, we would love to hear from you.

Our project builds on the voices of the recovery community and our extensive experience in supporting children and families impacted by substance use. We will do this through early help providing community-based whole family support that can be accessed easily in a non-stigmatising way and prevention and education work within local primary schools and alongside other specialist addiction services within all our North Ayrshire Secondary schools.

Our project seeks to:

  • Ensure children, families and communities affected by substance use in North Ayrshire access early help to prevent crisis and to support the whole family to recover from the impact of substance use.
  • Reduce the number of people who develop problem drug use.
  • Promote a whole system’s approach personalised to the specific needs of families impacted by substance use, ensuring that individual’s most at risk, have access to specialist support that aids their recovery.

What kind of people are we looking for?

  • have experience of keeping children safe in their own families
  • are fiercely passionate about children’s rights
  • thinks it’s a privilege to work with and on behalf of children and families and,
  • are kind and will bring their whole selves to the job: heart and mind

What kind of Family Wellbeing team member will you be?

Knowing our ambition for children, you will be someone who is:

  • resilient, skilled and knowledgeable who wants to transform children’s lives
  • determined to support children to stay safely with their own family
  • big hearted and courageous
  • able to build strong relationships and to manage the tricky conversations
  • is compassionate and understanding of trauma
  • a cool head and clear minded at times of pressure
  • inspiring colleagues and teams to be even better
  • an amazing ambassador for children and Children First

Above all else, the most important thing to us is that you are someone who will do the right thing for children and their families at every turn.

Base

You will be based in Irvine, Bourtreehill within our Children First North Ayrshire space and will travel to connect with other parts of the organisation and North Ayrshire HSCP. You will work on an outreach basis to connect with children and families in communities across North Ayrshire.

What we offer:

  • A workplace with values of with love, with purpose and with strength.
  • 40 days annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays.
  • Pension scheme and wellbeing support.
  • Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
  • Access to Westfield Health, giving colleagues and their families confidential counselling support, wellbeing resources, and access to health and lifestyle benefits to support physical and mental wellbeing.
  • Blue Light Card discount.
  • A Fair Work accredited workplace
Shortlist

Marketing Officer

  • Full time
  • £30,602 – £35,778
  • Hybrid: Edinburgh – hybrid with extensive travel and occasional weekend work
  • Closing 12th November 2026

In this role, you’ll:

• Deliver integrated marketing campaigns that amplify the voices of children and families and inspire positive change.

• Lead the creation and promotion of co-produced content including films, animations, stories, social media content and publications.

• Build trusted relationships with children, young people and families, ensuring their experiences shape our communications and campaigns.

• Manage and grow Children First's digital presence through website, email and social media channels, using insight and analytics to improve engagement.

• Champion the Children First brand, ensuring all content is accessible, inclusive, ethical and consistent across channels.

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• Experience delivering multi-channel marketing campaigns and developing compelling content for a range of audiences.

• Experience working collaboratively with children, young people, families or communities to co-produce content and campaigns.

• Strong copywriting, communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across teams.

• Experience using digital marketing tools including CMS platforms, email marketing systems, video editing and design software.

• A commitment to children's rights, participation and inclusion, alongside a passion for improving outcomes for children and families.

What we offer:

• A workplace with values of with love, with purpose and with strength

• 40 days annual leave, inclusive of bank holidays

• Pension scheme and wellbeing support

• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements

• Access to Westfield Health, giving colleagues and their families confidential counselling support, wellbeing resources, and access to health and lifestyle benefits to support physical and mental wellbeing.

• Blue Light card discount

• A Fair Work accredited workplace

Our Values

Living our values, you will help create a workplace where our people can thrive, ensuring we deliver the best possible support to children and families.

With love, we put children first.

With purpose, we transform lives together.

With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children.

Shortlist