An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and experienced manager to oversee the day-to-day management of Cruse Scotland East Area, this includes our teams in Fife, Dundee, Angus and Perth & Kinross and the Tayside and Fife Walk & Talk Groups and Cruse Scotland Alternative Pathways support.

Candidates are required to have excellent interpersonal and organisational skills to provide volunteer managerial support, which is often provided from a distance.

Excellent communication skills are essential as the postholder is required to respond effectively to a wide range of enquiries which include bereaved people. You will be required to establish effective working relationships with a range of Cruse Scotland volunteers and staff, as well as funders and partnership organisations. Experience in volunteer management would be advantageous.

Due to the geographical spread of the role, from time to time the postholder will be required to travel to each of the service bases within the East Area; and to other locations within Scotland for meetings and training.

Whilst the role is hybrid, we have an office base in Perth so there will be a regular requirement to have a routine presence in the office.

About Cruse Scotland: We are Scotland’s leading bereavement charity, providing bereavement support to anyone in Scotland who needs us. Bereavement is often one of the toughest experiences that people will face in their lifetime and for some it can be truly debilitating and completely overwhelming. The range of support we offer includes our helpline, instant web-based support, individual and group counselling support, children and young people’s services, training to workplaces and more. See our website crusescotland.org.uk for more information.

The most remarkable thing about Cruse Scotland is the fact that our client services are delivered purely by a volunteer workforce - who are all trained to professional standards. It’s fair to say that their motivation and commitment is contagious, and as such, we value their contributions highly.

Our volunteer workforce of 250 people are located in communities across Scotland and are supported by a small but mighty staff team of 18, the majority of whom are employed part time. The staff team comprise a mix of roles and talents and share a similar passion for the work of Cruse Scotland. The staff team connects fortnightly to ensure a real sense of community and good relationships across the team.

Feedback from our staff satisfaction survey included:

“I haven't been here long, but I can confidently say Cruse Scotland is one of the best organisations I have worked for, both from work and flexibility and overall organisation support from all staff and management”

“I find Cruse Scotland to be a very inclusive organisation with a great ethos, responsive to staff and volunteers”

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and experienced manager to oversee the day-to-day management of Cruse Scotland North Area, this includes our teams in Grampian, Highlands and Islands.

Candidates are required to have excellent interpersonal and organisational skills to provide volunteer managerial support, which is often provided from a distance.

Excellent communication skills are essential as the postholder is required to respond effectively to a wide range of enquiries which include bereaved people. You will be required to establish effective working relationships with a range of Cruse Scotland volunteers and staff, as well as funders and partnership organisations. Experience in volunteer management would be advantageous.

Due to the geographical spread of the role, from time to time the postholder will be required to travel to each of the service bases within North Area; and to other locations within Scotland for meetings and training.

The role is hybrid with a minimum of one day a week in our office at Rose Street, Aberdeen including management of the area co-ordinator (staff).

About Cruse Scotland: We are Scotland’s leading bereavement charity, providing bereavement support to anyone in Scotland who needs us. Bereavement is often one of the toughest experiences that people will face in their lifetime and for some it can be truly debilitating and completely overwhelming. The range of support we offer includes our helpline, instant web-based support, individual and group counselling support, children and young people’s services, training to workplaces and more. See our website crusescotland.org.uk for more information.

The most remarkable thing about Cruse Scotland is the fact that our client services are delivered purely by a volunteer workforce - who are all trained to professional standards. It’s fair to say that their motivation and commitment is contagious, and as such, we value their contributions highly.

Our volunteer workforce of 250 people is located in communities across Scotland and are supported by a small but mighty staff team of 18, the majority of whom are employed part time. The staff team comprise a mix of roles and talents and share a similar passion for the work of Cruse Scotland. The staff team connects fortnightly to ensure a real sense of community and good relationships across the team.

Feedback from our staff satisfaction survey included:

“I haven't been here long, but I can confidently say Cruse Scotland is one of the best organisations I have worked for, both from work and flexibility and overall organisation support from all staff and management”

“I find Cruse Scotland to be a very inclusive organisation with a great ethos, responsive to staff and volunteers”

Could you help shape the future of bereavement support in Scotland?

Cruse Scotland is looking for new Trustees to join our Board.

When someone dies, life can change in an instant. At Cruse Scotland, we are here to make sure people don't have to face that experience alone.

For 60 years plus, we have provided compassionate, personalised bereavement support to adults, children and young people across Scotland. As Scotland's only open-to-all bereavement charity, we have a unique role – and we're ambitious about what comes next.

We are about to embark on a new three-year strategy and big plans for the future. We're looking for people who can bring expertise, fresh thinking and constructive challenge to help us turn those ambitions into reality.

What could you bring?

We're particularly interested in people with experience in one or more of these areas:

• AI awareness and governance
• Charity finance
• Children's counselling and GIRFEC
• Commercial expertise
• Counselling supervision
• Culture and organisational development
• Cyber and information security
• Fundraising
• Immigration and asylum
• Insurance
• Legal
• Property and estate management

You don't need previous trustee experience.

We're looking for people who care about our purpose, bring sound judgement and are willing to share their knowledge, ask questions and help us make good decisions.

This is an opportunity to use your experience for something that really matters – helping people navigate one of life's most difficult experiences.

What you'll do

Our Trustees provide strategic leadership, governance and constructive challenge, helping to ensure Cruse Scotland is well placed to deliver its ambitions now and in the future. Our current trustees can be viewed here XXXX

This is a voluntary, non-remunerated role. Trustees attend quarterly Board and relevant Committee meetings, a mix of in person or online via Microsoft Teams, with opportunities to take part in Trustee and Volunteer events throughout the year.

Could you be our next Trustee?

If you have expertise we could benefit from and want to use it to make a meaningful difference to bereaved people across Scotland, we'd love to hear from you.

About You: Are you an organised, compassionate and confident communicator who enjoys supporting people and making a real difference? Cruse Scotland is looking for a Helpline Co-ordinator to join our small but mighty staff team and help coordinate our national Helpline service, supporting bereaved people across Scotland. We are looking for someone who is organised, reliable and confident communicating with a wide range of people.

You will ideally have:

• Experience of working with people who may be vulnerable, distressed or in difficult circumstances.
• Strong communication and listening skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accurate data-entry skills.
• Good IT skills and confidence using databases, email and other digital systems.
• The ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
• The ability to work calmly and professionally when situations are challenging.
• Experience of supporting or working alongside volunteers would be an advantage.
• The ability to work independently while also being an active and supportive member of a team.

Most importantly, you will share our commitment to providing compassionate and accessible support to people experiencing bereavement.

About The Role: Working closely with the Helpline Manager, you will help ensure the smooth and effective day-to-day running of the Helpline.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Supporting and coordinating our dedicated Helpline volunteers.
• Taking Helpline calls during busier periods and providing a calm, compassionate and professional response to callers.
• Supporting volunteers when they are dealing with challenging or complex calls.
• Responding to clients and third parties via email.
• Processing referral forms and ensuring information is accurately recorded on our database.
• Maintaining accurate and timely records and completing regular data entry.
• Following established procedures to support the safety and wellbeing of callers, volunteers and colleagues.
• Contributing to team meetings, training and ongoing development.
• Supporting the wider Helpline team with day-to-day administration and coordination.

People contacting our Helpline may be experiencing significant distress, and on occasion may express thoughts of suicide or self-harm. You will therefore need to be able to remain calm and professional in challenging situations, follow agreed procedures and seek appropriate support when required. Full support, guidance and training will be provided.

About the organisation: Cruse Scotland is Scotland's leading bereavement charity. We provide bereavement support to anyone in Scotland who needs us, whenever they need us.

Our services include Helpline support, individual and group counselling, support for children and young people, bereavement support and training for workplaces – alongside a range of other services and resources.

Our services are delivered with the support of a dedicated volunteer workforce who are trained to professional standards. Their commitment, compassion and enthusiasm are at the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to invest in our volunteers through ongoing training, connection, support and development opportunities.

Our Helpline: Our Helpline volunteers provide an outstanding service to bereaved people across Scotland. They are home-based and located throughout the country, connecting regularly through virtual meetings, training and opportunities to meet in person.

The Helpline Co-ordinator plays an important role in creating those connections – supporting volunteers, helping them feel part of a team and ensuring they have the information and support they need to provide the best possible service.

The Helpline is also an important gateway into Cruse Scotland's wider services, while providing immediate emotional support to anyone in Scotland who needs someone to talk to about their grief.

Your new colleagues: Our volunteer workforce of around 250 people is based in communities across Scotland, working across our North, South, East and West areas. They are supported by a staff team of around 22 people.

Our staff team brings together a wide range of skills and experience across client services, volunteer management and support, training, income generation and charity governance.

Although we are a relatively small team, we place a strong emphasis on connection, collaboration and supporting one another. We meet fortnightly as a whole staff team and value the sense of community this creates.

Feedback from our staff satisfaction survey included:

“I haven't been here long but I can confidently say Cruse Scotland is one of the best organisations I have worked for, both from work and flexibility and overall organisation support from all staff and management”

“I find Cruse Scotland to be a very inclusive organisation with a great ethos, responsive to staff and volunteers”

If you are passionate about supporting people through bereavement, enjoy working as part of a supportive team and would like to play a key role in delivering an essential national service, we would love to hear from you

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Cruse Scotland, we believe that everyone should be treated with dignity, fairness and respect. We are committed to creating an inclusive organisation where our staff, volunteers and the people we support feel valued and able to be themselves.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from people whose experiences and perspectives are currently underrepresented within our organisation.

Our recruitment decisions are based on the skills, experience and qualities needed for the role. We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair, accessible and free from discrimination.

If you have a disability, health condition or other access requirement and would benefit from adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. We will be happy to discuss how we can support you

Safeguarding

Cruse Scotland is committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of everyone who uses our services, as well as our staff and volunteers. All staff are expected to contribute to a safe and supportive environment and to follow our safeguarding policies and procedures.

This role involves contact with people who may be vulnerable or experiencing significant distress. Appropriate pre-employment checks will therefore be undertaken in line with the requirements of the role and our safeguarding responsibilities.

Right To Work

Candidates will be required to provide appropriate evidence of their right to work in the UK as part of our recruitment process.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want our recruitment process to be accessible to everyone. If you require reasonable adjustments at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know and we will do our best to support you.