We are excited to have the opportunity to recruit for new trustees to join our Board.

No previous board experience is necessary as full support and training will be provided.

We are focused on identifying new board members who:

Are passionate about making our vision of “A Lifetime of equality, respect and love for Care Experienced people” a reality

Are committed to making a meaningful contribution to fulfilling the Board’s strategic, financial, and legal responsibilities

As a Board Trustee, you will be responsible, individually and collectively, for all activity within the organisation, ensuring that Who Cares? Scotland has a clear vision, mission and strategic direction and remains focused on securing a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland.

Nationally we work alongside Corporate Parents and communities to broaden understanding and create change. We work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice, working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise to secure positive change.

The remit of the Bairns Hoose Advocacy and Participation Worker is to provide independent advocacy supports to Highland children and young people involved in the Bairns Hoose.

This unique role requires you to listen to what children and young people with experience of care say and support them to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard in the processes of making decisions about their lives. You will also help facilitate a broad range of participatory and engagement opportunities and create the conditions for collective advocacy.

The right candidate for this post will be brilliant at forming positive relationships with children and young people. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, adaptable to a wide range of contexts. You will enjoy working collaboratively with partners. You will be committed to children’s rights, inclusive working, equal opportunities, and believe that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity.

The successful candidate will be joining Who Cares? Scotland and working within the North team at an exciting time, when the voices of those who are in or have experienced care are growing in power, individually and collectively – bringing with them insight, challenge, hope and change. Flexibility will be required given the remit of the role. Some evening and weekend work will be necessary, as will a full driving licence and access to transport.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. For an informal conversation about this opportunity please contact Leanne Murdoch, our Advocacy and Participation Manager for the North at lmurdoch@whocaresscotland.org.

We particularly welcome applications from people with experience of care who meet the criteria for the post.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care – working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

This unique role offers the opportunity to listen to and work directly with children and young people with experience of care, in an individual relationship-based advocacy role, and within participation and group activity across our South East region.

The post-holder will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard. In this role you will have the opportunity to provide independent advocacy, children’s rights, and participation opportunities for children and young people who are looked after, Care Experienced, or subject to formal processes and structures. The role will see you actively participating in child’s plan meetings, children’s hearings, and other formal processes, as well as assisting children and young people to prepare for them. In partnership with professionals, carers, and organisations, you will help to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people by keeping detailed records of the work you undertake, writing liaison reports, and monitoring statistics.

As a vital part of the work of Who Cares? Scotland, your role will include facilitating group opportunities for and with children and young people. This includes providing engagement and participation opportunities throughout the Who Cares? Scotland local and national network, as well as meeting with care experienced children and young people to introduce the service in agreement with the local authority. Raising awareness of Who Cares? Scotland and its services with children, young people, professionals, and carers you will also be responsible for facilitating training amongst care corporate parents.

The right candidate for this post will be able to form positive relationships with children and young people and have good interpersonal skills. You will feel confident communicating with individuals and groups, both in writing and verbally, and be able to adapt to a wide range of contexts. Secure in making effective plans, as well as evidencing your work, you can prioritise and meet deadlines. You take enjoyment from working collaboratively with partners, believing in equal opportunities and inclusive working. Committed to children’s rights, you are someone who knows that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity. You can demonstrate knowledge of the current structure, developments, policy, and practice in relation to children and young people experiencing care in Scotland. You are also flexible, given the remit of the role, as some evening and weekend work will be necessary, along with a full driving licence and access to transport.

While we would welcome the knowledge gathered through relevant qualifications, we are just as interested in relevant work experience. We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.

The successful candidate will be joining Who Cares? Scotland and working within the South East team at an exciting time, when the voices of those who are in or have experienced care are growing in power, individually and collectively – bringing with them insight, challenge, hope and change.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. To arrange an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Ray MacLean, Manager of Advocacy and Participation, at rmaclean@whocaresscotland.org.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care – working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

The purpose of the post is to help nurture an environment where the voices, views and experiences of Western Isles Care Experienced and/ or vulnerable children and young people are at the heart of decision-making.

Advocacy and Participation Workers (APWs) provide independent advocacy support to children and young people who have a need for advocacy support. This means listening to what the child/young person has to say and supporting them to amplify their voices to ensure that their views are heard regarding all decisions which are being made about their lives.

As the APW on the Western Isles you will also provide supports to children and young people involved in the Bairns Hoose. The Bairns Hoose model provides a ‘one-stop’ service for children who have experienced or witnessed harm. It integrates 4 core areas: child protection, health, justice and recovery and adheres to 11 standards.

You will also facilitate participatory and engagement opportunities, both local and national, creating conditions for collective advocacy which brings young people together, allowing them to develop confidence, a sense of belonging and the opportunity to identify common issues. You will help ensure their voices are heard by Corporate Parents and communities, creating positive change. You will work closely with partner agencies including the Western Isles Council and other public services, in order to ensure that the voices of care experienced and vulnerable children and young people have an impact, and help create new opportunities and develop existing ones.

At the heart of the advocacy relationship is trust – built through transparent, honest, accountable and reliable interactions between the child/young person and the APW.

You will be skilled at developing positive relationships with children and young people. You will place young people at the heart of everything you do, helping them live a positive life and to reach their full potential in the future.

We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.