Do you want to help improve how Scotland responds to children and young people who come into conflict with the law? Do you have a track record of delivering effective participation activity and working with key stakeholders? Are you approachable, courageous, optimistic, compassionate, innovative and determined? Then this exciting opportunity to work as a key part of CYCJ is for you.

As the Participation Lead, you will lead on the delivery of an ambitious participation strategy for CYCJ, supervising the participation staff, overseeing partnership projects/funding applications, and having a strategic vision for future development.

You will have proven ability in leading on participation work and building effective working relationships at all levels, and a demonstrated ability to work autonomously. You will be able to communicate effectively to manage a staff team and engage with children and young people with experience of the care and justice systems to amplify their voices and support system change.

You will be part of the CYCJ leadership team, contributing to strategic decisions for the Centre, with specific responsibility for participation and engagement. You will contribute to the development of the team by creating different partnership opportunities and applying for additional sources of funding to expand and grow the team. You will be a self-starter who likes to be part of a team and relishes challenges. You will require flexibility in your approach, including working outside of an office environment.

The post holder will report to the director.

About CYCJ

CYCJ works towards ensuring that Scotland’s approach to children and young people in conflict with the law is rights-respecting, contributing to better outcomes for our children, young people and communities. Children and young people are at the heart of all our activity, although one of our key mechanisms for change is supporting policymakers and practitioners.

Change-makers sought!

Do you want to help Scotland to keep The Promise?

We’re looking for an experienced, innovative, and values-driven Improving Care Experiences Consultant to help us improve the lives of children, young people and adults. This is an exciting opportunity to assist the leadership of our work to support improvements in continuing care, aftercare, and young people moving into adulthood, as well as our work supporting improvements in kinship care and foster care.

As a leading improvement and innovation centre in Scotland, CELCIS works to improve the lives of children and young people in need of care and protection, their families and carers, care leavers, and young people moving into adulthood. We achieve this by supporting people and organisations responsible for their care to make changes in systems, services, practice and skills. We’re looking for a new consultant to join our Improving Care Experiences team to drive forward our ambitious plan for change. You’ll bring the passion and motivation to listen to those with experience of care and build on what we know matters to children, young people, families, workforces, and carers, through our exciting partnership work with local and national partners.

You will contribute to developing ways of working that enable workforces and carers to build strong relationships, care deeply and prioritise the needs of young people moving into adulthood, as well as those cared for in kinship care and foster care. You will work closely with the Scottish Government and colleagues in the sector to support improvement and realise the ambitions of The Promise. You will support the development of partnership groups, and networks such as Communities of Practice to share evidence, best practice, and grapple with and find solutions to complex problems to support the changes we all want to see. You will be fundamental to our engagement with key partners in these policy areas, including working alongside colleagues in local authorities, independent care providers, the Scottish Government and other partner organisations. You will be crucial to the development of system and practice change initiatives relating to improving the experiences of children, their families, and their carers, as well as in relation to the wellbeing of colleagues in the workforce.

The role would suit candidates who have a strong knowledge of current social work/social care, the needs of young people moving into adulthood, kinship care, foster care, child development, and childcare practice. It would also befit candidates who understand and have experience of working with complexity, supporting and leading change projects and programmes, and genuine co-production.

Are you skilled in supporting change and improvement? Can you demonstrate how your work is informed by experience and knowledge of putting policy into practice? Have you done this by using best evidence, and building on the voice of those with lived experience? Are you experienced in facilitating and supporting the learning of others? If so, this could be the role for you.

You will have an appropriate professional qualification/relevant degree, with significant experience of directly relevant roles, considerable experience of management, leading projects, and contributing to and realising an organisation’s strategic and business objectives too. Does this sound like you?