Passionate about engaging with young people? Experienced in creating a safe environment and allowing young people to talk about what is important to them? This opportunity is for you!

Join the Why Not? Trust team as a Community and Engagement Team Member – Thinking Space. Due to further development, we are now offering a second full-time appointment.

Thinking Space is a unique initiative funded by The Henry Smith Foundation, designed to support care-experienced young people across Scotland. Underpinned by Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) principles, Thinking Space uses mapping techniques to help young people explore their past, understand how previous experiences and relationships influence their present circumstances, and consider the potential impact on their future.

This confidential and safe environment enables participants to develop positive coping strategies and build resilience. Following your induction and initial training, you will work directly with care-experienced young people in specific locations, offering them the opportunity to reflect on how past relationships may have shaped their sense of self, decision-making, and ability to form new connections. You will also support them in exploring learned coping mechanisms and adopting healthier alternatives.

As part of The Why Not? Team, you will have access to ongoing support and professional development opportunities to enhance your practice and impact. This role will be line managed by the Why Not Trust, Operational Lead. A UK driving license is required for this role. A secondment will be explored if requested.

Everyone's behaviour will be led by the principles of The Why Not Trust.

Why Not Principles

These principles are what underpin all we do; they show our values and shape our behaviours. They make it clear to all what they should expect from us and what we expect from them.

#1 Show respect - everyone is worthy of being treated with a high level of respect. Stigma and discrimination are not welcome, and we will strive to eliminate both.

#2 Be Kind – We cannot control other people’s behaviour, but we can control our own. We will treat people with kindness and use curiosity and listening to understand other perspectives.

#3 Be human – we are all human and no matter how well intended we are, we will all make mistakes, we will own these and learn from them. We will help each other learn by being honest with each other.

#4 Promote the positives – we will focus on strengths and support learning in every way we can. We will celebrate success and recognise achievements. We will recognise everyone is doing their best.

#5 Be ambitious – we will strive for success in all we do, recognise the change we want to make and go for it!

#6 Recruit allies – we will work with others to achieve our aims and support others to achieve theirs.

#7 Champion individual growth – we will support the development of individuals, promote opportunities, and develop leadership qualities.

#8 Keep it real – we will do our best to recognise when we or others are feeling challenged and offer support where we can. We will pull together; no-one is too important to help do what needs done. We will strive to avoid jargon and use inclusive language.

#9 Be storytellers – we will share our learning and tell our generic stories or share themes, where it supports learning. We will not share individual ‘case studies’ or require people to tell their story.

#10 Listen to learn – we will listen to people to learn, not to respond. We will allow others processing time and go at their pace.

Online Info Sessions to find out more about us and the role:

Tuesday, 23rd December at 4pm-4:45pm – weblink

Monday, 5th January at 4pm-4:45pm – weblink

Background

Ecas is seeking to recruit a new chair for its Finance and Personnel Committee (F&PC). This role is a unique opportunity to contribute your financial expertise to a charity that has been supporting adults with physical disabilities for over 100 years.

Ecas is an Edinburgh-based charity and works to improve the quality of life of physically disabled people across Edinburgh and Lothian: promoting equality, choice and participation through our activities, befriending service, and grants fund.

As the charity is largely self-financed from income from its own investment portfolio (worth circa £4.5m), it provides Ecas the freedom to deliver its services in a way that works best for our service users. Latest impact stats here.

Role

The purpose of the F&PC is to advise the Board on the investment of Ecas’ assets and oversee implementation of the Board’s strategic policies relating to finance, personnel and health & safety. The focus of the F&PC and Board is to continue the policy of maximising benefit to disabled people whilst keeping expenditure under control.

As Chair of the committee, you will play a key role in overseeing the charity’s finances, including the management accounts, annual audit, budget, and investments. You will be responsible for reviewing the draft F&PC meeting papers prepared by the Chief Executive. The Chair of the F&PC will also be a Director (trustee) appointed by the Board.

This is a voluntary role that requires attendance at three F&PC meetings and three Board meetings a year. Occasional ad hoc meetings may be required. In-person attendance preferred for F&PC meetings.

Person Specification

Ecas is looking for someone who:

• Has experience in finance, accounting, auditing procedures, and investments.
• Has good communication skills and an ability to think strategically.
• Is passionate about using their expertise to support people with physical disabilities across Edinburgh and Lothian.
• Is committed to Ecas’ mission statement.

We value diversity, promote equality and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds.

We are looking for a Development Worker to deliver our range of our employability and mentoring programmes. The role will support young people and adults to access and sustain integrated employability programmes, and one to one support.

Move On offers:

• 29 days annual leave and 5 bank holidays for the first 2 years of service,

• Flexitime;

• Option to buy additional annual leave;

• Annual personal volunteering day for staff;

• Individual training allowance and commitment to CPD;

• TOIL system

We are looking for a Development Worker to deliver our range of our employability and mentoring programmes. The role will support young people and adults to access and sustain integrated employability programmes, and one to one support.

Move On offers:

• 29 days annual leave and 5 bank holidays for the first 2 years of service,

• Flexitime;

• Option to buy additional annual leave;

• Annual personal volunteering day for staff;

• Individual training allowance and commitment to CPD;

• TOIL system.

About Us

Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing non-clinical, person-centred support to people in communities across Scotland. With over 50 years’ experience, we are fighting for a future where no one faces mental illness alone. We are changing society by changing attitudes, fighting stigma and influencing government to ensure a better of quality of life for those affected by poor mental health and mental illness. As a charity supporting over 10,000 people year, we believe everyone should have access to the support they need, when they need it and in a way which works best for them.

About the Role

As a Counselling Lead, you will manage the Counselling Support team and the service alongside the Head of Services. You will oversee the day-to-day running of the services whilst being responsible for managing all stakeholders involved.

You will also report on outcomes achieved and help promote and develop the services in your region. A skilled practitioner, you will have a good understanding and knowledge of counselling services and an understanding of the health and social care landscape. An empathic and motivating manager, you will be able to bring out the best in others by developing, guiding and supporting your team and enabling them to provide high-quality, person-centred counselling and support services.

The Counselling Lead will be responsible for line-managing and supervising staff and consultants who deliver specialist counselling support people affected by mental health issues, as well as their own caseload. This role includes developing and implementing an induction programme for counsellor roles, carrying out safe recruitment and providing high quality therapeutic support. The post-holder will take a trauma-informed approach and build a supportive and reflective culture, in line with Change Mental Health values. The Counselling Lead will work alongside both the local and national management team to contribute to the operational and strategic leadership of the local service, and of the overarching counselling programme that Change Mental Health are committed to developing.

Reports To: Head of Edinburgh Services

Disclosure & Barring Check: This post will be subject to a PVG check for working with vulnerable adults.

EARS is an independent advocacy provider – our mission is to ensure that people’s voices are heard, and their rights are respected.

This is a hybrid-based post. Working hours will be spent with a mixture of providing advocacy within Edinburgh and the Lothian communities with the people who seek your support, working once per week from the West Lothian office and the rest of the time from home. Mileage expenses are reimbursed for travel within work.

About Housing Options Scotland

We are a small charity, established in 1997 to provide housing information, advice and support to disabled people, older adults and members of the Armed Forces community. In 2024-25, we helped 1100 clients in all kinds of tenures across all local authorities in Scotland. You can read more about the people we help here, and our Annual Report for 2024-2025 can be accessed here.

About the role

We are in an exciting period of growth as a charity and are looking to expand the team. The Communications and Marketing manager will be responsible for raising the charity’s profile across a range of audiences, primarily in order to support fundraising and income generation efforts. The role holder will refresh the organisation’s communications strategy and produce content which helps to tell our story and highlight our impact. A key focus for the role will be to support the Fundraising and Development manager to deliver the organisation’s fundraising strategy which includes developing individual giving and social enterprise models. This is a new area of work for us and, as such, we are keen to hear from a wide variety of people who may have insights or ideas about how to take this forward.

A full job description and person specification is available for download below.

Inspiring Scotland is seeking passionate and proactive Performance and Impact Advisor to join our Delivering Equally Safe fund team. As a trusted partner to funded organisations, you’ll manage a portfolio of organisations to provide tailored support with budgets, delivery plans, objectives, and monitoring impact.

We’re looking for someone with strong analytical, communication, and relationship-building skills, and a passion for social justice and equality. You’ll work within a collaborative team, contributing to the wider Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights team within Inspiring Scotland. We are a collaborative, supportive organisation that places high emphasis on teamwork and sharing best practice and learning, both internally and externally.

Partners in Advocacy has established itself as one of Scotland's leading providers of independent advocacy, delivering exceptional advocacy services since 1998.

We are thrilled to present a wonderful opportunity within our supportive and welcoming Highland team. As a Service Co-ordinator you will work alongside and supervise an Advocacy Worker colleague whilst also providing one-to-one independent advocacy to children and young people up to the age of 16 who live in the Highland Council area and who have lived/living experience of substance use (drugs and/or alcohol) – their own or those close to them. Through this role, you will ensure that their voices and wishes are heard, enabling them to make informed choices, protect their rights and have a meaningful impact on decisions that affect their lives.

We strongly encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply. If you believe your skills, experience, and expertise align with the criteria outlined in the person specification, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please complete the application form, ensuring that you provide examples of how your knowledge and experience fulfil each aspect of the person specification.

Partners in Advocacy takes pride in being a Disability Confident Employer, fully committed to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment.

Partners in Advocacy has established itself as one of Scotland's leading providers of independent advocacy, delivering exceptional advocacy services since 1998.

We are thrilled to present a wonderful opportunity within our brand-new children’s advocacy service in the Highlands - “Voice & Choice”. As an independent advocacy worker, you will have the privilege of providing one-to-one independent advocacy to children and young people up to the age of 16 who live in the Highland Council area and who have lived/living experience of substance use (drugs and/or alcohol) – their own or those close to them. Through this role, you will ensure that their voices and wishes are heard, enabling them to make informed choices, protect their rights and have a meaningful impact on decisions that affect their lives.

We strongly encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply. If you believe your skills, experience, and expertise align with the criteria outlined in the person specification, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please complete the application form, ensuring that you provide examples of how your knowledge and experience fulfil each aspect of the person specification.

Partners in Advocacy takes pride in being a Disability Confident Employer, fully committed to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment.