Scottish Book Trust is a national charity that believes books, reading and writing have the power to change lives. A love of reading inspires creativity, improves employment opportunities, mental health and wellbeing and is one of the most effective ways to help break the poverty cycle. We work towards a Scotland where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive through literacy.

This is an excellent opportunity for you to join Scottish Book Trust as a Freelance Bookbug Trainer, to support Scottish Book Trust’s Bookbug programme by delivering training to various groups of professionals and volunteers across Scotland.

As part of the Bookbug programme, the Training and Development team delivers high quality, funded training to practitioners from across Scotland, both in person and online.

Location

We are looking to recruit freelance trainers located in or easily able to travel to:

• Edinburgh
• Fife
• Glasgow

N.B. Bookbug training is delivered all over Scotland and in venues not necessarily easily accessible by public transport.

Key responsibilities

• To deliver training to a variety of different audiences (including library, early years staff, third sector and health professionals)
• To act as an advocate for Scottish Book Trust and the Bookbug programme as a whole.

Key Skills

• Experience of delivering training to others, online and in person
• Confidence to deliver practical training courses which include singing and rhyming
• Knowledge and understanding of child development
• Experience of working with groups of early years children and parents
• Ability to work with people at many levels and from different professional backgrounds including libraries, health, early years settings and third sector organisations
• Ability to work with minimum supervision
• Interest in literature, music and the early years
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• Experience in creating an inclusive and welcoming training environment

Fee

• £285 for full day in-person training session
• £175 for online Bookbug Session Leader training and all Bookbug for the Home sessions.
• £45p/h for meetings (2 x 2hr online, 1 x 4hr in person, 3 meetings per year / £360 per year)

The fee includes any travel time and/or preparation time. Travel and accommodation expenses will be paid.

Induction

• Freelance Bookbug Trainers will receive a comprehensive induction from Scottish Book Trust. This will include:
• Training in how to deliver each of our training programmes
• Training in other aspects of the Bookbug programme as required
• Overview of how the Bookbug programme fits into national Early Years policies and strategies
• Freelance Bookbug trainers will be accompanied by a member of Scottish Book Trust staff when delivering their first external training days.

Garvald Edinburgh is a long-established Scottish charity supporting adults with intellectualdisabilities through creative day opportunities, workshops, community participation, and public-facing social enterprise activities. Rooted in the principles of social therapy inspired by Rudolf Steiner, Garvald places creativity, respect, rhythm, individuality, and community at the centre of personal development.

The organisation exists to offer adults with intellectual disabilities meaningful opportunities to develop skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging, achieved through purposeful creative work, strong community integration, and innovative social enterprise.

Operating across multiple sites in Edinburgh, Garvald employs approximately 180 staff and has an annual turnover of over £4.5+ million. The organisation is entering a period of important development, guided by a multi-year strategic plan that includes organisational review, enhancing financial stability, facilities planning, digital transformation, and the continued growth of social enterprise activity. This is a pivotal moment in Garvalds history, offering the opportunity to shape the organisation’s future while strengthening its values-driven culture.

The organisation is now seeking a Head of Finance and Resources to join its Senior Management Team. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, this is a key leadership role responsible for ensuring that Garvald remains financially resilient, operationally effective, and well-positioned to support its continued growth and development.

The postholder will lead the organisation’s finance function, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, management accounts, financial controls, and year-end processes, while providing clear, timely, and insightful financial information to support decision-making at both senior management and Board level. Alongside financial leadership, the role has responsibility for key organisational resources, including system procurement, supplier and contract management, governance administration, and premises compliance support.

The Head of Finance and Resources will play a central role in supporting strong governance, attending Board meetings as a standing non-voting attendee, coordinating Board and committee processes, and ensuring clear and effective reporting on finance, risk, and organisational performance. The role will also support trading and business activity, working closely with colleagues to strengthen financial discipline, improve reporting, and ensure robust controls across retail and social enterprise operations.

The successful candidate will be a qualified accountant with significant experience in a finance leadership role, bringing strong technical expertise alongside a practical, solutions-focused approach. You will be confident in managing financial systems and procedures, developing robust systems and controls, and supporting income negotiation and operational decision-making through high-quality analysis and insight. You will also be comfortable working across a broad operational remit, contributing to organisational effectiveness, governance, and continuous improvement.

You will be an effective communicator, able to present complex financial information clearly to non-financial colleagues and trustees, and to build strong working relationships across the organisation and with external partners. Experience of supporting organisational growth, improving systems and processes, and strengthening financial sustainability will be highly valued.

Above all, the Head of Finance and Resources will be someone who combines professional rigour with integrity, sound judgement, and a values-led approach. You will be motivated by the opportunity to contribute to a purpose-driven organisation and to play a key role in enabling Garvald Edinburgh to continue delivering meaningful and creative opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.

Dr Scott Arthur, MP is seeking a dedicated Office Manager to manage his staff and office to deliver on the priorities of the constituents of Edinburgh South West. The post will suit a candidate with experience of managing a team in a dynamic public-facing environment. This could be someone with team management experience in a third sector role, a public service role, or in a political environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide effective line management to a team working across the constituency office and Westminster, specifically caseworkers, community engagement and communication officers, parliamentary assistants, fostering a collaborative culture focused on delivering a timely, quality service to constituents
• Ensure Scott’s inbox is effectively managed and diary commitments prioritized, optimized and well organized
• Responsibility for managing all aspects of the budget, keeping Scott informed of all relevant financial matters and liaising with IPSA on office finance
• Leading training and development and recruitment of office staff
• Deal with security matters, keep abreast of security guidance, maintain the security system, liaise with external bodies as appropriate
• Ensure the office is fully equipped
• Horizon-scanning on relevant policy, political and communications issues, advising Scott on challenges and opportunities
• Final sign-off on external deliverables including press releases, newsletters, correspondence
• Take ownership of certain, more complex casework as required
• Plan Scott’s internal communications and external stakeholder engagement and advise on constituent matters on behalf of Scott where appropriate
• Liaise with groups/personnel including at Westminster, within the constituency and the general public on Scott’s behalf as necessary
• There will be a requirement for the role holder to work outside of the normal working hours, including attending events with Scott as required

Attributes

• A strong public service ethos, with a clear commitment to supporting Scott to be a proactive, accessible and visible MP
• Proven experience of leading and managing teams with a track record of delivering results through others.
• An effective decision maker able to take a pragmatic view of priorities, deliverables and risks
• Driven, resilient and able to work at pace under pressure, while maintaining sound judgement and attention to detail.
• Team player with a calm, polite, confident disposition, empathetic when engaging with the public.
• Reliable, diligent and professional in representing the office at all times.
• Sympathetic to the aims and values of the Labour Party
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Organisation, planning and prioritisation skills.
• Relationship building and negotiating skills.

“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling the heart of another”

Alfred Adler

| Compassion | Integrity | Respect | Realising Potential | Inclusion |

Health in Mind is one of Scotland’s best-known and trusted Mental Health Charities. Established in 1982 we have evolved in response to need which means we actively promote positive mental health in local communities across Scotland. Our vision is straight forward, we build hope and live life through our values because people are at the heart of what we do.

Future Pathways offers support to people who were abused or neglected a child when they were in the Scottish care system. The service was established alongside the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and has expanded considerably since its start in 2016. Future Pathways’ aim is to help people live well. To change paths, enjoy life, succeed and grow.

We have a great opportunity for someone with lived and learned experience to lead the development of Peer Support programme at Future Pathways.

Peer Support offers something deeply human that other services cannot always provide - mutual understanding without hierarchy. It offers community and a place to just ‘be’ without a focus on goals, recovery or moving ‘forward’. It offers a place to be both held and helpful.

Enthused and empathetic, this role will draw on lived and learned experience to extend the scope and reach of Peer Support at Future Pathways, working with ‘Voices for a Better Future’ lived experience group to guide programme development.

With a warm, relational approach and superb communication skills, you will support a team to develop and deliver a growing range of activities.

Reaching our shortlist is straightforward providing you can say ‘yes’ to our list of ‘must haves’. You can start your journey now by simply directly asking for an information pack and application but before you start your travels, please kindly make sure the following ‘fits’ into your career and personal attributions rucksack because life is a journey.

• We’d like a degree in Health and Social Care, Social Work or equivalent but, if you hold a recognised, relevant professional qualification at a minimum SVQ Level 4 with relevant workplace experience this works too.
• Up to date child and vulnerable adult protection knowledge together and ideally completion of suicide prevention training such as ASIST.
• You are an exceptional compassionate individual with lived and learned experience of working with those who’ve faced personal challenges, childhood disturbance, abuse, separation, institutional care and trauma
• Curiosity, empathy and a focus on learning, empowerment, collaboration and self- awareness.
• Worked with staff in accordance with the statutory framework and requirement including GDPR, BACP, the SSSC and the Care Inspectorate.

With a great range of benefits including 30 days annual leave plus 10 public holidays and 2 wellbeing days we work fulltime 36.25 hours per week. The salary scale for this post is Point 39 to 43, £38,470 to £42,564 .

Committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, we embrace and encourage people from all walks of life, including welcoming applications from Neurodiverse individuals. It is important to us that you feel comfortable and confident and, as such, we are willing to adjust or adapt our application, interview and selection process to suit your needs, including working patterns and hybrid working wherever and whenever we can. Simply contact us and we’ll come back to you.

This role requires regular but not continuous office presence.

Travel across Scotland is periodically required.

About us

The Super Power Agency exists to help young people write their story and to stay with them while they grow into it.

We are a small organisation with big ideas, grounded in the belief that creative writing is not a ‘nice to have’, but an essential skill.

Writing builds confidence, literacy, empathy and self-expression.

When young people are given the space to imagine freely and the structure to shape their ideas, their worlds open up.

The Role

We are looking for someone who believes in the long game. Someone who understands that impact is not only measured in numbers, but in confidence gained, stories remembered, and lives quietly shaped. Someone who can offer strategic guidance, governance oversight and thoughtful challenge all while holding fast to the values that make this organisation special.

The coming years are significant. We are growing our reach, deepening partnerships, expanding into new communities,

and working towards a long-held ambition: creating a dedicated writing centre where young people can flourish and write freely.

As our Chair of Trustees, you’ll provide leadership, support and a bit of magic to help guide our charity’s vision and direction.

• Lead the Board in shaping our strategy and keeping our mission at the heart of every decision.
• Work closely with the CEO to champion creativity, confidence and sustainability across everything we do.
• Be an ambassador for the Super Power Agency by helping to build partnerships, open doors and spread our story far and wide.
• Ensure our governance and finances are strong, inclusive and focused on supporting young people.

This role is perfect for someone who wants to make a real difference while bringing their leadership, collaboration and

imagination to the table.

THE PURPOSE OF THIS ROLE IS:

To provide individual and group work interventions for vulnerable and disadvantaged ethnically diverse children who are experiencing challenges in the transition to High school in order to promote these children’s overall well-being and enable them to fulfil their potential.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• To liaise with different settings in schools in order to identify ethnically diverse children who will be vulnerable and experience difficulty.
• To conduct initial assessments of needs and risks for children referred to the project.
• To facilitate a group work programme for children within school / early years settings and at MCFB.
• To carry key case worker responsibility for individual interventions with children.
• To keep an overview of other individual work undertaken by social work students at MCFB.
• To ensure that the needs and progress of all children are evaluated and recorded within case files and project records in accordance with MCFB’s Confidentiality and Recording Policy and other relevant policies.
• To undertake assessments of children’s well-being at the beginning and end of interventions in order to measure the impact of the provision.
• To maintain communication with the families of the children to promote their involvement in the project.

VOCAL – Voice of Carers Across Lothian is a carer-led organisation delivering a wide range of services to support unpaid carers in their caring role. We are seeking an experienced and motivated manager to lead and develop our Wee Breaks service across Edinburgh and Midlothian.

Working collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders, the Wee Breaks Service Manager will oversee the strategic and operational delivery of VOCAL’s short breaks service. This new role is central to ensuring that unpaid carers in both local authority areas can access flexible, person-centred short breaks that support wellbeing and sustain caring relationships. The postholder will play a key role in delivering services in line with current statutory duties and preparing for future changes linked to the Care Reform (Scotland) Act 2025.

This is a varied and evolving role that includes staff, budget and contract management. The postholder will work closely with local partners and colleagues to ensure a high quality, consistent service that can adapt and expand as demand grows in response to carer needs and national developments.

We are looking for a candidate who can demonstrate:

• significant experience of managing services across multiple locations
• strong knowledge and understanding of unpaid carers’ rights and Scottish legislation
• confident people management and partnership building skills
• experience managing budgets, contracts and grants
• a collaborative, values-driven approach with a clear focus on positive outcomes for carers

If you are looking for a rewarding career and to work within an epic team that will help you grow and thrive, then you have come to the right place. Working within Self-Harm Network Scotland, you can start your day knowing what you do really does make a difference!

Self-Harm Network Scotland provides free compassionate support, resources, and information to people who self-harm. We also provide support and information to friends, families and professionals.

We are part of Penumbra Mental Health, a pioneering charity providing dedicated services for people with mental ill health. We support people on their journey to better mental health, by working with each person to find their own way forward. We are funded by the Scottish Government and also work with partner agencies who share our goal of minimising distress and reducing self-harm.

As a mental health charity, we really value the wellbeing of our staff. That’s why we want you to know that you’ll be joining a friendly team, who will give you a supportive environment to help you thrive in your role, including all the training you need to feel confident and equipped.

We can offer you a tonne of employee benefits, and we can promise you’ll be inspired by some pretty amazing humans every single day. We will support you on your own career path; developing new skills, accessing formal and informal learning experiences and providing opportunities to put your continual progress into practice.

For more information, including full job description and application/interview guidance, please download our recruitment pack.

Midlothian Sure Start is a dynamic, award winning third sector organisation. It offers a quality support service to families with children up to age 12 across Midlothian. Midlothian Sure Start has been in existence since 2001 and employs over 70 members of staff providing a service in Family Learning centres and in the community. Our ethos is to provide a holistic, confidential community based service where families are at the heart of what we do.

We are looking for people who are as passionate about the services we provide as we are and in return we are keen to support professional development with excellent training and development opportunities, enhanced sick pay (following completion of probation), enhanced annual leave entitlement (we close completely for a well-earned break over Christmas and New Year) and we support our staff with an Employee Assistance Programme, Pension Scheme, Discounted Childcare, Health Cash Plan and Discounted Shopping.

We are currently recruiting a Perinatal & Infant Mental Health Support Worker/Practitioner to support with the delivery of A Good Start and other perinatal and infant activities such as Dads2B, Baby Steps and Open Kindergarten, working in the community within Midlothian and East Lothian.

Experience of supporting families, delivering family learning/adult learning groups or equivalent is essential. Applicants must have access to their own transport to deliver services and transport equipment across Midlothian and East Lothian.

Shakti is a feminist Black Minority Ethnic voluntary organisation which offers information, advocacy, emotional/practical support and refuge/temporary accommodation to all Black Minority Ethnic women and their children, who are experiencing or fleeing domestic abuse.

The post holder ideally be a bilingual speaker in one of the BME community languages; preferably Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Mandarin, Cantonese or other South Asian or East Asian languages and will support Black and Minority Ethnic women, their children (if any), and young people who are experiencing and/ or fleeing domestic abuse due to their sexuality and/ or gender identity. The applicant will ideally have a minimum of 2 years’ experience of working with Black Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. Must have good knowledge and understanding of equalities issues and the issues affecting BME and/ or LGBT women, children, and young people; understanding of the legislative and cultural issues surrounding domestic abuse, honour-based abuse such as forced marriage and female genital mutilation, and their effects on Black Minority Ethnic women, their children, and young people.