Blackwood are looking for a Compliance Officer to join our Housing Services team and play an important role in ensuring our customers live in safe, well-maintained homes. You’ll take day-to-day responsibility for monitoring allocated landlord health and safety compliance programmes, making sure actions are progressed, records are accurate and potential risks are identified and escalated. You’ll monitor compliance activity across key areas including gas, electrical safety, fire safety, asbestos, water hygiene and legionella, lifting equipment, damp and mould, and other landlord compliance requirements. You’ll work closely with contractors, colleagues and customers to ensure inspections, servicing, certificates and follow-up actions are completed on time.

We’re looking for someone who is reliable, methodical and proactive, with the confidence to take ownership of allocated work and see things through to completion.

A CIH Level 3 qualification, or equivalent relevant property management/maintenance experience, is essential.

At Blackwood, you’ll be part of a team where customer care, equality, inclusion, confidentiality, data protection and safe working are central to how we operate.

You’ll have the flexibility of our hybrid working model, with two days a week in the office, alongside virtual and in-person collaboration. Occasional travel to offices and developments across Scotland will be required.

If you’re organised, detail-focused and passionate about delivering high standards of compliance and customer service, we’d love to hear from you.

Blackwood offers a range of employee benefits, including:

• Enhanced Well-being package including 24 hour GP service, physiotherapy and mental health support
• Company sick pay scheme on completion of probationary period
• 34 days’ holiday per annum, pro rata for part-time hours
• Company pension scheme and other benefits
• Development and Learning opportunities

The Financial Wellbeing Worker will play a key role in delivering OPFS’s Whole Family Support offer, providing high-quality, person-centred and strengths-based income maximisation and financial wellbeing support to single parents and their families across Scotland.

Working within the OPFS My Life and Me framework, the postholder will support parents to understand their financial circumstances, maximise household income, manage essential expenditure and build financial resilience.

The role will involve working with single parents experiencing financial pressures including low income, benefit changes, debt, rising household costs, insecure employment and childcare costs.

Key responsibilities

• Provide high-quality one-to-one income maximisation and financial wellbeing support.
• Assess household income, expenditure, financial circumstances and priorities.
• Identify opportunities to maximise income through welfare benefits, grants and other financial support.
• Support parents with welfare benefit applications, renewals and changes of circumstances where appropriate.
• Undertake benefit entitlement checks and calculations.
• Provide early intervention and preventative financial wellbeing support, helping parents identify and address financial pressures before they escalate into crisis or unmanageable debt.
• Support parents to budget effectively and identify opportunities to reduce household expenditure and essential living costs.
• Provide Better Off in Work calculations to help parents understand the financial implications of employment or changes to working hours.
• Support parents to understand the financial impact of changes in circumstances.
• Identify and respond appropriately to immediate financial hardship, including food,fuel and other essential needs, supporting parents to access relevant crisis assistance, grants and emergency provision.
• Provide income maximisation and financial wellbeing support within the agreed scope and competency of the role, identifying where specialist welfare rights, debt or regulated advice is required and ensuring timely referral to the appropriate OPFS or external service

Supporting single parents and families

• Build positive, trusting and respectful relationships with single parents, recognising their individual circumstances, strengths and aspirations.
• Use a person centred, strengths based and trauma informed approach.
• Work alongside parents to identify financial goals and develop realistic action plans.
• Support parents to build confidence, knowledge and skills in managing household finances.
• The postholder will take a holistic, whole-family approach, recognising the links between financial wellbeing, employment, housing, childcare, health and wider family circumstances. They will identify wider needs, strengths and goals and connect parents to appropriate OPFS and partner support, ensuring families can access the right support at the right time.
• Empower parents to make informed financial decisions and develop greater financial resilience.
• Recognise the wider impact of financial hardship on parents, children and family wellbeing and identify needs which may require support beyond the presenting financial issue.
• Take a whole-family approach, connecting parents to appropriate OPFS services and external support including family support, employability, childcare, welfare rights and debt services.
• Identify safeguarding, wellbeing or other concerns and respond appropriately in line with OPFS procedures.

Information, advice and signposting

• Provide accurate and accessible financial and benefits information within the remit of the role.
• Keep up to date with changes to welfare benefits, Scottish social security and relevant financial support.
• Make appropriate internal and external referrals to specialist services
• Work closely with OPFS Debt Service, Advice and Information, Family Support, Employability and other services to provide coordinated support.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant national and local services and resources.

National outreach and partnership working

• Deliver income maximisation support nationally across Scotland through face-to-face, telephone and digital approaches.
• Undertake proactive outreach and develop flexible and accessible approaches to engage single parents who may experience barriers to accessing traditional advice and support services.
• Develop effective relationships with statutory, voluntary and community organisations.
• Represent OPFS at relevant partnership meetings, events and networks.
• Promote the OPFS income maximisation service and wider support available to single parents.

Administration, monitoring and evaluation

• Maintain accurate, confidential and timely case records in line with OPFS policies and data protection requirements.
• Record outcomes and progress and contribute to monitoring, evaluation, case studies and funder reporting.
• Record evidence of the financial impact of the service, including income maximised and savings achieved where appropriate.
• Contribute to reporting requirements associated with the Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund.

Capture parent feedback and identify emerging issues affecting single parents.

Service development

• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of OPFS’s national income maximisation offer.
• Share learning, good practice and emerging issues with colleagues and managers.
• Contribute to developing accessible financial wellbeing information, resources and workshops.

Health, safety and safeguarding

• Comply with OPFS policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, confidentiality, equality, diversity, inclusion, health and safety and data protection.
• Promote the wellbeing and safety of single parents and their children and ensure concerns are appropriately identified, recorded and escalated.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries when working with parents and families.

General responsibilities

• Attend team meetings, supervision, training and development opportunities.
• Share learning and good practice and contribute to effective team working.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of the role.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the post as requested by the Service Manager.

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.

Everyday people with chest, heart, stroke and Long Covid conditions are leaving the hospital scared and alone. You can be part of our mission to make sure that there is no life half lived in Scotland.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is looking for an experienced and motivated Advice Line Clinical Lead Practitioner to provide strong leadership for our Clinical Advice Line Team, supporting people affected by chest, heart, stroke, Long Covid conditions and Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA).

This is an exciting opportunity for a registered healthcare professional to combine clinical leadership, people management and service development, ensuring high-quality, person-centred care while driving performance,

continuous improvement and delivery of organisational priorities.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Deputy Head of Service Delivery (Triage, Clinical & Support Line Operations), you will lead a team of clinical practitioners delivering telephone and video-based clinical case management and support services.

You will be responsible for clinical governance, service quality, workforce performance and achievement of service KPIs.

You will use performance data, service user feedback and quality outcomes to drive improvement and support strategic service development. The role will also provide leadership and operational support to the Stroke Nurse Team in the

absence of the Stroke Nurse Lead.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, develop and support the Clinical Advice Line Team.
• Deliver agreed KPIs, quality standards and service outcomes.
• Monitor performance, caseloads and service capacity.
• Provide clinical leadership, supervision and coaching.
• Lead quality assurance, audit and continuous improvement activity.
• Ensure effective risk management, safeguarding and clinical governance.
• Support recruitment, performance management and workforce planning.
• Contribute to organisational strategy and service development.
• Build effective relationships with NHS and third-sector partners.
• Support the Stroke Nurse Team during periods of leadership absence

About You:

Applicants must be resident in the UK, have the legal right to work in the UK, and possess a good understanding of Scotland's health and social care landscape. Unfortunately, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland is unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Essential:

• UK-recognised first-level Nursing qualification with current NMC registration, or UK-recognised Allied Health Professional qualification with current HCPC registration.
• Significant post-registration clinical experience.
• Proven experience leading and managing clinical teams.
• Experience delivering services against KPIs, quality standards and organisational objectives.
• Strong understanding of clinical governance, safeguarding and quality improvement.
• Experience using performance data to inform decision-making and service improvement.
• Excellent communication, leadership and organisational skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a home-based environment.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting people affected by chest, heart, stroke or Long Covid conditions.
• Leadership or management qualification.
• Experience in service redesign, quality improvement or change management.
• Experience managing budgets and resources.

What You'll Bring:

You will be an experienced clinical leader with the ability to motivate and develop others, deliver against organisational priorities and maintain a strong focus on quality, performance and person-centred care. Most importantly, you will share our ambition that there should be No Life Half Lived for people living with chest, heart, stroke and Long Covid conditions.

Join us and help shape and lead life-changing clinical services across Scotland.

We are seeking an enthusiastic individual with a clinical qualification and registered with a UK Clinical Body (such as NMC, HCPC) and have demonstrable experience in a management role. A robust knowledge of one or more of our conditions is essential. Management/Leadership qualification desirable but not essential.

CHSS employees enjoy a variety of organizational benefits including Company pension scheme, generous holiday allowance, company sick pay, employee welfare support and life assurance.

CHSS also supports flexible recruitment through Working Families, and we are “Happy to Talk Flexible Working”.

In line with our commitment to safeguarding, this role is subject to a PVG check. CHSS is committed to equality of opportunity and to providing a service which is free from unfair and unlawful discrimination. We therefore aim to ensure that no applicant, volunteer or member of staff is unfairly treated on the grounds of offending background.

This role plays a critical part in the planning and management of our organisational finances and resources, leading a small team within the Business Support team. It reports to our Head of Resources and Development and line manages a full-time Finance and Resources Officer and a part-time Business Support Coordinator. It sits within the Business Support team, which also includes our Fund Managers and Coordinators.

What You'll Do

Effective strategic and operational planning, performance and development are essential to the sustainability of our growing organisation. A significant element of this is how we plan and manage our finances and other resources, build organisational policy and process to enable the work we do for our sector, and develop our practices to build a great place to work. Our Resources and Development team provides the planning, oversight and development of our central organisational activity and practice, as well as managing the investments we make in our sector on behalf of funding partners.

As Finance and Resources Manager, you will take a leading role in our project and core budget development and reporting, financial oversight and assurance, financial forecasting and financial policy and processes. You will also support the planning and management of our people/staff related activity, working with our external HR Advisor and the Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway (TSDG) Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to coordinate the update and maintenance of our Staff Handbook and policies.

• Lead the efficient and effective management of robust TSDG financial systems, ensuring sufficient processes are in place to provide the SLT with high levels of financial scrutiny and assurance.
• Support the Chief Executive and SLT colleagues in developing, monitoring, re-forecasting and reporting on the core TSDG budget and project budgets.
• Prepare monthly/quarterly management accounts, cashflow projections and financial reporting for the SLT, and provide oversight and assurance of the accurate recording and processing of all income and expenditure, in line with budget and financial delegations.
• Oversee and assure automated payment approvals through online banking and regular bank reconciliation, and develop our Zoho-based finance system, with a view to bringing more services in-house.
• Oversee monthly payroll and expenses processes, and support the Head of Resources and Development, Senior Leaders and others to build grant claims by providing accurate financial data of ring-fenced funds.
• Lead on process and practice improvements to our financial management policies and systems, and on the development of our annual reports, working with our external advisors, accountants and auditor and assuring the first draft as presented to the SLT.
• Oversee the coordination of staff recruitment and the continuous improvement of our induction programmes for new staff, including a new programme for leadership roles.
• Work with our external HR Advisor and SLT to coordinate the update and maintenance of our people policies and electronic Staff Handbook, and oversee the effective use of our online employee HR system (SafeHR).
• Provide leadership, direction and support for the Finance team, line managing your direct reports effectively and managing delegated decisions and budgets, and contribute thoughtfully to strategic discussions and decisions in line with our values.

More about you

• You will have proven experience in small or medium-sized organisational finance management, with a strong understanding of accounting processes, internal controls and regulatory compliance, and of building operational and project budgets, monitoring and reporting.
• You will have proven experience of working with and developing financial processing systems, including invoicing, payments and cashflow modelling.
• You will have excellent time management skills, with the ability to work accurately to tight deadlines, prioritise your own workload and support the work of others, along with excellent attention to detail.
• You will have good leadership skills, with proven experience of mentoring others so that they thrive and grow.
• You will be skilled in using Outlook, Teams and other Microsoft apps, particularly Excel.
• You will be self-motivated and able to take responsibility for personal outcomes, with a commitment to ongoing personal and organisational improvement, and an inclusive, adaptable, action-biased and collegiate attitude.
• You will be able to be at the Dumfries or Stranraer office for agreed working hours (based on 9–5) consistently, three days a week.
• You may have proven experience in charity finance management, with a strong understanding of charitable accounting, restricted funding and grant claims, including using financial processing systems to inform charity grant management.

Join GCIL and Make a Difference!

At GCIL (Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living), we empower disabled people with the information, skills, and support they need to lead independent lives and participate fully in society.

As a disabled-people led organisation, we value lived experience and pride ourselves on delivering high-quality services that make a real impact in our communities. Communication and connection sit at the heart of everything we do.

Why Work With Us?

• Meaningful Impact: Your work will make a tangible difference, helping disabled people of all ages to lead independent, fulfilling lives.
• People-Focused: You’ll spend a significant amount of your time communicating — one-to-one, in groups, in the community, and online. If you love engaging with people, this is the role for you.
• Varied Outreach: From delivering training sessions to hosting workshops, events, and drop-ins, you'll be out in the community building understanding and trust.
• Autonomy and Responsibility: Manage your own caseload and represent GCIL confidently through regular verbal and digital communication.
• Professional Growth: We’ll support your development, including your communication, training delivery, and community engagement skills.

As our Administrator, you will:

• Provide administrative support to the Lanarkshire Team in a busy office environment.
• Manage your own workload effectively and work confidently on your own initiative.
• Handle a range of administrative tasks with accuracy and strong attention to detail.
• Use a variety of computer systems and software applications efficiently.
• Be the primary point of contact for incoming enquiries and new referrals, ensuring efficient handling and appropriate signposting.
• Manage incoming calls, monitor mail boxes and process new referrals, delivering high-quality front-line support.
• Communicate clearly and professionally with colleagues, Supported People and external partners.
• Prioritise competing tasks and manage time effectively to meet deadlines.
• Maintain accurate records and assist with data entry and database updates.
• Support the coordination of appointments, meetings and other team activities.
• Ensure compliance with organisational policies, procedures and confidentiality standards.
• Contribute to creating an inclusive, supportive and accessible working environment.

In order to be successful in this role, you must have:

• Minimum two years’ administrative experience in a busy office environment.
• Strong communication skills written and verbal.
• Excellent organisation, time management and ability to prioritise competing tasks.
• Confident using a range of computer systems and software applications.
• High attention to detail and accuracy in all administrative tasks.
• Ability to work independently and use your own initiative.
• Ability to handle confidential information professionally and responsibly.
• Willingness to undergo and maintain PVG scheme membership.

It would be great if you had:

• Experience working in a third-sector, health, social care or community-focused organisation.
• Knowledge or lived experience relating to disability, accessibility or support systems.
• Familiarity with case management, databases or CRM systems.
• Experience supporting teams with appointment coordination, scheduling or Support People communications.
• Understanding of inclusive practice and commitment to equality, diversity and accessibility.
• Ability to adapt to new systems, processes and organisational changes.

We Actively Welcome Disabled Applicants

As a disabled-people-led organisation, we are especially keen to hear from disabled people, including those with lived experience of navigating support systems or barriers in society.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. If you have lived experience of disability, we strongly encourage you to apply.

If you need adjustments during the application or interview process, just let us know — we're happy to support you.

We guarantee interviews for all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria outlined in the job description.

Ready to Join Us?

If you're passionate about inclusion, empowerment, social justice, and working directly with people and if you thrive in a role built around communication we’d love to hear from you!

Are you a funding or fundraising whizz looking for an opportunity to use your funding or fundraising skills to help Scotland's charities and voluntary organisations to understand the funding landscape better, increase their funding and build their fundraising skills?

Funding Scotland provides in-person and online funding learning and engagement, shares insights into the funding landscape, and manages the biggest grants and funding platform in Scotland. Every year we support hundreds of people and organisations on their funding and fundraising journey. This post is your chance to be at the heart of making that happen.

About the role

We’re recruiting a one-year post to cover the planning and delivery of our Funding Scotland service to ensure Scotland’s charities and other voluntary organisations are supported to thrive.

You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the service by using your funding/fundraising knowledge and your project management skills to:

• Engage and build relationships with stakeholders across the sector
• Design and deliver online and in-person learning opportunities
• Share funding/fundraising expertise through presentations and other events
• Identify ways to develop funding.scot and ensure its data is accurate and timely
• Contribute to our Fair Funding work
• Collaborate with teams across SCVO to support one another’s plans

About you

• You’ll have worked in a funding, fundraising or grants management post previously, and be comfortable sharing your expertise.

• Your strong project or service management skills will enable you to develop and coordinate the Funding Scotland service throughout the year.

• You’ll bring engaging communication skills to build relationships and present learning and support confidently to the sector.

How we’ll support you

While this is a standalone post, it works with teams across SCVO so you’ll be joining a skilled, experienced staff team who are keen to help you to succeed. This includes our digital, customer service, comms, and learning and events teams.

You’ll also be supported directly by the Head of Information and Support in finding your feet and prioritising your workload.

SCVO is a supportive employer, with many wellbeing support policies and a values-driven approach.

Part time hours and other flexible working options, including working from home for part of the week, will be fully considered. We encourage you to apply if you believe you meet most of the criteria in the person specification. We share our interview questions in advance. If you want to have a chat about the job or our flexible working approach, please contact us at HR@scvo.scot

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled and experienced social entrepreneur to support the establishment of a new social enterprise organisation, CHI2.

Following two successful rounds of Economic and Social and Research Council funding (2017-27), the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) wants to now move on to its next phase.

Following discussions with its host, the University of Glasgow, the CaCHE academic leadership is considering a spin out company that would raise research income on projects concerned with influencing housing policy and practice through rigorous research evidence across the UK and, potentially, internationally. It is envisaged that the new entity would hold a portfolio of funding with different research partners across the UK and beyond. Further information about the work CaCHE does can be found at: housingevidence.ac.uk

We are looking for a consultant to develop a business plan and to work with the project team to support the project’s ambition to establish and scale.

The ideal consultant will be an experienced social entrepreneur with a proven track record in generating sustainable revenue and the successful development of social enterprise businesses within the housing sector or a business area related to the CHI2 project, who can build upon extensive relevant networks to promote the venture externally to strategic partners, stakeholders and investors. Additionally, the consultant must be willing and capable of mentoring the project team, ensuring transfer of knowledge and experience.

Key Tasks

• Develop a funder-ready business plan that optimises income opportunities and supports the social enterprise’s ambition to scale
• Review and build on existing market data to identify the strongest financial and philanthropic opportunities for the project.
• Work with the team to develop a business strategy and commercial plan including financial budget.
• Verify the plan with commercial feedback from potential funders and partners (e.g. at partner meetings) and cultivate strategic relationships within the relevant sectors (across think tanks and government).
• Provide a strategic vision and evaluate its relevance with the ability to review and change direction if required.

Skills / Experience

The ideal consultant will meet most of the following criteria:

• Highly motivated, entrepreneurial personality.
• Value and mission-driven with a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Experience of, and knowledge of the housing and housing policy sectors
• Strong commercial credentials and background in social enterprise development and growth.
• Experience of producing and implementing business plans.
• Demonstrable commercial achievements and experience.
• Proven track record of raising funding from funders, partners or high net worth philanthropic donors.
• Excellent leadership qualities and strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience of, or interest in, engaging with applied research
• Demonstrable ability to provide hands-on support, guidance and advice to those joining the social enterprise spin-out.
• Extensive network of relevant contacts, including potential stakeholders, development partners and funders.
• Ability to clearly articulate core value propositions and develop and optimize corresponding business models.
• Ability to utilise innovative thinking to devise creative and entrepreneurial solutions to overcome the many challenges in spinning out a social enterprise with high-impact potential.
• Experience of the corporate governance and financial management obligations of managing a social enterprise entity, ideally as a Company executive director.
• Experience of leading a small, results driven project team.
• Ability to mentor and identify skills gaps within an existing team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly skilled and experienced social entrepreneur to support the establishment of a new charitable organisation, Changing Realities. What started life as a research project in 2020 has now become a fixture on the policy and anti-poverty scene, with Changing Realities working with academic researchers, parents and carers on a low-income and Child Poverty Action Group to document life on a low-income and to push for change.

We are looking for a consultant to develop a business plan and to work with the project team to support the project’s ambition to establish and scale.

The ideal consultant will be an experienced social entrepreneur with a proven track record in generating sustainable revenue and the successful development of charities, ideally within the policy and/or anti-poverty spheres. We are looking for someone who can build upon extensive relevant networks to promote the venture externally to strategic partners, stakeholders and potential funders. Additionally, the Commercial Champion must be willing and capable of mentoring the project team, ensuring transfer of knowledge and experience.

Key Tasks

• Develop a funder-ready business plan that optimises income opportunities and supports the charity's ambition to scale
• Review and build on existing market data to identify the strongest financial and philanthropic opportunities for the project.
• Work with the team to develop a business strategy and commercial plan including financial budget.
• Verify the plan with commercial feedback from potential funders and partners (e.g. at partner meetings) and cultivate strategic relationships within the relevant sectors (across anti-poverty charities, think tanks and government).
• Provide a strategic vision and evaluate its relevance with the ability to review and change direction if required.

Skills / Experience

The ideal consultant will meet most of the following criteria:

• Highly motivated, entrepreneurial personality.
• Value and mission-driven with a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Experience of, and knowledge of the anti-poverty and policy sectors
• Strong commercial credentials and background in charity development and growth.
• Experience of producing and implementing business plans.
• Demonstrable commercial achievements and experience.
• Proven track record of raising funding from funders, partners or high net worth philanthropic donors.
• Excellent leadership qualities and strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience of, or interest in, engaging with applied research
• Demonstrable ability to provide hands-on support, guidance and advice to those joining the spin-out charity.
• Extensive network of relevant contacts, including potential stakeholders, development partners and funders.
• Ability to clearly articulate core value propositions and develop and optimize corresponding business models.
• Ability to utilise innovative thinking to devise creative and entrepreneurial solutions to overcome the many challenges in spinning out a social enterprise with high-impact potential.
• Experience of the corporate governance and financial management obligations of managing a charitable entity, ideally as a Company executive director.
• Experience of leading a small, results driven project team.
• Ability to mentor and identify skills gaps within an existing team.

Want to use creativity to transform the hospital experiences of babies, children, young people and families? We’ve got just the role for you.

We’re looking for a creative, organised and compassionate Arts Officer to join our Children’s Wellbeing Service. This is a unique opportunity to support the delivery and development of ECHC’s Arts Programme within the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People and across Lothian settings.

Working closely with the Arts and Wellbeing Manager, Children’s Wellbeing Service colleagues, NHS teams, freelance artists, volunteers and families, you’ll help plan and deliver high-quality participatory arts activities, creative projects and arts experiences that help babies, children and young people feel supported, included, motivated and heard throughout their healthcare journey.

This is a non-clinical role, embedded within the Children’s Wellbeing Service. You’ll work within ECHC policies and agreed NHS processes, maintaining clear professional boundaries and following appropriate safeguarding, wellbeing and clinical risk escalation routes.

Some of the things you’ll be doing:

• Planning and delivering accessible participatory arts activities, projects, performances, residencies and resources across hospital and healthcare settings

• Co-producing creative work with children, young people, families and NHS staff, ensuring their views are listened to and reflected

• Building relationships with NHS teams, artists, volunteers, cultural organisations and partners, and developing outreach opportunities

• Appointing, inducting and supporting freelance artists and external providers to deliver high-quality work

• Managing project plans, timelines, budgets, resources and competing priorities

• Monitoring and evaluating impact through feedback, data and stories, and sharing learning to support service development

• Maintaining accurate records and contributing to reports, funding applications, communications and funder visits

• Representing ECHC and the Arts Programme professionally at meetings, events and partnership discussions

Full details can be found in the Job Description.

Why ECHC?

At ECHC, you’ll join supportive colleagues who stand beside babies, children, young people and families through some of the toughest times in their lives. You’ll have the opportunity to shape an Arts Programme that uses creativity to improve hospital experiences, strengthen wellbeing and give children and young people greater choice and agency.

Still reading? If you made it this far, we think there’s a strong chance you might be our kind of person. Even if you don’t tick every box, we want to encourage you to introduce yourself. Apply today.