Changes East Lothian is looking for new Board members!

Are you interested in taking on a new challenge and helping those experiencing mental health issues in East Lothian?

In response to expanding the capacity of the Board and succession planning, Changes East Lothian is seeking up to five new trustees.

We anticipate that you can provide evidence of transferable skills, or experience of operating as a trustee or non-executive director.

Applications of those with experience of the following areas will be prioritised:

• Leadership in a relevant position
• Involvement in mental health, social care or the third sector
• People, HR, employment law and organisational culture;
• Business, finance or operations at an executive level.
• IT, digital, marketing, digital and comms

About Changes East Lothian

Changes was established in 1996 as a community health project and since then we have evolved and grown to the medium sized charity we are today. As we celebrate turning 30 this year, we have the opportunity to launch our new 5-year strategic plan 2026-2031and with it, reinvigorate our Board with new membership.

It has been an exciting time of change and progression for us over the last few years and we are ready to develop our systems and processes with further development opportunities and creative thinking in facing the challenges of succeeding in the third sector. Our Changes East Lothian mission is to provide everyone in East Lothian the opportunity to access a choice of activities, therapy, information, training and support that help enable positive mental health and wellbeing through individual autonomy, learning, reflection, empowerment, and connection.

We are a community at Changes, and our values include compassion, responsiveness, and life-long learning for all. As you can imagine, it is challenging working in this arena but also extremely rewarding.

Who we are looking for:

We would like applicants to:

• Empathise with our vision, mission and values;
• Demonstrate a willingness and ability to devote the necessary time and effort;
• Exercise sound and independent judgement;
• Think and apply knowledge creatively and strategically;
• Get to know our team of staff and volunteers;
• Keep themselves and the charity mission-focused;
• Analyse and evaluate information and other evidence in the execution of their duties.

Provide expert policy support to the MP, leading on key policy areas including responding to policy casework, delivering high‑quality briefings, drafting speeches and PQs, shaping lines to take, and engage stakeholders to progress constituency and national priorities.

Applicants should have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well in a small team. Awareness of public policy and strong written skills are essential. The successful candidate will be enthusiastic, responsible, able to use initiative and capable of working under pressure to meet deadlines.

Key responsibilities

• Provide responses to policy casework.
• Analyse, evaluate and interpret data to ensure Member is accurately informed on key issues.
• Assist in writing external communications including speeches for the MP.
• Develop and maintain current knowledge on relevant areas of parliamentary business including Motions, legislation, Hansard, debates etc. This would include issues of importance both nationally and in the local constituency.
• Give advice on policy issues.
• Have working knowledge of relevant legislation and upcoming business including how they impact on the constituency.
• Help draft amendments for reports and prepare briefing material.
• Prepare and present briefing notes for committees, press releases, parliamentary questions etc.
• Progress casework as required.
• There may be a requirement for the role holder to work outside of normal working hours and travel for work occasionally.
• To advise and ensure the MP is fully briefed on potential questions and motions to be put to the House.
• Undertake research on relevant subjects as directed.
• Work with colleagues in communications/casework to identify potential impacts from the research work and disseminate them effectively.

The following skills are essential:

• Excellent research, analytical and writing skills.
• Able to deal with sensitive issues in a confidential and timely manner;
• Ability to work quickly and calmly under pressure in a small team or individually;
• Competent use of IT including proficiency in using Microsoft Office, Outlook, SharePoint, and the internet;
• Good knowledge and understanding of local and national political issues and how Parliament works;

Driving licence essential

Upon appointment you will be required to comply with the Baseline Personnel Security Standard, undertaken by the Members’ Staff Verification Office (MSVO). See Members’ Staff Verification Office (MSVO) page for further info. MPs generally pay staff in accordance with IPSA guidelines.

The Development Worker will support the delivery of the Our Garnock Valley Plan by enabling community-led action and supporting partnership working across the Garnock Valley.

This is a community development role informed by CLD principles, focused on supporting people, groups and organisations to develop ideas, build confidence and capacity, and progress agreed priorities in ways that are inclusive, collaborative and place-based.

Strategic direction and priority-setting sit with the Our Garnock Valley Steering Group. The Development Worker’s role is to support the progression of this agreed direction by working alongside communities, third sector and public sector partners to turn shared ambitions into practical next steps.

The Garnock Valley Locality Partnership Working Groupcommissioned a community engagement exercise, which

identified community development opportunities within the Garnock Valley. Following on from this, an exciting community and local authority collaboration developed the Our Garnock Valley Plan.

The Working Group now require a Development Worker to help realise the recommendations in the plan. The Development Worker will operate within the framework established by the GV2023 and Our Garnock Valley documents, serving as a pivotal force for change in the Garnock Valley communities.

Adopting a Place Based approach to working with communities, within a locality context, this role requires an individual with a proactive attitude and a knack for creative problem-solving. The scope of the role is comprehensive, encompassing project management, community and stakeholder empowerment, wider engagement, and strategic planning.

Home-Start Clackmannanshire is a long standing, dynamic charity, striving to ensure every young child (under 12) has the best possible start in life locally. Raising a family has never been easy; our trained volunteers and staff are there to support families through challenging times.

We provide a bespoke support package of 1:1 and group services for families, helping them to cope with the stresses and strains of daily life and encourage them to build the skills, confidence, and strength they need to nurture their children for years to come. As part of our service, we run a charity shop in Alloa, which generates income for our support work, offers volunteering opportunities, and is a local Bairn Bank, providing items at no cost when needed.

Purpose of the job:

We are looking for a Retail Supervisor to join our team of volunteers and Retail & Enterprise Manager at our shop on Alloa High Street. The successful candidate will provide day to day management of the shop on their working days, providing effective support for our team of dedicated volunteers, and supporting the recruitment, induction, and on-going training of volunteers.

The post holder will ensure appropriate standards of security and health and safety in the shop and be responsible for effective management of stock to provide a high-quality retail experience, and meet ambitious sales targets.

Every childhood is worth fighting for - This belief drives everything we do. Our Direct Services team in Scotland go above and beyond to transform the lives of babies, children, and families.

We're excited to announce a new opportunity within Scotland's National Hub. We're looking for a qualified Social Worker who is passionate about preventing abuse and neglect and who wants to use their skills to influence and empower those whom we work alongside. You'll find opportunities to grow, challenges to rise to, and a shared purpose that brings out your best. Most importantly, you'll find your own way to make a difference.

Our focus is on early childhood development and supporting children growing up in families facing adversity. Working in partnership with local people, groups, and agencies, we aim to co-create and test new approaches which are rooted in relationships with babies, children and families. Our work is grounded in inclusivity, accessibility, and a commitment to sustainable change through local ownership and capacity building.

What are our Four Guiding Principles in Scotland?

• Harness local insight to drive innovation and create solutions which reflect real needs and deliver long-lasting impact.
• Collaborative partnerships
• Sustainability and innovation
• Continuous learning and evidence-based practice

Are you someone who?

• Brings creativity and innovation to your practice
• Has a strong understanding of early childhood development and adversity and keeps up to date with legislation, research, and best practice
• Can plan and deliver support with and alongside individuals, families, and groups whilst being confident in identifying risk and responding appropriately
• Has experience supporting babies, children, and families during challenging times
• Evaluates the impact of your work and adapts accordingly
• Embodies the values and behaviours of the NSPCC

What will you be doing?

• Plan, deliver and evaluate direct services (on an individual or group work basis) for babies, children, their families, carers and adults maintaining professional practice standards as outlined in legislation, guidance, equal opportunity practices and consistent with NSPCC standards and procedures.
• Work with community groups in consultation, co-production to develop resources and assets that meet the needs of their local communities and maximise the quality and effectiveness of the NSPCC National Scotland Hub.
• Hold case accountability for a number of cases some of which may be complex, ensuring all safeguarding practice and case recording conforms to NSPCC practice standards and guidance. Provide professional advice to internal and external enquiries.
• Liaise and work positively with key stakeholders to maintain excellent working relationships, deliver effective services and attend a range of internal and external meetings. It is important to also be able to respectfully challenge where necessary to promote the best interest of children.
• Promote the participation of babies, children, young people and their families in the planning, decision making and evaluation of the NSPCC National Scotland Hub work.
• Actively prepare for and participate in supervision, team meetings, briefings and training events and contribute to the development of learning materials or other resources.
• Take responsibility for developing and improving your own professional knowledge and skills.
• Work with fundraising staff to promote the work of the team and the organisation to various audiences including supporters, fundraisers and volunteers.

Why join the NSPCC?

Join us and become part of a team that cares deeply about the work we do and the people we support. But we know it's a competitive world, and it's important to feel valued in your role and receive more practical, tangible benefits. We offer salaries that are at least comparable with the top charities in the UK, as well as these benefits.

• Generous annual leave - 29 days per annum plus bank holidays for full-time employees (pro-rata for part-time). 32 days per annum after five years' continuous service.
• Employee discounts - Our discounts portal gives you online access to over 3,000 discounts and offers.
• The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) - an independent, free, personal support service providing support and advice to support your health and wellbeing.
• Pension & Life Insurance Scheme

Still have questions about the role? For an informal chat about the role, please contact Jennifer Dixon (Team Manager) at Jennifer.Dixon@nspcc.org.uk

If you are interested in applying for this role, we encourage you to apply early. To help us manage the process we may close the vacancy before the advertised closing date should we receive a strong response to the role.

Feniks Counselling, Personal Development and Support Services Ltd. is seeking a passionate and driven Policy Development Officer to champion the rights of Polish and other Central and Eastern European (CEE) communities in Scotland.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape policy, influence decision-makers and amplify community voices at local and national level.

The Role

You will lead on policy and advocacy work, engaging with stakeholders including statutory services and the Scottish Government. Working closely with colleagues and community members, you will gather evidence, develop briefings and consultation responses, raise awareness of key issues, and support greater civic participation.

The role is primarily home-based, with occasional office attendance and travel as required. We warmly welcome applications from candidates based outside Edinburgh.

About You

You will bring at least two years’ experience in policy or advocacy work, excellent research and report-writing skills, and confidence engaging with stakeholders at all levels. Fluency in English and Polish is essential.

We are looking for someone who is self-motivated, collaborative and committed to equality, human rights and social justice.

Annual leave:34 days per annum, pro rata

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of autistic people? Do you have leadership skills and a desire to mentor and develop others? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

As the Senior Autism Practitioner, you’ll ensure the successful delivery of our services in our Orkney Area Services. Leading a team of dedicated Autism Practitioners, you will inspire them to provide a high-quality support service to autistic people. You will coach and mentor them to ensure they perform to the best of their ability.

Using your outstanding communication skills, you’ll collaborate with agencies, multi-disciplinary teams and families to implement support plans to help individuals to succeed in their day-to-day lives.

Actively involving yourself in the recruitment process and by nurturing a culture where people feel valued from the very beginning, you’ll help create an environment where colleagues are not only excited to join but inspired to stay and grow.

This is a superb opportunity to undertake exceptional training and lead a hard-working team to success.

To be considered for this diverse role, you must have:

• Experience gained within a supervisory and/or management role
• A health and social care qualification, or the willingness to gain an SVQ Level 4 in health & social care and Leadership and Management for Care Services (LMC) qualification provided by the organisation
• Strong IT skills, including MS Word and Excel
• Rota planning/management experience

Why Join Us?

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• 32 days holiday (increasing with service)
• Life assurance scheme
• Pension (employer matched up to 9%)
• Discount platform
• Employee Assistance Program

What our colleagues had to say:

“The role of SAP has provided me with learning opportunities in leadership and mentoring by guiding staff to provide person centered support.” - Current Senior Autism Practitioner.

The Senior Autism Practitioner role includes occasional on-call and weekend work.

As a result of planned retirements and Board renewal, we have two opportunities to join our Board as Trustees for Shelter Scotland:

Role 1 Trustee

Role 2 Chair of the Scotland Committee and Vice-Chair to the Board of Trustees.

We’re looking for people with a range of professional and personal experiences. Strong candidates will relish the chance to join a high-performing Board, working with an extremely talented and highly motivated Executive Leadership Team. We need ambitious, best-in-class individuals who are passionate about our cause to join us at this exciting time. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve in Scotland.

Experience in the following areas would be key:

• Knowledge and understanding of the operating environment for third sector organisations in Scotland.
• Experience of public affairs or social policy development in a Scottish context.
• Experience of delivering anti-racism policy and in practice.
• Knowledge and understanding of fundraising in the Scottish context.

What is the Voluntary Sector?

The ‘voluntary sector’ refers to organisations whose primary purpose is to create social impact rather than profit. It is independent from local and national government, and distinct from the private sector. Charities are the largest single category within the voluntary sector.

About Shelter and Shelter Scotland

We are united by our purpose to defend the right to a safe home. Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. We believe that to win that fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement for change. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, fair, equitable and transparent. Our Trustees play a vital role in making sure that we achieve our core purpose.

Being a Trustee

Our Board of Trustees is a non-executive Board with overall legal responsibility for the direction, management and control of Shelter and is collectively accountable for compliance with charity law, company law and other legislative and regulatory requirements. As a Trustee, you will have the chance to support and shape our work and strategic direction. Trusteeship can help you gain experience of strategy and leadership. It will give you experience of setting a strategic vision, influencing and negotiation, and managing risk. If you already have significant experience in these areas, it can be stimulating to use it in a different and potentially challenging context. As a Trustee, you will be part of a team and will have the opportunity to apply your unique skills and experience while learning from others. Working closely with a passionate team of people who have different perspectives is often one of the most enjoyable aspects of the role. People with lived or learned experience of homelessness can bring powerful perspectives to our Board and play an important role in shaping our strategy. Terms of Appointment Terms of office are normally limited to a maximum of two terms, each of three years.

Remuneration

Trustees receive no fees, remuneration, salary or other financial benefits nor any other material benefits in their role at Shelter. However, they can claim reasonable expenses for attendance at Board and other meetings or events in line with the Trustee Expenses Policy.

Application Criteria

Charity Commission CC30 Guidance and the Charities Act 2011 disqualifies some people from acting as a trustee. Shelter will not appoint a person who is not allowed by law to be a trustee.

Colleges Scotland is the collective voice for the college sector, and as the membership body, represents the 24 colleges in Scotland, which deliver both further education and around 20% of the provision of all higher education in Scotland.

The 24 colleges operate in 13 regions across Scotland, allowing them to plan nationally and regionally, as well as deliver locally.

Colleges Scotland’s primary role is to support colleges and the regional strategic body in achieving their aims and objectives, and to cultivate the strength of the college sector in Scotland. This is achieved through advocating and campaigning on behalf of the college sector, co-ordinating sector-wide engagement on major issues, policy development, and maintaining strong and proactive relationships with government, sector agencies and industry bodies. Colleges Scotland is driving new business development opportunities to increase benefits to its members.

College Employers Scotland is a committee of the Colleges Scotland board and has delegated decision making responsibilities on all matters related to National Bargaining.

The Role of the Chair

The Chair provides inclusive leadership to the Board of Trustees, ensuring the effective governance of the charity and that Colleges Scotland is accountable to its members.

The Chair will also support and, where appropriate, challenge the Chief Executive Officer and ensure that the Board functions effectively as a unit and works closely with the entire Executive of the charity to achieve agreed objectives.

The Role of the Trustee

As a Trustee, you will be responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and effective operation of Colleges Scotland as an organisation, rather than matters related to the college sector more broadly, and ensuring that we meet our charitable objectives and comply with our legal obligations.

The National Trust for Scotland is looking for up to five members to join its Board from this September.

Our Trustees play a vital role in guiding the organisation, and together their collective expertise reflects the breadth and diversity of the Trust’s work.

This year, we are inviting applications from people with experience in the following fields:

• collections management;
• commercial and entrepreneurial activities in a consumer environment;
• commercial property and estate management;
• gardens and horticulture; and
• legal expertise

With major projects underway across our properties and as we look ahead to our Centenary in 2031, this is an exciting time to contribute to shaping the future of Scotland’s most treasured places.

Joining our Board offers a unique opportunity to influence the stewardship and protection of our nation’s heritage. We encourage applications from across our diverse membership and from individuals at all stages in their careers. If you share our commitment to Scotland’s natural, cultural and built heritage, we would be delighted to hear from you.