The postholder will be expected to operate in line with our values which are: Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion.

Overview:

All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support that enables them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many single parents and their children. Our core values of Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion are at the heart of everything we do and underpin all aspects of our work.

The Childcare Connector will contribute to the organisation’s vision of a Scotland in which single parents and their children are valued and treated equally and fairly, by supporting the delivery of various components which contribute to the Edinburgh service, including proactively supporting single parents to find, secure and access flexible childcare that meets their needs, allowing single parents to progress within their current employment, enter employment or enrol in education or training.

The role will include direct work with single parents to understand their needs, their current childcare limitations, and their current barriers to work, education or training. Liaising with childcare providers within Edinburgh, helping single parents access flexible childcare options and know and understand flexible payment options at local and national level is a key element of this role.

This role will include networking and events to promote the Childcare Connector service and will include outreach work with single parents, stakeholders, and partners in and around Edinburgh.

All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support that enables them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many single parents and their children. Our core values of Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion are at the heart of everything we do and underpin all aspects of our work.

Overview:

The Advice and Information Service is a national support service for single-parent families and professionals across Scotland. It provides multi-channel advice on a wide range of topics, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity. The service operates Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, excluding Christmas and Easter holidays.

The Project Lead for Advice and Information Service will play a key role in supporting the A&I Service Manager with the day-to-day management, operations and delivery of the OPFS Advice and Information Service. They will help ensure the service is delivered effectively, supporting staff, maintaining high-quality service provision and contributing to the ongoing development and continuous improvement of the service.

Working within the OPFS "My Life and Me" framework, the postholder will provide operational leadership, support and supervision to staff, ensure high-quality service delivery and undertake quality assurance activities. The Project Lead will be expected to deputise for the A&I Service Manager when required.

The Advice & Information Service is part of OPFS Support for Families Services, which provides holistic support to single parents and their children.

Our work is guided by the six My Life and Me priority areas: Money, Health & Wellbeing, Home, Work, Education & Training, Children, and Relationships.

Through a person-centred, strengths-based approach and guided by our organisational values and our strategic pillars, we work alongside families to:

• Involve them in shaping the support they receive.
• Strengthen their skills, confidence and resilience.
• Support them to achieve their goals and aspirations.
• Influence positive change in their lives and communities.
• Challenge the barriers and inequalities that impact them.

The support we offer includes:

Money

• Support to maximise income, improve financial wellbeing, access benefits and grants, manage debt and respond to financial crises.

Health & Wellbeing

• Emotional and practical support to improve mental health and wellbeing, including counselling, therapeutic interventions, wellbeing programmes and support to reduce isolation and build resilience.

Home

• Support with housing-related issues, advocacy and access to specialist services to help families maintain safe and secure housing.

Work, Education & Training

• Pre-employability and progression support, including confidence building, skills development, volunteering opportunities, training pathways and tailored support to overcome barriers to employment and learning.

Children

• Family support and group programmes that promote positive outcomes for children, strengthen parenting capacity, support child development and provide opportunities for children to participate in activities that enhance wellbeing.

Relationships

• One-to-one and group support that helps parents build positive relationships, strengthen family connections, develop peer support networks and reduce social isolation.

Are you experienced in building community power or supporting communities to get active through walking or cycling schemes?

Are you experienced in building community power and running projects which support communities facing barriers to build their efficacy?

Are you passionate about raising the voices of communities that are most affected by climate but which are least often heard? If so we’d love to hear from you!

We are particularly keen to hear from people who experience marginalisation and minoritisation or who are often excluded from decision-making processes. For example, people of colour; people from working-class backgrounds; people from LGBTQ and migrant communities; care-experienced young people and people with disabilities.

About us

Parents for Future Scotland became a charity two years ago as a result of grassroots parent organising and is now a small self-employed staff team with a growing network of activists. We seek to make climate action the norm among all parents in Scotland. We are in the midst of a big step change, increasing our influence and reach across the country, and we need you to help us in doing so. This post will be the first of its kind within the organisation.

About the role

We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly-motivated Community Project Manager to lead the delivery of our Active Travel and Clean Air Project across 10 Edinburgh schools. This role combines project management, community engagement and partnership development. You will work directly with parents, schools, as well as local council and community partners to increase active and sustainable travel, establish and strengthen walking and bike buses , deliver air-pollution awareness activities, and build long-term community leadership. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting schools to develop tailored action plans, empowering parents to lead change within their communities and ensuring active travel schemes become sustainable beyond the life of the project.

Key responsibilities

• Work with the Learning For Sustainability lead within Edinburgh City Council to onboard schools where necessary.
• Set clear expectations with schools on what they will need to deliver in order to take part in our clean air project.
• Establish excellent relationships with key staff in schools and maintain regular contact in order to support the delivery and promotion of the project.
• Identify and up-skill community “leads” within each school community, giving them the skills/confidence to organise and lead their own self-sustaining active travel initiatives.
• Support the running of active travel schemes on the ground in the mornings term-time (Mon - Friday) until they become self-sustaining.
• Develop bespoke active travel action plans for each participating school and an overall work plan/strategy which demonstrates how the project will meet wider organisational goals.
• Encourage peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing amongst school groups.
• Build a pool of volunteers who can deliver air pollution workshops in schools through (1) training volunteers in workshop facilitation skills and the content of our air pollution workshops (2) setting up workshops with participating schools
• Post on our socials regularly and be an active member on our WhatsApp community
• Monitor project outcomes and ensure delivery against targets.
• Maintain accurate records, collect monitoring data and contribute to project reporting.
• Work closely with partner organisations, local authorities and schools to maximise project impact.
• Promote a strong understanding of Parents For Future Scotland amongst parent communities, within your local authority and with partner organisations, and support parents to become organisation members.
• Share learning and best practice through local and national networks.
• Contribute to wider discussions on active travel, climate action and public health.

Skills and experience

• You must be able to competently ride a bike.
• Be a qualified Cycle Ride Leader and First Aid trained, or be willing to undertake these qualifications. Appropriate training will be provided for those who do not currently hold them.
• The candidate will be our ambassador on the ground. It is vital that they feel inspired by our vision, mission and aims, and that they have a proven ability to motivate and inspire others.
• Experience of delivering and managing community projects.
• Proven ability to tailor messaging to different audiences.
• Proven experience of creating strong relationships with partner organisations, communities facing additional barriers and local councils.
• Proven experience of building the skills, confidence and capacities of communities.
• Experience of devising and facilitating workshops, meetings and community discussions.
• Experience of conducting monitoring and evaluation and report writing.
• An understanding of active travel, public health, environmental issues or behaviour change.
• An understanding of social justice perspectives and the systems that cause climate breakdown

Desirable

• Previous experience of working on sustainability and/or active travel-related community projects or initiatives.

What we offer

• 3 days per week on a self-employed basis at £200 per day for 24 weeks (term-time), from August 2026 to 31 March 2027 (£14,400 in total).
• Flexible working environment with flexible hours. The role will require the successful candidate to be available for at least three school commute mornings per week during term time (Monday–Friday). There may be occasions when additional mornings are required, depending on project needs. The specific mornings will be agreed with the successful candidate and will be planned around the needs of participating schools and the wider project. For this reason, we will only consider applicants who live in or near Edinburgh.
• Working from home (with team check-ins regularly).
• We are a fledgling organisation so your skills/expertise will help shape our direction.

Are you experienced in building community power or supporting communities to get active through walking or cycling schemes?

Are you passionate about raising the voices of communities that are most affected by climate but which are least often heard? If so we’d love to hear from you!

We are particularly keen to hear from people who experience marginalisation and minoritisation or who are often excluded from decision-making processes. For example, people of colour; people from working-class backgrounds; people from LGBTQ and migrant communities; care-experienced young people and people with disabilities.

About us

Parents for Future Scotland became a charity two years ago as a result of grassroots parent organising and is now a small self-employed staff team with a growing network of activists. We seek to make climate action the norm among all parents in Scotland. We are in the midst of a big step change, increasing our influence and reach across the country, and we need you to help us in doing so. This post will be the first of its kind within the organisation.

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and community-focused Coordinator to support schools and families across Glasgow to increase walking, wheeling and cycling to school.

This is a hands-on role working directly with parents, pupils and school staff to establish and strengthen walking buses and bike buses, deliver active travel workshops, and provide support to overcome barriers that prevent families from choosing active travel.

The successful candidate will play a key role in empowering parents to become leaders within their communities, as well as supporting schools to create and embed a culture that promotes active travel.

Key responsibilities

• Support the establishment and development of walking buses and bike buses across participating schools.
• Work directly with parents and school staff to identify participatory barriers and opportunities to grow active travel schemes.
• Assist with route planning, risk assessments and volunteer coordination.
• Attend and support bike and walking buses each morning on which they occur until they are fully established and self-sustaining.
• Promote safe cycling practices and active travel behaviours within school communities.
• Identify potential community “leads” (people who will galvanise the group and take ownership of bike/walking buses), building relationships with them and seeking development opportunities alongside the Air Pollution Manager.
• Run training sessions for parents on a variety of topics (how to start a bike/walking bus, how to facilitate an air pollution workshop, community organising skills etc)
• Support the delivery of parent-to-parent air pollution workshops within schools.
• Promote Parents for Future Scotland amongst parents and bring community members into our movement.
• Facilitate peer-to-peer support and knowledge sharing between schemes across different schools.
• Work closely with the Air Pollution Manager to hone and implement effective strategy throughout.
• Liaise with cycling organisations, local authorities and community partners.
• Collect monitoring and evaluation throughout.
• Post on our socials regularly and be an active member on our WhatsApp community

Skills and experience

• You must be able to competently ride a bike.
• Be a qualified Cycle Ride Leader and First Aid trained, or be willing to undertake these qualifications. Appropriate training will be provided for those who do not currently hold them.
• Experience of up-skilling and building the confidence and capacity of key community members.
• The candidate will be our ambassador on the ground. Therefore, it is vital that they feel inspired by our vision, mission and aims, and that they have a proven ability to motivate and inspire others.
• Proven ability to deliver and facilitate workshops, presentations and group discussions.
• Proven ability to tailor messaging to a variety of different audiences.
• Problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt/change where necessary.
• Knowledge and ability of undertaking risk assessments and route planning.
• An understanding of social justice perspectives and the systems that cause climate breakdown.

Desirable

• Experience leading group rides for children, families or community groups.
• Experience of walking buses, bike buses or other active travel initiatives.
• Experience working with diverse communities and underrepresented groups.

What we offer

This is a self-employed role which is paid at £150 per day for 2.5 days per week term-time.

• 3 days per week on a self-employed basis at £150 per day for 22 weeks (term-time), from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 (£9,900 in total).
• Flexible working environment with flexible hours. The role will require the successful candidate to be available for at least three school commute mornings per week during term time (Monday–Friday). There may be occasions when additional mornings are required, depending on project needs. The specific mornings will be agreed with the successful candidate and will be planned around the needs of participating schools and the wider project.
• For this reason, we will only consider applicants who live in or near Glasgow.
• Working from home (with team check-ins regularly).
• We are a fledgling organisation so your skills/expertise will help shape our direction.
• You will work closely with the Air Pollution Manager who will support you throughout.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care – working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

This unique role offers the opportunity to listen to and work directly with children and young people with experience of care, in an individual relationship-based advocacy role, and within participation and group activity across our South East region.

The post-holder will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across Edinburgh to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard. In this role you will have the opportunity to provide independent advocacy, children’s rights, and participation opportunities for children and young people who are looked after, Care Experienced, or subject to formal processes and structures. The role will see you actively participating in child’s plan meetings, children’s hearings, and other formal processes, as well as assisting children and young people to prepare for them. In partnership with professionals, carers, and organisations, you will help to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people by keeping detailed records of the work you undertake, writing liaison reports, and monitoring statistics.

As a vital part of the work of Who Cares? Scotland, your role will include facilitating group opportunities for and with children and young people within Edinburghl. This includes providing engagement and participation opportunities throughout the Who Cares? Scotland local and national network, as well as meeting with care experienced children and young people to introduce the service in agreement with the local authority. Raising awareness of Who Cares? Scotland and its services with children, young people, professionals, and carers you will also be responsible for facilitating training amongst care corporate parents.

The right candidate for this post will be able to form positive relationships with children and young people and have good interpersonal skills. You will feel confident communicating with individuals and groups, both in writing and verbally, and be able to adapt to a wide range of contexts. Secure in making effective plans, as well as evidencing your work, you can prioritise and meet deadlines. You take enjoyment from working collaboratively with partners, believing in equal opportunities and inclusive working. Committed to children’s rights, you are someone who knows that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity. You can demonstrate knowledge of the current structure, developments, policy, and practice in relation to children and young people experiencing care in Scotland. You are also flexible, given the remit of the role, as some evening and weekend work will be necessary, along with a full driving licence and access to transport.

While we would welcome the knowledge gathered through relevant qualifications, we are just as interested in relevant work experience. We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.

The successful candidate will be joining Who Cares? Scotland and working within the South East team at an exciting time, when the voices of those who are in or have experienced care are growing in power, individually and collectively – bringing with them insight, challenge, hope and change.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. To arrange an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Ray MacLean Manager of Advocacy and Participation, on rmaclean@whocaresscotland.org.

A fantastic opportunity to join the Children First team in Midlothian

Every child deserves to be safe, loved and well with their family.

At Children First, we stand alongside children, young people and families to help them build on their strengths, overcome challenges and create lasting change. We believe children should be heard, their rights respected and their voices at the centre of every decision that affects them.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Midlothian team, supporting children, young people and families experiencing a range of challenges, including parental substance use, poverty, poor mental health and trauma. The service also provides support to kinship carers and the children in their care, as well as Armed Forces families.

Working alongside families in their homes, schools and communities, you will be part of a skilled and caring team that delivers both whole family and individual support. Our practice is grounded in relational, systemic, strengths-based and restorative approaches. We recognise that families are experts in their own lives and work alongside them to identify what is working well, build resilience and create positive futures for children.

Alongside one-to-one and family support, we help families develop meaningful connections through peer support groups and links to their local communities, strengthening the relationships and networks that help children thrive.

About you

We're looking for someone who:

• Shares our commitment to putting children first and upholding children's rights.
• Understands the importance of listening to children and ensuring their voices influence the support they receive.
• Has experience of working with children, young people and families, including involvement in child protection processes.
• Values restorative, relationship-based and strengths-focused ways of working.
• Can work alongside families with compassion, curiosity and respect.
• Brings an understanding of the diverse experiences and needs of families across our communities.

We welcome applications from people with broad experience across family support, as well as those with specialist knowledge in particular areas of practice.

You will hold a professional qualification in a relevant discipline such as Social Work, Teaching, Childcare, Social Care, Counselling, or another related field at SCQF Level 9 or above.

Why Children First?

Children First is Scotland's national children's charity. We are ambitious for every child in Scotland to grow up safe, loved and well with their family. We provide emotional, practical and financial support to children and families and campaign tirelessly to protect and uphold the rights of every child.

We are determined that the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) becomes a reality in children's everyday lives. We want children to be listened to, respected and meaningfully involved in decisions that affect them.

If you believe in the power of relationships, the strengths within families, and children's right to be heard, we'd love to hear from you.

Our Values

Living our values, you will help create a workplace where our people can thrive, ensuring we deliver the best possible support to children and families.

• With love, we put children first.
• With purpose, we transform lives together.
• With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children.

About us

We make sure people living with MS are at the centre of everything we do and it’s this commitment that unites us across the UK.

Our strategy is based on what people affected by MS have told us is important to them. It gives us a clear and determined focus.

Our work is based on the hopes and aspirations of our MS community. Together we campaign at all levels, fund ground-breaking research and provide award winning support and information.

Our people are our greatest asset and the key to our success. We offer a vibrant, progressive working environment where you'll be able to make a difference.

About this job

Can you inspire people, build partnerships and create communities that help people living with MS thrive?

We're looking for someone who believes that peer support, movement and community can transform lives.

Thanks to funding from the Movement for Health Grant Scheme, we're creating an exciting new fixed-term role to develop the MS Warrior Alumni Club. Building on the success of the 12-week MS Warrior programme, you'll help create opportunities for people to remain active, connected and supported long after the programme ends through local activities, online communities and volunteer-led peer support.

Working alongside volunteers, people living with MS, healthcare professionals and community partners, you'll create opportunities that encourage ongoing physical activity, wellbeing and peer support across Scotland.

A key part of the role will be recruiting, supporting and developing a network of MS Warrior Alumni Champions. Using their own lived experience, these volunteers will encourage others to build confidence, overcome barriers to physical activity and become part of a supportive, community-led network.

You'll also develop partnerships with leisure providers, community organisations and healthcare professionals, creating more inclusive opportunities for people living with MS to be active in their local communities.

This is an opportunity to shape an innovative model that has the potential to influence how community-based physical activity and peer support are delivered for people living with MS across Scotland.

No two days will be the same. One day you might be facilitating a community conversation with people living with MS, the next you'll be supporting volunteers, developing new partnerships or helping launch a local wellbeing activity.

If you're passionate about community development, partnership working and helping people live well with MS, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note this is a part-time 14 hrs per week fixed term contract until 31 March 2027.

More about our employee benefits:

We have a wide range of employee benefits including (but not limited to):

Encouraging work life balance

• 38 days paid annual leave (including bank holidays), pro-rata for part-time

• More annual leave entitlement, based on length of employment

• Smart working options (with the opportunity to work remotely and find a smart working pattern that suits both you and us)

• Flexible working options

Caring for you and your family

• Generous sick pay entitlement

• More sick pay entitlement, based on length of employment

• Opportunity to buy and sell annual leave in each calendar year

• Free access to a GP virtually 24 hours a day/7 days a week allowing you unlimited advice, reassurance and where appropriate diagnosis

• Enhanced leave for new parents

• Free access to a confidential 24 hours a day/7 days a week helpline service for both you and your family with a specialist range of support and information

• Special leave options (such as up to 5 days paid leave for domestic or personal emergencies a year)

• 10 days paid disability leave a year, pro-rata for part-time

• 10 days paid carers’ leave a year, pro-rata for part-time

• Cycle to work scheme

• Death in service scheme

• New family-friendly benefits, including paid leave:

o in the event of miscarriage or still birth

o to support fertility treatments

o for antenatal appointments for both parents

Thinking about your finances

• Enhanced salary sacrifice pension scheme

• Discounted season ticket loan and interest-free emergency loans

• Give as you earn to support other charities of your choice before tax

• New employee portal including lifestyle savings vouchers and personal wellbeing

Enriching your life at work

• Personalised development plans with a wide range of training courses and opportunities to source additional training options with your line manager

• Yearly internal apprenticeship opportunities

• New, modern offices that embrace working together both in-person and remotely Various opportunities to influence how we internally operate (including surveys, and focus and committee groups)

• Active and supportive internal employee networking groups for collaboration and peer support

• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering for MS Society activities during normal working hours (such as fundraising events, or campaigning in the local community)

• 2 days paid leave a year for volunteering with other charities during normal working hours

Safeguarding

We’re committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of everyone who uses our services and we come into contact with.

This is regardless of: Gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy, gender reassignment.

We recognise our particular responsibility to make sure vulnerable adults and children are protected.

We have measures in place to protect everyone we come into contact with from abuse and maltreatment of all kinds.

Your right to work in the UK

You must have the right to work in the UK to work in paid employment with us. You’ll need to share documents showing you’re eligible to work in the UK if we offer you employment.