MECOPP is Scotland’s leading Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) carers’ organisation providing a variety of care and support services to carers and cared for people from BME and those with one or more protected characteristics including Gypsy/Travellers

Purpose of Job

To work collaboratively with members of the Gypsy/Traveller community in a programme of activities designed to raise awareness of their specific culture and heritage across communities. The work will primarily take place in three geographic locations: Fife; Perth & Kinross; and, North & South Lanarkshire.

MECOPP is Scotland’s leading Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) carers’ organisation providing a variety of care and support services to carers from BME and other marginalised communities.

The postholder will join a established Community Health Team – ‘Community Health Matters’ – to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities amongst Scotland’s Gypsy/Traveller community. The Community Health Team is part of a wider programme of work supporting the Gypsy/Traveller community which includes carer support, support for the cared for person, financial resilience, addressing food insecurity, men and women’s engagement and building digital capacity.

Our newly established community mental health and wellbeing team sits within the wider remit of the Gypsy/Traveller Community Health Team. At full complement the mental health and wellbeing team will comprise of: 1 x team leader (children & young people focus); 2.5 x family support workers (1 x adults/older people + 1.5 x children/young people). The development worker for adults and older people is already in post

Our ambition is to develop a training resource for mental health practitioners to support their understanding of and engagement with young Gypsy/Travellers experiencing poorer mental health ultimately leading to better outcomes for individuals. The training resource will be co-developed with young Gypsy/Travellers to ensure cultural relevance and appropriateness. Delivery will initially be on a pilot basis to evaluate learning effectiveness and subsequently available on a Scottish-wide basis.

We anticipate that significant travel may be required so the location of the post is flexible although some attendance at the office will be required.

Delivery of all tasks and activities will be commensurate with the number of hours secured for the post.

MECOPP is Scotland’s leading Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) carers’ organisation providing a variety of care and support services to carers from BME and other marginalised communities.

The postholder will join an established Community Health Team – ‘Community Health Matters’ – designed to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequalities amongst Scotland’s Gypsy/Traveller community. The Community Health Team is part of a wider programme of work supporting the Gypsy/Traveller community which includes carer support, support for the cared for person, financial resilience, food insecurity, community-based arts and women’s and men’s development work.

The postholder will:

• Raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing within the community using a variety of approaches to include community outreach, information campaigns including social media and developing mental health and wellbeing ‘ambassadors’;
• Develop a range of accessible resources including dedicated web pages on the MECOPP website in partnership with community members;
• Provide mental health and wellbeing awareness raising sessions aimed at different population groups within the community, eg. carers, young people, women, men and older people;
• Build community capacity and resilience by supporting the participation of community members in accredited mental health training such as Mental Health First Aid and Safe Talk;
• Raise awareness of the specific issues in relation to mental health and wellbeing experienced by the community with planners, policy makers and service providers at local and national level; and,
• Support community engagement and participation with policy makers, planners and service providers.
• (*particular focus on intergeneration project working)

We anticipate that travel may be required so the location of the post is flexible although some attendance at the office will be required. Key areas of focus for this work will include Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and Arron

Delivery of all tasks and activities will be commensurate with the number of hours secured for the post.

Introduction

Law Centres are a relatively new concept, first appearing in Scotland approximately 30 years ago. An innovative generation of solicitors identified huge gaps in the provision of legal advice and representation (mainly in evictions which were regularly undefended and unquestioned, but which parliament had legislated for) and the fundamental impact that had on people’s lives. The Law Centre founders identified the need and strived to fill it.

This model of legal service was new at the time and the number of Law Centres across Scotland are still limited. However, we are a growing sector, responding to need. Broadly speaking, Law Centres are either defined by geographical area (e.g. Dundee Law Centre, Castlemilk Law Centre) or by subject matter (e.g. Clan Childlaw, Shelter’s Housing Law Service).

In terms of structure, Dundee Law Centre (DLC, formally registered as Dundee North Law Centre) is a company and charity incorporated under the Companies Acts in Scotland which is limited by guarantee. The charity is also registered with OSCR.

There is a separate legal liability partnership, DNLC LLP, also incorporated under the Companies Acts in Scotland, which is a legal practice unit regulated and licensed by the Law Society of Scotland. The LLP is a ‘firm’ of solicitors, and the Principal Solicitor is fully accountable to that professional body. The LLP provides legal services to the charity; the two are separate legal entities but are inextricably linked in practice.

The Board of Directors is essentially responsible for the governance of the charity, but the legal team is responsible for the delivery of legal advice and representation, subject to the policies and procedures set by the Board. There is a service level agreement between the Board, the LLP and the Principal Solicitor which sets out clearly the roles and responsibilities of the various parties.

Our work

The work carried out by our team can broadly be described as ‘social welfare law’; traditionally this includes homelessness, social housing, evictions, welfare benefits and debt. However, there are many complexities in these areas, and we are constantly triaging issues to see how clients will be best served. We work in partnership with other services across the city to achieve that.

Aside from the complexities in the law, it is important to understand the additional challenges in engaging with our particular client group; they are often marginalised and disadvantaged, often affected by health problems, addiction, literacy and poverty. This adds a layer of specialism and skill to the work we do in order to be effective, both in relation to individual cases and also as an organisation.

In addition to crude subject areas, DLC responds to gaps in legal services, address the complexities of our clients (which are numerous) and we are creative and innovative in our approach. We also strive to provide excellent service to our clients, encouraging them to engage with society as a whole and, in some cases, reintegrate with authority.

Our main focus is to address unmet legal need within the above areas of law, and it is fair to say that there are no other organisations operating within Dundee which provide the full range of legal services (free of charge) that are available from Dundee Law Centre.

Aims and Objectives

To relieve poverty by the provision in the after mentioned areas of free legal advice, assistance and representations to individuals living in community groups and voluntary organisations operating in areas of the City of Dundee currently known as Community Regeneration areas, all as designated from time to time by funders, the Scottish Government, Local Government or other indicators and such other areas as the company from time to time feels will benefit from receiving free legal advice; and

To advance the education of the public generally by undertaking seminars, classes and talks on relevant legal topics and issues to local schools, community groups and others in the aforementioned areas and by printing, publishing and distributing leaflets and booklets containing legal information and advice for the benefit of individuals, community groups, voluntary organisations and others living in/or operating in the said areas.

DLC Team

The staff team is a small number of dedicated, professional and very experienced individuals who work very hard to ensure that our service delivery is the best it can be.

We currently have one full time Principal Solicitor along with a part time Principal Solicitor who are the partners of the LLP. We also have a trainee solicitor and are hoping to grow our team subject to having additional funding in place. We also have a Finance and Operations Manager, a receptionist, 2 administrators (1 in the process of being recruited), 3 legal secretaries (one full time and 2 part time) and a part time cleaner.

All staff, including solicitors, are employees of the Charity, Dundee North Law Centre.

Our Changing World

Along with most organisations, the Law Centre was significantly affected by the pandemic, and we have responded creatively and effectively to the changes it has brought.

The Law Centre has always been a community-based organisation, reaching out to people in advice sessions in their local areas, community centres, etc. This changed during the pandemic and since 2020 we have developed new systems including virtual and telephone appointments and increased use of technology to communicate and actively participate in courts and tribunals remotely, using creative methods to ensure our clients are able to engage. The investment that the Board made to upgrade its IT and software during the pandemic has resulted in a much more flexible and responsive approach being available to staff and clients alike.

The first ever Dundee Law Centre website was launched in March 2020, and we are constantly improving our social media channels to meet the demands of this ever-changing environment.

The pandemic has emphasised the fact that there are some things people cannot control and that anyone can be affected by illness, financial hardship and the consequences of those. Gone are the days when people think that social welfare issues will not affect them. Society is finally realising that there is a gap in legal knowledge, services and provision and that these issues strike at the very heart of what legal system should be there for.

The pandemic was closely followed by the Cost-of-Living Crisis which has added to the demands of our service. It is clear that the need for advice, assistance and representation in our main areas of legal expertise (i.e., housing, debt, and social security) shows no sign of decline. The cost-of-living crisis, which affects our client demographic the most, means that there are many Dundee citizens who require such protection or entitlement as the law can give them. In Scotland, that is substantial, but it needs lawyers who can help vindicate these rights - in courts and tribunals, if necessary.

Dundee Law Centre is currently developing an exciting new strategy to guide our work in the next 3 years – it is ambitious and seeks to improve our profile and strengthen our partnerships so that we can reach more people and extend our reach. We also want to give some priority to improving how we tell our story, to be more attractive to funders, and to demonstrate our value to partners.

Our Finances

The Law Centre has budgeted expenditure budget of £425k for 2025-26 with the main expenditure item being staff costs of £300k. Our main source of funding is Scottish Legal Aid income of £150k and an annual grant of £150k from the Dundee Partnership. The balance is funded from grants from a variety of other charitable organisations. These grants require to be refreshed on a regular basis.

The Board

There are currently 5 directors due to recent resignations, but the Board is keen to increase our numbers and is currently seeking individuals with an interest in making a difference, to support the continued development and sustainability of the Law Centre.

In order to bring additional skills and expertise to the Board, we are seeking applications from dedicated individuals from wide ranging and diverse backgrounds including those with a background in law, finance, business, human resources, marketing, fundraising and the voluntary sector.

This is a voluntary unpaid position. The Board meets around 6 times a year. The meetings are in person, but hybrid meetings can be supported.

Trustees do not need to have worked within a legal setting, just have a genuine interest in supporting the valuable work our organisation does and the communities that we serve.

Project Esperanza is a womanist initiative based in North Edinburgh that offers practical, emotional and integration support predominantly to families of African heritage but also supports a huge base of people from multi ethnic backgrounds. We are the pioneers of race and faith sensitive, culturally authentic and appropriate, trauma-informed, stigma-free specialised support and services that address social isolation, migration trauma and racial trauma.

The FGM Steering Committee is a strategic advisory body established to guide, inform, and oversee the delivery and development of Project Esperanza’s Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) awareness, prevention, and support programme. The Committee is accountable to the Board of Trustees and plays a critical role in ensuring that our programme and service is culturally competent, trauma-informed, and impactful.

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

Alfred Adler

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

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

We have a great opportunity for a number of experienced practitioners to join our team. You will bring compassion, integrity, positivity and reflection, delivering effective and high-quality support to those individuals who access support from Future Pathways.

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

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

• We’d like a degree in Health and Social Care, Social Work or similar field but, if you hold a recognised, relevant professional qualification at a minimum SVQ Level 4 with relevant workplace experience this works too.
• Up to date child and vulnerable adult protection knowledge together and ideally completion of suicide prevention training such as ASIST.
• You are an exceptional compassionate individual with experience of working with those in society who’ve faced personal challenges, childhood disturbance, abuse, separation, institutional care and trauma
• Curiosity, empathy and a focus on learning, empowerment, collaboration and self-awareness.
• Experience of personal outcomes focused approaches, working in partnership with people to set goals, agree plan and support people to achieve their potential.
• Able to hold hope and walk alongside someone on their journey, you are good at nurturing self-confidence and supporting people to make positive changes in their lives.
• Worked in accordance with the statutory framework and requirement including GDPR, BACP, the SSSC and the Care Inspectorate.

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

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

This role does, however, require periodic but not continuous office presence.

The organisation exists to prevent homelessness and find routes out of homelessness into independent living for the people we support every day.

Our values are support, integrity, dignity, excellence.

Purpose of the service

The purpose of a homeless youth accommodation service is to provide safe, stable, and supportive housing for young individuals experiencing homelessness. This type of service aims to address the unique challenges faced by homeless youth and offer a range of support to help them transition to stable and independent living.

Purpose of the Role

The Practitioner for Youth Services plays a crucial role in delivering practical and emotional support to empower young people through a strength-based trauma informed approach, enabling them to make informed choices about their lives. The service aims to evidence and monitor the progress of young individuals through regular assessments, ensuring their safety and well-being. Additionally, the role involves supporting young people in various aspects, such as housing benefit applications, understanding housing options, accessing education and employment opportunities, and connecting with community resources. The service is dedicated to delivering a supportive environment and seeking feedback from young people to continuously improve the quality of the service.

The Behaviours we expect is someone who will demonstrate:

Initiates conversations and activities with the people supported, adjusting their approach to meet individual need. Demonstrating the importance of proactive engagement with individuals and adapting communication styles.

Adaptable to changing circumstances and adjusting support plans when needed. Will use feedback to improve and enhance the quality of support provided.

Adheres to the SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council) Codes of Conduct, Health and Social Care Standards and Care Inspectorate requirements.

Respecting confidentiality, boundaries, and privacy. Recognises and addresses any potential conflict of interest.

A person with good judgment and communication skills who will make informed decisions that involves critical thinking and problem-solving skills, especially in situations that require navigating challenges or conflicts with people who use our services.

Taking accountability for your actions, decisions, and the outcome of support provided.

Transparent about actions, decisions, and processes, including open communications with people we support and colleagues across the organisation.

Constructively questions colleagues on best practices and provides feedback. Clear and respectful communication with young people and colleagues.

Actively listening to understand and respond appropriately to individual needs.

Collaborates effectively with colleagues, healthcare professionals and colleagues to contribute towards a positive and supporting team environment.

Recognises when a colleague is facing challenges and proactively offers support without being prompted.

Can demonstrates a problem-solving mindset, as it involves identifying issues and taking initiative to address them.

Paying close attention to individual needs, preferences, and support requirements.

A person who can accurately document and report information.

Typically spends less than 1 hour per shift on administrative tasks and demonstrates the importance of focusing on direct support and are effective when recording.

Takes calculated risks and can handle crisis situations in the service when they arise.

A person who can remain composed under pressure and has the capacity for quick thinking and problem resolution in high-pressure situations.

Can lone working in the service, other services or in the community.

Builds positive relationships with people supported while managing expectations and boundaries. Using feedback to improve and enhance the quality of care provided.

Respecting the dignity, autonomy, and independence of individuals we support. Involving individuals in decision making about their support.

Role modelling that demonstrates a positive regard, respect, and kindness towards those receiving support

Take an active role in continuous improvement by identifying areas for enhancement, participating in training and education, and contributing to the overall improvement of the service.

Is engaged in learning opportunities, sharing learning, and putting learning into practice. Emphasises a commitment to personal and professional growth and a culture of shared knowledge.

Prioritise the safety and well-being of people we support and will follow safety protocols and guidance.

The person needs to:

• Attend and participate in monthly reflective practice groups.
• Attend and participate in monthly team meetings.
• Attend, prepare for and action monthly case management meetings.
• Evidence training and development undertaken to meet SSSC requirements.
• Participate and contribute to debriefing of significant incidents and near misses.
• Take responsibility for scheduling and preparing for supervisions, case management meetings and appraisals.

To apply for this job, you must have:

• Minimum qualification of SVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care or have at least 2 years relevant experience in a social care setting with young people.
• Knowledge of trauma informed practice and ways of working.
• Membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme.
• Registration with SSSC and meet requirements.
• Be able to use IT effectively including management systems, databases, and Microsoft 365

WDCAB is a major provider of advice and representation services in West Dunbartonshire. A key aim is to develop and enhance our services throughout the communities we serve.

We are looking for a dynamic and motivated individual for this pivotal role, ideally an experienced practitioner in the advice sector with an interest in social welfare issues, to ensure that the needs of our staff, our volunteers and the Bureau are met. The successful candidate will be an effective communicator – an enthusiastic team player with excellent interpersonal skills, confident in public speaking and volunteer engagement. They will bring a natural ability to developing our people and will have experience in designing and delivering training.

With the appropriate technical skills and an enthusiasm for the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau, you will bring a strong commitment to the values and vision of this important local charity.

Living Rent is hiring a membership organiser (FT or PT) to support the growth of the union, with a key focus on recruitment, engagement and retention of members.

The membership organiser will have a key focus on recruiting and retaining members across the union and notably in areas with no active branches. You will aim to involve more people in Living Rent at the local and national level, in order to build power in our communities and tenants’ power across Scotland. The role entails outreach (phonebanking, stalls, doorknocking), recruiting members, and retention and activation of existing members.

Depending on the candidate, needs of the union and workload (FT/PT), the role may also include supporting members in a group or branch to organise meetings, grow in leadership and responsibilities, organise campaigns and take part in city-wide and national structures.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about building real people power and excited about the chance to work for a young, diverse and member-run organisation. Experience in recruitment, training delivery, community education or campaigns is welcome; however enthusiasm, willingness to learn and commitment to social justice are more important than previous experience as training will be provided. This role may suit someone with experience in sales, street fundraising or other customer/public facing work, who wishes to move into organising. The role may also be adapted to have more desk work (phonebanking) depending on the needs of the candidate.

This post is accountable to Living Rent’s democratic structures and line managed by Living Rent’s Senior Membership Organiser. Living Rent staff members primarily work Monday - Friday between 11am and 7pm, though the work will sometimes need to be done at other times of day, along with some weekends. Some unsocial hours are inevitable and flexibility is vital.

We are a Living Wage employer. Support for the professional development and training of our staff members is a priority for Living Rent and we invest considerable time and resources to achieve this. We are committed to supporting all of our staff members to grow and learn through their role and to implement reasonable adjustments.

Living Rent is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

We are hiring a Glasgow Community Organiser

Living Rent is continuing to build membership and power across Scotland. And just now, we are hiring a community organiser in Glasgow. This post aims to support members to build power in their community and win real changes locally and nationally. You will be working with the organisers across Scotland to build and support branches of Living Rent in Glasgow.

Living Rent has gone from strength to strength in recent years and we continue to build power in communities up and down our country. We hope you will consider joining our growing team!

Living Rent is hiring a full-time community organiser to support members organise in their neighbourhoods to challenge the issues they face and to fight for better housing and a system that works for the common good. The role entails outreach (stalls, door knocking), recruiting members, and supporting members to organise meetings, take responsibilities locally, build democratic neighbourhood branches and take part in city-wide and national structures.

In neighbourhoods, the organiser will support members to research their issues, select relevant campaigns, define achievable wins , organise direct actions and support members in negotiations with relevant targets including private/ social landlords, private companies, the local municipality. You will aim to involve more people in Living Rent at the local and national level, in order to build power in our communities and tenants’ power across Scotland.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about building real people power and excited about the chance to work for a young, diverse and member-run organisation. Experience in recruitment, training delivery, community education or campaigns is welcome; however enthusiasm, willingness to learn and commitment to social justice are more important than previous experience as training will be provided. This role may suit someone with experience in sales, street fundraising or other customer/public facing work, who wishes to move into organising.

This post is accountable to Living Rent’s democratic structures and line managed by Living Rent’s Glasgow Head Organiser. Living Rent staff members primarily work Monday - Friday between 11am and 7pm, though the work will sometimes need to be done at other times of day, along with some weekends. Some unsocial hours are inevitable and flexibility is vital.

We are a Living Wage employer. Support for the professional development and training of our staff members is a priority for Living Rent and we invest considerable time and resources to achieve this. We are committed to supporting all of our staff members to grow and learn through their role and to implement reasonable adjustments.

Living Rent is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.