Borders Community Action (BCA) is seeking a creative and proactive Communications & Impact Officer to strengthen engagement with the third sector across the Scottish Borders and raise awareness of the organisation’s work, services and impact.

This role will lead on communications activity across a range of channels, developing compelling content, managing digital platforms, promoting volunteering and community initiatives, and ensuring members and stakeholders remain informed, connected and engaged.

The postholder will work collaboratively with colleagues, members and partners to deliver BCA’s communications strategy, capture and showcase the impact of the third sector, and help amplify the voice of communities and organisations locally and nationally.

For more information, visit the Borders Community Action website.

About Borders Care Voice

Borders Care Voice is a Galashiels-based charity established in 1991, promoting equality and positive change in health and social care. We support people with lived experience, unpaid carers and service providers to influence services and improve outcomes. We value partnership working and provide free training for people working or volunteering in health and social care, and for unpaid carers.

About the role

You will facilitate, support and promote five Local Citizens Panels across the Scottish Borders, using a collective advocacy and engagement approach. The panels represent people with learning disabilities and unpaid carers in five localities, and each meets at least four times a year. You will help members influence local services and participate meaningfully in the Learning Disability Service governance structure.

You will coordinate lively, accessible meetings that respond to members’ communication needs, provide information and support, arrange guest speakers and take meeting notes, with administrative support available outside meetings. You will co-produce promotional materials, ensure panels are represented at relevant events and planning structures, and communicate members’ issues to decision makers and follow up where required. Building effective relationships with partner organisations, the Learning Disability Service and local providers is central to the role.

About you

Essential requirements include experience of working with people with learning disabilities and their carers, an understanding of different communication needs, and group facilitation skills. You will bring commitment and enthusiasm for supporting people with learning disabilities and their rights, strong interpersonal and communication skills (including presenting to groups), excellent organisational skills and proficiency in Microsoft Office. You must be able to work collaboratively in a small team and independently using your own initiative.

Desirable experience includes working closely with learning disability service staff and decision makers, producing accessible information (particularly Easy Read), and monitoring, evaluation and report writing.

Travel across all five localities is required, including outside normal office hours where needed, with occasional evening and weekend work. Access to a car is preferred because of the rural area and the need to transport meeting equipment and materials. Current PVG Scheme membership covering children and adults is required; we can arrange and fund membership if the successful candidate does not already hold it. You must follow our safeguarding, confidentiality, data protection and health and safety policies, including safe practices for meetings, events and lone working.

What we offer

• Flexible working and some home working where possible
• Six weeks’ annual leave, increasing after five years, plus public holidays
• 8% pension contribution
• Enhanced sick pay
• Learning and development opportunities, with coaching or mentoring
• Travel expenses

Borders Care Voice welcomes applications from people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Please contact recruitment@borderscarevoice.org.uk if you need information in another format or adjustments during the application or interview process. As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and people with long-term health conditions. We aim to offer an interview to applicants who declare a disability and meet all essential criteria. If applications exceed interview capacity, disabled applicants will be selected according to how closely their experience and skills meet the post’s requirements.

A fantastic opportunity to come and join the Children First team in Scottish Borders

At Children First our ambition is for every child in Scotland to be safe, loved and well with their family. As a charity we offer emotional, practical, and financial support to help families to put children first and campaign to uphold the rights of every child.

We have a long history of working with children, families and partners in the Scottish Borders. Children First along with our partners share a determination to act upon the recommendations from The Independent Care Review and deliver The Promise to children and young people. We are also determined that the full incorporation of the UNCRC means that children will have their rights respected in all areas of their lives and will have a real say in the way they are supported.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of our specialist Domestic Abuse team, delivering evidence-informed, trauma-responsive support to children, young people and families affected by domestic abuse. The postholder will build trusted relationships that promote safety, recovery and resilience, undertaking risk assessment, safety planning and tailored interventions that respond to the unique needs of each family. Working collaboratively with statutory and third-sector partners, they will contribute to high-quality service delivery, strengthen protective networks and ensure children's experiences remain central to decision-making. The role also involves evidencing impact and outcomes, supporting continuous improvement and the development of effective responses to domestic abuse across our local community.

If you have a professional qualification in a relevant area such as Social Work, Health, Teaching, Child Care/Social Care, accredited counselling/therapeutic qualification, IDAA training/qualification or other relevant qualification at SCQF level 9 or higher then we want to hear from you.

What kind of people are we looking for?

• have experience of keeping children safe in their own families
• are fiercely passionate about children’s rights
• thinks it’s a privilege to work with and on behalf of children and families and,
• are kind and will bring their whole selves to the job: heart and mind

What kind of team member will you be?

Knowing our ambition for children, you will be someone who is:

• resilient, skilled and knowledgeable who wants to transform children’s lives
• determined to support children to stay safely with their own family
• big hearted and courageous
• able to build strong relationships and to manage the tricky conversations
• is compassionate and understanding of trauma
• a cool head and clear minded at times of pressure
• inspiring colleagues and teams to be even better
• an amazing ambassador for children and Children First

Above all else, the most important thing to us is that you are someone who will do the right thing for children and their families at every turn.

At Children First, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects communities across Scotland. Guided by our values, With Love, With Purpose, With Strength, we strive to create a culture where everyone feels valued, respected, and supported to thrive. We actively work to remove barriers to inclusion and promote equity in all aspects of our work. We warmly welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, especially those from marginalised communities, and are dedicated to ensuring a fair and supportive recruitment process.

Base

Your base will be shared between our office in Selkirk as well as venues within the local community. You will work on an outreach basis to connect with children and families in communities across Scottish Borders. A driving licence and access to a car is essential.

Salary, Conditions, Pension

We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 9 public holidays). We have additional benefits such as a cash back health plan, cycle to work scheme, and option to join a Credit Union.

Borders Community Action is seeking to appoint an additional trustee/director who will join the Board immediately and become Chair Designate, with the intention of assuming the role of Chair of the organisation in 2027.

Role Profile

As Chair Designate, the successful candidate will first serve as a full trustee/director of the organisation. Trustees are collectively responsible for ensuring the charity is well run, financially responsible and acting in line with its purposes, while safeguarding its assets, values and reputation.

This is an opportunity for an experienced and dynamic individual to help lead a growing and ambitious organisation through its next stage of development. The successful candidate will work alongside fellow trustees/directors, the current Chair and the Chief Executive to ensure a well-supported and effective transition into the

Chair role.

In addition to the general duties of a trustee, the Chair Designate should be willing and able to:

• Provide strategic leadership at Board level and help guide the long-term direction of the organisation.
• Build effective working relationships with trustees, staff and key partners.
• Support good governance, sound decision-making and collective responsibility within the Board.
• Work closely with the current Chair and Chief Executive during the transition period ahead of 2027.
• Act as an ambassador for Borders Community Action and the wider third sector in the Scottish Borders