VOCAL - Voice of Carers Across Lothian - seeks two enthusiastic and experienced Carer Brokerage Practitioners to join its busy and expanding team to provide brokerage support to carers across Edinburgh and Midlothian.

VOCAL is a carer-led organisation and provides a wide range of services to support unpaid carers in their caring role. Postholders will be expected to work as part of a team, improve outcomes for carers and maximise uptake of VOCAL and community services.

Postholders will be part of a SDS focused project, VOCAL about Independent Living funded by Support in the Right Direction, Inspiring Scotland. They will liaise with staff, relevant organisations and the funder whilst running the project, including Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living (LCiL) who will also have a funded post as part of this project . SDS carer support is already well established at VOCAL, and postholders will be able to benefit from the expertise of the practitioners who have been involved with SDS support to date.

Applicants will evidence excellent people, and communication skills, brokerage and person-centred support work. Applicants will also demonstrate awareness of the diverse range of caring situations, the impact of caring on peoples’ lives and barriers carers face at different points of the caring journey. Good working knowledge of health and social care will be expected, with preference given to candidates with applied knowledge of self-directed support. Applicants will be digitally competent and effective communicators with individuals, carer groups and partner agencies.

Fife Carers Centre seeks a Carer Support Worker (Localities) to join their team.

Fife Carers Centre is a well-regarded and well-established organisation that has supported thousands of families and unpaid carers throughout Fife since 1995. The vision of Fife Carers Centre is to ensure that unpaid carers throughout Fife are valued, recognised, and supported to have equal access to a good quality of life that is not prejudiced by their caring role.

You will be based at the Fife Carers Centre in Kirkcaldy, but you will also be working from home and in the community, as part of normal work you will be expected to travel throughout Fife, particularly in the City of Dunfermline area.

Your work will include providing a sensitive, person-centred support service for unpaid and family carers. You’ll be assisting carers to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing by providing carers with a comprehensive information service to enable them to make informed choices about their own emotional, physical, and economic wellbeing. This will include giving one-to-one support to carers in order that they know how to access services helping them to develop self-advocacy and, where necessary, advocate on the carer’s behalf.

You’ll be supporting carers to identify and achieve their own outcomes using the Carer Support Planning process and providing carers with a benefit check, assisting with benefit applications, and very importantly providing a listening ear for carers.

Carers of West Lothian is looking for a Self-Directed Support Worker to join their team. This is a new post funded by Inspiring Scotland for 3 years. The post holder will; identify and support carers and people with a learning and/ or physical disability to understand Self-Directed Support (SDS) and social care support; provide information, advice and support to those considering or in receipt of SDS and provide individual and group support.

We are recruiting a Recovery Development Coordinator to deliver and develop the Inverclyde Recovery Communities Service across Inverclyde.

The post holder will be responsible for the strategic and operational delivery and development of our 7 days a week, including evenings and weekends Recovery Communities Service, with support from our staff team. This includes;

• Delivering and developing of our 7 day Recovery service, with support from our Recovery staff and volunteers, ensuring we meet the outcomes of the Recovery Communities Services contract.
• Co-ordinating and developing recovery activity incorporating a range of partner services and supports.
• Day to day line management, support, supervision, and development of our recovery staff. This will include the completion of relevant paperwork and follow up actions accordingly.
• Supporting the delivery and development of our volunteer recruitment, training, support and supervision, ensuring compliance with policies and procedures.
• Accurately recording and producing regular activity, progress and evidenced based reports, incorporating monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Actively participate and bring the lived experience collective voice to the Alcohol & Drug Partnership and associated strategic planning and development groups.
• Work closely with partners to develop and review effective pathways and process for referrals and partnership working.
• Ensure relevant risk assessments are completed, implemented, and reviewed.
• Adopt and promote Trauma Informed Practice.
• Triage referrals, including self referrals and carry a small case load.
• Deliver and develop awareness raising campaigns and organise community events.

The post holder will also be responsible for line managing and supporting the recovery staff team to deliver the outcomes of the Recovery Communities service. This will include supporting them to;

• Provide both one to one and group peer support
• Utilise an enabling approach to empower individuals
• Provide practical assistance to enable individuals to access treatment and harm reduction services.
• Connect individuals referred to the service to a wide variety of community support.
• Build the capacity and knowledge of individuals to enable them to make an informed choice
• Offer emotional support build confidence and connections to empower individuals to share their experiences and develop support networks
• Enable individuals, through a peer relationship model, to utilise recognised coping, self-help and management techniques.
• Delivery and development of volunteer recruitment, training, support and supervision, ensuring compliance with policies and procedures.
• Work as part of a team alongside colleagues from a range of statutory and voluntary services
• Challenge negative self-talk and promote self - belief and confidence to achieve their own recovery
• Support and develop the Lived Experience Network, capturing feedback on issues/barriers, and ideas for developing solutions, to inform future service delivery
• Work to address stigma and barriers to community integration and recovery

Person Specification

Required abilities and experience

• Experience of delivering a similar service
• Knowledge and understanding of Recovery Orientated System of Care and recovery approaches, tools and techniques
• Ability to play a leading role in contributing to the development of Recovery Communities across Inverclyde.
• Experience of managing and supporting staff.
• Good organisational, planning, monitoring, and evaluation skills
• Effective communication skills across a range of diverse situations and environments, setting and maintaining high professional standards and values.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including digital tools and system literacy.
• Knowledge and understanding of Recovery models including the role of Peer Mentors.
• Understanding of the impact of substance misuse on individuals, their families and communities.
• Good team working skills.
• Strong values of empathy and understanding relating to individuals, families and communities affected by alcohol and drug misuse.

Desirable

• Relevant qualification or at least 2 years’ experience in a similar role.
• At least 2 years’ experience of people or volunteer management skills.
• Experience in leading and managing change and implementing new practices.
• Experience in Assets Based Community Development work.