Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing unique support to people with severe and enduring mental ill health. With over 50 years’ experience across Scotland, we believe people affected by poor mental health and illness deserve the highest quality of support in the community and that every person has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

About the Position

Our Policy and Public Affairs Officer connects with and influences politicians and senior decision makers to make society better for people who have mental health challenges, have mental illness and their families. They shall manage projects that shall lead to improvements in support for those with poor mental health.

Key Responsibilities

In this critical role you will work closely with the Director of Public Affairs and Communications to develop and implement a policy and influencing strategy to ensure that the voices of people we support, and their families are heard in all the places they need to be. You will manage projects related to mental health and provide reports.

You will build powerful relationships with politicians, civil servants and partners and feel comfortable representing the organisation at a range of different stakeholder events. You will love policy and public affairs, enjoy mastering details and offering sound advice. You will respond on behalf of the organisation to consultations and events and will be comfortable doing lots of reading and writing. You will enjoy building powerful and meaningful relationships.

Full job description available below.

Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing unique support to people with severe and enduring mental ill health. With over 50 years’ experience across Scotland, we believe people affected by poor mental health and illness deserve the highest quality of support in the community and that every person has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

The Senior Support Workers in the Thrive Welcome Teams undertake short-term focused work with a wide range of people. They help people to identify what is important to them and the steps they can take to manage their mental health and wellbeing. The workers connect people into community services, treatment options and self-management resources as appropriate.

They work closely with other members of the multi-disciplinary team and Peer Workers within the locality and develop positive working relationships with other Health and Social Care colleagues, the wider third sector and community organisations in the city. They contribute to the overall development of the Thrive vision, ensuring that the service is accessible and visible and meets the needs of the local community.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assess the mental health and wellbeing of the individuals who come to the team
• Ensure that any risks identified are escalated in line with NHS Lothian protocols
• Manage a caseload, working in conjunction with the nurses, occupational therapists and social workers in the team if necessary
• Devise asset based Thrive Plans that focus on personal outcomes
• Assist people to utilise community services and self-help resources
• Complete ongoing records on TRAK in line with NHS Lothian timescales
• Attend daily team huddles, business and team meetings
• Contribute to the development of operational processes and procedures
• Develop and sustain effective relationships with statutory colleagues and with Change Mental Health staff
• Contribute to effective team working and the development and evaluation of the service
• Ensure all Health and Safety standards are maintained, including lone working procedures

Essential Criteria:

• An appropriate professional qualification (at least SVQ Level 4)
• At least two years’ experience of working with vulnerable people, preferably in the mental health field
• Experience of enabling people to identify and achieve their personal goals
• Experience of assessing risk and devising collaborative safety plans
• Experience of devising asset-based support plans
• A track record of managing own caseload and completing administrative tasks with minimal supervision
• Knowledge of theories and good practice around early intervention, asset-based approaches and person-centred working
• An awareness of support services in the city and of mental health self-help resources
• Able to work in a trauma-informed way and to apply trauma-skilled approaches
• Able to work with a high level of autonomy and to use an analytical and problem-solving approach
• Committed to continuous professional development and willing to undertake appropriate training and developmental opportunities
• A high level of competency with IT

General Duties

• Ensure all records and client data are managed in line with NHS Lothian’s Data Management and Information Governance policies
• Comply with all legal and regulatory requirements such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
• To act in accordance with the charity’s Safeguarding procedures
• To follow all lone working and team safety procedures
• To participate in regular supervision, appraisals, team and business meetings
• To undertake induction training and any other training appropriate to the role
• To work in accordance with the charity’s policies and the local operating procedures of Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership
• To represent and promote Change Mental Health within the Thrive Welcome Team and at external meetings and forums as required

This job profile and list of duties is not exhaustive and serves only to highlight the main requirements. The line manager may stipulate other reasonable requirements and projects commensurate with the general profile and grade of the post.

All successful candidates will require a PVG Membership. Please be aware that it is classed as an offence if you apply for this role and are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children or vulnerable adults.

Benefits:

• 24/7 access to an award-winning Employee Assistance Programme providing free legal, financial, and medical advice as well as support with life’s challenges
• A 35-hour working week, enhanced sick pay & season ticket loan.
• A great work life balance with flexible and blended working environment.
• Access to purchase a Blue Light Discount Card
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Enhanced sick pay and leave entitlements
• Generous 37 days’ holiday
• Paid Mental Wellbeing Days
• Professional development including funded opportunities

Are you looking to make a positive change in society through communications work? At Samaritans Scotland we are seeking a Communications Officer to join our friendly team in Edinburgh.

As Communications Officer, you’ll ensure the smooth delivery of internal and external communications in Scotland, including media and PR. Working across new and existing Samaritans’ campaigns, representing Samaritans to external stakeholders, reacting to the day-to-day news and supporting the development and delivery of a variety of projects.

You’ll be a key driver of our marketing and brand in Scotland. Working with our volunteers, story tellers and partners to support engagement and understanding of our work.

We are a flexible and inclusive organisation. We are moving from strength to strength and this role will make a real and lasting difference to ensure fewer lives are lost to suicide.

Samaritans Scotland

Join a friendly, supportive, and ambitious staff team in Scotland. Our established Policy and Communications team is working with a range of external stakeholders including the Scottish Government, MSPs and local partners to achieve change and have an impact on suicide risk. There are around 1000 Samaritans volunteers across Scotland working in our 19 branches. These volunteers respond to calls for help every day of the week via telephone, e-mail, text and in person at our branches or at events across Scotland. Our staff team works to support and promote our services and ensure that people know we’re here when they need us.

We also work with the public and the media to inform them about Samaritans and explain how we can help people find their own way forward, as well as supporting the delivery of media guidelines training in Scotland.

What’s in it for you – our benefits

So, you want to work for us? Good choice. We like it here too. We offer competitive salaries, flexible and hybrid working to suit your needs, family-friendly policies, 28 days annual leave inclusive of wellbeing days and a matched pension contribution up to 5%. You’ll have a structured induction and ongoing projects, secondments & learning opportunities. We also have colleague-led affinity groups made up of people with shared identities.

Your health and wellbeing is our priority. We have a staff community of Mental Health First Aiders, a Health Cash Plan and an Employee Assistance Programme. You’ll have free subscriptions to Headspace (your personal guide to mindfulness, sleep, focus, movement, and more) & Perkbox (an employee benefits platform with online exercise classes). That’s not all. We listen to your ideas and have staff forum and social committee networks.

Hybrid and flexible working

We are a flexible organisation, and we embrace hybrid working – a mix of connecting in person and remotely. We’re aware that the world is changing, and we all want and need different things from our work and home lives. So, if you need to walk the dog, go to the gym, or have commitments outside of work, we’re open to talking through flexible working options that work for you and us.

Being Inclusive

We recognise the enormous benefits and the social justice imperatives of ensuring diversity at every level of our organisation. Samaritans is wholly committed to inclusion and diversity and to building a culture and environment where everyone is appreciated for the unique person they are. To ensure Samaritans is representative of those we support and who support us, we particularly welcome applications from Disabled, BAME and LGBTQ+ candidates, as these people are under-represented at Samaritans.

We have an exciting opportunity to join Alzheimer Scotland as a finance assistant.

Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s national dementia charity. Our aim is to make sure nobody faces dementia alone. We provide support and information to people with dementia, their carers, and families, we campaign for the rights of people with dementia, support vital dementia research and promote positive brain health.

We are seeking applications from individuals with strong finance/administrative experience within a complex organisation and who possess the skills to take on the tasks outlined in the job description.

The role is a varied finance transactional role and will undertake regular bank and sales processing including appropriate reconciliation to both Financial and Fundraising Systems. The role will also have involvement in supporting the wider finance function including areas such as purchase ledger, direct debit processing and general administration.

Prior experience in a high-volume transactional finance role is highly desirable.

You will be a strong communicator and able to balance competing priorities. You will have experience of working with a wide range of office systems including Microsoft 365 and databases or financial systems.

If you are interested by what you have read, and have the necessary skills, experience, and ability to make a success of this role, we would be delighted to hear from you.