Finding strength through support.

The Stroke Association is the only charity in the UK providing lifelong support for all stroke survivors and their families. We provide tailored support to tens of thousands of stroke survivors each year. This support includes one-to-one and group support, funding vital scientific research into stroke prevention, acute treatment, recovery and long-term care, and campaigning to secure the best care for everyone affected by stroke.

We’re here for stroke survivors and their loved ones, from the moment they enter the new and frightening post-stroke world, supporting them every step of the way as they find their strength and their way back to life.

It’s only thanks to the generosity of our supporters and donors that we can provide vital support.

Stroke Association is driven by our ambition to improve the lives of everyone affected by stroke. This means we’re determined to create an equitable and inclusive workplace that benefits from the difference, and thrives on the diversity, of our people. Guided by Our approach to solving inequity in stroke, we are prioritising listening to, and learning from, lived experience across our charity.

We are working to improve the representation of this lived experience at all levels within the Stroke Association and we are eager to recruit applicants from a variety of communities and backgrounds. We are keen to receive applications from people affected by stroke, people of colour, members of LGBT+ communities, and disabled people because these identities and experiences are underrepresented and would add enormous value to how we work.

We are a Disability Confident employer, and we are making great progress focusing on flexible working, reasonable adjustments and access to work. Our charity has a variety of staff network groups, and we're committed to continuously improving our diversity and inclusion efforts. If you have questions, or access needs, we’re happy to discuss any support and adjustments we can make throughout the recruitment process so that you’re able to contribute your best in a way that meets your needs.

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join the Engagement Team in Scotland. As this post will cover the Highlands of Scotland, ideally you will be based in that region.

Reporting to the Engagement Lead for Scotland the (Engagement Officer) will raise awareness of stroke and our support offers, engage with key stakeholders to gain a better understanding of the needs of stroke survivors in rural communities across the Highlands to develop a model of approach that can be utilised to reach more stroke survivors and their families across rural Scotland.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Raising awareness of our universal services and resources with stroke survivors and carers.
• Working with both primary and secondary care healthcare professionals, ensuring they know what resources and services are available to signpost patients to, including our Helpline, telephone befriending, online community and activities.
• Listening to a wide network of stakeholders, including charities, healthcare professionals and community networks, to raise the profile of stroke and create a report on identified local needs.
• Gaining a better understanding of the best way to reach and support people affected by stroke in remote and rural communities, informing our work nationally.
• Identifying and recruiting stroke survivors/carers who are willing to share their lived experience and act as Connectors.
• Helping Connectors set up and run novel support services (e.g café groups, cooking classes) in their local community.

You will have experience of:

• Working with and supporting a wide range of stakeholders
• Managing and developing volunteers
• Working with support groups
• Supporting networks
• Working in partnerships with other organisations including those in the voluntary sector, health and social care
• Working in advocacy, campaigning, community engagement and development
• Developing support using co-production with service users
• Collecting data and producing reports
• Being adaptive to best meet the needs of the people we support
• Knowledge of key policies including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), safeguarding and health and safety
• Addressing health inequalities and championing diversity internally and externally
• Excellent IT skills
• Excellent communication skills, including confident public speaking skills
• Behaviours and Competencies

This role requires extensive travel across the Highlands. Candidates must be able to demonstrate how they can meet this requirement of the role.

To fulfil the role, applicants must be based in the Scottish Highlands and have the right to work in the Scotland.

Positive Help is a well-established, third sector service provider – a registered charity – based in central Edinburgh. We have almost 40 years’ experience of supporting adults, children and families living with /affected by HIV and or Hepatitis C.

With the support of a cohort of trained and supervised volunteers, we provide a range of services to help people who have complex needs live fulfilling, healthy lives in the community.

We are now looking for a Temporary Children’s Services Manager with proven experience of working in a leadership role to join our dedicated team to provide maternity cover for the existing postholder as we further develop the organisation. We work from our centrally situated office in Edinburgh, although there is the option to work from home depending on business need.

The ideal candidate will have the skills and experience we need to help us deliver our children’s services – specifically Befriending, and Study Buddies Services - and the wider organisation effectively and efficiently and have a genuine interest in this very rewarding work.

As a member of our leadership team, you will play a key role in ensuring that children and their parents receive the right support from us and others timeously, and that volunteers are appropriately matched and well supported / supervised to maintain a high standard of practice and satisfaction.

You will be outcome focussed and have a keen interest in demonstrating the impact of services as well as working across boundaries and developing and sustaining positive relationships with internal colleagues, volunteers, partner agencies, referrers and a wide range of stakeholders.

You will have experience of managing or coordinating projects inspiring people to work together towards shared goals. You will be a problem-solver with an empathic approach, and excellent communication skills.

Our work can be challenging though highly rewarding. Therefore, you will need to be motivated, ambitious and self-organised, and be prepared to play a part in our on-going organisational development.

In return, we offer you a supportive working environment, 25 days annual leave and 10 public holidays (both pro rata if you work less than full time), plus an employer contributory pension scheme.

Our operational hours are 9am to 5pm. However, occasional work on Monday to Thursday (up to 6:30 pm) and Saturday (up to 3:00 pm) is required on a rotational basis as part of our telephone on-call rota to support volunteers. There are also occasional volunteer training sessions in the evenings and on Saturdays. All such out-of-hours working is planned and shared across the team.

It’s a great time to join Positive Help and be part of our journey toward an even brighter future. If you are excited by what you have read so far and think you have what it takes to be an outstanding member of our team, albeit on a temporary basis, then please read our job specification for more information, and look at our website.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Every day people with chest, heart and stroke conditions are leaving hospital scared and alone. You can be part of our mission to make sure that there is no life half lived in Scotland.

By joining Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) as eLearning Officer you can help to be the difference between people just surviving and really living.

You will be part of Scotland’s leading health charity providing support to people with chest, heart and stroke conditions and Long Covid to live life to the full again. Working as part of the Professional Engagement team, the CHSS eLearning service exists to ensure that people affected by, and those caring for, people with these conditions are supported with information they want, when they need it, and in a way that is appropriate for them.

As the CHSS eLearning Officer, within the professional engagement team, you will be responsible for supporting the processes involved in reviewing, developing and maintaining CHSS’s portfolio of eLearning resources.

The post holder will collaborate with the appropriate internal and external professionals, service users and advisory groups to ensure the content of all preexisting and new eLearning resources remain current, and evidence based.

For further information about the role, please contact Mairi Whiston, Health Information and eLearning Clinical Lead, Email: mairi.whiston@chss.org.uk.

CHSS employees enjoy a variety of organisational benefits including: company pension scheme, generous holiday allowance, company sick pay, employee welfare support and life assurance.

CHSS also supports flexible recruitment through Working Families and we are “Happy to Talk Flexible Working”.

In line with our commitment to safeguarding, this role is subject to a Basic Disclosure check. CHSS is committed to equality of opportunity and to providing a service which is free from unfair and unlawful discrimination.

We therefore aim to ensure that no applicant, volunteer or member of staff is unfairly treated on the grounds of offending background.

Ark is a major provider of Housing, Care and Support to people with long term and enduring conditions such as learning disabilities, mental health issues, dementia and autism.

Ark supports people to live independently in their own homes providing everything from a few hours a week social and life admin support to 24/7 care supporting with personal care, medication, household tasks, attending appointments and leisure activities.

We have lots of opportunities across Scotland for our Support Worker roles. As we provide full training no previous is experience is required.

If you are enthusiastic about supporting people to live their best lives, then apply now to join our team!

Your main duties will include but not be limited to:

• Working with colleagues as part of an effective and efficient team to support vulnerable people.
• Communicate and work well with our supported people to provide individual care and maintain appropriate relationships.
• Being responsible in supporting individuals throughout the activities, giving positive feedback and encouragement.
• Updating and maintaining accurate records using a tablet on Arks Information Management system.

Previous experience of the following is an advantage but not essential as Ark will provide full training: Care Worker, Social worker, Home Carer, Case Worker, Care Assistant, Autism Support Worker, Personal Care Assistant , Social Care Worker.

View our job outline, find out what you working week could look like and hear from our current Support Workers on Arks website arkha.org.uk/work-with-us

Why Ark?

• No Previous Experience Required - Ark provide full training so no previous experience is required making our Support Worker roles the perfect place to start your career in Adult Social Care.
• Get a qualification while you work - Ark fully fund your SVQ2 in Health & Social Care which you complete with the support of our in house SVQ team.
• Employee Discounts - Employee Discounts Portal with 1000s of discounts on your favourite brands including Supermarkets, Cinema Tickets, Gym Membership and Holidays.
• Career Progression -Over 75% of all Managers within Care & Support have been promoted internally.
• Employee Assistance Program - Arks Employee Assistance program (EAP) gives all employees access to counselling sessions. There is also support available through weekly webinars and the EAP Website & App.
• Contracted hours to suit you-We have Full-time, Part-time and Relief Support Worker roles available at our services throughout Scotland.

In return for your valuable contribution, Ark will also offer you:

• Up to 36 days paid holiday per year pro rata
• 4% Contributory pension scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Fully funded PVG & 1st year SSSC registration paid by Ark

Our employees told us in a recent survey that they stay with Ark because they believe in our values, we have supportive managers who continually appreciate their staff and they love making a positive difference in our supported peoples lives, helping them to achieve their dreams.

Ark would love to hear from you whether you are an experienced Support Worker or new to Social Care.