- Advertised from 17th November 2022
- Salary depending on experience. Start date: As soon as possible.
Role
Growing2gether is recruiting an innovative and entrepreneurial, Director of Operations, who is passionate about young people. This post will act as a formal strategic lead for the flagship programme, Growing2gether Nursery Mentoring programme and Growing2ether in the Community, a youth led community initiative,
The post will involve managing the staff team of Growing2gether and ensuring that the team is vibrant, strong and fulfilled in their work; as well as that our programmes continue in a high standard of excellence with positive outcomes for young people.
Growing2gether believes in the potential of young people to shape the world around them and achieve transformational change. Through overseeing all aspects of the charity’s operations, this post will ensure that the youth voice cannot be ignored.
The Post will involve
• Ensuring that the voice of facilitators and young people is heard in strategic discussions.
• The capacity to build trust with facilitators and to have a practice-based understanding of the Growing2gether model.
Responsibilities
• Strategic input (operations perspective)
• Line manages facilitation team
• Connect Senior Management Team and facilitators in order to manage delivery of projects/Service Level Agreements (balancing fundraising, operations and staff capacity)
• Liaise with external HR support, ensure policies and contracts up to date
• Strategic development from operational perspective
• Team building and staff management
• Project management
• Internal communications
• Provide a clear, single operational voice within SMT and link between frontline/management priorities
The ideal candidate will need to have
·Experience of working with groups of disengaged young people
·Experience with design and delivery of programmes
· Programme management experience
·The capacity to organise and run consultations/focus groups with various community groups.
·Driving license and access to own transport.
· Shared vision, mission and values
Our VisionA world where all young people can realise their unique potential, improve their lives for the long term, and contribute to stronger communities.
Our MissionWe give young people facing disadvantage the support they need to thrive, raising aspiration and to make positive choices in their lives. We build their mental health, educational engagement and life skills, so that they can contribute to their communities.
Our Values
·Introducing/evoking meaning and purpose
·Igniting self-awareness and self-belief
· Expanding relationship/connection to Community
· Loving youth-led co-creation
·Fostering the realisation of potential and inherent strengths
·Providing a safe place to explore Self
· Learning through playful curiosity and fun
Background
In August 2022, Growing2gether became an independent Charity (SCIO). For the five years prior, we were partnered with the Ecologia Youth Trust, which was established in Scotland in 1995, working in partnership with local organisations around the world to ensure a secure future for vulnerable young people. We are experienced in community-based approaches to sustainable living and in working with children and young people facing disadvantage. Concern for the future of our children and our environment connects our partners and our local community.
Growing2gether is committed to support young people to find long-term solutions to their problems and those of their communities. We aim to support young people and children to raise their self-belief and aspiration and to grow into their unique and abundant potential as well as become a positive force for change in their communities.
We are part of the Findhorn Community, an international holistic education centre and United Nations (UN) recognised eco-village, established 50 years ago in Scotland. The Community is known internationally for its innovative models for 3
sustainable living, not only environmentally, but also in social, economic and cultural terms. Members of the Findhorn Community share a common ethos based on generous personal relationships and openness to working flexibly with people’s strengths, which permeates all our work.
Our niche
Our ethos, grounded in the values of the Findhorn Foundation, along with our positive psychology, transpersonal psychology approach leads to being a value driven organisation. We see our partners as part of our family and work hard to listen to what they need. We seek to plant seeds, which one day will flourish into sustainable organisations supporting children and young people to grow, and we have successful examples of having achieved this through our early partnerships.
We do this in four ways
Modelling new approaches to supporting young people, for example our main Scottish-based Growing2gether programme, which now forms most of our activity.
Growing2gether is an early intervention programme that works closely with secondary and primary schools in Scotland to address the needs of young people’s social and emotional development. Young people gain work experience as mentors to small children in a nursery setting. Whilst supporting the learning of a small child, the young people realise that they have a valuable contribution to make to their community.
Growing2gether in the Community is a new (2019) programme to follow our main Scottish programme allowing us to continue working with young people who have been through our main programme as well as, using our risk selection tool, reaching a wider population of young people who would not choose the mentoring, nursery work. Growing2gether in the Community involves community projects created and delivered by young people, supported by community mentors. The programme was developed because our young people told us that, after mentoring the nursery children, they wanted a follow-on programme so that they could continue giving back to the community. Findings from a focus group helped young people to identify issues in their community that needed addressing. Those who participated in the design of this intervention, reported that the experience had been extremely valuable. More specifically, it made them feel more confident, resilient, proud as well as provided them with valuable skills and helped them engage with their community.
We also provide a mentoring service to support addressing the mental health needs of our deserving young people as well as signposting to ensure they are aware of the support available to them in their local community strengthening their sense of community participation and belonging.
Our fourth way is through building and listening to the voices of young people through our Youth Participation Board where we consult regularly, inspire youth leaders and an advisory panel to our Trustee Board.
Application notes
Application deadline: 31 December 2022
Application process: Please send a CV and expression of interest outlining how you believe you would fulfil this post to Diana Whitmore Executive Director diana.whitmore@growing2gether.org.uk
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Funding and Development Manager
- Full time or Part time
- £30,000 – £32,000
- Renfrewshire or Inverclyde with hybrid working available
- Closing 2nd October 2023
About Us
Home-Start Renfrewshire and Inverclyde (HSRI) is a registered charity providing volunteer led, family centred, non-judgmental support to families with at least one child aged under five.
As a valued colleague joining our compassionate and forward-thinking team, you will be part of our vision of walking alongside families, offering early help, empowering families to build on existing strengths, to achieve better wellbeing outcomes for themselves and their children.
The Role
The Funding and Development Manager is a key part of our Leadership team, responsible for implementing our funding and fundraising strategy to help us achieve the income we need to help change families lives.
- Responsibility for securing medium to large-sized-grants
- Writing high-quality and persuasive funding applications
- Building and managing strong relationships with a range of key stakeholders
- Working closely with the Funding Assistant to produce interim and end reports
- Ongoing monitoring and evaluation
- Representing HSRI at strategic partner meetings
Next Steps
This is a rewarding role where you will impact in improving families lives by overseeing our funding activities to achieve our income generation strategic goals. If this sounds like you and you are looking for an exciting new opportunity then please apply - full details are available in the job pack available to download below.
Peripatetic Advocacy and Participation Worker
- Full time
- £23,674 – £29,592
- Peripatetic across the North East Region
- Closing 1st October 2023
Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3500 Care Experienced members.
At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual lifelong relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory and engagement opportunities for Care Experienced people across Scotland. We work alongside Corporate Parents and communities to broaden understanding and create change. We work with policy makers, leaders, and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy, and practice, working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.
This unique role offers the opportunity to listen to and work directly with children and young people with experience of care, in an individual relationship-based advocacy role, and within participation and group activity across our North East region.
The post-holder will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across the region to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard. In this role you will have the opportunity to provide independent advocacy, children’s rights, and participation opportunities for children and young people who are looked after, Care Experienced or subject to formal processes and structures. The role will see you actively participating in child’s plan meetings, children’s hearings, and other formal processes, as well as assisting children and young people to prepare for them. In partnership with professionals, carers, and organisations, you will help to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people by keeping detailed records of the work you undertake, writing liaison reports, and monitoring statistics.
As a vital part of the work of Who Cares? Scotland, your role will include facilitating group opportunities for and with children and young people within the North East region (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Dundee, Angus, Rossie). This includes providing engagement and participation opportunities throughout the Who Cares? Scotland local and national network, as well as meeting with care experienced children and young people to introduce the service in agreement with the local authority. Raising awareness of Who Cares? Scotland and its services with children, young people, professionals, and carers you will also be responsible for facilitating training amongst care corporate parents.
The right candidate for this post will be able to form positive relationships with children and young people and have good interpersonal skills. You will feel confident communicating with individuals and groups, both in writing and verbally, and be able to adapt to a wide range of contexts. Secure in making effective plans, as well as evidencing your work, you can prioritise and meet deadlines. You take enjoyment from working collaboratively with partners, believing in equal opportunities and inclusive working. Committed to children’s rights, you are someone who knows that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity. You can demonstrate knowledge of the current structure, developments, policy, and practice in relation to children and young people experiencing care in Scotland. You are also flexible, given the remit of the role, as some evening and weekend work will be necessary, along with a full driving licence and access to transport.
While we would welcome the knowledge gathered through relevant qualifications, we are just as interested in relevant work experience. We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.
The successful candidate will be joining Who Cares? Scotland and working within the North East team at an exciting time, when the voices of those who are in or have experienced care are growing in power, individually and collectively - bringing with them insight, challenge, hope and change.
If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you.
Do you want to help us transform the lives of children across Scotland? Do you share our vision that children in Scotland will be safer, will grow up in strong, resilient families and will have access to early help and support when they need it? Do you have excellent communication skills, diligence and the ability to work proactively?
If this sounds like you, please read on because we’d love to hear from you!
Children 1st has a terrific opportunity for an Executive Assistant for two of our Directors within our Finance and Corporate Services, and People and Culture directorates. This is to work alongside our other Executive Assistants and Corporate Administration Co-ordinator in ensuring that our administrative needs are met.
We are proud of the way we do things at Children 1st and the culture we have created for our people. We need people who are highly organised, engaging, who can work effectively both autonomously and as part of team and who can provide a comprehensive, high quality secretarial and diary management function for our Directors.
Further information
These are full-time, (35 hours per week) permanent roles, however we would consider applicants wishing to work as low as 25 hours per week. While we support flexible working you will need to be based within an office base.
As well as knowing that what we do is making a positive difference to people’s lives, you will receive the following salary and benefits:
40 days annual leave (inclusive of 9 public holidays). We also have a contributory pension scheme (the charity will pay up to 8% of your salary) and life assurance
Top job! Director of Student Engagement and Representation
- Full time
- £38,437 – £40,778
- hybrid/Inverness HQ
- Closing 4th October 2023
The Highlands and Islands Students’ Association (the Students’ Association) is a representative body for students at the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), one of the most exciting education providers in the country with a focus on tertiary education.
It's an exciting time to join the Association: we have just recruited a new CEO, due to start in December, and following a restructure, this role (Director of Student Engagement and Representation) and the role of Director of Operations were created with staffing changes to other roles within the Student Engagement department too.
If you are passionate about changing the lives of students and ensuring they are integral to enhancing the student experience, this could be the role for you… The role will provide strategic leadership, direction and drive in relation to the Students’ Association’s services, representation and opportunities for members. The successful candidate will be responsible for student representation – both in terms of democratically elected Representatives and Class Reps, democracy and governance. You would be responsible for supporting and coaching the staff as well as empowering student leaders to achieve excellence, fostering a culture where staff and students can create positive change.
UHI is unique in its geography; this role will have oversight of the development of each of the regions whilst developing and maintaining positive relationships with each of the Academic Partners.
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