The post holder location/office base is subject to negotiation

Are you passionate about children’s rights?

Are you resilient, and able to lead and support Safeguarders in their demanding role for children?

The Safeguarders Panel Team at Children 1st is established as an integral feature of the Children’s Hearing landscape, contracted by the Scottish Government to manage the national Safeguarders Panel.

We are looking for a relational, child-centred, and resilient leader to join our team, ensuring that children’s rights and quality are at the heart of the Safeguarders Panel. The Safeguarders Panel Team (SPT) recruit, support, provide learning opportunities and monitor Safeguarders practice. We collaborate with partner agencies and deliver all other operational tasks associated with Safeguarder appointments.

You will develop relationships with Safeguarders individually and in groups, working as part of a team, to provide direct support in their important and challenging role. You will help them provide an excellent, accountable, trauma-sensitive and rights-based service for children and young people, and to provide evidence for their re-appointment.

Children 1st along with partners share a determination to act upon the recommendations from The Independent Care Review and deliver The Promise. 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.

What kind of person will make a great Support Manager for Children 1st Safeguarders Panel Team?

• have a working knowledge of the Children’s Hearing System

• be passionate about children and their rights being respected

• proven leadership skills with a background of support and monitoring of others - volunteers and or employed staff

• be able to grasp complex systems quickly

• be supportive and flexible in ensuring the day-to-day operation of the service

• be creative and interested in the development of associated support, learning and development agenda.

• be confident with independent working but also comfortable within a whole team context

• be comfortable facilitating and presenting

• is kind and will bring their whole selves to the job: heart and mind

What kind of Support Manager will you be?

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

• positive, enthusiastic and energetic

• resilient, skilled and knowledgeable who wants to transform practice

• solution focused with a strength-based approach

• 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 1st

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.

Base

Safeguarders Panel Team is a National service, though this post will support Safeguarders in the north region of Scotland. The post holder location/office base is subject to negotiation.

Salary, Conditions, Pension

We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 7 public holidays), flexible working opportunities and a contributory pension scheme.

Hours

This is a full time post of 35 hours per week, commencing in January 2024 for an initial period of 2 months to cover a period of maternity leave.

Hours to be worked flexibly to meet the needs of the service, some evening and weekend work on occasion.

Further Information

Due to potential conflict of interest issues which may arise, it is not possible to undertake the role of a Children’s Panel member alongside a role within the Safeguarders Panel Team here at Children 1st. We apologise for any disappointment this may cause.

Midlothian Sure Start is a dynamic, award winning third sector organisation. It offers a quality support service to families with children up to age 12 across Midlothian. Midlothian Sure Start has been in existence since 2001 and employs over 70 members of staff providing a service in Family Learning centres and in the community. Our ethos is to provide a holistic, confidential community based service where families are at the heart of what we do.

We are looking for people who are as passionate about the services we provide as we are and in return we are keen to support professional development with excellent training and development opportunities, enhanced sick pay (following completion of probation), enhanced annual leave entitlement (we close completely for a well-earned break over Christmas and New Year) and we support our staff with an Employee Assistance Programme and Pension Scheme.

We are currently recruiting a part-time Development Officer within our Perinatal team, to support the delivery of our Family Friends project and other activities across Midlothian. This will involve recruiting and supporting the training and development “Family Friends” volunteers, supporting matches between parents who need the service and working collaboratively with health professionals to deliver the service and support vulnerable caregivers.

A HNC in Social Care/Dip Social Work/BA Community Education or equivalent is essential. Experience supporting families, working with parents and promoting services within the local community is essential.

At Children 1st 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.

An opportunity has arisen for an IT manager to join our enthusiastic and dedicated IT team focused on providing excellent IT services to Children 1st. The role involves the management of IT infrastructure, systems and hardware, overseeing the work of the IT technical team.

Based in Edinburgh, with some home working and visits to sites across Scotland, the successful candidate will bring significant experience of managing cloud hosted IT services. Demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of Microsoft 365, Azure and Intune, the post holder will be highly motivated with robust problem solving and analytical skills.

The role will involve collaborating with colleagues across the organisation, taking the time to build relationships and understand the needs of the organisation.

Further information

This is a full-time, (35 hours per week) permanent role and while we support flexible working you will be based in Edinburgh and will be required to travel throughout Scotland. Due to this, access to a car is required.

Please download our Job Description/Person Specification to read more about this exciting and key role!

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

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.