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

We are looking for a passionate, highly motivated and experienced practitioner with a deep knowledge and understanding of children’s learning and development as well as the challenges facing our families across our communities.

This rewarding role will support and coordinate a small childcare team within a childcare team within a registered childcare setting for children aged 0-7 years as well as provide support to individual children aged 0-3 years within their homes who require support in their physical, social and emotional skills and are experiencing attachment difficulties such as separation anxieties.

As well as supporting individual children to reach their full potential, this role will enable parents to be individually supported to gain a better understanding of their children’s needs empowering them to improve their children’s development by using strategies and activities that they can incorporate within their daily lives.

This role will also support the Team Managers to develop a broad range of learning activities, which are specific to the needs of vulnerable children and their families

Minimum Qualifications required are:

HNC Childcare and Education, SVQ 3 Social Services (Children and Young People), HNC Childhood Practice or relevant childcare qualification

AND

Minimum practice experience: 3 years’ in a similar role

A certificate in Food Handling and First Aid are also desirable.

This post will be subject to a PVG Scheme Record check, SSSC registration and two references.

You will be expected to work 35 hours per week, but also have the flexibility to work hours in addition to this where required.