About Volunteering Matters

We are looking for a talented, dynamic, and compassionate Youth Engagement Manager to join our team in Edinburgh. The right candidate would be someone who can work flexibly and demonstrate an understanding and total commitment to our organisational values.

This role will be working in partnership with St Thomas of Aquins R.C High School, we have been delivering Brighter Futures here for two years and have funding till June 2025.

At Volunteering Matters we use volunteering’s unique power to bring people together and build stronger, more resilient communities across the UK.

We bring people together to resolve some of society’s most complex issues. From social isolation and loneliness; improving health and wellbeing; building skills, confidence, and opportunity; to ensuring young people can become change makers in their community, the impact that we make is great. And we won’t stop until everyone in the UK has the opportunity to thrive.

People-led and impact driven, we are a national charity that is deeply embedded in local areas across the UK. We operate in five regions: London and the South East; Wales and the West of England; East of England; the Midlands and North West England; and Scotland and North East England. We also have an Employee Volunteering Team with over 25 years’ experience, acting as a broker to provide tailor-made solutions to employers. We turn local knowledge and energy into action and progress, building stronger communities and a better future for all.

This is an exciting time to be joining the team. We’re changing the way we work to meet new ambitions and make sure our impact continues to grow alongside out business.

About the role

Project Scotland, part of the national charity Volunteering Matters, supports young people to get on in life through the power of volunteering. Brighter futures work with pupils (aged 13-16), we offer disadvantaged pupils struggling to engage with the regular school curriculum the opportunity to undertake a volunteering placement as well as the option of having a mentor. We support and empower pupils to gain skills and confidence in a new environment within the wider community, promoting a sense of belonging, whilst extending horizons and aspirations.

We are looking for a talented, dynamic, and compassionate Youth Engagement Manager to join our team in Edinburgh. The right candidate would be someone who can work flexibly and demonstrate an understanding and total commitment to our organisational values.

This role will be working in partnership with St Thomas of Aquins R.C High School, we have been delivering Brighter Futures here for two years and have funding till June 2025.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• To build relationships with secondary school pupils, particularly those on flexible timetables, who have complex and challenging barriers, acting in a non-judgemental way to support them through their Brighter Futures journey
• Consistently role modelling and displaying Volunteering Matters organisational values
• Deliver and develop the Brighter Futures Schools programme within in St Thomas of Aquins R.C High School, meeting ambitious targets and milestones, ensuring all young people engaged achieve positive outcome.
• Provide pre and post volunteering practical and emotional support to each pupil, helping to build their confidence and identify achievable goals as well support the pupil to complete awards and qualifications linked to their volunteering.
• Engaging with current charity partners, not for profit organisations and social enterprises and developing new ones in line with our Best Practice for under 16’s volunteering.
• Develop diverse, high quality and bespoke volunteer placements with third sector partners that reflect the needs and interests of pupils.
• Effective recruitment, selection, training, and ongoing support of a diverse pool of talented and dedicated volunteer mentors from a wide cross-section of the community
• To maintain Volunteering Matters standards around quality and effective Volunteer Management
• To manage all elements of a young person’s experience, from referral to completion of their journey, including managing the match with their mentor.
• To manage the risk assessment, safeguarding, quality assurance and audit processes as appropriate
• Ensure monitoring, impact and evaluation information is collected and that Brighter Futures meets it’s agreed targets, reporting format and schedule.
• Administration tasks including maintaining effective and accessible records, the use of Microsoft Office, Teams, Zoom and other software such as Canva (use to develop relevant promotional material and information)

Our Values & Way of Working:

In all that we do, we embrace a philosophy of ‘Freedom within a Framework’ and are guided by our values: Empowering, Inclusive, Compassionate, Positive & Straightforward.

Benefits

Our employee benefits reflect our culture which is built on an approach of full flexibility with accountability, and designed to let you make your most positive contribution; we offer Flexible Working by Default (re hours & place of work), Unlimited Annual Leave, Employee Pension scheme, Life Assurance, Cycle to Work Scheme, Season Ticket Loan, Employee Assistance Programme, enhanced sick and family leave. We are also open to discuss job share applications.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Access to Industry’s Young Peoples Service. You will work in a trauma informed way supporting young people aged 16-21, with complex health and social care issues, to progress towards education, training or employment. You will be part of a small team working one-to-one with young people as well as developing and delivering structured group work.

Key Responsibility areas will include:

Service Delivery:This role will focus on the intensive case management of young people from the City of Edinburgh who have mental health issues which may be a result of adverse childhood experiences. Their challenges to progress may be compounded by emerging issues with substances; offending behaviour; family support; and/or accommodation. You will work in outreach, to engage with Edinburgh’s young people including i.e., schools, Through-Care After-Care, young person’s substance misuse practitioners and HMP YOI Polmont (linking with AI’s Passport CashBack project).

Caseworker support:You will work one to one with young people, assessing their needs, devise action plans and work holistically. Support will be flexible, from employability to welfare advice.

You will work to progress clients into training programmes, employment, and education.

Over time you will develop small-group work programmes that meet the needs of young people you support.

Targets: The project has annual targets and outcomes that you will work towards achieving and achieving evidence of for funders. This is monitored monthly through team meetings and within support and supervision.

Partnership: Pivotal to your role, you will be working with other services and agencies to build positive networks for young people and referral sources into the service.

Administration: You will administer all aspects of the project from referrals, training, progression routes and employer engagement.

AI Team: You will play a part in the wider team of AI through attendance at internal meetings and participation in shared services across the teams.

Quality Assurance & Management Systems: You will maintain excellent records and will maintain case management through use of the Management Information Systems, Helix.

Health & Safety and Property Management: You will ensure a healthy and safe environment, and the protection and best use of property and equipment, by implementing and observing AI policies and procedures. You will ensure that all work opportunities are carried out in accordance with Health and Safety legislation and good practice.

Communications: You will be an effective communicator as you will be working with external agencies, specialist providers and employers and attending meetings on AI’s behalf. You will contribute to internal reporting procedures both written and verbally. You will market the project externally. You will ensure client and organisation confidentiality at all times.

Other Requirements:The post holder will be expected to manage their own caseload and work with minimum supervision partly in an outreach capacity.

Are you an experienced trainer with the ability to engage a wide-ranging audience, and knowledge of conflict resolution?

If so this could be the ideal opportunity for you

About the service

Cyrenians’ Scottish Centre for Conflict Resolution (SCCR) is a National Resource Centre for best practice in conflict resolution, mediation and early intervention work with a particular focus on young people and families. Our award-winning digital resources, free training and events improve understanding of conflict and emotional needs, to transform relationships and lives.

About the role

This role will ensure that the SCCR continues to evolve and extend its reach. You will:

• Develop and deliver workshops and events, both online and in person
• Contribute to our range of digital resources
• Maintain and develop working relationships with family support services, schools and other groups / organisations
• Monitor and report on the progress of our work

About you

We are looking for an experienced trainer / facilitator with energy and enthusiasm to take this work forward. You will be creative, innovative and a highly motivated team player with an interest in improving the relationships and lives of young people and families.

You should also be:

• Well organised and effective with your time management.
• Flexible and creative in your approach
• Able to demonstrate our values of compassion, respect, integrity, and innovation in the work that you do.

How we will support you

You’ll be part of a small team, led by a supportive manager. There will be opportunities for you to learn and develop, while sharing your skills and experiences. You will have access to wider Cyrenians support, including our learning and development programme, and staff wellbeing services.

About us

At Cyrenians we tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness by taking a Public Health Approach to Homelessness Prevention. We take a values-led and relationships-based approach to delivering all our services.

You can find out more about our impact and our values online.

We are seeking a playful, adaptable, and confident individuals for play worker posts at Play Midlothian, to deliver high quality services, enabling children to thrive through play.

Community Play Worker (CPW)

• First Aid: Desirable – can be attained whilst employed by the company. PM can support sourcing and funding courses.
• Child Protection Training: Essential – PM can support sourcing and funding courses.
• PVG Membership – Essential – PM can facilitate.
• Responsibility / duties – facilitating adventurous and creative play under the supervision of the Play Team Lead. The Community Play Worker may be asked to ‘lead’ a session alongside another CPW or APW once an agreed induction period has been fulfilled.

About Play Midlothian

Play Midlothian is a registered charity (no. SC025474) working to support children to thrive through play. We focus on play because we know how much this benefits children’s health, wellbeing and development. It is important for their lives in the here and now as well as for their future life chances.

We strive to remove barriers to play where they exist, to ensure all children have access to play that meets their needs. We provide services for children and families and build the capacity of communities to support play. This includes training and development opportunities for other settings, including schools. We are also a partner in the Midlothian Play Strategy, which takes a strategic approach in planning for and promoting play in Midlothian.

We have an office base in Dalkeith but deliver services throughout Midlothian, and if commissioned, beyond.

About the role

Our Playworkers support session planning and the day-to-day practicalities of our play services, carry out play work, and support services users. It is essential that the successful applicant enjoys all types of play and can respond flexibly to the needs of participants.

We are looking for someone who enjoys working as part of a team and can build productive relationships with our participants, colleagues and other stakeholders, while demonstrating an enthusiasm for Play Midlothian’s aims and values.

The postholder will be directed day to day by a Team Leader, and work as part of a team of Community Playworkers and at times volunteers.

It is important the postholder can be flexible about their hours, which will be worked over four or five days on a rota pattern over a 7-day week. Out 2 Play shifts may finish approx. 6.00/6.30pm. We value employees having work/life balance and aim to establish a pattern that shares out any evening and weekend working, so each employee has regular weekends off.

Play Midlothian’s services take place in a variety of community settings. Some are indoors, though a high proportion of our current services are exclusively outdoors (all year round), therefore the role will particularly suit applicants with a fondness for the outdoors.

We work with children and young people aged 0-13 (and at times older), with their parents/carers at some of our services, and at times with specific needs (including disability and emerging mental health challenges). We work with a variety of service models, though with the focus firmly on self-directed play. The goal is always to ensure that children have access to play opportunities that enable them to thrive.

Information on our current services can be found on our website.

For the right candidate, this will be a highly rewarding and stimulating role, offering plenty of variety in their work – all the while enabling their passion for children’s play to shine though.