Barnardo's Caern Disability Services consists of 3 unique Projects who deliver a variety of quality services for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism. We have done this for over forty years.

At the Caern Community Project, we support up to 50 children and young people across the Lothians aged 7-18 by offering outreach, holiday support, groups, youth clubs and training to children and their families.

We are looking for Relief Project Workers to join our small team to support young people in the community. Working primarily in the community, you will promote the happiness, safety and welfare of the young people. You will play an active role in supporting the children and young people and their families/carers to achieve positive outcomes, as identified in the Young People's Individual Support Plans.

You will work on a Rota of day shifts, including weekends, early mornings and evenings. We are also looking for staff to support young people in our holiday support hub. This will run from Monday 4th July until Thursday 11th August. We will be running Mondays to Thursdays, 8.30am-3.30pm

As these posts are As & When - you can commit to a flexible amount of hours and individual circumstances will be considered.

About You

We are looking for Relief Project Workers who have experience in working directly with children and young people.

Experience in supporting children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism would be advantageous, or at the minimum an understanding of these factors and its impact on child development. Communication with the young people is paramount - the key is time tabling; structure; reliability and consistency. You will be faced with behaviours that challenge, including physical.

Experience of group work is desirable, with good planning skills.

You will need to communicate effectively with a range of people, including autistic children and young people, their families and other professionals. This also includes being able to work sensitively within families' homes.

You will have the confidence to lone work and can use your own initiative with support from team and managers.

As this post is in the community, a clean current drivers' license is essential, (although if you are applying for summer hub work this is negotiable).

For an informal chat about this role – please contact Lynne Melville (Team Manager) on 07789 941421

About Barnardo's

At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is reflected in our values and our practice, and we have invested in this area of our work to ensure that we can deliver on our commitments to be an inclusive employer. EDI is a key enabler of our purpose as a charity and we want to ensure that the diversity of our teams is reflective of the communities we serve and that we continue to learn and develop our work with a focus on inclusion. We particularly encourage applications from candidates from Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic Communities, candidates who are LGBT+ and Disabled candidates.

Our basis and values

BACKGROUND

The Association for Fostering, Kinship and Adoption Scotland (AFKA) is an independent charity that promotes and facilitates evidence-informed best practice in fostering, kinship care and adoption, through advising, training, and influencing practitioners and policymakers, and supporting them to improve outcomes for children and families.

Our Vision is a future where every practitioner working with children, young people and their families is knowledgeable, skilled, confident, and empowered to support the safe, secure, and loving care to which every child has a right.

Our services support agencies and professionals to implement child centred, evidenced informed practice that involves children and their families in decisions about their lives, protect their rights and promotes inclusion. Through our multi-disciplinary communities of practice, we enable social workers, lawyers, and health professionals to work effectively across professional boundaries to meet the needs of children, their families, and their Carers. As a membership organisation, AFKA Scotland uses its links with professional bodies and agencies across the country to contribute to the development of policy and practice at a local and national level. We have a collaborative agreement with CoramBAAF.

AFKA Scotland’s multi-disciplinary team has a wealth of experience and up-to-date expertise in practice relating to kinship care, fostering and adoption and delivers a wide range of workshops, training and consultancy, post qualifying courses, and conferences to assist professionals to develop the knowledge and skills they require when working in this specialist area.

We work closely with our research colleagues in AFKA Scotland, and our research underpins our evidence informed approach. We are committed to #keepthepromise, have been instrumental in promise funded work and have been on a journey to adapt to the changing landscape of care in Scotland.

We are seeking to recruit a highly experienced and motivated individual to the role of Administrative Assistant. This role is key in supporting the Business Support and Finance Manager in the day-to-day operational activities of the organisation and to the smooth delivery of our Forums, training and workshop activities.

JOB SPECIFICATION

PURPOSE

To provide administrative support to the Business Support & Finance Manager on a day-to-day basis and to support the overall work of the organisation.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

National Practitioner Forums and Consortia - in conjunction with lead facilitator, manage the arrangements for the full range of forums and consortia meetings, including setting dates, sending out agendas, formatting and sending out final notes, collating meeting papers, and keeping distribution lists up-to-date.

Support training and development events (Commissioned Training, Conferences and workshops) – in conjunction with Trainer/Consultants, provide administrative support for management of events including: finalising training materials for training booklets, creating and sending out booking forms; logging bookings and maintaining database; preparing attendance certificates for participants at all external events; create , collate and analyse evaluation form returns.

Information Technology – Support staff in their use of IT apps and platforms when they are producing materials or delivering training.

General Administration – Undertake a range of administrative tasks to support the work of the organisation including:

• In conjunction with the Business Support & Finance Manager plan and monitor the action required to run the planned programme of events.
• Telephones - answer the phone and pass messages to staff as appropriate.
• Email - check generic emails and respond / forward messages as appropriate.
• Photocopying – where required, photocopy training materials / meeting papers for all events.
• Banking/Post Office – posting office mail and banking cheques when required.
• Library – maintain database and record when books taken out on loan.
• Take notes at staff meetings.

Scotland’s Adoption Register - provide administrative support to Register staff including support for the running of family finding events when required.

Advice Line Enquiries – record all enquiries, forward to staff, follow up as required, maintain records of completion dates and provide statistical information to Business Support & Finance Manager.

Participation in conferences and other external events – provide administrative support for the running of events as part of the AFKA Scotland team.

Experience

Essential

• A working knowledge of an office environment
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to work on own initiative

Desirable

• Personal or professional experience of the care system
• Experience of working as part of small enterprise or charity

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Essential

• Computer literate in a range of computer processes which must include Microsoft Access, Word, PowerPoint and Excel and have proficient keyboard skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365 including MS Teams
• Working knowledge of social media platforms
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and telephone manner
• Ability to collate and analyse information and to produce accurate, well presented documents
• Self-motivating with excellent organisational skills

Attitude and beliefs

Essential

• Positive, problem solving and resourceful
• Clear understanding of the need to maintain confidentiality
• Flexible working approach

Base: Office - 3 days / Home - 2 days (if desired).

Organisational Relationships:Line Managed by the Business Support & Finance Manager / Responsible to the Executive Director.

Charity Information

Family Mediation West provides support to families affected by separation, divorce, and conflict. We have premises in Glasgow and Kilmarnock allowing us to offer services across the West of Scotland. We are affiliated to Relationship Scotland, who support a national network of 22 local service providers for individuals, couples and families experiencing relationship problems. The values and the standards of the organisation help to ensure effective support can be provided to help families through difficult times.

Job Information

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic individuals to help support a safe, welcoming, neutral and child friendly environment where children and young people can have contact with their parents. These roles have flexibility and sessional staff can be based in Glasgow, or Kilmarnock, or both.

Sessional workers will be working within centres and overseeing both Supervised Child Contact and Supported Child Contact. Sessions will require professional reporting, note taking, forming statistical records and evaluations of work undertaken; these aspects will form the basis of Court Reports and Progress Forms for each case. In addition, Child Contact Sessional workers will work in pairs and provide support should there be situations of conflict between parents and / or children. Sessional Workers will maintain a caseload of clients and will be responsible for ensuring that case discussions and case reviews are held regularly.

This role will include 12 weeks of supported training and shadowing with a senior practitioner. Ad hoc training courses will also be available for related courses that will enhance the service performance.

Barnardo's Highland are developing a new partnership service with the Highland Council, supporting care experienced children and young people with additional needs.

This is a new service within Highland which will look at the individual needs of children and young people and develop bespoke residential care packages using a right based, trauma informed approach working with the whole family around the child.

The team working with the children will enrich their lives through care, support and activities which will be aimed at raising self-esteem, promoting a sense of mastery, and enabling the children to access experiences that are individually tailored to their interests and nurture their talents. The team will work with the wider partnership to ensure that Educational and Health needs are met.

We are looking to appoint a Team Manager to join this service and who has the below experience.

• Excellent communication skills, verbally and written.
• Experience in working with Children with additional and complex needs.
• Experience working in a supervisory role.
• Experience of Leading and Managing Care Services.
• Ability to demonstrate a strong understanding of child protection, safeguarding and working with vulnerable children.
• The post holder must have an excellent working knowledge of Children in Care and Care Experienced Young People.
• Experience of chairing meetings, working in partnership with other agencies and staff supervision / coaching / mentoring is essential.
• Use of IT is significant and candidates must be able to use and maintain client record systems.

Some of the Key Responsibilities include:

• Providing a ‘duty' management role to the service, offering information, advice and support with operational day-to-day running of the service.
• Ensuring consistent use of policies, procedures and processes.
• Attending appropriately to the physical and emotional needs of children and young people, including health and safety aspects of equipment, environment and activities in consultation with Children's Services Manager.
• To establish fair, respectful, trusting, supportive and constructive relationships with parents and children, communicating sensitively and effectively

The post holder must have the Qualifications relevant to meet the requirement of the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and hold the Registration for the Care Inspectorate, or be willing to work towards this.