Birthlink was established in 1911 and is currently in partnership with Scottish Government and others to provide a service to people affected by adoption with a Scottish context. Separately, Birthlink provides an Access to Records service for those seeking to understand their time in care or to prepare applications to the Scottish Government Redress Scheme.

The purpose of this job is to provide administration support to the project which of researching and documenting the history of Birthlink, produce resources and telling the story.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Administrator will be responsible for providing administration support to the project, volunteers and staff, to contribute to the overall objectives of producing an oral history project, providing digital records and wall displays.

This will involve:

• Dealing with calls
• Greeting visitors
• Data entry
• Minuting meetings
• Ordering supplies
• Complying with data protection legislation

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Experience in a similar role
• The ability to manage both time and workload to meet deadlines
• Organised, accurate and thorough
• Energetic, motivated, and enthusiastic with a hands-on approach
• The ability to work on own initiative
• Team working and collaboration skills
• Strong interpersonal and inclusive communication skills
• PVG scheme eligibility

QUALIFICATIONS

ESSENTIAL

• 2 Standard Grades, National 4 or equivalent

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

ESSENTIAL

• Strong IT skills and digital fluency
• Knowledge of good practice and GDPR principles for record-keeping.
• Knowledge of appropriate legislation and good practice for working with vulnerable groups.
• Openness to learning

At Columba 1400 we enable young people, especially from tough realities, and the key adults in their lives to lead lives of meaning, purpose, and contribution. Since 2000 we’ve helped more than 12,500 young people and adults transform their lives.

Through our bespoke values-based leadership experiences, we create a nurturing environment where participants can explore their strengths, build confidence, and embrace their unique talents.

Our founding principles of warmth of welcome, warmth of hospitality, and the sense of being on a shared journey guide everything we do.

Participants emerge from our academies with greater confidence, clarity about their goals, and a renewed sense of purpose, ready to make a positive difference.

Overall Purpose of Role

The purpose of this role is to facilitate the delivery of our Young People’s Leadership Academies and to be alongside participants as they realise their true potential.

The successful candidate will work in partnership with the Columban Team to ensure the highest standards of delivery are maintained throughout our leadership academies as well as supporting the information and data gathering to demonstrate our impact.

In this post you will help to provide a supportive, warm, and nurturing environment for young people, and key adults. Through your compassionate approach and values-based leadership, you will inspire and uplift young people, helping them to realise their inherent strengths and capabilities.

Sacro’s mission is to deliver life-changing services that empower people, give hope and protection, and help to build safe communities.

Shine is a Public Social Partnership (PSP), led by Sacro as the Lead Partner, providing a mentoring service to women with experience of the justice system across Scotland. The Shine PSP is made up of third sector delivery partners, funding and commissioning partners and works closely with wider community agencies.

We are recruiting for an individual who will be responsible for providing excellent customer service and administrative support to a range of partners including Shine Mentors, the National Partnership Manager and external stakeholders. The role includes management and maintenance of data records, extensive use of the case management system and provision of secretariat support. In addition to administrative duties, the role includes opportunities to support wider projects across the Shine PSP.

The successful applicant must be well organised and be an effective communicator within a very busy office environment, have proven literacy and digital skills and be flexible to meet the challenging and changing needs of the service. Being educated to at least SVQ level 3 or equivalent is desirable, together with relevant experience of administrative work. Applicants must be computer literate with proficient experience of Microsoft tools.

This post is to cover a secondment, working primarily remotely, with some work expected at our central Edinburgh Hub office.

We offer some great benefits, including family friendly policies, flexible and hybrid working and work-life balance. We also have generous annual leave entitlement, employee wellbeing scheme, cycle to work scheme, pension scheme and death in service, enhanced company sick pay. We will offer learning and development, progression and qualifications with the opportunity for growth and development.

We welcome applications from individuals who share Sacro’s aims and values and want to engage with those we support to help them move on to a more secure, settled and fulfilling life and value diversity from all sections of the community.

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.