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 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care – 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 South East region.

The post-holder will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across 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. 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 South 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. To arrange an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Ray MacLean, Manager of Advocacy and Participation, at rmaclean@whocaresscotland.org.

Volunteer Chair and Treasurer (Trustees) – Help Dads Rock Support Dads and Families across Scotland

Dads Rock is a fast-growing, dynamic Scottish charity with a clear vision: Children thrive when Dads thrive. We are looking for passionate and experienced individuals to join our Board of Trustees.

We are currently recruiting for two key volunteer leadership roles:

• Chair: To provide strategic direction and ensure strong governance as we expand our services across Scotland.
• Treasurer: To utilise your financial expertise in overseeing our financial viability, budgets, and compliance. Experience in a finance role is highly valued.

This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute your skills to a critical mission with a low time commitment (approx. 2-3 hours per month) and a high societal impact.

First Step is a community-based organisation working directly with families and young children in the early years. We support parents to build confidence, strengthen relationships and create a nurturing environment for their children. Our services include early learning and childcare, family learning and wellbeing activities, dedicated family support and outreach, and a range of opportunities for volunteering and community involvement.

We are seeking a motivated, self-starting Fundraising Officer, who will be central to the growth and sustainability of First Step’s work. You will lead on securing funding and developing new projects that respond to the needs of families with young children.

With excellent communication skills, you will work closely with the Project Manager and the Strategic Board to shape and deliver innovative, community led initiatives that make a real difference to the lives of children and their families. This includes identifying funding opportunities, writing compelling bids and building strong relationships with funders and partners.

Using your creativity, you will also be responsible for raising awareness of First Step’s services through events, presentations, marketing materials, and managing social media and website content. We’re looking for a versatile individual who communicates effectively at all levels, writes clearly, collaborates well with others, and can work independently when needed.

In addition to a highly satisfying role, we offer a range of staff benefits including:

• Enhanced annual leave
• Contributory pension scheme
• Enhanced sick pay
• Learning and development opportunities

The Yard is an award-winning charity that runs adventure play services for children with disabilities and/or additional support needs and their families across Scotland.

We are seeking an experienced HR Manager who is passionate about driving positive change at The Yard. You will bring the expertise and gravitas to influence and support senior leadership on HR and cultural initiatives.

About the role:

Some of your key responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring The Yard maintains the roles, skills and experience to deliver on its strategic priorities

• Measure employee engagement and agree action plans to develop and improve organisational culture

• Ensuring our recruitment policies and processes embody our values and enable us to recruit people with the skills and qualities to meet our goals

• Developing and managing our renumeration policy

About you:

This job is for you if you have:

• Proven experience of HR management

• Can lead by example, fostering a culture of trust and respect

• Excellent communication and relationship building skills

• Ability to develop HR strategies aligning with our strategic plan

If our ethos inspires you and you are eager to bring your knowledge and experience to a team that is deeply committed to our purpose, we would love to have you on board.

If you would like to discuss the role with our Director of Resources, please let us know and we can arrange a call.