Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer (Scotland)
- Full time
- £32,000
- Scotland - home based or head office (Glasgow)
- Closing 23rd September 2022
- Advertised from 30th August 2022
- 38455
Role
Are you influential by nature? Are you creative and confident in your approach? Do you thrive on enabling policy change, and ensuring that policy is integrated throughout the organisation? If you want to be part of our successful communications and marketing directorate and you believe you have what it takes to deliver in this role, we would love to hear from you to understand how you might be able to support the fantastic work we do here at We Are With You.
As Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer you will deliver the organisations policy and public affairs strategy and day-to-day policy and public affairs activity in Scotland, working together with the senior managers, the policy and public affairs team, media team and other key stakeholders to meet the organisations goals and drive policy change.
This is a fixed term contract until 2 October 2023. The role can be home based or located in our Scotland Head Office, G2 8BD.
As our Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer, you will develop and deliver public affairs activities in Scotland. You will work with relevant colleagues to respond to relevant Scottish government and non-government policy consultations and submissions. Working closely with the relevant teams, you will deliver a range of key stakeholder influencing events and activities. You will deliver internal policy communications to promote policy work across the organisation.
You will be tasked with delivering policy and advocacy activity to support the organisations public-facing campaigns. Within the role you will monitor Scottish government and external policy and public affairs developments around the issues we work on, maintaining a strong understanding of the policy landscape.
To be successful in this role, you will be a strong leader and influencer, with the ability to work closely and collaboratively with a range of internal teams, and key stakeholders. You will be confident in your knowledge and understanding of the policy landscape, and in working with key external stakeholders including parliamentarians and civil servants to deliver our policy and public affairs objectives.
Essential Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline
- Ability to think creatively and pragmatically about policy at both big picture and detailed implementation levels
- Ability to produce engaging and relevant policy and public affairs content in a range of formats
- Strong research skills across a range of methodologies
- Understanding of how to influence policy change, using both formal and informal routes
- A good understanding of the drug, alcohol and health policy landscape in Scotland
- Strong written and oral communication skills, and acute media and political judgement
- Strong ability to plan work, manage performance and own development
- High degree of analytical and problem solving skills
- Ability to build effective relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders
- Strong prioritisation skills with the ability to manage competing / conflicting demands
- The ability to work under pressure
- Excellent IT skills
- Scotland location
- Ability to work flexible and unsocial hours as required
- Travel may be required, including occasional overnight stays
- Commitment to We Are With You guiding principles and behaviours
Desired Skills:
- Master’s degree in a relevant discipline
About Company:
Everyone should feel comfortable getting the support they need for issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health.
At We Are With You we work with people on their own goals, whether that’s staying safe and healthy, making small changes or stopping an unwanted habit altogether. We give people support in a way that’s right for them either face to face in their local service, community or online.
We provide a free and confidential service without judgement to more than 100,000 people a year.
We use our expertise to improve the help available and raise awareness around drugs, alcohol and mental health so that more people can get support.
We Are With You.
Application notes
To find out more and to apply, please visit our website.
Top job! Charity Manager
- Full time or Part time
- £38,788
- Hybrid: Campbell House, Gartnavel Royal Hospital in Glasgow’s West End
- Closing 9th January 2026
Common Wheel is a Glasgow-based charity dedicated to supporting people with mental health issues. Our vision is for individuals to live meaningful, satisfying lives and contribute to society. Our mission focuses on improving mental wellbeing, building skills, reducing isolation, and challenging stigma through creative, practical activities like music, art, bike building, and climbing. We have been supporting people manage or recover from mental illness for 25 years. We work in the community, in hospital wards and care homes and at our 2 purpose-built bike workshops in Maryhill and Glasgow.
Role Overview
The Charity Manager will lead the day-to-day operations of Common Wheel, ensuring the effective delivery of programmes, sound financial management, communications as well as contributing to successful fundraising. With an annual income of between £250,000 and £300,000, the charity is at a pivotal stage of growth and impact. The Manager will play a key role in shaping strategy, managing the team, and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Management
- Lead and manage a small team of 7-10 staff, a pool of freelance practitioners and a team of volunteers.
- Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing organisational culture.
- Work closely with the Board of Trustees to develop and implement strategic plans.
Programme Delivery
- Oversee the planning, execution, and evaluation of all programmes and services, such as build-your-own-bike workshops, climbing, art, music and others.
- Ensure programmes align with the charity’s mission and deliver measurable impact to participants.
- Monitor performance and report on outcomes to funders and trustees.
Fundraising & Income Generation
- Develop and implement a fundraising strategy to sustain and grow income.
- Cultivate relationships with funders, grant-makers, corporate partners, referrers and community supporters.
- Work with our Fundraiser to prepare funding applications and manage grant reporting requirements.
Finance & Governance
- Manage the charity’s budget, ensuring financial sustainability and compliance.
- Oversee financial reporting, including monthly management accounts and annual audits, working with our finance manager and treasurer.
- Ensure compliance with charity legal and regulatory requirements.
Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
- Represent the charity externally, acting as a spokesperson and champion for Common Wheel when required.
- Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including beneficiaries, partners, and funders.
- Oversee marketing, communications, and public relations activities.
Person Specification
Essential
- Proven experience in charity management or a leadership role in an equivalent organisation.
- Strong understanding of fundraising, financial management, and governance.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to lead and motivate a team.
- Strategic thinker with hands-on operational capability.
- Interest in mental health and a commitment to challenge the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Desirable
- Experience working with a charity of similar size and scope.
- Knowledge of the charity’s sector or beneficiary group.
- Familiarity with regulation, relevant systems and processes
Community Activities Organiser - Central Aberdeenshire
- Part time
- £24,643 – £25,974 pro-rata
- On site: Aberdeenshire
- Closing 5th January 2026
Who we are
Alzheimer Scotland is Scotland’s national dementia charity. Our aim is to make sure nobody faces dementia alone. We provide support and information to people with dementia, their carers and families, we campaign for the rights of people with dementia and fund vital dementia research.
What you’ll do
Our Community Activities Organisers are vital in providing front line support. This includes:
- Supporting individuals to stay connected to their local communities, engage in their interests and hobbies, and access peer support.
- Developing ideas and leading the way towards exciting and new activities to promote brain health.
Our groups are community based and the Community Activities Organiser is responsible for the planning and delivery of all activities, ensuring reflective practice through our activity evaluations and feedback from the people we support.
What you’ll have
Successful applicants will have a positive approach to dementia and brain health, with a passion to make a difference. You will have good communication and computer skills, a caring attitude and most of all enthusiasm for the role. You will be confident in planning activities in advance and leading any volunteers supporting at your group.
Applicants must have a full and valid driving license and vehicle to be able to travel for this role (mileage and expenses are paid).
For a full job description and person specification please see the attachments section of this advert.
The successful candidate for this post will be required to provide proof of right to work in the UK and will also be subject to a PVG check through Disclosure Scotland.
Team Leader Midlothian Recovery & Justice Service
- Full time
- £31,690
- On site: Scottish Borders and Midlothian
- Closing 9th January 2026
We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join our Midlothian Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. This post is funded by Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership.
We have an exciting leadership opportunity to join our South Services team as the Team Leader for the Scottish Borders Community Mental Health Team and the Midlothian Recovery and Justice Team. Within this role, you will be responsible for ensuring the day-to-day delivery of our community mental health and wellbeing services.
You should have experience in; leading and managing services, staff leadership and development, supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing, working as part of a team, meeting funding targets, data analysis and reporting.
If you have experience in these areas and are passionate about supporting people to fulfil their potential, we’d love to hear from you!
Counselling Lead
- Part time
- £36,050 pro-rata
- On site: Stafford Centre, Edinburgh
- Closing 19th January 2026
About Us
Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing non-clinical, person-centred support to people in communities across Scotland. With over 50 years’ experience, we are fighting for a future where no one faces mental illness alone. We are changing society by changing attitudes, fighting stigma and influencing government to ensure a better of quality of life for those affected by poor mental health and mental illness. As a charity supporting over 10,000 people year, we believe everyone should have access to the support they need, when they need it and in a way which works best for them.
About the Role
As a Counselling Lead, you will manage the Counselling Support team and the service alongside the Head of Services. You will oversee the day-to-day running of the services whilst being responsible for managing all stakeholders involved.
You will also report on outcomes achieved and help promote and develop the services in your region. A skilled practitioner, you will have a good understanding and knowledge of counselling services and an understanding of the health and social care landscape. An empathic and motivating manager, you will be able to bring out the best in others by developing, guiding and supporting your team and enabling them to provide high-quality, person-centred counselling and support services.
The Counselling Lead will be responsible for line-managing and supervising staff and consultants who deliver specialist counselling support people affected by mental health issues, as well as their own caseload. This role includes developing and implementing an induction programme for counsellor roles, carrying out safe recruitment and providing high quality therapeutic support. The post-holder will take a trauma-informed approach and build a supportive and reflective culture, in line with Change Mental Health values. The Counselling Lead will work alongside both the local and national management team to contribute to the operational and strategic leadership of the local service, and of the overarching counselling programme that Change Mental Health are committed to developing.
Reports To: Head of Edinburgh Services
Disclosure & Barring Check: This post will be subject to a PVG check for working with vulnerable adults.
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