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 3500 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual lifelong relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory and engagement opportunities for Care Experienced people across Scotland. We work alongside Corporate Parents and communities to broaden understanding and create change. We work with policy makers, leaders, and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy, and practice, 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 North East region.

The post-holder will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across the region 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 within the North East region (Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Dundee, Angus, Rossie). 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 North 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.

Circle is a children and families charity working at the heart of communities across central Scotland. Our purpose is to improve the lives of children by strengthening families.

Circle’s approach builds on strengths, is solution focussed and uses a whole family approach to create a family environment that promotes healthy development in children.

Supporting fathers of children affected by parental substance use to minimise the impact on the children

The Fathers’ Worker (as part of our Harbour Project) will provide support to fathers affected by substance use who have care of or contact with their children, or are looking to establish contact, by:

• enabling fathers and male carers to develop their parenting capacity and relationships with their children
• supporting fathers and male carers to address their substance use and attendant risks
• working with fathers and male carers to promote a safer lifestyle for the family

Funded by Corra Foundation and the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership to 30 September 2024 (with possible extension).

We offer excellent staff benefits including a competitive salary, generous pension contribution, flexible working, an employee assistance programme and generous annual leave. We are committed to finding the right people for the jobs that we advertise.

Applicants should possess a qualification in social work, social care, education or health, and have relevant experience.

Do you want to help us transform the lives of children across Scotland? Do you share our vision that children in Scotland will be safer, will grow up in strong, resilient families and will have access to early help and support when they need it? Do you have excellent communication skills, diligence and the ability to work proactively?

If this sounds like you, please read on because we’d love to hear from you!

Children 1st has a terrific opportunity for an Executive Assistant for two of our Directors within our Finance and Corporate Services, and People and Culture directorates. This is to work alongside our other Executive Assistants and Corporate Administration Co-ordinator in ensuring that our administrative needs are met.

We are proud of the way we do things at Children 1st and the culture we have created for our people. We need people who are highly organised, engaging, who can work effectively both autonomously and as part of team and who can provide a comprehensive, high quality secretarial and diary management function for our Directors.

Further information

These are full-time, (35 hours per week) permanent roles, however we would consider applicants wishing to work as low as 25 hours per week. While we support flexible working you will need to be based within an office base.

As well as knowing that what we do is making a positive difference to people’s lives, you will receive the following salary and benefits:

40 days annual leave (inclusive of 9 public holidays). We also have a contributory pension scheme (the charity will pay up to 8% of your salary) and life assurance

Smart Play Network is a dynamic, forward thinking play organisation and charity supporting and delivering a range of play services in Scotland.

PlayTalkRead is a Scottish Government Early Years campaign aimed at promoting positive parenting in order to give children the best start in life and a strong platform for healthy growth, development and attainment.

Are you a fun and enthusiastic individual who enjoys working as part of a high energy team? Do you like to travel? Are you passionate about making a positive impact on families and understand the importance of parent and child relationships? Then this may be the job for you.

Our PlayTalkRead Roadshow travels across all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities to inspire and support parents and carers to interact with their babies and little ones through fun, simple and inexpensive activities.

As a key member of our play worker team you will also be responsible for driving our converted vehicles to and from locations across Scotland (full training will be given). Working away from home is an integral part of the role and offers a great opportunity to see Scotland while making a difference!

Having the right mind-set, attitude and approach is as important for us as having the right experience and skills.

We appreciate that the best person might not have all the criteria we have listed, so if you feel your experience and skills will help you to make a great contribution in this role and you have the right mind-set, we would welcome an application from you.

Candidates must be over 25 years old, have held a Category B UK driving licence for a minimum of 2 years and have their own car.

If you would like an informal chat about the Play Worker role please call us on 0131 652 2655 or email us at recruitment@smartplaynetwork.org