Passionate about engaging with young people? Experienced in creating a safe environment and allowing young people to talk about what is important to them? This opportunity is for you!

Join the Why Not? Trust team as a Community and Engagement Team Member – Thinking Space. Due to further development, we are now offering a second full-time appointment.

Thinking Space is a unique initiative funded by The Henry Smith Foundation, designed to support care-experienced young people across Scotland. Underpinned by Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) principles, Thinking Space uses mapping techniques to help young people explore their past, understand how previous experiences and relationships influence their present circumstances, and consider the potential impact on their future.

This confidential and safe environment enables participants to develop positive coping strategies and build resilience. Following your induction and initial training, you will work directly with care-experienced young people in specific locations, offering them the opportunity to reflect on how past relationships may have shaped their sense of self, decision-making, and ability to form new connections. You will also support them in exploring learned coping mechanisms and adopting healthier alternatives.

As part of The Why Not? Team, you will have access to ongoing support and professional development opportunities to enhance your practice and impact. This role will be line managed by the Why Not Trust, Operational Lead. A UK driving license is required for this role. A secondment will be explored if requested.

Everyone's behaviour will be led by the principles of The Why Not Trust.

Why Not Principles

These principles are what underpin all we do; they show our values and shape our behaviours. They make it clear to all what they should expect from us and what we expect from them.

#1 Show respect - everyone is worthy of being treated with a high level of respect. Stigma and discrimination are not welcome, and we will strive to eliminate both.

#2 Be Kind – We cannot control other people’s behaviour, but we can control our own. We will treat people with kindness and use curiosity and listening to understand other perspectives.

#3 Be human – we are all human and no matter how well intended we are, we will all make mistakes, we will own these and learn from them. We will help each other learn by being honest with each other.

#4 Promote the positives – we will focus on strengths and support learning in every way we can. We will celebrate success and recognise achievements. We will recognise everyone is doing their best.

#5 Be ambitious – we will strive for success in all we do, recognise the change we want to make and go for it!

#6 Recruit allies – we will work with others to achieve our aims and support others to achieve theirs.

#7 Champion individual growth – we will support the development of individuals, promote opportunities, and develop leadership qualities.

#8 Keep it real – we will do our best to recognise when we or others are feeling challenged and offer support where we can. We will pull together; no-one is too important to help do what needs done. We will strive to avoid jargon and use inclusive language.

#9 Be storytellers – we will share our learning and tell our generic stories or share themes, where it supports learning. We will not share individual ‘case studies’ or require people to tell their story.

#10 Listen to learn – we will listen to people to learn, not to respond. We will allow others processing time and go at their pace.

Online Info Sessions to find out more about us and the role:

Tuesday, 23rd December at 4pm-4:45pm – weblink

Monday, 5th January at 4pm-4:45pm – weblink

About Us

Recyke-a-bike (part of Fallin Community Enterprises) has been in operation since 2005. We began as a small recycling social enterprise that quickly grew into a job club, using bike recycling as work experience for our members. Over the years we’ve seen a lot of growth and now offer training services and cycling outreach work, in addition to our bike recycling and sales through our well stocked and modestly priced shop.

Purpose

To support the delivery of the Bikeability programme in partnership with Cycling Scotland and Stirling and Clackmannanshire local authorities. The Outreach Worker and Cycle Trainer will also support the delivery of all cycling-based activities delivered by Recyke-a-bike.

Responsibilities

Main:

• Delivery of Bikeability Training to Children.
• Delivery of Adult Cycle Training.
• Maintenance of bikes and equipment for each of the following fleets: Stirling, Clackmannanshire, EBike, Practical Cycle Awareness Training (PCAT) and Adult Cycle Training Fleets.
• Managing health and safety within area of responsibility.
• Carrying out risk assessments for Bikeability sessions.
• Planning, risk assessing and delivering other cycle related sessions, events and activities.
• External liason with third parties including schools, local councils, community groups and organisations, as well as charities and businesses.
• Attending team meetings.
• Attending continuous professional development (CPD) training.

Additional:

• Building bikes for the shop when not busy.
• Collecting bike donations for the shop.
• Deliver Doctor Bike services across the Forth Valley when required.
• Assisting other departments where needed.
• Any other reasonable duties consistent with working for a small charitable organisation.

Who We Are

We are Scotland’s leading youth homelessness charity. We believe that no young person should ever face homelessness. That’s why we deliver bold, youth-specific solutions, built around young people’s experiences and what evidence tells us works.

We support young people to avoid and move on from homelessness, helping them build the confidence, skills and stability they need to thrive in adulthood. We also influence policy and practice to create a Scotland where no young person is left behind.

We don’t follow the system, we change it, continually championing the voices and experiences of all young people.

Context

Rock Trust delivers the Upstream prevention project in schools and the post holder will work with the Upstream Team, pilot schools and education departments to create a toolkit for the implementation of Upstream. This will involve working with current pilot schools to document the changes required in school systems, the challenges and how to overcome them and an assessment of the resources required to deliver Upstream. The Ask & Act Education Manager will use this learning to create a toolkit and implementation plan to be used for national implementation.

This role is responsible for:

• Coordinating work with multiple local authority Education departments, senior leaders and cross-sector partners (Housing, Social Work, Health, third sector)
• Designing and documenting processes, guidance and training materials that enable schools to embed early identification of housing risk
• Capturing learning, gathering data and producing a national implementation framework
• Ensuring all activity aligns with statutory duties, local contexts and Rock Trust’s prevention approach

The Ask & Act Education Manager will need to be methodical, have strong report writing skills and interpersonal skills to co-ordinate the information gathering and documenting. They will be responsible for delivering the toolkit to a high standard, making a lasting contribution to Scotland’s homelessness prevention system.