About

Funeral Link is a charity (SC048691) based in Dundee, which provides confidential and independent advice to promote informed choice and with intent to reduce funeral poverty. Pioneered in 2018, Funeral Link helps bereaved individuals and families save money on the cost of a funeral as well as seeking to prevent related debt. Good relationships with funeral directors and celebrants enable Funeral Link to act like a broker on behalf of low-income families and individuals seeking to say a dignified final farewell to a loved one. Ongoing bereavement support is also provided, when required, after a funeral. Separately, Funeral Link is keen to encourage more open conversations about death, dying and bereavement. From March 2019 to the end of August 2023, Funeral Link has supported individuals and families with support on funeral costs which has produced a total saving of £226,742.

Development

After six years of operation, two of the longest-serving trustees – chairperson and secretary – intend to stand down in October 2024 following the forthcoming Funeral Link AGM. They do so having been instrumental in helping Funeral Link navigate through an early phase of strategic development, from a charity targeted exclusively toward citizens in Dundee to upscaling operations to other parts of Scotland, as prompted by demand. Consequently, Funeral Link has introduced three new members of staff in 2024 to facilitate this transition, supported by a strategic plan outlining development aspirations. This transition is overseen by trustees, who meet in person in Dundee city centre around every six weeks. The chairperson primarily convenes meetings and acts as line manager to the Service Manager and the secretary records minutes for each meeting as well as reporting on actions.

Governance

Much of Funeral Link’s progress is owed to this small, committed board of trustees. Currently, there are four serving members, including a chairperson, secretary and a treasurer, all of whom contribute from collective experience in academia, accounting and voluntary sector leadership. After six years of operation and following the standing down of both the founding chairperson and secretary later this year, Funeral Link is keen to recruit a new chairperson, a new secretary and potentially one or more additional trustees in September 2024. Applications will be welcome from those keen to make a difference in the lives of bereaved people on low or limited incomes and who will bring experience of strategic expansion and funding, third sector governance, employment law, human resources as well as anyone with lived experience of bereavement, including people who used Funeral Link.

Join the Turn2us Edinburgh Trust Committee and Make a Difference!

About us: Turn2us is a national charity tackling poverty and the structural causes of financial insecurity. We work with co-producers and partners to provide people in financial crisis with the means and agency to get back on their feet, build resilience, move forward with their lives and thrive. The Turn2us Edinburgh Trust focuses on improving financial insecurity in Edinburgh.

End Poverty 2030: In 2020, the Edinburgh Poverty Commission published "A Just Capital - Actions to End Poverty," the largest inquiry into poverty in any Scottish local authority. The City of Edinburgh Council has committed to ending poverty by 2030. We are dedicated to playing a key role in this mission, having committed to invest £5 million to increase our impact in Edinburgh. In the last financial year, we provided over £740,000 in grants to more than 600 people.

While grants offer crucial support, we believe systemic change is essential for long-term solutions. Our work focuses on developing effective local actions and investments designed with community input. We also provide tools for accessing benefits and grants through our online and helpline services. We challenge the systems that necessitate our programmes, aiming for long-term change.

Membership of the Committee: The Edinburgh Trust Committee ensures Edinburgh voices are represented and provides scrutiny and assurance to the Turn2us Board. Currently, the Trust is chaired by a Turn2us Trustee and includes two other Trustees, two members appointed by the City of Edinburgh Council (including the Lord Provost), and one independent member.

Opportunity: We are now looking to appoint two more independent members to join us during this exciting time of change. We would like these members to be Experts by Experience - individuals who have lived experience of financial insecurity.

Role of the Committee: The Committee oversees the Trust’s performance and strategic plan implementation; monitors and evaluates programme outcomes and recommends new initiatives; reviews the Trust’s strategy and policies regularly; increases the profile and reach of the Trust; provides local knowledge and experience.

Term: This is an 18-month pilot, with the possibility of reappointment for an additional term, for up to three years. The committee position is unpaid, but expenses are covered. Participation in Lived Experience in Governance Advisory Panel meetings is paid at Turn2us co-production rate of £84/day.

Time commitment: 3 x 3 hours committee meetings per year. 3 x Lived Experience in Governance Advisory Panel meetings. With preparation time, including for example pre-reading of materials and post-meeting follow up actions, this commitment should not exceed 6 days per year.

Skills and Attributes:

We encourage you to apply if you have two or more of the following:

• Live in Edinburgh
• Have experienced poverty or inequality and can use that experience to help find solutions
• Stay informed about poverty-related issues
• Have worked with Edinburgh residents facing poverty or inequality
• Committed to fairness and equality
• Know about the voluntary sector and have connections with other anti-poverty groups in Edinburgh
• Familiar with local resources and community support in Edinburgh
• Have experience in community work, engagement, or activism in Edinburgh
• Committed to being accountable to the people of Edinburgh

We encourage you to apply even if you don't have previous governance experience. Support and training will be provided to help you succeed in this role.

work for a charity where your health and wellbeing matter just as much as the people you support? Do you want to be part of a trauma-informed team where you will be supported to develop creative and flexible ways of working?

At LinkLiving, our values and people are at the heart of everything we do including how we recruit our staff. It is important for us to find people who share our values, which are:

• Empathy (listen to and understand an individual’s needs and circumstances)
• Respect (treat others the way they wish to be treated)
• Integrity (be honest and have strong moral principles)
• Caring (show kindness and concern for others)

LinkLiving is a Scottish health and wellbeing charity that supports people to manage or overcome the effects of negative life experiences (including trauma, mental health challenges, poverty and inequality) so that they can build on their strengths and aspirations in order to live their best possible lives. We support people through a range of models including:

• Personal development and employability programmes
• Self-help coaching
• Supported accommodation
• Care at home
• Housing support
• Befriending
• Social cafes

The Service

LinkLiving is a trauma-informed Scottish health and wellbeing charity that supports people of all ages to overcome the negative impacts of trauma, mental health, inequality, and isolation. Our Link Academy SQA training centre provides a wide range of accredited and non-accredited courses that help people develop new skills. The service works hard and creatively to maintain the early engagement of participants. We support people by offering mental health and wellbeing programmes, independent living skills and a wide range of qualifications to support their progression including volunteering, employability, tenancy, youth work and leadership award qualifications

The Job

The purpose of the job is to recruit, train and support a team of volunteers who have an interest in, or have been affected by homelessness. As Volunteer Peer Educators, they will deliver a range workshops in Fife high schools, focusing on homelessness prevention, independent living skills and wellbeing. From experience, we know that pupils are more likely to listen to peers with lived experience than a teacher or adult sharing similar information.

You will manage volunteers by providing training and support in their role while also supporting their personal development and future aspirations. As a Project Worker, you will work with local schools to implement the programme as part of their provision. You will also develop relationships with other agencies and actively promote Linkliving's programmes and services.

About You

We are looking for a dedicated and dynamic individual with a strong educational background and a passion for volunteer management to join our team. You will possess a good standard of education, with standard grade passes (or equivalent) in core subjects such as English and Maths.

Your experience in coordinating training courses will be crucial, and you will bring a wealth of knowledge in best practices in volunteer management, particularly with an understanding of Investing in Volunteers. You will have a solid grasp of the Trauma Skilled Practice Framework (NES Framework) and have demonstrated experience working with individuals with complex needs or backgrounds.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is essential, alongside a comprehensive understanding of the employability sector and volunteering initiatives. Your effective communication skills, both written and oral, will allow you to convey information clearly and concisely to a variety of audiences.

You will have experience in developing and delivering training programmes and be knowledgeable about evaluation methods to ensure their effectiveness. A non-judgemental attitude and a willingness to embrace diversity are core values you hold, enabling you to work empathetically with volunteers from various backgrounds.

Adaptability and the ability to integrate into new environments quickly are key, as is the capacity to work openly and honestly within a team setting. You will be adept at prioritising and planning both your workload and that of your team members.

Building and nurturing relationships with other voluntary organisations, employability networks, and statutory agencies will be second nature to you. Additionally, you must have the ability to drive and be willing to travel between services as required.

If you are an organised, communicative, and compassionate individual with a strong understanding of volunteer management and training, we would love to hear from you.

For a comprehensive list of the essential and desirable criteria required for this post, please refer to the Job Specification in the Job information Pack.

What’s in it for you?

The benefits of being a LinkLiving employee (subject to the policies and benefit terms and conditions) include:

• Competitive salary, reviewed annually, and opportunity for annual performance related salary increases and discretionary non-consolidated pay awards, subject to terms of the scheme
• 35 days’ holiday per year (inclusive of public holidays) pro rata plus additional 3 days pro rata after 3 years’ service
• opportunity to buy and sell holiday
• enhanced company sick and family friendly pay
• access to paid SVQ qualifications and a wide range of learning and development opportunities
• funded Disclosure Scotland and Scottish Social Services Council memberships
• defined contribution pension scheme with generous employer contributions plus salary exchange and additional voluntary contribution options
• access to an Electric vehicle leasing scheme, subject to the terms of the scheme
• life assurance scheme providing death in service benefits to named beneficiaries
• healthcare cash plan for employees (and dependents) to support health and wellbeing plus discounts on shopping, restaurants, and other services
• employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate household dependants to support health, mental and financial well-being
• annual flu vaccination
• access to a savings and borrowing scheme
• cycle to work scheme
• monthly bus pass scheme
• season/travel ticket loan and much more!

For a full list of benefits available to employees, please see the following link - linkliving.org.uk/work-with-us

This post is subject to Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme registration. Link will meet the cost of any new PVG scheme membership or scheme record update.

Are you passionate about helping people to live a better life? Do you want to work for a charity where your health and wellbeing matter just as much as the people you support? Do you want to be part of a trauma-informed team where you will be supported to develop creative and flexible ways of working?

You don’t need to have previous experience or qualifications in this field. If you share our values, this could be the role for you!

At LinkLiving, our values and people are at the heart of everything we do including how we recruit our staff. It is important for us to find people who share our values, which are:

• Empathy (listen to and understand an individual’s needs and circumstances)
• Respect (treat others the way they wish to be treated)
• Integrity (be honest and have strong moral principles)
• Caring (show kindness and concern for others)

LinkLiving is a Scottish health and wellbeing charity that supports people to manage or overcome the effects of negative life experiences (including trauma, mental health challenges, poverty and inequality) so that they can build on their strengths and aspirations in order to live their best possible lives. We support people through a range of models including:

• Personal development and employability programmes
• Self-help coaching
• Supported accommodation
• Care at home
• Housing support
• Befriending
• Social cafes

The Job

Supported Living

This service provides individually tailored visiting support to people living across Fife. This is a long-term service with individual support packages funded through social work spot contracts.

In this role, you will be supported to work using a person centred and trauma informed approach and develop effective relationships with people affected by a range of problems, supporting them to cope in difficult times and working towards a good life. You will provide emotional, practical and social support to enable people to live as independently as possible and make informed choices in all aspects of their lives. Your role may involve liaising with other agencies that may be involved with the person you are supporting, advocating on their behalf, and accessing professional help if required and appropriate.

As this role is Fife wide driving is a requirement of this role.

For a comprehensive list of the essential and desirable criteria required for this post, please refer to the Job Specification in the Job information Pack.

What’s in it for you?

The benefits of being a LinkLiving employee (subject to the policies and benefit terms and conditions) include:

• Competitive salary, reviewed annually, and opportunity for annual performance related salary increases and discretionary non-consolidated pay awards, subject to terms of the scheme
• 35 days’ holiday per year (inclusive of public holidays) pro rata plus additional 3 days pro rata after 3 years’ service, with an opportunity to buy and sell holiday
• access to paid SVQ qualifications and a wide range of learning and development opportunities and funded Disclosure Scotland and Scottish Social Services Council memberships
• defined contribution pension scheme with generous employer contributions plus salary exchange and additional voluntary contribution options
• life assurance scheme providing death in service benefits to named beneficiaries
• healthcare cash plan for employees (and dependents) to support health and wellbeing plus discounts on shopping, restaurants, and other services
• employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate household dependants to support health, mental and financial well-being
• discounted travel schemes including cycle to work scheme, monthly bus pass scheme and travel ticket loan and much more!

For a full list of benefits available to employees, please see the following link - linkliving.org.uk/work-with-us

Successful applicants will be required to apply for registration with SSSC within 3 months of their start date and be registered within 6 months.

This post is subject to Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme registration. Link will meet the cost of any new PVG scheme membership or scheme record update.