Required in Ayrshire, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Be part of the change you want to see for child victims and witnesses in Scotland

Working In partnership across various authority areas in Scotland, Children 1st are developing Bairns Hoose based on the European Barnahus model. Barnahus is a child-friendly, multidisciplinary, and interagency model of justice, care and recovery for children who are victims and witnesses of all forms of violence. A place where all Police, Social Work, Health and Court services are based under one roof. Children receive a coordinated trauma responsive plan to support their journey through the care, protection, and justice system. The aim of the model is to; prevent re-traumatisation caused by delayed and disjointed investigation and court proceedings, to keep children safe, allow them access to fair justice and to help them recover from the trauma of their ordeal.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Bairns Hoose team. We are now working in partnership to develop the Bairns Hoose model in Ayrshire, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.

Ayrshire – 3 x 35 Hour Posts

Aberdeen – 1 x 35 Hours Post

Aberdeenshire – 1 x 35 Hour Post

The development of Bairns Hoose across Scotland will aim to place the best interests of the child at the centre of all the systems that are there to protect them and to offer the child and their family or caregivers all the support they need.

What kind of person will make a great Bairns Hoose Rights, Advocacy and Trauma Recovery Worker for Children 1st?

• is fiercely passionate about children’s rights
• thinks it’s a privilege to work with and on behalf of children and families
• is kind and will bring their whole selves to the job: heart and mind
• is committed to being part of transformational change alongside children and their families

What kind of Rights, Advocacy and Trauma Recovery Worker will you be?

Knowing our ambition for children, you will be someone who:

• is resilient, skilled and knowledgeable, who wants to transform children’s lives
• can connect well with young people and their families, help them to feel safe and build a relationship based on trust
• understands trauma and knows that with the right support children and young people can recover from complex trauma – there is always a way
• is able to build strong relationships and manage tricky conversations
• is able to work collaboratively with partners
• has a cool head and clear minded at times of pressure
• is able to make decisions
• can inspire colleagues and teams to be even better
• is an amazing ambassador for children and Children 1st

Above all else, the most important thing to us is that you are someone who will do the right thing for children and their families at every turn.

Salary, Conditions, Pension

We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 7 public holidays), flexible working opportunities and a contributory pension scheme. We also have a cash healthcare plan, cycle to work scheme and access to a credit union.

Further information

These posts are permanent, full time roles of 35 hours per week with a commitment to flexible working patterns.

Transforming the experience of child victims and witnesses in Scotland

Children 1st are looking for an exceptional and experienced operational leader to become our Bairns Hoose coordinator/service manager in Aberdeenshire. You will co-ordinate children’s journey through the Bairns Hoose, managing the space, liaising with agencies on behalf of children and their families and leading a team of advocacy and trauma recovery workers. Working within the Aberdeenshire Bairnshoose Development Group alongside Social Work, Police, Health and Justice colleagues to deliver on the ambition to offer children a trauma sensitive, rights-based and recovery focussed response to their care, protection, justice and recovery needs.

The Bairns Hoose is based on the European Barnahus, a child-friendly, multi-disciplinary, and interagency model of justice, care and recovery for children who are victims and witnesses of all forms of violence. A carefully designed place where all services and supports are child centred, rights- based and recovery focussed with Police, Social Work, Health, Court and recovery support services based under one roof.

This service demands a leader who is driven by children’s rights, is passionately committed to trauma responsive models and who has a background in delivering child centred, family minded support and multiagency services. You will lead our team of Rights, Advocacy and Trauma Recovery Workers and ensure the effective and efficient running of the Bairns Hoose. As a member of the Aberdeenshire Bairns Hoose partnership, you will build on the progress made to date and work towards achieving fully the aspiration of a Bairns Hoose for children and their families. As a key member of our Bairns Hoose Team, you will support our ambitions to have the highest quality Bairns Hoose delivering the greatest impact in the lives of children and families.

Our charity is a people and culture organisation. We put children’s rights and relationships at the heart of everything we do. We have ambitious plans for our Bairns Hoose to deliver on the Bairns’ Hoose National Standards, offering support to recover from the point at which children report abuse or harm, minimising the re-traumatisation of the justice and child protection system.

The Bairns Hoose Coordinator role is challenging due to the complexity of the systems change that Bairns Hoose seeks to achieve, requiring significant multiagency partnership working. The role also provides an exciting opportunity for you to develop new approaches to practice within child protection and justice that helps inform the way forward for Bairns Hoose in Scotland. You will shape and lead a high performing team focussed on achieving the best outcomes for children and their families. You will be an excellent communicator, creative, collaborative, inclusive and willing to work alongside our brilliant partners and leaders in Aberdeenshire to achieve our shared strategic vision for Bairns Hoose.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to join us and play a critical part in transforming the lives of children and families in Scotland, ensuring that children’s voices are at the heart of our Bairns Hoose development and support.

About you

You will have substantial experience of leading a team delivering trauma sensitive support to children, young people and families. You will fully understand the ways in which the current justice and child protection systems retraumatise young people. You understand that ambitious change requires a clarity of purpose and vision and that as a leader it is your responsibility to communicate this. Your leadership and decision making are founded on a strong value base of doing the right thing by children and families at all times. You understand that strong professional, working relationships are the foundation of quality outcomes for children and families and high quality practice within your own team and with external stakeholders.

Knowing our ambition for children and young people, you will:

• Want to transform children’s lives
• Understand trauma and know that with the right support children and young people can recover – there is always a way
• Be able to build strong relationships, work collaboratively with partners and manage tricky conversations
• Be resilient and calm when under pressure – modelling a clear and accountable approach to leadership
• Be an outstanding communicator
• Be enthusiastic, driven and able to motivate and develop a professional team, inspiring colleagues to be even better
• Have a fierce passion for children’s rights and belief in working with children and families; not ‘doing to’
• Believe that it is a privilege to work with and on behalf of children and families and that their voices should be at the heart of service design
• Be kind and willing to bring your whole self to the job: heart and mind, above all else, you are someone who will do the right thing for children and their families at every turn.

If this sounds like you and your values align with ours then we would love to tell you more. An informal conversation with our Assistant Director can be arranged for interested candidates.

Further information

This a full-time role of 35 hours per week. You will work across the Aberdeenshire area. As you will be leading and developing a new service. Children1st are a relationship based organised and we need you to be a physically present ‘hands on leader’ of an amazing team who are similarly ‘hands on’ and ‘in person’ in their support of children and young people and families. The role may also involve occasional travel across Scotland.

Salary, Conditions, Pension

We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 7 public holidays), flexible working opportunities and a contributory pension scheme. We also have a cash healthcare plan, cycle to work scheme and access to a credit union.

We are looking for Family Wellbeing Project Workers to join our team

Children 1st along with partners share a determination to act upon the recommendations from The Independent Care Review and deliver The Promise to children and young people. We are also determined that the full incorporation of the UNCRC means that children will have their rights respected in all areas of their lives and will have a real say in the way they are supported. Children 1st Family Wellbeing Service in Aberdeen City is fully aligned to Fit Like? Aberdeem providing whole family support to families aiming to be the right support at the right time.

What kind of person will make a great Family Wellbeing Project Worker for Children 1st?

• has experience of keeping children safe in their own families

• is fiercely passionate about children’s rights

• thinks it’s a privilege to work with and on behalf of children and families and,

• is kind and will bring their whole selves to the job: heart and mind

What kind of Family Wellbeing Project Worker will you be?

Knowing our ambition for children, you will be someone who is:

• resilient, skilled and knowledgeable who wants to transform children’s lives

• determined to support children to stay safely with their own family

• big hearted and courageous

• able to build strong relationships and to manage the tricky conversations

• is compassionate and understanding of trauma

• a cool head and clear minded at times of pressure

• inspiring colleagues and teams to be even better

• an amazing ambassador for children and Children 1st

Above all else, the most important thing to us is that you are someone who will do the right thing for children and their families at every turn.

Base

You will work across our 3 community based hubs in Northfield, Kincorth and Bridge of Don

Salary, Conditions, Pension

We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 7 public holidays), flexible working opportunities and a contributory pension scheme. We also have a cash healthcare plan, cycle to work scheme and access to a credit union.

Hours

This is a permanent, full time post of 35 hours per week.

Hours to be worked flexibly to meet the needs of the service.

The Post

This is an excellent and rare opportunity for an experienced manager and qualified worker to join The Lilias Grahm Trust. The post involves supporting practitioners and families whilst developing parenting capacity assessment and the delivery of service. The post holder will contribute to the unique culture and ethos of LGT.

Key Responsibilities:

The successful candidate will:

• Work proactively to achieving positive, engaging, relationships with families, all other services, and stakeholders.
• Lead their team and delegate effectively.
• Motivate families, individuals, and the team with excellent communication, listening and interpersonal skills.
• Undertake high quality written assessments whilst demonstrating critical thinking and warmth in their assessments.
• Continually work to develop the team and service delivery to ultimately benefit the families we serve.
• Contribute and participate in the development, and delivery of the day to day running of the service to promote of the welfare of staff and families.
• Monitor the efficiency and quality of policies, procedures, and current documents, actively promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
• Provide supervision, coaching, mentoring, training and induction to staff and volunteers.
• Be committed and willing to meet the needs of the service, working 9am-5pm, five days a week and additional shift, evening and weekends as required.
• Participate in the on-call system which includes public holidays, evenings, and weekends.

Essential skills and Experience Required

The successful applicant will:

• Hold a degree in Social Work or another relevant degree eg psychology as a minimum qualification with ongoing personal development for continued practice.
• Be trauma informed with a working knowledge of the significant impact that poverty and systems have on children and families.
• Have a keen interest in attachment theory, child development and understanding of an approach of therapeutic parenting.
• Have a current working knowledge of child development, and attachment and trauma informed theory which will underpin practice.
• Be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council and adhere to standards in line with their requirements.
• Have the creativity, compassion, and skill base to deliver robust and focused parenting capacity assessments.
• Have a keen interest in the delivery of The Promise Scotland and the supports required to scaffold families in the community.
• Have Line Management experience (essential) of multi-disciplinary agencies, in children and families.
• Be proficient in the use of Microsoft office programmes, including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Hold a full driving licence and have use of their own vehicle (mileage paid).
• Provide two references and join the PVG Scheme.

Who are we?

The LGT is a registered Scottish Charity which offers independent parenting capacity assessments within a rural residential setting near the village of Thornhill, 10 miles from Stirling town centre. We provided residential placements to parents and their child/children in cases where a Local Authority has concerns about the parent’s ability to meet the children’s needs. By working with the families, we are able to provide evidence -based information about whether the child can remain safely within the family, and if so, what support is required. The LGT’s practice is based on Kate Cairns ‘Five to Thrive working model’ and, via a 12-week parenting capacity assessment we assess, support, and develop parent’s confidence, skills, and insight to promote healthy attachments. The LGT staff team work closely in partnership with independent consultants in Social Work, Psychiatry, Counselling, Health, Play, Music, and Art Therapy to provide a holistic and organic assessment.

The LGT has a committed and motivated staff team whose focus is to strengthen parent and child relationships to provide a better future for families. We are committed to providing high quality support designed around families’ abilities, needs and choices and we do this by providing high quality services that will build parent’s and children’s capacity to overcome stress and alienation arising from poverty and social exclusion.

Values

At the Lilias Graham Trust, we know that there is no prescription or rulebook for every situation. We have therefore developed a statement of values that will underpin and guide all our work. The successful candidate will have the key qualities and share these common values.

The role holder will maintain and develop a culture of:

• Compassion: We will treat every parent, child, family and colleague with kindness, compassion, and warmth.
• Respect: We will treat every parent, child, family, and colleague with respect for our shared humanity as well as for our individual uniqueness. Although we will make assessments, we will not jump to judgemental conclusions and will work in a transparent, honest, and equalising way. Human beings are fallible, and we can all make mistakes. This shared aspect of being human is something we understand.
• Hope: We will create the conditions within which hope can blossom, by believing in the potential of families and understanding how difficult things have been in the past.
• Trust: We will seek to earn the trust of the families we work with. Through transparency, honesty, and solidarity we will aspire to be trustworthy in everything we do, even when outcomes may not be what everyone would hope for.
• Care: All our work will be underpinned by taking time to build authentic, warm, and caring relationships with parents and children. Through proper listening and empathy, we will seek to understand families, their situations, and future hopes.

At LGT families are provided with an opportunity to achieve their potential. As a practice manger you will look for these glimmers of potential and guide the team through evidence-based practice.

Outline of Terms of Employment:

Salary: £38,500pa

Contract: Permanent

Leave entitlement: 20 Annual leave days & 10 Public Holidays

Hours of Duty: 40 hours per week

Pension: Workplace pension scheme

Shift work: Shift and weekend work may be required.

On Call: The post holder will participate in the on-call system,