Street Soccer is a charity using football to create lasting change in the lives of isolated and excluded adults and young people. We run 60 sessions a week of free, inclusive and judgement-free football. These sessions provide person-centred support to players facing a number of challenges including mental health, homelessness, long term unemployment, problem substance use, criminal justice and seeking asylum. Our mission is to create hope and opportunity for all.

We support thousands of players a year on their journey to positive change by providing a safe space, trusting relationships and a sense of belonging. We fight isolation and exclusion by bringing people together, building confidence and creating supportive communities. We support people of all ages and backgrounds through relationship-based support, focusing on trust and personal development, supporting everyone to set and achieve their own goals. Thanks to the support of Street Soccer, 82% of players say that their quality of life has improved.

Lived experience is at the heart of what we do, with over 80% of our staff having lived experience of the challenges our players face.

97% of players think that Street Soccer is a unique organisation. With 15 years of experience delivering positive change through football, we are now working in more communities than ever, with city hubs in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and South London, as well as a network of sessions across 6 other local authorities.

Role Purpose

In 2020, Street Soccer developed ‘The Network Programme’ to expand our services out of our four main city hubs to serve the local communities and socially disadvantaged groups across Scotland. The Network Programme has quickly expanded and now operates in 7 different local authorities across the country. Having already supported 500 people in these areas.

As we continue to expand, we would like to grow to offer Street Soccer Sessions to the communities of West Dumbartonshire as well as providing opportunities for people to engage in SCQF qualifications, tournaments and events including The Homeless World Cup.

The Programme Co-Ordinator will be responsible for developing the Network Programme within West Dumbartonshire. Responsible for sourcing and managing suitable venues for sessions to take place. They will recruit and work with partners to ensure players get the right level of support across a variety of issues. They will grow the number of players attending sessions by promoting these across the community in a variety of ways.

An enthusiastic person, the Programme Co-Ordinator will be able to build relationships with a series of communities across West Dumbartonshire. They will also work with the Fundraising Team to establish local opportunities for sponsorship and other support.

We are particularly interested in applications from those with the same lived experience as our players, further information about our Safer Recruitment process can be found within section 8 of our Safeguarding Policy.

Street Soccer value work life balance and are happy to discuss part time hours, job share and flexible working.

Reports to: Network Programme Manager

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?

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

The Falkirk Core & Cluster project supports young people aged 16 to 21 who have experienced care or are arriving in Falkirk through the National Transfer Scheme. The goal is to help them develop the skills necessary for successful independent living while also providing access to employment, training, and educational opportunities. In collaboration with Link Housing Association, we offer a supported core and cluster housing initiative. This project features ten independent tenancies situated around a central hub/training flat, where our small but dedicated team delivers flexible, individually tailored support

The Job

As a senior practitioner, you will be skilled and experienced in working with care-experienced young people. Taking a trauma-informed approach, you will be responsible for complex and varied key-working issues, co-ordination of complex support arrangements and supporting the leadership of the service. You will use your extensive knowledge and experience to provide support and guidance to less experienced colleagues through informal mentoring (where relevant).

You will have extensive experience in multi-agency working, housing support systems and the support of care experienced young people which you will use to establish and maintain respectful and empowering relationships with service users so that they feel valued and supported and in control of their own lives. You will be responsible for carrying out assessments of new service users and for reviewing existing service users on a regular basis.

In your role you will offer practical, emotional and social support to care experienced young people within the project, assisting them to develop the independent living skills necessary for future tenancy sustainment. You will need to develop warm and effective relationships with the young people supporting them to cope with their lives in a positive and planned way so that they can make informed choices and take responsibility for their actions, advocating for them with a range of other agencies to ensure their rights are upheld at all times

About You

We are looking for a compassionate and dedicated individual with the skills and passion to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others. You should have a general standard of secondary education, including passes in English and Maths at Standard Grade level, and a SVQ Social Services and Healthcare SCQF Level 6 and be willing to work towards qualifications recognised by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). These include an and an SVQ Social Services and Healthcare SCQF Level 7, alongside a suitable supervisory or management qualification, if not already attained.

You will bring extensive knowledge and experience in social care, housing issues, welfare rights, benefits, and procedures, alongside a solid understanding of housing support and care-at-home systems. Experience working with diverse service user groups, particularly care-experienced young people, is essential, as is an understanding of the challenges faced by marginalised and excluded individuals.

We value a non-judgmental attitude and the ability to recognise and nurture the unique gifts of others. You should have strong relationship-building skills, a commitment to supporting people, and sound decision-making abilities. Sensitivity to emotional and social needs is crucial, as is a proactive and reflective approach to learning and self-improvement.

You will also need proficiency in using technology to maintain and update records, along with the ability to stay informed about relevant practices, policies, and legislation. Your dedication to embracing diversity and challenging exclusive attitudes will make you an asset to the team.

If you are ready to bring your expertise, compassion, and commitment to this role, 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 above.

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

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.

Further Information

Interested? If you have any questions about the role, please email jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk and we can arrange for someone from the service to call you for an informal chat.

To find out more about what LinkLiving do and to view the generous pay and benefits package, please visit our website at linkliving.org.uk

If you’re thinking about working in adult social care, download the Guide to adult social care jobs in Scotland for in-depth information on everything you need to know to get started. In addition, you can enrol on a free, online 6 week part-time tutor-supported ‘Introduction to a Career in Social Care’ course. The course introduces the area of social care and can be a stepping-stone to employment or further training.

An exciting new role which will expand and improve the support volunteer network in Scotland, to develop and expand our community networks across the adoption community. The project will help us to reach more adult adoptees and adoptive parents and establish supportive peer networks, offering community activities and social opportunities. We're looking for an organised, friendly people person who can bring people together, and support and motivate individuals. The individual must be able to travel into the office in Edinburgh, as well as travel across Scotland to establish, visit and support network activities.

We are a passionate and committed organisation and we really value our employees. We offer flexibility, family friendly working arrangements and a wide range of benefits.

All offers of employment are subject to the receipt of two satisfactory references and a satisfactory DBS check.

Express Group Fife is an established mental health charity with a network of social groups throughout Fife. The aim of the groups is to promote positive mental wellbeing by providing a safe place for sharing experiences and peer support. This aim is as relevant today as it was in 1977, when Express Group Fife started to operate, and the number of people living in the community with mental health problems is as large as ever.

We are looking to recruit a Group Co-ordinator to cover groups in St Andrews, Methil, Tayport and Cupar.

There are 4 elements to the service:

• Working with groups of people around a shared activity
• Providing a basic healthy lunch
• Supporting service users in the development of individual support/recovery plans
• Mental health promotion and community development work.

Job purpose:

• To support the team in working effectively with individuals by supporting service users in a group setting and assisting in the management of individuals.
• To co-ordinate and manage day support groups; in consultation with the Manager and caseworker, be responsible for the management of groups.
• To co-ordinate, manage, monitor and review the development of the groups in order to make them interesting and relevant to the people who attend.
• To provide emotional and practical support to service users with high support needs.
• To enable provision of a basic healthy lunch.