This is an exciting opportunity to join our team in Midlothian which is expanding as a result of successful new funding in the areas of mental health and kinship care. You will join an existing team working with families with experience of parental substance use, trauma, poverty and poor mental health, amongst other factors.

We work alongside children and their families, offering individual and whole family supports, peer led groups and connection through community partners. This is an exciting yet demanding role which will require you to get alongside children and their families where, when and how best suits them, offering the right support at the right time.

What kind of Children 1st team member 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 difficult conversations
• Calm and clear minded during times of challenge or distress
• Kind and compassionate
• Passionate about Childrens Rights

If you have a professional qualification in a relevant area such as Social Work, Health, Teaching or equivalent in Child Care/Social Care or related area, accredited counselling qualification, or other relevant qualification at SCQF level 9 or higher then we want to hear from you. In particular, we are seeking to further enhance our diversity from the perspective of ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender and disability.

Base

You will be based in our Dalkeith office and will work with families across Midlothian. There will be some flexibility to work at home when this suits the needs of families and/or the service .

Salary, Conditions, Pension

We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 9 public holidays), flexible working opportunities and a contributory pension scheme.

Further Information

We have two posts available:

One fixed term 35 hour post funded initially for 12 months initially (with possibility of extension) and one fixed term 17.5 hour post funded initially until 31 March 2025 (with possibility of extension).

(if you are applying for the part time post, can you please note this on your supporting statement/CV)

hours to be worked flexibly across the week to meet the needs of families and the service. However, Thursdays are our ‘core day’ when essential service activities take place such as team meetings.

Home-Start Edinburgh, Home Link Family Support, NHS Lothian’s Parent and Infant Relationship Service (PAIRS), Citizens Advice , Circle, Stepping Stones North Edinburgh, and City of Edinburgh Council’s Early Years Education are delighted to recruit staff for a new transformational partnership approach that will test bespoke holistic whole family supports throughout the early years. The project, ‘The Family Hub’, will ensure that appropriate, universal, and enhanced support is available at the earliest stage possible for all families with a child not yet in an ELC or school setting. This will be achieved by developing a cohesive pathway and menu of supports alongside families.

The project aims to:

• Improve family wellbeing
• Reduce inequalities in family wellbeing
• Long-term reduction in families requiring crisis intervention
• Long-term reduction in the number of children living away from their families
• Increase the number of families taking up wider support.

Home-Start Edinburgh is a volunteer-led charity with over 35 years-experience working in local communities, supporting families with a child under 5 in the home. Whilst our Head Office is in Leith, the successful applicant will be required to support volunteers and families in one of Edinburgh’s four localities. We are recruiting a Whole Family Wellbeing Practitioner, to work within this project. The right person will be someone with a background working alongside families to improve family wellbeing and reduce inequality.

This role is a 2 year fixed term contract.

Fundraising is one of the most rewarding of careers, full of contribution and achievement. We have an entry level role perfect for someone wanting to explore a career in the charity sector and who wants to learn. You will thrive on being involved in a range of fundraising activities. No charity experience is required for this role, just enthusiasm. This role would suit someone starting out in their fundraising career or who has volunteered in a fundraising department. It would also suit someone who enjoys building relationships, thinking on their feet, is proactive, organised and is motivated to try new things and contribute ideas.

You will join a small charity; meaning you get responsibility from day one. Shadowing a career fundraiser, you will learn about supporter care, individual giving, community and events fundraising and international development.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, you will support the charity in a range of activities and projects. You will learn about fundraising and marketing and gain a rounded view of their role in charities.

Charity experience is welcome but not required. We recognise transferrable skills.

We are an established, respected and trusted organisation that has been rooted in the heart of our community for many years. We use relationship-focussed, play-based, interactions to focus on the wellbeing of children and families, as well as the regeneration of the local area.

We are passionate about play and what it can do for the individual, family and community. We inspire both children and families to overcome their difficulties, build strengths and resilience and fulfil their goals more effectively.

We support the people of Armadale to help shape and build their own community. Our success is dependent upon the creativeness, enthusiasm, passion, experience, knowledge and empathy of our staff. All of our work is about prevention and early intervention. We work in partnership with a wide-range of stakeholders and are well connected and trusted, both as a strategic partner, that has the pulse of the local community and as a key delivery member of the Armadale Regeneration Team.

This job has a key role within the organisation to ensure we achieve our aims, and will:

• Promote positive emotional wellbeing for our service users

• Immerse children in high quality play opportunities

• Develop & deliver our family learning and adult support groups

• Offer bespoke one-to-one family support

• Practice in a way that is Trauma Informed

• Establish and maintain strong networks & positive relationships with partner agencies

• Lead our Pantry service with dignity

• Ensure that we continue to deliver, as a key anchor agency in the local Regeneration Team

• Signpost to relevant partner agencies and maintain a sound local knowledge

• Work with colleagues to develop and maintain our outdoor space

• Be inclusive and diverse, to minimise inequalities

• Contribute to our social media presence

You will be:

• Enthusiastic, passionate and caring

• Creative, engaging and motivated

• Experienced in working with families

• Flexible in your approach to work

• Loves play and understands its importance

• Positive about working and play outdoors

• Fun loving and enthusiastic in your approach to work

• Able to establish authentic connections with people

• Professional at all times

• Experienced in working within and contributing to, multiagency teams

• Excellent at organisational skills, as this role is varied and fast paced

• Approachable and non-judgemental

• Passionate about fairness and equality

• Able to work autonomously and take ownership and responsibility for delivering results

• A reflective practitioner who is keen to develop, learn and grow

In return we offer:

• A fun workplace

• A competitive salary

• 32 days annual leave

• An organisation that is committed to ensuring staff wellbeing

• Enhanced maternity, sick pay and stakeholder pension

Qualifications/experience: No specific qualification requirement, but experience of family and partnership work, is essential