At present, there are an estimated 8,464 citizens living with dementia in Edinburgh. Around 300 of these people are under the age of 65 years old.

Would you like to make a difference to the lives of younger people living with dementia in Edinburgh?

Supporting individuals to keep connected to their communities, engage in their interests and hobbies and access peer support, using your own car to help people get around (mileage and expenses are paid).

Successful applicants will have a positive approach to dementia. You will also have good communication skills and a caring attitude. A willingness to learn and participate in training is essential. Relevant qualifications and/or experience of working with people with dementia would be an advantage.

This position requires applicants to be registered with Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). And successful candidates are expected to hold or work towards a professional qualification (minimum of SVQ2).

Full driving license and access to a vehicle during working time is essential for this post.

If you are looking for a rewarding career and to work within an epic team that will help you grow and thrive, then you have come to the right place. Working with us, you can start your day knowing what you do really does make a difference!

Our Innovation and Improvement Team oversees a range of our quality processes, evaluation systems and practice and learning and development. We’re looking for a Quality and Improvement Manager to join our team consisting of:

Head of Innovation and Improvement

Practice Development Manager

Learning and Development Manager

Impact and Evaluation Lead

If you are looking for a new challenge, then Penumbra may be for you.

Penumbra is one of Scotland’s leading mental health charities, providing a wide range of community based and recovery focussed mental health services. We’re proud pioneers in the peer movement, with 27% of our colleagues employed in peer support roles. Our creative and forward-thinking approach to mental health recovery has earned us the reputation as a key influencer in public campaigning, policy and practice, and a highly respected provider of high quality and innovative mental health recovery services.

As our Quality and Improvement Manager, you will support our services to gather the data and evidence they need to understand both areas of strength, and of challenges, and to create development plans based on this evidence. A key focus will be leading and managing our Quality Assurance Framework. Substantially revised and relaunched in 2023 with a brand new digital resource, this approach allows our services to self-assess against our strategic priorities and core quality areas, combined with objective review by the Quality and Improvement Manager. Other key responsibilities are the oversight of our operational policies and acting as Penumbra’s Data Protection Officer.

You truly will have the ability to influence what we do, developing and implementing your ideas to demonstrate what you can achieve, which will make a difference to the people we support.

As a mental health charity, we really value the wellbeing of our staff. That’s why we want you to know that you’ll be joining a friendly team, who will give you a supportive environment to help you thrive in your role, including all the training you need to feel confident and equipped.

We can offer you a tonne of employee benefits, and we can promise you’ll be inspired by some pretty amazing humans every single day. We will support you on your own career path; developing new skills, accessing formal and informal learning experiences and providing opportunities to put your continual progress into practice.

For more information, including full job description and application/interview guidance, please download our recruitment pack.

We cannot consider CV’s – all applications should go through the application process on our website. Only applications completed through our website will be considered. If you are unable to complete an online application, please contact us at recruitment@penumbra.org.uk and we can arrange for a paper copy to be sent out to you.

Please note that unfortunately we cannot offer visa sponsorship. We can only accept applications from applicants who currently have the legal right to work in the UK, or applicants who have already have an application in progress to obtain the legal right to work in the UK.

Are you a creative and motivated individual with the passion and drive to support people with a recent diagnosis of dementia to live well in their community?

If so, you can be part of a National Team of Post Diagnostic Support Link Workers (PDS Link Workers) providing high-quality, person-centred support to people living with dementia and their families for a minimum of a year following diagnosis in line the Scottish Government’s minimum guarantee.

The aim of the PDS National Service is to enable people to live well with dementia and is centred around Alzheimer Scotland's 5 pillar model so that people move on to a period of supported self- management.

The model includes understanding the illness and coming to terms with the diagnosis, peer support, connecting and maintaining links with their community along with planning for future care and decision making to develop an outcome focused plan to support their future hopes, desires and aspirations.

Supporting our Highland locality, the post will be based within the Community Mental Health Team at Nairn Town & County Hospital, Nairn. Alzheimer Scotland’s PDS Link Workers are required to be effective team workers and have the skills to build and maintain relationships with colleagues both within Alzheimer Scotland, the NHS and other stakeholders.

Skills in using digital platforms are essential as we use a blended approach to support people that involve some virtual meetings and on-line groups.

Applicants must hold a recognised relevant professional qualification, have a good understanding of dementia and how it affects people and their families along with excellent communication skills, a warm flexible approach, combined with skills in empathy and relationship building.

In addition, you should have skills and knowledge at the Enhanced Level of the Promoting Excellence Framework or be able to evidence you are working towards its completion.

This post requires a full driving license and access to a car.

“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling the heart of another”

Alfred Adler

| Compassion | Integrity | Respect | Realising Potential | Inclusion |

Health in Mind is one of Scotland’s best-known and trusted Mental Health Charities. Established in 1982 we have evolved in response to need which means we actively promote positive mental health in local communities across Scotland. Our vision is straight forward, we build hope and live life through our values because people are at the heart of what we do.

We have a great opportunity for an enthusiastic advocate and supporter of peer support and mutual aid. We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced practitioner who has lived experience of managing own wellbeing, access to mental health services or experience of childhood trauma.

Future Pathways offers support to people who were abused or neglected a child when they were in the Scottish care system. The service was established alongside the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and has expanded considerably since its start in 2016. Future Pathways’ aim is to help people live well. To change paths, enjoy life, succeed and grow.

Reaching our shortlist is straightforward providing you can say ‘yes’ to our list of ‘must haves’. You can start your journey now by simply directly asking for an information pack and application but before you start your travels, please kindly make sure the following ‘fits’ into your career and personal attributions rucksack because life is a journey.

• We’d like a degree in Health and Social Care, Social Work or equivalent but, if you hold a recognised, relevant professional qualification at a minimum SVQ Level 4 with relevant workplace experience this works too.
• Up to date child and vulnerable adult protection knowledge together and ideally completion of suicide prevention training such as ASIST.
• You are an exceptional compassionate individual with experience of working with those in society who’ve faced personal challenges, childhood disturbance, abuse, separation, institutional care and trauma
• Curiosity, empathy and a focus on learning, empowerment, collaboration and self- awareness.
• Worked with staff in accordance with the statutory framework and requirement including GDPR, BACP, the SSSC and the Care Inspectorate.

With a great range of benefits including 30 days annual leave plus 10 public holidays and 2 wellbeing days we work fulltime 36.25 hours per week. The salary scale for this post is Point 39 to 43 (£37,716 to £41,729).

Committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, we embrace and encourage people from all walks of life, including welcoming applications from Neurodiverse individuals. It is important to us that you feel comfortable and confident and, as such, we are willing to adjust or adapt our application, interview and selection process to suit your needs, including working patterns and hybrid working wherever and whenever we can. Simply contact us and we’ll come back to you.

This role does, however, require periodic but not continuous office presence.