Are you passionate about making a difference to your local community. Willing and able to give up some of your valuable time to work with a Charity who has a social ethos and values to make a difference to the local communities we serve. Then we would like you to consider applying to join the Community Transport Glasgow’s (CTG) Board as a Director.

CTG is a Charity and Company Ltd by Guarantee that was established with aims to provide relief to communities of Glasgow and the surrounding area who are in need due to age, mobility and mental and physical disability, illness and poverty.

This is achieved by providing services including affordable, reliable and accessible transport solutions to the local communities of Glasgow and the surrounding area. This includes older adults, those with mobility issues and disabilities. We provide transport solutions to over 75,000 passengers a year.

We are looking to expand our Board to enable us to draw upon a wider pool of expertise, knowledge and ideas as we look to take CTG to the next level. Key skills and experience we are looking for include those with lived experience, current member groups and individuals, academic and research, strategic stakeholders, finance, HR, marketing and community engagement.

Becoming a volunteer Board member is not just about what you can offer CTG. It is a rewarding experience that includes enhancing your leadership and governance skills, broadening your network, raising your profile and learning new skills.

We are looking to fill a full-time (35 hours a week) post and a part-time (25 hours a week) post to provide independent advocacy across Perth & Kinross for Adults affected by the Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003; the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000; and the Adult Support & Protection (Scotland) Act 2007; Unpaid Carers and Adults who have problematic Alcohol and/or Drug use.

The full-time post is in our Adults Team and the part-time post is also with our Adults Team, but supporting individuals with problematic Alcohol and/or drug use.

Independent advocacy is about ensuring everyone can access information regarding their human rights, helping them to understand and access the systems that affect them. We support them to have their voice heard within circumstances that affect their life.

At Independent Advocacy Perth & Kinross (IAPK), our advocates are completely independent from other Statutory and 3rd Sector Organisations that provide services to the people we support. We do not provide any other services other than independent advocacy. This means that we are as free as possible from any conflicts of interest.

We are committed to the individual’s voice and wishes being heard; we do not express our own view only that of the individual. Even when a person is considered not to have capacity, we still work to seek out that individual’s point of view.

For more information on the role and our Codes of Best Practice, please visit the website of our governing body, the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance.

Our Values:

- Human Rights: We recognise the essential dignity and inherent Human Rights of every person. We encourage those with power to respect rights and secure social justice.

- Independence: We are free from outside control, autonomous in our actions and remain uninfluenced in our work. We only provide Independent Advocacy.

- Partner-Led: We put the people we work with at the heart of our work. We are patient and skillful listeners who enable people to get their voices heard.

- Honesty: We act and communicate with openness, integrity and transparency at all times.

- Courage: We are proud to be champions of our Advocacy Partners and organisation. We support the right to challenge and are willing to question decisions and attitudes.

- Empowerment: We will work with our Advocacy Partners to enhance their capacity to have their voices heard, to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes.

As of 2024, we are reviewing our organisational values, as we are committed to ensuring these represent & support both our service users (referred to as our Advocacy Partners) and our employees. But we would ask all to still consider the above when applying for any IAPK role.

How We Support our Supporters:

As defenders of human rights, IAPK strongly advocates for supporting those whose role it is to support others, including all of our advocates, administration and management staff.

Mental Health:

IAPK has an Employee Assistance Programme which can offer therapeutic check ins. This offers a safe space for anything employees wish to discuss, ensuring further support within a role that will often interact with difficult circumstances.

We also understand that life doesn’t always go to plan, so IAPK offer and support Wellbeing Days, which can be fundamental in taking time for self-care.

Flexible Working:

We also support flexible working across all roles, so you can work with your line manager to find a routine that fits both your post and your individual life circumstances.

Experience & Growth:

IAPK look to support learning and growth within all roles, as we believe this is a key factor in job and life satisfaction. Thereby, various training opportunities, both mandatory and optional will be offered and encouraged throughout the year. Staff are also welcome to discuss futher training suggestions and/or desires with their line manager.

Workplace Pension:

IAPK offers a workplace pension which provides 4% employer contribution along with a 5% employee contribution. Staff are auto-enrolled onto this scheme following 3 months of employment.

Further Supportive Policies:

We understand that work is one of many parts of life, and so all of our working policies are written and reviewed to ensure they support the many facets of living, such as those pertaining to maternity/paternity & family life, illness/healthcare appointments, commuting, and expenses.

If you would like any further information, or have any questions regarding Reasonable Adjustments, just let us know.

Person Specification:

Prior experience as an advocate is not essential, but all candidates should have a passion for upholding people’s human rights, including their right to be heard, and a desire to proactively learn about Independent Advocacy.

For further details, please see the job description document attached.

We are Right There, a charity celebrating 200 years of service this year. We provide tailored support to individuals at home and in the community, helping those affected by homelessness, poverty, addiction, and family breakdowns.

Our vision is a world where everyone has the opportunity to create a safe and supportive place to call home. We strive to challenge stereotypes—regardless of a person’s situation, we are here to help, not judge. Our approach is about creating trusting relationships and nurturing people’s strengths,

Last year we supported almost 4,000 people, helping them avoid homelessness and stay connected with their loved ones. In partnership with Sonnet Advisory and Impact, we recently launched a report estimating that Right There generates a societal benefit of at least £308 million annually (net present value) based on a single cohort of referrals.

You would be joining Right There at a pivotal time, as Scotland faces a housing emergency declared by the Scottish Government. As a Board Trustee, you will play a crucial role in guiding our charity through these challenges and leveraging new opportunities. Your involvement will ensure our services remain effective and impactful.

Becoming a Trustee is a highly rewarding experience, offering the chance to influence strategic decisions, oversee governance, and support the delivery of life-changing services. We are looking for individuals passionate about our mission and values, with relevant knowledge and experience in:

• Strategic Commissioning (as a funder or provider)

• Children and family services design and delivery

• Scotland’s housing and homelessness landscape

• Policy, PR, or Communications

Govan HELP has exciting development plans for the future, and we are looking to recruit new trustees to our Board, strengthening governance to help lead the organisation through the next phase of our development.

About Govan HELP

Govan Home and Education Link Project (Govan HELP) is a local Family Support charity based in the heart of the community in the Govan area of Glasgow. Our services aim to support children and families from the local area to overcome problems, build resilience and confidence, and achieve overall improvements in the quality of family life.

We offer five different services at Govan HELP, these being: Family Support, Play Therapy, Training and Volunteering, Adult Counselling and our most recent development, The Govan Pantry, which has evolved from a food bank project set up in response to the pandemic. We have close links with schools, social work and health colleagues in the local area and work collaboratively with organisations to achieve stronger outcomes for children and families. In addition, we work with a wide range of third sector partner agencies to build a more holistic package of support for families, tailored to their individual needs.

We know that the kinds of issues our families face can be wide ranging and include things like physical and mental health conditions, drug and alcohol addiction, housing and debt issues, domestic abuse, and trauma. These issues are further compounded by the impacts of poverty and deprivation which is widespread in the communities of Greater Govan. Our services aim to alleviate many of the symptoms of poverty and deprivation, and we take a holistic approach to resolving the issues that families are struggling to cope with to ensure we can support families to achieve positive social, economic, and educational outcomes. Our services are often a lifeline for families who are facing complex and difficult circumstances and aim to respond to needs within the local community by developing local solutions that are aligned closely with needs.

More information on our services is available as govanhelp.org

Why become a Trustee at Govan HELP?

Trustees have an important role at Govan HELP. They share responsibility for governing us as a charity, setting our strategic aims and directing how we’re run on a day-to-day basis. Trustees’ activities also include vetting and administering funding applications and representing us at events. The ultimate goal of Trustees is to ensure that everything we do maximises the benefit for our service users — that is, families in Govan.

We are a registered charity, so Trustees must ensure we comply with current charity laws and guidelines as set out by the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). You may find it helpful to look at OSCR’s guidance for charity trustees.

Are you eligible?

We aim to have a Board that is representative of our diverse stakeholder base and anyone can apply who believes they will add value to the charity. The role of a Trustee demands commitment, but it’s also stimulating and very rewarding!

This year, we are looking to recruit new Trustees to join the Board at Govan HELP.

In particular, we are looking for nominees with the following knowledge and experience:

• Finance
• Governance
• Fundraising
• Counselling, clinical, and/or support services
• Venue management
• Volunteering
• Charity experience
• Early years and/or education

While we welcome applications from all parts of society, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from candidates from black and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, and those local to the Govan area