Policy and Influencing Lead
- Full time
- £30,962 – £37,843
- Hybrid: Edinburgh
- Closing 29th November 2024
- Advertised from 5th November 2024
- Salary dependent on experience. 35 hours per week.
Role
The successful post-holder will be expected to operate in line with our values which are:
Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion.
Overview
OPFS was founded in 1940 and since then we have been at the forefront of shaping policy and services in Scotland, that support single parents and their children. Today, there are over 144,000 single parent families in Scotland, 25% of all families. We involve parents, champion their voices and keep their needs at the heart of everything we do.
We want a society in which single parent families are treated equally and fairly. To help achieve this we provide a range of single parent tailored services. We do this through our advice channels, self-help pages on our website and our local community-based services. To create lasting change we involve single parents, experts by experience, to influence policies which challenge discrimination and judgmental attitudes, which will reduce child poverty and make services more accessible to all families.
The Policy and Influencing Lead will play a key role in supporting OPFS to achieve its mission – to amplify the voices of single parent families in their unique role as sole carers and providers and together challenge judgemental attitudes, poverty and inequality to achieve change.
You will have a central role leading OPFS policy and influencing work, including:
- Leading on government and parliamentary focused engagement work – and to support single parent led and developed campaigns.
- Developing strong policy recommendations co-produced with single parents across the range of issues affecting single parent families.
- Utilising existing research of relevance to single parent families to support OPFS’s external messaging and forward planning.
- Developing impactful policy influencing strategies to improve the lives of single parents, by influencing the Scottish and UK Governments as well as local authorities and the general public to achieve change.
- Working collaboratively with OPFS Comms team and colleagues and stakeholders to disseminate OPFS policy and research activities.
All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support that enables them to achieve their potential and helping to create lasting solutions to poverty and barriers facing single parents and their children. Our core values of Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion are at the heart of everything we do and underpin all aspects of our work.
Equal opportunities and family friendly employment
- OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer and flexible working requests will be considered. OPFS has Investors In People status and Living Wage accreditation.
Application notes
For further information and to apply, please visit our website.
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LEADING A STRONG NATIONAL CHARITY
Shared Parenting Scotland (SPS) is the expert voice in Scotland promoting parenting arrangements after separation that benefit children by trying to ensure that both parents remain fully involved in their lives.
Our telephone helpline and support meetings across Scotland help parents to stay involved after separation and provide information and support about all forms of dispute resolution including mediation, legal negotiation and court action. Each support meeting is attended by a family lawyer. Around a thousand parents contact these services every year or make use of our WhatsApp closed group chats which offer support 24/7.
Our training programme delivers two innovative programmes for separated parents.
New Ways For Families® helps parents to avoid high conflict behaviour, strengthens their abilities to make parenting decisions and communicate with their ex-partner and helps them rely less on experts and the courts to make decisions for them and their children. It is licensed by the High Conflict institute to SPS for delivery throughout the UK and we have recruited a team of freelance coaches.
Love, Loss and Living was developed by SPS in partnership with psychotherapist Jan Montgomery. It helps parents who are not seeing their children to understand and manage the grief and stress. It is now being delivered through a mixture of online course material and online or face-to-face group support sessions.
We also work to influence statutory and voluntary organisations to remove barriers to shared parenting and support parents to reach agreement rather than fight each other in court. We meet regularly with civil servants and MSPS across a range of departments and are the secretary to the Cross Party Group on Shared Parenting at the Scottish Parliament We publish a range of guides on different aspects of family law, courts and other shared parenting issues. Every summer we have hosted a student intern who undertakes a project supporting our work, such as a study of the views of young people on how parental separation affected them (Sharing My Parents), a review of developments in family courts in various countries (Learning from Abroad). In 2024 our student has worked on improving the accessibility of information about family court and dispute resolution processes and developed some new information sheets and videos for us.
We have built up links with other shared parenting organisations across the world and presented papers about our work at international conferences of the International Council on Shared Parenting and the Association of Family And Conciliation Courts.
BUILDING ON FIFTEEN YEARS OF GROWTH
The charity has been operating on a volunteer basis in Scotland for a long time, but was formalised as the Scottish project of Families Need Fathers when funding was obtained in 2010 to open a Scottish office. Families Need Fathers Scotland was registered as a separate charity and has operated independently of Families Need Fathers since 2012. The name of the charity was changed to Shared Parenting Scotland in 2020.
The current national manager Ian Maxwell and Policy Manager John Forsyth have both worked for the charity since 2010, during which time the staff has grown to six people. The new chief executive will take on the challenge of maintaining and developing the organisation at a time when the need to support separated parents and their families is even greater than in 2010.
Our vision is a Scotland in which the norm after separation will be equal sharing of responsibilities between parents and more support for children after separation.
This is an exciting time to join SPS and lead on the delivery of our training and support programmes.
The Chief Executive provides leadership for the SPS team, promoting our work to funders and stakeholders, working with other sector leaders, and helping shape developments in the sector and wider political environment.
While being an expert in family law or dispute resolution is not an essential requirement, we are looking for a leader who is interested in organisational learning and development and who cares about the outcomes for separated families.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL
We would like to hear from compelling communicators with excellent team leadership skills and the ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships. Our ideal candidate will also be experienced in financial and strategic planning with the ability to identify opportunities for SPS to develop, thrive and continue to innovate in the years ahead. Direct experience of one or more of the main areas of work (helpline, training delivery and policy work) is necessary although it does not need to be directly related to co-parenting or family breakdown.
We welcome applicants from a range of backgrounds, including experienced managers who may be considering a CEO role for the first time.
Post Overview
The purpose of the job is to:
- Overall management of the charity, line management of staff and work with trustees.
- While the following points relate to oversight of the various working areas, within a small staff team the chief executive will also be required to take part in service delivery where necessary, to obtain or enhance an understanding of the issues faced by the people using our services.
- Financial oversight: manage existing grant funding and apply for additional grants and other funding. Preparation of annual accounts information for auditor and oversight of ongoing administration of charity income and expenditure.
- Policy oversight: work to advance the policy aims of the charity. These currently include involvement in implementation of parts of the 2020 Children (Scotland) Act, provision of better early support for separating parents including dispute resolution outside court, equality issues affecting separated parents and faster, cheaper and less complex family court processes.
- Training Oversight: manage the staff who are developing and delivering training programmes and the partnership/franchising arrangements with training agencies such as the High Conflict Institute.
- Helpline and Personal Support oversight: oversee the work of the Helpline and Support team members. Ensure that the published and online information produced by the charity is maintained and developed and the appropriate activity and outcome statistics and case studies are maintained.
- Promotion and Publicity oversight: oversee the work of the Digital Marketing and Communication Manager and any external consultants, including review of usage statistics.
Are you an experienced finance professional looking to make a significant impact in the third sector? Avenue, a leading charity in the North East of Scotland, is seeking an exceptional Finance Manager to join our senior leadership team. This pivotal role will ensure our financial health and sustainability, driving our mission to support families, children, and individuals through life’s challenges.
About Us:
For over 70 years, Avenue has provided a range of services across Grampian, designed to help families and individuals overcome obstacles and improve their relationships and wellbeing. With values rooted in effectiveness, integrity, respect, credibility, innovation, and independence, we are committed to making a real difference in our community.
The Role:
As Finance Manager, you will lead all aspects of our financial operations, from strategic planning and budgeting to cash management and financial reporting. You'll work closely with the CEO and the Board of Trustees, providing insightful analysis and advice to support strategic decision-making. Your responsibilities will also include:
- Developing and implementing financial policies and controls
- Leading the annual audit process and preparing statutory accounts
- Supporting funding bids with excellent financial analysis and planning
- Supporting managers in budget management and financial literacy
- Ensuring compliance with financial, charity, and company legislation
What We’re Looking For:
- Fully qualified (ACA, ACCA, CIMA) or part qualified with commensurate experience
- Proven success in a senior financial management role
- Strong knowledge of relevant legislation and financial regulations
- Excellent communication, organisational, and problem-solving skills
- Proficiency in finance software (preferably Xero) and advanced Excel skills
- Experience in strategic financial planning and risk management
Why Join Avenue?
This is an exciting opportunity to bring your expertise to a vibrant and impactful organisation. You'll work in a supportive and collaborative environment, with opportunities for professional development and to influence the financial direction of our charity.
The person specification gives a broad indication of expectations. Please get in touch if you
feel you would have a lot to offer even if it isn’t an exact match with our requirements.
An exciting opportunity to be part of a growing and evolving award-winning Charity which pushes boundaries and works to change the landscape for children & families in Drumchapel and beyond. Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will provide and maintain high-level budgets and financial reporting systems.
3D Drumchapel is a Charity which has been working with children and families in Drumchapel and surrounding areas for over 27 years. We journey with children, families and communities to build strong foundations for families to thrive. We aim to strengthen family relationships, support parents to be the best parents they can be, improve family health & wellbeing, support children's development and build capacity in communities for family support delivery. Our services include a perinatal programme, parent & child sessions, parenting programmes, learning & development sessions, outdoor play, peer support groups, 1-1 support, family support in schools and practical support including Bairn Necessities which redistributes clothing and equipment for 0-5 years. We also lead the Drumchapel Children & Families Network which brings together children & families, third sector, social work, health, education, police and housing to work together to improve outcomes for children and families in Drumchapel.
The role
Our Finance Manager Role is to ensure the financial health and sustainability of the charity by managing and overseeing all aspects of its financial operations. Key duties include maintaining an effective financial reporting system, managing the online accounting system (QuickBooks), and ensuring compliance with charity regulations. This role involves day-to-day oversight of accounting, banking, cash flow, and payroll processes, while also producing monthly management accounts and tracking cashflows.
The Finance Manager works closely with the Chief Executive, Head of Operations, and the Administration & Finance Officer to prepare and report on budgets, manage grants, and support funding proposals. In addition, they provide financial reports for decision-making, risk management, and year-end accounts, while also attending Board, Finance, and Management meetings. They are
responsible for ensuring financial controls and compliance, advising the CEO, Head of Operations and Board on finance-related issues, and staying current on best practices in charity finance.
What we are looking for
We are looking for a reliable person with a passion to create change for children and families and who follow our values of INTEGRITY, LOVE, EXCELLENCE & COLLABORATION with the following skills and experience –
Skills –
- Exceptional financial skills
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, verbal and written
- Strong organisational skills
- Proficient IT skills with strong skills in Microsoft Excel
- Ability to be pro-active and to work on own initiative as well as effectively as part of a team
- Good analytical mind for developing good systems and procedures
- Ability to multitask and work in a busy environment
- Ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines
- Strong lateral thinking capacity
- Respect for confidentiality
- Ability to work flexibly
Experience and Knowledge –
- Demonstrate experience implementing and maintaining financial systems
- Understanding and commitment to vision, values and ethos of 3D Drumchapel
- Knowledge and understanding of financial management principles and practice
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of best practice and regulatory requirements in relation to Charity Finances
- An understanding of the challenges facing families in Drumchapel and surrounding areas
- Understanding of and commitment to equality & diversity
- Proactive and reflective approach to own learning and development and professional practice
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a skilled, supportive and inspiring team making a real difference and changing outcomes with and for children & families in Drumchapel and beyond. You will be joining our team at a pivotal as we grow, seek to break new ground and take 3D Drumchapel to the next level.
What we offer
- Competitive salary with incremental rises
- 6% employer pension
- 35 days annual leave which grows with length of service (includes 10 days public holidays)Flexible working in line with the needs of the Charity
- Opportunities for growth & development including comprehensive induction & training programme, coaching & mentoring, support & supervision, appraisals and team development
- Nurturing environment
Residential Support Worker
- Part time
- £24,800 pro-rata
- On site: Silverton Short Breaks, Hamilton
- Closing 8th November 2024
Benefits:
- 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave
- Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities
- Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
- Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover
- Staff discount portal and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts.
Vulnerable children in the UK need your help
Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.
Last year, we helped more than 670,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.
Why Action for Children?
Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It's the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.
A bit about the role
Our Residential Support Worker is a great opportunity for those experienced working in a care setting and looking to implement those skills with an aim to progress to the next stage of their career with our help. You'll manage risk in a way which empowers young people and builds resilience, whilst at the same time ensuring their safety. You'll demonstrate a high standard of person-centred practice, have good social care values and be a strong role model to our children and young people.
In return we'll offer you amazing opportunities to progress within our organisation.
We offer an in-depth induction process and training.
Alongside this, we'll enrol you in the qualifications which you need to work in the industry.
Regular supervision with your line manager, team meetings etc. will ensure you feel part of our team.
Once you've gained the relevant experience and qualifications you'll be ready to progress to the next step in your career with us.
About the service
Our Silverton Short Breaks Service offers support to children and young people from the ages 5yrs – 18yrs who have disabilities. We work to reduce the impact of the disability on the child's day to day life by providing support for them to participate, make choices, enjoy new experiences, make friendships and be part of their local community. At the same time parents and carers can have a much-needed break knowing their child is in a safe, fun and enriching environment.
How you'll help to create brighter futures
Some key responsibilities of the Residential Support Worker roles are;
- Provide lead case/care planning management, including assessing, reviewing and managing risk.
- Co-ordinating responsibilities within the service, with multi agency and producing family information, including analysis and written reports.
- Attendance at professional meetings including reviews, court work etc.
- Making sure our young people are safe and cared for when they are away from home.
- Assisting in all aspects of their daily lives and supporting their health and happiness.
- Supporting and participating with keyworkers to maintain an up-to-date Plan for young people.
Let's talk about you
Are you resilient and have a positive approach to change and challenge? We're looking for someone with a ‘can do' attitude to join our team. Ideally you'll have:
- Demonstrable experience of working in a care setting and developing positive relationships through trust.
- Application of a range of techniques to co-ordinate and communicate with service users and their families.
- Demonstrate a solution focused approach to address problems, individually and in a team setting.
- Demonstrate emotional resilience to respond to the challenging nature of the role.
- Possess a Level 3 Diploma in Residential Childcare (or recognised equivalent) or if you do not possess this you must be prepared to complete this within 2 years of commencing employment with us, full support will be provided.
- Good to know
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