Ecas is looking for a part-time (17.5 hours per week) Befriending Assistant to join our small office team. The successful candidate will assist the Befriending Manager to develop and deliver the Befriending Service for adults with a physical disability living in Edinburgh.

About us

Ecas is an Edinburgh based charity and was established over a hundred years ago. The charity works to improve the quality of life of physically disabled people in the Edinburgh and Lothians area: promoting equality, choice and participation through our activities, befriending service and grants.

The Befriending Service commenced in October 2007 and has a well-established number of ‘matches’. The service has a different approach to the more traditional schemes and started in response to the increasing number of people with physical disabilities becoming isolated and lonely. Isolated people with a physical disability may be in their own homes, in assisted housing, in accommodation provided by a housing association or even in residential homes.

Ecas has approached the befriending service in two connected ways:

• by recruiting, training and vetting volunteers to meet befriendees in person.
• by facilitating visits between isolated physically disabled people who are already friends or family and who would otherwise find it difficult to meet.

The Befriending Assistant will, in support of the Befriending Manager, work with other organisations to recruit both volunteers and those who need the service. To provide a manageable geographic area the service operates only in Edinburgh, but with the flexibility to involve volunteers and clients from out with that area in exceptional circumstances.

Around since 1923, SAMH is Scotland’s national mental health charity. We have represented the voice of people most affected by mental health problems in Scotland for almost 100 years. Today, in over 60 communities we work with adults and young people providing mental health social care support, services in primary care, schools and further education, among others.

These services together with our national programme work in See Me, respectme, suicide prevention and active living; inform our policy and campaign work to influence positive social change. SAMH is dedicated to mental health and wellbeing for all: with a vision of a society where people are able to live their lives fully, regardless of present or past circumstances.

About the Role

Thrive Edinburgh is about thinking big and thinking differently. We should have big ambitions and long-term strategic aims when it comes to mental health. We have made it our goal to promote mental health and protect our citizens’ resiliency, self-esteem, family strength and joy and reduce the toll of mental illness on individuals, our communities and our city.

The Thrive Service Manager is responsible and accountable for maintain high quality standards across Redhall Walled Gardens and SAMH staff within the South West Welcome Team.

SAMH Redhall is a mental health recovery project based in a beautiful walled garden in South-West Edinburgh. We have a wonderful location in a wooded dell by the Water of Leith and indoor and outdoor facilities including polytunnels, vegetable beds, ornamental gardens, orchard, kitchen, library and training room.

The Instructor Team at Redhall provide a supportive environment to learn and practice skills in horticulture. The service has structured days and encourages people to build routine, be more active, spend time outdoors and work alongside others. Our Employability Practitioner offers additional support for people to better manage their mental health, develop confidence and progress their goals.

The garden is open to the public during the week and also plays host to local partner projects who might arrange their own activities in the grounds. We also organise open days to sell plants, promote the service and raise awareness.

The Thrive Service Manager will also line manage our SAMH Welcome Team Practitioners who work as part of a multidisciplinary team in the South West of Edinburgh, delivering short-term focused support for mental health challenges and support citizens to access the support they are looking for.

The role will be responsible for:

• Leading and managing teams to ensure safe and effective provision of support to those people who use the service through the promotion of outcomes focused person centred approaches.
• Compliance with relevant, legislation, contracts and service specifications, SAMH policies and ensuring practice reflects current research findings.
• Effective management of key stakeholder and external partnerships
• Effective and efficient management of all resources.
• Contributing to the wider work of SAMH to support the achievement of SAMH strategic objectives

What we are looking for

We are looking for an experienced Service Manager who is able to lead teams and relationships within networks to explore opportunities for developing our Thrive Services. You don’t need to have horticultural experience or knowledge to manage our Redhall service, although this would be desirable.

What we will provide for you

You will work in a supportive environment and will be provided with a full induction and training opportunities. You will be given the chance to develop your knowledge and skills, as well as develop professionally. Some of our benefits include;

• Reimbursement of PVG, Disclosure & SSSC annual fees and registration costs.
• Funded continuous learning and development opportunities, access to over 100 courses online in addition to classroom and virtual training sessions
• 30 days annual leave rising to 33 after 5 years’ service
• 4 public holidays
• 2 paid wellbeing days off per year to use on what matters to you.
• Team wellbeing budgets
• Workplace pension scheme
• Life Assurance policy
• Employee Assistance Programme

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.

About the role

We seek a Befriending Coordinator to market and deliver our well-established befriending service in the Fife area to young carers who are socially isolated, and who need a break from their caring responsibilities. You will recruit, match, and support a network of volunteer befrienders to support young carers one to one, as well as delivering your, small direct case load. You will also liaise with a range of organisations, particularly Fife Young Carers.

This post requires you to have your administrative home-base in Fife and involves regular travel across Fife to homes and communities.

It involves regulated work for which a satisfactory PVG will be required. Lead Scotland has a Recruiting People with Convictions Policy.

About you

Are you passionate about the transformative power of befriending to overcome social isolation and loneliness? Are you confident in communicating one to one and have a flexible and creative approach to befriending?

Would you enjoy being an active part of the vibrant, inclusive, and supportive Lead Scotland team?

Do you have great organisational skills, previous experience of supporting disabled adults experiencing a range of barriers, and of designing and delivering befriending activities?

You must enjoy working with young people, be enthusiastic, and be committed to a person-centred experience for befriendees. Experience of recruiting and training volunteers is a key part of this role.

Applications from disabled people

Lead has Disability Confident status, and we encourage applications from disabled people. All disabled people meeting the minimum requirements will get a guaranteed interview. Information about our commitment to recruit disabled people is available on our website. If you would like to be considered under this scheme, please indicate this in the online form. This will in no way disadvantage you in the recruitment process. All job application information can be made in alternative formats on request including braille, large print and audio and people can make applications in alternative formats.

Recruitment paperwork is kept for 6 months before it is destroyed. Please complete our anonymous equal opportunities form to help us ensure we are attracting a broad range of candidates.