About Simon Community Scotland

Simon Community Scotland is the largest provider of homelessness services in Scotland.

Our vision is for everyone to have a safe place to live with access to the support they need. Every day we help make positive things happen for people facing extremely difficult circumstances.

Everything we do is about and for people: the people we support, our staff, our partners and everyone affected by homelessness.

Our values are built into every area of activity and tell the story of how people remain at the heart of the Simon Community.

Job Summary

The Simon Community is Scotland's leading homeless charity. We are creative and innovative. We get things done with care and compassion that make a difference to our community, being true to our values. We are a community of staff, volunteers and the people that we support.

We are looking for someone who is passionate about changing expectations and experiences of people we support, many of whom have experienced significant trauma, exclusion and stigma. They often engage in risk taking behaviours that put their physical and mental health, and their lives at risk. Despite the challenges they face they have incredible resilience, survival skills and a wicked sense of humour. They know what a good, and not so good service looks like.

As a residential support worker you will:

• support the development of life skills and homemaking in preparation for a tenancy,
• provide emotional support,
• help to reduce harm caused by homelessness and trauma.

There is a rolling rota including night shifts and / or sleepovers.

Job Purpose

As a support worker it will be your job to work with a team to:

• Help people in our community to manage and recover their mental health
• Support people who use drugs and alcohol to do so as safely as possible
• Support people who choose to reduce or stop their drug and alcohol use to do so safely
• Help people in our community to build a positive network of connections that will help them to gain and sustain their own housing
• Provide emotional and practical support to our community
• Any other duties directed by your service lead

Key Responsibilities

Our values support:

• Warmth and positive regard
• Inclusion and participation
• Innovation and personalisation of care and support
• Ambition
• Partnership
• Learning and leadership

Your key responsibilities to support those values will be:

• Developing honest and open relationships with our community that foster trust
• Using our training and reflective practice to develop additional skills to support and respond appropriately to our community who have experienced trauma
• Working with people in our community with a wide range of experiences and cultural backgrounds with dignity, respect and kindness
• Working as part of a team with a range of experiences and knowledge to the benefit of our community
• Supporting our community to influence their care and support to meet their goals - Fostering connection, hope, a positive identity and meaning in life and a sense of control for our community
• Working with other teams in SCS and with partners to support good outcomes for our community
• Seeking opportunities that will make a difference to our community
• Ensuring that our places reflect the respect we hold for our community

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications:

Essential:

• SVQ 3 social care or willing to work towards
• SSSC Registered or willing to become so

Desirable:

• Trauma informed practice
• Assist/MHFA/SafeTalk trained
• Naloxone trained
• Mental health or addictions qualifications

Experience:

Essential:

• Experience of providing support to people with a range of challenges including homelessness, mental ill health and addictions
• Experience of working in a fast paced environment which requires quick decision making

Desirable:

• Lived experience of homelessness
• Experience of working with a range of agencies as a team
• Networking and connecting skills

Knowledge and Skills:

Essential:

• Experience of working with people with a variety of individual and cultural beliefs
• Ability to use empathy and relational skills to build positive relationships with our community and colleagues
• Understanding of and ability to work within ethical and relational boundaries

Desirable:

• Knowledge and understanding of homelessness, addictions and mental health
• Understanding of services that support homelessness,addictions and mental health
• Evidence of good communication skills, written, verbal and digital

Personal:

Essential:

• Able to lead by example.
• A team player.
• A desire to learn and to develop innovative practice
• Honest, ethical and keen to overcome obstacles
• Flexible, responsive

We are excited to announce a new staff role within Cruse Scotland for a Client Services Co-ordinator. This a great opportunity for someone who is keen to help bereaved people access the right bereavement support at the right time.

About you:This is an ideal role for someone who enjoys being part of a team who are committed to supporting people through difficult times. The role requires someone who has excellent communication skills, who can readily adapt their style to connect with a varied range of people on a day to day basis, including bereaved people; professionals from NHS, Social Work and Education; colleagues; and partner agencies. You will be someone who enjoys being at the core of operations, who enjoys variety and embracing change.

In addition to strong communication skills, you will be highly organised with robust IT skills and have a keen interest in embracing everchanging tech to support our services. You will be confident organising your own workload, managing conflicting priorities and being part of a team working towards a common goal.

About the organisation:We are Scotland’s leading bereavement charity who provide bereavement support to anyone in Scotland who needs us. The range of support includes helpline, individual and group counselling support, children and young people’s services, bereavement support and training to workplaces……and so much more! crusescotland.org.uk

The support services offered to clients are delivered by a volunteer workforce who are trained to professional standards and it’s fair to say that their motivation and commitment is contagious. We value their contributions highly, and ensure an excellent programme of initial and ongoing training, as well as support and development opportunities for them.

About the Role:The Client Services Co-ordinator role will support and improve client services across Cruse Scotland. The post-holder will work closely with the Director of Client Services; our 4 geographical area teams; and our helpline team. Key tasks of the role will include: ongoing co-ordination of client waiting lists; talking with bereaved clients and referrers to advise of all options available; data management and input; and supporting the implementation of changes, where new processes are identified

Areas that we are currently exploring changes within include: reviewing and improving client pathway to support National & local processes, changes to telephony and improvements to client administration systems. It would be expected that the post-holder would play a key part in reviewing and supporting the implementation of these.

Given the nature of the work, ongoing training and supervision is provided.

Your new colleagues: Our volunteer workforce of 250 people are located in communities across Scotland, and are supported by a small but mighty staff team of 22. The staff team comprise a mix of roles and talents, which include the co-ordination of client services, management and training of volunteers, income generation and governance of the charity. As a staff team of 22 we connect fortnightly to ensure a real sense of community and enjoy good relationships across the team

Feedback from our staff satisfaction survey included:

“I haven't been here long but I can confidently say Cruse Scotland is one of the best organisations I have worked for, both from work and flexibility and overall organisation support from all staff and management”

“I find Cruse Scotland to be a very inclusive organisation with a great ethos, responsive to staff and volunteers”

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and experienced manager to oversee the day-to-day management of Cruse Scotland South Area, this includes our teams in Edinburgh, The Lothians, The Scottish Borders, Forth Valley and Stirling.

Candidates are required to have excellent interpersonal and organisational skills to provide volunteer managerial support, which is often provided from a distance.

Excellent communication skills are essential as the postholder is required to respond effectively to a wide range of enquiries which includes bereaved people. You will be required to establish effective working relationships with a range of Cruse Scotland volunteers and staff, as well as funders and partnership organisations. Experience of volunteer management would be advantageous.

Due to the geographical spread of the role, from time to time the postholder will be required to travel to each of the service bases within South Area; and to other locations within Scotland for meetings and training.

Whilst the role is hybrid, we have an office base in Leith so there will be a regular requirement to have a routine presence in the office.

About the organisation: We are Scotland’s leading bereavement charity who provide bereavement support to anyone in Scotland who needs us. The range of support includes helpline, individual and group counselling support, children and young people’s services, bereavement support and training to workplaces……and so much more! crusescotland.org.uk The services offered to clients are delivered by our volunteer workforce who are trained to professional standards and it’s fair to say that their motivation and commitment is contagious. We value their contributions highly, and ensure an excellent programme ongoing training and connection as well as support and development opportunities for them.

Your new colleagues: Our volunteer workforce of 250 people are located in communities across Scotland, in our North, South, East and West Areas, and are supported by a small but mighty staff team of 22. The staff team comprise a mix of roles and talents, which include the co-ordination of client services, volunteer management and support, training, income generation and governance of the charity. As a staff team of 22 we connect fortnightly to ensure a real sense of community and enjoy good relationships across the team

Feedback from our staff satisfaction survey included:

“I haven't been here long but I can confidently say Cruse Scotland is one of the best organisations I have worked for, both from work and flexibility and overall organisation support from all staff and management”

“I find Cruse Scotland to be a very inclusive organisation with a great ethos, responsive to staff and volunteers”

About you:

We have an amazing opportunity to recruit a co-ordinator to support training across Cruse Scotland. This is a great role for a highly organised individual with robust IT skills and excellent communication skills, who will regularly link with our staff team and members of the public interested in training. You will be confident organising your own workload, managing conflicting priorities and being part of a team working towards a common goal.

About the organisation:

We are Scotland’s leading bereavement charity who provide bereavement support to anyone in Scotland who needs us. The range of support includes helpline, individual and group counselling support, children and young people’s services, bereavement support and training to workplaces…… and so much more! crusescotland.org.uk

The support services offered to clients are delivered by a volunteer workforce who are trained to professional standards and it’s fair to say that their motivation and commitment is contagious. We value their contributions highly, and ensure an excellent programme of initial and ongoing training, as well as support and development opportunities for them.

About the Role:

The training co-ordinator role is central to organising the recruitment, and initial training of all new volunteers joining our organisation. The role also supports the co-ordination of training to external organisations which is a key income generator for our charity. See job description for all that is entailed

Your new colleagues: Our volunteer workforce of 250 people are located in communities across Scotland, and are supported by a small but mighty staff team of 22. The staff team comprise a mix of roles and talents, which include the co-ordination of client services, management and training of volunteers, income generation and governance of the charity. As a staff team of 22 we connect fortnightly to ensure a real sense of community and enjoy good relationships across the team

Feedback from our staff satisfaction survey included

“I haven't been here long but I can confidently say Cruse Scotland is one of the best organisations I have worked for, both from work and flexibility and overall organisation support from all staff and management”

“I find Cruse Scotland to be a very inclusive organisation with a great ethos, responsive to staff and volunteers”

Please view the job description and person specification for further information, and if you consider yourself a good match for the role, then we very much look forward to receiving your completed application!