Forces Children Scotland supports children & young people from serving, reservist and veteran families across Scotland to realise their potential and thrive. We work with children and young people to co-produce services and projects to overcome their unique challenges to mental health and wellbeing, education and learning and important transitions.

Our approach to working with children and young people

Forces Children Scotland is committed to taking a children’s rights-based approach to all aspects of our work from planning to service delivery. This means we strive to ensure our work is grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Engaging in co-production with children and young people can help ensure their right to participate in matters affecting them is meaningfully upheld and implemented.

Purpose of Job

To develop and deliver communications projects, services and campaigns which support the delivery of our mission. To take the lead on enhancing our website, bringing capability of design for digital and publications in-house, and producing assets across our platforms and channels. To tell the story of our work, the impact it has on forces children and young people, equipping colleagues with the communications and marketing tools to help deliver upon our strategic plans.

Role

Community Volunteers Enabling You (COVEY) has been a lifeline for children, young people, and families across Lanarkshire since 1992. We provide 1-1 and group-based befriending, mentoring, and family support services tailored to those who need it most. Our mission is to help children, young people and families become more resilient, safe, and better equipped to reach their full potential.

As the Head of Services, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of COVEY’s services. You will lead and inspire a dynamic team to deliver high-quality, integrated, and impactful services that respond to the needs of children, young people and families. Your leadership will ensure that COVEY continues to meet its mission and strategic objectives, while fostering innovation and continuous improvement.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, you will oversee the development of participant support models, cultivate strategic partnerships with statutory and third-sector organisations, and ensure services meet the objectives outlined in grant or tender agreements.

What we’re looking for:

• A degree in Health & Social Care, Youth Work, Community Development, or equivalent experience.
• Extensive experience in service delivery roles within the third sector or public sector.
• Proven leadership skills with a track record of motivating teams.
• Flexible, innovative, and solution-focused approach to leadership and service delivery.
• Experience in service planning, delivery, and evaluation, with a focus on achieving measurable outcomes
• Strong knowledge and experience of safeguarding, compliance, and risk management.
• Excellent communication, financial management, and strategic thinking skills.
• A deep understanding of the needs of vulnerable children, young people, and families.

What We Offer

We offer a rewarding and fulfilling role with the opportunity to develop your skills and career in an enriching environment. Our benefits package includes:

Financial Benefits:

• Competitive salary (£40,826 - £46,523)
• 6% employer pension contribution
• Access to ScotWest Credit Union (loans, mortgages, and savings accounts)

Wellbeing & Work-Life Balance:

• Flexible working (including flexi-time)
• One special leave day to celebrate your birthday
• HSF Health plan (including dental, optical, physio claim back, personal accident coverage, GP, mental health counselling, legal support, and discounts for gym, cinema, and shopping)
• Quarterly staff wellbeing activities

Professional Development:

• Access to learning and development opportunities
• Support for continuous professional growth

About us

We are a fast paced and progressive organisation, that aims to support children, young people, and their families through the provision of positive activity.

Fuse makes a commitment to contribute to the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework and its contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in supporting our community to adapt to life in 2025 and beyond. With poverty, digital exclusion, and rising unemployment prevalent in our community, Fuse has identified and embedded the following key themes into their business strategy and programming:

• Participation
• Mental Health & Wellbeing
• Life skills & Employability
• Attainment
• Digital Inclusion

Fuse supports and serves its community by continually striving towards an inclusive facility; being a progressive organisation that meets the needs of its community and being a knowledgeable and informed organisation.

Job Role:

The overall aim of the project is to deliver a programme of services to target and support young people in the east end of Glasgow who are under-achieving by raising and recognising achievement and creating opportunities.

Working across the Fuse programmes you will ensure that each participant is matched to an award, has an individual development plan where appropriate accreditation folders are kept up to date with all evidence captured and support young people to overcome barriers to participation and learning.

The aims and outcomes intended to achieve with this grant and the indicators identified to bring about the intended outcomes are as follows:

The aim is:

• To develop and inspire young people (including volunteers)

The Outcomes are:

• Improved access to accredited training and learning
• Increased employability and employment options
• Increased leadership and mentoring
• Volunteer mentoring and support.

Full job description available below.

We help young people to build life-long belief in themselves, supporting them to take on their own challenges, follow their own passions and discover talents they never knew they had. Because when you prove yourself that you are ready for anything nothing can hold you back.

Do you want to be part of that?

This is a 12 month fixed term maternity cover contract.

This is an opportunity to join a small, dynamic, ambitious, and welcoming team that believes in the transformative power of youth work and the power of partnerships. Operations Officers support the operational delivery and development of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) through managing a portfolio of Licensed Organisations (LOs).

LOs range from local authorities, state and independent schools to youth organisations, secure units, and community groups. The DofE Scotland Operations team works with these licensed organisations to build their capacity, support their reach into more marginalised communities and ensure quality and compliance with the Award framework.

The DofE Scotland office covers DofE activity across the length and breadth of Scotland, working with over 140 Licensed Organisations and over 19,000 young people in the last year alone. Each Operations Officer manages a portfolio based on broad geographic region.

The role will be field-based and when not attending meetings, employees will work from home. You will need to have an appropriate home office set up and live within the region of East Scotland (Edinburgh, Lothians, and Scottish Borders).

What we are looking for:

The successful candidate will be a dynamic and proactive team player, who is able to embrace innovation and change. You will be a confident and effective communicator and collaborator and have experience of building and sustaining relationships with stakeholders across the education and/or youth and community sectors.

You will be a passionate advocate for the work of the DofE and motivated by the charity’s strategic ambition to give more than one million young people the chance to participate in our life-changing programmes.

What will you get in return?

The opportunity to work for a successful and dynamic charity that has the development of young people at its heart and the wellbeing and development of its people constantly in focus.

You will be joining a team of empowered colleagues working together.

Our staff benefits package includes a generous pension contribution, an employee assistance program, a healthcare cash plan, and paid volunteer leave. You will also receive 25 days of annual holiday, plus Bank Holidays, an extra 3 days of paid leave between Christmas and New Year, plus the opportunity to purchase additional leave. Additional benefits include access to a benefits discount website, a death-in-service benefit equal to four times your salary, incapacity coverage, and comprehensive family and sick leave policies (Pro-Rata).

About DofE

Since its launch in 1956, the DofE has empowered millions of young people to become the very best they can be. It was established by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, our Patron, and is still guided by the same set of principles he laid down.

The flexibility and adaptability of DofE have allowed the DofE to spread around the world. We operate through a social franchise model in the UK, licensing and supporting a wide range of organisations to deliver DofE programmes to hundreds of thousands of young people every year.

Despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak our ambition to grow the number of young people who can access a DofE programme remains unchanged and we continue to engage new partners and develop innovative ways of working with businesses, the voluntary sector, and policymakers across the UK to ensure that any young person who wants to do their DofE can do so. To find out more visit DofE.org/about.