Background information

Do you want to help alleviate poverty and improve the lives of families and children?

Within the UK there is over £22bn a year in unclaimed welfare benefits, and in Edinburgh it is estimated that 1 in 4 children are living in poverty. Are you understanding of people’s journeys and the challenges they face in their lives, and how poverty can have an impact on this?

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Growing Families project and help deliver a quality advice service to families with young children in Edinburgh. Working alongside the project’s current advice team and working in partnership with Health Visitors in Edinburgh, this post will support and develop this service. The Advice Worker will provide income maximisation; housing and debt advice as well budgeting support to expecting families and families with babies and young children who are supported by their Health Visitors. Comprehensive and continuous advice training is provided by CHAI to support this rewarding role.

The Advisor will be part of our wider CHAI ‘Advice For Families’ Team and will benefit from our comprehensive training programme, peer expertise, team support and ethos of continuous learning and development which is at the heart of our service delivery.

Are you?:

• Passionate and committed to making a meaningful difference for families and children.
• Able to quickly learn complex rules and legislation on Welfare Benefits, Debt and Housing.
• Able to grow trusting relationships in a formal setting.
• Understanding of people’s journeys and the challenges they have had in their lives, and how poverty can have an impact on them.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Do you want to help alleviate poverty and improve the lives of families and children?

Within the UK there is over £22bn a year in unclaimed welfare benefits, and in Edinburgh it is estimated that 1 in 4 children are living in poverty. Are you understanding of people’s journeys and the challenges they face in their lives, and how poverty can have an impact on this?

This is an exciting opportunity for an Advice Worker to join our ‘Advice In Schools’ team.

The project provides a high-quality advice service to families in Edinburgh who are impacted by low income and the effects of living in poverty. Working in partnership with all stakeholders including parents, schools and other statutory and third sector agencies, the project takes a whole family and trauma-informed approach to helping parents who may face multiple barriers to moving out of poverty. The Advice Worker will help families by maximising income, providing support to claim benefits as well as offering housing and debt advice. Continuous training is provided and the adviser is expected to contribute to the continued development of this successful service.

The Advisor will be part of our wider CHAI ‘Advice For Families’ Team and will benefit from our comprehensive training programme, peer expertise, team support and ethos of continuous learning and development which is at the heart of our service delivery.

Are you?:

• Passionate and committed to making a meaningful difference for families and children.
• Able to quickly learn complex rules and legislation on Welfare Benefits, Debt and Housing.
• Able to grow trusting relationships in a formal setting.
• Understanding of people’s journeys and the challenges they have had in their lives, and how poverty can have an impact on them.

The Ventures Lab is a programme led by The Challenges Group, bringing over 25 years of experience in supporting impact-driven enterprises across 80 countries. Through The Ventures Lab, we apply this expertise to Scotland, building a pipeline of ventures that drive economic and social impact at scale.

Our Impact Venture Builder Programme provides a structured, hands-on approach to venture-building, offering: Tailored business support to strengthen enterprises and their ecosystems. Learning and leadership development to build entrepreneurial capability. Access to finance through patient capital and investment readiness support. Workspace and a collaborative ecosystem to nurture ideas and innovation. A strong business network connecting founders to mentors, partners, and market opportunities.

Market research Manager:

We’re looking for an exceptional Market Research Manager to play a pivotal role in shaping the success of ventures at The Ventures Lab.

This role goes beyond conducting research, it’s about equipping ventures with the tools, frameworks, and methodologies they need to understand and apply market insights effectively. You’ll provide practical, hands-on support, helping ventures navigate market trends, identify opportunities, and make informed, strategic decisions about their business models and growth

As a Market Research Manager, you will:

• Conduct in-depth market research to assess industry trends, customer needs, and competitive landscapes for ventures in the Builder Programme.
• Support ventures in market segmentation, including defining each target market, its wants and needs, and how the venture will address them.
• Analyse market size and challenges, assessing potential demand and barriers to entry.
• Provide insights on market outlook, identifying emerging trends and long-term growth potential.
• Assist ventures in defining their target market
• Guide ventures through competitive analysis, identifying key competitors and highlighting key differences between their businesses and the venture’s offering.
• Assess competitive advantages and positioning within the market.
• Conduct customer validation through surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
• Provide data-driven recommendations to refine business models, value propositions, and go-to-market strategies.
• Work collaboratively with entrepreneurs, mentors, and advisors within The Ventures Lab to integrate research findings into business planning.

This is more than just a role, it’s an opportunity to be at the heart of Scotland’s social enterprise movement, helping ventures reach £1m+ in revenue within 3-5 years and driving real, measurable change.