Would you like to make a difference?

Children First is Scotland’s National Children’s Charity.

Our vision is that all children in Scotland grow up safe and well in strong, resilient families and communities and we work tirelessly to make sure that happens. By getting alongside children and their families to offer practical, emotional and financial help we uphold the rights of children to be raised in their own families. The children we support have to overcome many challenges; poverty, isolation, trauma, violence and abuse but we know that with the right support they can recover and live safe and happy lives. We are proud of the way we do things at Children First, we put respect, compassion and relationships at the heart of everything we do and we believe that with the best people delivering the best quality support, amazing transformation can take place.

Our Board of Trustees is committed to this vision and values, and Trustees bring their wide range of skills, knowledge, expertise, objectivity, insight and strategic thought to the table. They involve themselves in our work and steer our organisation forward, working closely with the Chief Executive and executive leadership team of the Charity.

We are currently looking for a new Board Trustee with a legal background who will take on the role of Law Agent as required by Children First’s Royal Charter. This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for an enthusiastic and dynamic individual. You will have the opportunity to use and develop your legal skills and experience to support children and families across Scotland.

The Position

You will join the Board of around 10 other trustees and will be expected to attend and participate up to 5 Board meetings a year as well as an annual Strategy Day. You will also be expected to sit on one subcommittee of the Board and attend meetings of that subcommittee 3 to 4 times a year. The Law Agent will be appointed for an initial term of 3 years, and is eligible to seek nomination to serve a further 3 year term.

Board Trustees are asked to contribute actively to the Board by providing strategic guidance, setting objectives and goals, evaluating performance and providing challenge and support. You will also be an ambassador for the Charity and are expected to respect, promote and protect the culture and values of the Charity.

All Trustees are expected to have a good understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of the position of a Trustee on a Board.

As Law Agent you will ensure that the Charity complies with it’s governing document and wider legal responsibilities and you will use your legal experience and knowledge to help inform decision making and to support strategic planning at Board meetings. You will be able to apply legal principles to managing risk and ensuring that the policies and processes of the Charity are in line with best legal practice. You will have the ability to identify when the Charity should seek external legal advice.

The formal appointment to the Board will become effective from the date of the Charity’s AGM in September 2025. There will, however, be opportunity to attend Board meetings as an observer before then. New Trustees will participate in an induction process and will be supported in spending time getting to know the organisation.

The Candidate

We are looking for a committed and enthusiastic qualified lawyer to join our Board. Whilst it would be beneficial, you do not need to have specifically worked in the area of child or family law but a keen interest and passion in protecting children’s rights is essential, as well as a commitment to the values of Children First. An understanding of good governance is also required.

You must be able to demonstrate sound, independent judgement and have an ability to be open minded and work collectively. You must have an ability to challenge constructively where required and be able to critically assess and analyse complex issues. Good listening and communication skills are essential.

Children First is committed to being an inclusive and diverse organisation that is representative of the families and communities it supports. The Board supports this commitment and seeks to enhance its diversity from the perspective of ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender and disability. We believe that the more diverse and inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

We welcome and encourage applications from all interested parties who believe they can help make a difference.

The position is voluntary, however reasonable travel expenses are reimbursed.

Harmeny Education Trust is a charitable organisation providing therapeutic care and education to children who have experienced early years trauma through abuse, neglect and family disruption, referred from all over Scotland. We currently work with children and young people aged 5-18, both on a day and all-year-round residential basis.

Our core service comprises:

• An education service, which includes an outdoor learning team.

• A care service, with five residential cottages.

• Support services, made up of finance, estates, catering and domestic, fundraising, IT, HR, learning and development, and admin teams.

Children who come to Harmeny often have severe attachment disorders, have suffered some form of early years trauma leading to high levels of anxiety and difficulty in managing their behaviour, as well as a range of complex needs. Through highly therapeutic care and education programmes, we help children to gain the skills and resilience to lead healthy and happy adult lives.

We are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council, General Teaching Council for Scotland, Care Inspectorate, Education Scotland, and The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

Harmeny is situated in a beautiful 35-acre woodland estate, which includes a community garden, orchard, wildlife habitats, children’s play areas and a mountain bike track. Harmeny is located in Balerno on the outskirts of Edinburgh, at the foot of the Pentland Hills; we are easily accessible by bus and there is ample parking.

We are seeking new Trustees to join the organisation and oversee its governance, and we are particularly keen to find candidates with knowledge and experience in any of the following:

• social work/ residential care;

• digital transformation;

• children and families research;

• therapeutic work with children and young people;

• experience of care growing up directly or indirectly; or

• health, ideally in the area of mental health.

Trustees are expected to prepare for and attend four Board meetings per year. Meetings are ideally in-person, albeit we can accommodate remote attendance as required. Additional meetings may be held for urgent matters that do not fit with the set calendar of meetings.

Trustees are also expected to be involved in other matters, for example to join a sub-committee relevant to their skill set or working group, take part in a recruitment panel, attend Harmeny events or support Harmeny’s work externally. Sub-committees meet in advance of the main meetings for a shorter duration, and are generally conducted virtually.

Harmeny is committed to equality of opportunity and the promotion of diversity, including in relation to its Board. We welcome applications from all parts of society, and we encourage applications from individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds and those who are care-experienced.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a team of Trustees in a friendly organisation making a difference to the lives of some of Scotland’s most remarkable children. Support and mentoring can be provided to the successful candidate, particularly those who may be early in their career and/or lacking experience in acting as a board member. An induction programme will be provided.

A fuller job description and person specification can be found using the link below. Harmeny is a values-led organisation and a good fit with our ethos is as important to us as having relevant experience.

There is no remuneration attached to the role but out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed.

If you would like to find out more about this rewarding opportunity, please contact Gavin Calder, Chief Executive, on 0131 449 3938.

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 help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many 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.

Overview:

The Debt Service Co-ordinator will be responsible for the strategic oversight of our debt team, including monitoring funder relationships, service delivery management and direct line management for 5 Financial Inclusion Advisors. The Debt Service Co-ordinator will provide day-to-day technical debt support to the Financial Inclusion Advisors and ensure the quality of advice given meets expected standards. They will ensure that all outcomes of the projects are being met in line with the Scottish Government Debt Levy funding requirements and also be expected to oversee all aspects of the debt team’s ongoing development and learning needs, being a trusted and motivational leader.

Equal Opportunities and Family Friendly Employment

OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer. OPFS has Investors In People Gold status.