This is a permanent, full-time role within Scran Academy with the core purpose of supporting young people to gain confidence, experience and skills using food and cooking. The successful candidate will help change the lives of young people facing exclusion by supporting them using food and cooking as a vehicle to build skills and confidence. The post holder will support young people from 11+, with core groups aged from 14+, to gain positive experiences

through a blend of group work, vocational training, accreditation, 1-2-1 delivery and outcomes driven youth work. This means that the successful candidate will be expected to inspire and be inspired by young people. Using food, cooking and the professional rigour expected in a kitchen, the post holder will design and deliver engaging sessions that give groups and individuals a strong sense of power and purpose.The post holder will deliver across programmes within Scran, and will report to the Head of Enterprise with oversight from the Academy Programme Lead. A typical week would support delivery in various locations: Mondays, Fridays, and occasional weekends will flexibly support our catering and outreach programmes, either at our café site in Comely Bank, or at various locations from our famous food truck, the Scran Van. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will be dedicated to co-delivering our Academy and Tutoring programmes in our site at the Gyle.

A full driving license for manual vehicles is essential for this role.

About Us

School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) is a registered charity in the UK that supports young people from economically disadvantaged areas who are struggling to thrive in mainstream secondary education. There are two typical profiles of SOHK participants: Those who present as disruptive in school and those who are socially withdrawn, because of ‘Social, Emotional Learning’ (SEL) needs. By fostering an environment of genuine acceptance - and through the use of rugby related activity, personal development group sessions and specialist one-to-one support - we help our young people to thrive in school and find meaning and purpose to life.

Overview

SOHK has recently launched an ambitious new strategy to accelerate the charity’s growth and maximise impact over the next five years. We aspire to reach and support more young people at a pivotal stage in their adolescence, empowering them to unlock their potential.

To achieve this, we need to broaden our audience, inspire more supporters to become donors, and enhance how we communicate with our existing stakeholders; from course participants and educators to prospective corporate partners, fundraisers, and donors. Our marketing and communications assistant plays a vital role in that.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone creative, organised, and purpose-driven to join our Fundraising & Communications team. You’ll play a key role in boosting brand engagement and awareness, supporting fundraising activities, and producing compelling content across a range of channels.

With strong support for learning and development, this role is perfect for someone looking to build a career in communications, marketing, and fundraising while making a meaningful impact within a supportive and passionate team.

Key Responsibilities

Content Creation & Digital Presence

• Maintain and execute a content calendar with key dates.
• Draft high-quality, engaging social media content, web content, blogs, and newsletters.
• Help produce creative assets (graphics, short videos/reels, reports).
• Keep our website and social channels up-to-date and informative.
• Support the development of compelling case studies with photos/audio.
• Ensure communications are consistently on-brand, clear and concise.

Brand Awareness & Campaigns

• Assist in delivering marketing campaigns and events to raise SOHK’s profile.
• Identify ways to leverage social channels and increase engagement across LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube.
• Monitor performance of content and campaigns.

Fundraising & Supporter Engagement

• Draft fundraising and supporter communications (emails, newsletters, thank-you correspondence).
• Support fundraisers and maintain engagement.
• Help create fundraising packs and promotional materials.
• Provide some logistical support for fundraising events.

Data Management & Research

• Update and maintain fundraising CRM/database (training provided).
• Organise and maintain photos, consent records and media files.
• Assist in prepping data reports and impact metrics for management and board meetings.

Person Specification

Skills & Experience

• Experience in a communications role (desirable)
• Educated to higher education level or have relevant work experience
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills
• Good organisational and time-management abilities
• Experience of creating digital and social media content.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook and various social media platforms and digital tools (e.g. Canva, Office365, Mailchimp)
• Basic video editing skills (desirable).

Person Specification

• Highly driven and passionate about contributing to SOHK’s mission and delivering on our ambitious 5-year strategy
• Creative, enthusiastic, and confident in using storytelling and digital engagement to connect with audiences
• Excellent communicator with the ability to tailor messages for different platforms and audiences
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail
• Proactive and process-driven, with the ability to improve and develop existing systems
• Able to manage multiple tasks effectively
• A team-player with have a growth mindset, always open to feedback, learning and new challenges.

Terms of Appointment

• This is a permanent, part-time position (3 days per week), with a start date of June 2025.
• The salary is £29,250 pro rata.
• You will receive 19 days annual leave (pro rata) entitlement plus Bank Holidays and the working days between Christmas and New Year.
• This is a hybrid role but will require travel to the office in Edinburgh once a week. Some other travel may be required for events etc.
• SOHK offers flexible working hours where possible, to support work-life balance.
• All staff are required to attend our annual 3-day UK staff conference in August.
• The successful candidate will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, and the offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a senior management post within Families Outside. This is a key role for a dynamic and passionate individual interested in making a real difference in the lives of families affected by imprisonment. If you are skilled and motivated to take strategic and operational responsibility for the support of children and families and have the skills and experience to lead a team of dedicated staff, among other attributes, we would like to hear from you!

This role is primarily based in our Head Office in Edinburgh but would be feasible for anyone in the central belt.

About the role

Families Outside is the only national charity in Scotland that works solely to support children and families affected by imprisonment. This senior management post leads the strategic development and implementation of the work of Families Outside’s Family Support team, linking the work of the Regional Managers and Regional Family Support Coordinators, national Helpline, and support to Prison Visitors’ Centres to improve outcomes for children and families throughout Scotland who are affected by imprisonment. The post holder will lead and inspire a team of managers to deliver high quality integrated support within our values framework (Compassion, Integrity, Tenacity, and Expertise). Undertaking and leading on significant projects, providing strategic leadership, and promoting and representing Families Outside are all key components of this challenging role.

About you

You will need a proven relevant track record, possibly gained in a range of sectors where you operated at a senior level with external audiences and engaged with, and influenced, a variety of stakeholders. You will also need demonstrable experience in managing and developing a diverse family support service, working collaboratively to support families caught up in criminal justice processes, significant experience of child and adult protection and trauma-informed practice, and extensive experience of managing staff, students, and volunteers.

Someone who thrives on working collaboratively with others for the good of the business, you will be adept at building a network of good relationships and have an ability to develop a thorough understanding of the organisation and the wider sector quickly. You will be a good listener and positive influencer who communicates clearly, verbally and in writing; is reasonably comfortable with the media and Parliamentary bodies; and, where appropriate, is able to persuade others to change their views, intentions, or actions.

The leadership role of Director of Services is key for the organisation: you will lead a team of 4 – 5 managers, and as a member of the 3-person Senior Management Team will report directly to the CEO. Providing leadership and effective day-to-day management of the Family Support Team, you will ensure that Families Outside is a key contributor to local and national policy and the lead national voice on issues relating to families affected by imprisonment.

This is an exciting role for the right applicant. It comes at a time where Families Outside has undertaken a major restructuring programme and is regrouping to make best use of our capacity. This is an exciting time to join the team, where you will have the opportunity to deliver the ambitions of Families Outside on a national and international stage.

Staff Benefits

25 flexible leave days plus 10 public holidays

4% matched contribution workplace pension scheme

Hybrid & flexible working

Employee Assistance Programme (Health Assured)

Cycle to Work Scheme

Laptop and mobile phone for all staff