Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care - working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

This unique role offers the opportunity to listen to and work directly with children and young people with experience of care, in an individual relationship-based advocacy role, and within participation and group activity across our North East region.

The post-holder will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across North East to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard. In this role you will have the opportunity to provide independent advocacy, children’s rights, and participation opportunities for children and young people who are looked after, Care Experienced, or subject to formal processes and structures. The role will see you actively participating in child’s plan meetings, children’s hearings, and other formal processes, as well as assisting children and young people to prepare for them. In partnership with professionals, carers, and organisations, you will help to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people by keeping detailed records of the work you undertake, writing liaison reports, and monitoring statistics.

As a vital part of the work of Who Cares? Scotland, your role will include facilitating group opportunities for and with children and young people within the North East. This includes providing engagement and participation opportunities throughout the Who Cares? Scotland local and national network, as well as meeting with care experienced children and young people to introduce the service in agreement with the local authority. Raising awareness of Who Cares? Scotland and its services with children, young people, professionals, and carers you will also be responsible for facilitating training amongst care corporate parents.

The right candidate for this post will be able to form positive relationships with children and young people and have good interpersonal skills. You will feel confident communicating with individuals and groups, both in writing and verbally, and be able to adapt to a wide range of contexts. Secure in making effective plans, as well as evidencing your work, you can prioritise and meet deadlines. You take enjoyment from working collaboratively with partners, believing in equal opportunities and inclusive working. Committed to children’s rights, you are someone who knows that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity. You can demonstrate knowledge of the current structure, developments, policy, and practice in relation to children and young people experiencing care in Scotland. You are also flexible, given the remit of the role, as some evening and weekend work will be necessary, along with a full driving licence and access to transport.

While we would welcome the knowledge gathered through relevant qualifications, we are just as interested in relevant work experience. We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.

About Bridges Partnership - Glasgow

The Bridges Partnership is jointly provided by Aberlour Glasgow Family Support Service and Shelter Scotland to provide support to mothers and their children living in the North East of Glasgow areas who are or have been affected by domestic abuse.

What we are looking for....

We are looking for a Child and Family Worker to join our team, working 37.5 hours per week. As this post includes an unsocial hours allowance, you are required to be flexible with your approach and available to work weekends, evenings and public holidays to meet the needs of the families you would support.

As a Child and Family Worker within our Bridges Partnership project you will;

· Undertake risk assessment and work to develop safety plans

· Advocate in statutory meetings, court settings and with other agencies on behalf of women and children who have or are experiencing domestic abuse.

· Using the safe and together model, you will develop reports to be used in courts in relation to civil and criminal proceedings.

· Work in partnership with the parents, either on a 1:1 basis or in groups to enhance their parenting skills and build their confidence

· Work with children and parents in a therapeutic and trauma-based approach to help them reach their full potential.

· Provide housing information and assistance

· Inform women and children of their rights

· Signposting and helping each mother to access additional services as needed.

You will have relevant experience and a sound knowledge of domestic abuse and the impact on the children and adult survivor and relevant theory in attachment and parenting. You should be able to demonstrate an understanding and commitment to women and children’s rights. You will hold a relevant professional qualification at SCQF level 7 or above. It is desired that you are IDDA trained or are willing to work towards this.

At Aberlour we want to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. To have a look at our values to understand more about what we are looking for from our employeesclick here.

What we offer...

As well as a supportive team and excellent training opportunities, we want all our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, an excellent employer pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts across various retailers. Find out more about our Employee Benefits here and our commitment to Equality and Diversity here.

Who Cares? Scotland is the national membership organisation for Care Experienced people. We strive to deliver a lifetime of equality, respect and love for everyone who has care experience. At the heart of our work are the voices and rights of Care Experienced people.

We’re looking for a dynamic Fundraising and Partnerships Manager to lead and grow our income generation and strategic partnerships. You’ll build meaningful relationships with trusts, foundations, corporates, communities and individual donors to help us secure vital funds and drive sustainable growth.

You’ll bring leadership experience, creativity and a strong track record in fundraising and partnership building. You’ll be passionate about our mission and ready to play a pivotal role in delivering our ambitious Strategic Plan.

In return, we offer flexible working, a supportive and passionate team and the chance to make a real difference in the lives of Care Experienced people across Scotland.

We welcome applications from people with care experience and are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3500 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual lifelong relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory and engagement opportunities for Care Experienced people across Scotland. We work alongside Corporate Parents and communities to broaden understanding and create change. We work with policy makers, leaders, and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy, and practice, working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

This role will involve supporting both the Volunteer Coordinator and teams across the organisation who involve volunteers in their work as well as facilitating groups for our care experienced members in the Glasgow and Renfrewshire area.

The postholder will be responsible for promoting the positive involvement of volunteers at Who Cares? Scotland, and assisting the Volunteer Coordinator on the coordination of recruitment, training, development, and support of volunteers in all areas of our work.

They will have a key role in maintaining a successful volunteer programme across the organisation working as part of the national volunteer and participation team. They will also be supporting groups that care experienced members attend and will have some experience of youth work and of planning/organising activities and events.

The post holder will be required to be flexible and work some unsocial hours to meet operational needs. There will be opportunities to work from home, but there will be a requirement for the post holder to be based in one of our Central Belt offices.

The post holder should be well organised, be a highly effective communicator, have the ability to build positive relationships, and have a genuine interest in volunteering and youth work. The post holder will also need to be efficient at working independently as well as part of wider team.

Significant experience of coordinating the work of volunteers including recruitment, selection, training, support and retention, and of meeting targets set around these areas is essential for this post. In addition, the post holder will have a sound knowledge of current research and recommendations relating to volunteer issues, and have the ability to prioritise, plan and organise tasks and activities effectively. Being strongly committed to the work of Who Cares? Scotland and our aims is also essential for this post.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you!