We’re looking for additional Project Workers for our Edinburgh team!

In this role, you’ll work closely in a supportive capacity with adults with learning disabilities and autism who attend our workshop based service; assisting individuals to build their independence and live fulfilling lives.

We currently have vacancies in our team based across Edinburgh which operates services in St. Margaret's House (Meadowbank) and Links House (Leith). At present, we are not looking for Project Workers to work from our other locations.

Our services are separated into the following workshop areas:

• St. Margaret's House: Music, Drama, Dance, Performance, and Life Skills (Upmo Retail, Upmo Empower)
• Links House: Art, IT, VR, Digital Photography

We're primarily interested in hearing from individuals interested in, or have a skillset in the following: IT & VR, Digital Multimedia, Music, or Drama. If you’re eager to make a meaningful impact, we’d love to hear from you!

Details

Pay: Upmo is a Living Wage Employer. The rate of pay for this role is currently £13.45 per hour.

Working Hours: 10:00 – 16:00, Monday – Friday, with our full time hours at 30 per week.

Available Contracts:

• [6 x] 30 Hours - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday
• [1 x] 18 Hours - Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday
• [1 x] 12 Hours - Tuesday & Friday
• [1 x] 12 Hours - Thursday & Friday

Holiday:

• Enhanced at 3 years’ service by an additional day (pro rata) per year thereafter, up to a maximum of 5 days
• 30 days per year (pro rata)
• Inclusive of Upmo's regular closure during the Christmas/New Year period

About the Role

As a Project Worker, you will be part of an enthusiastic and creative team who provide daily support to adults with learning disabilities and autism as they participate in workshop activities of their choosing within our site-based services, and café sites.

Our students attend workshops in a variety of subject areas as noted above. As such, we are interested in hearing from individuals with an interest or skill set in those areas, to fully support our students in getting the most out of their time at Upmo.

Currently, we're particularly interested a skillset in any of the following: IT & VR, Digital Multimedia, Music, or Drama. However, we are also interested in hearing from candidates with experience in care or support more generally.

The primary function of this role is to provide 1:1 support to students within workshop sessions. You will work closely with both individuals and groups to help them engage, participate, and achieve their personal goals in a safe and supportive workshop environment.

You will also be expected to assist with personal care tasks throughout the day, where required. This includes support with toileting needs, other private hygiene tasks, and eating and drinking. All personal care must be delivered with dignity, respect, and sensitivity.

Additionally, throughout the week our Project Workers will provide support to our students that access our Café sites in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure.

There are opportunities for Project Workers to take on a more active leadership role within workshops as a workshop facilitator. This aspect of the Project Worker role focuses on leading workshop activities, and involves contributing to the planning, delivery, and record keeping of workshop activities to ensure they align with our RISE curriculum with support from our Curriculum Leads.

Benefits

• A rewarding role with a values-led organisation making a real difference
• Supportive, inclusive culture and a passionate, supportive leadership team
• 5% employer contribution to pension scheme with NOWPensions
• Long service leave of 1 extra day per year from 3 years’ service, up to 1 week (pro rata)
• Annual employment anniversary award
• Employee Assistance Programme with Health Assured - includes shopping discounts
• Edinburgh Leisure CAP gym membership
• Access to Blue Light Card
• Enhanced maternity / paternity leave
• Free on-site parking

Further Info

If you have any questions or would like to know more, please don’t hesitate to contact our HR Manager, Craig Batstone at HR@upmo.org, or give us a call on 0131 608 3511.

Upmo aims to ensure that no candidate is subject to unlawful discrimination, either directly or indirectly, on the grounds of gender, race (including colour, nationality or ethnic origin), disability, sexual orientation, marital status, part time status, age, religion or belief.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and wellbeing of autistic and learning-disabled adults. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment and to help maintain a safe and secure environment for all service users.

You will work directly with neurodivergent children and young people up to age 25, providing person-centred support including 1:1 issue-based information, advice, advocacy, coaching, and support with transitions. Support is delivered through in-person sessions, virtual meetings, phone calls, email, and text, and as the service develops, the role may also involve working with small groups.

You will work with children and young people to develop plans that promote positive outcomes and uphold their rights. This includes helping them understand their neurotype and identify their strengths, challenges, and support needs, so they can communicate these effectively and be well supported across their lives. You will also help develop resources and contribute to service development.

You will be an excellent communicator, able to adapt your approach to build strong, trusting relationships with neurodivergent children and young people, and to engage effectively with a range of stakeholders.

This post may occasionally require evening and/or weekend work and will involve significant travel across Edinburgh and the Lothians. This is a hybrid role, combining home working, community settings, and attending our Edinburgh office when required.

Organisation profile

Founded on lived experience, Mindroom champions all forms of neurodiversity and supports all kinds of minds. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for neurodivergent people by removing barriers, increasing opportunities, and shaping a more accessible world.

Enable Glasgow is a community based charity working with adults with learning disabilities and their carers and families in Glasgow. We are currently recruiting for a full time support worker (37 hours pw) at our Balshagray House Service in the Broomhill area of the city. Balshagray is a supported community in the west end of Glasgow which provides 24-hour support and care to adults with learning disability. The project currently supports 17 people, 13 of whom live the main house, with another 4 living in more independent tenancies close by. We provide 24-hour waking support to service users in the main house, most of whom have relatively complex support needs. The people who are supported by Balshagray have close links with the local community, and the project actively links those living at the unit with a local support network.

We are looking for staff members who share Enable Glasgow’s values in promoting the rights of individuals with learning disabilities to live fulfilling and meaningful lives.

Our frontline support workers are incredible, caring and talented individuals whose skills are invaluable to supporting the well-being of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

You will share our passion and commitment to our service users and demonstrate empathy and a strong desire to assist individuals to reach their own potential through a person-centred approach. In return you will have the reward and satisfaction of making a real difference to individual lives and will benefit from the excellent terms and conditions Enable Glasgow offers its employees. You will receive regular and comprehensive training to give you the tools to do your job and will be supported by a committed management team who strive to promote and support professional development.

Your role will be in supporting individuals with all aspects of everyday life including maintaining health and wellbeing, and assisting individuals with running and maintaining their home. Experience in residential support work is useful but not essential. The successful applicant should also be willing to work towards an SVQ Level 3 Qualification. Must be available to work on a shift rota basis.

Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role

Embracing difference, leading change

About the opportunity:

An exciting opportunity has arisen to be a part of a change-making service, called Appletree Community. Supporting the individual, who has multiple learning disabilities including autistic traits, you will build a nurturing relationship with him, whilst gaining a rich understanding of him and how best to support. Collaborating with the dedicated team and his mother, you will use coaching, training and practical advice to develop and improve autism practice. As an organisation, we follow a stress reduction model of support, ensuring a low stress environment is achieved.

In this role, you will:

• Be actively involved in service delivery – minimum of 20 hours per week
• Reporting to the Tayside Services Manager, the Appletree Practice Advisor will support the translation of theory into practice and support the embedding of learning that focuses on reducing stress,
• Developing clear communication with the person and amongst the wider team, developing activities, supporting wellbeing and individual voice and choice,
• Support staff to complete an SVQ relevant to their registration with the SSSC
• Work collaboratively with the services and our low arousal leads to ensure the consistent application of our low arousal approach.
• Form an important part of the person’s support network; liaising with the person, their family, the wider team and various stakeholders to ensure the person’s needs and goals are met.

About You:

• The successful candidate will bring expertise and specialist knowledge, demonstrated through the following:
• Extensive, up-to-date expertise in autism, with a strong understanding of the experiences of autistic individuals and their families across the lifespan.
• Advanced knowledge of trauma-informed practice, with the ability to recognise and respond to the impact of trauma on individuals.
• Highly developed communication expertise, including the confident application of specialist tools such as visual supports (e.g. photographic tools, Now and Next) and Makaton to enable meaningful engagement.
• A strong foundation in autism practice and/or lived experience, with a proven ability to translate complex theoretical frameworks into practical, person-centred approaches.
• A clear commitment to eliminating restrictive practices and restraint, championing rights-based, ethical, and evidence-informed care
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset, with experience of driving continuous improvement, enhancing service quality.
• SVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) or actively working towards achievement
• Demonstrated ability to apply coaching models to support practice development, capability building, and reflective learning
• Proven experience in managing conflict and navigating complex, high-pressure situations, with professionalism and resilience

Full Job description HERE:

Scottish Autism Offers

• 30 days holiday (which increases with your length of service)
• Non-contributory life assurance scheme
• Workplace Pension
• Wellbeing support
• Access to High Street Retailer and Gym discounts
• Smoke Free Organisation

See our comprehensive benefits package HERE:

This post is subject to a PVG Disclosure check. All new employees must have applied to register with the Scottish Social Services Council within 3 months of starting in post and be registered within 6 months. Scottish Autism cover all the costs of PVG membership and SSSC Registration for employees.

We encourage and welcome applications from people with lived experience of autism.

For more information or an informal chat, please contact Mags Anderson, Regional Manager via mags.anderson@scottishautism.org