Community and Engagement Team Member – Thinking Space

  • Full time
  • £28,800
  • Hybrid: Scotland (hybrid role based between home and the identified partner locations predominately in Central Belt of Scotland)
  • Closing 8th January 2026


  • Advertised from 19th December 2025
  • 37.5hrs a week, fixed term until September 2027

Role

Passionate about engaging with young people? Experienced in creating a safe environment and allowing young people to talk about what is important to them? This opportunity is for you!

Join the Why Not? Trust team as a Community and Engagement Team Member – Thinking Space. Due to further development, we are now offering a second full-time appointment.

Thinking Space is a unique initiative funded by The Henry Smith Foundation, designed to support care-experienced young people across Scotland. Underpinned by Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) principles, Thinking Space uses mapping techniques to help young people explore their past, understand how previous experiences and relationships influence their present circumstances, and consider the potential impact on their future.

This confidential and safe environment enables participants to develop positive coping strategies and build resilience. Following your induction and initial training, you will work directly with care-experienced young people in specific locations, offering them the opportunity to reflect on how past relationships may have shaped their sense of self, decision-making, and ability to form new connections. You will also support them in exploring learned coping mechanisms and adopting healthier alternatives.

As part of The Why Not? Team, you will have access to ongoing support and professional development opportunities to enhance your practice and impact. This role will be line managed by the Why Not Trust, Operational Lead. A UK driving license is required for this role. A secondment will be explored if requested.

Everyone's behaviour will be led by the principles of The Why Not Trust.

Why Not Principles

These principles are what underpin all we do; they show our values and shape our behaviours. They make it clear to all what they should expect from us and what we expect from them.

#1 Show respect - everyone is worthy of being treated with a high level of respect. Stigma and discrimination are not welcome, and we will strive to eliminate both.

#2 Be Kind – We cannot control other people’s behaviour, but we can control our own. We will treat people with kindness and use curiosity and listening to understand other perspectives.

#3 Be human – we are all human and no matter how well intended we are, we will all make mistakes, we will own these and learn from them. We will help each other learn by being honest with each other.

#4 Promote the positives – we will focus on strengths and support learning in every way we can. We will celebrate success and recognise achievements. We will recognise everyone is doing their best.

#5 Be ambitious – we will strive for success in all we do, recognise the change we want to make and go for it!

#6 Recruit allies – we will work with others to achieve our aims and support others to achieve theirs.

#7 Champion individual growth – we will support the development of individuals, promote opportunities, and develop leadership qualities.

#8 Keep it real – we will do our best to recognise when we or others are feeling challenged and offer support where we can. We will pull together; no-one is too important to help do what needs done. We will strive to avoid jargon and use inclusive language.

#9 Be storytellers – we will share our learning and tell our generic stories or share themes, where it supports learning. We will not share individual ‘case studies’ or require people to tell their story.

#10 Listen to learn – we will listen to people to learn, not to respond. We will allow others processing time and go at their pace.

Online Info Sessions to find out more about us and the role:

Tuesday, 23rd December at 4pm-4:45pm – weblink

Monday, 5th January at 4pm-4:45pm – weblink

Application notes

Closing date: 8th January 2026 at 5pm

Interviews tentatively scheduled for 14th and 15th January 2026

Weblink to Application: forms.office.com/e/pgxJNWtvGP