The Commission protects and promotes the human rights of people with mental illness, learning disabilities, dementia and related conditions.

We are recruiting for a Communications Manager to manage and deliver the Commission’s communications and media relations activity.

The post has a remit to manage the Commission’s communication programme, providing advice to the Executive Leadership Team and senior management on key issues and developing strategies that support its role in influencing policy and opinion in the mental health, learning disability, dementia and related fields, and engendering a positive reputation for the Commission amongst its key external stakeholders.

The post is the expert on communications for the Commission, giving input at a strategic level but also being involved in the day-to-day communications work.

The post holder must have a degree in a relevant discipline, such as communications, media or journalism, and significant and current experience (usually 5 years or equivalent) of working in a communications role/field. Applicants must be able to demonstrate credibility with executive/senior management teams, experience of managing media relations, developing communication plans and strategies, and building stakeholder relations.

About Us

Change Mental Health is a leading national mental health charity providing unique support to people with severe and enduring mental ill health. With over 50 years’ experience across Scotland, we believe people affected by poor mental health and illness deserve the highest quality of support in the community and that every person has the right to be valued and to share in the opportunities, challenges, and joys of everyday life.

About the Community Link Worker Service

The Community Link Worker service collaborates with selected GP surgeries – supporting adults over the age of 18 through social prescribing. Referrals are received from the GP to our Community Link Workers when there might be a concern caused by social factors, rather than a medical problem. The service focuses on improving health outcomes for people experiencing stressors in their lives due to social problems, which could lead to poor mental health.

About the Role

As a Senior Community Link Worker, you will have a developmental role as well as providing on-going support. You will be responsible for developing positive, working relationships between the Community Link Worker team, Primary Care and local community resources. You will work to ensure that people referred from Primary Care to the Community Link Worker service benefit from community resources which can contribute to improvement of their mental and physical health outcomes. You will contribute to community development in your local area of work by working with community organisations

You will carry case loads for on-going work with specific individuals for developing and reviewing personal support plans, and provide oversight of personal support plans designed and implemented by Community Link Workers. Working closely with Community Link Workers in a guidance and/or support and supervision role, you will promote good working practice and staff development.

You will also ensure that the Community Link Worker service provides an environment where people can improve their health outcomes, establish improved connections in their communities and enhance their quality of life.

Do you share our determination to address the inequalities arising from childhood abuse or neglect in care in Scotland?

Are you someone that enjoys a fast paced, varied role?

Good at prioritising and supporting others to succeed, you will lead a team that is collectively responsible for the general administration of the service, associated improvement work and the organisation of events and meetings.

You will join a warm, supportive team that strives to continually improve our work on behalf of the people we work with.

Future Pathways encourages all staff to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Hours can be worked flexibly in accordance with the needs of the service.

The role is based out of one of our two offices (Glasgow and Edinburgh) There is scope for occasional home working. Semi-regular travel may be required across Scotland.

This is a key new role in Beira’s Place where your expertise as a supervisory practitioner gained from your provision of trauma informed support services, will be utilised to directly provide high quality line management to Support Practitioner front line staff. Working under the supervision of the Support Services Co-ordinator, you will be a first point of contact to staff, providing support, advice, supervision, direct leadership and case management oversight.

This work will include safeguarding, operational & risk management and overseeing individual performance to ensure high standards of practice, continuous improvement and enhancement of practitioner standards in line with service objectives.

It is expected that this post holder will have substantial frontline experience in working with and supervising staff providing support services to women impacted by sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence.

This role requires strong leadership and a stated commitment to providing direct support services to women from aged 16 years, in a single sex, women only environment.

The Team Leader will be directly supervised by the Support Service Co-ordinator and will work closely with the Senior Management Team to help maintain the working principles, objectives and policies of Beira’s Place including to:

• Provide effective daily leadership & line management to Support Practitioners ensuring high standards of trauma-informed practice and services are delivered to women who are survivors of sexual violence, abuse and exploitation.
• Support the Support Service Co-ordinator to ensure smooth operating practices and procedures.
• Contribute to service delivery in accordance with the organisation’s ethos, policies and procedures by providing effective case and performance management, promoting safety and well-being for staff and service users alike.
• To provide reflective practice sessions in addition to existing internal and external staff support provision, to ensure high quality of standards and highlight areas of improvements.
• To recommend to the Support Service Co-ordinator a schedule and focus for service specific practice development sessions for workers, setting clear expectations of such sessions and how these developments positively impact practice and support staff wellbeing & development.
• To support the robust information gathering and evidence-based reports with the Support Service Co-ordinator, and for the CEO to report to the Board of Directors at their meetings.
• Attend internal or external meetings as appropriate to the post, as well as participating in regular internal and external supervision meetings.
• Participate in an ongoing programme of training and continuous personal and professional development to ensure that skills, knowledge and working practices are up to date and evidence based.
• Any other duties relevant to the post of Team Leader as directed by the Support Service Co-ordinator or Senior Management Team.

Requirements

The Team Leader will have a high level of professional experience working in sexual/gender-based violence services at both practitioner and management level and experience in supporting a team of Support Practitioners. They will also have extensive experience in staff supervision, delivery of support services, workforce development and performance management of support staff.

Duties

The duties of the Team Leader post will be to:

• Provide support and supervision to Support Practitioner staff, ensuring all operational service delivery processes are implemented effectively.
• Monitor cases and workloads of Support Practitioners to ensure that services are delivered in a supportive and safe environment for staff and service users.
• Work closely with the Support Service Co-ordinator and Support Service Administrator to ensure that the service is effectively delivered, with referrals and service users being responded to in a trauma informed and timely manner.
• Contribute to the identification & development of Support Practitioners overall training and development plans.
• Work closely with relevant staff to manage and minimise waiting times for service users.
• Contribute to regular team meetings, peer support meetings and facilitate individual support & supervision sessions.
• Meet regularly with the Support Service Co-ordinator, Support Service Administrator and Senior Management Team.
• Assist and participate alongside the Senior Management Team in the recruitment and induction of support staff.
• Provide input into the effective monitoring and evaluation of the organisation’s support services.
• Record and pass on any safeguarding issues or concerns raised by staff as a priority.
• Report any risk in relation to Health & Safety, confidentiality, GDPR, etc as soon as possible to the CEO or member of the Senior Management Team.
• Ensure the maintenance of accurate records in OASIS in accordance with best practice and the organisation’s policies.
• Assist with the improvement of organisational policies and procedures as appropriate.
• Liaise with external agencies, building and sustaining multi-agency partnerships as required.
• Reporting directly to the Support Service Coordinator for regular supervision and providing updates on the support service and any issues that may be occurring.
• To carry out any other duties relevant to the post of Team Leader as directed by the line manager or Senior Management Team.