The post of Peer Support Worker offers an exciting opportunity to improve the lives of people living with HIV and plays a vital role in Waverley Care and Scotland's ambition to reach Zero HIV Transmission by 2030.

This post will provide support services for all people living with HIV in the Lothian area, through community-based and peer support interventions focusing on reducing HIV stigma and improving wellbeing. The role will involve participating in presentations to community groups and organisations to raise awareness of HIV and to enable audiences to better understand what it is like to live with HIV. This includes working in conjunction with clinicians at various health settings to provide accessible peer support. Waverley Care peer support training is available for any applicants who have previously not undertaken full peer mentor training.

You will:

• Manage key worker responsibilities for a caseload of service users, who are people living with HIV that need additional support to access treatment and care, maintain good health, or improve their wellbeing
• Be involved in the training and development of our peer support services, as well as using their own lived experience to address HIV stigma.
• Work with service users to create a personal plan, using the Waverley Care baseline assessment tool, with identified outcomes and carry out regular reviews of these plans
• Provide in-clinic peer support to people at different health clinical settings across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
• Provide one-to-one peer support to service users to identify and overcome barriers to improving their health and well-being
• Facilitate opportunities for one-to-one and group peer support
• Promote the value of testing to different communities at risk of a BBV and offer BBV testing where appropriate
• Deliver BBV and sexual health advice and support through support interventions, events and outreach activities

About You

We are looking for a dynamic and motivated individual who:

• A demonstrable interest in, and passion for, improving the lives of people affected by blood-borne viruses (BBVs), in particular people disproportionately affected by HIV
• Living with HIV and experience of delivering peer support, which demonstrated good boundaries and support knowledge.
• Demonstrable experience in working with vulnerable groups, particularly those who are at heightened risk of HIV transmission
• Able to use their personal life experiences to influence positive change by offering support and guidance to others who might be dealing with similar challenges
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to develop positive relationships with a range of stakeholders
• Experience in project activity and leading in an area of work
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills appropriate for a wide range of audiences
• Be a strong team player, able to use your initiative and reflect on your practice
• Interested in development opportunities and further training

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to be part of a progressive organisation at a pivotal moment in Scotland’s public health journey. You’ll have the chance to influence real change, working alongside passionate colleagues committed to making a lasting impact on people’s lives.

We offer a supportive working environment with hybrid working options, professional development opportunities and a generous annual leave entitlement.

Ark is a major provider of Housing, Care and Support to people with long term and enduring conditions such as learning disabilities, mental health issues, dementia and autism.

Ark supports people to live independently in their own homes providing everything from a few hours a week social and life admin support to 24/7 care supporting with personal care, medication, household tasks, attending appointments and leisure activities.

We have lots of opportunities across Scotland for our Support Worker roles. As we provide full training no previous is experience is required.

If you are enthusiastic about supporting people to live their best lives, then apply now to join our team!

Your main duties will include but not be limited to:

• Working with colleagues as part of an effective and efficient team to support vulnerable people.
• Communicate and work well with our supported people to provide individual care and maintain appropriate relationships.
• Being responsible in supporting individuals throughout the activities, giving positive feedback and encouragement.
• Updating and maintaining accurate records using a tablet on Arks Information Management system.

Previous experience of the following is an advantage but not essential as Ark will provide full training: Care Worker, Social worker, Home Carer, Case Worker, Care Assistant, Autism Support Worker, Personal Care Assistant , Social Care Worker.

View our job outline, find out what you working week could look like and hear from our current Support Workers on Arks website arkha.org.uk/work-with-us

Why Ark?

• No Previous Experience Required - Ark provide full training so no previous experience is required making our Support Worker roles the perfect place to start your career in Adult Social Care.
• Get a qualification while you work - Ark fully fund your SVQ2 in Health & Social Care which you complete with the support of our in house SVQ team.
• Employee Discounts - Employee Discounts Portal with 1000s of discounts on your favourite brands including Supermarkets, Cinema Tickets, Gym Membership and Holidays.
• Career Progression -Over 75% of all Managers within Care & Support have been promoted internally.
• Employee Assistance Program - Arks Employee Assistance program (EAP) gives all employees access to counselling sessions. There is also support available through weekly webinars and the EAP Website & App.
• Contracted hours to suit you-We have Full-time, Part-time and Relief Support Worker roles available at our services throughout Scotland.

In return for your valuable contribution, Ark will also offer you:

• Up to 36 days paid holiday per year pro rata
• 4% Contributory pension scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Fully funded PVG & 1st year SSSC registration paid by Ark

Our employees told us in a recent survey that they stay with Ark because they believe in our values, we have supportive managers who continually appreciate their staff and they love making a positive difference in our supported peoples lives, helping them to achieve their dreams.

Ark would love to hear from you whether you are an experienced Support Worker or new to Social Care.

About the role

Our Communications and Engagement Co-ordinator plays a key role in raising Clan Childlaw’s profile and strengthening engagement with our growing community of professionals, partners, and supporters. This role blends communications with promotion and coordination of our training and membership programmes, helping to ensure that our expertise and impact reach the people who need them, and empowering children and young people in Scotland to use their rights to improve their lives.

Working closely with colleagues across Clan Childlaw, the postholder will lead on day-to-day communications and content creation across digital channels, coordinate the delivery of our training and events, and support the growth of our Lawyers for Children membership network.

About you

You’re a proactive and reliable team player with a genuine commitment to the mission of Clan Childlaw. With a solid background in communications, digital marketing, or related roles within the charity, legal, or public sector, and have a proven track record of coordinating training, events, or membership programmes.

A natural storyteller, you excel at writing and editing with meticulous attention to detail and tone. You are confident using social media, email marketing, and digital content tools such as Canva, Adobe, or CMS platforms, and can manage multiple projects and deadlines with creativity and precision.

Your interpersonal and networking skills allow you to build strong relationships across diverse audiences, and you are comfortable using data and analytics to monitor engagement and improve communications and training initiatives.

About Clan Childlaw

Clan wants a Scotland where all children and young people’s rights are respected, protected, and fulfilled. For that to happen, Scotland has to be a place where all children and young people can stand up for their rights. That means children and young people need:

• Lawyers that are experts in working with children
• People around them who can enable them to use their rights and amplify their voices
• To be respected as rights-holders, who are entitled to hold duty-bearers to account if their rights are not fulfilled.

Clan is an award-winning, independent children’s charity that actively supports children and young people to take ownership of their rights. We are the only charity in Scotland that provides free, independent legal representation exclusively for children and young people, which is child-centred by design. Because our lawyers work directly with children and young people whose lives are affected by legal decisions, we bring that unique practice-based knowledge to every aspect of our work. This includes our specialist training, our helpline supporting others who help children to use their voices and their rights, and our work to influence children’s rights respecting changes to practice, policy and law.

What We Do

• We stand with others who help children use their rights –

Through our membership and training for legal professionals and in legal education we are making being a “children’s lawyer” an accredited legal skill set in Scotland. Our practical training and helpline and support for advocacy in Children’s Hearings provides adults that support children and young people information and guidance that they can use to empower young people to stand up for their rights.

• We stand out through the excellence of our work –

We want our work to have as much impact as possible. We listen to what children and young people tell us about what they need from lawyers and others who support them to use their rights. We use what we learn to develop and design the services they need and talk about why young people’s rights matter, and why children and young people need lawyers.

• We stand for change –

We are lawyers for children and young people representing children and young people in court, at Children’s Hearings, and in important meetings working to give them equal opportunity to heard and use their rights. We take cases that make change for individual children and young people and help shape better rights respecting policy and practice. We use our knowledge of the law, and experience as practising lawyers for children and young people, to ask decision makers and lawmakers to change the law and the way the law is used to make sure that children and young people's rights are respected, protected and fulfilled.

Our Values

Our values are the principles we uphold in all our work, no matter what. They are the foundation of our workplace culture. Everyone who works at Clan shows our values in all they do and say.

We are supportive: We listen and respond, we provide encouragement and emotional help to children and young people, to others who support young people, and to each other.

We are bold: We are confident and courageous in amplifying the voices of children and young people. We are prepared to take risks when we need to, to defend children and young people’s rights.

We are dynamic: We are always active, always progressing. We are positive, full of energy and new ideas. We ask for change where it is needed.

"I love my job at Clan. It's busy and varied and no two days are ever the same. We have a great team here and everyone is really supportive." - A member of the Clan Childlaw team

What we can offer you

Clan Childlaw’s mission is very important to us, but our people are important too. We recognise the importance of a good work-life balance and a friendly supportive work environment. We offer:

• 33 days annual leave (inclusive of public holidays) increasing to 35 after 2 years’ service
• Auto-enrolment into our pension scheme after 3 months service
• Flexibility around your working day, with the opportunity to work your hours within the hours of 7am to 7pm, and the option to work from home some of your working week.
• Access to our employee counselling service.

Learning and development is important to us and our team. We hope it’s important to you too. You will be encouraged to engage in learning and continued professional development.

"I have never worked in such a lovely organisation before! I feel valued, seen and heard as an individual here." - A member of the Clan Childlaw team

"I love my job at Clan. It's busy and varied and no two days are ever the same. We have a great team here and everyone is really supportive." - A member of the Clan Childlaw team

Everyday people with chest, heart and stroke conditions leave hospital scared and alone. You can be part of our mission to make sure that there is no life half lived in Scotland.

By joining Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) as a Community Stroke Nurse you can be the difference between people just surviving and really living.

You will be part of Scotland’s leading charity providing support to people with Chest, Heart and Stroke conditions and Long Covid to live life to the full again.

Our Community Healthcare Support Services provide access to a range of supported self-management and community recovery services to support people across Scotland to manage their health as well as possible and adjust to life after a diagnosis of a chest or heart condition or after a stroke.

The Stroke Nurse plays a key role in supporting a seamless transition from hospital back into the community for people who have experienced a stroke and their families. The role focuses on helping individuals adjust to life after stroke by providing personalised information, advice and emotional support. A core part of the role is enabling people to develop confidence in self management, supporting them to build the skills and knowledge needed to manage their condition, maxinmise independence and improve their long term wellbeing.

The Stroke Nurse will also help deliver the evidence-based, six-week Chronic Disease Self-Management Programme, supporting people to build confidence and skills in managing their long-term health.

We are seeking an enthusiastic individual who is organised and motivated, with good communication skills. Candidates must have a first level general nursing qualification and have a minimum of 2 years’ post-registration experience in either a hospital or community setting. Experience working with people affected by stroke is essential.

CHSS employees enjoy a variety of organisational benefits including Company pension scheme, generous holiday allowance, company sick pay, employee welfare support, payment of NMC annual registration fees and life assurance.