Smart Play Network is a dynamic, forward thinking play organisation and charity supporting and delivering a range of play services in Scotland.
PlayTalkRead is a Scottish Government Early Years campaign aimed at promoting positive parenting in order to give children the best start in life and a strong platform for healthy growth, development and attainment.
Are you a fun and enthusiastic individual who enjoys working as part of a high energy team? Do you like to travel? Are you passionate about making a positive impact on families and understand the importance of parent and child relationships? Then this may be the job for you.
Our PlayTalkRead team travel across all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities to inspire and encourage parents and carers to interact with their babies and little ones through fun, simple and inexpensive activities. We use playing, talking and reading together as tools to support early speech, language and communication.
As a key member of the play team you will travel to locations across Scotland. Working away from home is an integral part of the role and offers a great opportunity to see Scotland while making a difference!
Having the right mind-set, attitude and approach is as important for us as having the right experience and skills.
We appreciate that the best person might not have all the criteria we have listed, so if you feel your experience and skills will help you to make a great contribution in this role and you have the right mind-set, we would welcome an application from you.
When applying, please refer to the job details for full list of essential and advantageous criteria.
If you would like an informal chat about the Play Practitioner role please email us at recruitment@smartplaynetwork.org and we will organise a phone call.
How to Apply: A link to our online application form and full job details can be found at: smartplaynetwork.org/recruitment We also accept CVs but may ask you to submit further details.
Closing date: 23rd March 2026
Interviews will take place week beginning 30th March 2026
PlayTalkRead Play Practitioner
Postcode: EH16 4BB
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We are seeking an enthusiastic and committed Residential Project Worker to join our Pentland Way Service.
The post is a full-time day shift post, 37 hours a week, worked on a rota basis including weekends.
ABOUT CAERN
Barnardo's Caern Disability Services consists of three unique Projects who deliver a variety of quality services for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism. We have done this for over forty years.
Pentland Way Project is a residential service providing support to up to three young people. Working primarily in the residential setting you will promote the happiness, safety and welfare of the young people. You will play an active role in supporting the young people and their families/carers to achieve positive outcomes, as identified in their Individual Support Plans (ISP's).
ABOUT YOU
Ideally you will have experience in working directly with children and young people in a residential setting. Experience in supporting children and young people with a learning disability and/or Autism would be an advantage. Communication with the young people is paramount - the key is time tabling; structure; reliability and consistency. You will be faced with behaviours that challenge, including physical.
The staff team across Caern Services must be fully accepting of our children and be prepared to offer them a professional relationship based on acceptance and informed by our understanding of their individual needs, wishes and experiences. We are passionate about the children and young people that we care for, showing understanding, empathy and consistency in our approach.
You will hold (or be willing to work towards) a relevant professional qualification at SCQF level 7 or above (for example SVQ3 children and young people) plus an HNC in social services. These qualifications are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as part of your employment. There may be external grants available to partly fund this.
For an informal chat about this role – please call 01968 664 792
Pay & Reward Framework
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Benefits:Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)
*T&C's apply based on contract
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Our basis and values
We are seeking an enthusiastic and committed Senior Residential Project Worker to join our Pentland Way residential Service.
Barnardo's Caern Disability Services consists of three unique Projects who deliver a variety of quality services for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism. We have done this for over 40 years.
At the Caern Short Breaks Service, we support up to 5 children and young people aged 5-18 by offering respite and short break packages to them and their families.
Working primarily in the residential setting you will promote the happiness, safety and welfare of the young people. You will play an active role in supporting the children and young people and their families/carers to achieve positive outcomes, as identified in the Young People's Individual Support Plans.
ABOUT YOU
Ideally you will have experience in working directly with children and young people in a residential setting. Experience in supporting children and young people with a learning disability and/or Autism is required.
You will work directly with the children and young people on shift, as part of the staff team on rota. In addition to this your main role will include
The staff team across Caern Services must be fully accepting of our children and be prepared to offer them a professional relationship based on acceptance and informed by our understanding of their individual needs, wishes and experiences. We are passionate about the children and young people that we care for, showing understanding, empathy and consistency in our approach.
You will currently hold or be working towards a SVQ3 (Children and Young People) and also be willing to work towards a recognised SSSC qualification/s relevant to this role (Residential Worker with Supervisory Responsibilities).
This is a full-time position (37 hours). Working on a dayshift rota basis, you will typically work a rota of 5 out of 7 days, including weekends. You will require to be flexible for the needs of the Young People and the Service.
For an informal chat about this role – please call Aileen Gallagher on 0131 339 8840.
Pay & Reward Framework
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Benefits:Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)
*T&C's apply based on contract
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
We are seeking an enthusiastic and committed Residential Project Worker to join our Short Breaks Service.
The post is a full-time day shift post, 37 hours a week, worked on a rota basis including weekends.
ABOUT CAERN
Barnardo's Caern Disability Services consists of three unique Projects who deliver a variety of quality services for young people with learning disabilities and/or autism. We have done this for over forty years.
At the Caern Short Breaks Service, we support up to 5 children and young people aged 5-18 by offering respite and short break packages to them and their families.
Working primarily in the residential setting you will promote the happiness, safety and welfare of the young people. You will play an active role in supporting the children and young people and their families/carers to achieve positive outcomes, as identified in the Young People's Individual Support Plans.
ABOUT YOU
Ideally you will have experience in working directly with children and young people in a residential setting. Experience in supporting children and young people with a learning disability and/or Autism would be an advantage. Communication with the young people is paramount - the key is time tabling; structure; reliability and consistency. You will be faced with behaviours that challenge, including physical.
The staff team across Caern Services must be fully accepting of our children and be prepared to offer them a professional relationship based on acceptance and informed by our understanding of their individual needs, wishes and experiences. We are passionate about the children and young people that we care for, showing understanding, empathy and consistency in our approach.
You will hold (or be willing to work towards) a relevant professional qualification at SCQF level 7 or above (for example SVQ3 children and young people) plus an HNC in social services. These qualifications are required to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) as part of your employment. There may be external grants available to partly fund this.
For an informal chat about this role – please call 0131 339 8840
Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Pay & Reward Framework
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Benefits
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
*T&C's apply based on contract
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Do you want to make a positive impact on the lives of children and young people with a disability and or Autism?
About Options Moray
Aberlour Options Moray is a community-based service for children/young people with learning disabilities offering residential, short breaks, family-based care and community support matched with the individual needs of every young person.
What we are looking for....
We have an opening for a Young People’s Worker, to work 16 hours per week on a permanent basis. The team work no more than 4 days before a day off and currently have every second weekend off. Rotas are designed around the needs of the young people we care for and ensuring the wellness of the practitioners we employ. Late shifts are 2pm to 10pm. Early shifts are 7.30am to 2.30pm. Overnight sleep ins are part of the role, alongside an awake member of night staff. Shifts can be subject to change as and when required for the needs of the service. Individuals need to bring a range of qualities to the role including being playful, warm and accepting and must be able to adapt their practice to appropriately meet the varying individual needs of each young person. This role can be challenging but is also immensely rewarding and provides postholders with rich opportunities to develop their own practice and understanding of the needs of children and young people with disabilities.
You must be comfortable working in a culture based on respect, integrity, innovation and the ability to challenge – both yourself and other people. We support our staff to be as effective as they can be through dedicated training and supervision. In return our staff act as exceptional role models supporting the children and young people, as well as sharing knowledge and learning with colleagues.
Ideally, you will have a relevant professional qualification at SCQF level 7 or above, or be willing to work to this requirement as per SSSC registration.
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. Aberlour’s values are critical and drive everything we do. We will be looking for someone who can demonstrate how Aberlour’s values of Respect, Innovation, Integrity and Challenge will be visible in their practice. You must be comfortable working in an environment where Aberlour’s values are lived in practice. To have a look at our values to understand more about what we are looking for from our employees click 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 and our commitment to Equality and Diversity here.
If you have any queries please e-mail: jobs@aberlour.org.uk
We also follow Data Protection Guidelines - Here is our privacy policy.
Aberlour is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all our service users and uses a thorough and rigorous recruitment and selection process including PVG Scheme checks to ensure this commitment is not compromised. Applications are welcome from diverse ethnic minority and cultural communities, and under-represented faith and religious groups.