Feniks Counselling, Personal Development and Support Services Ltd. is seeking a passionate and driven Policy Development Officer to champion the rights of Polish and other Central and Eastern European (CEE) communities in Scotland.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape policy, influence decision-makers and amplify community voices at local and national level.

The Role

You will lead on policy and advocacy work, engaging with stakeholders including statutory services and the Scottish Government. Working closely with colleagues and community members, you will gather evidence, develop briefings and consultation responses, raise awareness of key issues, and support greater civic participation.

The role is primarily home-based, with occasional office attendance and travel as required. We warmly welcome applications from candidates based outside Edinburgh.

About You

You will bring at least two years’ experience in policy or advocacy work, excellent research and report-writing skills, and confidence engaging with stakeholders at all levels. Fluency in English and Polish is essential.

We are looking for someone who is self-motivated, collaborative and committed to equality, human rights and social justice.

Annual leave:34 days per annum, pro rata

Feniks is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Polish Community Link Worker to support mainly the Polish community in Edinburgh to access public and third-sector services. This is an exciting opportunity to join a well-established organisation working to improve the wellbeing and protect the rights of Central and Eastern European communities.

About the role

The Link Worker will provide information, advice and guidance to individuals, helping them overcome barriers and access appropriate services. The postholder will support clients with practical, emotional, health, education and welfare needs, and where necessary accompany them to appointments.

Working closely with healthcare professionals, social services and community organisations, you will play a key role in social prescribing and advocacy. You will also contribute to awareness-raising through social media, maintain accurate case records in line with GDPR, and support monitoring and reporting processes.

The role forms part of Feniks’ wider advocacy work supporting the rights of the Polish community in Scotland.

About you

You will have at least two years’ experience in a similar role working directly with marginalised or hard-to-reach groups.

You will demonstrate:

• Experience supporting vulnerable individuals facing complex issues
• Strong assessment and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Fluency in both English and Polish (essential)
• Good knowledge of issues affecting CEE communities, including mental health, social exclusion and immigration matters

A relevant qualification (for example, in social work, healthcare, psychology, community development or similar) is desirable.

Additional information

The role may involve occasional evening or weekend work. Some office and face-to-face work will be required. The successful candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme.

Feniks offers a supportive team environment and in-house clinical supervision in recognition of the emotional demands of the role.

If you are passionate about equality, human rights and supporting communities to thrive, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Changes East Lothian is looking for new Board members!

Are you interested in taking on a new challenge and helping those experiencing mental health issues in East Lothian?

In response to expanding the capacity of the Board and succession planning, Changes East Lothian is seeking up to five new trustees.

We anticipate that you can provide evidence of transferable skills, or experience of operating as a trustee or non-executive director.

Applications of those with experience of the following areas will be prioritised:

• Leadership in a relevant position
• Involvement in mental health, social care or the third sector
• People, HR, employment law and organisational culture;
• Business, finance or operations at an executive level.
• IT, digital, marketing, digital and comms

About Changes East Lothian

Changes was established in 1996 as a community health project and since then we have evolved and grown to the medium sized charity we are today. As we celebrate turning 30 this year, we have the opportunity to launch our new 5-year strategic plan 2026-2031and with it, reinvigorate our Board with new membership.

It has been an exciting time of change and progression for us over the last few years and we are ready to develop our systems and processes with further development opportunities and creative thinking in facing the challenges of succeeding in the third sector. Our Changes East Lothian mission is to provide everyone in East Lothian the opportunity to access a choice of activities, therapy, information, training and support that help enable positive mental health and wellbeing through individual autonomy, learning, reflection, empowerment, and connection.

We are a community at Changes, and our values include compassion, responsiveness, and life-long learning for all. As you can imagine, it is challenging working in this arena but also extremely rewarding.

Who we are looking for:

We would like applicants to:

• Empathise with our vision, mission and values;
• Demonstrate a willingness and ability to devote the necessary time and effort;
• Exercise sound and independent judgement;
• Think and apply knowledge creatively and strategically;
• Get to know our team of staff and volunteers;
• Keep themselves and the charity mission-focused;
• Analyse and evaluate information and other evidence in the execution of their duties.

In 2010, the Scottish Government contracted the Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) to develop a Framework for Justice and Remedies for Historic Abuse of Children in Care. This work led to an Action Plan to implement the recommendations of this framework.

Established in 2016, the In-Care Survivor Alliance was formed in support of a wider strategy developed by the Scottish Government to address the legacy of historic abuse in Scotland. Fully funded by the Scottish Government, the alliance is formed of three partners, the Glasgow Psychological Trauma Service (Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership), Health in Mind and Penumbra. The Alliance’s work is supported by a further network of delivery partners.

The In Care Survivors’ Alliance hosts two initiatives that contribute to the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s Action Plan on Justice for victims of Historic Abuse of Children in Care:

• Future Pathways, a national support fund for survivors of abuse or neglect in care in Scotland, and;
• Redress Support, which provides assistance to survivors who apply for financial redress.

Redress Support Service

The Redress support service is a new initiative that aims to remove barriers that individuals might face in their application for financial redress. The service delivers emotional and practical support to applicants as required during their application process. You can find out more about our service here: redress-support.scot

About the Role

Penumbra employs the Link Workers who work with the Alliance. Penumbra is committed to the values of the Alliance and is a leading provider of person-centred, trauma-informed services that provide compassionate responses to people in distress.

Link Workers provide the support to those who contact, or are referred, to the service. The aim is to provide short-term support, and to arrange supports, from a pre-defined menu of options where support requirements appear to require more than the initial support conversations.

Special condition: In person appointments with survivors will be required. Evenings and weekends may be required