Join Us at Staf – Be Part of our work with young people moving on from the care and justice system.

Staf are delighted to be recruiting for a new role to support our work across Scotland amplyfing the voice of care and justice experienced young people and those who support them

This is an exciting opportunity for someone to use their acumen for policy and creativity in communications to drive and deliver real change.

Background:

Established in 1998, Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum) is a membership organisation for all those working with young people leaving care.

At Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum), we believe that young people’s voices should shape the systems that affect their lives

The Role

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated individual to support Staf’s policy and communications activity. This role will undertake policy research and analysis, contribute to the development of Staf’s policy positions, and support the delivery of our communications and engagement work.

You will work closely with the Communications and Connecting Members Manager and the wider Staf team to produce high-quality, engaging content that amplifies the voices of care and justice experienced young people. This includes supporting the work of Youth Justice Voices and other participation projects that are developed.

You will also contribute to marketing and communications activity that supports membership growth and increases Staf’s national profile and influence which reinforces Staf’s role as the national voice of the workforce supporting young people moving on from care.

Why This Matters

At staf we create meaningful opportunities for young people and those who support them to share their experiences, influence policy, and shape practice across Scotland. This is your chance to be part of something that makes a real difference.

If you

• Are committed to children’s rights and social justice
• Have experience of sharing lived experiences in a variety of settings
• Can work flexibly and creatively in a dynamic environment
• Value reflection, learning, and trauma-informed practice
• Share our values : We listen, we care, we love

Then we would love to hear from you.

What You’ll Get

• The opportunity to influence real change for young people in the care and justice system
• A supportive, reflective, and values-led team culture
• Opportunities for learning, development, and progression
• Flexible working and a strong commitment to staff wellbeing

If you are passionate about amplifying young people’s voices and want to be part of a team that is shaping the future of youth justice in Scotland, we would love to hear from you.

As a Community Young Person and Family Support Worker (Crisis Response), you will be required to travel Scotland-wide, with potential overnight stays away from home, with expenses paid.

To continue our existing well-established service and support a Pilot project (Alternative to Policy Custody), we are looking for a keen, enthusiastic individual who has an interest in helping children, young people and their families. This new pilot will be supporting young people away from police involvement and working along side our bespoke young person and family support service.

Are you able to stay calm under pressure? Do you have these qualities? Then we have a job for you?

Purpose & Context of Role

The postholder will manage their own caseload, ensuring support plans are developed with the young person to respond to their individual needs and supporting them to improve outcomes in line with GIRFEC principles and includem’s model of support.

You will be expected to actively demonstrate leadership and ownership over effective service delivery to young people, by managing their outcomes through the use of line managers, colleagues and organisational tools, processes, policies and procedures.

Service Delivery

• To build relationships and deliver outcome-based support to young people and families, involving all key stakeholders.
• To be available for young people and families at critical times
• To explore values and attitudes with young people in a supportive manner, to affirm and validate their feelings and ideas, and nurture and confirm their learning
• To ensure a focus on regular and appropriate case progression to help young people and families recognise progress.
• To assess and respond appropriately to situations where young people and/or families may be at risk of harm.
• To actively participate in the delivery of the Includem Helpline evening and night service so support is available for young people and families 24/7
• To support with crisis management and generate solutions for young people and families using the Helpline, with risk enablement being at the heart of professional judgement and decision making

People

• To understand the different coping mechanisms that young people and their families use to deal with stress and high emotions, and to respond appropriately
• To demonstrate professional resilience when providing support with sensitive or challenging issues
• To use a strengths-based approach to empower individuals facing adversity to find solutions and make positive changes, ensuring resources are in place to sustain these changes
• To establish mutually trusting, open and non-judgemental relationship with young people and their families
• To encourage and lead collaborative team work to provide a ‘scaffolding of support’ around each young person and their family whilst developing relationships with wider community resources.
• Offer support to young people within their own communities and support them to access resources locally
• To respect and value the contribution of wider stakeholders and the delivery of Includem services
• Where opportunity allows experience of directing, supporting Sessional staff
• Any other duties as designated by your line manager

Influence

• To build relationships with Local Authorities with varying demands and priorities
• To ensure young people and families are empowered to make informed choices
• To support young people and families to effectively communicate with others
• To work with young people to identify goals aligned to wellbeing indicators and to positively influence progression towards these goals.
• To reflect on practice, share learning and promote continuous practice improvement within a team setting.
• To articulate and endorse the Includem framework of intervention and the key aspects of the service delivery model to a wide audience.
• To role model appropriate practice standards and professional boundaries to others
• To ensure a high-quality service is delivered to young people and families
• Demonstrate understanding of your impact on people and how they might see you.
• To develop partnership working within communities.

Resources

• To deploy time effectively to meet the needs of young people and families to ensure the service is available 24/7, 365 days per year.
• Able and willing to travel anywhere in Scotland to respond to needs from Local Authorities, including overnight stays away from home.
• To maintain and produce accurate and timely records and reports.
• To ensure support is delivered in line with Includem’s Policies, Procedures, SSSC Codes of Practice & National Guidelines.

Quality Assurance

• To be accountable for the quality of your work and responsible for any work delegated to others within the Includem support, and be able to evidence this work effectively.
• To actively participate in formal supervision and continuous professional development.
• To have an overview of the work delegated to other Includem workers involved in delivering individualised support to your young people.
• To generate creative and new solutions to issues faced by young people and families.

A UK driving license is an essential requirement for the role.

If you would like further information about the role, please call HR on 0141 427 0523

CashBack Connections supports young people (aged 10-16) across deprived areas of Lanarkshire who are at risk of involvement in antisocial behaviour/offending by providing one-to-one and group befriending/mentoring opportunities. The project aims to guide young people away from negative influences and towards positive pathways of their choosing, while also supporting families facing challenges such as poverty, poor mental health, or substance misuse.

Young people will take part in activities that interest them, helping them to gain new experiences, develop skills, build confidence, and (importantly) have fun. Alongside developing trusting relationships with volunteers and peers, the project will reduce isolation, improve wellbeing, and strengthen community connections. Where appropriate, families will also be offered support to address barriers affecting a young person’s progress.

With the delivery of the project about to begin, COVEY is now seeking a compassionate, skilled and proactive CashBack Connections Coordinator to lead the delivery of the project.

The CashBack Connections Coordinator will develop and deliver a blend of group support and one-to-one befriending and mentoring support, using a relationship-based and trauma-informed approach to build trust, strengthen resilience and promote positive engagement.

They will work closely with Service Managers, Family Support Workers, Volunteers and Group Facilitators to ensure safe, effective and high-quality delivery that aims to reduce the risk of antisocial behaviour/offending, helping young people to realise their potential and move towards education/training or employment.

A key part of the role will involve coordinating and supporting Volunteers and Group Facilitators, maintaining strong safeguarding practice and ensuring all activity is impactful and aligned with COVEY’s values. For young people with more complex needs, the Coordinator will collaborate with COVEY’s Family Support team to provide integrated, whole-family interventions, including more intensive support during periods of heightened risk or early intervention to prevent escalation.

As this is a new project, the role offers an exciting opportunity to bring fresh ideas, shape the development of CashBack Connections and directly influence the positive outcomes we aim to achieve for disadvantaged young people and their families.

What we offer

We offer a rewarding role with the opportunity to develop your skills and future career in an enriching environment with the following benefits:

• 6% employer pension contribution
• 22 days A/L (rising to up to 27 days) and 10 public holidays.
• One special leave day to celebrate your birthday
• Flexible working
• HSF Health plan (including dental, optical, physio claim back, personal accident coverage, GP, mental health counselling, legal support, and discounts for gym, cinema, and shopping)
• Quarterly staff wellbeing activities
• Access to ScotWest Credit Union (loans, mortgages, and savings accounts)
• Access to learning and development opportunities