About Us:

Murray’s Initiative (formerly known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and asset-based approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.

Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, young persons peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.

Murray’s Initiative is also a recognised provider of professional development, offering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.

The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

About the Role:

The role of Peer Education Support Worker will support our peer-led Harm Reduction Service (U-Turn), benefiting young people aged 12 – 25 years old. This service is funded by Young Start from The National Lottery.

The main focus of this service is to provide Peer Education, with the added provision of one to one support for young Peer Educators. The service adopts an active citizenship approach when working with young people. There will be an expectation that the Peer Educators will work towards achieving qualifications through training and as a result of the work they undertake.

The service specifically targets some of the most vulnerable young people in areas where Murray’s Initiative currently delivers services, aiming to reduce the harm caused by alcohol and other drugs within their communities.

The Peer Educators will be supported to deliver peer-led inputs to other Young People on issued-based topics, with a focus to incorporate a harm reduction approach as well as a separate element of addressing stigma/language around drug and alcohol use.

The Peer Education Support Worker will report to the Service Manager – Education & Development.

This post requires a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme membership for both Children and Adults -successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme.

About Us:

Murray’s Initiative (formally known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and asset-based approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.

Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, young persons peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.

Murray’s Initiative is also a recognised provider of professional development, oAering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.

The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

About the Role: Based within the Men’s Health and Wellbeing Service at Murray’s Initiative, the role of Men’s Wellbeing Support Worker is to provide one-to-one health and wellbeing support to men who have experienced both trauma and addiction. The Wellbeing Support Worker will help individuals to achieve positive health and wellbeing outcomes and also facilitate groups as a key part of their role.

The Wellbeing Support Worker will report to the Service Manager – Wellbeing. This post requires membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme membership for children and protected adults.

Successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme.

Organisation Profile

Murray’s Initiative (formally known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and assetbased approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.

Murray’s Initiative is a recognised provider of professional development, offering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, men’s service, young person’s peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.

Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire and North Lanarkshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.

The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

Murray’s Initiative is looking to attract experienced trainers who hold a COSCA Trainer Accreditation to deliver the Online Condensed COSCA Counselling Skills Course.

The Online Condensed COSCA Counselling Skills Course is delivered in 4 modules. Each module is delivered over 2 weekends. The complete course will be delivered online.

- Murray’s Initiative would guarantee at least one course delivery per annum.

- Flat fee per module delivery & marking: £850

- Zoom use included on Murray’s Initiative Zoom account

Murray’s Initiative are COSCA Recognition Scheme for Organisations and adheres to the COSCA Statement of Ethics & Code of Practice for good practice in counselling, psychotherapy and counselling skills. We also ensure that all trainers contracted by Murray’s Initiative are members of COSCA and suitably qualified. Additionally, this post requires membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme for protected adults. Successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme. Additionally, they will be required to provide evidence of Personal Liability Insurance.

The Role:

Your role in our therapeutic community will be key. You will manage a caseload, assess the people who use our service and manage their recovery/care plans. It will mean developing and applying a range of therapeutic approaches to meet their individual needs, whether that’s employment, education, health etc. You’ll be the one who sees that everything is coordinated from the moment they’re referred to us to the time that they move home.

As a Therapeutic Worker, you will support individuals accessing the residential rehabilitation programme to achieve outcomes that help create long-term recovery. Using the Therapeutic Community “community as method” model you will empower individuals, families and communities to be confident about recovery.

You will support the day to day running of the therapeutic community, ensuring service user needs are met and the best possible care is provided in an environment that promotes a culture of recovery. Whilst also being confident to deliver therapeutic groups, activities, and specialist interventions in accordance with the TC manual and the needs of the service.

Previous experience is desirable, however not essential. Therapeutic Workers come from many different backgrounds and experiences, and you may have the skills required. We are seeking dedicated individuals, based on your values, willingness to learn new skills and the compassion to deliver the best service possible to our residents.

This is a full-time role of 37.5 hours per week. You will be expected to work a rolling rota which includes day, evening and weekend working.

About You:

To join us as a Therapeutic Worker at Harper House, you will need:

• An understanding of the complex issues presented by individuals within drug and alcohol recovery.
• An understanding of working with families, and individuals in the substance use sector or related field.
• The ability to be innovative and be flexible in order to meet the needs of the service.
• Be able to work effectively with multi-agencies, whilst maintaining the excellent reputation of the service.
• Knowledge of adult and child protection is essential as you will be working with vulnerable families in a residential setting.

Your Rewards:

· Starting salary of £26,298 (with yearly salary increments).

· 25 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays (with yearly salary increments).

· Benefits including season ticket loan, pension scheme and life assurance

· Support through occupational sick pay, eye-care vouchers and regular wellbeing talks and activities

· Continuous training and career development via PXL, our dedicated learning management system

· Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance programme including telephone and online access

· A rewarding role with the opportunity to help us support people on their journey to recovery and change their lives for the better.

· We’ll ensure you get all the support you need to thrive and succeed in your role and find your place amongst our incredible and collaborative team

About Harper House:

Harper House, run by Phoenix Futures Scotland, offers safe, structured support for the whole family to address their problematic drug and/or alcohol use, improve their mental health and quality of life. Our residents are able to continue caring for their children while they are working on their recovery in a supportive, nurturing, and substance-free environment.

The service was formally opened by the then First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, on November 21, 2022, in a partnership with the Scottish Government. In our first year, we have supported more than 21 families and 30 children, and have been featured as Ayrshire Community Trust’s service of the month.

About Phoenix Futures:

Phoenix Futures Group is a charity with over 50 years’ experience and a leading provider of drug and alcohol treatment. Our values are what define us and ensure we work to the highest standards. We believe in being the best, we are passionate about recovery, we value our history and use it to inform our future. We work with local authorities, other charities and service providers across the country to deliver innovative programmes and projects that change lives for the better, setting people on the path to health and emotional wellbeing. We provide a diverse range of services, our expertise in psychosocial treatment and support is the common thread that runs through everything we do. People need psychological interventions, social support, meaningful use of time, sense of purpose and a place of safety to sustain their recovery. At our core, we support people, families and communities to recover from drug and alcohol dependency.