The Community Development Officer will play a key role in strengthening community engagement, developing activities and services, building partnerships and helping ensure that local people influence the organisation's work and future direction.

The postholder will work directly with residents, volunteers, partner organisations and stakeholders to identify needs, support local ideas and increase opportunities that improve wellbeing, inclusion and community participation while promoting rural development.

This is an opportunity to make a genuine difference by helping shape services and activities that respond directly to local need. The role will be varied and rewarding. You will build relationships with people of all ages and backgrounds while helping create opportunities that strengthen community connections, reduce barriers and increase participation.

You will have the opportunity to influence positive change and help ensure community voices are at the centre of decision-making.

About WATIF

WATIF is a development trust supporting the rural villages of Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbrax and the surrounding area. We work to strengthen and develop our communities by leading and supporting projects that respond to local needs and opportunities. Working alongside volunteers, residents and partners, we aim to create positive change and improve quality of life across this rural area.

Our team, based at Loanhead Farm which the Trust purchased in 2023, delivers our Community Action Plan and works closely with local groups, businesses and partner organisations to ensure our activities reflect community priorities.

Find out more about our work and our area at watif.org.uk

The Site Development & Facilities Lead will play a key role in overseeing the development, improvement and long-term management of WATIF’s buildings and facilities. The postholder will take responsibility for progressing projects that bring buildings and spaces into active community use, managing work from planning through to completion and ensuring facilities remain safe, compliant, sustainable and fit for purpose.

Working closely with staff, contractors, trustees and external partners, the postholder will help shape the future development of WATIF’s sites and support the organisation’s wider vision for community benefit.

You will take a leading role in transforming spaces into valuable community assets, helping turn ideas and plans into practical, usable facilities that support local people and future opportunities. The role combines strategic planning with practical delivery

This is a varied role suited to someone who enjoys problem-solving, project management and seeing projects move from concept to reality.

About WATIF

WATIF is a development trust supporting the rural villages of Woolfords, Auchengray and Tarbrax and the surrounding area. We work to strengthen and develop our communities by leading and supporting projects that respond to local needs and opportunities. Working alongside volunteers, residents and partners, we aim to create positive change and improve quality of life across this rural area.

Our team, based at Loanhead Farm which the Trust purchased in 2023, delivers our Community Action Plan and works closely with local groups, businesses and partner organisations to ensure our activities reflect community priorities.

Find out more about our work and our area at watif.org.uk

No child should face hospital alone

Are you passionate about supporting young people through life’s toughest moments?

We’re looking for a compassionate and creative Young People and family Support Officer to join our Children’s Wellbeing Service and help shape a new approach to wellbeing care in hospital.

If you thrive in emotionally complex environments, love building meaningful relationships, and want to make a real difference to children, young people and families, this could be the role for you.

Some of the things you’ll be doing:

In short, you’ll join a team of Family Support Officers and Youth workers working across the hospital, including oncology, mental health services and long term admissions, offering emotional support, practical help, and a calm, creative space for children, young people and families, bringing our mission to life and ensuring no child faces hospital alone.

More specifically, you’ll:

• Support children and young people experiencing distress and trauma, helping them feel safe, heard and empowered.
• Build strong relationships with families and hospital staff to identify those most in need of support.
• Deliver creative wellbeing activities using evidence-based approaches like the PACE model and ECHC’s bespoke Changemaker and Gamechanger programmes.
• Champion the rights of children and young people, ensuring they feel informed, included and in control throughout their hospital journey.
• Signpost and advocate connecting families with relevant services and speaking up on their behalf when needed.
• Evaluate impact gather data and feedback to help shape the future of our wellbeing services.

Let’s talk about you:

Must haves –

Proven experience supporting children, young people, and families, you're confident working directly with those who need it most.

Strong communicator with excellent listening skills.

Self-starter and team player, you can prioritise effectively, take initiative, and collaborate to meet shared goals.

Resilient and grounded, you stay calm and compassionate, even in emotionally challenging and traumatic situations.

Professional and approachable, you understand the importance of setting and maintaining healthy, respectful boundaries.

Nice to haves –

An understanding of trauma informed approaches, with a compassionate, sensitive response to children and families’ experiences.

Experienced in co-creation, you’ve designed and delivered services in genuine partnership with children, young people, and families, making sure their voices shape the support they receive.

Well connected and informed, you have knowledge of local and national services and know how to guide families toward the help they need.

Detail focused, you’re experienced in keeping accurate records, gathering data to show impact, and using it to inform and improve practice.

Why ECHC?

Working at ECHC is anything but ordinary. This isn’t just a youth work or family support role, it’s a unique opportunity to stand beside children and families during some of their toughest times, and to make a meaningful, lasting difference in their lives.

You’ll join a team of passionate, supportive colleagues who truly believe in our mission and in each other. We’ll trust you to lead with heart, think creatively, and yes, even have fun along the way.

We’ve got bold plans for the future, and we’re looking for someone just as driven and visionary to help grow our Children’s Wellbeing Services and take them to the next level.

Still reading? If you made it this far, we think there’s a strong chance you might be our kind of person. Even if you don’t tick every box, we want to encourage you to introduce yourself. Apply today.

Mission Statement

Our long-term vision is to end youth homelessness. Our more immediate mission is to ensure that every young person in Scotland has access to expert youth specific services to assist them to avoid, resolve and move on from homelessness, making it rare, brief, and non-recurring.

Context

The Upstream Project Worker plays a key role in delivering early intervention and homelessness prevention support to young people within secondary schools. Working directly with young people aged approximately 14–18, the Project Worker provides flexible, relationship-based one-to-one support alongside informal school drop-ins and targeted interventions. The focus is on building trust, creating a safe space to talk and supporting young people to navigate challenges such as family conflict, emotional wellbeing, identity, school engagement and housing instability before situations reach crisis point.

The role also involves working closely with families and school staff to ensure young people are supported in a joined-up way. This includes contributing to multi-agency discussions, supporting early identification of need through school surveys and triage processes and linking young people into appropriate services such as counselling, housing support, welfare advice and wider community resources. Practical support is a key part of the role, alongside future planning work such as CV building, employability and preparation for post-school transitions.