As SOPA enters an exciting period of renewal and growth, we are looking for an enthusiastic and proactive Development Worker to help strengthen our membership, partnerships, communications and influence across Scotland.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced individual to make a real difference to the lives of older people across Scotland, to help amplify the voices of older people and influence positive change.

Working closely with our Members, Board of Trustees and partner organisations, you will help deliver SOPA's strategic objectives, strengthen relationships with stakeholders, and support the organisation's continued development and growth.

Key Responsibilities

Membership and Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and maintain positive relationships with SOPA members, partner organisations and key stakeholders, including Scottish Government.
• Support membership recruitment, retention and engagement activities.
• Build new partnerships with organisations that share SOPA's values and objectives.
• Outreach and Development
• Organise and coordinate a minimum of three outreach meetings each year across Scotland.
• Gather feedback from members and stakeholders to help inform SOPA's priorities and activities.
• Identify opportunities to increase SOPA's profile, reach and impact.
• Communications
• Manage and update SOPA's website and social media platforms, ensuring content remains current, engaging and relevant.
• Coordinate regular member communications, including newsletters and promotions
• Promote SOPA's activities, campaigns and events.
• Governance Support
• Work with the administrator and Trustees in planning and delivering major events, conferences and member meetings.
• Prepare progress reports for the Board of Trustees and funders.
• Contribute to the implementation of SOPA's strategic and operational plans.

Who We Are Looking For

We are seeking a self-motivated and organised individual with:

• Experience in community development, membership organisations, voluntary sector development, stakeholder engagement or a similar role.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience creating newsletters and social media campaigns.
• Strong organisational and project coordination skills.
• Ability to work independently while building effective relationships with a wide range of people.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and digital communication tools.
• Understanding of the voluntary, charity or community sector.
• Experience working with older people or age-related organisations.
• Knowledge of the policy and issues affecting older people in Scotland.

Are you a creative and motivated individual with the passion and drive to support people with a recent diagnosis of dementia to live well in their community?

If so, you can be part of a National Team of Post Diagnostic Support Link Workers (PDS Link Workers) providing high-quality, person-centred support to people living with dementia and their families for a minimum of a year following diagnosis in line the Scottish Government’s minimum guarantee.

The aim of the PDS National Service is to enable people to live well with dementia and is centred around Alzheimer Scotland's 5 pillar model so that people move on to a period of supported self- management.

The model includes understanding the illness and coming to terms with the diagnosis, peer support, connecting and maintaining links with their community along with planning for future care and decision making to develop an outcome focused plan to support their future hopes, desires and aspirations.

Supporting our West Dunbartonshire and Inverclyde locality, the post will be based within the Community Mental Health Team at Willow Clinic, Eastwood Health & Care Centre. Alzheimer Scotland’s PDS Link Workers are required to be effective team workers and have the skills to build and maintain relationships with colleagues both within Alzheimer Scotland, the NHS and other stakeholders.

Skills in using digital platforms are essential as we use a blended approach to support people that involve some virtual meetings and on-line groups.

Applicants must hold a recognised relevant professional qualification, have a good understanding of dementia and how it affects people and their families along with excellent communication skills, a warm flexible approach, combined with skills in empathy and relationship building.

In addition, you should have skills and knowledge at the Enhanced Level of the Promoting Excellence Framework or be able to evidence you are working towards its completion.

About the Role

Join us as a Virtual Recovery Worker in the Scottish Highlands.

Are you someone who easily builds trust, listens without judgment, and wants to help people make lasting changes in their lives? We’re looking for two Recovery Workers to join our Highland Anywhere service on a fixed term basis. Highland Anywhere, a WithYou service, is the first commissioned fully virtual alcohol and drug support service in the UK, an innovative service that aims to make support easier to access, wherever people are.

These positions are full time and fixed term until 30/06/2027. As a Recovery Worker, we offer a starting salary of £26,250 per annum, rising each year in line with our pay progression salary bands, to £30,900 per annum. For further details please reach out to a member of the recruitment team via recruitment@wearewithyou.org.uk.

Job Description

As a Virtual Recovery Worker, you will deliver high quality Tier 2 interventions to people who may never have engaged with traditional services. Through video, phone and digital platforms, you will complete assessments, deliver structured brief interventions, facilitate online groups and provide recovery focused support that genuinely changes lives.

You will be trusted to work autonomously as part of a closely connected virtual team, supported by strong clinical governance, and experienced leadership. Your practice will directly influence how our virtual model continues to evolve.

In this role, you will:

• Widen access for people facing geographical and social barriers
• Work flexibly and remotely while remaining fully connected to a skilled team
• Be part of an innovative service with clear strategic backing
• Develop expertise in digital recovery delivery, an area of growing national focus
• Have genuine scope to shape practice, pathways and improvement

Please use the linked job description to support your application.

Your Impact

You will carry out comprehensive remote assessments, deliver evidence informed brief interventions and build structured recovery plans that are practical and meaningful. You will manage risk confidently, work collaboratively with local partners and ensure people experience seamless support whether virtual or face to face. This is a role for someone who thrives on responsibility and wants their work to matter.

Company Benefits

• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
• An extra day off for your birthday or a special occasion of your choice
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• 2 days paid volunteer leave per year
• Auto-enrollment into We Are With You’s pension scheme
• Access to a Blue Light Card - giving you great savings on big high-street and online brands
• Flexible working opportunities and access to a range of services and resources to support you with your wellbeing
• We have an excellent Refer a Friend scheme which offers you a £500 bonus for any recommendations, any role! Our scheme allows you to recommend your friends and family to work with us and earn a £500 bonus payment for every successful referral you make. Please note, the Refer a Friend scheme is only applicable if your recommended friend completes their 6 months probation period

Essential Skills

To be successful in this role you will:

• Bring experience in alcohol and drug services or a related field.
• Be confident with building rapport remotely and can hold skilled, therapeutic conversations without being in the same room.
• Understand harm reduction, motivational approaches and trauma informed practice.
• Be organised, digitally confident and comfortable managing a caseload independently.
• Be motivated by outcomes and curious about improving systems, not just operating within them.

We welcome applications from those with lived experience. You will also need to meet our safeguarding requirements of a satisfactory enhanced PVG check.

About Us

WithYou provides free and confidential support, without judgement, to more than 100,000 people every year experiencing challenges with drugs, alcohol and mental health across England and Scotland.

Our name reflects who we are – a positive place where people can progress, connect with others and get friendly, expert help in a way that’s right for them.

Our staff team changes lives. If you’re passionate about helping people get the support they need for issues with drugs, alcohol and mental health, we’d love to hear from you.

Creating an Inclusive Environment

As an organisation, we continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our staff. We know that representing the communities we serve is key to us meeting our vision of a future where everyone lives a life free from the harm associated with drugs and alcohol. We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring and we encourage people from underrepresented communities and backgrounds to apply to join our team, including people with lived experience, people with disabilities, people from racialised communities, LGBTQ+ people, people of all ages and armed forces veterans.

As part of our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant we provide a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates that are veterans and meet all the essential criteria for a role. With You is also a Disability Confident Employer and we offer a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with a disability and meet all the essential criteria for a role.

If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we’ll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.

Please review our Recruitment Frequently Asked Questions before submitting your application.

Ark is a major provider of Housing, Care and Support to people with long term and enduring conditions such as learning disabilities, mental health issues, dementia and autism.

Ark supports people to live independently in their own homes providing everything from a few hours a week social and life admin support to 24/7 care supporting with personal care, medication, household tasks, attending appointments and leisure activities.

We have lots of opportunities across Scotland for our Support Worker roles. As we provide full training no previous is experience is required.

If you are enthusiastic about supporting people to live their best lives, then apply now to join our team!

Your main duties will include but not be limited to:

• Working with colleagues as part of an effective and efficient team to support vulnerable people.
• Communicate and work well with our supported people to provide individual care and maintain appropriate relationships.
• Being responsible in supporting individuals throughout the activities, giving positive feedback and encouragement.
• Updating and maintaining accurate records using a tablet on Arks Information Management system.

Previous experience of the following is an advantage but not essential as Ark will provide full training: Care Worker, Social worker, Home Carer, Case Worker, Care Assistant, Autism Support Worker, Personal Care Assistant , Social Care Worker.

View our job outline, find out what you working week could look like and hear from our current Support Workers on Arks website arkha.org.uk/work-with-us

Why Ark?

• No Previous Experience Required - Ark provide full training so no previous experience is required making our Support Worker roles the perfect place to start your career in Adult Social Care.
• Get a qualification while you work - Ark fully fund your SVQ2 in Health & Social Care which you complete with the support of our in house SVQ team.
• Employee Discounts - Employee Discounts Portal with 1000s of discounts on your favourite brands including Supermarkets, Cinema Tickets, Gym Membership and Holidays.
• Career Progression -Over 75% of all Managers within Care & Support have been promoted internally.
• Employee Assistance Program - Arks Employee Assistance program (EAP) gives all employees access to counselling sessions. There is also support available through weekly webinars and the EAP Website & App.
• Contracted hours to suit you-We have Full-time, Part-time and Relief Support Worker roles available at our services throughout Scotland.

In return for your valuable contribution, Ark will also offer you:

• Up to 36 days paid holiday per year pro rata
• 4% Contributory pension scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Fully funded PVG & 1st year SSSC registration paid by Ark

Our employees told us in a recent survey that they stay with Ark because they believe in our values, we have supportive managers who continually appreciate their staff and they love making a positive difference in our supported peoples lives, helping them to achieve their dreams.

Ark would love to hear from you whether you are an experienced Support Worker or new to Social Care.