In Scotland two people die by suicide every day. That’s two too many. At SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health) we support the national ambition of the Scottish Government and COSLA that any child, young person or adult who has thoughts of taking their own life, or is affected by suicide, should be able to get the help they need and feel a sense of hope.

Around since 1923, we are Scotland’s national mental health charity. We are a committed member of the Suicide Prevention Scotland delivery collective, ensuring that lived and living experience is at the forefront of delivering Scotland’s national suicide prevention strategy, Creating Hope Together.

For Scotland’s Mental Health

About the Role

The Lived and Living Experience Panel (LLEP) is a group of people from across Scotland who have lived experience of suicide. Some are people who have been bereaved by suicide. Others are people who have been suicidal in the past, or have been or are currently carers for family members or friends living with suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

The purpose of the LLEP is to ensure that the voice of people with experience of suicide is at the heart of the Creating Hope Together strategy. The panel plays a central role in co-producing Suicide Prevention Scotland’s programme of work.

SAMH hosts the LLEP on behalf of Suicide Prevention Scotland. The work of the panel is supported by the Lived and Living Experience Panel Coordinator and this role, the Safeguarding Officer.

In this role you will manage safeguarding processes and activities that support people with lived experience to be directly involved and influence positive change in suicide prevention work. You will provide safeguarding guidance and support to LLEP members, and build and maintain relationships across the Suicide Prevention Scotland delivery collective.

What we are looking for:

To be successful in this post you will need a significant level of experience in safeguarding, alongside either a qualification in a related area, or experience of supporting people with lived or living experience.

You will have experience of supporting people in crisis, and providing emotional support, guidance and advice. You will also have solid interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport with a wide range of people.

What we will provide for you

You will work in a supportive environment and will be provided with a full induction and training opportunities. You will be given the chance to develop your knowledge and skills, as well as develop professionally. Some of our benefits include;

• Reimbursement of PVG, Disclosure & SSSC annual fees and registration costs.
• Funded continuous learning and development opportunities, access to over 100 courses online in addition to classroom and virtual training sessions
• 30 days annual leave rising to 33 after 5 years’ service (pro rata)
• 4 public holidays (pro rata)
• 2 paid wellbeing days off per year to use on what matters to you (pro rata)
• Team wellbeing budgets
• Workplace pension scheme
• Life Assurance policy
• Employee Assistance Programme

With your mental health at heart

We have an exciting opportunity for someone to join our Midlothian Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. This post is funded by Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership.

We have an exciting opportunity to join the Midlothian Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Team as a Development Worker.

Midlothian Access Point (MAP) is dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of individuals aged 18 to 65 who are registered with a GP in Midlothian. We provide a range of services including information, advice, referrals, and support to help our clients access the resources they need.

Within this role, you will be responsible for delivering individual assessments for the Midlothian Access Point. You will be required to deliver a set amount of individual assessments each week either in person, telephone or online. You will also be managing enquiries, booking MAP appointments and completing any associated administrative tasks.

The successful candidate will have responsibility for facilitating, developing, and delivering Guided Self Help sessions. Guided Self-Help is a one-to-one support service that guides people to access self-help materials. Sessions are delivered in person, online or over the phone. The service is based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Counselling (IPC) and is for anyone aged 18 and over experiencing mild to moderate anxiety and/or depression, stress or sleep problems.

They will work collaboratively with communities to provide tailored support, connect individuals to appropriate resources, and maintain a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to meet the needs of vulnerable groups.

If you have experience in these areas and are passionate about supporting people to fulfil their potential, we’d love to hear from you!

The Project Officer (No More Shame) will co-ordinate and support delivery of the partnership project ‘No More Shame’ specifically leading on the See Me deliverables. This role works in partnership with colleagues in SAMH, Combat Stress, and local area peer networks & groups to understand and tackle mental health stigma and discrimination experienced by ex‑service women in Scotland, and fulfil the requirements of the project plan agreed with the Armed Forces Covenant Trust.

Key milestones for the programme involve:

• Peer engagement and research to test the findings of a literature review.
• Support the peer/volunteer role with Combat Stress.
• Support the pilot of The Changing Rooms With SAMH.
• Co- produce a campaign with ex-service women.
• Co-ordinate activity to build a peer led movement to highlight the issues, advocate and influence change in policy and practice in health care services (including mental health).
• Support SAMH to develop a Peer-led Toolkit to support transitions.
• Support evaluation of the project.

For more information, including full job description and application/interview guidance, please download our recruitment pack.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Support & Development Worker to join our Midlothian Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Team. This post is fixed term and is funded by Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership.

The successful applicant will support people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties by developing, organising and delivering community-based green, art and active groups. You will work in a person-centered, trauma informed, strength-based and creative way, supporting people with a range of issues important to their mental health and well-being. You will also recruit, coordinate, support and supervise volunteers who co-facilitate groups, help promote services and resources and actively contribute to shaping services.

Groups will be delivered in various community venues across Midlothian,

You will have experience of developing and delivering art, green and active groups, excellent communication, IT, administration, and organisational skills, and you will develop and maintain positive and effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders, key partners, and relevant professionals.

You will be office based, travel is required across Midlothian and flexibility in working hours will also be expected to meet the needs of people we support.