Join Our Team – Supporting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Ukrainian Young People

Are you passionate about making a difference to the lives of young people? Do you want to be part of an innovative partnership supporting Ukrainian young people to thrive in their new communities?

U-evolve and The Junction are delighted to be recruiting for two exciting new roles as part of a partnership project providing dedicated mental health and wellbeing support for Ukrainian young people aged 12–21 living in Edinburgh.

Together, our organisations bring over 30 years of experience supporting young people's mental health across the city. Through this new programme, we will deliver accessible, trauma-informed and culturally responsive support that helps Ukrainian young people build resilience, improve their mental health and wellbeing, strengthen social connections and access the support they need.

Working closely with Ukrainian communities, local organisations and young people themselves, this project will combine individual and group wellbeing support with community engagement and service development to ensure support is shaped by the voices and experiences of the young people it serves.

The Mental Health Support Worker will provide direct mental health and wellbeing support to Ukrainian young people through one-to-one and group interventions, helping them develop resilience, confidence and positive coping strategies.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will build trusted relationships with young people, deliver evidence-informed interventions and contribute to a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where young people feel heard, supported and empowered.

You'll have experience supporting young people's mental health, a strong understanding of trauma-informed practice and safeguarding and be passionate about helping young people achieve positive mental health outcomes.

What we're looking for

We are looking for compassionate, motivated and collaborative people who believe every young person deserves access to high-quality mental health support.

Successful candidates will be passionate about improving the mental health and wellbeing of young people and committed to delivering inclusive, culturally responsive services. You'll be empathetic, approachable and reflective, with excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a supportive team.

For both roles, fluency in Ukrainian and lived experience or a strong understanding of Ukrainian culture and community needs is essential.

Both roles require experience of working with young people, knowledge of trauma-informed approaches, safeguarding and professional boundaries, and a commitment to working collaboratively with young people, communities and partner organisations.

Why join us?

At U-evolve and The Junction, you'll become part of two organisations committed to improving young people's mental health through compassionate, evidence-informed, collaborative and person-centred support.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Make a meaningful difference to the lives of Ukrainian young people.
• Help shape an innovative new service from the beginning.
• Work within a supportive and collaborative partnership.
• Receive regular supervision, reflective practice and opportunities for professional development.
• Be part of organisations that value kindness, inclusion, collaboration and learning.

We will offer you:

• Competitive holiday package
• Flexible working patterns
• Competitive Pension
• Positive supportive working environment which promotes learning and development.

If you're passionate about supporting young people's mental health and want to help build an innovative service that makes a lasting impact, we'd love to hear from you.

The Junction is seeking an enthusiastic and skilled manager to lead the delivery of our high-quality, innovative projects and services. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in ensuring our work meets the needs of young people, delivers meaningful outcomes, and creates lasting impact within our communities.

About The Junction

The Junction is an award-winning charity in North East Edinburgh that supports and improves young people’s health and wellbeing.

Last year, we supported more than 1,800 young people and supported around 150 young people through one-to-one support. As a result of the service:

• 100% of young people learned practical ways to look after their wellbeing
• 88% felt more able to cope with difficult situations
• 94% reduced or stopped substance use or learned how to reduce harm associated.

About this Role

Within this role you will champion youth participation, ensuring that young people have a genuine voice in shaping both our services and the wider development of the organisation. You will build and maintain strong relationships with partners, funders, and stakeholders, helping to strengthen The Junction’s reputation and reach.

You will lead and support a dedicated team of Project Workers, fostering a collaborative, reflective, and supportive working environment where staff and volunteers can thrive. Alongside this, you will take organisational responsibility for safeguarding as The Junction’s Child Protection Officer, ensuring the highest standards of practice and compliance.

Person Specification Summary

Essential

• Experience of supervising and managing others to deliver high-quality services
• Experience managing and leading issues related to child protection and safeguarding
• Experience of developing effective monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
• Experience of working with young people or providing one-to-one support
• Experience of reporting to and building relationships with funders
• Experience of working collaboratively with partners
• Understanding of a range of health wellbeing issues that affect young people (including mental health needs)
• Understanding of inclusive and accessible service delivery
• Passionate about improving the lives of young people
• Empathetic, approachable and positive motivator of others.

Desirable

• Professional qualification in Community Education, Counselling, Social Work, Health Promotion or equivalent
• Experience of managing waiting lists
• Knowledge of trauma informed practice.

What We Offer

• Flexible Working – We offer flexible working hours to accommodate families and childcare, caring responsibilities. Home working is anticipated and welcome for this role.
• Competitive Annual Leave Entitlement - 38 annual leave days in total, pro-rated for part-time positions.
• Competitive Pension Contribution – Auto enrolment in our pension scheme with a 5% contribution from The Junction.
• Positive Working Environment – An opportunity to work with a values-based organisation that is committed to equality & inclusion.

Young Scot is the national youth information and citizenship charity for young people aged 11–26 in Scotland.

We empower young people by providing trusted information, opportunities, rewards and a platform for their voices to be heard, helping them navigate life and shape their futures.

We work in partnership with central and local government, the private sector, the third sector and young people themselves to deliver meaningful impact across Scotland.

We are looking for a creative and versatile Graphic Designer & Brand lead to join our team and bring design, visual storytelling and creative production expertise to Young Scot.

This is a hands-on creative role with a broad remit. You will help us bring our brand to life across digital and print, support our content and campaign teams with additional creative capacity, and help colleagues across the organisation develop the skills and confidence to create engaging, accessible and on-brand content themselves.

You will be a key guardian of Young Scot's visual identity, ensuring that our communications are consistent, accessible, engaging and appropriate for our audiences. You will produce design work yourself, while also knowing when to support colleagues, provide templates and guidance, or bring in specialist external creative support.

The role will work closely with colleagues across marketing, communications, content and digital. You will complement our existing content creation and digital capability rather than lead our social media or digital content strategy.

We are looking for someone who combines strong creative and design skills with a collaborative, practical and enabling approach. You will be comfortable working at pace, managing competing priorities and turning ideas and information into engaging visual communications.

A key part of the role will be helping us build a more sustainable creative model for the future. You will develop templates, tools and resources, support colleagues to use Canva and other creative platforms effectively.

ANGELS (Additional Needs Gaining Experience in Life Skills) is a service which works with children and young people, aged 8 to 15, across South Lanarkshire who have additional support needs (ASN).

ANGELS provides a range of weekly group activities which work towards specific outcomes identified by young people and their parents/carers. These activities focus on both social and practical life skills, including:

• Creative workshops: arts, crafts, music, and drama that allow participants to express themselves creatively and build confidence.
• Life skills workshops: age-appropriate activities such as baking or Makaton that foster self-sufficiency and resilience.
• Physical activities: fitness and health sessions to promote wellbeing and improve physical health.
• Community outings: experiences designed to enhance social skills and broaden horizons, reducing isolation and creating a sense of belonging.

Children and 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 create a sense of belonging.

COVEY is currently looking for a Group Facilitator to take on the organisation and delivery of our weekly ANGELS activities. Working under the guidance and supervision of the ANGELS Coordinator, the Group Facilitator will help create safe, welcoming and inclusive spaces where children and young people feel supported, heard and encouraged to engage positively.

A key part of the role will involve supporting volunteers, maintaining strong safeguarding practice and ensuring all activity is impactful and aligned with COVEY’s values. For children and young people with more complex or intersecting needs, the Facilitator will work with the Coordinator to develop robust support plans designed to meet the needs and desired outcomes for the participant.

If you are experienced in working with young people with ASN and have ideas for fun activities which help young people to develop life skills, then this is the right role for you.

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 (pro-rata).
• 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