An exciting opportunity has become available to join Families Outside as our Communications Manager. We are looking for a proactive, creative individual to lead this work. If you are experienced and passionate about leading our full team through development and implementation of a communications strategy that reflects our Vision and Strategic Aims, then please join us!

About Us:

Families Outside is the only national charity in Scotland that works solely to support families affected by imprisonment. Imprisonment can have a huge impact on the things that matter most to families: money and secure housing, safe and connected relationships at home and in the community, and the emotional health and wellbeing of families. Families Outside is dedicated to providing a range of practical, social, and emotional support to people with someone in prison that are relationship-based, prison-aware, and family-focused.

Role Summary:

• Hours: 28 hours per week
• Contract: 2-year fixed term contract (renewal subject to funding)
• Starting salary: Families Outside Scale Points 38-41 and updated annually subject to appraisal and where funds allow. Starting salary £38,205 pro rata (0.8FTE = £30,564)
• Probation period: A probationary period of 6 months will apply.
• Location: Families Outside Head Office, Edinburgh, with scope for hybrid working

Staff Benefits:

• 25 flexible leave days plus 10 public holidays (pro rata)
• 4% matched contribution workplace pension scheme
• Hybrid & flexible working
• Employee Assistance Programme (Health Assured)
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Laptop and mobile phone for all staff

The Role:

The purpose of this role is to develop and implement strategic communications plans and increase the visibility and inclusion of families affected by imprisonment. The post holder will be responsible for communications including media relations, digital communications, and developing a strong voice for families in line with organisational aims.

They will:

• Develop and implement a communications and marketing strategy for the whole organisation to increase the engagement, visibility, and inclusion of families affected by imprisonment.
• Increase the volume of families affected by imprisonment and key stakeholders who access the information and support available from Families Outside.
• Develop key messages to ensure Families Outside is the lead national voice on the issues relating to families affected by imprisonment and identify and disseminate priority areas for policy and practice change regarding issues of common concern for families.
• Design and implement influencing activity including events, conferences, roundtable discussions, relationships with the media, and development of tools and resources.
• Engage a wide range of audiences, including the public, families affected by imprisonment, and professionals working in key settings.
• Provide safe and effective opportunities for families to influence and engage in communications work.

About You:

We are looking for an individual who is:

• Experienced in leading effective communications strategies that utilise a range of social media, marketing tools, and digital platforms
• Rights-focused and trauma-informed in their work and all they do
• Skilled in negotiation, written and oral communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• A confident and effective contributor able to work independently and as part of a team.

If you are an experienced professional with skills in communications, marketing, and the media and are passionate about making a positive difference for vulnerable groups, then we want to hear from you.

About The Role

It does not matter whether your route into leadership has been through housing, social care, homelessness, youth support or community services, if you care about young people having a safe, supportive place to call home, and you know how to lead a team with compassion, clarity and purpose, this could be the next move for you.

Supported Accommodation South Ayrshire helps reduce repeat homelessness by providing high-quality housing support in Ayr. As Service Manager, you will lead the delivery of a safe, person-centred and strengths-based service for young people experiencing homelessness, including those moving from temporary accommodation into permanent or longer-term suitable housing.

You will report to the Locality Manager and lead a team that includes a Senior Support Worker and Support Workers. You will create the conditions for colleagues to do their best work, while ensuring the people we support are treated with unconditional positive regard and receive support that reflects their individual needs, strengths and aspirations.

Right There has spent 200 years standing alongside people in Scotland. Last year, we supported almost 4,000 people to stay in their homes and stay connected to the people they love. We provide tailored support for people living with the effects of homelessness, poverty, addiction or family breakdown, meeting people where they are with no judgement and walking alongside them at the right time.

What you’ll do

• Lead with care and confidence. You will support, coach and guide your team through regular supervision, appraisals, reflective practice and day-to-day leadership.
• Keep people at the centre. You will make sure support planning is person-centred, psychologically informed and focused on each person’s strengths, safety and aspirations.
• Deliver a high-quality service. You will oversee programme delivery, contractual requirements, quality assurance, performance information and local authority reporting.
• Build strong partnerships. You will work with local authority colleagues, social work, housing services, commissioners, community partners and other agencies to support positive outcomes.
• Manage resources well. You will help set and manage budgets, use data to inform decisions and make sure the service works within agreed financial parameters.
• Support growth and improvement. You will contribute to annual business planning, policy development, new initiatives and continuous learning across the service.
• Promote a safe and inclusive culture. You will help create an environment where colleagues and the people we support feel respected, heard and safe.

What you’ll bring

You may already be managing a housing, social care or support service, or you may be ready for a broader leadership role where your judgement, organisation and values-led practice can make a real difference. We are interested in the experience you bring, the way you work with people and your commitment to learning.

• You hold, or meet the minimum requirement to hold, SVQ 3 in Social Services and Health Care at SCQF Level 7 or HNC in Social Services, enabling registration as a manager with the Care Inspectorate.
• You hold, or are willing to work towards, the required leadership and management qualification at SCQF Level 9 or 10.
• You have experience of leading, coaching, supervising or developing people.
• You understand housing support, social care, homelessness or related community-based services.
• You can plan, prioritise and make thoughtful decisions, including when situations are complex or urgent.
• You communicate clearly and respectfully, in writing and in person.
• You can build positive working relationships with colleagues, partners, commissioners and the people we support.
• You are confident using information, reports and data to support decision-making and service improvement.
• You are able to travel within the agreed geographical area and respond flexibly when the service needs it.

You do not need to have followed one fixed route into this role. Experience in third sector, housing, social care, support services, youth work, community services, partnership working, service planning or people management could all be relevant. If this role excites you but you do not meet every point, we still encourage you to apply.

Our offer

• Full-time, permanent
• Salary up to £38,896 per annum.
• Core place of work: 42 Chalmers Road, Ayr, KA7 2JQ.
• 35 hours per week worked Monday to Friday, flexibly between 9.00am and 5.00pm depending on service needs, with a one-hour unpaid break.
• Annual leave of 210 hours, equivalent to 6 weeks, rising to 280 hours, equivalent to 8 weeks, after year one. This includes public holidays.
• People’s Pension, subject to eligibility.
• Flexible working around programme needs.
• Access to wellbeing support, learning and development, funded qualifications where appropriate, Cycle to Work, Health Shield, Blue Light Card and other employee benefits.

If this sounds like the kind of role where your leadership, values and commitment to safe, supportive homes could make a real difference, we would love to hear from you. Please tell us about your experience, what matters to you about this work and how you would help create a service where young people and colleagues feel respected, supported and able to thrive.

About Us

We are a charity that recently celebrated 200 years of standing alongside people in Scotland. Last year we supported almost 4,000 people to stay in their homes and stay connected to the people they love.

It does not matter whether your route into support work has been through housing, social care, homelessness, youth work, community services or lived experience-informed practice. If you care about young people having a safe, supportive place to call home, and you know how to lead with compassion, clarity and respect, this could be the next move for you.

Supported Accommodation South Ayrshire helps reduce repeat homelessness by providing high-quality housing support in Ayr for young people aged 16 to 25. As Senior Support Worker, you will support the Service Manager with the day-to-day leadership of the programme and help make sure young people receive safe, person-centred and strengths-based support.

Right There has spent 200 years standing alongside people in Scotland. Last year, we supported almost 4,000 people to stay in their homes and stay connected to the people they love. We provide tailored support for people living with the effects of homelessness, poverty, addiction or family breakdown, meeting people where they are with no judgement and walking alongside them at the right time.

What you’ll do

• Lead and support a team. You will build positive relationships with Support Workers, provide regular supervision and appraisals, support rota planning and help create a team culture where colleagues feel supported to do their best work.
• Keep young people at the centre. You will make sure support plans, risk assessments, reviews and Keeping You Safe Plans are meaningful, up to date and focused on each person’s strengths, safety and aspirations.
• Support a safe, high-quality service. You will help maintain a safe environment, support high standards of accommodation, audit files, follow incident processes and report required Care Inspectorate notifications.
• Work in a trauma-informed way. You will promote person-centred planning, unconditional positive regard, psychologically informed practice and harm reduction approaches.
• Build strong relationships locally. You will represent Right There with local authority colleagues, social work, housing services and community partners, supporting links that help young people move forward.
• Support improvement and participation. You will contribute to team meetings, reflective practice, service development, complaints resolution and opportunities for the people we support to shape the service.

What you’ll bring

You may already be supervising or leading a team in housing, social care or support services, or you may be ready to take the next step into a broader leadership role. We are interested in the experience you bring, the way you work with people and your commitment to learning.

• You hold SVQ Level 3 in Social Services and Health Care, or an equivalent SCQF qualification, or are willing to work towards this.
• You hold, or are willing to undertake, a relevant management or supervision qualification, such as PDA Health and Social Care Supervision.
• You have experience of supervising, leading or supporting colleagues, or can show clear leadership skills.
• You have experience of working with people whose needs are relevant to this service area.
• You understand person-centred support, professional boundaries, safeguarding, confidentiality and the importance of respectful relationships.
• You can organise your time, prioritise well, meet deadlines and support staff resources around people’s needs.
• You can communicate clearly and respectfully, including through written records, reports and day-to-day conversations.
• You are confident using Microsoft Office and can work with information to support service quality and improvement.

You do not need to have followed one fixed route into this role. Experience in third sector services, housing, social care, youth work, community support, crisis work, partnership working or team coordination could all be relevant. If this role excites you but you do not meet every point, we still encourage you to apply.

Our offer

• Full-time, permanent
• Salary up to £36,002 per annum
• Core place of work: 42 Chalmers Road, Ayr, KA7 2JQ.
• Working hours are Monday to Friday between 9.00am and 10.00pm in shifts defined by your line manager, depending on service needs. Flexibility is required to work evenings and weekends when needed.
• Annual leave of 234 hours, equivalent to 6 weeks, pro rata in the first year, rising to 312 hours, equivalent to 8 weeks, pro rata in the second year. This includes public holidays.
• People’s Pension, subject to eligibility.
• Access to flexible working around programme needs, wellbeing support, learning and development, funded qualifications where appropriate, Health Shield, Cycle to Work, Blue Light Card and other employee benefits.

About Us

We are a charity that recently celebrated 200 years of standing alongside people in Scotland. Last year we supported almost 4,000 people to stay in their homes and stay connected to the people they love.

This is a unique opportunity to join a growing and well-established charity, to work as part of an inclusive, supportive team culture and to make a real, often life-changing difference in the lives of our participants. Our work is meaningful, varied and challenging, and in return, you will be able to contribute to the organisation’s strategy and direction, have opportunities for self-development and training and benefit from our comprehensive staff support package.

Venture Scotland offers a long-term, outdoor-based personal development programme which empowers young people aged 16-30, and people in addiction recovery, who face complex and difficult challenges in their lives, to create and sustain change.

We focus on the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of our participants, working with them both in group and 1-2-1 settings, to make lasting changes in their lives and help them play a positive role in their communities.

We are seeking an Outreach and Support Worker who identifies with our values of Trust, Respect, Belonging, Empowering and Compassion to work alongside our partners Move On and Elevate, to recruit and support a diverse range of people from the Glasgow recovery community into and through our Venture On To Recovery programmes.

This role will include building on our existing network of referral partners working with young people aged 16-30, to allow us, in the future, to recruit and support a diverse range of people into and through our young people’s programmes and delivering our Next Steps programme to support young people into positive destinations.

The role will also include building a network of local referrers, public speaking to interested groups, staff teams and funders, presenting our programmes in engaging and creative ways to people interested in joining our programmes and supporting them on their journey with Venture Scotland and beyond. You’ll also get a chance to get out and experience our outdoor activities alongside our groups.

Do you want to work in a supportive team who really care about the people we are helping? Do you want to work in an organisation who listens, values everyone’s views and cares about the health and wellbeing of their staff? Do you understand the transformative effect of the outdoors? Are you passionate about #ChangingLivesOutdoors?

This role is considered ‘regulated work’ as it involves activities with both children and protected adults. Under our safeguarding policy, this role will require a PVG.

If you are applying for this role you need to prove that you have the right to live and work in the UK. If you do not possess this right, then your application will not be considered.

**Please note - Unfortunately, we are not able to support sponsorship to work in the UK at this time**