We are recruiting for a part time Community Link Worker to be based in GP practices across Renfrewshire. This position is permanent and part time working 30 hours per week across Tuesday to Friday (7.5 hours per day). This post requires the ability to travel between locations, as such a driving license and access to a vehicle is required.

We provide a mix of in person appointments from GP practices, home visits, meetings at community based venues and remote support via telephone or an online platform. Find out more about Community Link on our website. As a leading charity supporting people with drug, alcohol, and mental health challenges, we operate over 80 services across England and Scotland, providing free and confidential support to more than 100,000 people each year. Find out more about us on our website.

Please use the linked job description to support your application.

As a Community Link Worker, we offer a salary of £28,325 per year pro rata, rising each year in line with our pay progression salary bands, to £32,960 per year pro rata. For further details please reach out to a member of the recruitment team via recruitment@wearewithyou.org.uk.

Job Description

Our Community Link Workers are uniquely placed third sector workers operating within GP Practices. They bring a unique skill set and third sector perspective that complements the work of the multidisciplinary primary care team. Through 1:1 appointments, using evidence based interventions and small group work we help people change their lives for the better. It is all about getting the right support to people at the right time.

Common reasons for referral to our service include low level mental health difficulties, problems with housing, poverty, relationships and bereavement.

You can expect a comprehensive induction and training, alongside the support of an experienced team to support you in understanding your role. Our team covers the whole of Renfrewshire, you will have monthly 1-1 support, 6 weekly reflective practice sessions and team meetings online and in person. We have a supportive team culture and plenty of opportunities to connect with colleagues.

As a Community Link Worker, you will need an independent approach to your work and the ability to network and connect with services, locally and nationally. You will need to understand the impact of deprivation on health inequalities and have demonstrable skills in working with people to achieve their health and wellbeing goals. You will be confident in working with communities to understand local needs.

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 once your recommended friend has been employed for 6 months

Essential Skills

You will be a compassionate and motivated individual, with the ability to connect quickly with the people we support, treating them respectfully and with dignity.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Knowledge and experience of working with people who are experiencing complex social and emotional circumstances including mental health difficulties
• Ability to work in a structured service, to follow a service model and collect information about the impact of the service
• Extensive effective interpersonal skills in working with people on a 1:1 basis, including the ability to learn and use recognised therapeutic techniques
• Knowledge about the impact of poverty and health inequalities on health and wellbeing and impact of rurality on health inequalities
• Ability to establish professional relationships with multiple stakeholders; i.e. GP Practice teams, Social Work, Mental Health Services and Money Advice Services
• Evidence of creating and maintaining community connections and networking abilities
• Experience of working independently, whilst upholding the policy and procedures of the organisation
• Ability to organise own workload and appointment system and use time efficiently to deliver a targeted number of appointments
• A driving license and access to a vehicle

Ideally you will also hold SVQ level 3 Social Services and Healthcare or equivalent but this is not essential. Should you be successful in your application, you will be required to provide 3 years' worth of references and where applicable, will need to undergo an enhanced DBS/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 note that you will be required to provide 3 years worth of references and where applicable, undergo an enhanced DBS check, to be considered for a role at WithYou.

About Us:

Murray’s Initiative (formally known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and assetbased approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.

Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, young person's peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.

Murray’s Initiative is also a recognised provider of professional development, offering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.

The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

About the Role:

The role of the Employment Advisor is to prepare participants for further training, education or work and support them through the job search, application and interview process; providing them with skills, motivation, and confidence to move into suitable sustainable employment.

The Employment Advisor will make a real impact to individuals’ day to day lives as they uniquely tailor their personal development, offer emotional and practical support and set realistic goals as part of their journey to employability opportunities.

The Employment Advisor will report to the Service Manager - Employability

This post requires membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme for children and protected adults. Successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme.

About Us:

Murray’s Initiative (formerly known as Glasgow Council on Alcohol) is an independent Scottish charity that works to reduce alcohol and drug-related harm at both individual and community levels. Established in 1965, Murray’s Initiative adopts a long-term, trauma-informed and asset-based approach to changing the culture around substance use. Its services are built on a person-centred, harm-reduction model, supporting people whether their goal is to reduce consumption or achieve abstinence.

Murray’s Initiative offers free, confidential counselling services for people concerned about their own or someone else's drinking. Murray’s Initiative delivers a range of interventions including groupwork and employability support as well as a number of holistic and inclusive services, such as a women’s service for survivors of gender-based violence, young persons peer education service, LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing support and tailored wellbeing programmes.

Murray’s Initiative is also a recognised provider of professional development, offering a comprehensive training portfolio including education aimed at increasing awareness of alcohol use and promoting healthier lifestyles, COSCA Counselling Skills and a Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Murray’s Initiative deliver services over 6 days per week and throughout Glasgow, East Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire, helping people make meaningful, positive change in their lives.

The foundation of Murray’s Initiative is our supportive and inclusive culture for all who engage and work with us.

About the Role:

The role of the Young Person’s Employment Advisor is to prepare young people for further training, education or work and support them through the job search, application and interview process; providing them with skills, motivation, and confidence to move into suitable sustainable employment.ௗௗ The Young Person’s Employment Advisor promote recovery for young people where alcohol and/or drugs have been a risk for them. They will make a real impact to the day to day lives of young people as they uniquely tailor their personal development, oƯer emotional and practical support and set realistic goals as part of their journey to employability opportunities. The Young Person’s Employment Advisor will report to the Service Manager - Employability This post requires membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme for children and protected adults. Successful applicants will be required to join the PVG Scheme

Who we are

Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) is Scotland’s national alcohol charity, committed to preventing and reducing harm to individuals, families, communities and Scotland as a whole.

Scotland had been making progress in reducing alcohol consumption and harm from record levels, not least due to the positive effects of minimum unit pricing of (MUP). Unfortunately, alcohol deaths have risen significantly since 2020, due to the effect of the pandemic on consumption by heavier drinkers combined with reduced access to services. Research suggests levels of harm will continue to rise for some time.

Join us at an exciting time as we champion evidence-based alcohol policies and advocate for better access to high-quality treatment and recovery support to tackle Scotland’s alcohol crisis.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking a skilled policy professional to join our passionate team. You will have a varied and challenging role, providing policy and research support across a number of policy areas, with an initial focus on alcohol marketing and control on the sale of alcohol. Your excellent analytical, organisational and communication skills will be vital in ensuring we meet our goal of effecting policy change in Scotland, to reduce alcohol harm and improve lives.

We are looking for a candidate with:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience working in a fast-paced policy or practice environment
• Experience of analysing, interpreting and communicating evidence and research to support policy and practice development
• Experience of working collaboratively and strategically with external organisations and agencies to effect change

What we offer

Flexible and Hybrid Working

We offer flexi-time to give you more control over your working hours. We work a mixture of office and home-based days to meet the needs of the post and to accommodate the needs of the postholder.

Annual Leave

26 days paid annual leave, increasing after five years’ service. 10 days public holiday (incorporating closure between Christmas and New Year). An additional Celebration Day that may be taken at any time. Staff may purchase up to one week’s additional annual leave per holiday year.

Well-being support

We provide an Employee Assistance Programme which offers round the clock support for all staff.

Pension and Death in Service Insurance

4-6% matched employer pension contribution, rising to 7% after five years’ service. Death in Service insurance is calculated as two times salary.

Company Sick Pay

After completion of probation you can qualify for up to five months full pay then five months half pay, inclusive of SSP, in year one, increasing annually for five years.

Transport support

AFS is based in central Glasgow, close to transport hubs. We offer a Travel to Work loan to spread the cost of season tickets and access to the tax efficient benefits of the Cycle to Work scheme.

Learning

We offer a range of formal and informal training and learning opportunities to support your development.

Enhanced leave

Maternity leave and paternity leave are enhanced above statutory to help you and your family, after a qualifying service period.

Social Connection

As well as the satisfaction of working with a skilled, friendly and dedicated team to make change happen, we support formal and informal opportunities to take part in different activities and get to know your colleagues.

Alcohol Focus Scotland is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.