Established in 1944, One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) is the leading charity working with single parent families in Scotland. We provide expert advice, practical support and campaign with parents to make their voices heard to change the systems, policies and attitudes that disadvantage single parent families. We work alongside single parents and their families, placing them at the centre of everything we do. Creating ways to overcome barriers, changing their lives and

fulfilling their potential. We also celebrate the many achievements of single parents and their children.

Our vision is to see a Scotland where single parent families are celebrated in all their diversity, are treated fairly and live free from discrimination and poverty. Our mission is to amplify the voices of single parent families in their unique role as sole carers and providers and together challenge stigma, poverty and inequality to achieve change.

Our values are trust, equity, justice, collaboration and compassion. These are the principles or standards that we consider important in life. They shape behaviour and guide our decisions and actions.

Our strategic objectives shape and guide all roles at OPFS. They are the pillars that underpin all our work. We all will:

1. Support single parents to build on their strengths and attributes to achieve their goals.
2. Strengthen single parent families’ wellbeing, enabling children to be happy and thrive.
3. Influence policies to eradicate child poverty taking an intersectional, equalities approach to policy making.
4. Involve single parents, experts by experience, to co-produce OPFS services and policy priorities.
5. Challenge societal attitudes and behaviours to fully support and respect single parent families.

About this role

We're looking for an experience Research Officer to join our Policy, Participation and External Relations team. This is an exciting opportunity to drive forward research projects, produce compelling findings, recommendations and high quality impact reports and webinars that bring our findings to life. We're looking for a creative and insightful person who is passionate about creating a Scotland where single parent families can thrive.

For more information, please download the Job Description & Person Specification below.

Benefits:

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
• Cycle to work scheme
• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles
• Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
• Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
• As part of our commitment to staff wellbeing, you’ll receive a paid annual Wellbeing Day to use however you choose, supporting a healthy balance between work and life.

At Action for Children, we offer more than just a job. Join us and you’ll be part of a team dedicated to giving children safe and happy childhoods. See how your skills can make a real difference, helping solve the problems children and young people face every day.

A bit about the role

This is a fantastic opportunity to join within a brand-new delivery team within our employability service. As an Employment Facilitator in South Lanarkshire or South / East Ayrshire, you’ll be part of a supportive team delivering high‑quality employability support to young people. Your role is hands‑on, varied and deeply rewarding. You’ll work one‑to‑one with young people to understand their strengths, barriers and aspirations, helping them build confidence and take practical steps towards employment.

You’ll design and deliver tailored employability sessions taking into consideration personal development and essential skills. A key part of your role will be creating outcome‑focused action plans, reviewing progress regularly, and providing warm, consistent support to help young people stay motivated and on track throughout their time with us.

Working closely with colleagues, funding partners and employers, you’ll help young people achieve and sustain a work placement and help them explore opportunities in the labour market thereafter, including helping them apply for opportunities, prepare for interviews and develop the skills they need to thrive. You’ll also support them to overcome challenges that may be holding them back, ensuring they feel heard, supported and empowered throughout their journey.

About the Service

Our Employability Service supports young people aged 16–24 across the central belt who are facing barriers to making positive choices about their future. Many of the young people we work with may be struggling to enter the labour market, or may need extra support to feel confident about their next steps. We provide a welcoming, youth‑centred environment where they can explore opportunities, build essential skills, and develop a sense of direction.

Through personalised programmes, practical activities and strong partnerships, we help young people strengthen their motivation, resilience and readiness for the world of work.

At the heart of our work is a commitment to improving life chances. We empower young people to recognise their strengths, overcome challenges, and take meaningful steps toward long‑term success.

What you do could make a difference

Some key responsibilities of an Employment Facilitator are;

• Working in line with Action for Children’s standards and professional practice expectations and helping to put these into everyday practice.
• Supporting and coordinating a caseload of young people, offering a range of tailored interventions, whether through group sessions, coordinated activities, or one‑to‑one support, to help them move towards the labour market.
• Delivering engaging sessions that contribute to our wider employability programmes, encouraging inclusion and recognising different learning styles.
• Keeping all compliance requirements up to date and accurate, ensuring we meet the needs of both the organisation and our stakeholders.

Let’s talk about you

We’re open to people joining us from a variety of backgrounds, whether you’re stepping into your first role after gaining a recent qualification or looking to build on experience in youth work, employability or a related field. What matters most is your ability to engage young people, understand their challenges, and support them to move forward with confidence.

• An SVQ Level 3 in Social Care, Guidance or a similar area would be helpful, but we’re equally open to applicants who bring relevant experience instead of a formal qualification.
• Experience working with young people in group settings, particularly those facing multiple barriers, will be really valuable.
• A good understanding of the challenges young people face when trying to access employment, and the motivation to help them overcome these.
• The ability to build positive relationships, maintain professional boundaries, and create an inclusive, youth‑centred learning environment.

Why Action for Children?

Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us change that where it really matters.

We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here.

Will you join us?

Benefits:

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
• Cycle to work scheme
• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles
• Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
• Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
• As part of our commitment to staff wellbeing, you’ll receive a paid annual Wellbeing Day to use however you choose, supporting a healthy balance between work and life.

At Action for Children, we offer more than just a job. Join us and you’ll be part of a team dedicated to giving children safe and happy childhoods. See how your skills can make a real difference, helping solve the problems children and young people face every day.

A bit about the role

This is a fantastic opportunity to join within a brand-new delivery team within our employability service. We manage and deliver a range of programmes designed to help young people thrive in adult life – including support into the world of work. You will be part of an exciting new team developing co-beneficial relationships with a wide range of employers, local authorities, and other agencies.

Some key responsibilities of a Progression and Outcomes Coordinator include:

• Aiming to hit clear targets for creating job and work experience / placement opportunities with existing and new partners across a variety of different occupational sectors
• Developing and growing our database of employers through expanding our networks and reach, via telephone, email distribution lists, social media, face to face contact with employers, delivering presentation and marketing.
• Liaising directly with employers, representing Action for Children at a range of employer forums and stakeholder events. Your talents as a networker can make a real difference to the life chances of young people with much to offer the world.
• Monitoring and reviewing young people's progress while on placements – so you can directly see the positive impact your work is having.
• Delivering employer expectations and interview skills sessions to groups of young people participating in the various programmes as required.
• Supporting employers who are offering work placement / trial opportunities to our young people.
• Organising and implementing workload, including up to date records of activity, completing paperwork required by our funders and obtaining employers liability insurance details and Health & Safety details.

Let's talk about you

• We’re looking for some relevant experience, for example recruitment or employer engagement, or possibly a sales or relationship management background.
• You’ll have a good understanding of the issues young people face in sourcing and sustaining employment.
• Experience of identifying work experience opportunities and supporting young people to participate.
• Driving licence and access to a car. The job requires the ability to travel according to the needs of the job, with reasonable adjustments, if required, according to the Equality Act.

Why Action for Children?

Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us change that where it really matters.

We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here.

Will you join us?

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our strategic vision is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual lifelong relationship-based independent advocacy and a range of local and national participatory and engagement opportunities for Care Experienced people across Scotland. We work alongside Corporate Parents and communities to broaden understanding and create change. We work with policy makers, leaders, and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy, and practice, working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

The post holder will work directly with children and young people with experience of care, in an individual relationship-based advocacy role, and within participation and group activity across North Lanarkshire. This unique role requires you to listen to what children and young people with experience of care say and support them to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard in the processes of making decisions about their lives. You will also help facilitate a broad range of participatory and engagement opportunities and create the conditions for collective advocacy.

The right candidate for this post will be brilliant at forming positive relationships with children and young people. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, adaptable to a wide range of contexts. You will enjoy working collaboratively with partners. You will be committed to children’s rights, inclusive working, equal opportunities, and believe that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity.

Flexibility will be required given the remit of the role. Some evening and weekend work will be necessary, as will a full driving licence and access to transport.

While we would welcome the knowledge gathered through relevant qualifications, we are just as interested in relevant work experience. We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.

The successful candidate will be joining Who Cares? Scotland at an exciting time, when the voices of those who are in or have experienced care are growing in power, individually and collectively – bringing with them insight, challenge, hope and change.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. To arrange an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Caroline Richardson, Director of Advocacy, Participation and Membership on crichardson@whocaresscotland.org