Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care – working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

This unique role offers the opportunity to listen to and 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 our South East region.

The post-holder will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across Edinburgh to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard. In this role you will have the opportunity to provide independent advocacy, children’s rights, and participation opportunities for children and young people who are looked after, Care Experienced, or subject to formal processes and structures. The role will see you actively participating in child’s plan meetings, children’s hearings, and other formal processes, as well as assisting children and young people to prepare for them. In partnership with professionals, carers, and organisations, you will help to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people by keeping detailed records of the work you undertake, writing liaison reports, and monitoring statistics.

As a vital part of the work of Who Cares? Scotland, your role will include facilitating group opportunities for and with children and young people within Edinburghl. This includes providing engagement and participation opportunities throughout the Who Cares? Scotland local and national network, as well as meeting with care experienced children and young people to introduce the service in agreement with the local authority. Raising awareness of Who Cares? Scotland and its services with children, young people, professionals, and carers you will also be responsible for facilitating training amongst care corporate parents.

The right candidate for this post will be able to form positive relationships with children and young people and have good interpersonal skills. You will feel confident communicating with individuals and groups, both in writing and verbally, and be able to adapt to a wide range of contexts. Secure in making effective plans, as well as evidencing your work, you can prioritise and meet deadlines. You take enjoyment from working collaboratively with partners, believing in equal opportunities and inclusive working. Committed to children’s rights, you are someone who knows that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity. You can demonstrate knowledge of the current structure, developments, policy, and practice in relation to children and young people experiencing care in Scotland. You are also flexible, given the remit of the role, as some evening and weekend work will be necessary, along with 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 and working within the South East team 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 Ray MacLean Manager of Advocacy and Participation, on rmaclean@whocaresscotland.org.

Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care – working together to build on the aspirations ofThe Promiseand secure positive change.

This role offers the opportunity to work directly with children and young people with experience of care. The Advocacy & Participation Worker will provide individual relationship-based advocacy support and will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across the Western Isles to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard.

In this role you will have the opportunity to provide independent advocacy, children’s rights, and participation opportunities for children and young people who are looked after, Care Experienced, or subject to formal processes and structures. The role will see you actively participating in child’s plan meetings, children’s hearings, and other formal processes. In partnership with professionals, carers, and organisations, you will help to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.

The role will also include facilitating group opportunities for and with children and young people, including providing engagement and participation opportunities, both locally and nationally.

The post holder will raise awareness of Who Cares? Scotland and its services to children, young people, professionals, third sector partners and carers.

The right candidate for this post will be able to form positive relationships with children and young people and have good interpersonal skills. You will feel confident communicating with individuals and groups, both in writing and verbally, and be able to adapt your approach to a wide range of contexts. Secure in making effective plans, as well as evidencing your work, you will prioritize and meet deadlines. You will take enjoyment from working collaboratively with partners, believing in equal opportunities and inclusive working. Committed to children’s rights, you are someone who knows that all young people can make transformative changes happen in their lives if given the opportunity. You will have demonstrable knowledge of the current structures, developments, policy, and practice in relation to children and young people experiencing care in Scotland.

You will be flexible in your approach, be able to work occasional evening and weekends (with prior agreement), and have a full driving license, access to own transport and business insurance.

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.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. For an informal conversation about this opportunity please contact Leanne Murdoch, our Advocacy and Participation Manager at lmurdoch@whocaresscotland.org.

Benefits:

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave.
• 1 well-being day per year.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles.
• Flexible maternity, paternity, and adoption packages.
• Up to 7% employer pension contribution and life assurance cover.
• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers.

Why Action for Children?

Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It is the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.

A bit about the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join Action for Children as a Bid Administrator/Writer on a Permanent Contract working 35 hours per week on a Hybrid basis. The successful candidate will play an essential role within the smooth running and efficient functioning of a busy, fast-paced team. The postholder will help to maintain systems and processes relating to all aspects of Business Development including tendering activities. The postholder will be responsible for opportunity administration, record keeping, reporting and compliance, while contributing to the coordination, production and submission of tenders. This will include providing input to written responses as well as organising and compiling required information, evidence and content.

We welcome applications from candidates with a strong background in administration, with full induction in Business Development activities.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

• Working as part of a busy team to support opportunity administration and tender coordination, production and submission.
• Using external systems to help identify and manage a pipeline of Business Development opportunities.
• Following defined internal processes to ensure a structured approach to bid coordination and production.
• Maintaining appropriate records relating to Business Development activities and performance and supporting reporting processes.
• Take responsibility for collaborating effectively with a range of internal colleagues and teams to gain required input to inform tender responses.
• Gathering, organising and compiling information, evidence and content in a way that is clear, easy to understand and logically structured.
• Providing input to written responses which help to demonstrate organisational compliance with commissioner and funding requirements.
• Take responsibility for key aspects of the tender submission process including preparation and planning for timely submissions.
• Responding to all requests to meet commissioner requirements and deadlines.

Let's talk about you

• Highly organised and experienced at working to deadlines.
• Ability to prioritise and manage multiple pieces of work simultaneously.
• Ability to develop strong working relationships with a range of departments, teams and stakeholders.
• Experience of working with complex information to identify priorities and timeline work in a structured way.
• Prominent level of IT skills, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• A team player who enjoys problem solving and has excellent attention to detail.

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?