Come and work with us! Play Scotland are recruiting an OPAL Mentor (East/North Scotland). OPAL – Outdoor Play and Learning - CIC is the UK's leading, award-winning organisation providing school improvement through play. As an OPAL Mentor, you will be working independently with primary school staff, guiding them through the 18-24-month strategic OPAL programme. The main goal of the programme is to support the creation of a sustainable school play culture at the same time as enabling fantastic playtime provision for children. You will be working across Scotland, facilitating eight compulsory and two optional half-day meetings per school, throughout every school's OPAL journey. Full OPAL training will be provided, to build on the successful candidates experience and expertise.

The successful post-holder will be expected to operate in line with our values which are: Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion.

Overview

All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support services that enable them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to poverty and the barriers facing many single parents and their children.

Purpose of role

The Family Support Assistant (Young Parents) will be responsible to the Service Manager and work with Family Support Workers to support the delivery of the Family Support Service for young parents. The role will include the provision of family support, outreach activities, supporting the delivery and helping with the co-ordination of Group work activities.

Do you want to make a difference to our children and young people?

Do you believe that every one of Scotland’s children and young people deserve the chance to flourish?

If so, this is the post for YOU!

About Aberlour Glasgow Intensive Family Support Service (IFSS)(City Wide)…

Aberlour will be working in partnership with the Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership and other Third Sector providers to promote the wellbeing of children and young people by offering caring and responsive support, something which is now needed more than ever as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Aberlour Glasgow Intensive Family Support will deliver the support families need, when they need it. The aim of the service is to ensure that children and young people can continue to flourish at home, at school and in their local community.

What we are looking for....

As a Family Support Worker, you will work directly with families to nurture relationships, build on existing strengths and interests, help children and families build skills and confidence and strengthen community connections. You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team that works for a period of up to 12 months with families to support and enable positive change and improve outcomes. Our ambition is to help children, young people and families feel safe, confident, capable, and included, offering support when it is needed, including evenings and weekends. We believe in working alongside families, empowering them to lead positive change in their own lives.

We are looking for candidates who are experienced in working alongside vulnerable families to assess strengths and needs as well as plan, deliver and evaluate interventions and strategies which enable families to thrive. You will have experience of child and adult protection issues. Experience of working within other childcare settings such as Residential Child Care will be considered. This post is on a fixed term contract basis until June 2024.

You must share our vision that collaborative working and relationship based early intervention is the best option for children and families who are feeling overwhelmed or excluded. Ideally you will hold a relevant professional qualification at SCQF level 7 or above, together with relevant experience of working directly with children or young people and their families. Not afraid to test new ways of working, you will bring a fresh, caring, and collaborative approach which recognises strengths and responds empathically to the needs of children, young people, and their families – this will include early mornings, evenings, and weekends.

To succeed in this role, you will need to work flexibly within a variety of locations across Glasgow City, including family homes, schools, and community settings in line with Covid guidance and safe working practices.

At Aberlour we want to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team.

What we offer...

As well as a supportive team and excellent training opportunities, we want all our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, an excellent employer pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts across various retailers.

We’re one of Scotland’s fastest growing charities, improving outcomes for children by supporting their Dads and families. We are currently looking for two trustees to join our dynamic voluntary Board team at an exciting time.

Our aim is to improve outcomes for children to ensure the best start in life by providing support to Dads and families. Our hope is through achieving this, there will be a larger shift in society toward accepting the vital role Dads play.

We currently have a vacancy for a Board member to join our Board of Trustees. As a Trustee Board Member, your responsibilities will include:

1. Setting and maintaining the strategic direction of the organisation
2. Sharing responsibility for Board decisions
3. Maintaining an overview of the organisations financial performance
4. Ensuring appropriate governance is in place
5. Attend quarterly Board Meetings.

We're particularly looking for applicants with employment law experience, or applicants who have used Dads Rock services in the past.

Remuneration/Expenses

This is an unpaid role however reasonable expenses associated with the role can be reimbursed.

Time commitment:

• You will be expected to commit to serving on the Board for a minimum of three years.
• Board Meetings take place approximately every quarter and are usually on Zoom. Dates for the following calendar year are circulated prior to, and agreed at, the last meeting of the year.
• To represent Dads Rock at other internal and external events depending on your availability.
• To participate in appropriate sub-committee groups – depending on your area of expertise and availability.
• To attend any other meetings and events by agreement of the Board, as well as our Annual General Meeting.

Main duties:

To ensure that Dads Rock:

• Complies with its governing documents, such as our Constitution and Policies
• Pursues its charitable objects as defined in its Constitution
• Applies its resources exclusively in furtherance of its objects, i.e. Dads Rock must not spend money on activities which are not included in its own objects, no matter how worthwhile or charitable those activities are
• Has an effective and efficient administration
• Is financially stable.

Contribute actively to the role of Trustee by:

• Attending Board meetings and other meetings and events
• Offer support and challenge to board colleagues and staff, adhering to collective responsibility once decisions are made
• Setting and reviewing operational policy and practice
• Defining goals, setting targets and evaluating performance against agreed targets
• Safeguard the good name and values of DR
• Protect and manage the tangible assets (property etc.) of the organisation and to ensure the proper investment of all funds
• Promote and represent DR externally as required.

In addition to the above duties of all Trustees, each Trustee should use any specific knowledge or experience they may have to help the Board reach sound decisions. This will involve scrutinising Board papers, leading discussions, focusing on key issues, and providing advice and guidance requested by the Board on new initiatives or other issues relevant to the area of work in which the Trustee has special expertise.

Person Specification:

Essential attributes

• An interest in the ethos and aims of Dads Rock.
• An understanding and acceptance of the legal duties, responsibilities and liabilities of trusteeship.
• Commitment to preparing for and attending board meetings and other meetings and events.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality on personal and sensitive information.
• The ability to work as part of the team of Trustees in order to reach sound and fair decisions.
• Ability to understand and analyse complex information, often presented in report form.
• Ability to contribute to Dads Rock strategic planning process.
• To be able to represent at least one key skill/knowledge area on the Board.
• To ensure that you are not disqualified from being a trustee for any reason.

Desirable attributes

• Given the aims of the charity, trustees with experience of one or more of the following areas is beneficial:
  • Third Sector
  • Finance
  • Fundraising
  • Fatherhood
  • Marketing and Communications (including digital)
  • Legal
  • Early Years
  • Healthcare (NHS)
  • Local Authority (i.e. Education and/or Social Work)
  • Social Enterprise
  • Human Resources

Trustee Induction includes:

An induction meeting with the Chair and if desired to be peer supported by an existing Trustee.

Benefits of becoming a Trustee:

The knowledge that you are playing a vital role in the running and development of Dads Rock; enabling the organisation to continue its work and make a difference to Scottish society.

The opportunity to enhance your existing skills and knowledge relating to the development of an innovative and dynamic voluntary organisation.

The ability to enhance your network and broaden your experience of the third sector.

Read about our other Board Members