An exciting opportunity has arisen for a senior management post within Families Outside. This is a key role for a dynamic and passionate individual interested in making a real difference in the lives of families affected by imprisonment. If you are skilled and motivated to take strategic and operational responsibility for the support of children and families and have the skills and experience to lead a team of dedicated staff, among other attributes, we would like to hear from you!

This role is primarily based in our Head Office in Edinburgh but would be feasible for anyone in the central belt.

About the role

Families Outside is the only national charity in Scotland that works solely to support children and families affected by imprisonment. This senior management post leads the strategic development and implementation of the work of Families Outside’s Family Support team, linking the work of the Regional Managers and Regional Family Support Coordinators, national Helpline, and support to Prison Visitors’ Centres to improve outcomes for children and families throughout Scotland who are affected by imprisonment. The post holder will lead and inspire a team of managers to deliver high quality integrated support within our values framework (Compassion, Integrity, Tenacity, and Expertise). Undertaking and leading on significant projects, providing strategic leadership, and promoting and representing Families Outside are all key components of this challenging role.

About you

You will need a proven relevant track record, possibly gained in a range of sectors where you operated at a senior level with external audiences and engaged with, and influenced, a variety of stakeholders. You will also need demonstrable experience in managing and developing a diverse family support service, working collaboratively to support families caught up in criminal justice processes, significant experience of child and adult protection and trauma-informed practice, and extensive experience of managing staff, students, and volunteers.

Someone who thrives on working collaboratively with others for the good of the business, you will be adept at building a network of good relationships and have an ability to develop a thorough understanding of the organisation and the wider sector quickly. You will be a good listener and positive influencer who communicates clearly, verbally and in writing; is reasonably comfortable with the media and Parliamentary bodies; and, where appropriate, is able to persuade others to change their views, intentions, or actions.

The leadership role of Director of Services is key for the organisation: you will lead a team of 4 – 5 managers, and as a member of the 3-person Senior Management Team will report directly to the CEO. Providing leadership and effective day-to-day management of the Family Support Team, you will ensure that Families Outside is a key contributor to local and national policy and the lead national voice on issues relating to families affected by imprisonment.

This is an exciting role for the right applicant. It comes at a time where Families Outside has undertaken a major restructuring programme and is regrouping to make best use of our capacity. This is an exciting time to join the team, where you will have the opportunity to deliver the ambitions of Families Outside on a national and international stage.

Staff Benefits

25 flexible leave days plus 10 public holidays

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

Accountability of post:Circle Project Manager – for day-to-day line management Supported by Regional Pod Manager for service delivery (this may be a manager from another organisation in the Partnership).

Purpose of post:Providing relational support to people throughout their journey from prison to the community.

MAIN TASKS & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To work with individual’s pre and post release from prison, working with the whole family to promote positive change and a safer lifestyle.
• To support parents/carers to develop their parenting capacity and relationships with their children.
• Work collaboratively with prison workers to support pre-release planning alongside individuals.
• Utilise appropriate tools for pre-release engagement (face-to-face contact; email a prisoner (EMAP) correspondence, contribution to multi-agency release planning meetings)
• Supporting on the day of release (meet at prison) responding flexibly to individual and immediate needs e.g. housing, health, benefits.
• To record, monitor and evaluate our work, including PULSE recording and complete partnership risk assessments.
• Promote multiagency working, with a wide-range of statutory and third-sector partners, through relevant and proportionate information sharing.
• Develop and promote partnership working with NVTP and key stakeholders.
• To attend supervision, team meetings, staff development days and in-house training sessions as appropriate
• To liaise with other agencies and work in partnership with them to meet the needs of the whole family.
• To contribute to the promotion and development of Circle’s work and services
• To work within Circle’s policies and procedures.
• To work to the key responsibilities outlined in the Partnership Role Descriptor

The above accountabilities and responsibilities are not exhaustive, and the job holder may be required to undertake additional duties that are consistent with the level and grading of the role. With consultation, amendments may be made to your job description from time to time in relation to our changing needs and your own ability.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• A professional qualification in social work, social care, education or health

KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

Essential

• Experience of working with individuals and families who have experienced trauma
• Knowledge of a range of interventions for supporting individuals, children and families
• Experience of working in partnership with other agencies
• Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Knowledge of the GIRFEC approach and the related SHANARRI Indicators
• An understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities, anti-discriminatory practice and user participation

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively with children and adults
• Ability to support social work students on placement with Circle
• Ability to record, monitor and evaluate work
• Ability to plan and prioritise work
• Ability to effect change in families
• Ability to work within, and maintain, professional boundaries
• Good assessment skills

DON’T MEET EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT?

If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with the job description/person specification, we’d love you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect person for this role, or another role within the Circle team.

We have a unique opportunity for an experienced counsellor to lead and develop our specialist perinatal counselling service, making a real impact across Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Pregnancy Counselling and Care (Scotland) is a small, Edinburgh-based charity providing practical and emotional support to individuals and families during pregnancy, early parenthood, or in times of loss. Through our Baby Bank and Counselling Service, we support people when they need it most - ensuring that no one faces these challenges alone.

We are currently seeking a Counselling Lead to manage and shape our specialist perinatal counselling service across the Edinburgh & the Lothians. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced counsellor with strong leadership skills who is passionate about supporting others and improving mental health care at a grassroots level.

About the Role

The Counselling Lead is a part time role (21 hours/week), based in a hybrid fashion from home and the Gyle Shopping Centre, the base for our Baby Bank service and one of our counselling rooms, and Dialogue and Space, our other in person counselling rooms in the east of the city.

The Counselling Team includes a part time Counselling Assistant (hybrid role) and a team of (currently) ten counsellors including both qualified practitioners (senior counsellors) and trainees (placement counsellors). The Counselling Lead will manage the counselling service, line managing counselling team and will work closely with the Counselling Assistant to manage the waiting list and allocate them to counsellors appropriate to each client’s needs.

You will also play a vital role in driving forward our strategic priorities:

1. To increase capacity of our Baby Bank and our Counselling Service
2. To improve awareness of all our services and their impact on individuals and families
3. To improve the quality of the services we provide

Job Description

Counselling Delivery and Team Support

• Provide leadership and line management to our counselling team made up of sessional senior counsellors, volunteer and placement counsellors
• Work with the Counselling Assistant to agree allocation of waiting list to counsellors for initial assessments and first appointments
• Support counsellors in their work with clients via line management supervision and regular check ins with placement counsellors, regular senior counsellor team meetings and case discussions as required
• Provide in-person support for placement counsellors at both counselling venues when required, in conjunction with Counselling Assistant and Operations Manager

Counselling Team Recruitment

• Recruit senior counsellors when required, and placement counsellors on a biannual basis, with admin support from the Counselling Assistant
• Provide biannual induction training for placement counsellors and ongoing training opportunities for the team
• Oversee PVG applications for the service, with admin support from the Counselling Assistant

Governance

• Hold day to day responsibility for child and adult protection concerns within the service with support from Operations Manager
• Review counselling policies and procedures, ensuring child and adult protection procedures are followed and service remain in line with COSCA standards
• Ensure counselling premises are suitable for the needs of the service and maintain relationships with in-person space providers

Data Management

• Oversee the use of Bacpac (client management software) by all counsellors and the Counselling Assistant
• Collate statistics from Bacpac and other client feedback routes to report against KPIs

Stakeholder Relationships & Marketing

• Liaise with other referral organisations and other agencies to build up partnerships
• Promote the counselling service through awareness campaigns and creation of resources for referrers and key audiences

Service Development

• Contribute to the operational and strategic development of the counselling service
• Work as a team with all the staff, contributing to team meetings and discussions
• Provide regular reports to Board, liaise with fundraiser and Board members as required
• Liaise with Operations Manager and Baby Bank Development Workers to respond to the needs of the charity

Person Specification

Essential:

• Fully qualified counsellor with a minimum of 200 hours of client work
• Full membership to COSCA or BACP or other recognised governing body
• Willingness to work to COSCA Statement of Ethics and Code of Practice
• Current PVG membership or willingness to join the PVG scheme
• Experience in
  • Handling child and adult protection concerns and disclosures
  • Providing online and in person counselling
• Comfortable with Excel, databases, and general IT use
• Experience in training delivery or event coordination
• Strong team leadership skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication, workload and people management skills
• A proactive and positive approach to problem-solving
• Ability to work effectively, both independently and as part of a team
• Flexibility regarding specific hours worked, and attitude to activities undertaken
• A passion to support others experiencing difficulties in their lives

Desirable:

• Experience of line management supervision, preferably in a counselling context
• Clinical supervisor qualification
• Counselling experience and / or knowledge of pregnancy and early parenting-related issues
• Experience writing content for social media

Responsible to: Chief Executive Officer

Are you passionate about the promotion of Infant Mental Health and committed to social justice? Multi-Cultural Family Base (MCFB) is seeking a new Project Leader to take forward their Early Years Service. Supporting a small team of committed practitioners, you will play a transformative role in providing an early intervention infant mental health service, working with ethnically diverse families.

We aim for our staff team to be representative of the families we support. We welcome applicants from ethnically diverse backgrounds.