“The best thing about working for Aberlour is making a real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families.”

About Sustain Perth

Aberlour Sustain Perth is taking forward Aberlour’s ground-breaking ‘Edge of Care’ service. Sustain is a model of early intervention and engagement which offers personalised, flexible and responsive support to children, young people and their families. The approach seeks to maximise the potential of family strengths and assets, getting them access to the required support when and where they need it, enabling children and young people to remain living at home rather than moving into residential care.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a Community Support Practitioner to join our team, working 37.5 hours per week. As this post includes an unsocial hours’ allowance, you are required to be flexible with your approach, planning your own diary, and available to work weekends, early mornings, evenings and public holidays to meet the needs of the families you would support. It is also essential that you have access to a car due to the geographical layout of Perth and Kinross.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about supporting children, young people and their families to achieve the best possible outcomes as they live and grow within their communities. Our aim is to ensure that children, young people and families are supported to build on their strengths, assets and interests to develop enduring capacity and resilience. Working in partnership with parents, you will support them to develop their parenting skills, self-esteem and confidence and encourage self-reflection.

Applicants should be dynamic and creative and be able to deliver flexible, person-centred services to vulnerable children and families which is playful, warm, accepting, curious, tenacious and empathetic. Working in a culture based on respect, integrity, innovation, and the ability to challenge, you will share our vision that collaborative early intervention and engagement is the best option for children and families who are on the ‘edge of care’. You will bring a fresh and collaborative approach and, in discussion with the leadership team, be willing to try new approaches to ensure that strong and trusting relationships are developed with families and stakeholders.

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. Aberlour’s values are critical and drive everything we do. We will be looking for someone who can demonstrate how Aberlour’s values of Respect, Innovation, Integrity and Challenge will be visible in their practice. You must be comfortable working in an environment where Aberlour’s values are lived in practice.

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.

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

Overview

OPFS was founded in 1944 and since then we have been at the forefront of shaping policy and services that support the 144,000 single parent families in Scotland. OPFS HQ is in central Edinburgh, there are local services in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Falkirk, Edinburgh and Dundee with National digital and helpline services.

This post is office based to ensure collaboration with stakeholders and a consistent presence in the organisation.

The post holder is responsible for the administrative functions of OPFS as a Registered Charity, HQ functions and wider support to staff across the organisation. They will manage a small administration team and will work closely with other Corporate Services managers to ensure the efficiency and cohesiveness of all central functions. They will be required to operate in line with OPFS values which are Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion.

Key Tasks

• Administration: Managing the administration staff and functions of the OPFS central operations ensuring effective and efficient administration for OPFS HQ including adequate reception functions for visitors, deliveries and staff. Liaising with service administrators and managers to ensure consistency and best practice across the organisation. Maintain document storage in line with OPFS data retention policy and procedures, utilising SharePoint effectively for electronic storage, arranging confidential destruction and archiving as appropriate. Working with IT and Digital Services to ensure effective use of SharePoint across all OPFS administration functions. Regularly reviewing systems and processes, revising as required, to ensure efficiency and accuracy. Planning and coordinating activities and support required across OPFS for new developments.
• Salesforce: Work closely with IT and Digital Services to support new developments for administration and HR functions across OPFS. Ensure all OPFS salesforce records are secure, accurate, up to date, and regularly monitored with reports being supplied for
• board and senior management meetings. Work with the Digital and IT Services Lead to identify areas for improvement and support the ongoing development of the system.
• Recruitment: Manage all centralised recruitment for OPFS staff in consultation with the appropriate service manager including collation of all relevant information on the role, advertising appropriately, including OPFS website, presenting applications for shortlisting, responding to candidates and organising interviews. Produce documents as required by the interview panel, set up of interview space, including and IT equipment required, for interviews in Edinburgh. Checking right to work information, ID and registrations for selected candidates. Co-ordinating induction programmes for new staff as appropriate to their role.
• Human Resources: Create and maintain accurate and secure records for all staff employed by OPFS ensuring that a complete and current record is kept for all staff and recorded in Salesforce. Issuing staff letters for appointment, details of terms and conditions and any changes thereafter. Undertake staff meetings including all exit interviews highlighting any issues to the Director of HR and Corporate Services. Work with managers handling employee relations matters including investigations, disciplinary or grievance issues, providing appropriate and timely support and maintaining appropriate records. Liaise with external HR Support staff.
• PVGs and Disclosures: Advising new applicants and existing employees on PVG and Disclosure applications for OPFS, ensuring that the correct processes and procedures are followed, with respective managers informed of the outcomes. Acting as counter signatory for OPFS for applications. Ensuring security and confidentiality of all relevant information.
• Training Administration: maintaining the OPFS training calendar and records, arranging training courses as requested, attendees and premises.
• Board, Directorate, meeting and event functions: Ensuring provision for meetings including invitations, room booking, creating reports where required for information including HR and Health and Safety functions, collating and circulating papers, room and technical preparation, minute taking as required. Coordinate meetings and events as required including refreshments and technical support.
• GDPR: Ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act (2018) acting as Data Protection Officer for OPFS, liaising with ICO as required, updating the policy and procedures to reflect change and provide information to management staff and data controllers.
• Properties: Liaise with HQ landlord ensuring the smooth operation of the office in terms of repairs and maintenance. Manage all office moves across OPFS liaising with the local administrator and manager as appropriate. Responsibility for arranging any reorganisation of office space, including any necessary wiring, IT requirements, heating, lighting, redecoration and required flooring, and any furniture needs.
• Procurement: Ensuring best value for all OPFS resources and services by actively benchmarking and negotiating with suppliers, reviewing contracts regularly, and identifying areas of potential savings.
• Health and Safety: Ensuring OPFS is compliant with all aspects of Health and Safety legislation by ongoing monitoring, safety checks, arranging repairs or replacements and escalating issues if required. Liaising with OPFS services to gather and collate information, share updates, and advise if required. Provide quarterly Health and Safety reports for the Board and Directorate, including absence statistics. First Aid and Fire Warden support for HQ.

The job description is a broad picture of the post at the time of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties. It is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time.

Personal Specifications

Essential

• Relevant qualification to HNC level or equivalent relevant experience.
• Significant experience of leading in a busy office.
• Excellent IT skills, good working knowledge of Microsoft systems, Salesforce and meeting technology.
• Experience of HR administration and recruitment.
• Ability to prioritise workloads.
• Ability to take responsibility to proactively resolve issues and provide support in challenging situations.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.
• Proven ability to plan for and deliver short term and longer-term events and projects.
• Ability to build relationships at all levels across the organisation and with external stakeholders.

Desirable

• Chartered member of CIPD, or working towards
• Experience of working in the Third Sector
• Understanding of single parent challenges

Terms & Conditions

• Confirmation of Appointment: This is a permanent appointment. Confirmation of appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a 3-month probationary period ending when a probationary review has been completed.
• Salary: OPFS Scale Points 25 – 29, £37,879 - £46,297
• Hours of work: 35 per week worked flexibly to meet the demands of the job
• Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 25 days and 12 Public holidays.
• Pension: You will be auto enrolled in our pension scheme with a 3% contribution from you and 7% from OPFS.
• Training and support and supervision: You will receive induction training and frequent support in the first three months. Thereafter you will receive monthly individual support and supervision and annual appraisals. Regular team meetings will be held, and staff have access to internal and external training.
• Equal Opportunities and Family Friendly Employment: OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer. OPFS has Investors In People status

Do you want to join an organisation that has been recently named as a Top 100 company to work with by The Sunday Times?

About Sustain Clackmannanshire

Aberlour Child Care Trust has recently launched a family outreach service, Aberlour Sustain Clackmannanshire. This service works alongside families, communities and partners to offer caring and responsive support to young people and families. Sustain Clackmannanshire delivers the support families need, when they need it, every day of the year. 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.

Working with Social Work Services, this innovative and creative new service focuses on supporting young people aged 0 - 18 years, who may be on the ‘edge of care’ so that they remain living with their family in their local communities.

Our Service works with young people and their families to enhance relationships, build on existing strengths and interests, help build confidence and encourage new community connections. Our aim is to help all families feel safe, confident, capable and included. Our approach has been developed through consultation with families and partners.

What we are looking for

We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting young people, families and communities. Someone who is flexible and shares our vision that collaborative working and relationship based early intervention is the best option for young people and families who are feeling overwhelmed or excluded.

Not afraid to test new ways of working, you will bring a fresh, caring, compassionate and collaborative approach which responds empathically to the needs of young people and their families. The work will include early mornings, evenings and weekends. You will have experience of direct practice within this field of work, including child/adult protection issues as well as having experience of working with children and young people.

You will work within a variety of locations in the Clackmannanshire area, including the office base in Alloa, family homes, schools and community settings.

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. Aberlour’s values are critical and drive everything we do. We will be looking for someone who can demonstrate how Aberlour’s values of Respect, Innovation, Integrity and Challenge will be visible in their practice. You must be comfortable working in an environment where Aberlour’s values are lived in practice.

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.

Please note, we do not offer sponsorship for work visa’s therefore you need to have the right to work in the UK to apply for any of our posts.

Do you want to join an organisation that has been named recently as a Top 100 company to work with by The Sunday Times?

If you do and would like to have an informal chat before applying then please call Rhonda Wilson, Head of Admissions and Programmes, on 07715 238337.

About Aberlour Sycamore Children’s Houses

Aberlour Sycamore Services’ vision is to provide warm, loving homes for children where everyone learns, laughs, grows into their future and is treasured always. We have a strong ethos of values and a culture that enables us to Be Brave and to Keep the Promise of involving the children and young people as fully as possible in taking decisions that affect their lives.

Our home in Fort William is a Hybrid Model, we have a residential service for children and young people as well as a service that we call Sustain Plus, which supports whole families by providing both emotional and practical support. We work with families and parents to secure a nurturing environment for children up to 18 years old. We also help parents/caregivers develop their ability to care for their children, provide practical parenting skills, and engage with their community. Our service provides flexible support of varying intensity and aims to encourage the development of family routines, resilience, and improved parental confidence.

We are looking to appoint a House Manager who will join our strong and thriving Residential/Sustain Plus community in Aberlour.

What we are looking for

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual with a passion for supporting vulnerable children and whole families to achieve the best possible outcomes in their lives. The successful candidate will have the drive, determination and cultural values to be able to lead their team to empower the children and young people to make the changes which will ultimately transform their lives.

We want someone who believes that all children and families are deserving of love and someone who will support the team to ensure that our children and families are able to live fulfilling lives without having restriction imposed on them in their everyday lives.

The person we choose to join us must have experience of working in and leading practice in a children’s house and with families. They must be visible to the team and children to ensure that the vision and values are lived every day - This will include working evenings and weekends.

Our homes provide a rich environment that provides safety, relationships, growth and healing for the children and adults who live and work there. To achieve this the successful candidate must have knowledge about developmental trauma, how this will have impacted children’s early life experiences and understand how to lead a team to ensure that every response a child receives takes account of their trauma.

A comprehensive support package focussed on achieving excellence in practice is provided to all of our teams and the successful candidate will also receive clinical supervision, provided externally to support their professional practice development and well-being.

If you share our vision of Being Brave for every child, young person and families, and Keeping the Promise, and you have the skills and passion required to meet the challenges of this role we look forward to hearing from you.

Ideally, candidates will have experience of leading a team within a residential childcare environment involving a residential shift rota and also experience in supporting whole families. You will be required to have or be willing to work towards the qualifications for being a manager in a residential childcare facility: a relevant professional qualification at SCQF level 9 or above plus a management qualification at SCQF level 8 or above.

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.