Volunteering Matters is a national volunteering and social change charity. We harness the unique power of volunteering to bring people together and build stronger, more resilient communities across the UK.

By bringing people together, we aim to resolve some of society’s most complex issues and have a real impact in communities. From tackling social isolation and loneliness; improving health and wellbeing; building skills, confidence and opportunities; and ensuring people can become change makers within their community.

And we won’t stop until everyone in the UK has the opportunity to thrive.

Volunteering Matters work to support people to get on in life, through the power of volunteering. We support people 16+, including those facing multiple barriers or disadvantages, to achieve positive outcomes for their future. We provide people with personalised emotional and practical support, meaningful and supported volunteering opportunities through charity partners, and access to a reliable and positive Volunteer Mentor.

Role Purpose

We are looking for a talented, dynamic, and professional Engagement Manager to join our team in Aberdeenshire. The right candidate would be someone who can work flexibly and demonstrate an understanding and total commitment to our organisational values.

As our Engagement Manager, you will directly support people aged 16+ who may have complex and challenging barriers preventing them from securing a positive pathway. The role will include identifying barriers and to help build the tools needed to remove them. Supporting with pre volunteering activity as well as volunteering placements in their local area.

Your role will also support them with identifying a dedicated volunteer Mentor should this be required, along with pre and post placement support. Your role will be a positive bridge to supporting into further employability programmes or opportunities.

You will play a key role in identifying, developing, and managing partnerships with stakeholders along with charitable and not-for-profit organisations across Aberdeenshire and the surrounding areas. You will develop and build an effective presence within the third sector locally. You will create diverse, high-quality, structured volunteering opportunities with partner organisations, ensuring that volunteering roles reflect the needs and interests of those you are supporting. You will work closely with partner organisations and create a strong referral pathway into our service, and beyond it, building on a knowledge of existing provision.

Volunteering Matters is a national volunteering and social change charity. We harness the unique power of volunteering to bring people together and build stronger, more resilient communities across the UK.

By bringing people together, we aim to resolve some of society’s most complex issues and have a real impact in communities. From tackling social isolation and loneliness; improving health and wellbeing; building skills, confidence and opportunities; and ensuring young people can become change makers in their community.

And we won’t stop until everyone in the UK has the opportunity to thrive.

Role Purpose

We are looking for a talented, dynamic, and professional Co-ordinator to join our team in Dundee. The right candidate would be someone who can work flexibly and demonstrate an understanding and total commitment to our organisational values.

As Project Co-ordinator you will provide support to New Scots aged 16+ in Dundee by offering supported volunteering opportunities, mentor engagement and employability skills. Thanks to the Northwood Charitable Trust, refugees and asylum seekers have been supported to integrate into their community, build networks, and develop skills to support them in their journey. There is a massive need for this tailored support in Dundee which is evidenced by the fact that we have received 140 referrals in the last year. Overall, New Scots have been able to gain confidence, access bespoke and beneficial support, gain volunteering experience, find and apply for jobs, gain qualifications, network, and to feel included in their community.

You will identify and work with these individuals to help them achieve their goals and be better connected to their communities. Where possible you will match individuals to volunteering opportunities with local third sector partners to help upskill them and explore possible career opportunities.

Post objectives:

The post holder will have management responsibility for LCiL peer support and learning service (PSL).

The role provides day-to-day management and support to the service ensuring strategic and operational goals are successfully met.

The post holder will have line management responsibility for a team of three Facilitators.

This post is an essential management role contributing to the ongoing sustainability of LCiL enabling it to take forward a new three-year strategic plan which is currently being developed.

Peer support happens when people with shared life experiences come together to support each other. It is enabled through relationships that build mutual acceptance, understanding and that affirm everyone’s experience. PSL facilitates group peer support with disabled people and carers on all stages of their social care and Self-Directed Support (SDS) journey, empowering them to take ownership of, and have more control over, their health and wellbeing.

The power of peer support lies in connecting people in safe spaces where shared experiences develop into knowledge, skills, and confidence to self-manage, self-advocate, and address other issues that might be affecting their health and wellbeing, such as loneliness.

Through facilitating peer support, LCiL empowers disabled people and carers to build knowledge and confidence in their own support planning skills, increasing personal confidence and resilience to participate as holders of rights in their care and support, and equal partners in the SDS process.

PSL also works in partnership with The Action Group (TAG) to facilitate peer support with carers from BAME backgrounds and as a Facilitator, you will support these groups alongside TAG colleagues.

Alongside group work, PSL Facilitators provide one-to-one casework support to peer group participants on aspects of social care and SDS, and other matters to support their wellbeing.

To increase group members’ knowledge and awareness of SDS, PSL Facilitators provide information workshops on a variety of topics as part of the peer support sessions.

LCiL benefits hugely from the lived experience and insight from volunteer Champions who are a very valuable part of the LCiL family and the PSL programme. The postholder will work alongside and support Champions.

PSL offers a blended programme of activities and engagement including online and in-person across community locations.

The overarching purpose of the PSL programme is to facilitate person-led peer support, access to advice and information and rights-based support. The postholder is not required to have in-depth knowledge of social care and Self-Directed Support at application. We can provide training, learning and development in this area.

We want you to succeed with your application to join LCiL.

To help you, we will provide the interview questions in advance to all shortlisted candidates.

We want to hear about all of the skills and experience you can bring to this role. The ability to 'think on your feet' can be useful but it is not always a primary function of a role. We believe it helps to be able to sit with information and take the time you need to think through your responses, examples, your skills and experience, so you can bring the best of yourself to your LCiL interview.

The post holder will provide management and leadership that supports LCiL to deliver and grow person-led, innovative, and high-quality services that are informed and shaped by the voices, the experiences, rights and capabilities of disabled people and their carers.

The overarching purpose of these services is to facilitate person-centred access to advice and information and rights-based support. The postholder is not required to have in-depth knowledge of social care and Self-Directed Support at application. We can provide training, learning and development in this area.

Positive Help is a well-established, third sector service provider – a registered charity – based in central Edinburgh. We have over 35 years’ experience of supporting adults, children and families living with /affected by HIV and or Hepatitis.

With the support of a cohort of trained and supervised volunteers, we provide a range of services to help people live fulfilling, healthy lives in the community.

We are now looking for a Volunteer Engagement Lead to join our dedicated team as we further develop the organisation. We work from our centrally situated office in Edinburgh, although there is the option to work from home for some of the hours.

The ideal candidate will have the skills and experience we need to help us run our services and the wider organisation efficiently and have a genuine interest in our meaningful and rewarding work.

You will play a key role in recruiting, training and supporting volunteers and ensuring our processes sustain high standards of volunteering practice and a positive volunteering experience.

You will develop and/ or participate in appropriate initiatives in the community and with the business sector to promote our mission and enhance interest in volunteering with Positive Help. You will work closely with colleagues in the staff team and maintain positive relationships with volunteers, service users and stakeholders.

You will have proven experience of working directly with people i.e. in a customer-facing role, with experience of training, supervising or supporting volunteers / staff.

You will have experience of managing or coordinating projects inspiring people to work together towards shared goals. You will be a problem-solver with a non-judgemental approach, and excellent communication skills

You will need to be motivated, ambitious and self-organised, and be prepared to play a part in our on-going development.

In return, we offer you a 21-hour working week, 25 days annual leave plus 10 public holidays (pro rata) and an employer contributory pension scheme.

It’s a great time to join Positive Help and be part of our journey toward an even brighter future. If you are excited by what you have read so far and think you have what it takes to be an outstanding member of our team, then please read our job specification for more information, and take a look at our website.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Please note the following dates:

Informal Discussion Opportunites:

I’ve you’d like an informal discussion about the role before applying we’re offering these on Monday 9th September 2.30 - 4.30 pm, and Wednesday 11th September 4 – 6 pm.

If you’d like to take this opportunity, email us on admin@positivehelpedinburgh.co.uk to make an appointment.