The Office of Lorna Slater MSP (based in The Scottish Parliament) is looking for a caseworker who is organised, patient, sensitive, and has a natural interest in helping people.

MSPs are employers in their own right. Under their employment, you will become part of a team supporting them in carrying out their duties. You'll work in a dynamic and fast paced environment to provide an outstanding service for constituents.

Responsibilities

• Complete oversight of casework management

• Supporting with keeping casework up to date and responding to public enquiries.

• Keeping cases up to date by tracking, logging and recognising when to escalate issues within team.

• Meeting constituents on a wide range of issues, including those of a sensitive nature and escalating accordingly.

• Advocating on constituent’s behalf with relevant bodies to resolve matters.

• Producing reports and monitoring media trends on my behalf.

• Conducting basic research and surveys.

• Investigating patterns of enquiries and producing reports.

• Monitoring local and regional media and generating media coverage.

• Briefing me and drafting responses.

• Reviewing constituent records and documentation in line with casework GDPR requirements.

• Ensuring casework filing systems, both electronic and manual, are kept up-to-date in line with GDPR requirements.

About You

• Have excellent organisational skills while being flexible in prioritising workloads during busy times.

• Have excellent communications skills, with accurate attention to detail and the ability to work effectively with colleagues.

• Be patient and sensitive while remaining objective and open minded.

• Be comfortable being in a front facing role explaining regulations such as GDPR to the general public.

• Be acutely aware of the responsibility of representing those unable to do so themselves in certain situations.

• Have a natural interest in helping people with a curiosity to probe for further information where required.

For any questions about the role please contact: Kayleigh.O'Neill@Parliament.scot

Working for a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)

Mark Ruskell MSP is looking for a Casework Coordinator to join his team based in Mid Scotland and Fife.

MSPs are employers in their own right. Under their employment, you will become part of a team supporting them in carrying out their duties. You'll work in a dynamic and fast paced environment to provide an outstanding service for constituents.

Responsibilities

• Supporting with keeping casework up to date and responding to public enquiries.
  • Keeping cases up to date by tracking, logging, and recognising when to escalate issues within team.
  • Meeting constituents on a wide range of issues, including those of a sensitive nature and escalating accordingly.
  • Supporting the Head of Office to investigate patterns of enquiries and produce casework reports.

• Assisting the broader regional team by attending visits, monitoring local issues and media coverage on my behalf.
  • Corresponding with constituents and local campaign groups.
  • Preparing and delivering regular briefings and updates on regional issues to Mark and the broader team.
  • Supporting Mark on visits across the Mid Scotland & Fife Region.
  • Monitoring local and regional media trends.

• Supporting with general regional office administration and acting as front of office for enquiries.
  • Responding to all regional correspondence while professionally managing each enquiry within agreed timescale
  • Building and maintaining relationships with regional organisations, stakeholders, and groups as required.
  • Drafting written correspondence such as letters, requests for information and parliamentary questions and motions.

• Reviewing constituent records and documentation in line with casework GDPR requirements.
  • Ensuring casework filing systems, both electronic and manual, are kept up-to-date in line with GDPR requirements.
  • Ensuring broader administrative and secretarial support is provided.

About You

Requirements

• Have experience of providing professional advice and/or advocacy support in a work or voluntary setting.
• Have the ability to foster good working relationships with a wider variety of stakeholders.
• Be a proactive problem solver with the motivation and resilience to adapt and deal with challenges and find solutions.
• Have excellent written, verbal and IT skills with accurate attention to detail.
• Have a flexible and adaptable approach, being able to use good judgement and work on own initiative.
• Be well organised with the ability to prioritise competing workloads.
• Be patient and sensitive while remaining objective and open minded.
• Be comfortable being in a front facing role explaining regulations such as GDPR to the general public.
• Be acutely aware of the responsibility of representing those unable to do so themselves in certain situations.
• Have a natural interest in helping people with a curiosity to probe for further information where required.
• Have an interest in politics and the Mid Scotland and Fife region.

Are you an enthusiastic and inspiring Manager who would be excited to lead our Green Skills Centre team into its next phase?

Are you looking for a role where every day is different and you lead a team who make a real difference to people’s lives?

Would you like to work with others to create a thriving, therapeutic green space that connects people to each other, nature and community?

If so, this may be the perfect opportunity for you!

About the service

Our newly named Green Skills Centre offers group training and development work to young people and other groups at risk of experiencing homelessness. We realise that many 'at risk' groups can suffer from a nature deficit and sense of disconnection which can intensify and compound the struggles people face. We aim to be a restorative and supportive influence. We offer workshops, accredited training and client-led learning pathways. Our learning work includes sustainable horticulture, market gardening, woodland skills, peer-mentoring and outdoor-education.

About the post

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the Green Skills Centre into the next phase of its journey. Our ambition is a thriving, therapeutic green space that allows those in need to benefit from learning opportunities and skills development in a safe space that connects them to nature and to people.

This role will lead on the management and development of the Centre, with responsibility for all delivery and the site itself, as well as responsibility for ensuring it is managed in line with the organisations vision and strategic aims.

About you

You will be an experienced manager with knowledge of sustainable food production.

You will have experience of project and financial management, be well organised with the ability to manage your own workload and working within policies.

You will have excellent communication skills and the ability to build robust relationships, treating others with respect and compassion, in line with our values.

This is a varied role that will require you to support the team and volunteers, problem solve, co-ordinate the site and to be positive, creative and flexible in providing support.

How we’ll support you

You’ll be working independently leading a team with a supportive manager. We will encourage you to use your creativity to manage the Green Skills Centre, innovate new activities and support you to introduce them.

You will have access to wider Cyrenians support, including our learning and development programme, and staff wellbeing services.

About us

At Cyrenians we tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness by taking a Public Health Approach to Homelessness Prevention. We take a values-led and relationships-based approach to delivering all our services.

Read more about our impactand our values.

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