Change lives in a life-changing career

When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.

The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. And that impact can be felt by entire family. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer.

We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make their voices heard and their unique needs understood, so they can get the right care and support at the right time

About the role

We’re looking for an Accommodation Deputy Manager to join our Accommodation Team at Ciaran's House, Edinburgh.

We provide practical and emotional support to mitigate the impact of a cancer diagnosis, and support during their cancer journey via expert needs led interventions. Our Accommodation Service is a key member of the integrated Social Work Service within the Services and Impact Directorate, you will play a crucial role in providing a high quality and efficient service to children, young people and families diagnosed with cancer

We are recruiting a Deputy Accommodation Manager in Edinburgh. This role supports the accommodation service locally and across the UK. Our Deputy Accommodation Managers ensure the Home is a safe and welcoming environment for children and young people with cancer and their families. They provide an efficient and effective service in line with the organisation’s accommodation service specification.

Our organisation is committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. This role is subject to an Enhanced criminal record check. If successful in application, this role requires an enhanced criminal record check to be completed ahead of starting in the role, together with comprehensive reference checks. A person cannot commence in post without these safeguards. Applicants should be aware these may take time. That is out of our organisation’s control and forms part of the rigorous commitment to the protection of children and vulnerable adults.

This role is subject to a criminal record check. In the event of a successful application an enhanced criminal record check will be completed. A previous conviction is not necessarily a barrier to employment. We encourage qualified applicants to apply, and we will consider each case individually.

What will I be doing?

No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in the job description.

As Deputy Manager, you will support the Accommodation Manager in the safe and efficient management of the Accommodation site, ensuring optimal use of available resources. You will help develop, deliver, and facilitate a Community Model approach within your locality, working with Social Care teams, charity partners, and local organisations to provide comprehensive support for families. You will also support the charity’s Brand and Income Generation initiatives aligned to delivering the community model.

What do I need?

Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.

We would love to hear from you if you have

• Experience in providing services to children and/or vulnerable families.
• Working experience in a social care, or similar setting.
• Experience of cleaning and hygiene standards.

Knowledge and skills

• Ability to act as an ambassador for the Charity’s cause within a community setting.
• Understanding of issues relating to childhood cancer, children and young people with disabilities or children and young people with life limiting conditions, including the impact of loss and grief on individuals.
• Ability to appropriately tailor both spoken and written communication with a range of stakeholders e.g. parents, children, team members and charity partners.
• Ability to coordinate support initiatives for the benefit of service users.
• Demonstrate good organisational and administration skills.
• Demonstrate strong research skills.
• Establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships.
• Awareness of Health and Safety requirements.

What will I gain?

For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:

• Wellbeing, Thinking & Growth Days: four days a year to to step back from the day-to-day and focus on your own learning and development
• Generous annual leave allowance
• Great family/caring leave entitlements
• Enhanced pension
• Access to our employee savings scheme

To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website: younglivesvscancer.org.uk/careers/our-benefits

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.

We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. CVs can be uploaded, but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to fully complete the work history sections of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly and objectively.

Accessibility

We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible. Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.

Families who have been supported by our Homes describe them as a lifeline. “Being so close to the hospital feeling so welcome and comfortable. A place of peace and rest during very difficult times”.

If you join us, you will be part of a community that is committed to making a difference to the lives of children and young people with cancer.’

To arrange an informal chat, please contact Mandy Tait, Accommodation Manager on 07747 686362 or email mandy.tait@younglivesvscancer.org.uk

During working hoursMonday to Thursday 8am till 2pm

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As a Community Young Person and Family Support Worker (Crisis Response), you will be required to travel Scotland-wide, with potential overnight stays away from home, with expenses paid.

To continue our existing well-established service and support a Pilot project (Alternative to Policy Custody), we are looking for a keen, enthusiastic individual who has an interest in helping children, young people and their families. This new pilot will be supporting young people away from police involvement and working along side our bespoke young person and family support service.

Are you able to stay calm under pressure? Do you have these qualities? Then we have a job for you?

Purpose & Context of Role

The postholder will manage their own caseload, ensuring support plans are developed with the young person to respond to their individual needs and supporting them to improve outcomes in line with GIRFEC principles and includem’s model of support.

You will be expected to actively demonstrate leadership and ownership over effective service delivery to young people, by managing their outcomes through the use of line managers, colleagues and organisational tools, processes, policies and procedures.

Service Delivery

• To build relationships and deliver outcome-based support to young people and families, involving all key stakeholders.
• To be available for young people and families at critical times
• To explore values and attitudes with young people in a supportive manner, to affirm and validate their feelings and ideas, and nurture and confirm their learning
• To ensure a focus on regular and appropriate case progression to help young people and families recognise progress.
• To assess and respond appropriately to situations where young people and/or families may be at risk of harm.
• To actively participate in the delivery of the Includem Helpline evening and night service so support is available for young people and families 24/7
• To support with crisis management and generate solutions for young people and families using the Helpline, with risk enablement being at the heart of professional judgement and decision making

People

• To understand the different coping mechanisms that young people and their families use to deal with stress and high emotions, and to respond appropriately
• To demonstrate professional resilience when providing support with sensitive or challenging issues
• To use a strengths-based approach to empower individuals facing adversity to find solutions and make positive changes, ensuring resources are in place to sustain these changes
• To establish mutually trusting, open and non-judgemental relationship with young people and their families
• To encourage and lead collaborative team work to provide a ‘scaffolding of support’ around each young person and their family whilst developing relationships with wider community resources.
• Offer support to young people within their own communities and support them to access resources locally
• To respect and value the contribution of wider stakeholders and the delivery of Includem services
• Where opportunity allows experience of directing, supporting Sessional staff
• Any other duties as designated by your line manager

Influence

• To build relationships with Local Authorities with varying demands and priorities
• To ensure young people and families are empowered to make informed choices
• To support young people and families to effectively communicate with others
• To work with young people to identify goals aligned to wellbeing indicators and to positively influence progression towards these goals.
• To reflect on practice, share learning and promote continuous practice improvement within a team setting.
• To articulate and endorse the Includem framework of intervention and the key aspects of the service delivery model to a wide audience.
• To role model appropriate practice standards and professional boundaries to others
• To ensure a high-quality service is delivered to young people and families
• Demonstrate understanding of your impact on people and how they might see you.
• To develop partnership working within communities.

Resources

• To deploy time effectively to meet the needs of young people and families to ensure the service is available 24/7, 365 days per year.
• Able and willing to travel anywhere in Scotland to respond to needs from Local Authorities, including overnight stays away from home.
• To maintain and produce accurate and timely records and reports.
• To ensure support is delivered in line with Includem’s Policies, Procedures, SSSC Codes of Practice & National Guidelines.

Quality Assurance

• To be accountable for the quality of your work and responsible for any work delegated to others within the Includem support, and be able to evidence this work effectively.
• To actively participate in formal supervision and continuous professional development.
• To have an overview of the work delegated to other Includem workers involved in delivering individualised support to your young people.
• To generate creative and new solutions to issues faced by young people and families.

A UK driving license is an essential requirement for the role.

If you would like further information about the role, please call HR on 0141 427 0523

The Equality Network works for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, ace and intersex (LGBTQIA+) equality and human rights in Scotland. We strive to be inclusive and open in our work, to challenge discrimination and to consult, involve and inform the individuals and the communities for which we work.

The Equality Network was founded in 1997 as a national organisation working for LGBT rights and equality in Scotland. We are a registered charity governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees. Scottish Trans Alliance has been an Equality Network project since 2007. Scottish Trans works to improve gender identity and gender reassignment equality, rights and inclusion in Scotland.

Partnership is a key part of our approach, and much of what we do involves working in partnership with diverse LGBTQIA+ people, other LGBTQIA+ organisations, and with organisations working in the wider equality and human rights field.

In 2026 we launched our new 3-year Strategy which addresses the current context in which we are working. With increasing risk to LGBTQIA+ protections, inclusion and equality and human rights realisation our work is more important now than ever. There are strategies working counter to our hope for a more inclusive Scotland, ones that sow division. We recognise that collaboration, partnership and coalition building is crucial. Our new strategy lays out how we will move forward, work together to push back, sustain and protect what we have already achieved, and together move towards progressive and meaningful change. You can read that here: Equality Network Strategy 2026-2029

THE ROLE

Working in cooperation with our policy team, comms team, community engagement teams and the Scottish Trans Manager and CEO, the Strategic Partnership and Campaigns Coordinator supports the development and delivery of the Equality Network’s work to improve LGBTQIA+ equality, rights and inclusion in Scotland.

The role’s primary purpose is to build strategic and accessible campaigns and relationships particularly around trans rights. This means that the post-holder will work closely with the Scottish Trans Manager.

The role will involve working with partners, the community, and with those who have influence (including the media) in Scotland and where necessary wider in the UK and internationally where expertise is needed on trans equality and human rights issues and priorities. The aim is to build partnerships and coalitions, change hearts and minds, and to collectively push for progressive change for marginalised LGBTQIA+ people, particularly trans people. This will also involve working with teams and partners on how these campaigns for progressive change can contribute to bettering narratives, particularly around trans people’s equality and human rights.

Our new strategy highlights the vital nature of partnerships in the face of a shared threat. Our partners include all other organisations which provide and advocate for our community as equalities and rights-holders, both those explicitly working for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community and those who provide and advocate for other marginalised communities, intersectional communities or on issues relevant and pertinent to our community and their lives.

Our key aim with this role is to build effective coalitions in Scotland and to connect with intersecting campaigns to maximise impact.

This new role will work alongside our senior management team and across partner sectors to strategise and push back against current exclusionary policy and harmful narratives around trans people’s human rights.