CVS Inverclyde is commissioned by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde to deliver the Community Link Worker service in Inverclyde. This post is offered on a fixed-term basis until 31 March 2027, with the possibility of extension subject to contract renewal and funding.

The Community Link Worker programme in Inverclyde is funded by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. Community Link Workers are based within GP Practices and they work across the community, third sector and public sector to support people to live well through strengthening connections between community resources and primary care.

Community Link Workers provide a service that is responsive to the needs and interests of a GP practice population, who are often living in an area affected by socio-economic deprivation. They support patients to identify issues that affect their ability to live well. Taking a person-centred approach, the post holder will support individuals to help them identify personal outcomes and priorities that they would like to address, overcome any barriers to addressing these and link them to local and national support services and activities.

The Community Link Worker will support the existing GP practice teams to become better equipped to match local and national support services to the needs of individuals attending for health and welbeing care. They will also build relationships and processes between the GP practices and community resources, statutory organisations, other health services and voluntary organisations.

Gap Homes Renfrewshire has an office base and self-contained tenancies for young people who are supported during their stay and as they move on to independence. We provide support in the community to stabilise the move and prevent any breakdown of their future tenancy.

The roles will require a holistic understanding of young people's needs and the impact of trauma, care and other life circumstances common for this group of young people. The post holders will be expected to be flexible, work as part of a team and communicate well with young people, their families and networks, professionals and others. The post will involve planned shift and weekend work and the ability to support during crisis or unexpected events.

You will receive induction, support, learning and development and training as well as supervision and performance appraisals. Barnardo's has an excellent range of supports for staff and you will be part of the wider Forth Valley and Renfrewshire staff team.

We are looking for staff to join our Gap Homes Renfrewshire Service with the following experience:

• A relevant qualification in children's services – preferably SVQ 3 or above or the willingness to work towards a qualification which ensures compliance with SSSC and Care Inspectorate Registration
• Knowledge/skills and experience of working with children and young people with a range of complex needs and issues including substance use, mental health, offending behaviour, trauma, bereavement, CSE and other adversities.
• Experience of working in partnership with a range of agencies including those working within housing support and 16+ services.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.

Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our HolidayPlus scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract

About Barnardo's

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Our basis and values

Elpis Trust delivers a person centred housing support service to 19 young women who are experiencing homelessness or are care leavers aged between 16-25 years. The supported accommodation is based in the Core service and satellite flats in the Ruchill and Maryhill area of Glasgow. Elpis provides a high-quality support service which addresses young woman’ identified and assessed needs and reflects the aims of the service to work within relevant organisational and statutory policies, including health and safety, employment and equality laws. This includes adhering to Scottish Social Services Council codes of practice, National Care Standards and contractual requirements. Staffs work closely with the young women to write up support plans and deliver an individually tailored service, utilising Ladders to Success and GIRFEC, SHANARRI Outcomes.

Job Purpose:

To have specific working responsibility at present for 19 vulnerable young women, 9 living in the Core building and 10 in scatter flats (to include mother & baby flats) in the Ruchill and Maryhill areas of Glasgow.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide direct support to young women who have experienced homelessness and/or have a variety of complex emotional and mental health needs.
• Provide support to young women in all areas of service.
• Establish a supportive relationship with each young woman, enabling them to maximise their own resources in order to improve their quality of life, and to assist each young woman to be as independent as possible in all aspects of their daily life, in line with their support plans.
• On a daily basis assist and support young women to carry out identified housing support tasks to ensure that they maintain and sustain their accommodation and be flexible and responsive to meet the changing needs of the young women, as well as the housing support service itself.
• Problem solve unexpected and difficult issues that may arise during shift and deal with challenging behaviour when lone working, use own initiative in order to support the young women’s complex issues, and make decisions based on current assessments of risk, following set risk assessments protocols and procedures.
• Resolve complex young women issues, involving discussion with colleagues and relevant agencies through reviews and meetings, ensuring correct procedures are followed.
• Risk assess young woman’s needs and actions and consult with appropriate people such as line manager, social worker, case worker.
• Complete and update all relevant paperwork including housing support plans, risk assessments and case notes for each young woman, complying with National Care Standards, SSSC Codes of Practice, GIRFEC model of outcomes (SHANARRI) to ensure person centred service delivery and to meet service aims.
• Complete regular health and safety welfare checks of the young women, the building environment and equipment, reporting and dealing with any issues raised during these checks.
• Inform line management of any areas of concern or significant change when delivering young women support, to ensure that appropriate risk assessment is undertaken.
• Carry out all duties in compliance with Elpis Trust’s policies and procedures.
• Actively participate in 3 monthly support, supervision and observation.
• Work closely with and with direction from the Duty Manager, to plan and deliver young women’s identified support needs.
• Work co-operatively as part of a team including attending and contributing to team meetings and work in co-operation with other members of the support team, as well as colleagues from other agencies.
• Communicate in a knowledgeable, confident and professional manner with external agencies, including social workers, case work team, commissioning team, carers and relatives of young women. This may include email, telephone calls, letters or face to face meetings.
• Communicate with other team members in a respectful and supportive manner in order to promote positive team work and cohesion.
• Ensure the young women’s views and wishes are central to your work and encourage a high level of young women participation.
• To actively participate in identified training, on-going supervision and performance development.

Note: Duties will be reviewed and modified in line with the exigencies of the service.

Knowledge, education, qualifications, competences and experience:

Essential:

• Membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme.
• Able to meet registration requirements with Scottish Social Services Council, Health and Social Care at S.V.Q. level 3, or be willing to achieve qualifications within specified timescale.
• Have an awareness of relevant National Care Standards and their application to work practice.
• Understand and adhere to the Codes of Practice from Scottish Social Services Council.
• Willing to maintain and enhance own knowledge, practice and competency.
• Previous experience working in Social Care.
• Be registered with SSSC or apply for registration within three months of start date.

Desirable:

• Experience of working with vulnerable young women and an understanding of the issues and needs involved.

Join GCIL and Make a Difference!

At the GCIL (Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living), we empower disabled people with the information, skills, and support they need to lead independent lives and participate fully in society.

As a disabled-people-led organisation, we centre lived experience and pride ourselves on delivering high-quality services that make a real impact in our communities. Communication and connection sit at the heart of everything we do.

Why Work With Us?

• Meaningful Impact: Your work will make a tangible difference, helping disabled people of all ages to lead independent, fulfilling lives.
• People-Focused: You’ll spend a significant amount of your time communicating — one-to-one, in groups, in the community, and online. If you love engaging with people, this is the role for you.
• Varied Outreach: From delivering training sessions to hosting workshops, events, and drop-ins, you'll be out in the community building understanding and trust.
• Autonomy and Responsibility: Manage your own caseload and represent GCIL confidently through regular verbal and digital communication.
• Professional Growth: We’ll support your development, including your communication, training delivery, and community engagement skills.

As an Inclusive SDS Development Worker, you will:

• Promote Self-Directed Support (SDS) to service users, carers, professionals, and partner organisations through confident, clear communication.
• Provide information, advice, and signposting — ensuring complex information is explained in a supportive, accessible way.
• Deliver SDS awareness sessions, preparation sessions, workshops, training, and drop-in events (both in person and digitally).
• Build strong, trusting relationships with individuals and communities through consistent outreach and regular communication.
• Support individuals in assessing needs, preparing for SDS assessments, and developing personalised support plans.
• Facilitate and contribute to peer support groups and community asset mapping.
• Plan and deliver training for direct payment recipients and carers, adapting your style to different audiences.
• Collaborate with GCIL teams and HSCP partners, sharing updates, presenting information, and working together to deliver community events.
• Represent GCIL confidently with external stakeholders, partners, and professionals.
• Promote inclusive living options through presentations, outreach visits, and digital communications.
• Manage time and financial resources effectively, following procedures and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
• Maintain accurate client records and ensure compliance with data protection and GCIL policies.
• Collect and report data for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
• Continuously develop personal skills and knowledge through training and feedback.
• Ensure high-quality service delivery and uphold GCIL’s values and standards.

In order to be successful in this role you should have:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and confidence engaging with a wide variety of people and communities.
• Experience of providing support and/or delivering training, workshops, or group sessions using a community development approach.
• Experience of providing information, advice, and support in a people-focused environment.
• Good knowledge of Self-Directed Support, particularly Option 1 – Direct Payments.
• An understanding of and commitment to the principles of inclusive living, the social model of disability, and the empowerment of disabled people.
• Strong digital communication skills and a great working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle.

It would be great if you had:

• Personal experience of self-managing an inclusive living package.

We Actively Welcome Disabled Applicants

As a disabled-people-led organisation, we are especially keen to hear from disabled people, including those with lived experience of navigating support systems or barriers in society.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive. If you have lived experience of disability, we strongly encourage you to apply.

If you need adjustments during the application or interview process, just let us know — we're happy to support you.

We guarantee interviews for all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria outlined in the job description.