Who Cares? Scotland is Scotland’s only national independent membership organisation for Care Experienced people. Our mission is to secure a lifetime of equality, respect, and love for Care Experienced people in Scotland and we currently have over 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care – working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

This unique role offers the opportunity to listen to and work directly with children and young people with experience of care, in an individual relationship-based advocacy role, and within participation and group activity across our South East region.

The post-holder will be a key member of the Advocacy and Participation team, supporting young people from across to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard. In this role you will have the opportunity to provide independent advocacy, children’s rights, and participation opportunities for children and young people who are looked after, Care Experienced, or subject to formal processes and structures. The role will see you actively participating in child’s plan meetings, children’s hearings, and other formal processes, as well as assisting children and young people to prepare for them. In partnership with professionals, carers, and organisations, you will help to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people by keeping detailed records of the work you undertake, writing liaison reports, and monitoring statistics.

As a vital part of the work of Who Cares? Scotland, your role will include facilitating group opportunities for and with children and young people. This includes providing engagement and participation opportunities throughout the Who Cares? Scotland local and national network, as well as meeting with care experienced children and young people to introduce the service in agreement with the local authority. Raising awareness of Who Cares? Scotland and its services with children, young people, professionals, and carers you will also be responsible for facilitating training amongst care corporate parents.

The right candidate for this post will be able to form positive relationships with children and young people and have good interpersonal skills. You will feel confident communicating with individuals and groups, both in writing and verbally, and be able to adapt to a wide range of contexts. Secure in making effective plans, as well as evidencing your work, you can prioritise and meet deadlines. You take enjoyment from working collaboratively with partners, believing in equal opportunities and inclusive working. Committed to children’s rights, you are someone who knows that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity. You can demonstrate knowledge of the current structure, developments, policy, and practice in relation to children and young people experiencing care in Scotland. You are also flexible, given the remit of the role, as some evening and weekend work will be necessary, along with a full driving licence and access to transport.

While we would welcome the knowledge gathered through relevant qualifications, we are just as interested in relevant work experience. We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.

The successful candidate will be joining Who Cares? Scotland and working within the South East team at an exciting time, when the voices of those who are in or have experienced care are growing in power, individually and collectively – bringing with them insight, challenge, hope and change.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. To arrange an informal conversation about this opportunity, please contact Ray MacLean, Manager of Advocacy and Participation, at rmaclean@whocaresscotland.org.

Dae ye want tae gie us haun tae promote Scots language readin, scrievin and speakin in Scots? We are lookin for a gallus, eident Scots speaker for the role o Scots Language Ootreach Co-ordinator.

Scottish Book Trust is a national charity that believes books, reading and writing have the power to change lives. A love of reading inspires creativity, improves employment opportunities, mental health and wellbeing and is one of the most effective ways to help break the poverty cycle. We work towards a Scotland where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive through literacy.

What we offer

• Part time, fixed-term role
• Competitive salary
• Flexible hybrid working between home and our Edinburgh City Centre Office, with great access by train, bus, and tram
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Company Sick Pay
• Pension with 5% employer contributions
• Death in service benefit
• Free access to employee assistance programme

Scottish Book Trust and Scots Hoose Yaldi (SHY) are workin in pairtnership tae improve Scots provision for bairns, weans and young folk in Scotland’s schuils. The darg directly supports the new statutory duty unner the Scottish Languages Act 2025 tae promote and support Scots language education in schuils through the dissemination and application o Scots Hoose Yaldi educational resources and CLPL for dominies in primary and secondary schuils across Scotland.

The role employed directly by Scottish Book Trust and based in the School Communities team in Scottish Book Trust will work closely wi the SHY team and individual schuils or key stakeholders across Scotland tae neb oot weys that they can engage wi and benefit fae the SHY materials tae promote Scots in schuils. They will forby deliver professional learnin opportunities tae a range o audiences, in-person and online via Teams, tae improve Scots provision for bairns, weans and young folk in Scotland’s schuils.

English:

We are looking for an outgoing, driven, Scots speaker for the role of Scots Language Ootreach Co-ordinator.

Scottish Book Trust and Scots Hoose Yaldi (SHY) are working in partnership to improve Scots provision for children and young people in Scotland’s schools. The work directly supports the new statutory duty under the Scottish Languages Act 2025 to promote and support Scots language education in schools through the dissemination and application of Scots Hoose Yaldi educational resources and CLPL for teachers in primary and secondary schools across Scotland.

The role employed directly by Scottish Book Trust and based in the School Communities team in Scottish Book Trust will work closely with the SHY team and individual schools or key stakeholders across Scotland to identify ways that they can engage with, and benefit from, engaging and using the SHY materials to promote Scots in schools. They will also deliver professional learning opportunities to a range of audiences, in-person and online via Teams, to improve Scots provision for children and young people in Scotland’s schools.

The Community Fundraising and Events Officer will be responsible for driving income generation to support the growth and sustainability of Trauma Healing Together via community fundraising initiatives. The post-holder will lead on planning, delivering, and evaluating a programme of community events, working creatively to engage individuals, volunteers, groups, and local businesses. This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and organised fundraiser to make a tangible difference by generating the vital funds needed to expand our trauma-informed services.

Full job description is available to download below.

ABOUT TRAUMA HEALING TOGETHER

As a charity we work closely with people who have experienced psychological trauma and are living with the symptoms of this. We work in partnership with trauma survivors to improve their quality of life through therapy, training and personal development, shaping future services and the understanding of trauma through research projects. We promote a holistic and multi-faceted approach to treating all types of psychological trauma, prioritising mutual understanding and respect of clients, staff and volunteers. As an organisation we thrive to be transparent, consistent and autonomous. We are looking for a person who shares our values and has skills that can contribute to shape a small growing charity.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dynamic and experienced manager to oversee the day-to-day management of Cruse Scotland South Area, this includes our teams in Edinburgh, The Lothians, The Scottish Borders, Forth Valley and Stirling.

Candidates are required to have excellent interpersonal and organisational skills to provide volunteer managerial support, which is often provided from a distance.

Excellent communication skills are essential as the postholder is required to respond effectively to a wide range of enquiries which includes bereaved people. You will be required to establish effective working relationships with a range of Cruse Scotland volunteers and staff, as well as funders and partnership organisations. Experience of volunteer management would be advantageous.

Due to the geographical spread of the role, from time to time the postholder will be required to travel to each of the service bases within South Area; and to other locations within Scotland for meetings and training.

Whilst the role is hybrid, we have an office base in Leith so there will be a regular requirement to have a routine presence in the office.

About Cruse Scotland:We are Scotland’s leading bereavement charity, providing bereavement support to anyone in Scotland who needs us. Bereavement is often one of the toughest experiences that people will face in their lifetime and for some it can be truly debilitating and completely overwhelming. The range of support we offer includes our helpline, instant web-based support, individual and group counselling support, children and young people’s services, training to workplaces and more. See our website crusescotland.org.uk for more information.

The most remarkable thing about Cruse Scotland is the fact that our client services are delivered purely by a volunteer workforce - who are all trained to professional standards. It’s fair to say that their motivation and commitment is contagious, and as such, we value their contributions highly.

Our volunteer workforce of 250 people are located in communities across Scotland, and are supported by a small but mighty staff team of 23, the majority of whom are employed part time. The staff team comprise a mix of roles and talents and share a similar passion for the work of Cruse Scotland. The staff team connects fortnightly to ensure a real sense of community and good relationships across the team.

Feedback from our staff satisfaction survey included:

“I haven't been here long but I can confidently say Cruse Scotland is one of the best organisations I have worked for, both from work and flexibility and overall organisation support from all staff and management”

“I find Cruse Scotland to be a very inclusive organisation with a great ethos, responsive to staff and volunteers”

Next Steps: We encourage you to view the attached job description and person specification for more detailed information.

If you are feeling inspired and consider yourself a good match for the role, then we very much look forward to receiving your completed application.