“Aberlour has helped me to “learn how to be a Mum again, how to listen and regulate my emotions and support my children to do the same.” -Parent

About Aberlour Family Matters South Ayrshire

Aberlour Family Matters works in partnership with South Ayrshire Council and offers support to mums and dads who have had children permanently removed from their care. You will offer individual and group support alongside relationship based and strengths focused whole family support where appropriate. You will also work with South Ayrshire Council partners to ensure the voices and experiences of parents, carers and practitioners can help support the ongoing improvement of the permanence process. The project has been funded by Scottish Government since April 2022.

You will build up relationships with families facing disadvantage and work together with them to assess their strengths and needs and deliver an agreed family plan, offering emotional and practical support. You will work individually and in groups to strengthen health and wellbeing, building esteem, skills and confidence.

What we are looking for....

We are looking for a kind, committed and experienced individual to join our team.

You will have experience in working alongside partner services and families who have often experienced the impact of trauma, poverty, and social exclusion. You will have good listening skills and be able to plan, deliver and evaluate a range of family and wellbeing support strategies which help families to their own solutions. You will have experience of child and adult protection issues. Knowledge of the permanency process would also be advantageous. Your values should be aligned with The Promise, GIRFEC and UNCRC as well as Aberlour values. You must share our vision that collaborative working, relationship based, strengths focussed early intervention is the best option for children and families who are feeling overwhelmed or excluded.

We one role available at 16 hours per week. These hours will be planned and worked flexibly Monday - Sunday, 7am - 10pm, to meet the needs of families we support. This post is currently funded until 31st March 2027, however we will be actively seeking funding to extend this further.

It would be helpful if candidates hold a valid driver’s licence and have use of a car for working hours, the role will cover the whole of South Ayrshire.

At Aberlour we want to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team. To have a look at our values to understand more about what we are looking for from our employees click here .

What we offer...

As well as a supportive team and excellent training opportunities, we want all our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, an excellent employer pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts across various retailers. Find out more about our Employee Benefits here and our commitment to Equality and Diversity here.

We're offering an exciting opportunity to become a Fostering Practice Manager within our Scotland Glasgow Fostering Team. This is a part time position, working over 3 days reporting directly to the Operations Manager you will lead a team of skilled and passionate social workers, children's workers and our therapist ensuring they deliver support, supervision and training to foster carers, their families and young people. Your leadership will help ensure that our carers provide trauma informed care that transforms the lives of children and young people.

In this pivotal role you will;

• Lead and inspire your team to meet evolving service demands through high quality support and supervision whilst adhering to fostering regulations in Scotland
• Support recruitment and retention of foster carers, contributing to strategic development and service improvement
• Collaborate with external partners, including local authorities, health and education professionals to ensure holistic care for children and fostering families
• Support our commitment to delivering positive outcomes for young people in line with the ambitions of The Promise Scotland

We are looking for a driven individual with experience in fostering and social work who is seeking a fresh challenge, this role offers the opportunity to join a committed team to share your expertise and make a lasting impact. You'll be part of a supportive and knowledgeable team with access to training and development opportunities working flexibly in a hybrid manner across the West of Scotland with our office base in Glasgow.

What you will bring:

• A relevant social work qualification and current SSSC registration
• a strong knowledge of fostering regulations in Scotland
• confidence using social media to promote fostering and enhance visibility across Scotland
• proven ability to lead change, manage performance and drive service delivery
• strong communication skills, especially in complex or challenging situations

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 ourPeople & CultureStrategy. 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 require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)

• 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 Buy Your Leave 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

Benefits:

• 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave
• Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
• Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover
• Staff discount portal and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts.

Vulnerable children in the UK need your help

Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

Last year, we helped more than 687,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.

Why Action for Children?

Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It's the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.

A bit about the role

Keeping families who are experiencing difficulties safely together is a vital part of our work. As a Functional Family Therapist, you'll be working in our Functional Family Therapy Team covering the Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire and East Dunbartonshire. The Functional Family Therapy Team will provide weekly, home-based family therapy, utilising the Functional Family Therapy model with families with young people at risk of care or custody between the ages of 8 and 18.

Therapists will be required to carry a caseload of around 10 families, providing therapeutic support anywhere from 3 to 5 months in accordance with the Functional Family Therapy model. This position requires flexibility in hours to meet families the needs of the families we support, working Monday to Friday with some twilight hours required.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

Some key responsibilities for the role are;

• Learning and adhering to the FFT model to ensure a consistently high-quality service is offered.
• Meeting families where they are and working with them to achieve positive change.
• Being flexible and innovative in your approach, some twilight working required.
• Developing strong relationships with other agencies to ensure families get the best chance of success.
• Participating in weekly group supervision in a supportive environment.
• Providing a responsive and flexible service for families and having autonomy over your diary to schedule this.
• Being part of a team culture where staff are encouraged and supported to work within their hours and to use TOIL and leave to support personal wellbeing.
• Genuinely working with families from a strength and respect-based approach.
• Receive fully funded training in Functional Family Therapy.

Let's talk about you

• A degree or relevant professional qualification in Family Therapy, Social Work, Counselling, Psychology, Mental Health Nursing or equivalent qualification is required.
• Appropriate registration where relevant.
• A proven track record of working effectively and flexibly with families.
• An ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Willingness and enthusiasm to learn.
• Delivery in line with a proven evidence-based model.
• Full driving license and access to a car.

Good to know

Application Process

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration.

Contact: Jessica Jarvis or email us at recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 13337

Diversity,equalityand inclusion

Wework hard to create an inclusive environment. One where individuality is celebrated and where everyone feels valued and supported. Because when we come together, with skills like yours,we’recapable of amazing things.

Weactivelyencourageapplications frompeople withBlack, AsianandMinority Ethnicbackgroundsandpeople with adisability,as these groupsare under-represented within Action for Children.

[For Children Service roles only:Menarecurrentlyunder-represented within our Children Service roles.We’dlike to change that.So,we reallyencouragemen to applyforany ofour Children Service roles.]

Benefits:

• 29 days annual leave PLUS bank holidays, with up to 5 additional days for continuous service and option to buy or sell leave
• Gain professional qualifications and excellent training/development opportunities
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages
• Pension with up to 7% employer contribution with included life assurance cover
• Staff discount portal and Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 national retailers discounts.

Vulnerable children in the UK need your help

Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

Last year, we helped more than 670,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.

Why Action for Children?

Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It's the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.

A bit about the service

Dundee Youth Housing Service is spread across two residential sites in the city of Dundee. We can accommodate 25 young people at one time through a mixture of housing support and care at home intervention.

The Dundee Youth Housing Service, in collaboration with the Dundee City Council, fulfils its statutory duty by supporting homeless/care experienced young people aged 16 and above. The aim of the service is to engage with young people and families at the earliest opportunity. To be responsive, to prevent situations escalating, and take the pressure off the local authority front line services.

As the initial point of contact for any young person facing homelessness in the city, our service plays a crucial role. Within the strategic housing partnership, Action for Children stands as the sole organisation dedicated to preventing young individuals from becoming homeless. Our service operates 24/7.

Our primary focus is to provide temporary accommodation for young people who have been assessed as homeless. We extend our support to young individuals who are homeless and have care experience.

A bit about the role

As a Team Leader within Housing Support, you will provide operational leadership to practitioners and support workers delivering support to young people, ensuring high‑quality, consistent and person‑centred services. You will oversee the delivery of structured support pathways, including referral, assessment, support planning and regular review, ensuring interventions are effective and outcomes‑focused.

You will work closely with Social Work, DCC Housing Teams and the AFC Prevention Team to ensure robust baseline assessments are completed prior to accommodation placements. Through supervision, guidance and quality assurance, you will support your team to empower young people to develop independent living skills and progress confidently towards sustainable, permanent accommodation.

You will manage and coordinate staffing arrangements for a continuous 24‑hour, year‑round service to ensure staffing levels consistently meet service demands, responding quickly to unplanned absences and allocating resources effectively to maintain performance and service continuity.

You will also be part of a Team Leader rota, providing on‑call cover as required. This includes responding to incidents, offering guidance to staff, supporting decision‑making out with normal working hours and escalating concerns appropriately in line with policy. This role includes an additional payment for participation in the on‑call rota

The role involves leading partnership working with internal and external agencies to develop and deliver holistic, tailored support packages that respond to individual needs. You will promote best practice, encourage reflective working, and ensure safeguarding, risk management, and equality principles are consistently applied.

Ultimately, you will support your team to help young people live independently, engage positively with their communities, and achieve long‑term, positive outcomes—while maintaining service standards, compliance, and a focus on continuous improvement.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

As a Team Leader within Housing Support, you will lead and support staff to deliver effective, person‑centred support to young people. While maintaining an understanding of frontline practice, your role will focus on overseeing the delivery of general support and guidance, including independent living skills, tenancy sustainment, housing applications and access to appropriate services.

You will ensure your team has a strong awareness of local services available across Dundee and that young people are effectively signposted to relevant support based on assessed need. Through supervision, guidance, and role‑modelling best practice, you will support staff to deliver consistent, high‑quality interventions that promote independence and wellbeing.

You will also be responsible for:

• Promoting and maintaining effective working relationships with colleagues, partner agencies, young people and families to support positive outcomes
• Ensuring safeguarding and child protection responsibilities are fully understood, embedded in practice and escalated appropriately in line with policy
• Providing regular supervision and facilitating practice meetings, ensuring reflective practice and a cohesive, consistent approach across the team
• Monitoring compliance with policies, procedures, and professional standards, addressing issues through support and performance management where required
• Leading and embedding practice aligned with GIRFEC, The Promise, the Health and Social Care Standards, and the SSSC Code of Conduct

Through strong leadership, oversight, and support, you will ensure services are delivered safely, consistently and in line with statutory and organisational expectations, contributing to positive long‑term outcomes for young people.

Let's talk about you

• Essential - SVQ 3 in Social Services and Healthcare, or HNC Social Services plus management award (PDA)
• Desirable - SVQ4 in Social Services and Healthcare or willing to work towards
• SSSC registered.
• Previous experience of supervising staff.
• Significant experience of working with children and young people with complex trauma
• Confident in all aspects of MS Office.
• Experience of coaching and supporting staff to reach a competent standard.
• Ability to work under pressure while maintaining drive and enthusiasm and to be able to deal with children and young people effectively and safely with challenging behaviour.

Good to know

Application Process

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration.

Talent Pool

We know talent when we see it. But sometimes we find the right person but not for the right job. We'd love to keep your details for when the right job comes up. Let us know if you'd rather we didn't.

Contact: Jessica Jarvis at recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 13366

Diversity, equality and inclusion

At Action for Children, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace.

Weactivelyencourageapplications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.

Male staff are under-represented within our Children Service roles. We would like to encourage more male applicants for our Children Service roles.