Youth Scotland, Scotland’s national charity for the support and delivery of communitybased youth work, would love you to come and join our team.

Youth Scotland’s Youth Awards recognise and accredit the learning and achievements of thousands of young people each year through community-based youth work, schools and a wide range of partner organisations.

Following the retirement of our current Senior Development Worker, we are looking for an experienced Senior Development Worker (Awards) to join the team and build on the strong foundations already in place.

The Role

This is an important role within Youth Scotland’s Awards team, providing leadership to staff, maintaining high standards of quality and customer service, strengthening strategic partnerships and identifying opportunities for continued growth and development.

You will work with a wide range of Awards users and partners, including local authorities, national charities, schools, community-based youth organisations and other Awards providers. You will also lead on team planning, quality assurance, communications and impact reporting, and contribute to business planning and budgeting.

This role would suit an experienced professional with strong leadership and partnership skills who can combine strategic thinking with practical delivery. You will share our commitment to recognising and celebrating young people’s achievements and helping ensure their learning and development is valued.

The Organisation

Youth Scotland is the largest national youth work organisation in Scotland, supporting 116,979 young people, 2,430 youth groups from 628 member organisations and over 12,348 youth workers. Youth Scotland has been around since the early 20th century and has a diverse membership network – from small rural youth groups to large urban

projects. The common goal that we all share is better outcomes for young people.

Our membership network is made up of local youth groups of all sizes, Area Associations and Youth Scotland staff who can provide support and training on a range of youth work topics. We are proud of the varied, universal youth work our network delivers and the innovative solutions our members create in an ever-changing youth work landscape.

Rossie is one of Scotland’s longest-established providers of children’s services and has been supporting vulnerable young people since 1857. Today, the organisation is one of only four secure care providers in Scotland, delivering residential care, secure care, education, health, and therapeutic support for young people with complex needs and experiences of trauma.

Located on the east coast of Scotland, Rossie operates at the intersection of care, education, justice, and public policy. Regulated by the Care Inspectorate, HMIe, and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC), the organisation provides highly specialised support for young people aged 10–18 within a safe, nurturing, and trauma-informed environment.

Rossie is committed to helping young people build resilience, improve wellbeing, and maximise their potential through integrated care, education, and therapeutic interventions tailored to individual needs. The organisation has earned multiple national awards and continues to invest in development, innovation, and service improvement, with a clear ambition to remain at the forefront of care provision in Scotland.

This is a significant period for Rossie and for the wider secure care sector. Legislative reform, evolving inspection frameworks, and changes to commissioning and funding structures are reshaping how services are delivered across Scotland. Rossie is exceptionally well placed to help shape that future, supported by a strong operational foundation, a clear sense of purpose, and a Board committed to providing effective strategic leadership and governance.

About the Role of Chair

Following five years in post, Rossie’s current Chair is retiring and, as part of a planned succession, the Board is seeking an experienced Chair to lead the organisation through its next phase.

Residential and secure care in Scotland is changing, driven by the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024, The Promise, evolving Care and Education Inspectorate standards and wider changes in public policy. This is an opportunity to lead a capable and committed Board through that change, ensuring effective governance, supporting the Executive Team and representing Rossie confidently with government, commissioners, regulators and partners.

The Person We’re Looking For

We are seeking an experienced Board Chair who understands the discipline of governance and the distinction between providing strategic oversight and managing the organisation.

Previous experience as a Chair of a sizable organisation is essential. This could be from a charity, public sector, regulated or commercial environment, although experience within the charity or wider public/regulated sector would be particularly relevant.

The successful candidate will have the judgement and presence to lead Board discussions, navigate different perspectives, support effective decision-making and provide constructive challenge to the Executive Team. They will be comfortable leading through periods of change and uncertainty, while maintaining a clear focus on Rossie’s purpose and the young people it supports.

You will likely have:

• Previous experience as a Chair of a sizable organisation or Board.
• A strong understanding of governance and the respective roles of the Chair, Board and Executive.
• Experience leading an organisation or Board through significant change.
• An understanding of the environment in which Rossie operates, ideally through experience in the charity, public, care, justice or wider regulated sectors.
• The confidence and credibility to represent an organisation with government, local authorities, regulators, funders and other key stakeholders.
• Strong judgement and the ability to manage Board dynamics, constructive challenge and succession.
• The ability to build trust, bring people together and guide the Board towards collective decisions

Time Commitment

There are eight Board meetings per year, alongside an annual strategy day. Trustees are also expected to serve on at least one Board committee, with additional committee meetings held throughout the year.

The Chair will also have regular meetings with the CEO and Executive Team, and a visible presence at Rossie would be beneficial. The current Chair is regularly on site, approximately once a week, and the incoming Chair would be expected to develop a similar level of engagement with the organisation.