Children and Families Advocacy Worker
- Full time
- £27,042 – £30,432
- On site: Edinburgh
- Closing 17th November 2026
- Advertised from 3rd November 2026
- Hours 36.25 per week. Fixed term to March 2029
Role
AdvoCard is a well-established and highly regarded independent advocacy organisation based in Edinburgh. We stand alongside people whose voices too often go unheard, working with our advocacy partners to make sure their views are listened to and their rights are upheld.
This is an exciting opportunity to join us as a Children and Families Advocacy Worker, providing independent advocacy to parents and families who are facing social work intervention. Decisions about a child's care are among the most important and stressful a family can go through, and parents often tell us they feel unheard in the formal processes that shape their family's future. With advocacy support you can make sure they understand what is happening, know their rights and have their say.
What you will do
- Provide independent, issue-based advocacy to parents and family members involved with children's social work services
- Support advocacy partners to prepare for, attend and take part in Looked After and Accommodated Children (LAAC) reviews, Children's Hearings, permanence panels, child protection meetings and other formal meetings
- Help families understand their rights, the processes they are involved in and the options open to them
- Support advocacy partners to express their own views, wishes and concerns, and speak on their behalf where they ask you to
- Work alongside social work, the Children's Reporter, solicitors and other professionals while remaining fully independent of them
- Keep accurate case records and contribute to monitoring, reporting and the development of the service
- Work in line with the SIAA Independent Advocacy Principles, Standards and Code of Best Practice
About you
- A background in advocacy, social care or a related field in either the statutory or third sector
- Experience of working with families, particularly families involved with social work services, would be an advantage
- Knowledge of the Children's Hearings System and looked after children processes, or a willingness to learn quickly
- Confidence in formal meetings, and the ability to stay alongside people through difficult and emotional situations
- A non-judgemental, rights-based approach and a real commitment to independent advocacy
- Good organisational and written communication skills
You do not need to have worked in advocacy before. Full training is provided, and we are just as interested in your values, your approach and what you have learned from life as in your job titles.
Why work for us
We recognise that advocacy is an emotionally demanding role and we look after the people who work with us. As well as a supportive, experienced team, regular supervision and access to an established peer support group, you will receive:
- 42 days' holiday a year (pro rata)
- 8% employer pension contribution
- An Employee Assistance Programme, including a 24-hour support line, access to counselling and a personalised health dashboard
- Flexible working patterns and hybrid working
- Full induction and ongoing training, plus access to recognised, accredited certificates through the Skills Network
Our commitments to you
We hold recognised accreditations that shape how we recruit and how we support our staff:
- Disability Confident Committed employer. We are part of the UK Government's Disability Confident scheme. Our recruitment is inclusive and accessible, we make reasonable adjustments at every stage, and we support disabled staff to thrive at work.
- Equally Safe at Work. We are accredited through Equally Safe at Work, Scotland's employer programme for advancing gender equality and preventing violence against women. That means fair and flexible working practices and clear support for any member of staff affected by gender-based violence.
- Mindful Employer. We have signed the Mindful Employer Charter, committing us to support the mental health of our staff, to treat people with mental health conditions fairly in recruitment and employment, and to talk openly about wellbeing.
Guaranteed interview for disabled applicants
As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview to any disabled applicant who meets the essential criteria in the person specification. To opt in, simply tick the box on the application form. You decide what, if anything, you tell us about your disability, and we will ask everyone invited to interview whether they need any adjustments.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at AdvoCard.
We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and communities, so that our staff team reflects the people who use our service. We warmly welcome applications from people with lived experience, including experience of the care system, of social work involvement with their own family, of mental ill-health or of problematic substance use. Lived experience brings real insight to advocacy, and we value it. You can choose whether to draw on it in your application, and you never need to share personal details you are not comfortable with.
Application notes
To apply, please complete our application form and the separate equal opportunities monitoring form, using the job description and person specification as your guide. We do not accept CVs. The forms are available in other formats, and you can also apply by audio or video, or with support over the phone. If you have any queries or would like support with your application, please contact Arlene Astley at arlene@advocard.org.uk
Closing date for applications is 12pm on 17 November 2026. Interviews will be held on Friday 20th November
Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG). This post involves regulated work with children. The successful candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme through Disclosure Scotland before taking up post, and references will be taken up. Having a criminal conviction will not automatically stop you being appointed: we consider each case fairly and individually, and we will only ask about convictions once a conditional offer has been made.
Interviews
Candidates selected for interview will be contacted shortly after the closing date. Please note that we will be conducting interviews in person and interview questions will be provided before the interview. Please contact arlene@advocard.org.uk if you will require a remote interview or additional support.
Downloads
We are currently looking to recruit support workers to join our small team within Inclusion Alliance. The role involves supporting people with learning disabilities to be included in the community and lead an ordinary life. Your work would involve helping people to access educational, social, leisure and work or volunteering opportunities in the community.
No experience or formal qualifications are necessary for the role although a caring nature, positive attitude and a sense of fun are important characteristics to have. New staff will receive paid training and undertake shadow shifts with experienced staff members during induction. We want new staff to feel ready and able to work prior to working on their own for the first time.
We have various vacancies available including part time and relief/casual positions in various locations throughout Edinburgh.
Working hours are based between the hours of 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday.
We have various permanent and casual vacancies available.
Relief/Casual pay rate- £13.45
Candidates must be caring, motivated and have excellent communication skills whilst being committed to working in a person-centred way ensuring that support is built around the supported person’s wishes and needs.
Benefits include
- Employer contributory pension scheme
- Funded SVQ 3 qualification and learning opportunity
- Paid annual leave entitlement
- Regular paid supervision sessions
- Regular paid training and development opportunities
- Daytime Monday to Friday working
- Working for a well-established small organisation where person centred values are at the core.Free 24/7 access to employee support app
Financial Wellbeing Specialist
- Full time
- £28,074 – £30,695
- Hybrid: Edinburgh
- Closing 12th November 2026
The Financial Wellbeing Specialist provides expert, rights-based advice on benefits and entitlements for individuals with visual impairments, including veterans. Working remotely across Scotland, the role supports clients and colleagues with applications, system navigation, and appeals processes. The Specialist manages an independent caseload, with referrals primarily received through Vision Information & Support Advisors or Vision Link Workers, and collaborates with Vision Link Workers when in-person client support is required. The focus is on helping clients access the financial support they are entitled to, ensuring accuracy in all work, and promoting clients’ rights while operating within the scope of financial advice.
You don’t need to meet every single requirement to be a great candidate. Most people learn parts of the job once they’re in post, so if a role interests you and you believe you could grow into it, we’d love to hear from you.
We’re committed to fair, accessible recruitment. If you need any adjustments, like extra time, a different format, or other support, at any stage of the process, just let us know. Please contact People and Culture on 0131 378 2793 or via peopleandculture@sightscotland.org.uk who can arrange for any support you need.
About us
For more than 230 years we've been supporting and empowering people with sight loss to live fulfilling lives. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved, but we want to do more. We will build on our rich history to create an organisation which is prepared for the future, and ready to respond to the needs of people impacted by vision loss.
Our vision is bold. We want to be at the leading edge of positive societal change by:
• Investing our funds in the support that makes the biggest difference
• Putting our community at the heart of what we do
• Campaigning for change
• Accelerating prevention and treatment of eye conditions
• Fostering a collaborative culture of innovation and learning
We're determined that no-one should face sight loss alone. We're committed to improving, diversifying and growing our services to make sure we can reach many more people with sight loss - when and where they need us.
Our organisational values - Transform, Unite and Thrive - underpin all the work we do at Sight Scotland and Sight Scotland Veterans.
Benefits
- Generous employee pension scheme
- Learning and Development opportunities
- Employee assistance programme
- Discounted cinema tickets
- Discounts for carers
GAMH are commissioned by Glasgow Carers Partnership to deliver support to unpaid Carers living within the North East of the city. Our service offers inclusive and holistic support to Carers to help maintain their quality of life and improve their health and wellbeing.
We are seeking a Family Support Worker to join our team in our GAMH North East Carers Service. The primary focus of this post will be to work with unpaid Carers and Young Carers delivering a range of supports that enable Carers to manage their caring responsibilities while maintaining their own health and wellbeing.
As a Family Support Worker you will be providing practical and emotional support working collaboratively with Carers and their families and partner organisations to ensure Carers have access to appropriate information, resources and opportunities.
All applicants must be able to work flexibly; early morning, evening and weekend working may be required.
GAMH aims to promote equality of opportunity in service delivery as well as in employment practice. To achieve this, we positively welcome applications from all sections of the community. Accordingly, if you have any requirements
regarding your application please contact Laura Middell, Central Resources Director, on 0141 552 5592.
This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update
check. An offer of work with Glasgow Association for Mental Health will be subject to the outcome of this check being satisfactory.
GAMH are commissioned by Glasgow City Carers Partnership to deliver support to unpaid Carers living within the North East of the city. Our service offers inclusive and holistic support to help Carers become more confident within their caring role, helping to maintain their quality of life and improve their health and wellbeing.
The primary focus of this will be to provide first line management to our team of Family Support Workers using established supervision and performance management systems. The Team Coordinator will be responsible for the allocation of resources based on the needs of Carers and the service. In return GAMH offers an attractive salary, excellent terms and conditions and a fantastic package of additional benefits. The successful candidate will also benefit from a full supportive induction programme as well as a comprehensive and effective learning and development programme.
GAMH aims to promote equality of opportunity in service delivery as well as in employment practice. To achieve this, we positively welcome applications from all sections of the community. Accordingly, if you have any requirements regarding your application please contact Laura Middell, Central Resources Director, on 0141 552 5592
These posts are regulated work with children and protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. An offer of work with Glasgow Association for Mental Health will be subject to the outcome of this check being satisfactory.
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