Jobs in Kirkwall East, Orkney Islands

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 3500 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual lifelong relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory and engagement opportunities for Care Experienced people across Scotland. We work alongside Corporate Parents and communities to broaden understanding and create change. We work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice, working together to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

The post holder will 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 Northwest region. This unique role requires you to listen to what children and young people with experience of care say and support them to ensure their rights are upheld and their voices are heard in the processes of making decisions about their lives. You will also help facilitate a broad range of participatory and engagement opportunities, and create the conditions for collective advocacy.

The right candidate for this post will be brilliant at forming positive relationships with children and young people. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, adaptable to a wide range of contexts. You will enjoy working collaboratively with partners. You will be committed to children and human rights, inclusive working, equal opportunities, and believe that all young people can make transformative change happen in their lives if given the opportunity.

The successful candidate will be joining Who Cares? Scotland and working within the North 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. Flexibility will be required given the remit of the role. Some evening and weekend work will be necessary, as will a full driving licence and access to transport.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. For an informal conversation about this opportunity please contact Leanne Murdoch, our Advocacy and Participation Manager for the North team on lmurdoch@whocaresscotland.org.

‘Orkney Money Matters’ is a new partnership project which has been developed by a group of local third sector and statutory organisations. It aims reduce the levels of financial insecurity in Orkney by increasing access to advice and cash-based support. It will do so through the creation of a ‘advice-and-cash-first’ referral pathway. The project will develop frameworks and resources to support closer working between organisation, as well as developing a centralised promotion campaign to raise awareness of available support.

The Mental Health Support Worker will provide individualised mental health support to anybody who has been referred to Orkney Blide Trust through the ‘Orkney Money Matters’ referral pathway. Individuals will be referred where it is identified that financial insecurity is negatively impacting their mental health and where they would like support for this. The support provided by the Mental Health Support Worker will focus on building resilience, developing coping strategies and connecting the individual to wider groups, services and support to improve their mental health.

If you are committed to improving the lives of others and to delivering an excellent level of service then we would like to hear from you. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and will enjoy supporting individuals one-to-one. Relevant training will be provided.

The role is full-time for an initial 12 month contract.