Jobs in Paisley East and Central, Renfrewshire

Victim Support Scotland – Empowering People Affected by Crime. We put victims and witnesses at the heart of everything we do so they are heard, have improved health and well-being, feel safer, more secure, and informed and that we are an effective organisation, that makes a lasting difference.

What is the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as Support Co-ordinator , working 28 hours per week.

Location will be Paisley Community/Court office . However, you will be expected to travel throughout Renfrewshire.

Reporting directly to a Locality Manager, you will be responsible for ensuring, within your Service(s), that VSS’s local service development and delivery plan is being implemented within your geographical area(s). Service delivery is provided by a team of skilled and knowledgeable volunteers, you will be responsible for planning their deployment to ensure that the service delivered meets the desired outcomes of victims and witnesses of crime, our service users. Responsible for all aspects of a volunteer engagement with VSS at your services, including recruitment, induction, learning and development, ongoing performance management and support. Contributing to business planning and co-ordination ensuring that continuous learning takes place to monitor that the outcomes of service users are being met.

If you are looking for a role with a purpose, where you can really make a difference, then this may be the role for you.

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 independent advocacy and a range of connection and participation opportunities for Care Experienced people across Scotland. We work alongside Corporate Parents and others to broaden understanding and challenge the stigma experienced by Care Experienced people. We create opportunities for people with lived experience of care to influence policy makers, leaders, and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape legislation, policy and practice. We do this collaboratively to build on the aspirations of The Promise and secure positive change.

The post is focused on supporting the facilitation of the participation and belonging programme for Care Experienced children and young people in Renfrewshire through the development of youth work activities. These activities will create new experiences where Care Experienced children and young people can connect, have fun, explore their care identity in a safe environment, and have a strong collective voice to support positive changes to the care system.

The post holder will work closely with partners to support the delivery of a programme whilst also supporting various PR, awareness-raising events, and other activities. It is essential that the post holder is able to utilise a wide range of communications channels and networks to promote belonging and participation materials to care experienced young people, and work effectively with internal and external partners including Local Authorities and other public services.

The right candidate for this post will enjoy working collaboratively with partners, will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, and will be brilliant at forming positive relationships with children and young people. 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 West locality 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.

*The location of the postholder will be based in any one of Link’s 5 area offices (Paisley, Cumbernauld, Bathgate, Falkirk or Edinburgh) with flexibility on work location. However, Link are currently piloting a hybrid working model and so there may be opportunities for home working.

The Role

At Link, people are at the heart of everything we do. Our people have made our award-winning social enterprise the success it is today and as it continues to grow, we want them to be the best they can be and to reach their potential.

Link is looking for an experienced Welfare Rights Officer to contribute to the provision of a high-quality welfare rights advice, advocacy and training service to both internal and external customers throughout the Link Group and to clients of partners.

Working closely with the Benefits Assistants and Housing Officers, the postholder will ensure referrals are managed and progressed and will work in collaboration with housing and money advice staff to provide tenants with budgeting support.

An overall aim of the role will be to minimise rent arrears and maximise rent collection.

About You

You will have previous experience of giving advice in relation to social security benefits and assisting with claims to benefits, experience of all aspects of social security law and will have represented customers at social security appeal tribunals.

As a qualified Welfare Rights Officer, you will come with recent and detailed knowledge of all aspects of the Social Security benefits system and welfare law. Providing information and advice on all aspects of Welfare Rights to both internal and external customers is a key part of the role, therefore you will need knowledge of and commitment to excellent customer care and equal opportunities.

A proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced advice sector role dealing with a range of duties and customers is required, therefore the postholder will need to demonstrate excellent organisational and time management skills.

In return you will be offered the opportunity to enhance your skills and knowledge through employee training and development. You can expect to work in a supportive, trusting and transparent working environment, with the autonomy to offer creative and innovative solutions whilst maintaining Link’ s values; Responsibility, Empathy, Social Impact, Participate, Equality, Challenge and Transparency.

For further information on the main position accountabilities and a comprehensive list of the essential and desirable criteria required for this post, please refer to the Job Specification in the Job information Pack above.

What’s in it for you?

As an Investor in People, we strive for continuous improvement through the management and growth of our staff, offering a wide range of training and development opportunities.

As a Link employee, you'll likely benefit from the following:

• A generous starting annual leave entitlement of 35 days (inc. 6 public holidays), increasing to 40 days with length of service (pro-rated for part time employees

• Employer pension contributions starting at 5% and rising to 9% depending on employee contributions

• Access to a death in service benefits scheme providing 4x salary

• Enhanced company sick and familial pay entitlements

• A Healthcare cash plan for employee and dependents to support health and wellbeing and discounts on shopping, restaurants, and other services

• A free and confidential employee assistance program and services for employees and their immediate household dependants to support health, mental and financial well-being

• Access to a savings and borrowing scheme and much more!

You will work with colleagues who offer support to ensure our customers' expectations are met. In return, we are looking for applications from people who will contribute to our aims and work to the highest professional standards.

This post is subject a Basic Disclosure check.