The Citadel has a long history of strong relationships with families in the Leith community. This includes our Families Project, which provides a range of services to parents/carers of children attending the Citadel, including a weekly Parents Drop In and regular Family Days. In the past five years, the Scottish Government’s Pupil Equity Fund has enabled us to extend our positive relationships with families into local primary schools.

The post holder will be based two days per week in Leith Primary School, where they will be responsible for providing a range of services to parents/carers, including 1:1 support, themed workshops or courses and family learning. They will be based one and a half days per week at the Citadel, where they will work alongside Families Project colleagues, including co-facilitating the Parents Drop In. This post has been continuously funded through the Pupil Equity Fund since 2018 and the renewal of funding for the next school year is generally confirmed in April.

The Citadel has received funding from the Strategic Equity Fund to develop a new project for pupils and their families in the Trinity Academy Learning Community (Trinity Academy, Trinity PS, Victoria PS, Wardie PS). The aims of the project are to promote the mental health and wellbeing of targeted pupils, and to improve their school attendance and engagement with learning. This project will build on the Citadel’s existing relationships with the Learning Community including a

school based youth work service at Trinity Academy and family support services at Trinity PS and Victoria PS. The postholder will work closely with other members of the Citadel team to coordinate support for pupils and their families, including developing a new evening Drop In at the Citadel with a focus on promoting mental health and wellbeing.

The Citadel has a long history of strong relationships with families in the Leith community. This is a new post with a remit to support parents/carers of young people aged 16 to 19, who are accessing the Citadel’s employability services.

The post holder will also provide family support for young mothers (under 25) with children aged 3-6, years, with specific focus on promoting their access to education, training, employment and volunteering opportunities.

Job Description

• Provide practical and emotional 1:1 family support for parents/carers of young people aged 16 to 19 attending the Citadel
• Develop, facilitate and evaluate peer support opportunities for parents/carers of young people aged 16 to 19 attending the Citadel
• Promote services to parents/carers of young people aged 16 to 19 attending the Citadel
• Develop a new 1:1 family support and group work service for young mothers (under 25) and their children (aged 3-6 years) with a specific focus on promoting their access to education, training, employment and volunteering opportunities
• Promote this service to young mothers in the community and to potential referrers such as Health Visitors and Early Years Centres.
• Work in partnership with colleagues in the Citadel’s 15+ Employability Team to ensure that the holistic needs of young people attending the Citadel’s employability services and their families are being met
• Encourage and support the involvement of parents/carers in the Citadel
• any other duties, as required (including occasional weekend and evening work)

The Citadel has been funded since 2021 to provide community based support for the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 12 to 19 in Leith and surrounding areas of Edinburgh. This includes young people accessing the Citadel’s 15+ employability services and 12+ open youth provision, as well as those referred by local high schools. The Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Project Worker has a specialist role, but also works closely with other members of the Citadel team to co-ordinate support for young people and their families.

The postholder will have a key role in the Citadel’s 15+ Team, working across our employability services for young people aged 15 to 19. These include the Stage 1 No One Left Behind Hub, which supports young people on activity agreements, the Stage 2 Futureheads project, which provides targeted support for young people aged 16 to 19 who are not in education, training or employment, and the Citadel Connect project, which offers volunteering opportunities for young people aged 15 to 19. This role entails direct 1:1 support and group work, as well as supporting young people to access relevant opportunities outside the agency. The postholder will also work with Citadel colleagues to provide out of school youth work for young people aged 13 to 19.

The Citadel has received new funding to increase community based support for the mental health and wellbeing of young people aged 12 to 19 in Leith and the surrounding areas of Edinburgh. This will include young people accessing the Citadel’s 15+ employability services and 13+ open youth provision, as well as those referred by local high schools. The Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Project Worker will have a specialist role, but will also work closely with other members of the Citadel team to co-ordinate support for young people and their families.