Team Jak exists to ensure that no child, young person or their family in Scotland should face cancer, related illness, or bereavement alone, and they will get the support they need during their journey and beyond.

We do this by providing emotional, social and practical support to children and young people with cancer and related illnesses, their family, friends and those bereaved. This includes running ‘Jak’s Dens’ in Livingston and Aberdeen and pop up sessions in Fife and Glasgow-safe, welcoming and friendly places where children, young people and families can be themselves, have fun and get support. We also provide counselling, music therapy, peer support sessions and hospital outreach to engage families staying in hospital for treatment, school and home outreach and much more!

Within the Fundraising team, our mission is:

Inspiring people across Scotland to support families affected by childhood cancer by raising funds and delivering value, and to make Team Jak their charity of choice for the long term.

We are looking for an innovative and conscientious Community Fundraiser to join our team and help make our fundraising mission a reality.

Tema Jak has 5 core values we embody to ensure our staff, and families, experience the very best of what we have to give. These are:

• Ambition – high goals and aspirations!

• Collaboration – working in partnership with others.

• Compassion – respecting the unique worth of every person.

• Creativity – imagination and innovation.

• Empowerment – working with hope.

If these values resonate with you, we would love to hear from you.

The role: Community Fundraiser

We are recruiting a new Community Fundraising role beneath the Director of Fundraising & Business Development to support fundraising across Scotland. Team Jaks success to date has been built on incredible fundraising from local communities around our Dens, our other areas of work and our families.

This role will support income generation from individual ‘DIY’ fundraisers, event participants, schools and the Youth Philanthropy Initiative, small businesses, groups and organisations such as Rotary Clubs and Gold Clubs all across Scotland.

You will also play a key role in planning and delivering our ‘owned’ events such as ‘Zipslide the Clyde’, the Forth Bridge Abseil and special events such as our Ladies Day and Jak’s Annual Ball.

You will work closely with the Director of Fundraising & Business Development, the Fundraising Administrator in Jak’s Den HQ in Livingston and the Jak’s Den Aberdeen team to support our active fundraisers, providing a gold standard supporter experience so our fundraisers continue to support us year after year.

Team Jak are a Scottish charity providing practical, social and emotional support to children and young people with cancer, their family and friends and those bereaved through Jak’s Den in Livingston and Aberdeen and pop ups in North of Scotland, Fife and Dundee and Lothian and Borders with hospital outreach in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

We are looking to help improve the lives of children with cancer and their families by employing a part time Playworker based in our soon to open Aberdeen Jak’s Den in order to further enhance our experiences for our young people and their families.

Job Purpose

The purpose of this post is to work within a team of passionate committed staff to deliver sessions at our soon to be opened Jak’s Den in Aberdeen.

The applicant will be expected to plan, resource, support and deliver a range of inclusive social, recreational and adventure play activities at Jak’s Den, including a range of activities such as arts and crafts, group activities, music, messy play and outdoor play etc, as well as supporting our Coordinator with our more structured groups. We are looking for someone who can initiate and support opportunities for children and young people with cancer that are innovative and engaging for the children and young people involved and truly led by their interests and needs.

A full Job Description is available for download below.

Team Jak aim to provide emotional social and practical support for children and young people with cancer, related illnesses and their families and friends; and bereavement support.

To participate in the co-ordination, provision and evaluation of a service that ensures children and young people, families and professionals can access high quality emotional, social and practical support in situations where a young person or child has been diagnosed with cancer or related illness or is in remission and needs support, or sadly has died; and assessing and responding to the needs of parents/carers and grandparents.

To contribute to the training and support of professionals across Scotland whose roles bring them into contact with warrior or bereaved families.

A full Job Description is available for download below.

Team Jak aim to provide emotional social and practical support for children and young people with cancer related illnesses. Also providing support to their families and friends including bereavement support.

The Wellbeing Coordinator will plan, prepare and deliver the co-ordination, provision and evaluation of a bespoke wellbeing service ensuring children and young people, families and professionals can access high quality emotional, social and practical support. Key support will be delivered in situations where a young person or child has been diagnosed with cancer or a related illness, is in remission, or sadly has died. The coordinator will be fundamental in assessing and responding to the needs of siblings, parents, friends and the wider family.

This role will also contribute to the training and support of professionals across Scotland whose roles bring them into contact with warrior or bereaved families.

Principal Responsibilities:

• To help plan, prepare and lead the co-ordination, provision and evaluation of a children and young people’s counselling and support service from Jak’s Den via outreach to hospitals and homes and or via phone or online as required throughout Scotland.
• To further develop a bespoke wellbeing programme for Team Jak in relation to our children and young people’s cancer journey focusing on resilience, coping strategies, emotional wellbeing and bereavement support.

Our bespoke Wellbeing Programme will encompass the following:

• 121 Support - age related Wellbeing Programme with resources and discussion;
• Age related Mindfulness/Wellbeing/ Positive Post Packs;
• Group Support- age related and peer related where possible i.e. warriors, siblings, bereaved;
• Bag of Worries and TJ’s Worries programme & Teen resources;
• Befriending- 121 time with trained adult- story time discussion and play with emotions resources to encourage discussion and strategies to help on journey;
• Play Therapy/Child Counselling/Music Therapy - Structured sessions with more in depth support required;
• Seasons for Growth Programme.

Our Ideal Applicant will bring:

• Recognised health, educational, social care and counselling qualification (BACP/COSCA)
• Training in working with children, young people, adults and families
• Relevant trauma and bereavement training
• Relevant experience of working with children, adults and families, individually and in groups
• Experience of supporting bereaved families and families suffering trauma
• Understanding of peer group work/facilitation
• Experience of delivering training in loss and grief
• Knowledge of support services available for children and families
• Experience of supervision of others
• Knowledge of education, social services and primary care services
• Experience of working with traumatic grief
• Ethnic and cultural awareness
• Experience of telephone support and information provision
• Experience of service evaluation

The ideal candidate will have/be:

• The ability to work alone and within a multidisciplinary team
• Excellent communication skills
• The ability to communicate clearly and sensitively in writing
• Computer and database skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Highly motivated and able to motivate others
• Relate well to children and adults
• Positive attitude, energy and drive
• Passionate about the support needs of bereaved families
• Ability to work under pressure

Other Requirements:

• Available to provide support outside of office hours if required
• Flexible working hours and willingness/ ability to work evenings and weekends as required
• Driving Licence and ability to travel if required throughout Scotland
• Occasional need for unsociable hours - e.g. attendance at fund-raising events, meetings, conferences, training and presentations (time off in lieu will be given).

Team Jak aim to provide emotional social and practical support for children and young people with cancer related illnesses. Also providing support to their families and friends including bereavement support.

The Young People and Families Coordinator will participate in the co-ordination, provision and evaluation of a beneficial service that ensures children and young people, families and professionals can access high quality emotional, social and practical support. The Coordinator will be fully involved in situations where a young person or child has been diagnosed with cancer or related illness, in remission, or sadly has died. The Coordinator is key to assessing and responding to the needs of parents/carers and grandparents.

Principal Responsibilities

• To be a key part of the co-ordination, provision and evaluation of a children and young people’s and families counselling and support service from Jak’s Den across Scotland.
• To be part of Team Jak team in Livingston in providing and evaluating a support service to support children and young people up to 25, their families and friends.
• To uphold the ethos of Team Jak’s service in what is offered to families.
• To work within national guidelines and Team Jak policies, ensuring that practice is standardised, ethical and safe for families, staff and volunteers. This includes child protection, complaints and grievance procedures.
• To support the Team Jak Den Manager and CE in developing and establishing Team Jak’s services in Livingston and the whole of Scotland as a source of advice and support for families and professionals where a young person or child has cancer, is in remission is dying or has died.
• To provide a programme of individual and family support sessions, and to develop and provide facilitated peer groups for parents/carers and grandparents and friends throughout their journey.
• To co-ordinate and allocate referrals ensuring timely and appropriate support.
• To support the provision of our evolving online and telephone support service for families struggling with diagnosis or treatment or those bereaved, who live remotely.
• To empower, engage with and support other professionals through joint working, attend networks and other relevant meetings offering support and resources where applicable when working with Warriors, their families, friends and those bereaved.
• To participate in supervision, both individually and as part of the team.
• To maintain and improve individual competence and accountability.
• To assist Team Jak in the strategic and operational development of the service in Jak’s Den HQ and throughout Scotland, in response to identified need.
• To contribute to the training and support of professionals across Scotland whose roles bring them into contact with Warrior or bereaved families.

Training and Education Requirements

• Recognised health, educational, social care or counselling qualification to Degree level.
• Training in working with children, young people, adults and families.
• Relevant bereavement training across the lifespan.
• Experience of delivering training in loss and grief.

Knowledge & Experience

• Relevant experience of working with children, adults and families, individually and in groups
• Experience of supporting bereaved families and families suffering trauma
• Understanding of peer group work/facilitation
• Knowledge of support services available for children and families
• Experience of supervision of others
• Knowledge of education, social services and primary care services
• Experience of working with traumatic grief
• Ethnic and cultural awareness
• Experience of telephone support and information provision
• Experience of service evaluation

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to work alone and within a multi-disciplinary team
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to communicate clearly and sensitively in writing.
• Computer literate, Microsoft office suite (word, excel, powerpoint) database skills and social media savvy.

Personal Qualities

• Excellent communicator
• Highly motivated and able to motivate others
• Relates well to children and adults
• Positive attitude, energy and drive
• Passionate about the support needs of Warrior and bereaved families
• Ability to work under pressure

Key Working Relationships

• Team Jak CE
• Team Jak Staff and Board
• NHS Staff from our partner hospitals and throughout Scotland
• Education Staff
• Social Work Staff and West Lothian & Edinburgh Steering Group & Lothian Bereavement Network
• Statutory and Voluntary service providers in health, social care and education

Other Requirements

• Available to provide support outside of office hours
• Flexible to work evenings and weekends as required
• Full clean driving Licence – Ability to travel when required.

The Team Jak Foundation was inspired by teenager, Jak Trueman, following his own journey with childhood cancer. Team Jak has made great strides since launch and has many exciting plans in place to further the support and experience provided to warriors, and their family and friends, whilst going through childhood cancer.

We require an experienced administrator to support the team in community volunteering activities and fundraising endeavours. The successful candidate will support the management team and colleagues, as well as families and friends of Team Jak. The Team Jak environment is built upon a warm and friendly atmosphere where staff are approachable and creative in their service offering to ensure support given to families is at the heart of the charity.

Skills and Approach:

• Experience of working with volunteers and/or charities preferred
• Experience of working with young people and families
• Experience of operating Microsoft office packages and data management
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Strong organisation skills, particularly in regard to administration and record keeping
• Strong work ethic, with a willingness to go above and beyond to ensure the right support for individuals
• Own vehicle and valid driving license
• Working hours will predominantly be office based will an opportunity for some work to be carried out at home. Weekend/evening work required on occasion.