goodmoves

The Head of Corporate Services will act as the strategic head of finance and is one of several new roles being recruited for this growing charity.

Upmo is an Edinburgh-based charity that provides support and opportunity for adults with learning and other complex disabilities. Upmo was started in 2006 by Josh Barton and inspired by the belief that services for adults could truly be exciting, dynamic and meaningful.

In 2006, adults with learning disabilities lacked opportunities in higher education and there was a lack of understanding around individual needs. Those who understood the needs of service users operated with limited scope to encourage, inspire and motivate. As a result, many service users were isolated and desperately in need of opportunities to become more socially engaged, active and valued.

The response from Upmo was combining progressive learning within an educational curriculum and the development of support service provision – placing the needs of students at the heart of services. Since 2006, they have delivered these tailored support services alongside a respected curriculum of creative workshops, educational activities and vocational programmes. They encourage students to build confidence, use imagination and develop life skills and help them to play an equal, rewarding and contributing role in society.

The local authorities in Edinburgh and The Lothians love the fresh and innovative approach. Upmo is Scotland’s leader in providing exciting, dynamic and meaningful services to adults with learning disabilities and/ or autism.

Everyone at Upmo has the students and their families at heart and come to work motivated and passionate to help take the organisation forward successfully on its journey. They want to make a difference to the lives of adults with learning disabilities through tailored support and learning opportunities that will develop their potential and play an equal role in society. Upmo believe that they can be the exemplar model for Scotland and achieving this across the country, not only in Edinburgh and The Lothians, is a real driving force for everyone.

Upmo has plans to create “The Upmo Performing Arts Hub” in Leith - a bespoke and purpose-built arts centre and performance space, but this has been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. While this aspiration has not diminished, external funding support has been re-prioritised to support their response to the ongoing crisis in the immediate term. Focus on creating an arts hub at the very heart of a new campus style approach for the charity endures and its creation is a major long-term objective for Upmo to ensure culture becomes accessible to all.

In 2020, Andrew Thomson was appointed as the first CEO of Upmo with a clear objective of propelling the organisation forward. Bringing a wealth of experience, Andrew has brought new thinking and drive to Upmo. Working alongside the Board, he has set the future direction of Upmo. A restructure has already taken place and to continue expanding operational activities two new departments – Corporate Services and Development, are being established with 4 additional appointments.

The Head of Corporate Services will focus on the financial management and income generation capacity of the organisation. This role will ensure that the appropriate governance and procedures are in place. It will also oversee the grants and funding function. This is a strategic leadership position and will be responsible for the overall financial management as well as supporting the charity to capacity build and expand services.

This post is part of the senior management team, reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Head of Operations and Head of Development. The Head of Corporate Services will line manage a team of 3 – the new funding and Grants Officer and the 2-person Finance Team.

To be considered for this role, you will have held a similar level role and demonstrate leadership and strategic financial management experience within a business environment. You must be experienced across all areas of Corporate affairs including strategic financial management/cost accounting, budget preparation, statutory and local reporting, audit procedures and finance policy & procedural design and implementation. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and organisational skills are essential alongside being self-motivated and driven. You will be experienced working to deadlines, multi-tasking and working under pressure.

It is important that all applicants have a firm belief in inclusion, fairness and equality evidenced through work practice or personal experience. You must have a desire to ensure people are at the heart of decision making and an ability to balance this with the needs of Upmo.

Western Isles Foyer is a small, local, independently funded charity established in 2003. We work with young people aged 16 -26 who live in the Western Isles and who are homeless, in housing need, and/or are subject to other significant social disadvantages.

We aim to prevent and alleviate homelessness and social disadvantage via the provision of supported accommodation, a drop-in service facility and a range of support, advice and training. Our services aim to support young people to secure a safe place to live, help them develop the skills they need to successfully live independently, support them to feel more socially included, valued and respected and access opportunities (including education, training and employment) to help them achieve their full potential.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced health and social care practitioner (ideally with prior experience of managing a service for young people). The Project Manager will have experience leading and supervising staff, and the skills to effectively manage a team of staff to deliver effective person-centered support to young people in-line with their individual assessed needs.

The Project manager will be responsible for all aspects of management and leadership within the organisation. In conjunction with the organisation’s Committee this includes responsibility for strategic development, producing and an organisational business plan, and overseeing effective service delivery.

AdvoCard is a well-established and highly regarded advocacy organisation in Edinburgh. Primarily providing independent advocacy to individuals affected by mental ill-health, we work individually and collectively with a range of advocacy partners to ensure their voices are heard and their rights upheld.

We are looking for an experienced leader who can build on our success and lead the organisation forward at this exciting but challenging time. You will lead a team of knowledgeable staff and volunteers who take pride in AdvoCard’s unique services. You will be an experienced manager with excellent communication skills, and have experience in strategic planning, staff management, raising an organisation's profile and securing ongoing funding to turn vision into action. In addition you should have a track record of successful partnership work with key external organisations to deliver services and influence local and national policy.

If you can bring commitment, innovation and a real passion for supporting the individual and collective voices of those who struggle to be heard, we want to hear from you. To be successful, you will have a background working in advocacy, social care or a related field in either the statutory or third sector, have an understanding of the relevant policy and legislative drivers locally and nationally, and a proven track record of leadership.

About our organisation

The Soil Association, formed in 1946, is the only UK charity which works across the spectrum of human health, the environment and animal welfare. That’s because we cannot tackle these issues in isolation.

We campaign for change, we support farming innovation, we serve healthy food in communities, we support and grow the organic market and we protect forests. We couldn't do any of this without our supporters, partners, donors and dedicated staff. We make a difference in the world where it’s needed the most.

About the opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the Soil Association’s policy advocacy in Scotland on farming and land use, at a pivotal moment as we move beyond the Brexit transition period. The Soil Association is collaborating widely to build a policy framework that can support a ten-year transition to agroecology and sustainable land use. This role will be instrumental in building networks and influence in Scotland to achieve that goal, working closely with the UK Policy Unit and the Director of Soil Association Scotland.

About you

You will have:

• substantial experience of developing public affairs strategies and plans.
• substantial experience of the Scottish political and policy context and influencing via relevant networks.
• substantial knowledge of relevant issues, including the climate and biodiversity impact of farming and land use.
• high credibility with policy audiences

A Job Description is available for download below.

Important dates

Closing date: 10th January, 11:59pm

Interviews are expected to take place: online, 19th January 2021

VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian) is seeking an exceptional communications professional to join its senior management team and provide strategic and operational leadership in the areas of communications and digital transformation. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and solution-focused individual, who will lead and direct VOCAL’s communications, providing strategic direction to stay at the cutting edge of digital developments whilst raising VOCAL’s profile with the public and relevant stakeholders.

The postholder will lead VOCAL’s communications and digital presence, line manage communication support staff and work with VOCAL’s senior management team to implement VOCAL’s Business Plan and strategic objectives.

The successful candidate will have previous experience as a senior manager working at a strategic level to develop and implement innovative digital and communication solutions. They will demonstrate line management experience at a senior level, experience of proactive press and media work and an excellent ability to forge cross sector partnerships and manage contractual relationships. Ideally, they will have an understanding of caring situations and the impact of caring on peoples’ lives.