With alcohol deaths rising and access to treatment at a ten-year low, Alcohol Focus Scotland’s role in advocating and supporting change has never been more important. Our Board has a vital role in ensuring the organisation is well-governed and able to deliver on our strategic plan.

Who we are

Alcohol Focus Scotland (AFS) is Scotland’s national alcohol charity, committed to preventing and reducing harm to individuals, families, communities and Scotland as a whole.

Who we are looking for

We wish to recruit up to five new Directors to join our Board. In particular, we are looking for individuals who have skills, expertise and experience in one or more of the following areas of policy, practice and governance:

Policy and practice:

• public health, Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships or alcohol service provision research and or policy development in a relevant field (e.g. alcohol or commercial determinants of health, alcohol marketing)
• public affairs or campaigns
• the impact of alcohol on children, young people and families
• business development and delivery of training to external stakeholders

Governance:

• finance and fundraising
• charity and organisational governance (incl. human resources, equality and diversity, health and safety, data protection)
• legal knowledge relevant to AFS’s objectives (e.g. licensing law)

AFS is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of our work and Directors will be appointed on merit. We particularly welcome applications from people who will bring greater diversity to our Board, including from people with lived experience.

These positions are unpaid but travel expenses will be reimbursed.

Clued Up has an exciting opportunity to join our existing core team of staff providing a comprehensive “youth friendly” substance use support and information service for young people 12 - 26 years in the Glenrothes and North East area of Fife. Providing one to one support, group work programmes, street work, partnership working and supporting the existing Project Workers.

The Supported Housing Worker role requires assisting in the management of the development thus ensuring the tenants are able to enjoy an acceptable standard of living in an environment which is clean, safe and friendly. You will be responsible for overseeing the wellbeing of the tenants and for assisting them in maintaining their independence.

As Housing Care Worker your role will involve working with our tenants to ensure they receive the support and personal care identified in their care plans. You will directly support tenants in their homes by providing individual advice, practical housing support assistance and personal care.

Both roles are to ensure that we are able to offer the best service to our tenants and make it possible for our tenants to continue enjoying as much independent living as they’re able.

As well as a competitive annual salary, our valued team also benefits from:

• competitive hourly rates of £10.50 - £10.88 per hour
• guaranteed rota hours working between 7.30am & 10pm
• generous annual leave entitlement
• a choice of pension scheme with employer contributions
• flexible working policies
• access to extensive paid training and development opportunities
• a supportive and inclusive culture.

We also have opportunities with our Trust Staff Agency - for employees who want to work across different locations, in various roles, with highly flexible hours to suit family commitments - it's a great opportunity with the same training and development that our other roles benefit from.

Previous experience working in social care or the housing sector would be an advantage but this is not always necessary. Our ideal candidate is someone with enthusiasm, a caring nature and willingness to learn as full training, support and ongoing development will be provided.

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 3000 Care Experienced members.

At the heart of Who Cares? Scotland’s work are the rights of Care Experienced children and young people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide individual relationship-based independent advocacy and a broad range of imaginative participatory opportunity for Care Experienced young people across Scotland; we work alongside corporate parents and communities of all sorts to broaden understanding; we work with policy makers, leaders and elected representatives locally and nationally to shape law, policy and practice on the basis of all that can be learnt from the voices of those with experience of care - 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 West Central 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’s 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 Central 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, as will a full driving licence and access to transport.

While we would welcome the knowledge gathered through relevant qualifications, we are just as interested in relevant work experience. We welcome and encourage applications from those with experience of care.

If this sounds like the role for you, we would love to hear from you. For an informal conversation about this opportunity please contact Jamie McAnally, our Advocacy and Participation Manager for our West Central team on jmcanally@whocaresscotland.org.