Background

The newly formed Patna Action Group Ltd (PAG) is establishing the role of Development Officer to catalyse and support community activity in Patna. The role is offered on a freelance (self-employed) basis and will ideally be fulfilled by someone familiar with Patna, East Ayrshire who can start working as soon as possible.

With the prospect of assured funding linked to new wind farm developments in the area, Patna has an exciting opportunity to begin planning for and implementing community led activity that builds community wealth and wellbeing.

Purpose

This role will support the delivery and development projects and priorities in the area, building on the ideas and energy of local residents.

The Development Officer will be directly involved in supporting and encouraging community activity, community capacity building, and the formation of community groups. The Development Officer will also be responsible for working with residents and groups to turn community aspirations into successfully delivered community projects.

The post holder will support the development of a new Community Action Plan and support community consultation to identify and prioritise actions for the community. In the short term, a review of potential community-owned assets will be a key function for the post as will identifying and securing funding for projects, asset acquisition and improvements. The postholder will also promote Action Group membership, volunteering and participation in events in the Patna area. The postholder will support activities that bring people in the community together, using these events to build community confidence and capacity, so that Patna can shape projects that deliver on community aspirations and ambitions.

Circle is a children and families charity working at the heart of communities across central Scotland. Our purpose is to improve the lives of children by strengthening families.

Circle’s approach builds on strengths, is solution focussed and uses a whole family approach to create a family environment that promotes healthy development in children.

Offering peer support across Edinburgh to parents who are affected by substance use.

We have an exciting opportunity for a committed and enthusiastic individual to join our Harbour team and be part of delivering a service for parents, children and young people affected by parental substance use in Edinburgh.

Funded by Scottish Government, and administered by Corra Foundation, our project aims to develop family inclusive practice and involve families in the development of group opportunities within the recovery community.

The post holder will work alongside families to ensure that their views and experiences inform not only their support, but wider family inclusive practice.

Applicants should be parents and have lived experience of substance use.

Expected to be funded until 31 March 2027

We offer excellent staff benefits including a competitive salary, generous pension contribution, flexible working, an employee assistance programme and generous annual leave.

We are committed to finding the right people for the jobs that we advertise.

Alzheimer Scotland is the leading dementia organisation in Scotland. We campaign for the rights of people with dementia and their families, whilst providing an extensive range of innovative, personalised, and therapeutic support services.

We are committed to improving the lives and opportunities of people living with dementia, their carers, partners, and families as their journey transitions from the first point of contact through to end of life. We believe nobody should face dementia alone.

Are you a self-starter? Are you confident, innovative and collaborative?

If yes, then this may be the role for you.

We are looking for two Community Activity Organisers who will be responsible for developing and facilitating a wide range of community activities for people living with dementia and their carers/families with a view to helping them to maintain social activities, relationships and community connections.

The successful applicant will have a positive approach to dementia. You will be flexible, inclusive, creative, and organised in your approach. You will be sensitive and compassionate with the ability to support people in times of difficulty or distress. You will be an excellent communicator who can work effectively both with individuals and with groups. You will have a positive approach to your own continued professional development and a willingness to participate in relevant training. A relevant qualification and previous experience of working with people with dementia would be an advantage.

In return you will be in a role which offers the opportunity to meet great people, have great job satisfaction and be employed by an organisation that offers a range of employee benefits and career progression opportunities.

The successful candidate for this post will be subject to a criminal check through Disclosure Scotland.

Occasional evening and weekend work may be required and a driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential to the role.

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.

Who We Are?

Victim Support Scotland provides support and information to people affected by crime and campaigns for victim and witness rights. Regardless of whether a crime has been reported, or when it happened, our services are free, confidential, and tailored to individuals’ needs.

Our vision is that people affected by crime – victims, witnesses, and their families – are treated with dignity and respect and are at the heart of the justice in Scotland. Our mission is to ensure that all those affected by crime receive high quality support that will help them to recover from their experiences. All our work is guided and underpinned by our six core principles of being engaging and compassionate; inclusive and accessible; person-centred; adaptive, flexible, and responsive; collaborative; and knowledgeable and skilled. Now is the time to join Victim Support Scotland, helping us work towards the ambitions of our 5-year plan: Empowering people affected by crime: VSS Strategy 2021-2026.

VSS is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all of our service users and has a thorough and rigorous recruitment and selection process including PVG scheme checks in place to ensure this commitment is met.

What is the role

Reporting directly to the Head of Service, you will be responsible for a team of Co-ordinators who in turn manage groups of volunteers to deliver and evaluate the support to victims and witnesses, our service users, at local court and community-based services. You will be responsible for ensuring, within your services, that VSS’s organisational objectives are being implemented at a local level and have a role in business planning to ensure that all service users within your local area are aware of, and have access to, the support they need. You will be responsible for all aspects of people management for staff in your area, ensuring that employees and volunteers are supported, knowledgeable and capable to deliver the support that meets service user’s needs.

Location:Inverness office, with travel across the locality and further afield being an expectation of this role.

We offer a 28 hour working week. You will also join a rota of Service Managers to provide remote management support around the country on an on-call basis. You will receive an additional allowance for this.

Primary location: Inverness, however be able to travel throughout Highlands and Islands Locality essential (this includes Elgin, Inverness, Tain, Wick, Fort William, Portree, Stornoway, Lochmaddy, Oban, and Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides (Western Isles).

Work pattern:Monday - Friday 8AM - 8PM & Saturday 10AM - 4PM (the work pattern can be in between these hours, further details can be discussed at interview stage)

What you’ll need to be successful

We are looking for a dynamic, driven, and motivated individual with a proven track record in managing and supporting the delivery of high-quality support and staff within our community and court services across the Highland area. You must have a degree qualification or demonstrable equivalent experience, continuing professional development and the ability to plan and organise complex workloads with shifting deadlines in order to meet specific targets, ensuring quality output. Good verbal and written communications skills, along with the ability and confidence to develop effective internal and external relationships which deliver organisational goals. And willingness to be flexible in working hours and able to travel as required. In return you will receive, regular training, supervision and opportunities to expand your skills including learning about the criminal justice system.

As well as being responsible for your team, you will have lead responsibility for safeguarding across the Locality Manager team. In this capacity, you will work closely with the Head of Service Delivery and peers to actively contribute to the continuous improvement of our safeguarding across the locally delivered services.

Further details of this role are available in the job description

Please note - This post will be subject to a satisfactory PVG check and two satisfactory references.

What we offer?

When you work for Victim Support Scotland, your wellbeing is important to us. Not only do we offer a generous annual leave package of 39 days (Pro-rata) for this post and a 35 hour week, but you will also have access to our free health cash plan which includes cover for you and your family across a range of benefits, which include, dental cover, access to a virtual GP, counselling, legal support and discounts on gym memberships, cinema tickets, retail and much more. In addition we offer a generous pension, enhanced maternity and paternity pay and access to a credit union. Supporting employee development is important to us and we offer comprehensive learning and development opportunities.

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.