- Advertised from 28th September 2022
- Contract type: Permanent Number of posts: 2
- 239189
Role
Summary
Consumer Scotland was established by the Consumer Scotland Act 2020 and formally took on its statutory functions and powers on 1 April 2022. As a Non-Ministerial Organisation Consumer Scotland is independent and accountable to the Scottish Parliament. The staff of Consumer Scotland are civil servants.
Consumer Scotland uses data, research and analysis to inform our work on the key issues facing consumers in Scotland. As the statutory body for consumers we work with business, the public sector and consumer champions to put consumer rights, needs and interests at the heart of markets, services and policy. We are committed to working in a way which is fair, transparent, collaborative and evidence-driven.
Consumer Scotland will provide consumer advocacy and advice with a view to –
1. reducing harm to consumers in Scotland
2. increasing confidence among consumers in Scotland in dealing with businesses that supply goods and services to consumers
3. increasing the extent to which consumer matters are taken into account by public authorities in Scotland
4. promoting –
5. sustainable consumption of natural resources, and
6. other environmentally sustainable practices, in relation to the acquisition, use and disposal of goods by consumers in Scotland
7. otherwise advancing inclusion, fairness, prosperity and other aspects of wellbeing in Scotland.
The Policy and Advocacy Officer is a key part of the general consumer advocacy team (covering issues outwith energy, water and post). They will contribute to the development and delivery of the team’s work plan and the organisation’s strategy for working with public and third sector partners, business, the Scottish Parliament and other key stakeholders. The Policy and Advocacy Officer will report to the Head of Policy and Markets.
Job description
The post holder will be responsible for supporting policy and advocacy work into sectors or practices of interest to Consumer Scotland. The post holder is likely to work across a broad range of issues and themes when considering issues affecting consumers in Scotland, including for example, the cost of living crisis, climate change
and the transition to Net Zero and digitalisation. They will be required to collaborate effectively with other teams within Consumer Scotland and stakeholder organisations. There will be a need for flexibility and creativity, particularly as the organisation starts its work and develops its role and functions, and its organisational capacity.
The post-holder will support the organisation’s work by:
• Supporting the Head of Policy and Markets in developing and delivering Consumer Scotland’s policy and advocacy work programme
• Helping to build and maintain an in-depth knowledge of consumer issues across the Policy and Markets Team
• Contributing to the delivery of high quality, evidence-led policy and advocacy work, developing robust, accessible recommendations that can be readily implemented by the relevant organisations. This may include producing reports, consultation responses, briefings and other outputs.
• Being an ambassador for Consumer Scotland, managing and nurturing good relationships with stakeholders to ensure effective engagement and information gathering Working collaboratively with other teams within the organisation and maintaining high standards of integrity and professionalism
Essential Criteria:
• A demonstrable track record of contributing to policy and advocacy work of at least one year’s duration.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with experience of establishing, developing and maintaining positive relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, including the ability to balance competing demands, and use initiative and judgement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, enabling the production and presentation of strategic documents and the analysis of diverse information, cutting through complexity to bring clear, relevant and intelligible findings and recommendations to a range of audiences and stakeholders.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership
• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Agreed salary ranges for each grade
• A Civil Service pension
• 25-30 days holidays
• 11.5 days public & privilege holidays
Things you need to know
1. Security
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.
People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.
2. Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Application Process
This competition is being run in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles.
Please complete the application form which includes a Statement of Suitability of up to 1000 words, detailing the relevant skills and experience you can bring to the role based on the Essential Criteria. You will also be asked to complete a CV.
The selection panel will use your application to assess your suitability for the role against the essential criteria during sifting.
If you are shortlisted, your interview will be based on your experience and the Civil Service behaviours listed in the advert.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed
Further Information
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
If successful and transferring from another government department a criminal record check may be carried out.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure Scotland on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Reasonable Adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact Government Recruitment Service via consumerscot.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
• UK nationals
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Further information on nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Application notes
Apply and further information
To find out more and apply please click here
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact:
• Name :Tracey Reilly
• Email :tracey.reilly@consumer.scot
Recruitment team:
• Email :polly.mazurkiewicz@consumer.scot
Our Activity Centres provide innovative and person-centred services and support to veterans struggling with sight loss. This job exists in order to provide tailored support to veterans carrying out woodworking projects. You will work alongside the veterans to identify abilities, share ideas and plan projects within the activity Centre. You will ensure that the support provided is person-centred, tailored to their needs and is the right support for them. You will support the leadership team to coordinate and manage the activities provided within and from the Activity Centre which will support the overall wellbeing of the veterans and their families. You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation and external stakeholders to ensure that veterans can access the relevant support.
About us
We're one of Scotland's oldest charities - for more than two centuries, we've been supporting and empowering people with sight loss to live fulfilling lives. We're proud of all we've achieved in the past - but we have our sights set firmly on the future.
We're determined that no-one should face sight loss alone. We're committed to improving, diversifying and growing our services to make sure we can reach many more people with sight loss - when and where they need us.
Fundraising & Engagement Leader - Corporate Partnerships & Major Donors
- Full time
- £35,826.52 – £37,576.42
- Edinburgh/Glasgow (On site)
- Closing 21st April 2024
A fantastic opportunity has become available within the Fundraising & Engagement Team to own the delivery of significant income from two key income streams and sustain our mission to ensure nobody faces dementia alone.
The Fundraising & Engagement Leader will report to the Head of Fundraising & Engagement, collaboratively leading the team’s delivery of our strategic objectives.
While not essential, we are particularly keen to hear from anyone who has prior Corporate Partnership and/or Major Donor experience. In particular, this role will focus on the establishment and delivery of a major donor programme and the development and leadership of our corporate partnerships strategy and implementation.
We are looking for someone who is driven, comfortable working independently and has a track record of working in a fast-paced and varied environment. You should be naturally optimistic and empathetic, with a can-do attitude. In line with our ethos of building meaningful relationships, applications from those with experience of partnerships and collaboration are particularly welcome.
Successful applicants will have a positive attitude towards dementia, along with excellent communication skills and a caring manner. A pro-active approach to learn and participate in training will also be expected.
Would you like to make a difference to a person’s quality of life? Would you like to learn BSL while being paid? We are looking for caring and motivated Support Workers to support deaf BSL users to join our team. Could that be you?
Who are we?
Deaf Action is a deaf-led charity, supporting and celebrating deaf people. We were established in 1835 and work with deaf people across Scotland and the South of England. Our work is geared towards empowering all deaf people to achieve their potential and fully participate in society, with equality of rights, access, and opportunity.
As well as our outreach service in Edinburgh, we are expanding our service provision in Glasgow and are looking for people who can make a major contribution to our plans for innovation and growth and who have the commitment and enthusiasm to contribute to the work of our support services to Deaf people throughout Edinburgh and Glasgow.
You can find out more about us at deafaction.org.
About you
We are looking for people who are caring, fun, motivated, willing to learn and show initiative. However, you would need some experience of working in a support service and managing /overseeing a team.
We will provide on the job training with the opportunity to complete formal qualifications in social care. If you have knowledge of BSL, or are a BSL user that is a bonus, however we will provide training if not.
The ideal candidates will be fully committed to our values, which can be found on our website.
The role
You will be leading a team to support *deaf people living in the community. As well as leading a team you will be lone working in the community, delivering a person-centred service supporting deaf people within their own living environment, to enable them to fully participate in the decisions affecting their lives, ensuring that wherever possible, service users benefit from informed choice, control, and independence. This will include both activities at home and within the community which will promote independence and social inclusion.
You will be accountable to the Support Services Area Manager. By working together, you will ensure that a consistent, high quality support service is provided to deaf service users in their own homes, and that staff are supported to develop and maintain such a service.
Due to the nature of this role, its essential that you can drive and have access to a car.
*deaf: this to includes Deaf Sign Language users, deafened, deafblind and hard of hearing people.
You will be asked:
• To actively monitor and develop individual and team performance by ensuring effective supervision and Performance Development Reviews/Reports (PDRs).
• Be responsible for any risk assessments at the service users home as part of your Health and Safety responsibilities.
• To provide clear direction, co-ordination, feedback, and day to day line management for the work of a delegated group of staff. Thus, ensuring their motivation to provide outcome focused, person centred services.
• To assess any new service users for the service and match them with staffs.
• To be involved in recruitment for new staff for the service.
• To take an active role in assessments / recordings and to work with service users to develop their skills and abilities to achieve identified outcomes.
• To assist service users with personal care tasks where appropriate.
• To be involved, as appropriate, with all household tasks, maximising service users’ participation.
• To record the day-to-day finances (where relevant) and household budgets of service users.
• To enable service users to access information to be fully informed of their rights and valid expectations from the service provided.
• To ensure the health, safety and security of individuals and their environment.
What is on offer? What do we offer?
• Occupational pension scheme with employer contributions of 6%.
• 32 days leave pro rata (including bank holidays) pro rata for part time.
• 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Programme provided by Health Assured.
• In-house Mental Health First Aiders.
• Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and IT Voucher Scheme.
• Ongoing support for learning and development through our PDR process
• Death in service benefit
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Do you believe in the power of data to improve people’s lives and know that working with the public is vital to our mission? Research Data Scotland needs you!
We have an exciting opportunity to work in a multifaceted Business Management role to support the delivery of exemplary governance and operational excellence. This role works with stakeholders at every level in our organisation and as such we are looking to appoint a highly motivated and conscientious individual.
About us
Research Data Scotland (RDS) is a charity set up by the Scottish public sector and leading universities. We help researchers find and make use of data that can improve the lives of people in Scotland. Working in partnership, we do this by widening the range of data available, creating new data assets and providing a single point of contact for safe, secure and effective access to public data in a trustworthy manner.
Data is often locked away in lots of individual systems, across many different organisations, and isn’t in a format that makes access or integration easy. We can help researchers to unlock the potential of this data by giving them information and advice that speeds up and simplifies their work.
RDS aims to provide a step change in the service to researchers, whilst maintaining the high standards of information governance and data security already in place. We aim to work as openly as possible, maintaining standards in transparency and ethics. Our focus is on providing a streamlined service for researchers, as well as extending the range of data available through the service, particularly in the areas of Covid-19, NHS imaging, geospatial data, children and justice services.
Our partners include: Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland, National Records of Scotland (NRS), and the Universities of Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. We work closely with the national and regional safe havens. And we are in contact with other organisations in Scotland and across the UK in the data research sector, including public sector, research and commercial bodies.
About the job
The Business Manager will work closely with the Chair, CEO and Operations Director to manage, coordinate and schedule the regular cycle of our governance and business activities. This will include coordinating board meetings as well as maintaining our internal registers and ensuring our reporting mechanisms are top-notch! This post will be highly varied and vital to the successful delivery of our Business and Delivery plans.
There is a strong focus on developmental projects, operational risk, records management, governance, improving our performance and delivering our day-to-day charity operations. You’ll be an important member of our Operations Team, sharing your expertise with colleagues and board members, as well as independently leading on activities.
Reports to Operations Director
About you
You are a self-starter, with experience of working with stakeholders at every level. You’ll understand the importance of engaging well with board members, senior leaders and your colleagues to get their input into your work and support great governance. You are highly organised and thrive on managing multiple projects with different deadlines. You are keen to deliver, with an eye for detail and the pragmatism to understand our context and environment.
Life at RDS
We are a small friendly and highly engaged team of people. We promote continuous learning and work hard to build an inclusive and supportive workplace culture. We live our values of; integrity, transparency, courage, collaboration and humility.
Our people typically work a 35-hour week, with hybrid working on offer from day one. You can choose to work flexibly from home or use one of our desks in the Bayes Centre in central Edinburgh. The whole RDS team meets one day per month in-person in Edinburgh or at an off-site away day in the Central Belt. Individual teams organise their own in-person days to collaborate, develop and socialise together.
We offer 33 days’ annual leave (including public holidays) and have no set closure days. We have a generous pension and enhanced pay for parental/adoption leave. This list of benefits is being added to as the organisation develops, and you can help shape it as part of the team. Our Culture Group helps us seek feedback from colleagues across the organisation to make RDS an even better place to work.
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