Transforming the experience of child victims and witnesses in Scotland
Children 1st are looking for an exceptional and experienced operational leader to become our Bairns Hoose
coordinator/service manager in Aberdeenshire. You will co-ordinate children’s journey through the Bairns Hoose,
managing the space, liaising with agencies on behalf of children and their families and leading a team of
advocacy and trauma recovery workers. Working within the Aberdeenshire Bairnshoose Development Group alongside
Social Work, Police, Health and Justice colleagues to deliver on the ambition to offer children a trauma
sensitive, rights-based and recovery focussed response to their care, protection, justice and recovery
needs.
The Bairns Hoose is based on the European Barnahus, a child-friendly, multi-disciplinary, and interagency model of
justice, care and recovery for children who are victims and witnesses of all forms of violence. A carefully
designed place where all services and supports are child centred, rights- based and recovery focussed with
Police, Social Work, Health, Court and recovery support services based under one roof.
This service demands a leader who is driven by children’s rights, is passionately committed to trauma responsive
models and who has a background in delivering child centred, family minded support and multiagency services. You
will lead our team of Rights, Advocacy and Trauma Recovery Workers and ensure the effective and efficient
running of the Bairns Hoose. As a member of the Aberdeenshire Bairns Hoose partnership, you will build on the
progress made to date and work towards achieving fully the aspiration of a Bairns Hoose for children and their
families. As a key member of our Bairns Hoose Team, you will support our ambitions to have the highest quality
Bairns Hoose delivering the greatest impact in the lives of children and families.
Our charity is a people and culture organisation. We put children’s rights and relationships at the heart of
everything we do. We have ambitious plans for our Bairns Hoose to deliver on the Bairns’ Hoose National
Standards, offering support to recover from the point at which children report abuse or harm, minimising the
re-traumatisation of the justice and child protection system.
The Bairns Hoose Coordinator role is challenging due to the complexity of the systems change that Bairns Hoose seeks
to achieve, requiring significant multiagency partnership working. The role also provides an exciting
opportunity for you to develop new approaches to practice within child protection and justice that helps inform
the way forward for Bairns Hoose in Scotland. You will shape and lead a high performing team focussed on
achieving the best outcomes for children and their families. You will be an excellent communicator, creative,
collaborative, inclusive and willing to work alongside our brilliant partners and leaders in Aberdeenshire to
achieve our shared strategic vision for Bairns Hoose.
This is an exciting and unique opportunity to join us and play a critical part in transforming the lives of children
and families in Scotland, ensuring that children’s voices are at the heart of our Bairns Hoose development and
support.
About you
You will have substantial experience of leading a team delivering trauma sensitive support to children, young people
and families. You will fully understand the ways in which the current justice and child protection systems
retraumatise young people. You understand that ambitious change requires a clarity of purpose and vision and
that as a leader it is your responsibility to communicate this. Your leadership and decision making are founded
on a strong value base of doing the right thing by children and families at all times. You understand that
strong professional, working relationships are the foundation of quality outcomes for children and families and
high quality practice within your own team and with external stakeholders.
Knowing our ambition for children and young people, you will:
- Want to transform children’s lives
- Understand trauma and know that with the right support children and
young people can recover – there is always a way
- Be able to build strong relationships, work
collaboratively with partners and manage tricky conversations
- Be resilient and calm when under pressure
– modelling a clear and accountable approach to leadership
- Be an outstanding communicator
- Be
enthusiastic, driven and able to motivate and develop a professional team, inspiring colleagues to be even
better
- Have a fierce passion for children’s rights and belief in working with children and families; not
‘doing to’
- Believe that it is a privilege to work with and on behalf of children and families and that
their voices should be at the heart of service design
- Be kind and willing to bring your whole self to
the job: heart and mind, above all else, you are someone who will do the right thing for children and their
families at every turn.
If this sounds like you and your values align with ours then we would love to tell you more. An informal conversation
with our Assistant Director can be arranged for interested candidates.
Further information
This a full-time role of 35 hours per week. You will work across the Aberdeenshire area. As you will be leading and
developing a new service. Children1st are a relationship based organised and we need you to be a physically
present ‘hands on leader’ of an amazing team who are similarly ‘hands on’ and ‘in person’ in their support of
children and young people and families. The role may also involve occasional travel across Scotland.
Salary, Conditions, Pension
We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 7 public holidays),
flexible working opportunities and a contributory pension scheme. We also have a cash healthcare plan, cycle to
work scheme and access to a credit union.