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.

RASASH is looking for a Support Worker to join our team (21 hour post).

Are you passionate about gender equality and supporting survivors of sexual violence? Do you have the skills necessary to provide trauma-informed support and information?

We have an exciting opportunity to join our team and play a key role in supporting survivors of sexual violence in their journey towards healing.

You will provide in-person therapeutic support in Inverness and the surrounding areas as well as help deliver RASASH’s group-based activities.

Travel and subsistence expenses are reimbursed by RASASH in line with HMRC mileage rates.

Vulnerable children in the UK need your help

Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

Last year, we helped more than 670,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.

Why Action for Children?

Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It's the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.

A bit about the role

Action for Children's Fostering Service is a specialist fostering service that offers therapeutic care to children and young people who cannot be looked after at home. We offer the highest standard of care providing carers with excellent training, supervision, and support to achieve the best outcomes for the young people we look after. We have excellent fostering inspections and provide good quality of care to young people, always ensuring we listen to our young people every step of the way.

You'll promote the highest standards of care and wellbeing for our young people, and guide and deliver training to foster carers with opportunities to really get to know young people and support them on their journey. By thinking therapeutically and creatively (with and for) young people and ensuring best practice, you'll make a real and lasting difference. You'll be part of a team that values relational- based practice, as this is at the heart of all that we do!

Our Service is growing, and as a Fostering Social Worker you'll be working in Gael Og, our Fostering Scotland team covering the Highlands. Our Fostering Head Office base is in Glasgow with a local office in Inverness and we can discuss the frequency of office-based work at the interview stage.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

Some key responsibilities for the role are;

• Bringing your experience values and enthusiasm.
• Being part of a team to support fostering families to provide stable and loving experiences for young people.
• Working with others to inspire, support and keep children and young people safe.
• Creating memories and support connections with young people's families and their siblings.
• Feeling confident and skilled in your role.

Let's talk about you

• A degree in social work or equivalent and experience of safeguarding/ public protection is essential.
• Experience of family-based care or post qualifying training would be an advantage as would experience of assessing, supervising and supporting foster carers.
• Registered or willing to be registered with SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council).
• Strong commitment to work within our therapeutic framework to support the needs of children.

Benefits:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 29 days PLUS bank holidays
• Up to 5 more days leave for continuous service plus the option to buy and sell leave.
• Gain professional qualifications with excellent training, and development opportunities.
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages.
• A pension with a up to a 7% employer contribution rate. Plus, if you pay in to the pension you will receive life assurance cover.
• Staff discount portal with your favourite brands.
• Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 discounts from national retailers.

Good to know

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Application Process: There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration.

Talent Pool: We know talent when we see it. But sometimes we find the right person but not for the right job. We'd love to keep your details for when the right job comes up. Let us know if you'd rather we didn't.

Contact: If, for any reason, you need support with your application, please contact Laura McCarthy at Laura.McCarthy2@actionforchildren.org.uk. We'll be happy to give you any support you require.

Diversity, equality, and inclusion

At Action for Children, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic, and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.

Don't meet every single requirement?

If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the job description, we'd love you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect person for this role, or another role within the Action for Children family.

Male staff are under-represented within our Children Service roles. We would like to encourage more male applicants for our Children Service roles.

Want to know more about Action for Children?

Find us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.

RASASH is looking for two Outreach Support Workers to join our team (28 hour posts).

Are you passionate about gender equality and supporting survivors of sexual violence? Do you have the skills necessary to provide trauma-informed support and information?

We have an exciting opportunity to join our team and play a key role in increasing access to support for survivors living in remote and rural areas.

You will travel across the Highland Council region to provide in-person therapeutic support to survivors as well as help deliver RASASH’s group-based activities.

Travel and subsistence expenses are reimbursed by RASASH in line with HMRC mileage rates.