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

We are recruiting a Recovery Development Coordinator to deliver and develop the Inverclyde Recovery Communities Service across Inverclyde.

The post holder will be responsible for the strategic and operational delivery and development of our 7 days a week, including evenings and weekends Recovery Communities Service, with support from our staff team. This includes;

• Delivering and developing of our 7 day Recovery service, with support from our Recovery staff and volunteers, ensuring we meet the outcomes of the Recovery Communities Services contract.
• Co-ordinating and developing recovery activity incorporating a range of partner services and supports.
• Day to day line management, support, supervision, and development of our recovery staff. This will include the completion of relevant paperwork and follow up actions accordingly.
• Supporting the delivery and development of our volunteer recruitment, training, support and supervision, ensuring compliance with policies and procedures.
• Accurately recording and producing regular activity, progress and evidenced based reports, incorporating monitoring and evaluation processes.
• Actively participate and bring the lived experience collective voice to the Alcohol & Drug Partnership and associated strategic planning and development groups.
• Work closely with partners to develop and review effective pathways and process for referrals and partnership working.
• Ensure relevant risk assessments are completed, implemented, and reviewed.
• Adopt and promote Trauma Informed Practice.
• Triage referrals, including self referrals and carry a small case load.
• Deliver and develop awareness raising campaigns and organise community events.

The post holder will also be responsible for line managing and supporting the recovery staff team to deliver the outcomes of the Recovery Communities service. This will include supporting them to;

• Provide both one to one and group peer support
• Utilise an enabling approach to empower individuals
• Provide practical assistance to enable individuals to access treatment and harm reduction services.
• Connect individuals referred to the service to a wide variety of community support.
• Build the capacity and knowledge of individuals to enable them to make an informed choice
• Offer emotional support build confidence and connections to empower individuals to share their experiences and develop support networks
• Enable individuals, through a peer relationship model, to utilise recognised coping, self-help and management techniques.
• Delivery and development of volunteer recruitment, training, support and supervision, ensuring compliance with policies and procedures.
• Work as part of a team alongside colleagues from a range of statutory and voluntary services
• Challenge negative self-talk and promote self - belief and confidence to achieve their own recovery
• Support and develop the Lived Experience Network, capturing feedback on issues/barriers, and ideas for developing solutions, to inform future service delivery
• Work to address stigma and barriers to community integration and recovery

Person Specification

Required abilities and experience

• Experience of delivering a similar service
• Knowledge and understanding of Recovery Orientated System of Care and recovery approaches, tools and techniques
• Ability to play a leading role in contributing to the development of Recovery Communities across Inverclyde.
• Experience of managing and supporting staff.
• Good organisational, planning, monitoring, and evaluation skills
• Effective communication skills across a range of diverse situations and environments, setting and maintaining high professional standards and values.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills including digital tools and system literacy.
• Knowledge and understanding of Recovery models including the role of Peer Mentors.
• Understanding of the impact of substance misuse on individuals, their families and communities.
• Good team working skills.
• Strong values of empathy and understanding relating to individuals, families and communities affected by alcohol and drug misuse.

Desirable

• Relevant qualification or at least 2 years’ experience in a similar role.
• At least 2 years’ experience of people or volunteer management skills.
• Experience in leading and managing change and implementing new practices.
• Experience in Assets Based Community Development work.

VOCAL - Voice of Carers Across Lothian - seeks two enthusiastic and experienced Carer Brokerage Practitioners to join its busy and expanding team to provide brokerage support to carers across Edinburgh and Midlothian.

VOCAL is a carer-led organisation and provides a wide range of services to support unpaid carers in their caring role. Postholders will be expected to work as part of a team, improve outcomes for carers and maximise uptake of VOCAL and community services.

Postholders will be part of a SDS focused project, VOCAL about Independent Living funded by Support in the Right Direction, Inspiring Scotland. They will liaise with staff, relevant organisations and the funder whilst running the project, including Lothian Centre for Inclusive Living (LCiL) who will also have a funded post as part of this project . SDS carer support is already well established at VOCAL, and postholders will be able to benefit from the expertise of the practitioners who have been involved with SDS support to date.

Applicants will evidence excellent people, and communication skills, brokerage and person-centred support work. Applicants will also demonstrate awareness of the diverse range of caring situations, the impact of caring on peoples’ lives and barriers carers face at different points of the caring journey. Good working knowledge of health and social care will be expected, with preference given to candidates with applied knowledge of self-directed support. Applicants will be digitally competent and effective communicators with individuals, carer groups and partner agencies.

Carers of West Lothian is looking for a Self-Directed Support Worker to join their team. This is a new post funded by Inspiring Scotland for 3 years. The post holder will; identify and support carers and people with a learning and/ or physical disability to understand Self-Directed Support (SDS) and social care support; provide information, advice and support to those considering or in receipt of SDS and provide individual and group support.