Sacro’s mission is to deliver life-changing services that empower people, give hope and protection, and help to build safe communities.

We are looking for qualified counsellors with 2 years’ post-qualifying experience, who have delivered counselling to individuals affected by domestic abuse. You must have experience of cross-cultural counselling, and a gendered understanding of domestic abuse and Honour-Based Violence (HBV). You will need to be an effective communicator in English as well as in another language prevalent in Scotland’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, highly organised and have effective casework management skills.

You will be responsible for delivering short-term counselling and psychotherapy interventions to BAME women affected by domestic abuse and HBV and for escalating any concerns around clients’ safety and well-being and child protection concerns, in accordance counselling/psychotherapy ethical codes, Scottish legislation and relevant Sacro policies.

Membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme is a requirement this post, as well as membership in a recognised regulatory body (COSCA, BACP, UKCP, etc.).

You must have accreditation, be working towards accreditation or be eligible to work towards accreditation and hold your own indemnity insurance.

We particularly welcome applicants from BAME communities for this post, and applicants must be female. Funded by the City of Edinburgh Council.

We offer some great benefits, including family friendly policies, flexible and hybrid working and work-life balance. We also have generous annual leave entitlement, employee wellbeing scheme, cycle to work scheme, pension scheme and death in service, enhanced company sick pay. We will offer learning and development, progression and qualifications with the opportunity for growth and development.

We welcome applications from individuals who share Sacro’s aims and values and want to engage with those we support to help them move on to a more secure, settled and fulfilling life and value diversity from all sections of the community.

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.

What is the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Support for Families Bereaved by Crime (SFBC) team as Key Support Worker (12 month Fixed-term contract), working 35 hours per week. The main hours of work are Monday – Friday 9am - 5pm, however some out of hours work may be required, including occasional Saturdays. A TOIL policy is in place.

Primary location: Inverness or Aberdeen, however the successful candidate will be required to travel throughout Scotland. The SFBC team is currently based in Glasgow, this is part of an exciting development of our national service to support families at appropriate locations to best meet their needs.

As a member of the team and reporting to the SFBC Manager, the role of Key Support Worker is to provide comprehensive support to families bereaved by murder or culpable homicide. This will involve providing structured social support, emotional and practical support, sourcing and providing up to date information, liaising with other justice and community organisations, supporting the family as they interact with the criminal justice system and helping them to reach a new balance in their lives after trauma. You will play a key part in the ongoing evaluation, development and improvement of the service including advocacy, peer support and support for children and young people. You will work closely with colleagues in other agencies such as counselling services, Police Scotland and representatives from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

This is a complex role in a fast paced environment within a supportive team and you will be expected to show excellent communication skills, high level administrative and recording skills, a commitment to partnership working and ensuring that the needs of families are at the heart of the service through service user engagement and participation work.

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.

What you’ll need to be successful

We are looking for someone who is educated to SVQ3 Level or experienced in a equivalent role, effective leadership style, excellent organisational and time management skills, ability to use own initiative, self-sufficient with the ability to manage own workload and a good observation skills to assess and support victims where they may be unable to articulate their wants and needs due to trauma.

Good working knowledge of the voluntary/charity sector is required, as is a willingness to be flexible in working hours and able to travel as required. A current driving licence is therefore an essential requirement

Further details of this role are available in the job description - Key Support Worker

Please note - This post will be subject to a satisfactory PVG check, references, and proof that you have the right to work in the UK.

What we offer?

When you work for Victim Support Scotland, your wellbeing is important to us. Not only do we offer an enhanced annual leave package of 39 days (pro-rata), 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.