About us

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Partnership is the independent organisation responsible for Scotland’s National Framework for Qualifications. The SCQF brings together assessed learning throughout life whether gained in school, workplace, college, university or online into one system for recognising achievement.

We are a Living Wage Employer and are accredited to Investors in People Gold level, working in ways that realise our values of Respect, Integrity, Collaboration and Enabling. As a small staff team of thirteen with national coverage, we also operate a Flexible Working Policy.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity to join our team in the key role of Executive Assistant. You will support work closely with the CEO, providing crucial and confidential executive support to the CEO and Chair whilst delivering key administrative functions necessary for the smooth operation of the organisation, the office and its services. You will also supervise a part time (term time) Administrator.

About you

This role would suit a person with SCQF Level 7 equivalent skills or experience.

To be successful in this role you will be highly organised with experience of working in an administrative or executive support role and enjoy managing projects that maximise operational efficiency. You will also be committed to the principles of lifelong learning.

You will have excellent interpersonal skills and IT skills, and be equally comfortable working on your own or as part of a wider team. As you will often be the first point of contact for people visiting the office, you need to be friendly, enjoy helping and be willing to learn about SCQF Partnership and its activities

Working at the SCQF Partnership

As a member of the team, you will have access to a wide range of employee benefits including:

• Pension scheme with an employer contribution of 12%
• Westfield Health benefits, including costs reimbursed for dental, physiotherapy and counselling services, optical fees and health club concession
• Death in Service Benefit worth 1 x annual salary
• 25 days’ annual leave rising to 28 days after 3 years’ service + 13 public holidays
• Flexible and hybrid working policy and a range of family-friendly policies to support worklife balance.

Alongside our excellent staff benefits, we will support your ongoing development to build your skills, experience, and career.

Learning Network West is a unique organisation, supporting Social Work Education and developing practice learning opportunities across the West of Scotland. We work closely with HEI and Local Authority funding partners across the West of Scotland to fulfil three core functions: the Mental Health Officer Award Programme, The Professional Development Award in Practice Learning, and social work student placement matching and development. As part of this existing work, the Network is working closely with stakeholders, including Scottish Government, SSSC and our partners, to ensure continued contribution and commitment to the on-going development of social work education in Scotland.

Due to the ending of a secondment, we are excited to be seeking appointment for a Practice Learning Development Officer (PDAPL Co-ordinator). The post holder will be responsible for working in partnership, to plan, deliver and evaluate the PDAPL programme. The successful candidate will be responsible for the practice elements of the programme, including the strategic developments and operational oversight. The post holder will represent Learning Network West as a conduit in Social Work Education across Scotland.

Learning Network West is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. Secondments welcome.

Purpose of post: The post holder will be responsible for working in partnership, to plan, deliver and evaluate the PDAPL programme. The successful candidate will be responsible for the practice elements of the programme, including the strategic developments and operational oversight. The post holder will represent Learning Network West as a conduit in Social Work Education across Scotland.

Main responsibilities:

• Co-ordination of candidate selection, including standardisation between SQA centres, cohort adverts, facilitating information session, reading all applications and chairing selection panel, writing decision letters and providing one to one feedback for unsuccessful candidates.
• Undertake assessment and internal verification of candidates.
• Co-ordinate assessment and verification activities, including assessor and verifier induction and registration, annual CPD records, chairing portfolio and standardisation meetings (approx. 18 meetings a year), ensuring assessment and verification adheres to both award standards (SSSC) and validation requirements (SQA).
• Development and review of course materials, including assessment instruments, methodologies and portfolio, handbook, selection materials, teaching materials, policies and strategy documents. To be cognisant of legislative, policy and practice developments and ensure programme continues to meet the broad needs or partners, regulatory and validating bodies.
• Co-ordinating ongoing CPL activities for assessors and verifiers.
• Co-ordinating and tutoring on a taught programme (covering topics including assessment, supervision, adult learning, reflection, emotional intelligence, evidence based practice, leadership, evaluation and change processes).
• Evaluation of all programme activities.
• Maintaining accurate, up to date candidate and assessment records, including candidate progress and deferrals.
• Producing annual quality assurance monitoring, external verification and systems verification reports.
• Collating, analysing and producing a range of monitoring information for stakeholders, including the West Learning partnership (12 local authorities and 5 HEI’s).
• The design, facilitation and evaluation of assessor and verifier induction programmes.
• Chair Practice Learning Award Management Group and undertake any tasks allocated – over the next year this will likely include the implementation of revised Group Award Specification (following recent SQA review) and subsequent amendments to portfolio handbook and taught materials.
• Co-ordination and investigation of complaints and misconduct procedures.
• E-portfolio induction programme, monthly e-portfolio surgeries and ongoing/ as and when support for candidates, assessors and verifiers.

University of Strathclyde Student Association (‘Strath Union’) has been the beating heart of activity for students on the Strathclyde campus since 1964 and exists to connect all students to ensure everyone can thrive whilst studying at the University of Strathclyde.

Consistently ranked as the number one Student Union in Scotland, according to What Uni’s Student Choice Awards (WUSCA), we are currently one of ten Student Unions, across the UK, shortlisted for WUSCA’s 2024 Student Association of the Year and recently won both UK and Scottish NUS awards for overall employee satisfaction, liberation & equality and community and solidarity. As an organisation, we are bold, ambitious, and innovative much like the University and the 25,000+ students it supports.

The Strath Union Trustee Board is the ultimate legal decision-making body for the organisation, directing all the charity does, ensuring that it is financially sustainable and delivers against its core purpose of connecting students so everyone can thrive. The University has recently launched its 2030 strategy and working with our new Chief Executive you will directly support the development of Strath Union’s new strategic plan that will look to the next 5 years of growth and development.

Previous board experience is not a pre-requisite for this role, and we are focused on identifying new board members who are committed to our mission and organisational values. However, to complement the existing skills of our board members we want candidates who bring experience in one or more of the following areas of expertise:

· Governance, Risk or Compliance

· Public Affairs, Policy, or Public Relations

· IT and Digital Transformation

· Higher Education or the Voluntary sector

We want our Board to reflect the community we support and to enhance the diversity of our Board we would particularly like to hear from women and those identifying as women, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities and those with diverse sexualities or marginalised gender identities.

If you are excited by the opportunity to join an ambitious and award-winning organisation and share our passion to support and empower all Strathclyde students to unleash their potential and therefore thrive at university and beyond, we would welcome your application.