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.

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

Pregnancy Counselling and Care (Scotland) is currently looking to recruit a Baby Bank Development Worker to support the running of our Baby Bank, to enable us to increase the capacity of the service.

We have recently moved to the Gyle Shopping Centre which is giving us greater space to work within and access to volunteers and baby items donations. This role will work closely with the other Baby Bank Development Worker to enable the service to open all weekdays, as currently it is only open Mon to Wed.

This post will also have a particular focus on; firstly, supporting the marketing of the charity, working with volunteers to deliver regular posts on social media, and secondly, on supporting volunteering opportunities through working with third sector partners and corporate organisations.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and organised person with volunteer management and marketing experience to join our friendly team. The post will be managed by our Operations Manager.

We look forward to hearing from you.