“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling the heart of another”

Alfred Adler

| Compassion | Integrity | Respect | Realising Potential | Inclusion |

Health in Mind is one of Scotland’s best-known and trusted Mental Health Charities. Established in 1982 we have evolved in response to need which means we actively promote positive mental health in local communities across Scotland. Our vision is straight forward, we build hope and live life through our values because people are at the heart of what we do.

We have a great opportunity for a number of experienced practitioners to join our team. You will bring compassion, integrity, positivity and reflection, delivering effective and high-quality support to those individuals who access support from Future Pathways.

Future Pathways offers support to people who were abused or neglected a child when they were in the Scottish care system. The service was established alongside the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry and has expanded considerably since its start in 2016. Future Pathways’ aim is to help people live well. To change paths, enjoy life, succeed and grow.

Reaching our shortlist is straightforward providing you can say ‘yes’ to our list of ‘must haves’. You can start your journey now by simply downloading an application pack from our website but before you start your travels, please kindly make sure the following ‘fits’ into your career and personal attributions rucksack because life is a journey.

• We’d like a degree in Health and Social Care, Social Work or equivalent but, if you hold a recognised, relevant professional qualification at a minimum SVQ Level 4 with relevant workplace experience this works too.
• Up to date child and vulnerable adult protection knowledge together and ideally completion of suicide prevention training such as ASIST.
• You are an exceptional compassionate individual with experience of working with those in society who’ve faced personal challenges, childhood disturbance, abuse, separation, institutional care and trauma
• Curiosity, empathy and a focus on learning, empowerment, collaboration and self- awareness.
• Experience of personal outcomes focused approaches, working in partnership with people to set goals, agree plan and support people to achieve their potential.
• Able to hold hope and walk alongside someone on their journey, you are good at nurturing self confidence and supporting people to make positive changes in their lives
• Worked with staff in accordance with the statutory framework and requirement including GDPR, BACP, the SSSC and the Care Inspectorate.
• Knowledge of and positive engagement with Impact Evaluation and Quality Assurance Frameworks for the purposes of continuous improvement. and practice development.

With a great range of benefits including 30 days annual leave plus 10 public holidays and 2 wellbeing days, we work fulltime 36.25 hours per week.

Committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, we embrace and encourage people from all walks of life, including welcoming applications from Neurodiverse individuals. It is important to us that you feel comfortable and confident and, as such, we are willing to adjust or adapt our application, interview and selection process to suit your needs, including working patterns and hybrid working wherever and whenever we can. Simply contact us and we’ll come back to you.

This role does, however, require periodic but not continuous office presence.

Around since 1923, SAMH is Scotland’s national mental health charity. We have represented the voice of people most affected by mental health problems in Scotland for 100 years. Today, in over 60 communities we work with adults and young people providing mental health social care support, services in primary care, schools and further education, among others.

These services together with our national programme work in See Me, respectme, suicide prevention and active living; inform our policy and campaign work to influence positive social change. SAMH is dedicated to mental health and wellbeing for all: with a vision of a society where people are able to live their lives fully, regardless of present or past circumstances.

About the Role

SAMH is delighted to be partnering with Aberdeenshire Council to expand our SAMH Time for Me programme to young people in schools and communities across Aberdeenshire. To achieve this we are seeking experienced practitioners to work full time, and during term-time with young people from Aberdeenshire high schools. Time for Me is a community based 8 session life skills course for young people aged 11 – 18 years experiencing low mood and/or anxiety. Based on the cognitive behavioural approach it provides young people with time and space to explore, discuss and understand their difficult feelings, thoughts and behaviours. It aims to reduce anxiety, improve wellbeing, increase confidence and resilience, and help young people to develop tools to manage life’s challenges.

The programme can be delivered individually within schools or community venues. We also hope to develop and trial a group work programme. The programme can be delivered both face to face and digitally. In addition to Time for Me, the Time for Me Practitioner will deliver a range of digital and face-to-face mental health and wellbeing workshops to parents and carers. These workshops aim to increase mental health awareness, whilst also tackling mental health stigma, and provide information and tools to enable people to support their own and others’ mental health and wellbeing.

What we are looking for

We are looking for individuals with extensive experience of working with young people around their mental health and wellbeing. With exceptional communication skills and ability to manage own case load, you’ll need to be flexible to respond to the needs of the service and young people, ensuring your practice is of the highest quality at all times.

A driving licence and access to a car is essential for this post. What we will provide for you

You will work in a supportive environment and will be provided with a full induction along with ongoing training opportunities. You will be given the chance to develop your knowledge and skills, as well as develop professionally. Some of our benefits include;

• Funded continuous learning and development opportunities, with access to over 100 courses online in addition to classroom and virtual training sessions 30 days annual leave rising to 33 after 5 years’ service (pro-rata)
• 4 public holidays (pro-rata)
• 2 paid wellbeing days off per year to use on what matters to you (pro-rata)
• Team wellbeing budgets
• Workplace pension schem
• Life Assurance policy
• Employee Assistance Programme

Since 1949, the Mental Health Foundation has been the UK’s leading charity for everyone’s mental health.

Our vision is for a world with good mental health for all. With prevention at the heart of what we do, we aim to find and address the sources of mental health problems so that people and communities can thrive.

We will drive change towards a mentally healthy society for all, and support communities, families and individuals to live mentally healthier lives, with a particular focus on those at greatest risk.

The Foundation is the home of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Our approach is:

• Tell the world
• We publish studies and reports on what protects mental health and the causes of poor mental health and how to tackle them.
• Find solutions
• We test and evaluate the best approaches to improving mental health in communities and then roll them out as widely as possible.
• Inform and empower
• We give advice to millions of people on mental health. We are most well-known for running Mental Health Awareness Week across the UK each year. We enable mentally healthier lives through public information and engagement.
• Change policy and practice
• We propose solutions and campaign for change to address the underlying cause of poor mental health.
• Build a strong foundation
• We aim to become an exemplar employer and aim to continue to build an organisation that is financially sustainable and thriving.

We have pioneered change for over 70 years and we are not afraid to challenge the status quo. Come join us!

The Mental Health Foundation is recruiting for a Senior Policy & Public Affairs Officer (Scotland) to support our Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland teams.

This exciting Senior Policy & Public Affairs Officer (Scotland) role will manage a portfolio of policy and influencing activities and play a significant role developing the Foundation’s policy and public affairs work in Scotland. This is an opportunity to join one of the UK’s leading charities and deliver social change by addressing the root causes of mental health problems and improving the mental health of people in Scotland.

What does the role involve?

• Developing and sustaining relationships with valuable decision-makers, influencers and allies
• Developing and implementing impactful influencing plans
• Providing policy intelligence and analysis and writing evidence-based submissions, policy reports, position papers, briefings and blogs
• Engaging with people with lived experience

Requirements

What skills, knowledge and experience are we looking for?

• Ability to shape and lead policy programmes professionally and strategically, working with others
• Skill in building strong relationships with relevant external stakeholders including senior officials, elected representatives, people with experience of mental health problems and people who experience inequity
• Experience of working in a public policy role, with experience of a range of policy and public affairs approaches and work

• Knowledge of public health and/or mental health policy or a related field

Safeguarding is Everyone’s business – Mental Health Foundation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all its beneficiaries, those who surround them, its staff, volunteers, and anyone else who comes into contact with its services and expects all trustees, staff, and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to appropriate vetting procedures (proof of eligibility to work in the UK, proof of residency and satisfactory employment screening, including a Disclosure check and two most recent references) along with 3-year renewals of Disclosure checks. We are unable to provide sponsorship for this post, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the UK.