Our Activity Centres provide innovative and person-centred services and support to veterans struggling with sight loss. This job exists in order to provide tailored support to veterans carrying out woodworking projects. You will work alongside the veterans to identify abilities, share ideas and plan projects within the activity Centre. You will ensure that the support provided is person-centred, tailored to their needs and is the right support for them. You will support the leadership team to coordinate and manage the activities provided within and from the Activity Centre which will support the overall wellbeing of the veterans and their families. You will work closely with colleagues across the organisation and external stakeholders to ensure that veterans can access the relevant support.

About us

We're one of Scotland's oldest charities - for more than two centuries, we've been supporting and empowering people with sight loss to live fulfilling lives. We're proud of all we've achieved in the past - but we have our sights set firmly on the future.

We're determined that no-one should face sight loss alone. We're committed to improving, diversifying and growing our services to make sure we can reach many more people with sight loss - when and where they need us.

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.

BACKGROUND

The Association for Fostering, Kinship and Adoption Scotland (AFKA) is an independent charity that promotes and facilitates evidence-informed best practice in fostering, kinship care and adoption, through advising, training, and influencing practitioners and policymakers, and supporting them to improve outcomes for children and families.

Our Vision is a future where every practitioner working with children, young people and their families is knowledgeable, skilled, confident, and empowered to support the safe, secure, and loving care to which every child has a right.

Our services support agencies and professionals to implement child centred, evidenced informed practice that involves children and their families in decisions about their lives, protect their rights and promotes inclusion. Through our multi-disciplinary communities of practice, we enable social workers, lawyers, and health professionals to work effectively across professional boundaries to meet the needs of children, their families, and their Carers. As a membership organisation, AFKA Scotland uses its links with professional bodies and agencies across the country to contribute to the development of policy and practice at a local and national level. We have a collaborative agreement with CoramBAAF.

AFKA Scotland’s multi-disciplinary team has a wealth of experience and up-to-date expertise in practice relating to kinship care, fostering and adoption and delivers a wide range of workshops, training and consultancy, post qualifying courses, and conferences to assist professionals to develop the knowledge and skills they require when working in this specialist area.

We work closely with our research colleagues in AFKA Scotland, and our research underpins our evidence informed approach. We are committed to #keepthepromise, have been instrumental in promise funded work and have been on a journey to adapt to the changing landscape of care in Scotland.

We are seeking to recruit a highly experienced and motivated individual to the role of Administrative Assistant. This role is key in supporting the Business Support and Finance Manager in the day-to-day operational activities of the organisation and to the smooth delivery of our Forums, training and workshop activities.

JOB SPECIFICATION

PURPOSE

To provide administrative support to the Business Support & Finance Manager on a day-to-day basis and to support the overall work of the organisation.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

National Practitioner Forums and Consortia - in conjunction with lead facilitator, manage the arrangements for the full range of forums and consortia meetings, including setting dates, sending out agendas, formatting and sending out final notes, collating meeting papers, and keeping distribution lists up-to-date.

Support training and development events (Commissioned Training, Conferences and workshops) – in conjunction with Trainer/Consultants, provide administrative support for management of events including: finalising training materials for training booklets, creating and sending out booking forms; logging bookings and maintaining database; preparing attendance certificates for participants at all external events; create , collate and analyse evaluation form returns.

Information Technology – Support staff in their use of IT apps and platforms when they are producing materials or delivering training.

General Administration – Undertake a range of administrative tasks to support the work of the organisation including:

• In conjunction with the Business Support & Finance Manager plan and monitor the action required to run the planned programme of events.
• Telephones - answer the phone and pass messages to staff as appropriate.
• Email - check generic emails and respond / forward messages as appropriate.
• Photocopying – where required, photocopy training materials / meeting papers for all events.
• Banking/Post Office – posting office mail and banking cheques when required.
• Library – maintain database and record when books taken out on loan.
• Take notes at staff meetings.

Scotland’s Adoption Register - provide administrative support to Register staff including support for the running of family finding events when required.

Advice Line Enquiries – record all enquiries, forward to staff, follow up as required, maintain records of completion dates and provide statistical information to Business Support & Finance Manager.

Participation in conferences and other external events – provide administrative support for the running of events as part of the AFKA Scotland team.

Experience

Essential

• A working knowledge of an office environment
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to work on own initiative

Desirable

• Personal or professional experience of the care system
• Experience of working as part of small enterprise or charity

Knowledge, skills and abilities

Essential

• Computer literate in a range of computer processes which must include Microsoft Access, Word, PowerPoint and Excel and have proficient keyboard skills
• Familiarity with Microsoft 365 including MS Teams
• Working knowledge of social media platforms
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and telephone manner
• Ability to collate and analyse information and to produce accurate, well presented documents
• Self-motivating with excellent organisational skills

Attitude and beliefs

Essential

• Positive, problem solving and resourceful
• Clear understanding of the need to maintain confidentiality
• Flexible working approach

Base: Office - 3 days / Home - 2 days (if desired).

Organisational Relationships:Line Managed by the Business Support & Finance Manager / Responsible to the Executive Director.

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.

VSS is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all of our service users and has a thorough and rigorous recruitment and selection process including PVG scheme checks in place to ensure this commitment is met.

What is the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Support Co-ordinator , working 35 hours per week.

Work pattern: Monday - Friday between 8AM - 8PM & Saturday 10AM - 4PM

Expected to be able to work Thursday between 12PM - 8PM & Saturday 10AM - 4PM

Primary location: Falkirk Community Service, however you will be expected to cover all areas of Central & Fife locality

Reporting directly to a Locality Manager, you will be responsible for ensuring, within your Service(s), that VSS’s local service development and delivery plan is being implemented within your geographical area(s). Service delivery is provided by a team of skilled and knowledgeable volunteers, you will be responsible for planning their deployment to ensure that the service delivered meets the desired outcomes of victims and witnesses of crime, our service users.

Responsible for all aspects of a volunteer engagement with VSS at your services, including recruitment, induction, learning and development, ongoing performance management and support. Contributing to business planning and co-ordination ensuring that continuous learning takes place to monitor that the outcomes of service users are being met.

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 experienced in a similar role and can evidence of continuing professional development, effective leadership style, able to build confidence, motivate and improve performance. Analytical skills, must be able to understand, collect, analyse, report and present data. The ability to challenge stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination and bias. 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.

Further details of this role are available in the job description

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, 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 anddevelopment opportunities.