An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our team of paid and volunteer staff to further develop our Debt Advice service across Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau. We have been delivering a valuable, high level service to the community of Clackmannanshire for over 50 years. We have accreditation in Type iii advice by Scottish National Standards for advice providers (SNSIAP) in the areas of Housing, Debt and Benefits.

Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau, based in Alloa, is an independent and innovative advice organisation providing holistic advice to the residents of Clackmannanshire across 6 locations in the county. We average 26-30 paid staff and 21 volunteers who provide a wide range of services across our 20 projects.

We offer additional working benefits such as 5% employers pension contribution, free membership of an employer health plan, free ebike loans, annual performance related salary increases, flexible working scheme including some home working and flexible starts finish times and the ability to buy and sell annual leave.

We are looking for a highly motivated and conscientious individual who wants to be part of a nationally accredited information and advice service.

The Debt Adviser will provide specialist debt advice up to Scottish National Standards Type iii, to clients referred through general services and partner agencies.

This will include complex debt case management, maintaining consistent working practice and quality assurance of debt cases ensuring that policy and practice meets all legal & regulatory requirements including the Financial Conduct Authority.

Enthusiasm, strong social awareness, good communication skills and an excellent team player are prerequisites for this demanding position. Significant experience in advice work, good organisational skills and an eye for details are essential. Consideration will be given to highly experienced exceptional individuals with experience as Generalist Advisers who can undertake Debt Advice training.

This post specifically exists to ensure the delivery of a high quality Debt Service within Clackmannanshire Citizens Advice Bureau. It will involve providing support to staff and volunteers who also deliver the service. This post supports the learning and development of a high quality service by ensuring provision of formal/informal training to staff/volunteers in conjunction with our General Services Supervisor.

About Us

Apex Scotland is a national charity and supports people who have experienced the justice system or are at risk of doing so, is recruiting a number of trustees who understand the role and importance of governance in the Third Sector. We are looking for people who act with integrity, compassion, honesty, and who are passionate about our work and the role of the Third Sector.

Apex Scotland supports individuals to develop skills, resilience and confidence that enables them to make positive choices to improve their personal outcomes. We understand our participants require support that is person-centred, recognising their own individual, unique needs and circumstances.

Our work is delivered by specialist, dedicated staff in various locations across Scotland who adopt a trauma informed approach putting participants at the heart of their decision making. We are proud of the impact we have and believe our work makes a meaningful, genuine and positive difference to the lives of some of the most vulnerable in our society.

The Role

Following the appointment of a new CEO in July 2023 and the restructuring of the Senior Leadership Team at the start of 2024 Apex Scotland is embarking on a period of positive change to support the development of the charity, reposition the organisation and focus on strategic priorities.

As a Trustee you will have a key role in leading these developments and overseeing the implementation of our strategic plan.

Ideally you will have a deep understanding of the issues impacting those who have experienced the justice service and the stigma they face. You will also have an understanding of the current challenges being faced by the Third Sector. It is useful, but not necessary, to have experience of being a Trustee as training and support will be offered.

We are looking for people with the following skills and experience from throughout Scotland.

• Justice services
• Community engagement
• Fundraising
• Human Resources and staff development
• Compliance and mitigating risk
• Marketing and communications
• Lived experience of the justice system

Thank you for your interest in applying to become a Member of the Lothian Pension Fund’s (LPF) Pensions Committee, which is hosted by its administering authority the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC). As one of our Pensions Committee Members, you would play an essential role in ensuring that the pension fund has strong governance in place now and in the future. ​

Acting in the best interests of the members and employer bodies of the pension funds, the Pensions Committee (Committee) exercises oversight of LPF and, for example, determines the overall policy objectives and strategy, and monitors the overall performance of LPF and the Scottish Homes Pension Fund in accordance with its separate statutory remit. It also, for example, oversees the effective management and administration of pension funds and determines the strategy for the investment of pension fund monies. ​

We are seeking applications for the Committee’s two external, non-elected, member seats. One of these is drawn from LPF’s membership and the other from LPF’s employer bodies. ​

​Although each member is sourced from those stakeholder groups, importantly they will be required to act in accordance with their separate duty to all the stakeholders of the pension funds collectively and are not appointed to represent one particular group.

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About LPF​

LPF administers the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in Edinburgh and the Lothians and is one of the largest pension funds in the UK. We’re a multi-employer scheme with around £10 billion assets and are over 157% funded as at our most recent actuarial valuation serving 79,000 records attributable to 81,500 members from 67 employers across a broad range of sectors.​​

​We also manage the Scottish Homes Pension Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. This is a closed fund and has 1,550 deferred and pensioner members with £0.16 billion investments.​

LPF is unique in Scotland in operating an established FCA regulated in-house investment team. We manage over 85% of the fund’s assets via internal equity, bond and other real asset portfolios (e.g. infrastructure, property and timberland investments).​

​We also work closely with other LGPS funds delivering investment management and strategic investment advisory services across their portfolios (e.g. equities, bonds, private markets, and listed and indirect property investments). ​

​In March 2017, we became the first UK LGPS awarded accreditation for the Pensions Administration Standards Association and we’re proud to have held the Customer Service Excellence Award for over fifteen years.​

​The day-to-day running of LPF is carried out by a specialist team who undertake pension administration, accounting and investment functions. ​

​LPF colleagues are employed by an arms-length company, LPFE Limited (LPFE), which is wholly owned by CEC. ​

The opportunity​

We’re seeking applications for two external, non-elected, Committee seats; one drawn from LPF’s employer bodies (Employer seat) and one from LPF’s membership (Employee seat).​

​Committee membership is made up of five elected (Councillor) members of the CEC and two external, non-elected, members for which nominations are currently being sought.​

​To be eligible to apply for the role of external Committee Member Employee seat, you need to be either an active, deferred or retired member of the LPF.​

To be eligible to apply for the role of external Committee Member Employer seat, you need to work within an employer body that participates in the Fund and be nominated by your employer. ​​

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.