Practice and Policy Advisor(s)

• Thistle House, Haymarket, Edinburgh (Hybrid)
• Closing26th May 2024
• Advertised from 1st May 2024
• 35 hours per week, flexible working. Job Share available. x1 permanent and x1 fixed-term for 12 months.

Why apply for this role?

As a Practice and Policy Advisor, reporting to the Practice and Policy Team Manager you will provide advice, supportand guidance on Panel Member practice matters to the National Convener, CHS staff, Panel Members, regional AreaSupport Teams and other key stakeholders. You will work closely with CHS colleagues, the Scottish Children’sReporter Administration (SCRA), the Scottish Government and other external stakeholders to lead and implementimprovement to practice and policy across the Children’s Hearings System.

You will play a key role in developing effective practice and policy resources for Panel Members and work with theNational Team to ensure that practice and policy materials are developed collaboratively in line with currentlegislation and the National Convener’s practice advice for Panel Members.

You will receive high quality development opportunities and support to enable you to interpret complex legislativeand practice issues to improve practice and ensure high quality decision making in children’s hearings thatresults in better outcomes for children and families.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Practice and Policy Team Manager to develop practice information for Panel Members in response tochanges in legislation and internal and external policy.
• Respond effectively and consistently to writtenrequests for practice and policy advice from the CHS volunteer community.
• Manage requests and directionsarising from children’s hearings, as delegated by the Practice and Policy Team Manager.
• Alongside yourfellow Practice and Policy Advisors, co-ordinate the work of a Bank of Independent Report Writers. This involvesmanaging the end-to-end process from the point where an independent report is requested to the production anddelivery of the report to the children’s hearing, managing a support network for the Bank and continuing todevelop the Independent Report Writer’s function.
• Work closely with the National Team and partners toensure that all national training and resources are developed in accordance with legislation, practiceinformation and policy.
• Work in partnership with other stakeholders on policies to improve practice inthe Children’s Hearings System leading to better outcomes for children and young people.
• Contribute tonational policy development by writing and responding to consultation documents.
• Actively consult withthe CHS volunteer community regarding their experience of children’s hearings, policy and the implementation ofpractice changes.
• To research, develop and write organisational policy and strategy as identified by thePractice and Standards Manager or the Senior Leadership team.
• In the spirit of positive team working,willingly lend support to colleagues and members of our volunteer community, when possible, in their times ofpressure and demand.

Our Practice and Policy team

Our Practice and Policy Team sits within the Practice and Standards function as part of the Positive OutcomesDirectorate and consists of a Practice and Policy Team Manager and three Practice and Policy Advisors. The roleof the team is to promote best practice within our 3,000-strong volunteer community, while collaborating withcolleagues and partners to influence improvements and policy which will positively impact on the quality ofdecisions made with children and their families.

Life at CHS

Our 2,500 volunteer Panel Members take part in children’s hearings in their local areas, making decisions with andfor infants, children and young people. The National Team supports a network of nine regional Area Support Teamswho support Panel Members in their local communities.

As an organisation that works within the Children’s Hearings System, we are passionate about making a positivecontribution to improving outcomes for Scotland’s children.

You can read more about our core values as well as view anintroductory video to our organisation. We also offer a generous benefits package from hybrid working, flexihours and a fantastic pension scheme - you check out our full benefits summary .

Diversity and Inclusion

CHS is an equal opportunities employer. We encourage diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environmentfor all employees. We actively encourage applicants from all protected characteristics and are committed toproviding any reasonable adjustments required during application and assessment process, and upon joiningus.

For more details and to apply, please download the application pack from the CHS website which includes afull job description, a person specification and the link to application.

Please note that CVs are not accepted.

For an informal and confidential discussion on the role or about any adjustments you might need, please emailjobs@CHS.gov.scot .

Closing Date: Sunday 26th May

After the closing date, this role profile won’t be available on our website, so please save a copy when youapply.

It is anticipated that interviews will be held the week commencing 3rd June and 10th June.

Due to the anticipated interest in this post, if may not be possible to respond to candidates who have not beeninvited to interview. We thank you for your interest in this post.

Are you a brilliant bid writer, with a passion for improving children’s lives? Are you looking for that nextopportunity to work for an inspirational cause? If this is you, then Children 1st is where you belong

If you want to work within a creative, dynamic, and passionate team, where you will further grow and develop thenjoin us as our new Senior Bid Writer. The role will be exciting, fast-paced and challenging.

You will be key to securing high level funding from statutory sources that will grow our reach and help support morechildren and families in Scotland. With opportunity to try new ways of engaging and inspiring supporters youwill be creative, collaborative, inclusive and willing to work alongside our brilliant leaders to achieve ourkey strategic priorities and goals.

Children 1st is an incredible charity full of people who love what they do and the difference they make. This is anexciting and unique opportunity to join us and play a critical part in transforming the lives of children andfamilies in Scotland.

At Children 1st our ambition is for every child in Scotland to be safe, loved and well, together with their family.As a charity we offer emotional; and practical support and financial advice to help families to put childrenfirst and we campaign to uphold the rights of every child.

About the role

This role requires an excellent candidate to produce high quality bids, applications and tenders which communicateour unique approach to working with Scotland’s vulnerable children, young people and families and which captureour outcome focused delivery models with clarity and conviction.

High quality stewardship of our existing supporters will be one of the key responsibilities, alongside managing adynamic team of fundraisers, and developing new income streams.

About you

We are looking for the right candidate to take our team to the next level. You will need to demonstrate ability tobuild strong relationships internally and externally to secure long term sustainable income. You will:

• Be passionate about our work and able to convey that to a range of audiences

• Can work collaboratively with stakeholders at all levels

• Have success in delivering significant large gifts from funders

• Be innovative in developing new approaches to funders

Scottish Women’s Aid has an opportunity to join their membership services team as a Participation Lead. This role hasbeen established within SWA core work for a couple of years offering the opportunity to develop ourparticipation work as an organisation and managing the relationship with the Survivor Reference Group (SRG), agroup of women with lived experience who offer their invaluable knowledge and experience to our work. Thisposition will work as a part of the Membership Services Team, but work very closely with other teams within theorganisation including Policy and Training.

Location: Blend of home working and office, based in Rose Street, Edinburgh or can be entirely home-based anywhere inthe UK. Please talk to us about your flexible working requirements.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Support Worker to join our Seafield Housing Support Service Team for 9months.

The Senior Support Worker (SSW) will support the management team in developing and maintaining the organisation’sstandards relating to autism specific and person centred practices. Liaising with the organisation’s practicesupport team, the SSW will assist in the preparation of support and communication plans, ensuring consistentpractices throughout support networks.

The SSW will assist in the supervision and direction of the staff within the team and in maintaining high standardsof support in line with the organisation’s quality standards and mission statement. Knowledge of currentlegislation and regulations relating to the social care sector and the requirements of the Care Inspectorate isessential for this role. The post holder will also be expected to commit to on-call duties.

Benefits of working with us include:

• Competitive Salary (under review)
• 31 days Annual Leave Entitlement, including bank holidays
• Yourbirthday off every year, to treat yourself
• Ongoing Learning & Development throughout yourrole
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Eligibility to become a Blue Light Card Member for online & high streetdiscounts

Given the nature of this role, successful applicants must register with the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG)scheme and Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) or equivalent regulatory body.

This is a truly rewarding role, with the opportunity for you to develop your skills, knowledge and ensuring a highquality of life for the people we support.

Our Options Dundee service works in partnership with families offering tailored packages of support to help familiesstay together. Based on the needs of the family, this includes supporting morning and bedtime routines in thefamily’s home and offering a variety of sessions and groups for children and young people which also help themto access activities in the community.

This specialised service enables the children and young people to grow and develop – access their local area, broadentheir experiences and provide new opportunities which not only meet their needs but encourage them to flourishin a safe nurturing way.

The difference we make to families:

Families we work with find our support invaluable “ I don’t know what I’d do without them. I trust them, my childtrusts them – we both feel safe when they’re in the house…..They’ve changed me and my child’s life .”

What we are looking for....

We know how difficult it can be managing your work/life balance, and so we are offering flexible hours to work atweekends either on a Saturday or a on a Sunday or working on both days at the weekend. Work hours would rangefrom 5 hours to 15 hours.

As part of a small team, you will ensure that the highest level of physical and emotional care is provided to thechildren and young people. Experience in this type of work is preferred however we will consider allapplications. Full details of rota requirements will be discussed at interview. Please specify in yoursupporting statement the work pattern and hours you are looking for.

At Aberlour we want to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need toreach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team.

What we offer...

As well as a supportive team and excellent training opportunities, we want all our employees to feel valued andrewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generousannual leave, an excellent employer pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts across variousretailers.