Development Worker

Job title: Development Worker (Link Academy)

Fixed Term for 2 years (due to funding)

Location: This post will be based at LinkLiving’s office in Edinburgh, however the service also runs in Falkirk and Fife. As part of this team, you may be required to deliver in all three areas, depending on the needs of the service

Hours of Work: 37.5 per week (Monday to Friday)

Are you passionate about helping people to live a better life? Do you want to work for a charity where your health and wellbeing matter just as much as the people you support? Do you want to be part of a trauma-informed team where you will be supported to develop creative and flexible ways of working?

At LinkLiving, our values and people are at the heart of everything we do including how we recruit our staff. It is important for us to find people who share our values, which are:

• Empathy (listen to and understand an individual’s needs and circumstances)
• Respect (treat others the way they wish to be treated)
• Integrity (be honest and have strong moral principles)
• Caring (show kindness and concern for others)

LinkLiving is a Scottish health and wellbeing charity that supports people to manage or overcome the effects of negative life experiences (including trauma, mental health challenges, poverty and inequality) so that they can build on their strengths and aspirations in order to live their best possible lives. We support people through a range of models including: 

• Personal development and employability programmes 
• Self-help coaching
• Supported accommodation
• Care at home
• Housing support
• Befriending
• Social cafes

The Service

The Link Academy team works primarily with people with complex backgrounds. The experiences of these young people often result in low self-esteem and confidence, poor mental health and a pattern of destructive behaviours. Because of this, these young people find it difficult to manage key transitions such as moving into work or training, into a tenancy or leaving care. The service works hard and creatively to maintain the early engagement of participants. By offering mental health and wellbeing programmes, independent living skills and a wide range of qualifications to support their progression, we give young people the tools to better manage their own mental health. Doing so helps them break negative and destructive cycles of behaviour and thinking, with the aim of putting them on the path to having the best life possible. Staff are trained in using a trauma-informed approach to support young people to build confidence, develop resilience and realise their goals for the future.

The Job

The ‘Right Track (Navigating Positive Futures)’’ is a preventive programme which focuses on supporting young people at risk of becoming involved in the criminal justice system, through the provision of one-to-one and group-based support. The Development Worker will have a background in criminal justice and will support young people facing issues including youth crime, antisocial behaviour, family breakdown and school-related difficulties, to achieve their goals and aspirations, providing them with practical tools and techniques to overcome the challenges they are facing. We welcome applications from people with lived experience and professional experience.

The Development Workers will also provide support to parents and caregivers, as well as leading a team of peer education volunteers (16-24) who will use their own lived experiences of the criminal justice system to positively influence young people supported through the programme.

About You

You are passionate about supporting young people to overcome challenges and achieve positive outcomes, particularly those involved in or affected by the criminal justice system. You will be educated to SCQF Level 7 (HNC or equivalent); however, we actively welcome applicants with relevant lived experience who may not hold formal qualifications, as training and qualifications will be supported within the role. In these cases, you must have demonstrable experience of working with this client group.

You will have a minimum of three years’ professional experience in youth work, including direct experience of working with young people in a criminal justice setting. You are skilled at developing, shaping, and delivering engaging programmes that respond to the current challenges facing young people, using a trauma-informed and relationship-based approach.

You are confident in building positive, trusting relationships with young people and have experience creating or identifying resources for one-to-one work and group delivery, including the effective use of digital tools and resources. You will also have experience of building and sustaining partnerships with a range of stakeholders.

You bring a good understanding of current Scottish policies and the social, economic, and systemic challenges affecting young people and families in Scotland. You are highly organised, with excellent planning skills, and are an effective communicator, confident in both oral presentations and written reporting. A good working knowledge of ICT is essential.

You are a collaborative team player with a flexible, can-do attitude, willing to work across different areas as required. Occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary to support specific training programmes or events, although this sits outside normal delivery hours.

For a comprehensive list of the essential and desirable criteria required for this post, please refer to the Job Specification in the Job information Pack above.

What’s in it for you?

The benefits of being a LinkLiving employee (subject to the policies and benefit terms and conditions) include:

• Competitive salary, reviewed annually, and opportunity for annual performance related salary increases and discretionary non-consolidated pay awards, subject to terms of the scheme
• 35 days’ holiday per year (inclusive of public holidays) pro rata plus additional 3 days pro rata after 3 years’ service
• opportunity to buy and sell holiday
• enhanced company sick and family friendly pay
• access to paid SVQ qualifications and a wide range of learning and development opportunities
• funded Disclosure Scotland and Scottish Social Services Council memberships
• defined contribution pension scheme with generous employer contributions plus salary exchange and additional voluntary contribution options
• access to a Salary Exchange car leasing scheme, subject to the terms of the scheme
• life assurance scheme providing death in service benefits
• healthcare cash plan for employees (and dependents) to support health and wellbeing plus discounts on shopping, restaurants, and other services
• employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate household dependants to support health, mental and financial well-being
• access to purchase annual corporate clothing vouchers
• annual flu vaccination
• access to a credit union savings and borrowing scheme
• cycle to work scheme
• access to discounts on mobile airtime plans and much more!

For a full list of benefits available to employees, please see the following link - https://www.linkliving.org.uk/work-with-us

This role is subject to PVG membership under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. Individuals who are barred from working with children or protected adults will not be considered for this position. Link will meet the cost of any new PVG scheme membership or membership update.

Further Information

Interested? If you have any questions about the role, please email jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk and we can arrange for someone from the service to call you for an informal chat.

To find out more about what LinkLiving do and to view the generous pay and benefits package, please visit our website at https://www.linkliving.org.uk

Closing Date: 23:59 on Sunday 01 March 2026

Interview Date: Interviews are being held on Monday 09 March 2026 at our office in Edinburgh

How to Apply

To complete an application form, please click on the “Apply online” button below. Instructions on how to complete the form are at the top of the page.

We would strongly encourage applicants to make their application as authentic to them as possible and ensure that it genuinely reflects the skills and experience that you can bring to the role. AI can be helpful with structuring answers in an application, however if overly relied on, it can risk an application appearing generic and less relevant to the role, which reduces the likelihood of being shortlisted.

As a large employer, we advertise jobs regularly on our own website and social media channels alongside other third-party websites. No matter where you see one of our vacancies, you will always be directed to our jobs portal to apply directly with us.

We can offer suitable alternative methods to apply if requested including although not exclusively; hard copy, Braille and audio. You can request these by emailing our Resourcing Team at jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk and detailing which format you would require.

Please note should an internal applicant be successful in applying for this position on either a seconded or permanent basis, they will move to the terms and conditions associated with the role for the duration of the time they are in post. The terms and conditions are outlined in the job information pack.

We aim at all times to recruit the person who is most suited to the job and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. Our offices are fully accessible to wheelchair users and, as a Disability Confident Leader, we will interview all disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria.