Project Worker (Peer Education)

Job title: Project Worker (Peer Education) (Link Academy)

Location: This post is based at LinkLiving’s Fife office.

Hours of Work: 37.5 per week (Monday to Friday, 9-5)

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

LinkLiving is a trauma-informed Scottish health and wellbeing charity that supports people of all ages to overcome the negative impacts of trauma, mental health, inequality, and isolation. Our Link Academy SQA training centre provides a wide range of accredited and non-accredited courses that help people develop new skills. The service works hard and creatively to maintain the early engagement of participants. We support people by offering mental health and wellbeing programmes, independent living skills and a wide range of qualifications to support their progression including volunteering, employability, tenancy, youth work and leadership award qualifications.

The Job

The purpose of the job is to recruit, train and support a team of volunteers who have an interest in, or have been affected by homelessness. As Volunteer Peer Educators, they will deliver a range workshops in Fife high schools, focusing on homelessness prevention, independent living skills and wellbeing. From experience, we know that pupils are more likely to listen to peers with lived experience than a teacher or adult sharing similar information.

You will manage volunteers by providing training and support in their role while also supporting their personal development and future aspirations. As a Project Worker, you will work with local schools to implement the programme as part of their provision. You will also develop relationships with other agencies and actively promote Linkliving's programmes and services.

About You

We are looking for a dedicated and dynamic individual with a strong educational background and a passion for volunteer management to join our team. You will possess a good standard of education, with standard grade passes (or equivalent) in core subjects such as English and Maths.

Your experience in coordinating training courses will be crucial, and you will bring a wealth of knowledge in best practices in volunteer management, particularly with an understanding of Investing in Volunteers. You will have a solid grasp of the Trauma Skilled Practice Framework (NES Framework) and have demonstrated experience working with individuals with complex needs or backgrounds.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is essential, alongside a comprehensive understanding of the employability sector and volunteering initiatives. Your effective communication skills, both written and oral, will allow you to convey information clearly and concisely to a variety of audiences.

You will have experience in developing and delivering training programmes and be knowledgeable about evaluation methods to ensure their effectiveness. A non-judgemental attitude and a willingness to embrace diversity are core values you hold, enabling you to work empathetically with volunteers from various backgrounds.

Adaptability and the ability to integrate into new environments quickly are key, as is the capacity to work openly and honestly within a team setting. You will be adept at prioritising and planning both your workload and that of your team members.

Building and nurturing relationships with other voluntary organisations, employability networks, and statutory agencies will be second nature to you. Additionally, you must have the ability to drive and be willing to travel between services as required.

If you are an organised, communicative, and compassionate individual with a strong understanding of volunteer management and training, we would love to hear from you.

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 an Electric vehicle leasing scheme, subject to the terms of the scheme
• life assurance scheme providing death in service benefits to named beneficiaries
• 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
• annual flu vaccination
• access to a savings and borrowing scheme
• cycle to work scheme
• monthly bus pass scheme
• season/travel ticket loan 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 post is subject to Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme registration. Link will meet the cost of any new PVG scheme membership or scheme record 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

If you’re thinking about working in adult social care, download the Guide to adult social care jobs in Scotland for in-depth information on everything you need to know to get started. In addition, you can enrol on a free, online 6 week part-time tutor-supported ‘Introduction to a Career in Social Care’ course. The course introduces the area of social care and can be a stepping-stone to employment or further training.

Closing Date: midnight on Sunday 04 August 2024

Interview Date: Interviews are being held on Monday 12 August 2024 at our office in Kirkcaldy

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 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.