Support Worker

Job title: Support Worker (Edinburgh Young Persons’ Service)

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

Hours of Work: 37.5 per week (Working flexibly to meet the needs of the service, mainly Monday to Friday 9-5 with occasional evening and weekend working)

We are looking for motivated and compassionate individuals who can work well independently in a fast-paced environment to join LinkLiving as a Support Worker within our Edinburgh Young Persons’ Service.

The Job

In this role, you will support young people aged 16 to 25 who are affected by homelessness, trauma, or other life challenges. Some of these young people may face additional difficulties associated with being a New Scot or having a care background. You will manage your own caseload and work flexibly to meet the needs of each individual. Using a person-centred and trauma-informed approach, you will build positive relationships with young people and provide practical, emotional and social support to help them move towards greater independence and achieve their personal goals.

Support will include helping young people to find and sustain suitable accommodation, develop everyday living skills, manage challenges in their lives, build confidence, and take positive steps towards a better future, while working closely with other professionals involved in their lives. Young people may be living in temporary accommodation, sofa surfing, in LinkLiving supported flats, be in permanent accommodation, or have no place to stay. You will work flexibly and creatively to meet their individual needs, offering support in a way that recognises each young person’s strengths, aspirations and potential.

We are looking for someone who shares our values of empathy, respect, integrity and caring, and who is passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of young people. Previous experience or formal qualifications are not essential for this role. If you are a good communicator, committed to supporting others, and want to be part of a supportive and trauma-informed team, we would love to hear from you.

The Service

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.

Our Edinburgh Young Persons’ Service provides visiting housing support and supported accommodation for young people aged 16 to 25 across Edinburgh. We are a friendly, supportive team of around 20 people with a wide range of ages and experience, all committed to helping young people achieve their goals. The role is highly rewarding, but it can also be challenging. You will need to be flexible and confident working one-to-one with young people who may find it difficult to trust professionals. No two days are the same, and while you will have the chance to make a real difference, you will also need to work hard to engage the young people on your caseload in the support they need.

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

Successful applicants will be required to apply for registration with SSSC within 3 months of their start date and be registeredwithin 6 months.

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

Applications will be evaluated as they are received, with candidates meeting the specifications being invited for interview.

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.

Please note that CVs will not be considered.

Please notify our recruitment team at jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk if you would like:

• Help accessing the job information
• Need the application details in a different format
• Require any adjustments to the application process to support any disabilities or different needs you may have

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 interview locations are wheelchair accessible, with step-free access. If you have any specific access requirements, please let us know and we will be happy to support.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we will interview all disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria.