Communications and Participation - BEACON

Brief Summary: The Communications and Participation Officer will play a key role in ensuring that families’ voices, experiences and perspectives are central to the development and delivery of BEACON, a Scottish Government-funded Whole Family Support project delivered by Capital City Partnership.

Employer: Capital City Partnership

Salary: £40,501 (Grade 7)

Contract Length: Fixed Term post until March 2027 (extension dependent on funding)

Closing Date: 30/09/2026

BEACON is a Scottish Government-funded programme delivered through the Whole Family Support Fund, supporting ethnically diverse families across the East of Scotland to overcome barriers to employment, improve financial wellbeing and build pathways towards greater security and opportunity. The programme brings together community organisations, employability services and wider partners to provide joined-up, culturally appropriate, whole-family support.

The Whole Family Support Fund forms part of the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government, announced on 1 September 2026, and supports the Government’s priorities for the current parliamentary term.

The Participation Officer will play a key role in ensuring that families’ voices, experiences and perspectives are central to the development and delivery of BEACON, while also supporting effective communications, community engagement and promotion of programme activities, opportunities and outcomes across families, communities and partner organisations.

BEACON Strategic Objectives:

1. To maximise equitable support for ethnically diverse families and communities through a joined-up whole family support model of delivery.
2. To reduce social and economic disparities through improvement of minority ethnic family well-being, education and attainment, employment opportunities and outcomes, social and economic outcomes.
3. To improve participation and representation through elevating the voices of minority ethnic families and communities.
4. To make racial equality an everyday accountability through securing change at system and structural level.

The post holder will undertake the day-to-day administration of the programme, event and workshop organisation, and co-ordination of our lived experience panels. They will also be responsible for communications relating to the programme to a wide range of stakeholders.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and establish BEACON Participation Panels, ensuring they are accessible, inclusive and representative of the families and communities the programme supports
• Recruit and engage families and community members to participate in panels and other participation activities
• Build trusted relationships with participants, creating a safe and supportive environment where families feel comfortable sharing their experiences and views
• Plan, organise and facilitate participation panel meetings, including developing agendas, activities and discussion topics
• Ensure the voices and lived experiences of families inform BEACON’s development and delivery, including identifying barriers, gaps in provision and opportunities for improvement
• Gather, analyse and communicate feedback and insights from participation panels and wider engagement activities to the BEACON team and delivery partners
• Work with partners to ensure participation is embedded across the programme, rather than being a standalone activity
• Develop creative and accessible ways for families to participate, recognising different communication needs, cultures, languages and circumstances
• Support participants to develop confidence and skills to contribute to discussions, consultations, events and wider programme activities
• Ensure participants receive feedback on how their views have influenced the programme, demonstrating a clear “you said, we did” approach
• Maintain appropriate records of participation activity, feedback and outcomes to support monitoring, evaluation and Scottish Government reporting
• Identify and share good practice and learning from participation activities across the BEACON partnership.

Download the job information pack below for full details.