Advertised from 4 September 2025

Role

A fantastic opportunity to come and join the Children First team in Scottish Borders 

We are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated Participation and Children’s Rights Project Worker to join our Bairns Hoose Team. Barnahus, is a multi-agency and child-focused response for victims and witnesses of violence. Children First use the name Bairns Hoose to identify the model of Barnahus as it will apply in Scotland. 

Working alongside our Bairns Hoose Team of Advocacy Rights and Recovery Workers in Scottish Borders you will capture the voices of children, young people and their families with lived experience of child protection and justice processes, to ensure that the Bairns Hoose model that is developed for Scotland is child centred and developed in partnership with children and young people. 

You will play the vital role of ensuring that the feedback, views and experiences of children and young people are systematically gathered at various points of their experience of the child protection and/or justice processes. 

As well as supporting children and young people to share their stories, a key aspect of your role will be to collate the feedback, support the evaluation of key messages and enable these to be shared using different mediums, within a wide range of meetings, events and forums. You will also support young people and parents or carers to develop Bairns Hoose advisory groups, to enable ongoing engagement in the development of the model across the Scottish Borders and nationally. 

The role of participation and children’s rights project worker will work to promote the rights of children and young people in a positive and pro-active way, and to assist those working with children and young people to incorporate a children's rights perspective into their work and practices. 

The role will help to promote the rights of children and young people, and provide support and opportunities for them to have their experiences and views heard and listened to and have a particular focus on gathering information and experiences in relation to: Joint Investigative Interviews, forensic examinations, police and child protection investigations and young people who have given evidence in court, including the local Sheriff Courts and the High Court in Edinburgh. 

It is essential that applicants have experience of: -

• Working within or alongside the current child protection and/or justice systems 
• Creating a safe environment for vulnerable children and young people to share their experiences and enable them to communicate their thoughts, feelings and views using arrange of different communication methods and approaches.

Base

Your base will be shared between our office in Selkirk as well as venues within the local community. You will work on an outreach basis to connect with children and families in communities across Scottish Borders. A driving licence and access to a car is essential. 

Salary, Conditions, Pension

We will offer you a competitive salary, generous annual leave entitlement (40 days inclusive of 9 public holidays). We have additional benefits such as a cash back health plan, cycle to work scheme, and option to join a Credit Union.

Further Information

This is a fixed term, part time role of 28 hours a week, funded initially until 31st March 2026 with the hope of further funding.  

We welcome and encourage applications from potential colleagues from all backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief, disability who share our values. If you would like to discuss any aspect of the role before applying, please contact – sarah.axford@childrenfirst.org.uk or call 01750 22892

Application notes

For further information and to apply, please visit our website.

Closing date: Monday 22nd September with interviews anticipated to be scheduled for Monday 29th September.