Advertised from 29 October 2025

Role

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 purpose of the Development Worker role is to provide support to children and young people with a range of issues affecting their lives to achieve their goals and aspirations by providing guidance and practical tools to enhance their knowledge and skills. The Development Worker will provide support and offer guidance to young people, and develop training to help young people address the issues facing them and guide them towards a positive destination. You will support the achievement of high standards and provide monitoring information in relation to the programme's outcomes. 

LinkLiving aims to provide volunteering and ongoing learning and capacity building opportunities to enable more vulnerable people to actively participate in our service. This role will support that aim by ensuring that opportunities are provided to course participants equipping them with the skills to make a valuable contribution to the service and their wider community. The Development Worker will develop relationships with other agencies and services and actively promote LinkLiving's volunteer programmes and employability services. 

About You

You will be an experienced and motivated professional, educated to SCQF Level 7 (HNC or equivalent), with a strong background in youth work. With at least three years’ experience in a professional youth work setting, you will have a proven track record of developing and delivering engaging programmes that support young people to achieve positive outcomes.

You will hold (or be willing to work towards) an SCQF Assessor and Verifier qualification (LD9–LD11) and have experience of creating and delivering effective training to both young people and adults. You will be confident in developing high-quality training materials and digital resources, and skilled in evaluating programmes using a range of tools to evidence impact and outcomes.

You will have a sound understanding of the current Scottish policy landscape and the challenges facing young people and families. You’ll be able to apply this knowledge in your work, ensuring that programmes and support remain relevant, inclusive, and responsive to need. A commitment to mental health awareness and the use of self-help resources will be central to your approach.

You’ll bring excellent communication skills, with the ability to present information clearly in writing and in person, and to build strong relationships with young people, colleagues, and partner agencies. Your approach will be trauma-informed, enabling you to create safe and supportive environments that help young people thrive.

Highly organised and adaptable, you’ll have excellent planning skills, a “can-do” attitude, and the flexibility to work across different areas when required. Proficiency in ICT and confidence in using digital tools are essential, as is a full driving licence and access to a car. Evening and weekend work may occasionally be required to meet the needs of the service.

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.

Application notes

Interested? If you have any questions about the role, please email [email protected] and we can arrange for someone from the service to call you for an informal chat.  

Visit our website to apply.

Closing Date: 23:59 on Sunday 23 November 2025

Interview Date: Interviews are being held on Monday 01 December 2025 at Link Academy in Falkirk

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

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