Project Manager (Young People)

About us

Lucy Faithfull Foundation Scotland is part of a UK-wide charity that exists to prevent child sexual abuse and exploitation. We're bold, we're pioneering, we're growing and we want your help.

We're here for everyone who needs us. We protect children by working with people who pose a risk and diverting them from causing harm. We support individuals and families who have been affected by abuse. And we help professionals who work with families to create safer environments for children.

Our UK wide charity runs the confidential Stop It Now helpline and Shore, a website for teenagers.

Our Edinburgh based team - formerly known as Stop It Now Scotland - covers the whole of the country. Our practitioners have extensive backgrounds in child protection and sex offender rehabilitation. We provide individual and group work to around 150 adults and adolescents every year who present a sexual risk of harm to children who cannot access statutory services. This includes individuals who are under investigation for online sexual offences and those who have not offended but are worried about doing so. We also work with around 100 partners, family members and members of wider networks around those individuals. We use what we learn from our work to develop and deliver resources, information and training for professionals and the public, so that they can better protect children from harm and prevent abuse before it happens.

About the role

We are recruiting a practitioner to join our multi-disciplinary team in Edinburgh to lead our work with children and young people.

We know that at least 1/3 of sexual abuse in Scotland is perpetrated by children and young people themselves. This abuse can occur online, in family settings, in communities and in organisational settings such as schools. We also know that there is a great deal we can do to prevent this abuse happening in the first place, or continuing if it has already occurred.

This job will involve heading up our work with children, young people and young adults up to the age of 21.

You will head up our flagship project working with high schools in Edinburgh promoting the prevention of harmful sexual behaviour in an educational context. This includes running workshops for parents on how they can promote positive and healthy relational and sexual development. It will include helping teachers respond sensitively and effectively to early concerns about children’s sexual behaviour. And it will involve working with young people themselves to help develop a curriculum that actively promotes prevention of sexual harm. You will work with our research team to help establish evaluation methods for all aspects of this project and to develop a scaleable model of prevention that can be rolled out across all schools, better protecting children from harm. You will work closely with our UK based Schools Project Manager who will support all aspects of this project.

You will also have a small caseload, working with young people who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour online. You will contribute to training, consultation and policy work in relation to tackling youth perpetrated sexual abuse. It’s a wide ranging and exciting role, and we will be able to support and train the successful candidate in all aspects of our work. You will be supported by our UK based young people’s team.

This is a highly rewarding role making a genuine difference to children's lives. It involves working within a friendly, supportive and hardworking team which is committed to keeping children safe from sexual harm.

About you

Our ideal candidate will be a dynamic practitioner with a proven ability to drive projects to achieve required outcomes. You will be professional, proactive and outcome-focused with exceptional communication and engagement skills and an ability to develop partnership ways of working with professionals and agencies. The role requires expert knowledge in relation to working with children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour and significant experience with supporting and advising leaders, child care professionals, young people and parents. You will have an impeccable understanding of child protection policies and principles and evidence of working with safeguarding partners to keep children safe from harm. A track record of providing consultancy and training to other professionals is desirable.

You will be able to demonstrate confidence in translating the charity’s mission into direct child protection practice and equipping other professionals in tackling child sexual abuse.

Key attributes we are seeking include:

Deliver assessment and interventions for children, young people and families in relation to harmful sexual behaviour Vision and operational capabilities to co-ordinate and deliver on a substantial project focussing on the prevention of harmful sexual behaviour in education settings Leadership and management skills in producing successful outcomes Impeccable knowledge of safeguarding principles, policies and practices Proven track record of working in and/or with education providers Collaborative and supportive ethos, enabling effective working with team members and leaders across the charity Flexibility and passion to work alongside internal and external colleagues to ensure quality work is delivered efficiently Excellent engagement skills and experience of working professionally with professionals (including school staff), young people and parents Confidence in providing expert consultancy to internal and external professionals concerning best practices for working with children Ability to provide confidential advice to callers, including education leaders and staff Effective record keeping in line with the charity’s policy and practice Stakeholder engagement and excellent communication skills to promote the mission and values of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

What you'll get from us

We offer hybrid working with a minimum of 2 days working from the office. We offer a NEST pension, 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days (plus statutory bank holidays) after 5 years' service and in line with our leave year (January-December), up to 5 days learning and development per year to make sure you stay on top of your game, an employee assistance programme and the option of Benenden medical cover.

How to apply

We welcome informal conversations with prospective candidates. Please feel free to contact Stuart Allardyce, Director Scotland on 07881 824871.

A job pack is attached to this advert. Please complete the application form and equal ops form and return to recruitment@lucyfaithfull.org.uk

Interviews will take place on 11th October.

The successful candidate will be required to have a PVG disclosure from Disclosure Scotland for this position.