Job title: Community Worker
Salary: £26,000 per annum
Location: Paisley (community based, covers a wide geographical area with significant travel)
Contract/Hours: Permanent, Full Time – 37 hours per week (including evenings and weekends)
Closing date for applications is midnight of 31st March. Interviews are scheduled to take place on 8th and 9th April.
Benefits
* Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave and the option to buy or sell leave
* Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles
* Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages
* Up to 5% employer contribution and life assurance cover
* Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers
A bit about the role
We’re looking for a Community Worker to join this dynamic and impactful programme—someone who is passionate about making a meaningful difference in people’s lives. The role requires flexibility and a willingness to work beyond traditional hours when needed, reflecting the responsive nature of the support we provide.
Being able to manage your own time and respond to what the young people you support need is a big part of the role. That flexibility helps us create a service that’s inclusive, responsive, and built around real lives and real challenges.
Whilst no qualification is required for this role, experience or knowledge of the challenges faced by people involved in the Justice system, experiencing addiction, or homelessness would be great.
About the Service
We’re really excited to share our new Scottish Government–funded programme, which launched in April 2025. It’s designed to offer voluntary throughcare support to people across Scotland who are serving short-term sentences or moving on from remand. The service is open to men, women, and young people, making sure support is accessible to everyone who needs it.
The whole approach is based on strong relationships and working closely with partner organisations so people get the right support at the right time. The aim is simple: help people settle back into their communities, improve their wellbeing, and reduce the chances of re‑offending.
The programme runs using a Pod model, where staff from different partner organisations work together in specific areas. Each Pod has a manager from one of the partner organisations, and formal line management sits with an Action for Children manager, keeping everything consistent and well supported.
What you do could make a difference
* Collaborative Pre‑Release Planning: Work with prison staff to create robust pre-release plans, including three-way handovers.
* Utilise Pre-Release Tools: Engage through face-to-face contact, email correspondence, and multi-agency meetings.
* Family-Centred Approach: Collaborate with Families Outside partner to support individuals and their families.
* Effective Working Relationships: Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external colleagues for the best outcomes.
* Information Sharing: Share information with key stakeholders to support multi-agency collaboration.
* Onward Referrals and Service Endings: Identify suitable referrals and ensure smooth service transitions.
Let’s talk about you
* You’ll build positive relationships with people supported and wider stakeholders (including partnership working – statutory and third sector).
* Trauma informed practice and managing a complex context.
* Solution focused, finding innovative ways to respond to challenges.
* Prepare and implement dynamic risk management plans and applying Safeguarding processes.
* Driving licence and access to a car are essential as the role covers a wide geographical area. The job requires the ability to travel according to the needs of the job, with reasonable adjustments, if required, according to the Equality Act.
Why Action for Children?
Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn—the support to cope with life’s challenges. But too many children don’t. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you’ll help us change that where it really matters.
We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot’s changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn’t. So as long as children need us, we’ll be here.
Will you join us?
Contact: Laura McCarthy at recruitmentservice@actionforchildren.org.uk quoting reference 12834
Diversity, equality and inclusion
We work hard to create an inclusive environment. One where individuality is celebrated and where everyone feels valued and supported. Because when we come together, with skills like yours, we’re capable of amazing things.
We actively encourage applications from people with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds and people with a disability, as these groups are under-represented within Action for Children.
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