The Organisation

PLUS has worked with children and young people with disabilities and their families for over thirty years and continues to grow and develop. PLUS provides individualised support and opportunities for service users to get out and have fun with people of their own age. This also gives parents and carers some time for themselves. It is a registered Charity, Company Limited by Guarantee and is registered with the Care Inspectorate. Further information about PLUS is available on our website - plusforthvalley.org.uk or by visiting our Facebook page at PLUS88.

The Vacancy

Following a change in funding and a colleague moving to a new opportunity, we are looking to recruit a 2 year fixed term Project Coordinator position, which will be leading with our 1:1 support service. This service supports children and adults across the wider Forth Valley area, in a combination of home and community based support, on a 1:1 basis, but also bringing small groups together to support some shared outcomes.

This post is one of six Project Coordinators (part time and full time) within the charity, which allows for opportunities for peer support and development. These positions are guided by 2 Managers, with support from the Operations Manager and CEO. As a close-knit team, we encourage independence within roles and opportunities for staff to make their mark – whilst providing support and guidance along the way.

Like many organisations, we have adopted a hybrid approach to our work, however we would be looking for this post to be office based for a minimum of 3 days per week. It has been our experience that relationships are much stronger when our team, young people and families are able to meet in person and we wish to continue to promote the strengthening of our team, particularly when welcoming a new member of staff.

Priorities

This post offers an exciting opportunity to develop and lead a project, primarily providing support to children, young people and adults in Stirling. The role will focus on providing a high level of consistency for the children and families accessing support. Small teams of staff will support individual packages of care with effective communication being critical in ensuring the young person, their family and their team of staff are all in alignment.

Services will be designed in a bespoke manner, combining 1:1 and group support, in the home and wider community to enrich the lives of the people we support. Maintaining current friendships and developing new friendships is key for so many young people. Now we have moved away from most covid restrictions, we are keen to see progression here in terms of opportunities offered, reengaging with clubs and groups that the young people previously attended.

Outcome development and progression will be essential to support ongoing success and value of the events, including the young people and their families in the planning and evaluation phases. This will include working alongside peers within the office to ensure we can maximise opportunities available.

This role would suit a creative, flexible and self-motivated individual who can see how all the smaller parts join to make the bigger picture. A natural problem solver who is a fast learner and a skilled communicator will flourish in this role. Working as part of a small but committed, enthusiastic team, there are regular opportunities to be able to influence and develop the ongoing quality assurance and strategic development of the organisation.

*Please note there may be a chance that the funding for this post is extended beyond the fixed term period.

The Post

A job description and a person specification are attached.

This position will be for 28-35 hours per week and may include some evening and weekend work, for example staff meetings, training or recruitment. Out of office hours will always be planned with notice. This position will be fixed term for 2 years from the start of the contract, with the potential for extension.

The post holder will lead with the implementation of the 1:1 project, ensuring that staff have the relevant training and knowledge to support the young people they are matched with. Regularly liaising with staff and families will ensure smooth communication and supporting staff to focus on improving the outcomes for young people in a person centred way will lead to success.

The post holder will have supervision responsibilities in relation to the sessional staff involved with the project, supporting their recruitment and liaising with colleagues regarding training and development.

Full time staff (35 hours per week) are entitled to a total of 34 days annual leave including all public holidays (rising to 39 after 5 years). This would be available on a pro rata basis. There is a pension scheme (NEST) which offers an employer’s contribution of 3% of salary. On call also results in additional daily payments for staff.

The appointment is subject to a probationary period with a review at 3 and 6 months.

PLUS is a well established organisation, based in Stirling, and working across the Forth Valley to provide support to children and young people with disabilities. Recently achieving gradings of 'Very Good' from the Care Inspectorate, PLUS prides itself in the quality and diverse nature of our service provisions.

Both posts are new to PLUS and have been created in order to allow us to respond to demand for services. We are keen to be able to improve the journey the children, young people and adults have during their time with PLUS and are excited about the prospect of having a real focus, new drive and fresh eyes to help us as we reduce the current restrictions we have on our service delivery.

There will be opportunities for the successful candidate to develop our offerings via group based activities and individualised support, ensuring that a focus on person centeredness remains a key priority as services return to some level of new normal.

The post holders will liaise with young people, the adults, their families and partner agencies in the development of care plans, designing bespoke services to meet agreed outcomes.

These exciting roles would suit a dynamic and self motivated individual who has the drive to utilise their experience and creativity to build relationships and support the continued development of services within PLUS.