Job Summary
Role: Family Links Lead - Skye
Hours: Full-time: 35 hours per week.
Salary: £36,261 (FTE – pro rata)
Holidays: 25 leave days plus 13 statutory holidays (pro rata)
Pension: 3% Company Pension contributions
Place of work: Hybrid - with an expectation of frequent travel within Skye and, occasionally, to Inverness/Invergordon and across Highland to fulfil aspects of the role.
Contract: 12 months initially, extension is subject to funding.
Reports to: Home-Start East Highland Manager
Closing date: 31st July 2026 - noon
Interview dates: 13th August 2026
All applications will be acknowledged, and candidates will be kept informed on the progress of their application.
We understand the value of finding the right candidate for the role, so some flexibility in working hours may be possible. This role is open to job share.
Family Links is a pioneering service led by a partnership of third sector organisations - the Care and Learning Alliance, Homestart East Highland and Thriving Families - and supported by the Highland Whole Family Wellbeing Programme. Working alongside schools and other statutory and third sector providers, the Family Links partnership is testing and developing our approach to the delivery of holistic support to families in targeted communities across Highland.
For the past 18 months, we have focused on testing our approach within the Inverness area, and we have now secured funding to further test and develop Family Links in other areas of Highland. The current role is to lead the Home-Start East Highland Family Links team in Skye.
Family Links provides a bridge between home, school and community, supporting families to overcome challenges to wellbeing and enabling children and young people to flourish in school and beyond.
It is recognised that there is a range of potentially beneficial outcomes for children and young people to be gained from building closer partnerships between schools, communities and families and supporting all family members to address both practical and emotional issues.
Support provided to families is agreed alongside families, is delivered flexibly and is responsive to the needs of families and individual family members. It is available to families for as long as they need it.
The Family Links Lead will lead and support a small team of Family Links Workers in Highland, simultaneously working as part of the wider Home-Start East Highland team and the Family Links partnership.
The Family Links Lead ensures that all Home-Start East Highland Family Links Workers are fully supported to undertake their duties, provide a high quality of service and have their needs met. As a senior member of the Home-Start East Highland team, this role plays an integral role in coordinating operational delivery, supporting with working practice guidance, policies and processes.
The Family Links Lead is also responsible for coordinating and facilitating the partnership with schools, statutory agencies and third sector in the area – including ensuring robust monitoring and evaluation of project outcomes and, where required, mentoring local partners in the delivery of holistic family support - in collaboration with the Highland Whole Family Wellbeing Programme’s Family Links Project Manager.
In addition to this, the Family Links Lead – Skye will support a small caseload of families in the same way as our Family Links Workers (see Appendix A). These cases may be more complex in nature than the typical Family Links Worker caseload. In your Family Links Worker capacity, you will provide one-to-one holistic, information, advice and support to families in Skye who are experiencing school attendance and engagement issues, supporting and enabling them to improve their lives by building their confidence, empowering them to recognise their personal expertise and value, to implement practical support strategies, access services, know their rights, and to have their voices heard.
Responsibilities
- The Family Links Lead Skye is responsible for:
- Line managing the Home-Start East Highland Family Links team, including providing one-to-one (and team-based) support and supervision for all Family Links Workers in the area.
- Delivering internal training to the Family Links team and coordinating external training and development opportunities for Family Links Workers and co-ordinating with the wider Home-Start East Highland team and the Family Links partnership.
- Working alongside the Family Links Project Manager to ensure the smooth and ongoing delivery of Family Links.
- Ensuring Family Links Workers are aware of, and working in line with, the policies, procedures and guidance of both Home-Start East Highland and the Family Links partnership.
- Involvement in recruitment and selection processes as necessary, including interview and induction processes.
- Quality assuring the service delivered by the Home-Start East Highland Family Links team and collaborating with Family Links Team Leads from other Family Links partner organisations to ensure equity and quality of Family Links delivery across all test sites in Highland.
- Provision of regular progress reports for the Home-Start East Highland and the Family Links Project Manager.
- Undertaking all aspects of the Family Links Worker role (most complex cases) as detailed in Appendix A below.
- Undertaking any other duties within the skillset of this role required by the Thriving Families Chief Executive.
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent, relevant professional experience*
- Experience of successfully managing and motivating teams, and leading staff development.
- Understanding and experience of service development and quality assuring
- Experience of working alongside children, young people and/or families.
- Ability to travel to and from Skye (and occasionally across Highland) to fulfil requirements of the role.
- Knowledge and understanding of the workings of statutory and third sector providers, specifically education and health and social care.
- Experience of monitoring and evaluation.
- A strong value base with a commitment to a person-centred, solution-focused, outcomes-based approach.
- Knowledge, understanding and commitment to GIRFEC, child protection and trauma-informed practice.
- Excellent listening, verbal and written communication skills.
- Experience of and commitment to working in partnership and build relationships with a wide range of individuals and groups to achieve positive outcomes.
- Organisation and planning skills with the ability to work autonomously and manage and prioritise a diverse workload.
- Confidence in presenting to a variety of stakeholders including families, professionals, colleagues and steering group.
- Competent and confident in the use of new technologies, including mainstream software packages, email and internet.
Must hold a current full driving licence with access to own transport.
Desirable
- Experience of developing and delivering training materials
- Experience of working within the Third Sector.
- Experience of working within Highland.
- Knowledge of GDPR, data protection legislation and good practice.
- Knowledge and understanding of the strengths and pressures within families with additional support needs.
- Knowledge and experience of using a case management system.
* We recognise that many people who have no formal qualifications find a path to working in the Third Sector. In keeping with our commitment to equal opportunities, we wish to remove unnecessary barriers to those who can demonstrate their ability to meet all criteria for this post.
The closing date for completed applications is Friday 31st July at 12 noon. Any applications submitted after the closing date will not be considered.
Interviews will be held on Thursday 13th August.
For more information and an application pack, please e-mail [email protected] or call 01349 854018.
Pay: £36,261.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
