Progressions Worker (Central Scotland)

About Street Soccer

Street Soccer is a charity using football to create lasting change in the lives of isolated and excluded adults and young people. We run 60 sessions a week of free, inclusive and judgement-free football. These sessions provide person-centred support to players facing a number of challenges including mental health, homelessness, long term unemployment, problem substance use, criminal justice and seeking asylum. Our mission is to create hope and opportunity for all.

We support thousands of players a year on their journey to positive change by providing a safe space, trusting relationships and a sense of belonging. We fight isolation and exclusion by bringing people together, building confidence and creating supportive communities. We support people of all ages and backgrounds through relationship-based support, focusing on trust and personal development, supporting everyone to set and achieve their own goals. Thanks to the support of Street Soccer, 82% of players say that their quality of life has improved.

Lived experience is at the heart of what we do, with over 80% of our staff having lived experience of the challenges our players face.

97% of players think that Street Soccer is a unique organisation. With over 16 years of experience delivering positive change through football, we are now working in more communities than ever, with city hubs in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and South London, as well as a network of sessions across 6 other local authorities.

Role Purpose

The Progressions Worker role exists to support adults over 25 who face significant barriers to employment, including homelessness, problem substance use, adverse mental health, experience of criminal justice and seeking asylum. The Progressions Worker will provide holistic, person-centred support; helping individuals identify and work towards their own goals at their own pace, whether that's employment, volunteering, education or training.

Working alongside the local delivery team at Street Soccer sessions, the Progressions Worker will build on trust and relationships that already exist at those sessions to understand each player's specific situation, removing barriers and providing sustained and flexible support.

This role will be based in Fife, primarily at our sessions in Glenrothes, Dunfermline, Levenmouth and Kirkcaldy.

We are particularly interested in applications from those with the same lived experience as our players, further information about our Safer Recruitment process can be found within section 8 of our Safeguarding Policy.

Street Soccer value work life balance and are happy to discuss part time hours, job share and flexible working.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• To provide 1-1 person-centred progression support to players, helping them identify their own goals and work towards positive destinations including employment, education, training and volunteering.
• To attend Street Soccer football sessions as the key point of contact for progression support, building trusted relationships with players and contributing positively to the session environment.
• To work with players to identify and remove practical barriers to employment; including support with form-filling, legal documents, applications for funding to cover qualifications or appropriate clothing, referrals for English language support and help with having international qualifications recognised.
• To deliver or support the Academy Programme, including trauma-informed workshops, SCQF qualifications, external qualifications such as FA coaching badges or forklift licences, and employability sessions such as workplace visits and talks.
• To build and maintain referral relationships with partner organisations.
• To refer players to specialist support services as needed and follow up to ensure players receive the support they need.
• To provide emotional support, mentoring and confidence-building as part of each player's journey, maintaining contact and support after a player achieves employment to help sustain that destination.
• To maintain accurate and up-to-date records of player journeys, support provided and referrals, in line with Street Soccer's data requirements.
• To contribute to monitoring and evaluation, including providing data, case studies and feedback for funder reporting.
• To ensure all delivery is consistent with Street Soccer's trauma-informed approach, person-centred values and safeguarding policies.
• To manage and prioritise your own workload across a community-based working pattern, maintaining regular communication with your Regional Co-Ordinator and Regional Manager.
• To build and maintain effective working relationships with partners in the voluntary, statutory and private sectors.
• To manage health and safety across activities, completing risk assessments as required and ensuring compliance with all Street Soccer governance, HR and operational policies and procedures.
• To represent Street Soccer positively at external meetings, networks and events.
• To contribute to Street Soccer's wider team and supporting national and regional events as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential:

• A valid Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) certificate or the ability to obtain upon successful interview.

Experience

Essential:

• Experience of supporting adults from a range of diverse backgrounds with complex needs.
• Experience of providing 1-1 support or key working, including holding a caseload and managing individual support plans.
• Experience of delivering group work or group learning activities.
• Demonstrable commitment to participant influence and involvement.

Desirable:

• Experience of delivering education programmes or qualifications.
• Experience of working within a data-driven culture, including use of CRM or case management systems.
• Experience of building and managing partnerships with third sector, statutory or private sector organisations.
• Experience of managing volunteers.

Knowledge

Essential:

• Knowledge of the issues affecting socially disadvantaged adults across Scotland and/or London, including the barriers they face to employment and participation.
• Comfortable with the use of computer systems, including M365 and CRM software.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the voluntary sector and experience of the network of services within the areas that we deliver.
• Understanding of regulatory frameworks.

Skills

Essential:

• Ability to take a trauma informed approach to delivery.
• Able to work under pressure and deliver results to tight deadlines.
• Ability to generate and manage own workload with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrable positive communication skills, including with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Ability to manage and resolve conflict.
• To work effectively within a team; promoting and contributing to effective communication and working effectively in partnership with other professionals.
• Ability to establish and sustain trust and confidence with colleagues, players and the public, promoting and representing Street Soccer positively and professionally at all levels.
• Flexible, creative approach to workload and problem solving.
• Able to analyse, interpret and deliver information with clarity.

Values

Essential:

• Has empathy for the issues and barriers facing those with complex needs from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Honesty, openness and compassion.

Other

Essential:

• Full, clean UK Driving licence (Scotland only).
• The willingness to daily travel across the relevant area.

Additional Information

Our staff team are dynamic individuals who enjoy working in an exciting and challenging but very rewarding environment. Street Soccer is a growing organisation, and we require people who can think on their feet, are willing to accept change and are committed to continuing their professional development. There will be times where you will be required to work on tasks and projects outside of the job description including evening and weekend work. The successful candidate will be enthusiastic and committed to supporting the overall aims and objectives of Street Soccer.

This role will be primarily based working in the community and will require significant travel across the area that you are responsible for. We are always happy to discuss more formalised solutions that allow people to balance their working lives with their responsibilities outwith work.

This job description is a general outline of the above post, and it is not exhaustive. This job description is subject to periodic review with the postholder. Duties may change in line with the organisational changes and of the postholders own personal development. The role title used in this job description is for external recruitment purposes only and is subject to change at job offer stage.

If you require anything in a different format (eg. printed, large print, plain text etc) or if you have any other access needs, please do get in touch via View email address on jobs.swagapp.com and we will do our best to accommodate these. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone regardless of their socio-economic background, criminal justice status, age, sex, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability or nationality.