Peer Digital Inclusion Coach

Job title: Peer Digital Inclusion Coach (LinkLiving Self Help Services)

Fixed Term for 1 year (due to funding)

Location: This post is based at LinkLiving’s Kirkcaldy office.

Hours of Work: 20 per week (over 3 days, Monday to Friday, days to be agreed)

Are you passionate about helping people to live a better life? Do you want to work for a charity where your health and wellbeing matter just as much as the people you support? Do you want to be part of a trauma-informed team where you will be supported to develop creative and flexible ways of working?

At LinkLiving, our values and people are at the heart of everything we do including how we recruit our staff. It is important for us to find people who share our values, which are:

• Empathy (listen to and understand an individual’s needs and circumstances)
• Respect (treat others the way they wish to be treated)
• Integrity (be honest and have strong moral principles)
• Caring (show kindness and concern for others)

LinkLiving is a Scottish health and wellbeing charity that supports people to manage or overcome the effects of negative life experiences (including trauma, mental health challenges, poverty and inequality) so that they can build on their strengths and aspirations in order to live their best possible lives. We support people through a range of models including: 

• Personal development and employability programmes 
• Self-help coaching
• Supported accommodation
• Care at home
• Housing support
• Befriending
• Social cafes

The Service

The service aims to support people facing mental health challenges to develop the skills and confidence to access online digital therapies, thereby increasing the scope of support available to them. The Peer Digital Inclusion Coaches will support individuals to identify barriers, develop their digital skills and knowledge to access services, combat social isolation, and improve digital life skills.

The Job

The Peer Digital Inclusion Coach will use their own personal experiences of managing mental health and recovery (either personal experience or experience of caring for someone), alongside an interest in digital tools and basic IT skills to support people experiencing mild to moderate mental health issues to understand and use digital tools (such as emails, websites and apps) in order to reach their own health goals.

Through the provision of up to six 1:1 digital support sessions people will be supported to understand the range of digital therapies available to them, the benefits of these therapies and how to access these. Support will be tailored to meet the needs of each individual and is likely to include learning basic digital skills (using different platforms including websites and apps) as well as increasing confidence in the navigation of digital therapy resources. The PDIC will also be responsible for facilitating the setting up and delivery of peer digital support groups to enable people further develop their digital skills whilst increasing their natural support networks.

With the Service Manager and partners in the Digital Psychological Therapies Team (NHS Fife) they will participate in communities of learning to share best practice and broaden the reach of digital therapies for this client group. They will work with NHS colleagues to participate in an evaluation report at the end of the project which will inform the delivery of digital therapy support going forward.

About You

Are you educated to SCQF Level 7 or equivalent, or do you have relevant experience? Your lived experience with mental health, coupled with your adeptness with digital tools, makes you an ideal candidate.

You're committed to mental health self-help resources and excel in building positive, equal relationships using a person-centered approach. Your proactive, calm demeanor allows you to manage risks and crises effectively.

With strong communication skills and empathy, you're sensitive to emotional and social needs, adept at collecting data, and maintaining records.

Your flexible, reliable nature, combined with being a car driver with access to a vehicle, makes you ready to contribute to our mission of promoting mental health and well-being.

For a comprehensive list of the essential and desirable criteria required for this post, please refer to the Job Specification in the Job information Pack above.

What’s in it for you?

The benefits of being a LinkLiving employee (subject to the policies and benefit terms and conditions) include:

• Competitive salary, reviewed annually, and opportunity for annual performance related salary increases and discretionary non-consolidated pay awards, subject to terms of the scheme
• 35 days’ holiday per year (inclusive of public holidays) pro rata plus additional 3 days pro rata after 3 years’ service
• opportunity to buy and sell holiday
• enhanced company sick and family friendly pay
• access to paid SVQ qualifications and a wide range of learning and development opportunities
• funded Disclosure Scotland and Scottish Social Services Council memberships
• defined contribution pension scheme with generous employer contributions plus salary exchange and additional voluntary contribution options
• access to an Electric vehicle leasing scheme, subject to the terms of the scheme
• life assurance scheme providing death in service benefits to named beneficiaries
• healthcare cash plan for employees (and dependents) to support health and wellbeing plus discounts on shopping, restaurants, and other services
• employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate household dependants to support health, mental and financial well-being
• annual flu vaccination
• access to a savings and borrowing scheme
• cycle to work scheme
• monthly bus pass scheme
• season/travel ticket loan and much more!

For a full list of benefits available to employees, please see the following link - https://www.linkliving.org.uk/work-with-us

This post is subject to Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme registration. Link will meet the cost of any new PVG scheme membership or scheme record update.

Further Information

Interested? If you have any questions about the role, please email jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk and we can arrange for someone from the service to call you for an informal chat.

To find out more about what LinkLiving do and to view the generous pay and benefits package, please visit our website at https://www.linkliving.org.uk

If you’re thinking about working in adult social care, download the Guide to adult social care jobs in Scotland for in-depth information on everything you need to know to get started. In addition, you can enrol on a free, online 6 week part-time tutor-supported ‘Introduction to a Career in Social Care’ course. The course introduces the area of social care and can be a stepping-stone to employment or further training.

Closing Date: midnight on Monday 13 May 2024

Interview Date: Interviews are being held on Tuesday 21 May 2024 at our office in Kirkcaldy

How to Apply

To complete an application form, please click on the “Apply online” button below. Instructions on how to complete the form are at the top of the page.

We can offer suitable alternative methods to apply if requested including although not exclusively; hard copy, Braille and audio. You can request these by emailing our Resourcing Team at jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk and detailing which format you would require.

Please note should an internal applicant be successful in applying for this position on either a seconded or permanent basis, they will move to the terms and conditions associated with the role for the duration of the time they are in post. The terms and conditions are outlined in the job information pack.

We aim at all times to recruit the person who is most suited to the job and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. Our offices are fully accessible to wheelchair users and, as a Disability Confident Leader, we will interview all disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria.