Link Group Ltd

Salary
£29,249 - £32,093 per annum. Salary will be dependent on skills and experience.
Contractual hours
37.5
Basis
Full Time
Region
LinkLiving
Contract Type
Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8am to 6pm, with the need to be flexible for the needs of the service).
Job category/type
Care Leavers
Date posted
16/10/2026
Job reference
LLSPFOCT26
Job title: Senior Practitioner (Falkirk Core and Cluster)
Location: This post is based at LinkLiving’s Falkirk Core and Cluster Service.
Hours of Work: 37.5 per week (Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8am to 6pm, with the need to be flexible for the needs of the service)
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:
<ul>
<li>Empathy (listen to and understand an individual’s needs and circumstances)</li>
<li>Respect (treat others the way they wish to be treated)</li>
<li>Integrity (be honest and have strong moral principles)</li>
<li>Caring (show kindness and concern for others)</li>
</ul>
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:
<ul>
<li>Personal development and employability programmes</li>
<li>Self-help coaching</li>
<li>Supported accommodation</li>
<li>Care at home</li>
<li>Housing support</li>
<li>Befriending</li>
<li>Social cafes</li>
</ul>
The Service
The Falkirk Core &amp; Cluster project supports young people aged 16 to 21 who have experienced care or are arriving in Falkirk through the National Transfer Scheme. The goal is to help them develop the skills necessary for successful independent living while also providing access to employment, training, and educational opportunities. In collaboration with Link Housing Association, we offer a supported core and cluster housing initiative. This project features ten independent tenancies situated around a central hub/training flat, where our small but dedicated team delivers flexible, individually tailored support. The project also provides ongoing transition and outreach support to young people in their own tenancies.
The Job
As a senior practitioner, you will be skilled and experienced in working with care-experienced young people. Taking a trauma-informed approach, you will be responsible for complex and varied key-working issues, co-ordination of complex support arrangements and supporting the leadership of the service. You will use your extensive knowledge and experience to provide support and guidance to less experienced colleagues through informal mentoring (where relevant).
You will have extensive experience in multi-agency working, housing support systems and the support of care experienced young people which you will use to establish and maintain respectful and empowering relationships with service users so that they feel valued and supported and in control of their own lives. You will be responsible for carrying out assessments of new service users and for reviewing existing service users on a regular basis.
In your role you will offer practical, emotional and social support to care experienced young people within the project, assisting them to develop the independent living skills necessary for future tenancy sustainment. You will need to develop warm and effective relationships with the young people supporting them to cope with their lives in a positive and planned way so that they can make informed choices and take responsibility for their actions, advocating for them with a range of other agencies to ensure their rights are upheld at all times.
About You
We are looking for a compassionate and dedicated individual with the skills and passion to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others. You should have a general standard of secondary education, including passes in English and Maths at Standard Grade level, and a SVQ Social Services and Healthcare SCQF Level 6 and be willing to work towards qualifications recognised by the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC). These include an and an SVQ Social Services and Healthcare SCQF Level 7, alongside a suitable supervisory or management qualification, if not already attained.
You will bring extensive knowledge and experience in social care, housing issues, welfare rights, benefits, and procedures, alongside a solid understanding of housing support and care-at-home systems. Experience working with diverse service user groups, particularly care-experienced young people, is essential, as is an understanding of the challenges faced by marginalised and excluded individuals.
We value a non-judgmental attitude and the ability to recognise and nurture the unique gifts of others. You should have strong relationship-building skills, a commitment to supporting people, and sound decision-making abilities. Sensitivity to emotional and social needs is crucial, as is a proactive and reflective approach to learning and self-improvement.
You will also need proficiency in using technology to maintain and update records, along with the ability to stay informed about relevant practices, policies, and legislation. Your dedication to embracing diversity and challenging exclusive attitudes will make you an asset to the team.
If you are ready to bring your expertise, compassion, and commitment to this role, we would love to hear from you.
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:
<ul>
<li>Competitive salary, reviewed annually, and opportunity for annual performance related salary increases and discretionary non-consolidated pay awards, subject to terms of the scheme</li>
<li>35 days’ holiday per year (inclusive of public holidays) pro rata plus additional 3 days pro rata after 3 years’ service</li>
<li>opportunity to buy and sell holiday</li>
<li>enhanced company sick and family friendly pay</li>
<li>access to paid SVQ qualifications and a wide range of learning and development opportunities</li>
<li>funded Disclosure Scotland and Scottish Social Services Council memberships</li>
<li>defined contribution pension scheme with generous employer contributions plus salary exchange and additional voluntary contribution options</li>
<li>access to a Salary Exchange car leasing scheme, subject to the terms of the scheme</li>
<li>life assurance scheme providing death in service benefits</li>
<li>healthcare cash plan for employees (and dependents) to support health and wellbeing plus discounts on shopping, restaurants, and other services</li>
<li>employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate household dependants to support health, mental and financial well-being</li>
<li>access to purchase annual corporate clothing vouchers</li>
<li>annual flu vaccination</li>
<li>access to a credit union savings and borrowing scheme</li>
<li>cycle to work scheme</li>
</ul>
For a full list of benefits available to employees, please see the following link - <a href="https://www.linkliving.org.uk/work-with-us" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.linkliving.org.uk/work-with-us</a>
Successful applicants will be required to apply for registration with SSSC within 3 months of their start date and be registered****within 6 months.
This role is subject to PVG membership under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. Individuals who are barred from working with children or protected adults will not be considered for this position. Link will meet the cost of any new PVG scheme membership or membership update.
Further Information
Interested? If you have any questions about the role, please email <a href="mailto:jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk</a> 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 <a href="https://www.linkliving.org.uk" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.linkliving.org.uk</a>
Closing Date: 23:59 on Wednesday 28 October 2026
Interview Date: Interviews are being held on Thursday 05 November 2026 in Falkirk
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 would strongly encourage applicants to make their application as authentic to them as possible and ensure that it genuinely reflects the skills and experience that you can bring to the role. AI can be helpful with structuring answers in an application, however if overly relied on, it can risk an application appearing generic and less relevant to the role, which reduces the likelihood of being shortlisted.
As a large employer, we advertise jobs regularly on our own website and social media channels alongside other third-party websites. No matter where you see one of our vacancies, you will always be directed to our jobs portal to apply directly with us.
Please note that CVs will not be considered.
Please notify our recruitment team at <a href="mailto:jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">jobs@linkhaltd.co.uk</a> if you would like:
<ul>
<li>Help accessing the job information</li>
<li>Need the application details in a different format</li>
<li>Require any adjustments to the application process to support any disabilities or different needs you may have</li>
</ul>
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 interview locations have step free or level access therefore may be accessible to applicants using mobility equipment such as wheelchairs and walking equipment however, if you have any specific access requirements, please let us know and we will be happy to provide more information and/or support.
As a Disability Confident Leader, we will interview all disabled candidates who meet the essential criteria.

Senior Practitioner (Falkirk Core and Cluster)

Senior Practitioner (Falkirk Core and Cluster)

This job is no longer available

Talents

Recruiters

About