Aberdeen Cyrenians is a charity dedicated to supporting people affected by homelessness, violence, domestic abuse and other forms of social exclusion.

With the help of the local community, Aberdeen Cyrenians has been providing support to vulnerable people in the city for the past 50 years.

Through a range of services both in community and residential settings, the support focuses on:

• Prevention of homelessness - through outreach support and advice
• Alleviation of homelessness - through short-term and medium-term accommodation places along with Housing First programme
• Rehabilitation - tackling underlying issues such as domestic and sexual abuse, substance misuse and mental health
• Resettlement - practical help to learn the skills needed to live in the community, sustain a tenancy and gain employment.

We aim to help people to make planned changes in their lives, often at crucial periods of transition. All services are provided on a voluntary basis in recognition of people’s rights to choose if they want to access the support provided.

We are currently recruiting for Relief Workers to join the Aberdeen Cyrenians Relief Pool.

The Relief Pool provides ad hoc support to all of Aberdeen Cyrenians residential and community based projects, providing additional support to our staff team as required.  This can include covering periods of sickness, unfilled shifts on a rota system and supporting periods of peak activity or start-up projects.

Relief staff are required to fulfil similar responsibilities as permanent staff and as such need to be trained in all aspects deemed necessary for the role they are fulfilling, attend staff meetings when required,  read and sign organisational policies and to maintain professional development. 

Working within the Relief Pool, candidates provide us with their availability a minimum of one month in advance, and we match that availability to our requirements.  

Essential

• Literacy and numeracy at a level to maintain all the appropriate paperwork, write support plans and give budgeting advice.
• Able to use computer applications such as Microsoft Word
• Able to work unsocial hours (where applicable)

Desirable

• An understanding of social justice issues such as homelessness, substance misuse.
• An understanding of legislation/practice pertaining to the work.
• Experience of working with disadvantaged people.
• Able to work hours at short notice.
• Driving/clean licence

Key Capabilities 

• Interpersonal understanding – listens and understands expressed feelings; demonstrates concern for others; encourages others to express themselves.
• Emotional awareness – manages strong emotions and responds constructively; keeps own feelings in check; deals with stress and is aware of when to seek help/debrief when required.
• Service user orientation – strives to meet and surpass service users’ expectations; maintains appropriate contact until problem is resolved; makes self available to service users at critical periods; able to advocate on behalf of service users.
• Flexibility – adapts easily to changes at work; modifies behaviour in response to a situation; sees the merits of differing viewpoints.
• Initiative – takes responsibility; looks ahead and anticipates what needs to be done.
• Team working – contributes fully to team work; establishes positive relationships with the team.
• Working within Professional Boundaries – Demonstrates professional curiosity; accepts responsibility for own work; seeks and uses professional support; understands the principle of confidentiality.
• Developing others – assumes responsibility for addressing service users’ skills; encourages initiatives in problem solving and making choices.

Our Relief Pool provides temporary support to all of our residential and non-residential projects.  The work is temporary in nature, with no mutuality of obligation.  

Successful applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK.  We regret that due to current Home Office rules, we are not able to sponsor applicants.

Employment with Aberdeen Cyrenians is subject to satisfactory references and successful completion of a PVG check with Disclosure Scotland