Barnardo's Highland Services is looking for dedicated, compassionate and motivated individuals to join our Springboard Outreach Service as As and When Outreach Workers, supporting care-experienced young people across the Highland area.
This flexible role offers a unique opportunity to walk alongside young people as they transition into adulthood, providing tailored, relationship-based support within their homes, communities and local environments. While the role is predominantly based within Caithness and Sutherland, there may be occasions when travel to Inverness and other Highland locations is required.
Springboard is commissioned by The Highland Council and forms part of Barnardo's wider Highland service offer. Our work is underpinned by the principles of The Promise, ensuring every young person is listened to, valued and supported in a way that is flexible, responsive and trauma-informed.
About the Role
As an As and When Outreach Worker, you will provide practical and emotional support to young people who are preparing for independence or navigating the challenges of early adulthood. Working flexibly around the needs of young people, you will help them build confidence, resilience and the skills required to thrive.
Key responsibilities include:
- Providing one-to-one outreach support to care-experienced young people across Highland.
- Building positive, trusting relationships and offering consistent support tailored to individual needs.
- Working flexibly and creatively to meet young people where they are – emotionally, practically and geographically.
- Supporting young people to develop independent living skills, including budgeting, maintaining a tenancy, cooking, health and wellbeing, and accessing education, employment or training opportunities.
- Collaborating closely with Pathways Coordinators and other professionals to support young people in achieving the goals identified within their Pathways Plans.
- Encouraging young people to access and engage with services, activities and opportunities within their local communities.
- Supporting young people to identify their strengths, increase resilience and build positive support networks.
- Maintaining accurate records, reports and case notes in line with organisational and regulatory requirements.
- Working in accordance with Barnardo's safeguarding policies, values and professional standards.
- Contributing to positive outcomes for young people through a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach.
About You
We are looking for individuals who are passionate about supporting young people to achieve their potential and who understand the importance of relationship-based practice.
You will have:
- Experience of working with children, young people or care-experienced individuals.
- An understanding of trauma-informed practice and the ability to build professional, trusting relationships.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- The ability to work independently, while also contributing effectively as part of a wider team.
- A flexible and responsive approach to meeting the needs of young people.
- Good organisational and recording skills.
- A commitment to promoting the rights, wellbeing and aspirations of care-experienced young people.
You will also:
- Be willing to work evenings and weekends when required, based on the needs of young people.
- Hold a full driving licence and have access to a vehicle for business use (travel expenses reimbursed).
- Hold, or be willing to work towards, a relevant qualification appropriate to the role.
Why Join Barnardo's?
By joining Springboard, you will become part of a passionate and supportive team committed to helping care-experienced young people build positive futures. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a genuine difference, supporting young people to develop independence, confidence and lasting connections within their communities.
Please note: Due to the high volume of applications received for some vacancies, this advert may close earlier than the advertised closing date. We encourage interested applicants to apply as soon as possible.
We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.
For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.
Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.
Workplace Offer: What it means for you
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)
- Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
- Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
- The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
- A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
- Service related sick pay from day 1
- Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
- Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
- Cycle2work scheme
- Interest free season ticket loans
- Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
- 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
- Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
- Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
- Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer
*T&C's apply based on contract
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
- Reference number:23354
- Job Title:Outreach Worker
- Location:Caithness
- Locality:Highland
- Contract type:As & When
- Hours:0
- Salary:£13,85 per hour
- Closing Date:21 July 2026