Employability Advisor, East Renfrewshire

Last updated: 17/07/2025

Post:Employability Advisor (fixed term until 31 st March 2026 with possibility of extension funding).

Hours: 25 hours per week.

Location:East Renfrewshire wide, based at OPFS Glasgow and East Renfrewshire Service, Hope Street, Glasgow.

Reports to:OPFS Glasgow and East Renfrewshire Service Manager.

Closing date: Thursday 31st July 2025 at 5pm.

All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support that enables them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many single parents and their children. Our core values of Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion are at the heart of everything we do and underpin all aspects of our work.

The Employability Advisor will contribute to the organisation's vision of a Scotland in which single parents and their children are valued and treated equally and fairly, by supporting the delivery of various components which contribute to the Glasgow and East Renfrewshire service, including proactively supporting single parents to enter or re-enter employment, training or education.

The Employability Advisor will be responsible for community engagement, outreach and registration of parents onto the programme, and delivering quality employability support, whilst also engaging with partners in the community and undertaking employer engagement duties to improve outcomes and referral pathways for single parents accessing the service.

They will report to the Glasgow and East Renfrewshire Service Manager and will work as a member of OPFS Employability Team, within the wider OPFS Glasgow and East Renfrewshire Service, to provide employability services for single parents facing barriers to entering suitable employment.

OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer. OPFS has Investors In People Gold status.

This is a broad picture of the post at the time of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that jobs change and evolve over time.

Key tasks and responsibilities

• Families: Help eligible single parents to identify their future goals, assess motivation, develop personal development plans and help in their implementation through individual and group work.
• Barriers: Identify barriers to employment, education or training and work with single parents to address those barriers.
• Liaison: Build links with health, education and third sector organisations and groups across the area to identify eligible single parents interested in progressing towards suitable employment, education or training.
• Case Management: Maintain confidential information, complete all appropriate client paperwork. Record and document meetings and support provided to single parents. Use appropriate databases as required by OPFS and the post funder, complete quarterly reports, case studies and maintain a high level of data recording to record, monitor and evaluate targets as set by the funder.
• Group Work Activities & Training: Co-ordinate and deliver a range of employability group work programmes to support single parents facing barriers to employment to develop core knowledge and skills, helping to increase their access to available employment, training and education opportunities.
• Outreach & Engagement: Undertake activities in communities to actively reach eligible single parents as a basis to support their learning and development and engage them in early work preparation and employer matching activities to support positive change within their lives.
• Local services: Develop knowledge of services related to employment, training, education, childcare and other support. Develop an effective network of referral agencies to support clients' needs.
• Signpost: single parents to services that will address their needs.
• Money Advice: Offer benefit advice, better off calculations, and access to debt support via local partner organisations.
• Monitoring and Evaluation: Ensure effective recording, monitoring and evaluation procedures are implemented.
• Other Relevant duties: Carrying out any other relevant duties related to the above.

Personal specifications

• Experience of working with parents.
• A sound understanding of the employability landscape.
• An understanding of how flexible employment options for single parents. contribute to the Scottish Government Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan and No-one Left Behind approach to transforming employability support in Scotland.
• An understanding and awareness of the issues and barriers faced by single parents.
• Experience of group work: candidates should preferably have had experience of running groups and understand group work issues.
• Experience of developing partnerships and multi-agency working.
• Professional qualification, equivalent to HNC/HND, SVQ 3 or 4 or relevant experience.
• A sound knowledge or experience of working in local statutory and third sector services, particularly regarding children and families, employability, training and further education.
• Driving licence and access to a car. This role involves travel in an around East Renfrewshire including to communities not widely serviced by public transport.

Practical Skills

• Ability to plan, record and evaluate through recording and written reports.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team and as an individual.
• Competent use of standard IT packages in word processing, spreadsheets, use of databases, and Microsoft Office 365.
• Knowledge of issues affecting single parents in Scotland.
• Commitment to professional development.

Personal Qualities & Attributes

• Flexible to meet the needs of the service.
• To be approachable, friendly and a good communicator.
• The ability to prioritise workload.
• To accept and respond to the varying needs of families in a non-judgemental way.
• To ensure OPFS values are upheld.

Terms and conditions

• Confirmation of Appointment: Fixed term contract to 31 st March 2026 with the possibility of extension (dependent on funding). Confirmation of appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a 3-month probationary period, two references and a PVG check.
• Hours of work: 25 hours per week, worked flexibly to meet the needs of the service.
• Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 25 days and 12 Public holidays (pro rata).
• Pension: You will be auto enrolled in our pension scheme with a 3% contribution from you and 7% contribution from OPFS.
• Training and support and supervision: You will receive induction training and frequent support in the first three months. Thereafter you will receive monthly individual support and supervision and annual appraisals. Regular team meetings will be held, and staff have access to internal and external training.

Recruitment timetable: The closing date for applications is Thursday 7th August 2025 at 11.59pm. Interviews will be held week commencing 11th August 2025.

If you need to make an application in an alternative format on the basis of a disability or long-term health condition please email for guidance.

To ensure a fair and effective selection process, we require all applicants to follow the guidance below when submitting their application.

Your cover letter is a critical part of your application. It must:

• Directly demonstrate how you meet the essential experience listed in the job description.
• Provide clear, specific examples of how your experience, skills, behaviours, knowledge and values meet those criteria.
• Demonstrate your understanding of our sector, this role and its requirements, not just your general career history.
• Tailor your cover letter to this specific role - generic or perfunctory cover letters will not be accepted.