Learning & Development Facilitator in Dundee

Reports to: Head of Operations

Location: Peripatetic – Bella Centre, Dundee and Lillias Centre, Glasgow

Base: Home-based, ideally Central Scotland

Hours: 14 hours per week

Salary: £27,300–£30,000 pro rata

Contract: Two-year fixed-term contract

Travel: Regular travel between Dundee and Glasgow. A full driving licence and access to a reliable vehicle are essential.

About Recovery Coaching Scotland:

Recovery Coaching Scotland (RCS) is a lived-experience recovery organisation working across communities, prisons and justice settings in Scotland. Our work is strengths-based, trauma-informed and person-centred. Lived experience is central to our approach, helping us build authentic relationships with people affected by addiction, trauma, disadvantage and the justice system. RCS works in partnership with the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to provide recovery-focused learning, coaching and development within custodial settings.

Purpose of the Role:

The Learning & Development Facilitator will work across the Bella Centre in Dundee and Lillias Centre in Glasgow, delivering recovery-focused learning and development to women within both Community Custody Units. The postholder will work with women who may be affected by substance use, trauma, poor mental health, involvement with the justice system and other forms of disadvantage.

Key programmes include:

• RCS Self-Coaching Programme
• Launchpad
• Harm reduction learning and education
• Recovery and wellbeing learning
• Peer development activities
• Other RCS learning, workshops and programmes as required

This is more than a classroom-based role. Building trusting, appropriate relationships is fundamental to the RCS approach. The Facilitator will help women recognise their strengths, develop confidence and resilience, build recovery capital and engage with opportunities that support positive change during custody and following release.

Main Responsibilities:

The postholder will plan, prepare and deliver RCS programmes across both Community Custody Units, adapting delivery to different learning styles, abilities and support needs. They will create safe, inclusive and trauma-informed learning environments; assess learner work where appropriate; maintain accurate records; gather feedback; and contribute to the ongoing development and quality assurance of RCS programmes. Alongside group learning, the Facilitator may provide appropriate 1:1 strengths-based recovery coaching and support, helping women understand recovery, recovery capital and harm reduction and develop practical strategies for managing thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The Facilitator will encourage progression into further learning, peer development, volunteering, recovery communities and other positive opportunities.

As RCS is a lived-experience organisation, the postholder will promote the value of lived experience and peer-led recovery, helping women recognise how their own experiences and strengths can contribute to their future development. The Facilitator will work closely with SPS staff and alongside RCS Learning & Development Facilitators, Recovery Coaches, managers and external partners. They will contribute to team meetings, supervision, reflective practice, programme development, monitoring and evaluation. The postholder must work within RCS policies and all relevant SPS security, safeguarding and operational requirements, maintain appropriate professional boundaries and confidentiality, and successfully complete all required training and vetting.

Essential Experience & Requirements:

Applicants must have significant experience of supporting vulnerable adults, including people experiencing complex needs, disadvantage or significant barriers to wellbeing. They should have experience of group work, learning, workshops or facilitated activities, together with experience of 1:1 support, coaching, mentoring or similar person-centred work. Applicants should understand the impact of problematic substance use, trauma, poor mental health and social disadvantage and be able to build safe, trusting professional relationships with vulnerable adults. Strong communication and organisational skills, professional boundaries, safeguarding awareness, basic digital competence and the ability to work independently and as part of a wider team are essential. Applicants must be willing to undertake training to deliver RCS programmes, including Self-Coaching, Launchpad and harm reduction learning, as well as all RCS and SPS training required for working within a custodial environment. A full driving licence and access to a reliable vehicle for work purposes are essential, as regular travel between Dundee and Glasgow is a fundamental part of the role.

Lived Experience – Desirable:

Recovery Coaching Scotland is a lived-experience organisation. It is therefore desirable that applicants have personal lived experience of addiction/problematic substance use and recovery and/or personal experience of the criminal justice system. RCS also recognises relevant lived experience gained through supporting a family member or someone close who has been affected by addiction, recovery or the justice system. Lived experience is desirable rather than essential. Where it is used within the role, it must be drawn upon safely and professionally, with appropriate boundaries and purposeful self-disclosure. Other desirable experience includes working with women affected by the justice system; substance use, recovery or harm reduction work; trauma-informed practice; recovery coaching; multi-agency working; peer-led recovery; and supporting progression into volunteering, mentoring, education, training or employment.

Skills & Values:

The successful candidate will be able to engage and facilitate groups confidently, communicate effectively with women from diverse backgrounds and demonstrate empathy and compassion while maintaining professional boundaries. They will be flexible, creative and able to motivate people without creating dependency. They should be comfortable working collaboratively within an SPS environment and committed to reflective practice and continuous learning. They will share RCS's commitment to hope, recovery, lived experience, trauma-informed practice, dignity, respect, compassion without judgement, empowerment, personal responsibility, peer connection and building sustainable recovery capital.

Occupational Requirement – Female Applicants:

This post is restricted to female applicants. The role involves direct and sustained recovery-focused work with women within women's Community Custody Units, including women who may have experienced trauma, abuse and significant vulnerability. Given the nature and context of the duties, Recovery Coaching Scotland considers being female to be an Occupational Requirement under Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010.

Pre-Employment Requirements:

Appointment is subject to satisfactory references, eligibility to work in the UK, Scottish Prison Service security and vetting requirements, relevant RCS/SPS mandatory learning, a PVG check through Disclosure Scotland, and confirmation of a valid driving licence and access to a suitable vehicle. The role will continue to develop alongside RCS's custodial recovery programmes, and the postholder may undertake other reasonable duties consistent with the role.