Job Description

Introduction

People are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Day-by-day, person-by-person, we tailor what we offer to what people need. We’re here to provide consistent, friendly and informed support so that people can explore options and take ‘the next step’ towards their future.

We welcome people with a wide range of skills and experiences to our team – including those who bring both lived and learned experience. To make a difference, we work flexibly, with everyday leadership, humour and a ‘can do’ spirit. We want to make it easy, make it right and make it happen – not only for the people we support, but for each other. We care for and support each other regardless of our role, service or location.

We are looking for a leader who is genuinely passionate about harm reduction and has a clear vision for what is needed in light of the changing picture across Scotland.

This is a critical, national role at Simon Community Scotland. You will be someone who instinctively puts people’s voices and experiences at the very centre of service design and delivery. Your focus will be leading us into our next phase of development, embedding and evolving our approach to harm reduction across all of our services.

If you can balance high level strategic vision with a deep commitment to our on the ground reality, we want to hear from you.

Job Purpose

The Head of Harm Reduction & Service Development is a national role that will provide strategic leadership across a portfolio of innovative and developing services, including Digital Lifelines, Human Rights, Recovery, Gambling Harm, the Managed Alcohol Project, and Safer Services (our harm reduction model).

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for driving forward service innovation, development and system change. The postholder will lead diverse teams and programmes across the organisation, ensuring that practice is aligned with policy, evidence and organisational values.

You will play a key role in shaping, designing and promoting models of best practice, strengthening partnerships locally, nationally and internationally, and influencing wider systems to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.

This role will balance strategic development, partnership leadership and oversight of emerging service models, ensuring they are sustainable, impactful and grounded in trauma-informed and the voices and experiences of people with lived and living experience.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership & Development

• Lead the strategic development of harm reduction and specialist service areas across the organisation.

• Provide oversight and direction for:

  • Harm Reduction

  • Gambling Harm

  • Managed Alcohol Project (MAP)

  • Safer Services Model

  • Recovery orientated services

• Identify opportunities for innovation, service growth and system change.

• Ensure all areas are aligned with organisational strategy, national policy and emerging evidence.

• Develop frameworks, models and guidance that position services as examples of best practice nationally and internationally.

2. Policy, Practice & Quality Assurance

• Ensure alignment between organisational policy, service models and frontline practice.

• Lead the development and review of policies, procedures and practice guidance in line with harm reduction principles.

• Promote high standards of quality, safety and ethical practice across all services.

• Ensure trauma-informed, and gender responsive approaches are embedded.

• Oversee safeguarding, risk management and regulatory compliance.

3. Leadership of People & Teams

• Provide leadership to Service Leads and Development Lead nationally.

• Foster a culture of inclusion, collaboration, learning and psychological safety.

• Lead and develop our internal Harm Reduction Champions Network.

• Support reflective practice, continuous improvement and innovation across teams.

• Ensure effective performance management, supervision and professional development.

• Lead and support managers to deliver high-quality, trauma-informed services.

4. Partnership & System Leadership

• Build and sustain strong partnerships with local authorities, NHS, justice services, third sector organisations and academic partners.

• Develop strategic relationships with national and international stakeholders in harm reduction and related fields.

• Represent the organisation at strategic forums, networks and policy discussions.

• Influence policy, practice and system change to improve responses to homelessness and substance use.

• Promote collaborative approaches and shared solutions across sectors.

5. Innovation, Learning & Evidence

• Drive a culture of innovation, testing and learning across service areas.

• Oversee monitoring, evaluation and impact measurement frameworks.

• Use data and evidence to inform service design, improvement and scaling.

• Develop and disseminate learning, reports and best practice examples.

• Contribute to research, publications and knowledge-sharing at national and international levels.

6. Service Development & Sustainability

• Lead the development of new services, pilots and funding opportunities.

• Work with senior leadership to secure and sustain funding streams.

• Oversee budgets across service areas, ensuring effective and accountable use of resources.

• Support the scaling and replication of successful models.

7. External Profile & Promotion

• Act as a senior ambassador for the organisation’s harm reduction and development work.

• Promote services as models of best practice through presentations, events and networks.

• Contribute to communications, including media, conferences and social platforms.

• Strengthen the organisation’s reputation as a leader in innovative, trauma-informed practice.

Our Values and Approach

All SCS employees are expected to demonstrate the following values in their work:

Warmth and Regard

• Recognising and valuing everyone

• Treating people with kindness, dignity and respect

• Acting with compassion

• Showing warmth and welcome to everyone

• Taking difficult decisions sensitively and with due regard to others

• Taking a calm, professional and intelligent approach to stigma

Inclusion and Participation

• Encouraging the participation and inclusion of people we support

• Exploring choices and options with people we support or fellow colleagues

• Making things easy for others

• Embracing technology in delivering your role

• Supporting clients, staff and volunteers to become digitally included

Personalised and Creative

• Innovation and creativity

• Helping to find solutions that are a good fit for someone, irrespective of who they are or the problem they have

• When someone isn’t at their best, quickly recognising there’s probably something else. going on, and finding ways to respond with care

Supportive and Ambitious

• Helping to bring hope through our words and actions

• Helping to build trust

• Being supportive and showing care

Partnership and Collaboration

• Fostering positive relationships with our partners

• Building team togetherness and collaboration

• Fostering a positive problem-solving vibe

Leadership and Learning

• Making things happen

• Motivating and inspiring others

• Taking time to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t

• Taking care of our ‘places and spaces’ so they feel tidy and welcoming

• Asking for help and learning to do things better

• Playing an active role in our social media strategy

Person Specification

Training & Qualification

Essential

• Degree level qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant field - substance use, community education/development, homelessness and housing

• Leadership/management qualification (or willingness to work towards)

• Training in trauma-informed practice

Desirable

• Qualification in substance use and/or harm reduction

• T4T Naloxone

• ASIST Trained

Experience

Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience within health, social care, housing or third sector services

• Experience leading complex, multi-site or national services

• Experience developing and implementing innovative service models

• Experience of partnership working at a strategic level

• Experience of influencing policy and system change

• Experience of designing and facilitating training

• Experience managing budgets and multiple funding streams

• Experience overseeing monitoring, evaluation and impact reporting

Desirable

• Lived experience

• Experience of designing and delivering harm reduction approaches within a homelessness setting

• Training and working understanding of Human Rights in practice

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

• Strong understanding of harm reduction principles and approaches

• Knowledge of issues relating to homelessness, substance use, gambling harm and multiple disadvantages

• Understanding of systemic inequalities and intersectionality

• Excellent leadership, communication and influencing skills

• Ability to think strategically and translate vision into practice

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Knowledge of governance, safeguarding and regulatory frameworks

Personal

Essential

• Passionate about social justice, inclusion and reducing harm

• Compassionate, values-driven leader

• Collaborative, with the ability to build trust across diverse stakeholders

• Innovative, adaptable and solutions focused

• Committed to co-production and amplifying lived experience

To be eligible for this position, we require candidates to either hold British citizenship or have the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor applications from candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.