This opportunity is only open to internal Scottish Government applicants who are currently 'Priority Movers'. Applications from individuals not currently on the Priority Mover list will be rejected and not considered.
Lead a high-profile programme to strengthen the capacity, capability and resilience of justice social work and community justice services in Scotland. Working with partners across local government, social work and the third sector, you will develop practical solutions to workforce and service sustainability challenges while helping shape the implications of wider public service reform for community justice. This is a unique opportunity to influence both immediate service delivery and longer-term reform across a critical area of public policy.
The Community Justice Workforce Programme has been established jointly by Community Justice Division and the National Social Work Agency to ensure justice social work and related third-sector services are equipped to respond to increasing demand and changing expectations of community justice services.
The programme has been developed in response to growing pressures across the justice system, including increasing demand for community-based interventions and the need to ensure services have the workforce capacity, capability and resilience required to deliver effective outcomes. It will build a clearer understanding of current and future workforce needs, service pressures and investment requirements across justice social work and related services.
A key focus of the programme is identifying practical actions to strengthen workforce sustainability, improve resilience and support effective service delivery. Working closely with local authorities, justice social work services, third-sector providers and national partners, the programme will develop evidence-based recommendations to support both immediate operational challenges and longer-term workforce planning.
Alongside this, the programme will contribute to wider Public Service Reform activity, including engagement with social care reform, local government reform and broader public sector transformation programmes. The role will help ensure the implications for justice social work and community justice services are understood and reflected in wider reform discussions, while identifying opportunities to improve outcomes through collaboration, prevention and more effective use of resources.
The programme may also provide support and analysis to wider Public Service Reform activity affecting national and local bodies involved in community justice, helping to ensure future reforms are informed by operational evidence, workforce considerations and the needs of communities.
We are seeking a highly motivated individual to lead this programme of work. The successful candidate will bring together evidence, stakeholder engagement and policy development to improve understanding of future workforce needs, identify practical actions to strengthen service resilience, and support longer-term thinking on the future of community justice services in Scotland.
This role is a permanent level transfer position.
Applications for this position will only be accepted from substantive C1 employees.
Please submit a statement outlining your suitability for the role, relevant skills and experience, and what you would bring to the team (maximum 500 words).
All candidates will be invited to an informal discussion with the Hiring Manager.
Informal discussion dates tbc.
If you have specific questions about the role, please contact gary.cameron@gov.scot
Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
The devolved government for Scotland is responsible for matters that are devolved from Westminster. Areas of responsibility include the economy, health, education, justice, rural affairs, environment, and transport.
