Support Line Coordinator

The Role

.Job Title

Support Line Coordinator x 7 positions

Reference number

CF26-37

Location

Edinburgh

Salary

Band C, £30,602– £35,778 per annum

Post Type

Permanent, Full-time (35 hours per week)

Closing Date

21st August 2026

Interview Date

Week Commencing 24th August 2026 and week commencing 7th September 2026

Do you want to help create a safer, brighter future for children across Scotland?

Children First, Scotland’s national children’s charity, is looking for a Support Line Coordinator to join our national service. By joining us, you will help protect children, support families and make sure no one has to face difficult moments alone.

About the role

Based in Edinburgh with some flexible hybrid working this role sits at the heart of our national support line. You will provide compassionate, skilled support to families, carers and professionals who may be facing some of the most challenging times in their lives.

You will respond to busy and varied contacts through phone, webchat and email, offering timely advice, emotional support and practical guidance. Every interaction is an opportunity to keep a child safe, strengthen a family and make sure children’s voices are heard.

You will record your work clearly and meaningfully so that it reflects families’ experiences and helps us learn, improve and grow our services.

This is a fast-paced role, but at its core it is about connection, empathy and good judgement.

What you will do

Provide high quality support to families, carers and professionals across Scotland

Listen carefully to understand what matters most to children and families

Offer clear advice that helps keep children safe and supports recovery

Respond to a high volume of contacts with care and professionalism

Maintain accurate, child-centred records that inform service development

Work as part of a team to improve how we support families across Scotland

Why this role matters

Families are facing increasing pressure, including poverty, online harm and emotional distress. Our support line is often the first-place people turn.

Your work will help ensure that

• children are safer
• families feel listened to and supported
• people get the right help at the right time
• What we are looking for
• A relevant professional qualification at SCQF level 9 such as social work, health, education or community education
• Experience supporting children, young people or families facing challenges
• Experience of supervising or supporting others, including staff or volunteers
• Strong listening skills and the ability to respond with empathy and clarity
• The ability to manage risk and make sound decisions under pressure
• Confidence working in a fast-paced environment
• What you can expect from us
• A supportive, inclusive team where your wellbeing matters
• A strong focus on learning, reflection and development
• 40 days annual leave (pro rata)
• Contributory pension scheme
• Generous family leave
• Flexible working options
• Our values

You will be part of a team that lives its values every day

• With love, we put children first with compassion and kindness
• With purpose, we work together to transform children’s lives
• With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children
• How to apply
• We believe all children should have hopes, dreams and opportunities. But for many they don’t exist. This has to stop. We must put children first.
• We welcome and encourage applications from potential colleagues from all backgrounds, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief, disability who share our values.
• Do you have what it takes to join our team and help us protect children and keep them safe? We would love to hear from you.

Closing date

Friday 21st August 2026

Due to the volume of vacancies being recruited for, interview will be conducted in phases.

Interview date

• Batch 1 on week commencing 24th August 2026
• Batch 2 on week commencing 7th September 2026
• Successful candidates from Batch 1 will begin pre-employment checks while Batch 2 interviews are taking place.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the role before applying, please contact

• <[email hidden]>
• Children First has a long tradition of valuing and involving sessional and volunteer workers. To find out more about volunteering with us, please visit our website.
• The selection process will include seeking PVG Scheme
• Children First is the working name of the Royal Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Registered Charity No: SC 016092

FULL JOB DESCRIPTION

Role Summary

• Provide skilled, compassionate support to children, young people and families across Scotland through the Children First Support Line, a free national service.
• Deliver high quality advice and emotional support through phone, web chat and email, helping people feel heard, understood and supported.
• Responding to diverse support needs with empathy prioritising the welfare of children and families, always keeping children’s safety and wellbeing at the center of our practice.
• Manage inbound and outbound contacts in a calm and organised way, ensuring each person has a positive and respectful experience.
• Use strong listening, questioning and assessment skills to understand risk, build trust and support people through difficult conversations.
• Record work clearly and meaningfully to reflect families’ experiences and inform service improvement and development.
• Gather and use relevant information to provide accurate, evidence-informed guidance.
• Represent Children First values in every interaction, making sure practice reflects our commitment to children’s rights and strengthening families.
• Child protection measures must be followed and escalated appropriately ensuring the child and their needs remain at the center of our practice
• Relationships with children, young people and families
• Build trusting relationships where children and families feel safe to share what matters to them
• Carry out timely, high quality assessments of risk and need, using a strengths-based approach that involves children, families and relevant partners or stakeholders
• Provide direct support to children, young people and families, including advice, guidance and advocacy to help children express their views and have their rights upheld
• Deliver professional accurate, compassionate support to people seeking help across phone, web chat and email
• Respond calmly and safely to concerns about child protection and trauma, following organisational guidance at all times
• Support families to explore and access financial wellbeing support where needed
• Use reliable, evidence-informed sources to provide clear, helpful information tailored to each enquiry
• Maintain a high standard of service, actively seeking feedback and identifying themes in families’ experiences to inform learning and improvement
• Record and respond to feedback, including complaints and compliments, to strengthen the quality of the service
• Carry out regular reviews with children, young people and families, ensuring their views shape decisions and next steps

Operational Requirements

The post holder will work a flexible shift pattern to ensure coverage of operational hours throughout the week, including Monday to Sunday and Bank Holidays, as required. Additionally, the post holder may be scheduled to work during significant festivals such as Christmas, Diwali, and Eid, on a rota basis alongside other team members.

You will enable people to access the support available from our support line volunteers, providing the necessary advice, guidance and support to our volunteers.

To support families connected with the Service in consultation with the Service Leadership, receiving and responding to contacts from external agencies.

To work independently, as part of a team, to prioritise and manage own workload

To record, maintain and review information, gained through the process of assessment, monitoring and review, within the Children First recording system (Dynamics). Maintaining accurate records that will inform the charity, and support future service development.

To maintain awareness of research and policy development through personal reading and study, taking responsibility for own professional development and understanding.

To communicate, share knowledge and participate in the wider work of the support line team and other relevant services.

To develop and maintain consistent and meaningful internal communications practices.

You will work with colleagues across the organisation to provide a positive experience of Children First to respond to queries.

To make constructive use of internal support and supervision processes, and take responsibility for continuous professional development, undertaking mandatory and relevant internal courses as required and, where appropriate, undertaking post qualifying training in child protection, practice teaching or other relevant courses.

Review and provide feedback about content created for Children First support line.

To support activity which contributes to the sustainability of the service.

To support the wider organisational activity and strategy of Children First.

To support activity which develops and strengthens the Children First brand and public profile.

Working from home for some days per week could be considered once a reasonable induction time has passed.

Relationships with others

To evaluate information gained through the process of assessment, monitoring and review, and share this with children and families and others appropriately and sensitively and in accordance with legislation and policies on confidentiality and safer care.

To contribute to Children First working groups, sharing and developing practice across the areas of work, and to work within and help develop best practice standards.

To represent Children First at external events and activities particularly with local social work, education, health or third sector agencies, but sometimes at national events. To work constructively with a range of external agencies to promote a multi- disciplinary ‘team around the child’ approach.

To provide advice, guidance, training, and consultation services to colleagues across the charity, and to staff working within partner agencies.

To contribute to the development of best practice and the success and development of the service by actively participating in team meetings, by developing excellent working relationships with other team members, and by contributing to the knowledge and sharing of best practice with colleagues across the charity.

To support and supervise volunteers, students, and where appropriate, sessional staff, mentoring, coaching and leading practice, and taking an active role in their recruitment and development.

Corporate Responsibilities

Be committed and adhere to Children First vision, mission and values.

Comply with Children First Safeguarding policies and procedures.

Comply with Children First Code of Conduct and any relevant professional standards relating to the role.

Actively consider the involvement of children, young people and families with whom we work, in all areas of practice and to implement the Children First Participation Standards.

Actively consider the involvement of volunteers in all areas of our work and to implement the Children First Volunteer Development Policy.

Observe all health and safety requirements.

Work within and promote policies in relation to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and anti-discriminatory practices

Undertake any other reasonably required duties as instructed by line manager or someone acting on their behalf, in addition to the role specific responsibilities detailed below. Be aware of responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and work in accordance with these.

Need to Have

Need to Show

Need to Know

Need to Be

• Either a) Diploma in Social Work or a relevant professional qualification (e.g., Health, Education, Community Education) at SCQF level 9.
• OR b) Post-qualifying award in child protection, childcare, practice teaching, group work, family work, or counselling.
• Experienced in the identification and
• management of risk
• Experience in statutory settings and with children with additional support needs.
• Experience managing/supervising staff, volunteers, and students.
• Project planning experience
• Direct experience working with children and young people in various settings,
• supporting families and networks collaboratively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to understand and summarise complex information into plain English
• Ability to empathise and demonstrate sensitivity
• Ability to build a good rapport, using active listening, and appropriate questions
• Resilience to remain calm in challenging or distressing situations
• Excellent research skills – able to source up-to- date and accurate information from multiple sources online
• Experience in multi- agency working, particularly in risk
• identification and management.
• Ability to maintain and produce accurate and timely records and reports.
• Knowledge and understanding of how children and young people develop their needs and
• associated risk factors and understanding vulnerability and promoting resilience.
• Child protection and care planning processes, systems, and agencies
• Relevant childcare legislation and guidance relating to children’s rights.
• Awareness of national
• government policies and
• priorities and implications for practice
• Knowledge of theoretical framework for working
• therapeutically with children, young people and their
• families
• Knowledge of services and
• issues relevant to the needs of children and young people
• Knowledge of Statutory social work role and function
• Comfortable with using a range of software (including
• Microsoft Office and Teams) and multitasking between systems.
• Able to work a flexible shift pattern across
• Flexible approach to work
• Committed to and understanding the principles of working with volunteers.
• Able and willing to travel as required to services and offices across the region.
• Committed to Children First approach and the relational nature of our work.
• Confident and able to form effective and credible relationships with all levels of staff
• Aware of personal responsibility in relation to health and safety.