With firms saying they are struggling to recruit in the face of record job vacancies, Nacro is calling for firms to hire those with criminal records to reduce reoffending and bolster the workforce.
Nacro chief executive Campbell Robb said: “We are overlooking one vital resource to address the country’s shortage of candidates: hiring prison leavers.
” Each month around 4,000 people leave prison, but only 14% are in employment six months later – yet employers who hire prison leavers often say prison leavers are harder working and more reliable workers.
“Alongside this, having work is a vital factor in reducing reoffending. Yet so many viable job candidates could be overlooked simply because they have a criminal record.
“The UK economy can no longer afford to ignore those leaving prison, we have a golden opportunity to reduce reoffending and staff shortages in one fell swoop.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has continued to increase its staffing and resources at pace this year as part of its Demand and Capacity Programme.
An additional 540 frontline A&E staff have been recruited this financial year – the highest number of staff ever to have joined the Service in a single year.
The new staff include 414 Technicians, 25 Paramedics, 58 Newly Qualified Paramedics, 23 Advanced Practitioners and 20 Ambulance Care Assistants. 192 staff have been recruited into the East, 111 for the North and 237 for the West.
A dedicated recruitment team was implemented to enable SAS to deliver the ambitious recruitment plan this year and to enable the foundations to be built in order to recruit a similar number of staff next year.
This increase in staffing and resources, coupled with alignment of shift patterns to patient demand profiles, aims to improve patient safety and staff welfare.
The programme has been supported by £20m investment from the Scottish Government so far.
This year, additional ambulances have gone live in Edinburgh and Lothian, Greater Glasgow, Tayside, Grampian and Clyde.
SAS has also established Seven new satellite stations, of which six are co-located with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Scottish Ambulance Service Chief Executive Pauline Howie said: “The last 12 months have been the busiest ever in terms of recruitment for the Service and this is great news for the people of Scotland.
“With the increased demand for our services, it’s vital we introduce extra resources and staffing. This will ensure we continue to deliver the very best patient care by boosting capacity and increasing our resilience in communities across Scotland.
“These new staff will compliment our existing staff who have done an incredible job before and throughout the pandemic.”
Cabinet Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The Scottish Ambulance Service is the heartbeat of our NHS and staff have worked incredibly hard over the last two years to meet the unprecedented pressure.
“This record recruitment is a demonstration of the action we are taking to help our Health Service at its time of critical need. They will be vital in enhancing the service already provided by dedicated staff.
“The Scottish Government is fully committed to ensuring SAS has the resources and skilled staff in place to continue to deliver a high quality emergency health service.”
Scotland’s National Clinical Director Jason Leitch is becoming a vaccinator and is encouraging more people to enrol to help accelerate the national booster jab programme.
Since 19 November, the equivalent of 300 full-time additional staff (more than 1000 individuals) have joined the national vaccination effort and health boards are actively recruiting to create extra capacity.
Following the most recent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) everyone aged 18 and over who is eligible will be offered a slot for the booster jab by the end of January. Currently those aged 40-49 are invited to make an appointment through the online portal or the national helpline, from 12 weeks after their second dose. The national programme is also delivering second doses to 16 and 17 years olds.
Professor Leitch said: “I am pleased to join the fantastic team at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and look forward to helping administer booster jabs to adults and second doses to 16 and 17 years olds as we continue to protect Scotland’s population as quickly as possible.
“To be a small part of this national mission is a real privilege. It also gives me the opportunity to thank the clinical teams and volunteers who have got us this far.
“This has been the biggest immunisation programme in the history of the NHS and the hard work and commitment shown by health boards and vaccination teams across Scotland means we have the highest vaccination rate for people aged 12 and over of all UK nations for first, second and boosters/third doses and the winter vaccination programme has already delivered more than 2 million booster and third doses to the most vulnerable groups, covering 45% of the adult population (aged 18+).
However, we would warmly welcome any former NHS employees and of course, they will receive full training before giving any vaccines. I’ll be helping when I can alongside my main role.
“Even a shift a week will help, so if you’re a dentist, a nurse, an optometrist or a doctor and you can help us then please contact your local health board. Every vaccine dose given is another step out of the pandemic. If you don’t have a clinical background, it’s not a problem, you can still assist the programme in another capacity through the British Red Cross.
“We have accepted the JCVI’s updated recommendations and aim to offer the booster vaccine to everyone aged 18 or older who is eligible by the end of January, and we would love some more vaccinators to join our incredibly national programme to assist us through this particularly busy period.”
Vaccination Programme Director at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Anne Harkness said: “In the last year, our vaccination team at NHSGGC have administered more than 2.1 million jags, working with the public to protect our communities.
“We are continuing to build our pool of vaccinators and we are delighted to welcome Jason to the vaccination team and wish him – and all the new recruits – well.”
People who wish to apply to become a vaccinator can find more information at NHS Scotland
Volunteers who are not currently involved in COVID response, or other critical work, who would be interested in assisting the COVID response generally and the vaccine programme in particular, can find out more by emailing:
Care home residents across the country are swapping retiral for recruitment as they seek out new staff to join them in their home. Renaissance Care’s elderly occupants are ready to search high and low, looking for more caring individuals to add to the close-knit team.
The residents, within each of Renaissance Care’s 16 care homes across Scotland, are getting involved in the advertising of positions, interviewing of applicants and final selection process to expand their teams.
Judging the applicants on their skills and experience, the residents are additionally looking for the softer side of the interviewees, ensuring they would be a good fit for their home. A good sense of humour, patience and friendly faces are top of the list for the residents who form close bonds with the care staff working within the home.
The family-owned care group is currently recruiting nationally for carers, nurses, admin workers and a number of other roles within the business. With a wholly person-centred approach to care, staff are offered ongoing training and development opportunities for career progression, alongside strong support from the management team, in order to guarantee residents the best care possible.
Residents Mary Wilson (86), June Langridge (87) and Rita Bryson (84) teamed up with their home manager, hoping to find more staff to join the family at Renaissance Care’s Jesmond Care Home in Aberdeen.
Mary Wilson said: “Living in the care home, the staff are very important to us. The team at Jesmond help us in any way they can, which is vital when you struggle to fully look after yourself as you get older. Since we’ve experienced the care first-hand, I think we know what to look for in candidates.
“I’m looking for staff who are patient, understanding and good listeners. They also need to be ready for a joke too.”
Dawn Gardiner, Home Manager at Jesmond Care Home, said: “We have staff from all different backgrounds at Jesmond, and we all bring something new to the table.
“I believe that if you’re kind and hard-working, you’ll fit right in with us.”
At Croftbank Care Home in Uddingston, Home Manager, Denise Mote, said: “We’re so lucky to have such a caring and dedicated team here at Croftbank, and it will be lovely to welcome some new faces.
“I’ve recently joined the team at Renaissance Care myself, and it’s a fantastic place to work. The residents and staff have been entirely welcoming, and I already feel like part of the family.”
Louse Barnett, managing director at Renaissance Care, said: “Following what has been an incredibly difficult time for residents and staff across the country, it’s even more important that residents are part of the recruitment process, finding people that they can build personal relationships with.
“Renaissance Care is an inclusive place of work, and there really is a role for everyone in our homes. We offer extensive opportunities for our staff to develop their skillset, and would urge anyone with a caring heart and strong work ethic to apply.
“Our staff and residents within each of our homes become a tight knit family, and we are looking forward to welcoming more staff members into the mix.”
Visit Renaissance Care’s website for current job vacancies at:
My name is Darryl Gaffney du Plooy, and I am one of the Co-leads for the Social Action Inquiry (Scotland). The other Co-lead is Deborah Menezes.
We are currently looking for people to help shape the direction of the inquiry. We have given these roles the name of Guides because lived experience will be crucial for us to navigate sensibly and sensitively through the complex landscapes of Scotland’s Civil Society.
We are inviting applications from any age and all backgrounds. We have produced Easy-Read materials and are welcoming applications sent via video and audio file for people who prefer these forms of communication.
We appreciate that our deadline (12 noon, 22nd of October) might be too short for some people but we would like to communicate that we will be looking to recruit more Guides in 2022.
I also wanted to mention that we will also soon be ready to share with you a programme of activities for us to listen, learn and build bonds with people, places, and communities in Scotland.
Our intention is for the activities to mirror our approach to the inquiry, as in, focusing on relationships, being inclusive & participatory, and orientating energy towards action.
If either or both of these developments interest you, please share and if you would like to get in touch feel free to do so. We will be delighted to hear from you.
Invitation for Guides of the Social Action Inquiry in Scotland
Do you want to live in a Scotland where communities can make positive differences to their way of life? A Scotland that values social action and helps to make it happpen?
We invite you to be part of our Social Action Inquiry team to shape the direction of the inquiry by adding your voice and experience into the inquiry process
What is the Social Action Inquiry?
The Social Action Inquiry is being set up to find out more about how communities can take action that makes a difference. It will look at what helps, and what gets in the way. It’s hoped that it will help influence how Scotland rebuilds after the coronavirus pandemic.
The Inquiry’s vision is:
A Scotland which recognises the value of social action and its potential to enable us to overcome the challenges we face in the 21st century.
This independent inquiry will be led by people with direct, lived experience of Scottish communities which have felt powerlessness over decisions affecting their own lives, and that this power has been exercised by others.
It will support people to find their voices, take action, and use what they learn to help create wider change. For more details, see our website – socialaction.scot
To help the Inquiry we are inviting people to become Guides.
What will a Guide do?
To allow for the Inquiry to create a more inclusive and sustainable journey the Guides will help shape the direction of the Inquiry. For more details on the role please download our invitation to become a Guide file below (General or Easy-Read versions).
Work, Hours and Pay.
The Guides will meet once a month for one full day, online or in-person.
The Guides will be offered £200 per day for their time.
The panel of Guides will be reviewed every six months. This is to ensure diverse perspectives can contribute into the Inquiry.
I would like to be a Guide. How do I do that?
You can choose apply that in four different ways:
Write your answers on our application form (attached below).
Write a personal statement (no more than 1000 words) telling us why you would like to be a Guide.
Send us a video, no longer than 10 minutes, telling us why you would like to be a Guide.
Send us an audio file, no longer than 10 minutes, telling us why you would like to be a Guide.
We have chosen these four different ways because we know writing applications can be difficult for people. Guiding questions with how to design your application can be found by downloading the ‘Invitation for Guides’ file below (General or Easy-Read versions)
When is the closing date for applications?
Applications are open until 12 noon on the22nd of October
We will let people know if they are being invited to an interview by the 29th of October.
Interviews will be arranged for the week beginning the 1st of November.
How to submit your application.
A copy of the application can be downloaded below.
Video and Audio Files should be sent by WeTransfer, or via the communication platforms Telegram or Whatsapp to 07867 181 040.
Please send a confirmation email to hello@socialaction.scot informing us which platform you have used to submit your application.
If you would like to speak to someone above being a guide before you apply or have any additional queries regarding the role or any information noted above, please email: hello@socialaction.scot
Leading Scottish law firm Thorntons welcomed six further trainee solicitors this September. This follows an earlier intake of ten trainees in March of this year and underlines the firm’s commitment to growth.
The new recruits will undertake a two year course across the firm’s network of offices, developing their skills and knowledge across a variety of legal disciplines, as part of their traineeship.
All trainees will adopt a blended work approach, working both from home and in the Thorntons’ offices, ensuring they have direct support from their supervising partner and other colleagues.
The trainees are Walter Buckman from Glasgow, David Durie and Finlay Williamson from Dundee, Antonia Kildare and Hannah Smethurst from Edinburgh, and Martyna Kotlarz from Aberdeen.
Structured around four six-month department rotations, the trainees will gain hands-on experience, complete practical work and have direct client contact from early on. The group will also benefit from Thorntons’ diverse learning and development programmes, mentoring scheme and internal virtual networking opportunities which are all designed to further advance skills and knowledge.
Additionally, all trainees are allocated a specially selected mentor from Thorntons’ team to offer advice and guidance throughout the duration of the training contract.
New trainee David Durie said: “Going to University in Dundee, Thorntons was a huge presence in the legal community. But the firm didn’t just appear to us in billboards, on the television, and on the radio. The people at Thorntons were always willing to give their time to help with events, offer their knowledge and advice, and even act as a sounding board regarding doubts about our futures.
“When I was given the opportunity to join the firm as a trainee and pay forward the help I was given, I knew I had to grab it. I have a lot to learn over the next two years, and there’s a lot of work to be done. But that work is made all the more rewarding by witnessing first-hand that ‘doing what’s right’ isn’t just a slogan, it really is Thorntons’ mission.”
Lesley Larg, Managing Partner at Thorntons, said: “Our trainees play a vital role in the success of the firm, and I’m hugely excited to welcome our new team members.
“As Thorntons continues to grow, and more and more opportunities become available for newly qualified solicitors, this is a particularly exciting time for our trainees to embark on their careers. Each year a significant number of successful trainees stay on to continue their careers with us, and we look forward to working with them to develop their skills and knowledge.”
● Grosvenor Casino Glasgow Merchant City’s Gaming Academy upskills aspiring casino dealers to help kick start their careers
● Four-week programme trains applicants in how to run popular games at the casino as well as safer gambling modules to develop their skills and career opportunities
● The Gaming Academy is part of a wider recruitment charge from Grosvenor Casinos with a range of other job opportunities available for Scottish job seekers
It is aces high for job seekers based in Glasgow and Edinburgh, who have been offered a helping hand to kick start their careers as a casino dealer.
Grosvenor Casino Glasgow in Merchant City is running a four-week gaming academy to help teach local job seekers how to deal some of the most popular casino games with the offer of full-time employment if they qualify.
6 aspiring male and female casino dealers, aged between 18 – 37 years old, are being put through their paces on the Grosvenor Casinos gaming academy which includes training on Blackjack, Poker and Roulette.
From learning casino terminology, the difference between odds and pay-outs, as well as the correct way to spin the roulette ball, the academy will help applicants to learn how best to manage the fast-paced nature of bets placed by guests when they visit the casino.
Those taking part will also be tutored on the times tables up to thirty-five and receive tips and tricks on how to improve their dexterity when it comes to collecting and gathering bets and chips, to ensure they can deliver the best possible service in the quickest way possible.
As part of Grosvenor’s commitment to safer gambling, the academy will also focus on safeguarding guests and educating team members about the importance of ensuring all guests always play responsibly.
Emma Sulton, (37), a mother of one from Livingston, said: “I lost my job in February last year, so I applied for a job as a receptionist at the Grosvenor Casino in Edinburgh.
“That role was filled but the team contacted me and made me aware of the gaming academy and I jumped at the chance, as I love roles that keep my mind engaged and let me interact with the public. It’s been amazing to work with such a range of different people and learn so many news skills that will help me start a brand-new career.
Drew Murray (18) from Uddingston in Glasgow, added: “Before I joined the gaming academy I worked in construction and the course has been a new challenge which I have really enjoyed, especially working out the odds as well as how the games work.
“We’re also paid the over 25 living wage which for me at 18 is brilliant and I am excited to start this new career with Grosvenor Casinos.”
General Manager at Grosvenor Casino Glasgow Merchant City said: “We have a strong track record for providing training opportunities for the local workforce to upskill and join our team. A career as a casino dealer is a highly skilled profession that offers flexible working as well as the chance to travel and work all over the world.
“It’s been a challenging year for everyone in the industry and now our casino is re-opened, we are determined to offer all applicants of the gaming academy the chance to work for Grosvenor Casinos and become part of the team here.”
Alongside the Gaming Academy, Grosvenor Casinos is carrying out a recruitment drive for job seekers across Scotland with a range of roles available to those looking for job opportunities.
All those interested can check their local club’s social media pages for more details and to learn more about Grosvenor Casinos, what it’s like to work for the business and the reasons why a career in the casino industry could be for you visit https://www.rank.com/careers.
Create Community Wealth is looking for two (2) Lead Creative people to join the project!
Create Community Wealth is an exciting long-term collaborative project that aims to develop micro-enterprises across the communities in Wester Hailes and Muirhouse.
Inspired by the grassroots movement of the Granby Four Streets in Liverpool and other Community Wealth Building initiatives around the world, this project aims to tackle social exclusion and improve wellbeing and local economic prospects through creativity.
