HELP END CHILD POVERTY IN SCOTLAND
Children First Support Line Recruitment Pack
CONTENTS Welcome from Mary Glasgow
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Our values
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About Children First
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The difference we make
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Eradicating child poverty through our support line
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What we’re looking for
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A day in the life of a support line coordinator
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A day in the life of a money advisor
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A day in the life of an information and content writer
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Work with us
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Children First Support Line Recruitment Pack
WELCOME FROM MARY GLASGOW, our Chief Executive
national support line to provide an easily accessible, national front door to joined-up holistic support for every family in Scotland. We aim to more than double the size of our support line and help 7,500 more families in the first year of expansion.
I am delighted that you are interested in joining us to transform how families get support and break the cycle of child poverty. At Children First, we believe that every child should have a safe and happy childhood. We believe in families, whatever form they take. We’ve been preventing harm, supporting recovery and driving change since 1884 and today we have a once in a generation opportunity to make sure every family in Scotland has a place to turn when they need help. Thanks to funding from the Scottish Government, we are developing Children First’s childrenfirst.org.uk
To realise our ambition, we’re recruiting passionate, talented and ambitious professionals from a range of backgrounds including family support, money advice, communications, policy and research to join our team. It will take all of us at Children First to transform our support line. So, if you join us, you’ll be working closely with brilliant colleagues right across the charity. Everything we do at Children First is driven by our values: with love, with purpose and with strength. If you share our values, are excited about transforming services and are ready to do whatever it takes to make sure families get the support they need, we’d love to hear from you.
Mary Glasgow Chief Executive, Children First 3
OUR VALUES Our values are core to everything we do. They serve as a guide for our day-to-day actions and for our long-term decision-making.
With Love
With Purpose
With Strength
With open hearts we listen to children and support them with compassion and kindness, always.
We get alongside and listen to the people who matter to children, whoever they are.
We stand up for babies, children and young people with courage and bravery.
We believe that every child should have a safe and happy childhood and have hopes, dreams and opportunities.
We believe in families, whatever form they take, and the importance of keeping children together in their local community.
We believe children’s rights should be respected and fulfilled at all times and passionately campaign to make that happen.
With high standards, we take pride in everything we do. We support our colleagues and hold each other accountable. With love, we put children first.
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With our partners, we collaborate to make life better for children today, tomorrow and in the years to come. With purpose, we transform children’s lives together.
With curiosity, we explore innovative new ideas and challenge the status quo. With strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland’s children.
Children First Support Line Recruitment Pack
ABOUT CHILDREN FIRST Children First is Scotland’s national children’s charity. We stand up for every child because all children should have a safe childhood. We protect children from harm and support them to recover from trauma and abuse through our national support line and in their homes, schools and communities. We help children, their families and the people that care for them by offering emotional, practical and financial support. We believe all children should have hopes, dreams and opportunities. But, for many they don’t exist. We work with families, funders, supporters, partners and volunteers to put Scotland’s children first. Together we can create a safer, brighter future for all children in Scotland.
childrenfirst.org.uk
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THE DIFFERENCE WE MAKE THROUGH CHILDREN FIRST’S SUPPORT LINE We put almost
£2.6 million
back into families’ pockets and helped them manage more than £878,000 of debt.
Between Jan and Mar 2026 we supported around
6,000
children experiencing, or at risk of poverty.
More than
5,200
families received help from our support line in 2025/2026
Between Jan and Mar 2026 we distributed an average of
£14k a day
of immediate financial relief to families. We supported nearly
4,120
families to improve their financial wellbeing. 6
48%
of contacts came through incoming phone calls.
TOP 5
issues families contacted the support line about were:
Poverty and money worries Child emotional wellbeing Parental mental health and wellbeing Family relationships Family separation Children First Support Line Recruitment Pack
“My kids are happy and I can breathe again.” When Amy* first called Children First’s support line, she was at breaking point. Trapped in a damp flat with two young children, suffering from postnatal depression and £190 short every month, she felt invisible and hopeless. Children First’s support line arranged immediate help with food and heating so Amy’s children could stay warm and fed. They secured £1,500 from the Home Heating Fund and negotiated lower bills, cutting Amy’s broadband by £38 per month. The team also secured £180 per month in child maintenance and connected Amy to housing, mental health and local family support services.
childrenfirst.org.uk
Amy’s financial situation improved by more than £4,500. The support from Children First gave Amy relief from the huge stress she was under, improving her mental health and making life better for her children, Jack and Rex. Now they are all doing well, have long-term financial stability and can look forward to the future together. Amy said: “I felt invisible before I called. Now I feel like someone is on my side. My kids are happy and I can breathe again.” *Names have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.
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ERADICATING CHILD POVERTY THROUGH THE CHILDREN FIRST SUPPORT LINE Poverty is one of the biggest threats to childhood in Scotland.
YOU CAN HELP US CHANGE THAT.
Every day, families tell us that they are struggling with rising living costs, housing pressures and poor mental wellbeing. They are deeply worried about the impact on their children’s wellbeing, health and safety but feel isolated from support networks, find services difficulty to access and face challenges navigating the complex systems that are supposed to support them. We know that when families receive the right support at the right time, children are safer, healthier and more able to thrive. Children First’s support line, formerly known as Parentline, was set up over twenty years ago to offer families in Scotland help when they need it. Last year, our 8
support line offered over 5,000 families in Scotland the holistic practical, financial and emotional help they needed to alleviate crisis, prevent harm and build stability. Many families tell us this support has been ‘life saving.’ Through the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Fund we aim to develop the Children First support line to become a national digital front door to services, so that every family can receive help that reflects their individual circumstances and connects them to wider services within their local community. Our approach is rooted in children's rights, relational practice and the understanding that families are experts in their own lives. We understand that sustainable change happens when families feel listened to, respected and empowered – an ethos, that is at the heart of our support line.
Children First Support Line Recruitment Pack
Our ambitious plans build on our experience of delivering short, medium and long term holistic support to families facing financial hardship. In the first three months of 2026, with emergency funding from the Scottish Government, we supported more than 3,000 families and around 6,000 children experiencing or at risk of poverty. As we expand our support line we will bring together direct support, specialist expertise, partner and community connections and policy influence to ensure that families get the help they need.
We will share learning from the families we support to help shape future services across Scotland. childrenfirst.org.uk
Depending on their circumstances, families may receive: • Emotional support and guidance. • Money advice. • Advocacy and practical help. • Community-based support. • Connections to specialist services. Where additional support is needed, we will work closely with partners to ensure families can access services such as housing support, mental health services, employability programmes and local community resources. Success will be measured by the increase in families accessing services, improvements in their wellbeing, relationships, financial stability and resilience and in children’s experiences of feeling safe, heard and supported 9
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR At Children First, everything we do is rooted in relationships – with children, families, partners and each other. While each role that we are recruiting requires individuals with their own exceptional set of skills and experience, every successful candidate will need to be united in their ambitions for children, their support for one another and their commitment to learning and development. We know that diverse teams are stronger teams, welcome colleagues from all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels respected and valued, Whatever your role, your work will be varied, your innovation will be encouraged and your success will be celebrated. Over the next few pages, you can get an idea about what a day in the life of some of the roles we are recruiting to might look like. You will find more detailed information about all the roles we are currently recruiting to at: https://children1st.jobs.personio.com
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Children First Support Line Recruitment Pack
Day in the life of a support line coordinator “If you’re thinking about becoming a support line coordinator, do it. It’s an incredible job. “Families reach out to us, because they need somewhere to turn. When they call or start a webchat, they need a friendly response. Many are dealing with overwhelming challenge and may feel embarrassed, isolated or ashamed. Building trust quickly is vital so they know they’ll be listened to, understood and supported without judgement. “No two days are the same. We’re open every day of the year and every shift is different. Sometimes you’re straight on to calls from the moment you arrive. childrenfirst.org.uk
Other times, you can spend more time talking to our volunteers. Volunteers join us every three hours, ready to help families across Scotland and part of our role is making sure they feel safe, supported and confident. Seeing that confidence grow is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. “While every family’s story is unique, there are major themes that come up, Right now, we’re supporting many callers who are worried about the impact of screen time on young children’s behaviours, school based anxiety and breakdowns in family relationships.
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“Being a coordinator takes empathy, honesty and the ability to multitask. You’re working in a busy call room so you need to be organised. But you’re never on your own, we have strong support, supervision and reflective practice, to make sure we can give families the help they need. “When families are under pressure, it’s easy for a child’s perspective to get lost. A crucial part of our role is to help families listen and understand their child’s voice.
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“When I hear a parent or carer pause on the phone, it matters. It means that I’ve put a new thought in their head or given them a new perspective, that something has shifted which might lead to positive change.
“That’s when I know I’m making a difference. And that’s what makes this role so special.” Ella, support line team leader
Children First Support Line Recruitment Pack
Day in the life of a Children First money advisor “What I love most about being a money advisor at Children First is that we don’t just deal with the immediate problem and move on. We take time to build trust, understand what’s really going on and support families to make lasting changes. “A family might contact us because they’ve run out of food, have no heating or are worried about keeping a roof over their children’s heads. Helping with that immediate crisis is important, but it’s only the start of the journey. From there, I might support them with managing debt, checking benefit entitlements, budgeting, completing application forms or building confidence to deal with organisations and services. We stay alongside families for as long as they need us and we don’t give up when life gets in the way or appointments are missed. “The role can be challenging and emotionally demanding, so childrenfirst.org.uk
empathy, patience and resilience are essential. You get a lot of support from colleagues. I know, that if I have had a very difficult call, I can reach out to my manager or a colleague and they will be there for me. “When families start working with us you see how much their financial challenges have got them down. They can feel like they’re drowning. It has a huge impact on their mental health. At Children First, we offer wider emotional and practical support, alongside money advice.
It lifts the weight off and it’s lovely to see this in the faces of families you’ve been working with.” “Knowing I’ve helped families move from crisis to stability, that children are safer and happier because of the work we’ve done together, is so rewarding.” Amanda, money advisor 13
Day in the life of an information and content officer “This is a new role at Children First, which gives you an enormous opportunity to make a difference. “Last year a staggering 85% of parents in Scotland said they didn’t know where to turn when bringing up children becomes tough. You will play a crucial role in helping to change that. “You’ll be translating complex information into clear, engaging. advice that parents and carers can easily understand and act on. From child development and trauma to financial support, you’ll create content that helps families find the information they need, when they need it most. “You’ll build strong relationships with families and colleagues to gather the stories behind our work. In any one day you might be talking to a child development expert, updating the support line webpages via our content management system, helping our wider communications and marketing team plan a support line campaign and 14
running analytics on our social media channels to measure performance and inform future activity. “You have a chance to make the role your own. You’ll need to bring drive, ambition, enthusiasm and an ability to multitask. As part of both the support line team and our wider communications and marketing team, you’ll be surrounded by supportive colleagues who are experts in their field and passionate about making a difference. You’ll have plenty of people to bounce ideas off and support to continue developing your skills.
“Families often tell us that the Children First support line has been life saving.” Helping to share families’ experiences, while developing creative social media and digital content that connects more families to support, will be what makes this role so incredibly rewarding.” Harriet, head of communications and marketing Children First Support Line Recruitment Pack
WORK WITH US What we offer
When you join Children First, you’ll be part of Scotland’s national children’s charity and a Scotland-wide team dedicated to creating lasting change for children and their families. We offer: • A rewarding role with real impact. • Comprehensive induction and ongoing training. • Regular supervision and wellbeing support. • Opportunities for learning and career development. • Flexible and family-friendly working arrangements. • 40 days annual leave per year. • A contributory pension scheme. • A health cash plan through Westfield Health. • A supportive and inclusive workplace culture. • Support services.
Join us If you want a rewarding role, transforming support for children and families in Scotland and you’ve got the talent, passion and drive we’re looking for, we want you to join us. For more information about the support line roles that we are currently recruiting, visit: https://children1st.jobs.personio.com To find out more about support line recruitment events that may be coming up soon, visit: childrenfirst.org.uk/jobs
childrenfirst.org.uk
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Together, we can create a brighter future for Scotland’s children. Their hopes, dreams and opportunities are in our hands.
Children First, 83 Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh EH9 1AT Registered Scottish Charity Number: SC016092 Support line 08000 28 22 33 | Fundraising 0345 10 80 111 | childrenfirst.org.uk