Employability Advisor, East Renfrewshire
Last updated: 07/08/2026
Key info
Post: Employability Advisor (fixed term until 31st March 2027 with possibility of extension funding)
Hours: 28 hours per week however other part-time hours may be considered
Salary: Grade Point 13-17 £26,640 – £32,560 (pro rata for 28 hours)
Location: East Renfrewshire wide, based at OPFS Glasgow/ East Renfrewshire Service
Reports to: OPFS Glasgow and East Renfrewshire Service Manager
Closing date: 27th August 2026 at 5pm
The postholder will be expected to operate in line with our values which are:
Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion.
Overview:
All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support that enables them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many single parents and their children. Our core values of Justice, Equity, Trust, Collaboration and Compassion are at the heart of everything we do and underpin all aspects of our work.
The Employability Advisor will support the delivery of services across East Renfrewshire, proactively supporting single parents to enter or re-enter employment, education or training.
The postholder will be responsible for community engagement, outreach and registering parents onto the programme, delivering high-quality employability support, developing community partnerships and undertaking employer engagement to improve outcomes and referral pathways for single parents.
They will report to the Glasgow/ East Renfrewshire Service Manager and work as part of the OPFS Employability Team, within the wider Glasgow and East Renfrewshire Service, supporting single parents facing barriers to suitable employment.
All roles at OPFS contribute to our mission of working with and for single parent families, providing support that enables them to achieve their potential and help create lasting solutions to the poverty and barriers facing many single parents and their children.
Our Support for Families Service delivers holistic support for single parents and their children, guided by the OPFS six “My Life and Me” priority areas: Money, Health & Wellbeing, Home, Work, Education & Training, Children, and Relationships. Through a person-centred and strengths-based approach, we provide:
- Money – Support to maximise income, improve financial wellbeing, access benefits and grants, manage debt, and respond to financial crises.
- Health & Wellbeing – Emotional and practical support to improve mental health and wellbeing, including counselling, therapeutic interventions, wellbeing programmes, and support to reduce isolation and build resilience.
- Home – Support with housing-related issues, advocacy, and access to specialist services to help families maintain safe and secure housing.
- Work, Education & Training – Pre-employability and progression support, including confidence building, skills development, volunteering opportunities, training pathways, and tailored support to overcome barriers to employment and learning.
- Children – Family support and group programmes that promote positive outcomes for children, strengthen parenting capacity, support child development, and provide opportunities for children to participate in activities that enhance wellbeing.
- Relationships – One-to-one and group support that helps parents build positive relationships, strengthen family connections, develop peer support networks, and reduce social isolation.
In addition, families can access a range of groupwork programmes, peer support opportunities, and wider OPFS specialist services, ensuring joined-up and holistic support.
Equal opportunities and family friendly employment
OPFS aims to be an equal opportunity and family friendly employer. OPFS has Investors In People Gold status.
Polices and guidance
Job description
The role description is a broad picture of the post at the time of preparation. It is not an exhaustive list of all possible duties, and it is recognised that roles change and evolve over time.
Key tasks and responsibilities
- Families: Support single parents to identify future goals, assess motivation, develop personal development plans and work towards achieving these through individual and group support.
- Barriers: Identify barriers to employment, education or training and work with single parents to address these.
- Liaison: Build links with health, education and third sector organisations and groups across the city to identify eligible single parents interested in progressing towards suitable employment, education or training.
- Case Management: Maintain confidential client records, complete required documentation and record support provided. Keep OPFS and funder databases up to date and complete reports, case studies and data monitoring as required.
- Group Work Activities & Training: Co-ordinate and deliver a range of pre-employability group work programmes to support single parents facing barriers to employment to access employment, training and education opportunities.
- Outreach & Engagement: Undertake community outreach to engage single parents, support their learning and development, and connect them with work preparation, employment and employer matching opportunities.
- Local services and Partnerships: Develop knowledge of local employment, training, education, childcare and support services, and build effective referral networks to meet the needs of single parents.
- Signpost: single parents to services that will address their needs.
- Money Advice: Identify when single parents require benefits advice, better-off calculations or debt support and make appropriate referrals to the OPFS Financial Inclusion Service.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Ensure effective recording, monitoring and evaluation procedures are implemented and maintained.
- Other Relevant duties: Carrying out any other relevant duties related to the above.
Personal specifications
Essential
- Experience of working with parents
- A good understanding of the employability landscape.
- An understanding of how flexible employment opportunities for single parents contribute to the Scottish Government’s Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan and the No One Left Behind approach.
- An understanding of the issues and barriers faced by single parents.
- Experience of group work, preferably including planning and facilitating groups and an understanding of group work practice.
- Experience of developing partnerships and working effectively with multi-agency partners.
- A professional qualification equivalent to HNC/HND, SVQ Level 3 or 4, or relevant experience.
- Driving licence and access to a car. This role involves travel in an around East Renfrewshire including to communities not widely serviced by public transport.
Desirable
- Knowledge of, or experience working within, local statutory and third sector services, particularly those supporting children and families, employability, training and further education.
Practical Skills
- Ability to plan, record and evaluate work through accurate record keeping and written reports.
- Strong organisational and time-management skills.
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
- Competent use of standard IT packages, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases and Microsoft Office 365.
- Knowledge of issues affecting single parents in Scotland.
- Commitment to ongoing professional development.
Personal Qualities & Attributes
- Flexible and responsive to the needs of the service.
- Approachable, friendly and an effective communicator.
- Ability to prioritise and manage workload effectively.
- Able to respond to the varying needs of families in a non-judgemental and respectful way.
- Commitment to upholding OPFS values.
Terms and conditions
- Confirmation of Appointment: Fixed term contract to 31st March 2027 with the possibility of extension (dependent on funding). Confirmation of appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a 3-month probationary period, two references and a PVG check.
- Salary: Grade Point 13-17 £26,640 – £32,560 (pro rata for 28 hours)
- Hours of work: 28 hours per week however other part time hours may be considered,
- Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 25 days and 12 Public holidays (pro rata).
- Pension: You will be auto enrolled in our pension scheme with a 3% contribution from you and 7% contribution from OPFS.
- Training and support and supervision: You will receive induction training and frequent support in the first three months. Thereafter you will receive monthly individual support and supervision and annual appraisals. Regular team meetings will be held, and staff have access to internal and external training.
Further information
The closing date for applications is 27th August 2026 at 5pm. Interviews will be held week commencing 7th September 2026.
If you need to make an application in an alternative format on the basis of a disability or long-term health condition please email jobs@opfs.org.uk for guidance.
To ensure a fair and effective selection process, we require all applicants to follow the guidance below when submitting their application.
Your cover letter is a critical part of your application. It must:
- Directly demonstrate how you meet the essential experience listed in the job description.
- Provide clear, specific examples of how your experience, skills, behaviours, knowledge and values meet those criteria.
- Demonstrate your understanding of our sector, this role and its requirements, not just your general career history.
- Tailor your cover letter to this specific role – generic or perfunctory cover letters will not be accepted.