Kibble Admin

Posted: December 31, 2021

Find out about the various care worker vacancies that are now open for applications. There are opportunities to work at our Paisley campus or across the community within our warm and welcoming residential houses. Join the dedicated staff team at Kibble, who provide the highest quality of care and support to young people, 24/7, 365 days a year.

We are looking for experienced Child and Youth Care Workers to fill the essential roles of Nightshift and Dayshift care workers, as well as people with life experience for Sessional Child and Youth Care Workers.

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Why Work For Kibble?

Discover More About the Various Care Jobs Available

As a Child and Youth Care Worker, you will spend time with children and young people, develop their trust and form genuine friendships. It is a rewarding, fulfilling role.

At Kibble, we’re fully prepared to help young people grow in the right direction and guide them to keep up a positive attitude and make plans for their future.
Child and Youth Care Worker, Mark

Nightshift Child and Youth Care Worker Vacancies

Job reference: 000227
Closing date: 10/01/2022
Salary: £23,946 – £34,198 per annum (SCP 23 – 35) dependent on qualifications and experience
Employment type: Permanent
Services: Care – Residential
Hours per week: 37 hours per week worked on a shift basis

Supported by Kibble’s Night Service Managers you will work across Kibble’s Residential and Community Based Services. You will have responsibility for the safety and well-being of our young people throughout the night. This can be a vulnerable time for our young people and as such you will have the skills and abilities to be able to support our young people through times of crisis.

Visit Our Nightshift Vacancy

Days | Child and Youth Care Worker

Job reference: 000226
Closing date: 10/01/2022
Salary: £25,641.58 – £36,318.84 per annum (SCP 23 – 35) dependent on qualifications and experience
Employment type: Permanent
Services: Care – Residential
Hours per week: 37 hours per week, worked over a combination of early and back shifts (plus two weekends in four) Plus, contractual overtime where applicable

Apply now if you are an experienced Child and Youth Care Worker who has previously been responsible for the care and development of children and young people. The role requires kind, enthusiastic and understanding individuals who can apply knowledge and skill to relate to young people.

Visit Job Advert

Sessional Child and Youth Care Worker

Job reference: 000228
Closing date: 10/01/2022
Salary: £10.46 per hour (SCP16)
Employment type: Permanent
Services: Care – Residential
Hours per week: Variable (Day, Evening and Night Shifts)

People may not realise they have the skills to become a Child and Youth Care Worker. The sessional role is suitable for those with life experience, those with the drive to make a positive difference in a child’s life and an ambition to help young people feel seen and listened to.

Visit Sessional Vacancy

Through a strong friendship I have built with a quiet, introverted young person, I have since encouraged them to enjoy swimming, exercise in the outdoor football pitches and get involved in the regular cook nights.
Previous trainee Child and Youth Care Worker Emma

If you are a caring, kind individual with a drive to help children and young people we want to hear from you.

Find Out More

Visit Our Vacancies

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Posted: December 24, 2021

The elves returned to visit us for Christmas 2021. Look at some of the mischief they’ve caused throughout December.

Every morning, the kids enjoyed waking up to see what the elves have been up to. A letter from the North Pole landed on the doorstep, it explained Santa’s elves were prone to being silly. However, the elves were also very kind and brought items of food for the children to collect and donate to those in need. There’s plenty of fun to be had while also helping others and spreading lots of Christmas cheer.

Look at what mischief the elves got up

The elves are certainly back with a bang.

Gotta keep toasty this cold morning.

The elves have been up to “snow” good.

Who is always tired at breakfast?

Where have the elves been hiding?

They’ve challenged us to a colouring competition.

SNOWBALL FIGHT!

It’s an obstacle course.

All aboard the Elf Express.

Let’s twist again.

It’s time for hot chocolate while we wait for Santa to arrive…

Posted:

Once again, children and young people across Kibble were invited to take part in our annual Christmas card competition where the winning design would be used for this year’s E-card.

To say competition was fierce was an understatement and each of the unique designs included Christmas trees, jolly snowmen, angels with messages of peace and even Santa’s Sleigh flying over Kibble!

There were three very deserving winners who each collected a gift voucher for their amazing efforts. Our judges in education had a very difficult job awarding the prizes against a set list of artistic criteria. It could be argued that all the entries were of a winning standard!

Each of the excited winners received gift vouchers, but it has to be said that the biggest prize of all was seeing the boys faces light up when they came into the classroom to collect their prizes. They had the biggest and brightest smiles and were so happy that they had been recognised as winners.

A huge well done to all our future Picasso’s who took part in the competition – the Christmas cards have been met with huge praise to all those who received one. A great achievement for all our talented young people who never fail to amaze and inspire us every day.

Watch Our Video Showcase

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Posted: December 22, 2021

Throughout the month of December, pupils at Goudie Academy and Forest View Primary have been taking part in Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness to support those who are homeless and vulnerable this Christmas.

With every act of kindness, good work and behaviour in the classroom, pupils collected ‘Golden Tickets’ which were then exchanged for a Christmas gift for a homeless person. Among the gifts that have been provided included warm clothing, hats, scarves, socks and festive treats.

Alongside the thoughtful gifts, pupils also made handmade Christmas cards to bring a little joy this season.

We’d like to thank Social Bite for collecting and distributing the gifts that will help make Christmas a little easier for those without a home and for all their great work.

Well done to all our pupils whose acts of kindness have gone on to make a difference to others who need a helping hand this Christmas.

Posted: December 17, 2021

On the night of Wednesday 15^th December, the feeling of Christmas was in the air as Kibble’s campus was transformed into a festive winter wonderland for the annual Festive Lights Competition.

Festive judges made their way around the houses and were dazzled by street dancing Santa’s, a nativity performance, festive light projections, colourful Christmas trees and sparkling fairy lights that stretched as far as the eye could see. Children and young people worked together in their houses to compete for the most festive, funniest and handmade decorations. It’s fair to say judges had plenty of laughs along the way!

Of course, all the young people were all winners in our eyes and the greatest present was seeing the excitement around campus as we count down the days until Santa comes to town.

Even with the latest challenges set by the pandemic, we’re determined to keep spirits high over the festive period. In the coming days children and young people will be holding special Christmas craft fayres with beautiful handmade gifts, there will be visits to see Santa and various trips to the Pantomime, ice skating, Christmas Markets and much more.

And to add to the excitement, one senior phase pupil at Goudie Academy has been working with teachers to bring us Kibble Aid – a take on the iconic 80’s Live Aid concert. This will be an amalgamation of young people and staff’s singing and dancing talents captured in a video which will be screened across Kibble on Monday 21 December.

The idea for Kibble Aid was born after listening to Christmas songs on the car radio and our talented pupil set to bring his vision to life. Amid the fun, laughter and on some occasions questionable singing by Kibble staff (you know who you are), there is an important message at the centre. This was to recognise the mental health challenges faced by care experienced young people throughout the pandemic. We are all immensely proud of his work, achievements and enthusiasm to bring people together, albeit by virtual means, to celebrate being a part of the Kibble family and all the love that it brings.

We ho, ho hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

Posted: December 16, 2021

We’re delighted to announce that our CEO, Jim Gillespie, has been awarded Regional Director of the year for Glasgow and the West at the Institute of Director (IoD) Awards on 9^th December.

Jim was recognised for his strength of leadership throughout the pandemic, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and our 695 staff. Under his direction, our charity ensured the continuation of vital 24/7 services, whilst maintaining pace in developments to meet the needs of young people in our care.

Announcing the award, judges recognised the significant investment made throughout 2020 into Kibble services and the commitment to supporting young people and staff.

Areas of investment during this period included:

The opening of Bute – a specialist residential care house for young people with complex mental health needs
The opening of Ness and Tay – two new therapeutic residential houses for younger children
A new primary year’s campus in Lochwinnoch
A new fostering hub at Hamilton
The opening of Puddle Lane, an innovative early learning and childcare nursery
Significant refurbishment across Kibble’s campus in Paisley

Jim Gillespie said: “I was very pleased to accept the award on behalf of the extraordinarily dedicated and capable team at Kibble. Covid-19 has brought significant challenges for all those who work in our sector.

“The fact that our charity has maintained exceptionally high standards whilst expanding the range of crucial services we provide, underlines the selfless dedication of everyone in our team.”

Posted: December 10, 2021

Young people have developed their own innovations, tools and training resources as part of the Early Action System Change Renfrewshire partnership funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. With a focus on tackling coercive control and ultimately improving mental health and wellbeing, young people co-produced a number of different resources.

Find Out What Our Young People Created

A welcome video and wellbeing resource booklet for young people coming to Kibble was created by young people already at Kibble. The pack intended to empower young people to access support, feel able to share their thoughts with adults, knowing that they won’t get in trouble. Overall, the video and leaflet let young people know who to talk to and where to go to help combat any worries running through their mind. Reminding them, help is always on-hand.

Young people at Kibble knew they wanted to help their fellow young people feel more comfortable in asking for help. They were determined to introduce a new way of signposting others to the support available and offer reassurance that the adults surrounding them had the potential to be a listening ear.

“Our video and booklet will be titled ‘We Are Kibble’ and have a graffiti style and theme. It will let young people know where to go to access support and have information about staff.”
Young person

We are expecting the leaflet and video to be adapted for those out with Kibble to help direct more young people to the support available.

Watch The Video

“On behalf of our young people at Kibble, it has been an honour to work alongside so many significant organisations for this worthy cause.
“It’s important that the views and experiences of those who have faced such hurdles are listened to and considered when drawing solutions for the issues being addressed, and the progress made by each element of the project is meaningful, it will go a long way to improving the lives of young people across Renfrewshire and beyond.”
Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer at Kibble

Find Out About the Exhibition

All resources produced by young activists from across Renfrewshire have been showcased through the Early System Change exhibition. The event, ‘It’s time for #ChangeUp’ celebrated the work created by and for young people in Renfrewshire. Everyone at Kibble is determined to be part of making necessary change, putting the ideas and suggestions of young people first and foremost in the quest. Kibble feature on the Change Up website.

“Letting young people lead feels much more effective. It is going to be more welcomed and make more of a difference.”
Youth worker

The event was held from 8^th December – 11^th December, 10 am – 4 pm at YMCA Paisley.

Learn More About Early Action System Change

The initiative aims to identify and explore the root cause of inequality and use the findings to improve emotional wellbeing of young people by exploring the effects of coercive control in their relationships, while developing further ideas and solutions with their input.

Research and design charity, Dartington Service Design Lab are leading the Change Up event. Dr Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin, Scotland Director Designate of Dartington, said: “Working with a wide range of partners has allowed us to address the same issue from different perspectives. In this project we have put the perspective of young people and youth workers front and centre, and then worked across the third sector and public sector social work, education and health to share learning”.

“By collaboratively working together, we’ve co-designed valuable resources that make real change. This is what it takes to make system change happen – everyone needs to be involved in taking action. And we must put the voice of people with living experience at the heart of what we do.”
Dr Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin, Scotland Director Designate of Dartington

It’s time for adults to change up. The Early Action Systems Change project has designed supports and resources that will change the lives of young people. I’m proud to be from Renfrewshire and I’m proud of the young people and the third sector that has done this.”
John Trainer, Head of Child Care and Criminal Justice and Chief Social Work Officer at Renfrewshire Council

Posted: December 9, 2021

Forest View Residential marks its first anniversary with a day full of smiles. Throughout the year young people have made new friends and many happy memories.

It was up to the kids to decide how Forest View’s first year anniversary would be marked. The fantastic suggestions ranged from going swimming to visiting the cinema, while others made the adventurous choice to climb the Kilpatrick Hills. All agreed the birthday had to be acknowledged properly by filling the day with fun experiences, making it one to remember.

“It was a very important day for my friend, it was his one-year anniversary at Ness house and that is a big thing. We all enjoyed the cinema together and the movie was great.”
Young person

“I wanted to go swimming and the cinema because these are some of my favourite things to do with an adult. I wanted sausage from the chippie for my dinner because it is one of my favourite things to eat.”
Young person

“What a good day we had climbing hills.”
Young person

The decisive nature shown by the kids when planning their day truly demonstrates the growth in their self-confidence and self-esteem throughout the past year.

Although recent times have been unlike any other due to the global pandemic, it is important to celebrate positive milestones and create happy memories to reflect upon. It is often small moments that make bigger and brighter days.

Posted: December 1, 2021

Recently at Forest View, our primary aged campus in Lochwinnoch, children and adults took part in an adventurous Scavenger Hunt within the forest grounds.

The event was one of many activities set up by The Promise Group at Kibble, where among the fun, laughter and team-spirit, we also sought to ensure the voices of the children were heard around improving the life chances and opportunities for care experienced young people in Scotland.

We were delighted that all children took part with the support of adults where they eagerly made their way around six parrot stations to unearth lots of clues. There were muddy wellies, beaming faces, colourful parrots, great teamwork… and even turkeys and chickens making their voices heard in the background! After all the running around and searching for clues, it was time to go inside for a feast of hot dogs, burgers and hot chocolate. There was a real buzz around the table and the children shared what their favourite part of the day was:

“It was great meeting new friends”

“It was like one big family having fun and having hot dogs and burgers”.

“I loved all the clues and the hot dogs after it”.

“It was so much fun. I loved the parrots. They weren’t real though.”

The children’s scavenger hunt was aligned to the five-foundation set out in ‘The Pinky Promise’ including: Voice, Family, Care, People and Scaffolding. For all their great work and achievements, each of the children were given a certificate and gift.

The real reward of the day though was seeing the joy on the children’s faces as they sought out clues and worked together to solve the clues and make their way around the trail. From the excitement around the dinner table, it certainly was a day of fun and memories that will go on to help shape the pathway for Scotland’s future.

Posted: November 24, 2021

Kibble’s Staff-in-Training programme gave Sharon, 41 from Renfrew the opportunity to pursue her dream of working with children. She is now training to become a Child and Youth Care Worker with Kibble.

About Kibble’s Staff-in-Training Course

Through Kibble’s Staff-in-Training programme, individuals gain the qualifications and training needed to become a Child and Youth Care Worker. Over the course of 12-months, trainees earn a living wage while studying for an HNC in Social Services and participating in work experience. They are fully supported, receiving guidance and mentorship. An interview for a Child and Youth Care Worker job at Kibble is guaranteed upon completion.

If you have the ambition to lead a more fulfilling career, helping young people who need additional supports, our Staff-in-Training programme gives you that opportunity with the peace of mind of an income while learning on the job.

Find Out More from Sharon

Sharon moved on from her previous permanent position as a catering assistant for a Glasgow City Council school to join Kibble and re-train as a Child and Youth Care Worker. She has always enjoyed being around children.

She shared, “Since starting my placement, my mindset has totally changed. I’ve realised that I bring so many important personable skills to the role, and that is really what Kibble looks for.

“The most important skill I have is being able to just listen, plus the fact that I’m not judgmental, and I take people as I find them. My motherly instincts are also a real help, from encouraging the kids to tidy their bedrooms, to sense when someone isn’t feeling themselves and needs my attention – it’s the little things that make all the difference.

“My advice to anyone who is looking for a more fulfilling career and has a real passion to work with kids, would be to go for it and apply. I found it scary leaving a permanent position, but the support given by Kibble is immense.”

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Sharon’s Staff-in-Training experience was published by GlasgowTimes.