Ask and Act Lead Practitioner (Health and Harm Reduction)

Simonscotland; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading community support organization in Edinburgh seeks a Health and Paramedic Lead Practitioner for the Ask and Act pilot program. This critical role focuses on early intervention to prevent homelessness, coordinating referrals among health services and providing trauma-informed care. Ideal candidates will have operational leadership experience in community settings and a commitment to person-centred approaches. Join our team to make a meaningful impact in the community through collaboration and innovation.

Qualifications

• Experience of operational leadership in a community-based setting.
• Experience of designing and delivering training.
• Experience providing direct, person-centred support to vulnerable individuals.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the day-to-day delivery of Purple Light Ask & Act Activity.
• Build strong relations with community partners for seamless support.
• Maintain accurate and timely recording on relevant systems.

Skills

Coordination

Trauma-informed care

Community engagement

Training delivery

Data management

Education

SVQ 3 in social care or equivalent

Training in trauma-informed practice

Job description

About Simon Community Scotland

People are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Day-by-day, person-to-person, we tailor what we offer to what people need. We’re here to provide consistent, friendly and informed support so that people can explore options and take ‘the next step’ towards their future. We welcome people with a wide range of skills and experiences to our team – including those who have lived through homelessness. To make a difference we need to work flexibly, with everyday‑leadership, humour and a ‘can do’ spirit. We want to make it easy, make it right, and make it happen – not only for the people we support, but also for each other. We care for and support each other regardless of our role, service or location. We want people who share these values to join us and become a part of the Simon Community Scotland team.

Job Summary

The new “Ask and Act” pilot in the Housing (Scotland) Bill introduces a legal duty for public bodies (including police, health services, and social landlords) to ask people about their housing situation when they come into contact with them and to take action if a risk of homelessness is identified. The aim is to shift homelessness support from crisis response to early intervention, giving people more time and support to prevent losing their home. By embedding structured questions, trauma‑informed approaches, and clear referral pathways, it ensures that people at risk receive timely, person‑centred support. The duty also encourages multi‑agency collaboration, better data sharing, and co‑ordinated services, ultimately reducing reliance on temporary accommodation and the trauma associated with homelessness.

Ask and Act Leads will play a key role in delivering the Ask and Act duties within the Housing (Scotland) Bill through the Purple Light pilot, within the Creating Safer Communities consortium.

As part of a small, specialist team, each person will lead on a key pathway:

• Justice and Policing
• Health and Paramedic
• Banking and Employability
• Community and Partnerships

As the Health and Paramedic Lead Practitioner you will coordinate the development and implementation of a primary prevention referral pathway between NHS Lothian, Scottish Ambulance Service and SCS, ensuring people at risk of homelessness are identified early through health contact and supported into the right services at the right time.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) responds to emergency and urgent calls from people…

Working closely with the Service Lead, consortium partners, and people with lived and living experience of homelessness, you will:

• Co‑create and embed the Housing Conversation Framework (“why, how and when” to ask about housing risk).
• Develop and deliver training and coaching to paramedics and other partners.
• Coordinate referrals, triage and support planning into Purple Light services and wider partners.
• Lead robust data collection, learning and evaluation to evidence impact and inform scaling and national adoption.

This role is crucial in shifting practice from crisis response to early intervention and prevention, ensuring that people identified as being at risk of homelessness receive trauma‑informed, person‑centred support that wraps care around the whole person.

Key Responsibilities

Core Responsibilities (all roles)

1. Coordination of Ask & Act Pathways

• Coordinate the day‑to‑day delivery of Purple Light Ask & Act Activity within your specialist area.
• Support the implementation of the Ask & Act referral and triage pathways between PSED, SCS and wider partners.
• Ensure clear procedures for referral, triage, consent and information sharing, in line with data‑sharing agreements, UK GDPR and safeguarding standards.

2. Multi‑Agency Partnership & Case Work

• Build strong relationships with Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, local authority, third sector and community partners relevant to your pathway.
• Participate in multi‑agency case discussions, ensuring actions are followed up and people experience seamless support.
• Support warm handovers and joint working, promoting trust and continuity for people at risk of homelessness.

3. Co‑Production & Lived Experience

• Work alongside the Peer Advisory Board / Peer Panel to co‑design tools, training and pathways.
• Ensure people with lived and living experience lead, shape and develop the strategy from point of service design to service delivery.
• Ensure people with lived and living experience are supported, and fairly rewarded for their roles in the pilot.

4. Recording, Monitoring & Learning

• Maintain accurate, timely recording on relevant systems.
• Contribute to the joint monitoring framework, including quantitative and qualitative data.
• Support a continuous improvement approach, feeding learning into service design, training and practice.

5. Governance, Quality & Safeguarding

• Work within SCS policies, including safeguarding, health and safety, risk management and confidentiality.
• Identify and elevate operational issues and risks, contributing to practical solutions through consortium structures.

Our Values and Approach

All SCS employees are expected to demonstrate the following values in their work:

Values

• Warmth and Regard
  • Recognising and valuing everyone
  • Treating people with kindness, dignity and respect
  • Acting with compassion
  • Showing warmth and welcome to everyone
  • Taking difficult decisions sensitively and with due regard to others
  • Taking a calm, professional and intelligent approach to stigma
• Inclusion and Participation
  • Encouraging the participation and inclusion of people we support
  • Exploring choices and options with people we support or fellow colleagues
  • Making things easy for others
  • Embracing technology in delivering your role
  • Supporting clients, staff and volunteers to become digitally included
• Personalised and Creative
  • Innovation and creativity
  • Helping to find solutions that are a good fit for someone, irrespective of who they are or the problem they have
  • When someone isn’t at their best, quickly recognising there’s probably something else going on, and finding ways to respond with care
• Supportive and Ambitious
  • Helping to bring hope through our words and actions
  • Helping to build trust
  • Being supportive and showing care
• Partnership and Collaboration
  • Fostering positive relationships with our partners
  • Building team togetherness and collaboration
  • Fostering a positive problem‑solving vibe
• Leadership and Learning
  • Making things happen
  • Motivating and inspiring others
  • Taking time to reflect on what’s working and what isn’t
  • Taking care of our ‘places and spaces’ so they feel tidy and welcoming
  • Asking for help and learning to do things better
  • Playing an active role in our social media strategy

Person Specification

Training and Qualifications

• Essential:
  • SVQ 3 in social care or willing to work towards it
  • Training in trauma‑informed practice
  • Training in safeguarding, equality and diversity, and data protection (GDPR)
• Desirable:
  • Leadership qualification

Experience

• Essential:
  • Experience of operational leadership in a community‑based setting
  • Experience of working alongside the community to develop and deliver services
  • Experience of designing and delivering training
  • Providing direct, person‑centred support to people experiencing homelessness, trauma, or multiple disadvantages
  • Experience with case management systems, safeguarding procedures and maintaining high standards of confidentiality
• Desirable:
  • Experience co‑designing services alongside the community
  • Experience of monitoring and evidencing impact to funders
  • Experience of project management including budget management
  • Building and maintaining strong relationships with statutory services (ideally including police, social work, health, housing)
  • Planning, delivering and evaluating pilot or multi‑partner projects

Knowledge and Skills

• Essential:
  • Understanding of systemic inequalities and how they intersect (e.g. trauma, gender, poverty, racism, disability, migration, care experience)
  • Skilled communicator, confident in leading team meetings, debriefs and facilitating shared learning across teams
  • Ability to think creatively and navigate challenging situations with compassion and care
  • Committed to reflective practice and ongoing learning
  • Understanding of applying trauma‑informed principles and approaches into operational models of practice
• Desirable:
  • Familiarity with SAS operations, patient care pathways, and how ambulance staff interact with at‑risk populations
  • Understanding the roles of local authorities, health teams, third sector partners, and specialist services

Values and Behaviours

• Essential:
  • Passionate about reducing social inequalities and empowering marginalised communities
  • Compassionate, relational leadership
  • A collaborative team player who can also work independently and make sound decisions
  • Open‑minded, flexible and able to work in non‑traditional settings and hours
  • Commitment to inclusion, co‑production, and amplifying voices