Emotional health and wellbeing support worker jobs in edinburgh, scotland
Legal Casework Manager (Helpline)
Are you aware of the significant health inequalities that people with a learning disability face in the UK and levels of avoidable deaths? Are you passionate about access to justice for the families of people with a learning disability who have died avoidably in acute healthcare settings?
We’re looking for a dedicated Legal Casework Manager (Helpline) to join our committed information and advice team covering England at Mencap on a full time (37.5 hours per week) fixed term contract for 2 years.
Here at Mencap we are a leading charity providing advice, support and opportunities to people with a learning disability across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The role will lead on supporting families to get answers about how their loved ones died and change across the healthcare system to prevent future deaths.
The role is flexible in terms of location, which can include home working, using Mencap’s office bases, such as in London and Peterborough, and will include some national travel, for example to inquest hearings or to meet families when needed.
About the Role
As Legal Casework Manager (Helpline), you’ll provide advice, support, and casework assistance to families facing complex legal issues, specifically relating to people with a learning disability who have died in avoidable circumstances across England, mainly within the healthcare system. Working within a small, supportive team, you’ll manage your own caseload, contribute to the body of knowledge about avoidable deaths and help empower families to understand and exercise their rights and get answers through the inquest and other investigations processes.
Key Responsibilities
· Provide clear, accurate, and timely legal advice and casework support for families.
· Work closely with clients, many of whom will be distressed, ensuring a sensitive, trauma informed and professional approach
· Maintain up-to-date case records and comply with quality and regulatory standards
· Support strategic litigation and advocacy efforts where appropriate
· Liaise with other charities, coroners, legal professionals, and agencies to support families to get answers
· Work towards a world where people with a learning disability are no more at risk of death in hospitals, than any other person
· Manage a team of caseworkers working across different areas of advice.
About You
We’re looking for someone:
· Legally qualified in the UK or similar jurisdiction with at least 3 years post qualification, working in either clinical negligence, inquests or inquiries. Or similar number of years working as a senior case worker in an inquest/clinical negligence/inquiries advice role.
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a non-judgemental and empathetic approach
· Ability to manage a varied workload, prioritise effectively, and work independently
· Ability to travel effectively to support families at inquests, and to attend meetings
· A clear understanding of the importance of professional boundaries and in maintaining their emotional wellbeing in distressing situations
· Strong management skills and ability to supervise, coach and mentor colleagues.
· Experience of accurately recording client case records and use of CRM/client database system
What We Offer
· A meaningful role supporting families and delivering change in a values-driven organisation
· Supportive and collaborative team environment
· Professional supervision
· Flexible working arrangements
Please see attached the full job description for further information on the role.
Closing date: Monday 18th August 2025
Interview date: Thursday 4th September 2025
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace.
Benefits
Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated.
Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings.
For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!
About Mencap
Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.
At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.
· Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
· Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes
· Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.
We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies. We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.
Registered Charity 
More than 1000
Thank you!
Today, 12 children and young people will be diagnosed with cancer. We’ll stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
Change lives in a life-changing career
When a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer, their whole world can feel like it’s falling apart. Independence is taken and confidence is stolen. Stability no longer exists. The future suddenly feels uncertain.
The impact of cancer on young lives is more than medical. That’s why we exist. Our specialist social workers help children and young people with cancer and their families navigate the emotional and practical impact of cancer. We remove barriers, solve problems and prioritise wellbeing. And we stop at nothing to make sure they get the right care and support at the right time.
We challenge the systems and policies that surround children and young people, we highlight gaps and campaign for change. Because we know what a better future could look like. And we know what we need to do to make that future a reality. We need to push harder, reach further and work smarter. And we need the right people on our team to help us get there. People like you.
About the role
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we play a unique and vital role in supporting children and young people with cancer. Guided by our strategy, The Time is Now, we are committed to delivering high-quality, impactful services that make a real difference. As a leading provider of psychosocial support and accommodation throughout treatment, end-of-life, and bereavement, we are proud to ensure our services remain relevant, responsive, and tailored to the needs of those we support.
We are looking for a dedicated professional to provide business support across the directorate, working closely with senior operational leaders to drive the implementation and development of our services. This role will be instrumental in supporting new service initiatives and collaborating with other directorates and external partners, such as the NHS and charity organisations, to help us achieve our strategic goals.
This role is subject to a criminal record check. In the event of a successful application an enhanced criminal record check will be completed.
What will I be doing?
No two days are the same at Young Lives vs Cancer. So, summarising your ‘day to day’ isn’t easy. Here are some of the main things you’ll be doing, but you’ll find more details in the job description.
- Providing business support across service development, planning, evaluations, and improvement projects
- Collaborating with other directorates and external partners to deliver joint initiatives aligned with strategic goals
- Supporting the implementation of new systems and processes to drive continuous improvement
- Designing and managing operational programmes, embedding learning from previous work
- Coordinating cross-functional teams, managing risks, and ensuring robust monitoring and reporting
- Building strong relationships with stakeholders and managing governance and service agreements with NHS trusts
What do I need?
Diverse perspectives and unique skillsets are at the heart of Young Lives vs Cancer. If you're passionate about making a positive impact and eager to learn, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't meet the criteria and person specification fully. Your potential is what matters most to us, and we’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment to help you develop.
The key experience, skills and attributes we’re looking for in this role are:
- Experience in service delivery and development within health or social care, with a strong track record of managing programmes that drive improvement and innovation
- Skilled at working collaboratively across multi-disciplinary teams and with external partners to achieve shared goals
- Confident in preparing reports, managing corporate documentation, and using monitoring and evaluation to inform decision-making
- Strong understanding of project management, with the ability to identify risks and embed learning
- A commitment to anti-oppressive practice, equity, and amplifying the voices of children, young people, and families affected by cancer
- Passionate about Young Lives vs Cancer’s mission, values, and strategic priorities, with a proactive approach to safeguarding, inclusion, and continuous improvement
What will I gain?
For people to reach their full potential, they need the right environment. As a member of Team Young Lives, you’ll be made to feel supported, valued and appreciated. Here’s how we do it:
- Flexible working: we’re open to working hours outside of 9 - 5 and we can talk through your flexibility requirements at interview stage
- Thinking and Growth days: four days a year to support your wellbeing through reflection, learning and development - in whatever way works for you
- Generous annual leave allowance
- Great family/caring leave entitlements
- Enhanced pension
- Access to our employee savings scheme
To find out more about our benefits package, have a look on our website.
Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
At Young Lives vs Cancer, we recognise that opportunities for too many people remain a condition of their sex, ethnicity, class, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation – or a combination. This has never been acceptable to us as an organisation. We don’t just accept difference, we value it, celebrate it, nurture it and we thrive because of it.
We’re on a journey to be reflective of the diverse children, young people and families we support. We know we aren’t there yet, and we’re passionately committed to taking actions and making changes to be a truly diverse, inclusive and equitable organisation. This includes taking anti-oppressive action and removing barriers in our recruitment practices. We particularly welcome applications from members of minoritised communities. Our Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging strategy will tell you more.
We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. CVs can be uploaded, but we won't be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to fully complete the work history sections of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly and objectively.
Accessibility
We’re committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we’ll always aim to be as accommodating as possible.Please let us know in your application form of any adjustments or access requirements we could make to help you with the application process and interview.
To arrange an informal chat, please contact Cassie Davis, Service Manager Operations & Development.
#ShowTheSalary #NonGraduatesWelcome
Closing date: Thursday 24 July, 5pm
Interview date: Tuesday 29 July, via Teams
Interview note: We will let you know whether you’ve been shortlisted for interview on the afternoon of Friday 25 July. If you're shortlisted, you'll be invited to book an interview slot. Once confirmed, we'll email you the interview questions in advance.
