Parental Employment Support Fund

(this will open in a new window)Access Data works is delivered by (this will open in a new window)Access to Industry, and is aimed at parents residing in Edinburgh who are interested in training or re-training for jobs in the data sector. The client group will be unemployed or experiencing in-work poverty (and for whom access to re-training will enable a step up or a career change).

Emphasis will be on engaging parents who meet the priority groups: Parents with a disability or have a disabled child; from a minority ethnic background; women. 

The project also works with parents who may not fit the above criteria but have 3+ children; who have a child under 1; who are under age 25. 

Find out more in the directory.

Space @ (this will open in a new window)The Broomhouse Centre supports parent who are unemployed and wish to develop their job seeking skills to find meaningful work, improve their social integration and learning and wellbeing, particularly if parents are from an ethnically diverse background.  

The programme runs for six weeks at the Hub and parents will learn how to communicate well and work with others in a team, build confidence and focus on good health. 

Find out more in the directory.

(this will open in a new window)Into Work offers in-person workshops focused on income maximisation,  where parents will also receive some 1:1 time to focus on their own personal circumstances. It is likely that parents will achieve direct financial gain in some form, via benefits or grants that they are eligible for, as well as budgeting skills, childcare help and income maximisation calculations when seeking employment. 

(this will open in a new window)One Parent Families Scotland are running a Childcare Connecter Service. As well as holding information about the availability and funding for a wide variety of pre-school and wraparound childcare, one-to-one support is provided to parents to help them navigate the childcare landscape, make decisions that are right for them, and feel confident about the transition.  

(this will open in a new window)LIFT supports parents facing poverty, offering a dedicated employability keyworker alongside other in-house support services that families may need. 

The employability key worker will help parents to develop new skills and remove the barriers parents may face in finding employment or moving into education. 

(this will open in a new window)Stepping Stone North Edinburgh offers parents the opportunity to re-engage with learning opportunities, explore aspirations and goals, remove barriers to education and employment and take part in short courses. 

Childcare is provided for children aged 5 and under to allow parents to take part in this opportunity. 

Stepping Stone will support parents to grow confidence, record their achievements and link in with opportunities which can further their progression towards employment. 

(this will open in a new window)Passion4Fusion supports African and migrant parents facing financial issues (including no recourse to public funds) and parents who have underlying health concerns.  

This service will help parents to access support to manage their long-term health conditions.  

In addition, parents will be offered training, mentoring, and opportunities for job placements to help them gain the confidence and skills to secure employment. 

(this will open in a new window)Project Esperanza supports parents from African countries, and prepares parents for employment, education or training during tailored weekly sessions on a 1:1 basis. 

The sessions cover CV and cover letter writing, job searches and applications, interview and workplace skills and mentoring is also offered.  

(this will open in a new window)Saheliya supports women or girls who identify as black, minority ethnic, asylum seekers, refugees or migrants, living in Edinburgh.  

The support offered by Saheliya helps parents to progress towards a career in childcare, over a programme of weeks, as well as language support and a creche for preschool children.  

The programme includes sessions to help parents overcome barriers, accredited child protection training, ESOL, work experience placements, and support to attend Edinburgh College.

Space @ (this will open in a new window)The Broomhouse Centre offers parents who are new to Edinburgh and from ethnically diverse backgrounds with two structured training sessions.

The first session is to help parents learn about working in Scotland, including career planning and business English and a work club.

The second session will offer parents insight into living in Scotland, incorporating wellbeing as the theme for the activities which will help parents to get to know their new country and settle into a new culture, reduce barriers and build essential skills for life.

(this will open in a new window)CHAI will support parents from minority ethnic backgrounds where they are unemployed or experiencing in-work poverty, as this project focuses on seeking equality for families.

A dedicated Advice Worker will offer parents help in many areas relating to financial wellbeing, providing advice around benefits, housing, debt or 'in work' calculations too, where applicable.

(this will open in a new window)Barnardo's Bright Family Futures supports employability for New Scot Parents.

The programme supports parents to progress along the journey to finding meaningful work, using a tailored approach to parents' individual needs. Alongside developing new skills to help parents find work, they will learn wellbeing strategies through social interaction, mindfulness courses and have access to the thera-pet service.

Parents will also have the opportunity to enrol for 1:1 counselling sessions to support mental health.

Survivors of Human Trafficking in Scotland ((this will open in a new window)SOHTIS) will support parents from ethnically diverse backgrounds who are unemployed or facing in-work poverty.

Parents will benefit from weekly 1:1 support with a dedicated key worker.

In addition, parents can attend participatory workshops on specific topics to build workplace skills and resilience.

SOHTIS can also offer parents a paid trial work placement upon course completion.

(this will open in a new window)The Welcoming's Get Ready for Opportunities and Work (GROW) Project helps parents who are New Scots (asylum seeker, refugee, or migrant).

The GROW Project is a course to help parents to prepare for working in the UK.

The course runs for two hours once a week, for six weeks, and parents will learn how to find work in Scotland, how to write a CV, what to expect at job interviews, Scottish work culture, and their rights and responsibilities in the workplace.

(this will open in a new window)Dean and Cauvin will support care-experienced parents who are engaging in their residential or community-based support programmes.

Key Workers will offer support with employability skills on a 1:1 basis via weekly drop-ins and, alongside a peer mentor, will assess and address the barriers facing parents in finding employment.

This support is holistic so will complement the practical, wellbeing and social support parents receive from their Key Worker(s), to support positive transition to independent life and to provide the best ongoing care for their child(ren).