Employ a Local Schools Worker
Scripture Union Scotland Associate Worker Scheme
At present there are around 16 Scripture Union Scotland Associate Workers operating in towns throughout Scotland. Each one is employed by groups of local churches to be available to the schools and to young people in the area. This human resource is valued by the school, by churches and by young people themselves and regularly offers some of the following:
Working as part of the School Chaplaincy Team, and in co-operation with the Senior Management, providing regular and creative Religious Observance Events with a Biblical emphasis.
Offering to support the informal curriculum by setting up and maintaining SU Groups within the secondary school and associated primaries, with a view to inviting young people to consider the Christian faith, and to encourage young people to take a responsible interest in the life of the school.
Providing residential experiences, within the curriculum, in the Classroom Outdoors, at SU Activity Centres – a wide variety of weekday residential packages.
Giving young people the opportunity to attend weekend residential events and local church youth events in the area.
Helping churches in the area to organise and promote community missions or Holiday clubs.
Organising 6th Year conferences on topics chosen by the school and bringing a Christian perspective.
Involvement with Religious Observance events such as Bible Alive, Bubblegum 'n' Fluff and Easter Code, designed for Religious Observance in the primary school.
SU Scotland is making this scheme available more widely to groups of local churches who share our vision, values, aspirations and emphases. Local churches who partner with us form local Trusts and have raised support in their area to employ an Associate Worker. If you find the whole idea attractive then you may want to explore the idea and begin the journey in your area.
Step 1: Local churches agree
Church Leaders and youth leaders in the area need to agree that they would like to work together with a view to serving the school by offering a Christian youth worker as a resource.
Step 2: Getting organised
With the support of other churches, it is essential that representatives from each of the participating churches form a steering group to progress the vision, and then form a properly constituted Trust to administer the finance, and a management group to take the project forward. The group needs a chair, a secretary, and a good financial member to take things forward.
Step 3: Partner with Scripture Union Scotland
Once a Trust is formed, a Management Group can be set up, and we can formalise the Partnership Agreement with SU Scotland. This agreement commits SU Scotland to supporting the project by providing guidance on issues surrounding fund-raising, employment, as well as providing a prospective line manager for the worker and looking after payroll and pension.
The Agreement commits the Trust to the Vision and Values of SU Scotland, as well as to its Employment values and policies.
Step 4: Pray and raise support
This is the longest part of the journey and will involve promotion of the project amongst churches and individuals, as well as applying to grant-awarding bodies, whilst seeking to build prayer support.
SU advise that the Trust aims to raise, or have promised, 3 years worth of finance before advertising for a worker, and this will total roughly £90,000. This includes a start up fee and annual contribution to Scripture Union Scotland.
Step 5: Advertise and appoint your worker
Once it looks likely that the Trust will be able to employ a worker for 3 years, then the process of recruitment and employment begins. SU Scotland can provide guidance for this, including help with advert wording, job description, contracts, interview procedure etc.
Step 6: Manage the project and the worker
Once your worker is in position and ready to start, s/he will be line managed, on behalf of the Trust, by SU Scotland’s Regional Worker, and that SU worker will sit on the Management Group each time it meets and give a report alongside the worker’s report.
SU Scotland will provide Continuous Professional Development opportunities for the Associate Worker, and SU Scotland’s Finance Unit will deal with payroll and National Insurance on behalf of the Trust.
Management Groups normally meet every month or 6 weeks to manage the project and to ensure that the worker is guided and directed, and the project continues to develop for the long term.
If you want to find out more information then please contact your local Scripture Union Scotland Office, or email directly to associateworkerscheme@SUScotland.org.uk
