Reference number: CF26-50
Division: Children and Families
Location: Edinburgh or Central Belt with Travel to Edinburgh
Salary: Band D £37,189 - £42,687 per annum
Post Type: Full time, 35 hours per week, permanent contract
Closing Date: 30th September 2026
Interview Date: 5th October 2026
Children First Support Line
Could you play a vital role within our national Support Line, helping deliver Scotland's mission to eradicate child poverty?
Join Children First and be part of a once in a generation transformation in how families access help to alleviate crisis, prevent harm and build long term stability to break the cycle of child poverty.
Funded by the Scottish Government, we are doubling the size of our Support Line with the aim of supporting 7,500 more families across Scotland in the first year. Through this investment, we are creating an accessible national front door to family support, ensuring families can access practical, emotional and financial help when they need it most.
As Scotland's national children's charity, we've been preventing harm, supporting recovery and driving change since 1884. Our ambitious plans build on decades of experience delivering cash-first, short, medium and long-term holistic support to families living in, or at risk of, poverty.
We're looking for passionate, talented and ambitious professionals to join our growing team and help shape the future of family support in Scotland.
About the Role
This is an exciting opportunity to lead the direction, development and quality assurance of Children First's Welfare Benefits and Debt Advice Service.
As Senior Money Advisor, you will provide leadership, supervision and support to a team of advisers, ensuring families receive high-quality welfare benefits, debt and financial wellbeing advice that improves outcomes for children and reduces the impact of poverty.
Alongside leading a team, you will maintain a small caseload of complex cases, providing specialist welfare benefits and debt advice, supporting Social Security appeals and working directly with families experiencing financial hardship. You will help families maximise income, manage debt, access entitlements and build greater financial resilience.
Working across Children First and alongside external partners, you will contribute to service development, quality assurance, partnership working and continuous improvement, ensuring our financial wellbeing services remain accessible, effective and impactful for families across Scotland.
Why This Role Matters
Poverty remains one of the greatest threats to childhood in Scotland.
At Children First, we know that financial hardship affects every aspect of family life. By providing timely, expert advice and support, we can help alleviate crisis, strengthen family wellbeing and create better outcomes for children.
As Senior Money Advisor, your expertise will directly contribute to our ambition to reduce child poverty and ensure families have access to the support they need to thrive
What We're Looking For
We're looking for an experienced and values-driven leader with a strong background in welfare benefits and debt advice who is passionate about reducing child poverty and improving outcomes for children and families.
You will bring:
- Significant experience providing welfare benefits and debt advice.
- Experience leading, supervising or developing staff and advisers.
- Strong knowledge of social security systems, welfare benefits and debt management.
- The ability to manage complex casework and provide specialist advice.
- Excellent coaching, communication and relationship-building skills.
- Experience working collaboratively with a range of partners and stakeholders.
- A commitment to high-quality advice practice, continuous improvement and relational working.
- The ability to lead through change while maintaining service quality and compliance standards.
Above all, you will share our commitment to putting children at the heart of everything we do.
Our Values
Everything we do is guided by our values:
With Love
We put children first with compassion and kindness.
With Purpose
We work alongside families and partners to transform children's lives together.
With Strength
We do whatever it takes to protect Scotland's children.
What You'll Get From Us
At Children First, you'll be part of a values-led organisation committed to supporting and developing our people.
We offer:
- 40 days annual leave, inclusive of public holidays.
- Contributory pension scheme.
- Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
- Access to Westfield Health and wellbeing support.
- Blue Light Card discounts.
- A Fair Work accredited workplace.
- Ongoing learning and professional development opportunities.
- The opportunity to help shape a national service that is transforming how families access support across Scotland.
Join Us
If you share our belief that every child in Scotland can grow up free from poverty and are committed to making it happen, we want to hear from you.
Together, we can alleviate crisis, prevent harm, strengthen families and create brighter futures for children across Scotland.
Closing Date:30th September 2026
interviews will be held week commencing 5th October 2026
FULL JOB DESCRIPTION
Role Summary
You will play a vital role in the expansion and delivery of our national support line service, which offers practical, financial and emotional support to families through phone calls, webchats, advice and information on our website and in their homes and communities across Scotland.
The Senior Money Advisor will lead the direction, development and quality assurance of Children First's Welfare Benefits and Debt Advice Service. The postholder will provide leadership, supervision and support to a team of advisers, ensuring the delivery of high-quality specialist money, welfare benefits and debt advice that improves outcomes for children, families and communities experiencing poverty and financial hardship.
The role is responsible for ensuring compliance with all statutory and non-statutory Money Advice requirements, maintaining quality standards and supporting continuous service improvement. Alongside leadership responsibilities, the Senior Money Advisor will provide specialist welfare benefits and debt advice, manage complex casework and represent clients where appropriate, ensuring families receive timely, effective and relational support that maximises income and financial wellbeing
Key Results Areas
The Senior Money Advisor will provide leadership, management and oversight of the Welfare Benefits and Debt Advice Team, ensuring services are delivered to a consistently high standard and in line with Children First values, policies and the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Providers. They will supervise and support advisers through regular supervision, annual development reviews, case consultation and professional guidance, fostering a culture of reflective practice, learning and continuous improvement.
The postholder will maintain expert knowledge of welfare benefits, debt legislation, social security systems and advice sector developments, ensuring staff receive accurate guidance and support. They will oversee the effective administration of case management systems, monitor service quality and compliance, undertake regular case file reviews and implement corrective actions where required.
The Senior Money Advisor will carry a small caseload of complex welfare benefits and debt cases, providing specialist advice and representation where appropriate, including Social Security appeals up to and including the Upper Tribunal. They will support families experiencing financial hardship through income maximisation, debt management, housing-related debt issues and negotiation with statutory agencies and creditors to achieve positive outcomes.
Working collaboratively across Children First and with external partners, the postholder will promote the service, contribute to partnership working and support the development and delivery of training, briefings and awareness-raising activities. They will produce reports, analyse service data and contribute to service development, ensuring Children First continues to provide effective, accessible and impactful financial wellbeing support to families across Scotland.
The postholder will ensure that children, young people and families receive timely and appropriate support, with children's safety, wellbeing and rights at the centre of decision-making and service delivery. Occasional evening or out-of-hours work may be required
What We’re looking for
We are looking for an experienced and values-driven leader with a strong background in welfare benefits and debt advice who is passionate about reducing child poverty and improving outcomes for children and families. You will bring excellent people management and coaching skills, alongside the ability to build trusting relationships with colleagues, families and partner organisations.
You will demonstrate sound professional judgement, a commitment to high-quality advice practice and an ability to support others to achieve excellent outcomes. You will be confident leading through change, maintaining compliance and quality standards, and ensuring services remain responsive to the needs of families experiencing financial hardship. Above all, you will share Children First's commitment to relational practice and to putting children at the heart of everything we do.
Corporate Responsibility
- Be committed and adhere to Children First vision, mission and values.
- Comply with Children First Safeguarding policies and procedures.
- Comply with Children First Code of Conduct and any relevant professional standards relating to the role.
- Actively consider the involvement of children, young people and families with whom we work, in all areas of practice and to implement the Children First Participation Standards.
- Actively consider the involvement of volunteers in all areas of our work and implementing the Children First Volunteer Development Policy.
- Observe all health and safety requirements.
- Work within and promote policies in relation to Diversity Equity and Inclusion and anti-discriminatory practices.
- Undertake any other reasonably required duties as instructed by line manager or someone acting on their behalf, in addition to the role specific responsibilities detailed below.
Need to Have | Need to Show | Need to Know | Need to Be | Core Values |
| Extensive experience providing welfare benefits and money advice to at least Type II standard. Experience of managing staff and supporting professional development. Experience of delivering training and developing adviser knowledge. Experience of partnership working with internal and external stakeholders. | Leadership and people management skills. Ability to coach, supervise and motivate staff. Strong communication, negotiation and advocacy skills. Ability to analyse information, make sound decisions and manage competing priorities. Ability to produce clear reports and use case management systems effectively. | Welfare benefits, debt advice and income maximisation. Scottish National Standards for Advice Providers. Social Security legislation, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax systems. Financial hardship and poverty issues affecting families in Scotland. Service quality assurance and compliance requirements. | Flexible and adaptable. Committed to relational practice and continuous improvement. Confident building credible professional relationships. Committed to supporting children and families experiencing poverty and disadvantage. Able and willing to travel as required. | With Love, we put children first. With Purpose, we transform children's lives together. With Strength, we do whatever it takes to protect Scotland's children. |
Desirable
- Completion of Money Advice Scotland Training to Scottish National Standards Type III level (post-April 2016).
- Experience of representing clients at tribunal level.
- Advanced knowledge of welfare rights, debt solutions and financial capability support.
- Experience managing advice service quality and compliance frameworks.