FAQs

We are a pioneering charity providing dedicated services for people experiencing mental ill health.

We offer support services right across Scotland and we have services in 23 health and social care partnership areas. These include: crisis support and suicide prevention; self-harm support; 121 keyworking and groupwork; supported living and supported accommodation. Our teams run two 24/7 crisis centres: Hope Point in Dundee, and the Edinburgh Crisis Centre. We’re partners in national services including: Future Pathways; Distress Brief Intervention; the Redress Support Scheme; and Self-Harm Network Scotland.

26% of our colleagues are employed in peer support roles. People’s lived experiences help us to shape our pioneering services and to campaign for change across Scotland.

The third sector is an umbrella term for charitable organisations who are independent of statutory services. The sector delivers approximately one third of social care services across Scotland. Penumbra is a registered charity (SC 010387).

Mental Health and Wellbeing Workers provide tailored mental health and wellbeing support for people accessing our services. Support is provided in the community. You’ll be supported by a Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioner within a supportive team structure.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Practitioners provide tailored mental health and wellbeing support for people accessing our services. Support is provided in the community. Practitioners also have some supervisory duties. Practitioners will be supported by a Support or Service Manager within a supportive team structure.

Lived and living experience is when someone has their own personal experience of living with a mental health issue or supporting someone who does. 26% of our colleagues are employed in peer support roles. This means, our peer colleagues are employed because they have lived experience of living with and managing a mental health issue. Peer colleagues are able to use insight from the lived experience of their own mental health journey to support people accessing our support services. We know things can and do get better – our peer colleagues have been there and offer hope that recovery is possible.

Peer Workers provide mental health and wellbeing support for people accessing our services. Peer Workers are employed because they have lived experience of recovery from mental ill health. Our peer colleagues are able to use insight from their lived experience to support people accessing our services.

Peer Practitioners use insight from their own lived experience of mental health recovery to provide tailored mental health and wellbeing support for people accessing our services. Practitioners also have some supervisory duties. Practitioners will be supported by a Support or Service Manager within a supportive team structure.

Please complete our online application in our dream jobs portal. You will need to set up an account to do this, but once you do your information will be saved. We do not accept CV’s you will need to complete our online application.

No. As a provider registered with SSSC, we adhere to their guidelines around recruitment. This means we need applicants to complete an online application through our dream jobs portal. The good thing is, once you’ve created your account, the portal remembers all your information for future applications.

You don’t need to be qualified to apply for a role here. You just need to be able to demonstrate that you meet the criteria for the role during the interview process. Have you ever supported a someone a friend or family member when they needed it or looked after a niece or nephew? These are all transferable skills that you can use with Penumbra Mental Health! We’ll also support you with continuous training and development once you’re in post.

Every new colleague has a six month induction period. We will support you to gain the training you need for your role. We have an in-house training team who will work together with you to ensure you have everything you need to feel confident in your new role.

Yes. We advertise our salaries within each job listing.

Yes. All expenses incurred as a result of carrying out your duties can be claimed through our online systems.

Car mileage:

40p per mile up to 10,000 each year (review pending an increase to 45p)

25p per mile for mileage above 10,000 each year

Motorcycle mileage: 24p per mile

Bicycle: 20p per mile

Subsistence: 

Up to £5 for breakfast. Up to £7.50 for lunch. Up to £15 for an evening meal.

Refreshments with supported people: up to £3 for one non-alcoholic beverage.

Winter flu vaccination: up to £13.

VDU glasses: up to £50.

We have one head office in Edinburgh and three area offices in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow.

However, our support teams are normally community based with access to a local office, and support takes place in a variety of community settings. Depending on the role you’re applying for, this means you could be offering support through a mix of face to face in community settings, walk and talks, group workshops, or over the phone.

We advise you to please check each job description for the requirements of the role you’re applying for. 

Yes, absolutely! We want you to grow and thrive with us. We have a diverse range of services and we love seeing colleagues gain new skills and experiences.

Our career structure is defined, and we will actively encourage and support you to continuously train and develop.

Yes, we are recognised by UNITE. That means there’s always UNITE representation for colleagues during discussions about terms and conditions or any other employment relations matters. 

If you work in one of our registered services you’ll have to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) within the first six months of employment. The SSSC are the regulator for the social service workforce in Scotland. More about the SSSC. 

If you’re unsure or have a question, please ask our HR team: recruitment@penumbra.org.uk

The SSSC stands for the Scottish Social Services Council and this is the social care workforce regulator. Penumbra Mental Health is registered with the SCCC as a provider of social care. More about the SSSC.

You will need to be PVG checked if your role involves supporting people. The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) membership scheme is managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland. It helps ensure people whose behaviour makes them unsuitable to work with children and protected adults cannot do regulated work with these vulnerable groups.

We can advise you how to go about getting a PVG check.

If your role with us doesn’t involve supporting people (ie, a head office role) you do not need to be PVG checked. You will however need to complete what’s called a Basic Disclosure which is also carried out by Disclosure Scotland. 

More info on: Disclosure Scotland

Having a criminal conviction does not automatically stop you from applying and being successful in a role with us. If you would like a confidential chat around this, please contact us: recruitment@penumbra.org.uk