News

A programme aimed at tackling Scotland’s care worker shortage has taken on its first group of trainees. The ‘People Can Care’ programme run by Kibble gives people interested in becoming child and youth care workers the chance to train within Kibble’s nationally recognised training system whilst gaining invaluable experience in a real working environment.

Trainees on the programme will work in Kibble for 12 months and will learn about every aspect of what it takes to work with some of the most vulnerable young people in the country. A study by Scottish Care from April 2017 found that 90% of organisations have difficulty filling support worker vacancies and that over half (58%) have said recruitment is harder this year than last.¹

Chief Executive of Kibble, Jim Gillespie, said:

“I am delighted to welcome the first 6 trainees to our new programme, ‘People Can Care’. We know that Scotland is facing a shortage of care workers and that organisations like Kibble must do more to encourage people to consider child and youth care as a career. Kibble is one of Scotland’s leading child and youth care charities and as such trainees are well placed to learn here.

“Our new trainee programme is the first step in the journey to help tackle Scotland’s shortage in care workers and give these trainees the chance at becoming confident, skilled child and youth care workers. Working in care can sometimes be tough but it is a rewarding and fulfilling career knowing that you help young people achieve their potential.”

The first cohort of trainees will work alongside full-time staff for 12 months as they learn exactly what it takes to work in child and youth care. Trainees will learn by direct observation, practice experience, direct teaching and mentoring. After working in all aspects of Kibble for a year, the trainees are guaranteed a job interview with a view to being given permanent positions.

Marie Duncan, Learning and Development Manager at Kibble said:

“Every trainee is assigned a mentor who will be on-hand to offer guidance and support throughout their time at Kibble. We take great pride in making sure that our staff have every opportunity to develop new skills, and our trainees will be just the same.

“This is just the beginning of the programme, and we hope that we will be able to offer more opportunities like this in the future for others considering a career in child and youth care.”

A new venue offering arts, music and community events along with the chance to learn more about social enterprise has now opened in Glasgow city centre.

Based in Buchanan Galleries, ‘good’ is a different type of space, letting organisations and people connect allowing Glasgow’s communities to flourish.

Over the next few months, ‘good’ will host organisations within Buchanan Galleries including Kibble Services, Glasgow Social Enterprise Network, Indigo Childcare, Visibility Scotland and others.

Kibble – one of Scotland’s oldest charities and leading social enterprise with expertise in youth training and employment – will manage the new venue, working in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.

As well as showcasing a wide variety of third sector organisations, visitors to the venue can also use the children’s play area, grab a selfie in an electric go-kart and record their very own Glasgow stories in their specially designed recording studio, the Blether Booth.

Chief Executive of Kibble, Jim Gillespie, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for people in Glasgow to find out more about what social enterprises do to help people and communities every day. We also want people to get involved with what is happening in the venue, including telling us their Glasgow stories within our Blether Booth.

“All of our events and activities on offer are free of charge and open to everyone, so please drop by next time you are in Buchanan Galleries.”

Members of the public are encouraged to visit ‘good’ to find out more and the space will be open from 10am to 5pm every day.

Kathy Murdoch, centre manager at Buchanan Galleries, said: “’good’ will provide a unique space for various charities and social enterprises to engage and educate the public on the great work that takes place within Glasgow’s communities. The venue is up and running and we hope groups from across the whole of the city come forward and make full use of all the facilities the team have on site.”

John Ferguson, Director of Development at SCVO, said:

“SCVO is delighted to be supporting Kibble and good in this exciting initiative by installing a bank of PC’s which provide free access to a range of websites promoting jobs, fundraising, volunteering and the activities of charities.

“It’s a marvellous gesture by the Galleries’ owners, Land Securities, to donate use of the space and SCVO will keep helping good by promoting awareness of its free availability to communities and charities around the West Coast.

“Any activity which brings people together and highlights the fabulous work social enterprises, charities, community groups and individual volunteers undertake to benefit society is surely a good thing. Come on Glasgow – get involved!”

Groups and members of the public who are looking to get more involved are encourage to visit good.scot or by emailing good.scot.info@kibble.org

Young people from Kibble wowed a packed audience at their annual ‘Kibble Allsorts’ revue show last week. They were joined on stage by dancers from West College Scotland, and Paisley’s latest music sensation Mandula & Hepzibah.

‘Kibble Allsorts’ is run in partnership with The Big Lottery Young Start Fund. The fund is designed to support events that encourage young people to take part in the arts. External tutors have been working with the young people for several months to prepare them for their performances.

The Kibble Band impressed with their versions of pop hits Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac, Shape of You by Ed Sheeren, and Just Can’t Get Enough by Depeche Mode. The student dancers of West College Scotland went back to the 70s with their disco repertoire complete with vintage outfits.

The evening also saw Mandula & Hepzibah warm up for their supporting role for Paolo Nutini at the SPREE Festival by playing their own hit that will feature on the Paisley 2021 album.

Speaking after the event, Principal Teacher of Expressive Arts Laura Cairns said:

“Having events like Kibble Allsorts allows the young people to learn and develop new skills and confidence. Throughout the whole process, everyone worked tirelessly to put on such a fantastic evening.

“There are many hours of practice that our musicians dedicate to making the live performances such a success – I want to pay tribute to all of them.”

Chief Executive of Kibble Jim Gillespie said:

“Yet another fantastic evening showcasing the talent this school has to offer. What’s less easy to appreciate is the skillful, thoughtful support that brings the youngsters to this point.

“The confident performances don’t just happen and weeks of hard work allow the boys and girls to conquer their nerves and deliver in front of a packed audience. When feel incredibly proud of this school.”

Social enterprises from across the world will visit The Experience in Renfrewshire as part of the biggest ever gathering of its type in 2018. The move was announced after the Social Enterprise World Forum confirmed that it would be holding their annual conference in Scotland.

Delegates from across the globe will visit The Experience in Hillington Park, a social enterprise owned and operated by Paisley charity Kibble. The two day event will focus on the environment and the social enterprise business model.

The Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) was established in 2008 to promote the social enterprise business model, where companies operate with a social mission and profits are reinvested instead of being paid to shareholders. The inaugural event was held in Edinburgh in 2008 with subsequent forums in Melbourne (2009), San Francisco (2010), South Africa (2011), Rio de Janeiro (2012), Calgary (2013), Seoul (2014), Milan (2015), Hong Kong (2016) and Christchurch (2017).

Chief Executive of Kibble Jim Gillespie said:

“Kibble has been a big supporter of SEWF right from the very beginning. We are delighted that our own social enterprise The Experience will be hosting a two day environmental working group as part of their conference next year.

“The Experience is maybe not what you would expect from a typical social enterprise. As well as being a Visit Scotland 5 Star accredited go karting and conference centre, it also hosts a range of social programmes including giving young people the chance of training and employment.

“Visitors from across the world will be able to see the important work that we are doing at Kibble and our other social enterprises like The Experience and Oskars (Kibble’s recycling social enterprise).  By sharing learning and expertise, we want to be able to provide even more opportunities for young people in Renfrewshire.”

Gerry Higgins, CEO of the 2018 organisers Community Enterprise in Scotland (CEIS) said:

“Since organising the first event in Edinburgh in 2008 we could see there was a real passion to establish social enterprise as a viable business model for non-profits looking for sustainability and entrepreneurs seeking to create businesses that benefit society. Visitors to Scotland in 2018 will engage with our unique Scottish and UK social enterprise scene, where social enterprises and government work together to tackle inequality, build healthy communities and create vibrant local economies.

“We are preparing to welcome 1200 participants from over 40 countries to Edinburgh in September, as SEWF 2018 provides a unique opportunity for the social enterprise community to collaborate and network in an inspiring and supportive setting.”

Interested in working with children to help make a difference to their lives? Come along to our recruitment days this September to find out about the range of roles available at Kibble’s local children’s care home in North Ayrshire including:

• Child and youth care staff (part time, weekends and sessional)
• Foster carers (full time, or respite care)
• Volunteers (min. 4 hours per week)

When?

Fri 22 Sep, 1pm – 7pm
Sat 23 Sep, 9am – 1pm

Where?

Clark Memorial Church
Bath Street
Largs, KA30 8BL

Tell me more?

If you think you’ve got what it takes, or would like to find out more, please drop in to one of our recruitment days. We look forward to welcoming you!

Social enterprise Doggy Chillin brought along an excitable 4-legged dog ‘Jenna’  to our school’s special assembly. Pupils were taught an invaluable lesson on how to be safe around dogs and to better understand their behaviours.

Doggy Chillin is a Paisley based social enterprise set up by qualified dog whisperer Colum Scriven alongside Catherine Quinn, a former teacher, and Jim Glancy Durning, a qualified social worker. They have designed a series of courses which can be delivered in schools to enable young people to grow in confidence around dogs through a heightened appreciation for their nature.

While the teenage pupils weren’t quite as bright eyed and bushy-tailed as Jenna the dog first thing in the morning, they loved the opportunity to learn more about the animal’s behaviours. This type of learning is particularly valuable for young people at Kibble, as many have a history of trauma or neglect. As a result, some pupils can find it difficult to engage in traditional methods of learning. By safely introduced dogs to this learning environment, the focus is shifted from the pupil to the dog and this can have a positive impact on their educational development.

Of course, dogs are no strangers to Kibble’s campus! One of our Duty Managers Maggie Ramsey brings dog Jasper to work with her regularly and the pupils adore him.  He’s forever racing around campus at 100mph lapping up the attention of young people and the care team.

KibbleWorks has received support to help young people gain skills for the construction trade. Toolstation made the £1000 donation from the money generated by the 5p carrier bag charge at their stores across Scotland.

The state of the art tools purchased from the money have allowed young people to learn about joinery and mechanics. KibbleWorks in McKean Street operates an exciting and diverse range of vocational programmes aimed at young people who may have felt challenged or out of place in a mainstream educational environment.

Eileen Cummings, Head of Young Workforce Development at KibbleWorks, said:

“Kibbleworks are really grateful to Toolstation for their continued support and generous donation to assist in helping young people in Paisley and surrounding areas gain qualifications and experience in the construction industry.”

Graeme Boyd, regional manager at Toolstation for the area including Paisley, said:

“We’re very pleased to be able to donate to charities such as KibbleWorks, which is located close to several of our branches. The work they all do in providing practical training, qualifications and support in construction skills to disadvantaged young people across the country not only makes a huge difference to individuals and communities, but also helps the industry benefit from new and enthusiastic talent at a time when skills shortages in the construction trade are growing.”

A volunteering scheme that lets retired and semi-retired people give something back to the community is looking for new recruits. The Charity Experience, based at The Experience in Hillington Park, gives local groups and charities the opportunity to use the state of the art go karting and conference facilities at a discounted rate and is run in partnership with local volunteers.

Last year over 23 million adults in the UK volunteered their time for charities. Recent studies have shown that volunteering can increase mental and physical wellbeing as well as reducing social isolation.

The rewarding roles include karting assistance, music & drama, photography, arts, crafts, and much more. The latest recruits might be more use to a bus pass than a go-kart, but they accepted a challenge to race each other in a contest of the ‘geri-kartrics’. After the grand prix, they took some time to help explain why they wanted to get more involved with The Charity Experience.

Alex Young (65) from Beith, and Hugh Gilmour (64) from Houston, joined retired Chief Executive of Kibble Graham Bell (63) for the race at The Experience, proving that age is no barrier when it comes to taking part in the action. Alex is a retired engineer and started volunteering through the The Spiers Trust, a local charity that helps families in financial difficulty. He said:

“Now that I have a bit more time on my hands, I feel that it is good to give something back to the community. The Charity Experience is a fantastic example of local groups being able to access exciting activities that they might not otherwise enjoy.

“My advice to anyone who wants to get involved? Do it! It is a thoroughly rewarding experience.”

Hugh is the retired Managing Director of famous Renfrewshire leather company W.J. & W. Lang. This was the first time that he had raced in a go-kart, but he enjoyed the full work-out followed by a tasty bacon roll from the Experience café. He said:

“It is amazing how physical driving a go-kart can be. No wonder the F1 guys are in top condition.”

Speaking about becoming a volunteer at The Charity Experience, he added:

“The range of opportunities are incredible. Whether people have mechanical, catering or other skills, there are roles for all types of schedule and abilities.”

The race finished with Alex Young taking top spot with Graham Bell and Hugh Gilmour in second and third respectively. Retired Chief Executive of Kibble Graham Bell said:

“We know people volunteer for a whole number of reasons, whether it is to enhance their CV, to meet new people, or to give something back to the community. With our Charity Experience, volunteering with us can do all of this and more.

“The Experience is such an exciting venue that we want to make it accessible for as many charity and community groups as possible. With the help of volunteering, we are dedicated to removing barriers and providing opportunities for all.”

To find out more about volunteering as part of the Charity Experience, email enquiries@theexperience.org.uk or call 0141 883 4005.

Kibble has achieved the prestigious Investors in People Gold Accreditation, the most successful framework for business improvement through people in the UK.

This represents a true commitment to employees and demonstrates a solid foundation of good practice which remains challenging and aspirational for many organisations.

Achieving the Gold level of Accreditation puts Kibble in the top 7% of all IIP Accredited clients. Kibble joins an exclusive group of UK employers eligible to use and display the sought after Investors in People logo and plaque, and enjoy its benefits.

Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive of Kibble, said:

“We are proud as an organisation to be honoured in this way. At Kibble, we look after some of the most vulnerable young people in the country and it takes dedicated staff to achieve better outcomes for them.

“By continuing to invest in our staff, we can provide the specialist care services that can give young people a brighter future.”

Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People Scotland, said:

“This is a fantastic achievement for Kibble. I would like to congratulate the organisation and its people on their commitment to continuous improvement. Investors in People offers a flexible, practical and easy to use business improvement tool designed to help organisations and their people achieve their objectives. I hope that more organisations in the area will be encouraged to sharpen their competitive edge by choosing to work with us.”

Young people at Kibble Education and Care Centre were given the chance to find out first-hand what it takes to live and work in space this week. American astronaut Steve Swanson was visiting The Experience in Hillington Park as part of his ‘Mission Discovery’ tour of Scotland.

Mission Discovery is a summer school programme that aims to inspire young people to learn about science, technology, engineering and maths. The participants get to work with experienced astronauts and rocket scientists to produce science experiments that can be carried out in space.

Steve spoke to the young people about his life as an engineer before being selected to take part in several missions on the International Space Station. In total, he spent over 195 days in space and took part in 5 space walks. He said:

“It wasn’t until I was 25 that I decided that I wanted to become an astronaut. I was always trying to improve myself and to reach my next goal and to go into space seemed like that ultimate target.

“Everyone who works for NASA has a different background and they bring their skills together to help train astronauts for life in a completely different environment. Having zero gravity can make everyday tasks very difficult! But it is also a really fun place to be, almost like a playground.

“That’s what we are speaking to the young people about today. It is to encourage them to think about the different way in which you have to live and work in Space.”

Jim Gillespie, Chief Executive of Kibble Education and Care Centre said:

“To hear Steve talk about his time working for NASA has been a real privilege. I know the young people learnt a lot and posed a few difficult questions themselves about what it takes to be an astronaut.

“At Kibble we place a great deal of emphasis on preparing our young people for fulfilling adult lives. Opportunities to meet people like Steve will hopefully inspire these young people well into the future.”