Thank you for your interest in the position of Head of Public Affairs and Communications at SAMH, Scotland’s national mental health charity. We are an organisation dedicated to making Scotland a better place for people with mental health problems. Whatever your role, everyone who works for SAMH is helping with this mission.
A significant percentage of staff have experienced mental health problems and as an employer, we not only support people during periods of poor mental health, we value a positive life-work balance, and working in a positive and supportive environment. We support people to do the best possible job for those we’re here to help. We know to do that staff need to be happy at work and feel supported and listened to.
Pre-dating the NHS, we trace our roots back to the early 1900s and the pioneering work of Dr Kate Fraser CBE, from Paisley. Dr Fraser’s dedication to improving the conditions and treatment of people with mental health problems was truly inspirational, and we keep her vision alive across Scotland’s communities every single day.
Our Impact
A century on, SAMH operates over 70 services in communities across Scotland. Our services are person centred and based on an ethos of recovery. Below are stories shared by just three of the people we support, thanks to our supporters, dedicated colleagues and the trust you place in us.
Our strategy
Society has come a long way since those early years but there is so much still left to do. Our centenary strategy, We Won’t Wait, sets out our demands for better mental health support, and our ambition for people to be able to ask once and get help fast.
Fit for the future
We’ve learned a thing or two about overcoming challenges in our 100 years. And when the Covid-19 pandemic brought in-person services to a standstill, we moved many of our services online to continue supporting individuals and communities with their mental health and wellbeing. We also created something new: Time for You. This virtual wellbeing support service offers access to Wellbeing Coaching and Talking Therapy for people experiencing mild to moderate emotional or mental health difficulties.
The last few years have possibly been the most challenging times we can remember. Even before the pandemic, Scotland’s mental health system wasn’t working for many thousands of people.
Now, there is a stronger need than ever before to support the mental health of our nation as we enter a period of recovery. We have therefore designed our new strategy, We Won’t Wait, to be the most ambitious we have produced in a generation.
Do you want to be part of Scotland’s largest mental health charity?
At SAMH people are our biggest asset and, through their dedication, skills, compassion and resilience, we are proud to provide recovery focused support and help to a record number of people across Scotland.
Are you an experienced Public Affairs & Communications professional who has been waiting for that one outstanding opportunity to come on the market? Want to work with an organisation that does some incredible work across the country? Then, this could be for you!
Denholm are supporting SAMH as they bring in a Head of Public Affairs & Communications to join their talented team.
As Scotland’s most prominent mental health charity, it’s an exciting time to be joining in what is their centenary year. They provide some fantastic support across mental health social care support, services in primary care, schools and further education, among others and this role will play a key part in that.
As an organisation, they genuinely care about their employees and you’d be part of a friendly dedicated team who collaborate closely for the bigger cause. There’s also a big emphasis on work/life balance and some fantastic benefits on offer.
This is an amazing opportunity for someone looking to be part of something special whilst helping them promote and tell their story.
Opportunities like this genuinely don’t come up often! You will need to demonstrate a strong track record within public affairs with experience of establishing and maintaining effective relationships with politicians, government officials and the broader policymaking community. A considerable knowledge of effective communications channels to target audiences in multi-media formats is also essential.
You will have experience of managing and motivating a talented team.
SAMH adopts a flexible approach to working environment. The role can be based, ideally, in Glasgow or Edinburgh, and travel throughout Scotland as required.
Salary: £55,000 – £60,000
As well as promoting a healthy work-life balance, we offer the following:
SAMH is proud to be an accredited Living Wage Employer. We chose to do this because the real Living Wage is the only rate calculated independently according to what people need to meet the costs and pressures they face in their everyday lives.
Our people and employment practices at SAMH align with the Scottish Fair Work Framework and we believe that fair work is work that offers effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect. An important part of this is our commitment to paying the real Living Wage as a minimum rate of pay for all SAMH staff who work every day to support Scotland’s mental health.
Haider recently graduated with a degree in Accounting and Finance and has gathered experience in the finance industry through internships and previous jobs. He will be using all the skills he has acquired through his previous experiences to assist the finance department with gathering data and providing analysis that will help the business expand.
Our people are our most important asset, and their mental well-being and happiness are core to our success. We love our diverse workforce, actively embrace flexible working (even pre-pandemic!) and encourage a healthy work-life balance. We have been recognised as one of the most diverse SME workplaces in the UK and are holders of the Scottish Business Pledge which exists to promote a fairer Scotland. We have also just been included in the 2021 Culture Leaders Top 25 – an accolade of which we are very proud!
We are a fully inclusive and nurturing employer and, despite being in tech, the majority of our team are women, leading to accolades in the Computing Magazine Women in IT Awards and the Amazon Growing Business Awards. We currently represent 15 nationalities and speak 20 languages. Age is no barrier, and we recruit for attitude, providing and encouraging appropriate learning and training for each and every role.
We are also proud members of IP Inclusive, a network of professionals working to make the intellectual property industry more diverse.
We’re a passionate and professional team who thrive in issue-rich environment and we’re looking to add a Communication Lead to our fast-growing team. You’ll be a trusted advisor to clients across several sectors in all aspects of communication, external affairs, marketing and issues management. Coming from an agency or consultancy environment, at Account Director level or above, you’ll report directly to the Managing Director and be responsible for a small and busy multi-disciplinary team. You’ll have first-class project management skills, be solutions-driven and excellent commercial acumen too. Alongside the senior team, you’ll work to drive the strategic growth of Aspect.
Your core duties will include:
You’ll be a skilled communicator, interested and knowledgeable about the key issues shaping the external environment. In addition, to be considered for this role, you must be able to demonstrate:
We’re a passionate and professional team who thrive in issue-rich environment and we’re looking for Senior Communication Advisors, Communications Advisors and Communications Executives to join their fast-growing team.
You’ll have previous agency experience at Senior Account Manager or Account Manager level and be passionate about delivering excellent results for clients. You might be a specialist in PR and media relations who produces compelling editorial content across a range of topics and sectors or you might be a public affairs expert who understands the policy landscape and helps clients build influential relationships. Whatever your specialism, you’ll be an excellent writer, full of creative ideas, with proven client management experience and the ability to provide expert advice our clients.
Your key duties will include:
In addition, to be considered for this role, you must be able to demonstrate:
Our aim is to combat illicit online trade by identifying and removing counterfeits for sale. Counterfeits not only damage brands, their reputations, and revenues, but can cause significant harm to the end customer – whether as a fake toy or a fake medicine – and the consequences can be life threatening.
Counterfeiting is a significant economic and social issue.
The OECD reports that counterfeit and fake goods make up more than 3.3% of the world’s global trade. Those involved in the trade of counterfeits have been linked to people trafficking, prostitution, and drug dealing.
As such, reducing illicit trade is about much more than brand protection but also about human rights, safety, and social equity.
And this is what we do, every day.
We deliver purpose-driven work from an extremely welcoming environment near the City Centre. We actively encourage the responsible use of resources, from using public transport to reuse, recycling, and, of course, a minimal impact office environment. We have benefited from the advice of the Energy Saving Trust and Resource Efficient Scotland. Our waste contractor also provides us with a monthly report on volumes and types of material and the carbon emissions avoided through recycling.
Over 80% of our employees can walk or cycle to The Lair and, pre-pandemic, 10% were using public transport as their normal daily commuting mode. Without doubt, online meetings will replace considerable miles, going forward, saving resources, time and energy. Where possible, when possible, the train remains our preferred option.
Zoe joined Denholm in 2022 as Recruitment Administrator, after working in administration roles for nearly a decade. Most recently within the recruitment industry, she joins us with experience of supporting consultants, clients and candidates at all levels. Zoe has a passion for helping people and applies her positive attitude and approachable manner to support our team and deliver the best possible service to our clients and candidates at all times.
As well as working in close collaboration with our clients, and the online marketplaces, we are active members of groups that have been established to combat illicit trade. These include the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group, the European Intellectual Property Office, The Scottish Business Resilience Centre, the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, and the China Britain Business Council. Members of our senior management sit on the boards of ACID (Anti-Copying in Design), the Scottish Ministerial Trade Board, and the European Union Intellectual Property Office’s Observatory Panel for SMEs, amongst others.
Each team member nominates good causes or charities that are supported on both an individual and corporate basis. Wherever possible, we support the employee’s involvement whether through time or fundraising events.
James has a decade of experience within the FMCG sector where he has partnered with a wide range of businesses placing key appointments at all levels including Director/ Board level. Driving growth across our Manufacturing & Engineering function, James specialises in Production, Operations, Engineering, Quality, HSE, Technical, NPD and Supply Chain. With his passion and expertise in these areas, James supports candidates and clients by working closely to understand their needs and wants providing exceptional service.
Andy has been recruiting in Technology, Change & Transformation since 2001. Delivering tailored resource solutions as trusted advisor to clients ranging from start-ups through to global blue-chip organisations across contract, permanent, fixed term, and managed service/statement of work solutions. He has experience providing candidates for Helpdesk through to CIO and takes great pride in providing excellent customer service and ensuring each candidate journey is a positive one. An expert in his market he can provide guidance across current market trends.
Scott started his career working for one of the leading Advertising & Comms agencies in Edinburgh where he spent 7 years before moving in to recruitment in 2011. As such, he is well-networked in the Marketing & Comms space across Scotland. With a friendly and consultative approach, Scott is genuinely passionate about providing a positive journey to both candidates and clients alike and believes communication plays a big part in this. A “thinking-outside-the-box recruiter”, he is known for helping candidates portray the best version of themselves and helping clients find talent for those hard to fill roles.
David started recruitment at the age of 23 and while it isn’t for everyone, it was for David. What he really enjoys is looking beyond the CV and really getting to know the people sitting across the table, learning all about them and building relationships with new people. And that hasn’t changed to this day. David loves solving the puzzle of balancing the needs and wants clients and candidates to reach a point where everyone is happy. Based in Glasgow, he covers the B2B market for sales and marketing roles across Scotland.
Liz has over 14 years’ experience in recruitment working across primarily the high-tech, pharmaceutical and FMCG sectors. She joined Denholm on December 1st 2021 following a relocation from Ireland to focus on Marketing recruitment. Liz’s experience ranges from high volume recruitment to executive search and she prides herself in her ability to fully understand a brief and her accurate matching skills. Frequently praised as being a clear communicator with a strong customer service ethic, Liz is well suited to the culture here at Denholm, where the client and the candidates’ needs are paramount.
Euan has been working in the world of recruitment since 2012, working to deliver bespoke services to both clients and candidates. Prioritising ‘future-fit’ candidates for clients, he works as an extension of his client’s business ensuring great representation in the market. He consults with each client to ensure excellent candidate journeys. Euan works focuses primarily on business analysis, project management and technical support opportunities.
Callum has been working in recruitment since 2018 where he has solely focussed on the Technology, Change and Transformation market across the UK and ROI. He works closely with his clients and candidates to build long-lasting relationships across several industries, including Technology, Financial Services, Professional Services, Healthcare, Education, Public Sector and more. He specialises in engineering roles across Software, Infrastructure, Systems, DevOps and Cloud, along with Software Testing.
Drew arrived at Denholm as an award-winning creative, having headed content strategy teams for marketing/advertising agencies in the UK/USA before a successful career in HR, people and culture. He has years of marketing experience and building teams on both sides of the Atlantic, priding himself on going the extra mile for clients and candidates alike. Drew always works with passion as our specialist in account management, planning and strategy, digital marketing, full-spectrum creative and traffic/studio management.
