Job Details
PURPOSE OF JOB:
To be a key pivotal point of contact and coordination of support for young people who are leaving care. The worker will be responsible for providing a flexible and reliable connection to our young people. The leaving care worker is key in coordinating the plans we make, and will lead on bringing together the resources available from other agencies to ensure that young people transition to adulthood in a safe and healthy manner. This role will involve direct work with young people, as well as working with their network of peers and family, to ensure they achieve outcomes in line with their individual plans, and the Councils Children in Care and Care Leavers Strategy
To support and challenge agencies, families, and young people’s wider relationships to bring about lasting change to help drive improved outcomes for care leavers. If young people choose not to work with the service, and are considered harder to reach, then it is the role of the worker to utalise their skills to foster a connection to the young person and bring together the right agencies and opportunities to enhance the life chances and outcomes for care leavers.
To support young people 16 to 25, to move successfully through life, secure education, training, employment, access stable accommodation, and to progress into adulthood as a happy and healthy adult. The leaving care offer spans children and adult services from 16 to 25 years old, so this job will require staff to have a knowledge of both arenas. Staff will need to be able to help people access support and services to aid social development, and deliver direct targeted interventions and support to young people who may be at elevated levels of risk. For example, they may be at risk of engaging in anti-social behaviour, risk of losing employment, accommodation, or experiencing poor mental health.
The role will also be required to work as a team to provide a duty service to support young people who may be in crisis and to ensure support is available via the duty service to meet needs and offer information advice and guidance.
Serco in Confidence
MAIN DUTIES: The specific accountabilities of this role will be flexible and will change to meet the needs of the organisation as required but will include (or be equivalent in nature to) those listed below:
1 To work within policies, practices and procedures of Children’s Services Directorate. To manage a caseload of young people and their families/network within the appropriate level of responsibility including direct work with Children and Young People. The Postholder will work in a multi-agency team in conjunction with the Practice Supervisor/Team Manager and access support systems such as supervision, appraisal and team meetings
2 Encourage and empower young people to participate in all decision making and processes affecting their lives, and involve the peers and family with workers in this process when appropriate
3 To work in partnership with young people and agencies ensuring professional boundaries are set and maintained. To work alongside young people in devising strategies and plans that will enable them to achieve and sustain positive outcomes and live happy lives.
4 To work within the young person network and home to help them grow their own strategies and abilities to live healthy lives. This may include practical household tasks, ensuring access to education, training and employment and addressing any risk or behavior that could lead to negative outcomes. This will be done in in conjunction with appropriate partner agencies.
5 To offer a support and challenge approach with young people and their networks to bring about change and grow positive opportunities in life.
6 In partnership with young people and other agencies carry out whole network assessment and plan to deliver interventions which minimise duplication but coordinate/supplement the plans completed by partner agencies.
7 To establish and maintain effective working relationships with statutory and voluntary agencies to ensure a high standard of service and support to young people.
8 To participate in Case Conferences and other similar meetings as deemed appropriate by the Practice Supervisor and/or Team Manager. To act as Lead Professional for the young person wherever appropriate to do so.
9 To be part of a duty system acting as the first point of contact for young people over 21 presenting to urgent support.
10 To prepare reports dealing with young people abilities and needs and review such plans. Within the leaving care service, the statutory plan is a Pathway Plan. Workers should ensure that the plans are within time scales and that activities and goals are against measurable outcomes, and within the framework of policies and procedures.
11 To effectively manage the workload, demonstrate good time management and a requirement to working evenings and weekends and some public holidays as per a rota to provide a flexible and responsive service, including on-call arrangements.
12 Participate in learning and development as required by the Team Manager.
13 As an employee, create a positive image of the County Council.
14 Deliver excellent customer service, incorporating the Council’s equality and diversity objectives and supporting the council to achieve best practice in all it delivers
15 Remain up to date and compliant with all relevant legislation, organisational procedures, policies and professional codes of conduct in order to uphold standards of best practice
16 Take personal responsibility for contributing to organisational transformation and changes in ways of working, maximising the benefits and efficiencies for both internal and external customers, including the promotion and use of self -service to achieve maximum cost effectiveness.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Requirements
-NVQ LEVEL 3 or equivalent
-Demonstrate a good level of knowledge and skills in the Leaving Care arena (16 to 25)
-Ability to produce and maintain accurate records and reports.
-Ability to act as a Lead
-Professional for a young where appropriate with responsibility for the day-to-day implementation and coordination of the young person’s plan.
-To be a key team player and work closely with staff members and specialist workers from other agencies, local authorities and organisations.
-The Postholder will need to demonstrate they have the ability to effectively engage with children and young people, build relationships which will enable them to assess and intervene to improve outcomes in relation to educational attendance, antisocial behavior, offending and unemployment, health and well being, safeguarding, life aspirations and independence skills
-The Postholder will need to have a broad understanding of a range of legislation which affects children in care and care leavers.
-Ability to deliver a wide range of support and interventions. Driving licence and vehicle available for work.
-Commitment and understanding of Health & Safety
-Knowledge of child development. Knowledge of Safeguarding and risk management.
-To have and demonstrate a positive attitude to the promotion of diversity and equal opportunities.
-Possess the ability to work across different organisations’ cultures.
If you are interested in this role please do reach out to me via email or telephone!
amberrayment@carringtonblakerecruitment.com
020 753 766 07
