We are excited to be expanding our CWAD (Children who are disabled) Residential Services in Dorset for children and young people, by providing an Outreach Service, initially based in Weymouth. This service will cover outreach support in the community throughout Dorset, for children who have or who are experiencing learning or physical difficulties. You will play a key role providing a range of interventions to prevent children entering residential care, provide stability within their homes or to access full and meaningful day to day experiences in the community. This will be alongside working within our CWAD Residential Homes providing support to our children who live there. We are looking for caring, committed and positive individuals to join our supportive team of Youth Practitioners, working within our residential homes and in the local community supporting our children and young people to thrive. Experience or understanding of neurodiversity, including ADHD and Autism, would be beneficial in helping you support our young people effectively. We will provide you with an extensive induction and training package including access to a Level 4 Certificate in Therapeutic Care or a Level 3 Qualification depending on circumstance. You will also be given regular supervision and access to some great employee benefits and LGPS pension scheme working for Dorset Council. We encourage applicants to visit us to allow you to get a better sense of who we are, what the job involves and to ask any questions you may have. What you will be doing Youth practitioners will be positive role models for our young people and will have working knowledge of Safeguarding Practices, PACE and therapeutic approaches. Experience or working knowledge of how neurodiversity can impact individuals would be beneficial, however full training is available for you to be able to support our young people with confidence. You will be resilient, reflective and professionally curious about our young people's lives and journeys. You will have the ability to professionally nurture our children and young people and be passionate and aspirational in your support and care. You will support children and young people, encouraging their independence in tasks such as cooking and personal care skills. You will organise and join in with daily activities, liaise with the wider group of professions such as education, health and social care. You will become a member of our supportive team as well as work independently when required. You will be involved with writing and updating care plans, risk assessments and behaviour support plans and think of creative ways to help children make their own choices, flourish, have fun and develop life skills. About you We are looking for individuals who: Are caring, motivated, fun and enthusiastic. Are passionate and thoughtful about the care you provide and the opportunities you create. Have the confidence to form connections with children and young people and develop positive relationships with them. Can learn and use different approaches to care and follow individual care plans and safeguarding procedures Are curious about barriers for our young people and think creatively to find solutions to overcome them Are willing to achieve the skills and knowledge to develop your practice. Are keen to improve the lives and opportunities of children and young people who are disabled and their families. Can demonstrate resilience within your role and work effectively with your team. Further Information This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed. This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders. See our policy on safeguarding children and young people. The friends and family referral scheme applies to this post. If an employee recommended this post to you, mention them when asked on your application form. Employees can share this advert by using the button links alongside the job title. About Us At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future. We: provide essential services that support over 380,000 residents work in partnership to make a real difference value every role and the impact it has on our communities support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive You will: be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset have access to a range of benefits and support have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application. This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement. If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us. Find out more about how to apply.