Join our Children in Care Team as a Staying Close Practitioner, where you will make a positive impact on the lives of children, young people, and their families.
The Children in Care service is responsible for ensuring that children and young people who are looked after or are care leavers are provided with homes that best meet their needs and have the best opportunities to succeed in life.
Main duties of the job
As a Staying Close Practitioner, you will work closely with young people, carers, and colleagues to assess individual needs. You will work intensively and collaboratively with young people to fulfil their potential in all aspects of their lives. You will take on your own caseload, ensuring timely progress and effective coordination with key agencies to address the needs of care-experienced young people and vulnerable individuals. You will also provide both individual and group support to help young people transition from residential care to independent living, maintain relationships, and engage in employment, education, or training.
We are looking for a candidate who can demonstrate excellent communication skills and be comfortable operating in a multi-agency environment. A good operational understanding of children's services, coupled with experience of direct front-line work with children, young people, and families, will be essential. Flexibility is key in this role, requiring you to be responsive to daily competing demands and to be proficient at prioritising workloads accordingly.
Job responsibilities
1. Work in partnership with young people, carers, and other colleagues to contribute to the assessment of the individual needs of young people.
2. Assist the allocated personal advisor in drawing up, implementing, and reviewing young people's Pathway plan, ensuring progress is being made in a timely manner.
3. Attend and contribute to reviewing meetings as required.
4. Undertake the role of young person's Staying Close worker/practitioner with a caseload of young people.
5. Provide close and effective working relationships with key agencies to facilitate a coordinated response to the needs of care-leavers and vulnerable people.
6. Maintain a good working knowledge of welfare rights, training and employment, housing, and health issues affecting young people and disseminate this as required.
7. Work individually and with groups for young people as required to support those leaving residential childcare to live independently, by implementing the pathway plan, supporting young people to maintain key relationships, and engaging in employment, education, and training.
8. Contribute to the monitoring and evaluation of the service.
9. Prepare and maintain appropriate reports and records as required.
10. Be actively involved in training opportunities and team development.
11. Ensure all work undertaken demonstrates a commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.
12. Administer financial support to young people, including handling cash when necessary.
13. Work intensively with young people to prepare for independence, including tenancy sustainment.
14. Collaborate with colleagues in housing to ensure housing pathways are clear for care-experienced young people.
15. Provide advice and assistance in areas such as practical financial advice, money management, and support on a wide range of issues, including housing, benefits, welfare rights, training & employment, and life skills.
16. Work holistically with all young people, including advising, advocating, informing, and assessing.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* HNC or equivalent experience/skills.
* ITQ 2 or equivalent skill and ability.
* Working towards a relevant professional qualification.
* Licences/certificates/qualifications required for the role.
* Recognised training in child protection and the care system and leaving care issues.
Experience
* High level of relevant and practical experience acquired on the job.
* An advanced understanding of relevant procedures and working practices.
* Advanced knowledge of specialist functions relevant to the service area.
* Excellent ICT skills, including use of Microsoft applications and specialist systems.
* Significant experience of working with clients and client groups with complex needs.
* Proven ability to carry out client risk assessments to identify eligibility for service provision and/or risk of harm.
* Proven ability to advise and guide clients to encourage development and to access services to which they are entitled.
* Ability to build trust and confidence with clients, client groups, and colleagues.
* Proven ability to interpret situations, analyse behaviours to make judgements, and deliver interventions to achieve outcomes.
* Proven ability to deliver training.
* Knowledge of the Children Act 1989, Children Leaving Care Act 2000, Children Act 2004, and Care Matters agenda Children and Young Persons Act 2008.
* Experience of working within residential children's homes, or a good working knowledge of how residential childcare operates.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, and as such, it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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