About the role At the heart of SHiFT's approach will be the relationship the child or young person has with a SHiFT Guide. Participants will typically spend 18 months with their SHiFT Guide who will have the time, skills, experience and support to do whatever it takes to get alongside each child and young person - helping them to change their life so that, one day, they will no longer be needed. Through the SHiFT journey, participants will develop strengthened foundations on which they can build a future that benefits both them and society, including improved literacy, numeracy and communications skills. These are the stable, strengthened foundations on which they can build a future that benefits both them and society. Guides will hold no more than 6 children to enable the capacity to work robustly and tenaciously with them and their network. The team receives nominations or referrals from other teams, which are reviewed in regard to the criteria for SHiFT intervention. Guides will need to have experience in social work practice, including s47 investigations and delivering child protection or court proceedings. For further information about this role, please contact Emma Crawford by email emma.crawfordachievingforchildren.org.uk for an informal discussion. About you You are a social worker who is passionate about working alongside young people to reduce exploitation and harm in the community You see the stage of adolescence as a time of significant change and opportunity to influence positive self-identity and choices for their best life into adulthood You are skilled at identifying risks both in the home and community, analysing information from a wide range of sources to formulate a clear plan of intervention You are experienced at delivering direct work with adolescents to support them to identify positive life goals, understand and respond to risk safely and have healthy relationships You work well with other professionals such as the police, schools and health partners and those who can provide targeted youth support, sexual exploitation intervention or substance misuse services to make sure that the best services are offered to some of the most vulnerable young people About our benefits We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to: 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (Or for term-time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract) Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension) Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme A range of staff benefits and discounts An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children click here. For our social work offer click here. For our Recruitment Journey, click here. Important Information Start dates: Achieving for Children have set start dates meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected. Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance. Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). For more information about AfC: Drop in and meet Regina on the first Wednesday of every month at Civic Centre, Twickenham. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.