Child & Young Persons Support Worker

Child & Young Persons Support Worker

Permanent, Full Time

£24,395 to £31,131 per annum

Location: Harlow

Closing Date: Sunday 14th July 2024 at 11.59pm

Children and Families is recognised as a service in which social work can develop and prosper, with a culture of collaboration, integrity and compassion; promoting development and wellbeing of children, young people and their families; protecting them from neglect and abuse. Working together with partners delivering a range of early help, family support and effective social work interventions which build resilience, remove barriers and enable children and young people to look forward to a brighter future.

Here in Essex, we continue to raise the bar about practice and our investment in our workforce is second to none. It's an exciting time to join us. Not only have we been named Outstanding by Ofsted, we are delighted and at the same time humbled to have been crowned Social Work Employer of the Year for the second time in the last three years!

The role:

The purpose of this role is to work within frontline Children and Young People with Disabilities (CYPWD) teams to support the delivery of effective Children's Social Work. The CYPWD team provides a comprehensive service offer to CYPWD aged 0-15 and 16+ through delivery of outcome focused; timely, targeted work including solution focused brief intervention.

The postholder will undertake a range of activity directly with children, young people with complex learning and/or physical disabilities, providing practical, personal and emotional support to the child, young person and family that meets the assessed needs and promotes improved health, physical, mental and social development and well-being.

The work can be complex, demanding and emotionally challenging and the postholder is required to work with dedication and resilience.

You will:

• Deliver positive behaviour support interventions to families to support with the management of behaviours that challenge, including routines, relationships, puberty, management of inappropriate sexualised behaviour. This would also include bespoke programmes of work designed to respond to the needs identified within CIN, CIC and CP plans and working closely with social workers on specific time limited work such as keep safe work, social stories, emotional regulation and visual prompts/timetables.
• Provision of programmes of direct work with children and young people that support the individual to understand their 'Life Story' (as part of a care plan) including providing support for siblings of children with additional needs to enable them to understand their sibling relationships. This will entail using observational, direct work and other appropriate skills.
• Undertaking sleep assessments and subsequent programmes of work to promote wellbeing.
• Work with children, young people, and whole families to promote appropriate forms of communication including PECS, Makaton, BSL and Communication Passports.
• Work with parents/care givers to develop existing parenting skills/capacity through teaching, mentoring and support and application of parenting programmes.
• Exploration into external community services that would support needs of families.

The Experience You Will Bring

Essential:

• NVQ/BTEC Level 3 or equivalent
• Experience of using positive based behaviour management strategies.
• Experience of building strong, effective relationships with children, young people and families in times of challenge and crisis
• Experience of undertaking direct, activity-based work with children, young people and families

Desirable:

• Knowledge and understanding of the issues impacting children, young people and families, and that led to them requiring support.
• Knowledge of Children Act 1989 and 2004 and other legislative and policy guidance applicable within Children's Social Care
• First Aid Certificate/ Ability to Sign Language

The role requires you to be mobile throughout a wider operational area including travelling around the county of Essex and beyond, transporting service users and their belongings and to be able to do so in an emergency. Driving licence and car or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means is essential.