Relief Family Support Advocate
Job Summary
Contract Type:
Please See Advert Text
Working Pattern:
Please see advert text
Advert Start Date:
19/11/2020
Advert End Date:
Closed for applications on 06/12/2020 23:59
Salary:
Grade H. £29,577 - £32,234 Various Hours.
Job Category:
Social Care - Children Service
Employment Location:
Gateshead
Further Information
We are looking to recruit a number of sessional Advocate Workers to be available to work flexibly to work with teenagers at risk of child protection of becoming looked after.
You will work as part of the Complex Child in Need (CCiN) and Wraparound Team that will provide a proactive Social Work service to children assessed as being children in need and considered to be at risk of suffering significant harm. The team provide support to families both in in and outside of normal working hours (Monday to Friday up till 10pm and Sat / Sun 10 -6pm).
You will work in a team that is made up of practitioners who have complementary skills and experience developed through working with families and children with complex needs. The team takes a systemic approach and focuses on achieving sustained change that reduces the need for recourse to the Looked After and/or Child Protection system. The core function of the team will be to keep families together or reunite them quickly whilst using an evidence based approach to managing risk and uncertainty.
The team is staffed by practitioners who firmly believe in the power of strength based relational Social Work and have the ability to address behaviours linked to, or because of, adult and childhood trauma and compromised child/parental relationships and capacity.
As a Family Advocate you must have a proven ability to engage with young people (teenagers) who present with complex and challenging needs and work with parents/carers who are struggling to manage their child’s behaviour by developing support plans and offering direct interventions to facilitate the change process and achieve sustainable positive outcomes. It is therefore essential that you have a proven ability to make observations during direct work with young people (teenagers) and parents and make defensible decisions at times of crisis.
Your knowledge base will demonstrate a good understanding of children and young people who are deemed at risk of not meeting their potential through: disengaging with education; misusing alcohol and substances; involvement with crime and or anti-social behaviour; or have health issues that are impacting upon their lifestyle and choices, and issues facing parents/carers such as the toxic trio.
You must have experience of managing cases and prioritising and organising your own workload. Your caseloads will be capped to ensure that you are enabled to work intensively with families and children. Supervision will be highly reflective with training in systemic practice a core offer towards your professional development.
You will be empathic, enabling and resilient with a ‘can do’, solution focussed approach. You will be a team player with a proven ability to work constructively with other professional groups.
We would welcome applicants who have experience in working in environments that have addressed the issues faced by families with teenagers such as youth offending service and youth and community work.
If successful you will have to apply for an enhanced Disclosure.
Online applications only at www.gateshead.gov.uk
Please note
This job is closed for applications.