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Job description

The Fostering Support service has the specific purpose of providing supports to young people and their families to reduce the likelihood of these young people entering the residential care system or their placements breaking down. The placements are known to the fostering team in the South Eastern Trust. Referrals are mostly for kinship carers undergoing assessment of their viability to be foster carers for their relatives. Some referrals are for other foster arrangements that meet the threshold for our service. The work will include developing individualised support plans for service users and the implementation of these plans during individual (1:1) or group work. The Extern Model includes; therapeutic support, crisis intervention, emotional support, advice & guidance, and partnership working to assist service users in addressing the barriers to progression and promote positive family relationships. As a Keyworker you will work with service users to improve their quality of life within their community by promoting wellbeing, independence, accessing local services, making healthy connections, healthy life choices and training & employability options. As well as improving outcomes for their parents/ carers and any other siblings. These families present with varying and complex needs any work will include engaging in and participating in overarching statutory care plans. This is multi-disciplinary work which requires an ability to engage partners as well as young people and families. As a Keyworker, one will need to be resilient enough and open minded to deal with some of the challenges that such complex needs present.

Responsibilities

• Referrals received from duty fostering team, allocated by manager once accepted, carry out initial assessment of service user needs, contact social worker to complete initial risk assessment and care planning arrangements, discuss with manager.
• Contribute to the development of appropriate service user plans e.g. care plan, personal education plan, support plan, budget plan.
• Contribute to the assessment of service user needs for referrals to external agencies and make appropriate referrals when required e.g. registration with Doctor, mental health services, Extern Works.
• Assist in the case management of identified service users. Facilitate and participate in individual (1:1) or group work with adult and/or young people service users.
• Promote and encourage independence and assist and encourage service users to develop life and social skills opportunities that will build self-confidence, improve emotional well-being and strengthen social integration.
• Support service users to complete paperwork when required e.g. benefits, housing, school etc.
• Ensure young people are linked with appropriate external services, eg. Advocacy, Participation, Training.
• Plan and coordinate an individualised plan of support to maintain placement stability.
• Respond to the needs of the project through flexible working including evenings and some weekend work with residentials.
• Assist in the development of service users risk assessments and continually review and amend as and when required. Follow necessary risk management requirements e.g. room checks, medication administration, on call procedures.
• Adhere to safeguarding procedures and relevant external standards. Adhere to lone working policy and engage in training.
• Multi-agency and multi-disciplinary working.
• Attend and participate in internal and external meetings as required and act as advocate for service user when appropriate.
• Develop and maintain appropriate professional relationships with Services Users, colleagues and stakeholders. This includes links with Advocacy and Participation service providers.
• Develop working partnerships with Careers Service NI, Local Training Organisations and employers in order to widen opportunities for young people to progress into further education, training and/or employment.
• Ensure compliance with necessary recording requirements and responsibility for accurate and timely completion e.g. service user files, case notes.
• Ensure effective collation of all referrals made and received, their source and demographic details of the young person and outcome of the referral.
• In conjunction with senior staff, assist in the supervision, management and training of new staff, volunteer mentors, peer mentors and bank staff.
• Responsible for keeping abreast of current legislation and Extern’s policies and procedures, and attend appropriate training as and when required.
• Adhere to Extern’s Health & Safety Policies and Procedures e.g. Lone Working Policy, Guardian 24.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• Minimum of a Level 3 Qualification (as set out in the RQF Framework) in a relevant field/subject i.e. Social Work/Youth Community Work in Dip Youth & Community Work or Degree in Social Science or
• In the absence of the qualification requirement, 2 years recent, relevant experience of working directly with a similar service user group (up to and including Hardiker Level 4).
• 6 months substantial experience of working directly with a similar service user group (up to and including Hardiker Level 4).
• I.T. competent, including use of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Be registered or willing to register with NISCC within 3 months of commencement of employment (you will be required to provide evidence of NISCC registration).
• Must have a full driving licence and access to a car (please note relevant business insurance will be required on commencement of employment).

Desirable Skills

• Experience of working with Looked After Children or children on the edge of care.
• Experience of multi-disciplinary working.
• Working as part of a multi-agency care plan process for families.
• Experience of working with young people and parents/carers.