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Job description

The Linx service has the specific purpose of providing supports to young people and their families to reduce the likelihood of these young people entering the care system. This includes young people currently in Care placements, and those who have had prior experience but the overarching care plan is to ensure they return and or maintain within the family home. 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, healthy life choices and training and 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.

Responsibilities

• Referrals received from statutory resource panel, allocated by manager once accepted from resource panel, carry out initial assessment of service user needs, contact social worker to complete initial risk assessment and care planning arrangements.
• 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 group work with 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 etc.
• Contribute to the organisation and delivery of young people and volunteer mentor activity days, including residential when required.
• Support a number of young people to develop their mentoring skills and abilities as part of internal training development. Work in accordance with OCN requirements for both Trainee and Volunteer development.
• Follow necessary risk management requirements e.g. room checks, medication administration, on call procedures. Adhere to safeguarding procedures and relevant external standards.
• 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 e.g. team meetings, multi-disciplinary meetings, Youth Justice Conference, Housing Executive meetings etc.
• 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.
• When required, liaise with appropriate relatives.
• 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.
• Adhere to safeguarding procedures and relevant internal and external policies and standards at all times.
• Report safeguarding concerns, in a timely manner, in line with Extern policy.  Attend mandatory safeguarding training.

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.

Further Information

Location: Sketrick House, Jubilee Road, Newtownards, BT23 4YH. Salary: Grade 5 salary scale: £23,630 - £30,109 per annum. The commencing salary will be £23,630 per annum. 40 standard hours (including breaks).