Project Worker Leaving Care
Full Time: 37.5hrs
Based: Gateshead
Salary: 27000
An exciting opportunity has arisen within our Young people’s Supported Accommodation service, for a Project Worker to work with young people who are looked after aged 16-18 in supported and semi-independent accommodation.
Who are Jigsaw Recovery Project?
JRP offers supported and semi-independent living accommodation for Care Leavers. Our experienced and dedicated team meets hardest to reach needs and client circumstances. Our creative and unique service work in partnership with local authorities and other professionals to provide bespoke packages to our service users in dignified and respectful manner, which is the cornerstone of our service delivery.
Role Purpose:
Working across our young peoples provision, we provide housing and support for young people aged 16-18. The team will be expected to work within policy and procedural framework, as well as local Pathway procedures. As part of the team you will provide a person focussed and flexible responsive service to the young people.
Project Workers will carry a caseload of young people for whom they will provide a comprehensive Needs and Risk Assessment, resulting in an agreed Support Plan. The plan will promote independence and prepare young people for successful move-on within the Young People Pathway plan or into independent accommodation.
Project workers will be working under the direction of the Area Manager and Accommodation Manager to provide support to the young people we accommodate, in addition project workers will be expected to have a lead area of responsibility across the provisions in either:
Adolescent Mental Health
Offending
Substance use
Activities Development (Employment & Training)
Principle Responsibilities:
Key Accountabilities
Day to Day Shift Delivery
To provide effective day to day shift cover that supports the aims of the project and encourages the full participation of young people, as well as to support the work of the project by providing a responsive service.
Ensure that safeguarding and addressing the immediate needs of the young people is paramount to service delivery.
Needs Assessment
In conjunction with team members to interview and comprehensively assess referrals to the project to ensure the criteria is met and suitability.
Work closely with the Management Team to help assess the needs of young person, in order to identify the appropriate accommodation suitable to their needs.
To carry out comprehensive initial and ongoing needs assessments with young people and to record outcomes and changes in need.
Risk Assessment and Management
In conjunction with allocated young people that you keywork, you are to produce comprehensive and high-quality risk assessments and risk management plans.
To monitor and review risk plans in line with policy guidelines and procedure and to minimise the risk to the young person by identifying, reporting, and following up any safeguarding concerns and incidents
Client Move In
Provide a safe, welcoming, good standard of accommodation. Once referrals are accepted to ensure new residents are made to feel comfortable and are given information concerning the provision and other local services.
Support Planning
In partnership with the young person and wider care team involved in their support, to translate assessed need into support plans that are SMART and evidence progress. To monitor and review plans and ensure that tasks and actions are carried out as agreed.
Client Move On
Support young people to identify opportunities for move-on to appropriate shared or self-contained accommodation and make appropriate referrals/enquiries as necessary working with LA Young People Pathways team, Housing Providers and Social Services.
Experience Needed
A demonstrable aptitude for working successfully with vulnerable young people and at-Risk young adults in a semi-independent setting and how 'Every Child Matters' relates to the young people living in our accommodation.
An understanding of the most effective ways of working with this client group, who may have a mixture of needs which could include, mental health, substance misuse, physical & emotional health conditions, gang & offending behaviour, ASB etc.
Experience of working well in a high-pressured environment where people may present with difficult and challenging behaviours.
A demonstrable understanding of the principles of risk and needs assessment, planning, goal setting, and reviewing with young people.
An understanding of the range of possible approaches appropriate to working with a difficult to engage or chaotic client group.
An understanding of the principles underlying quality of services working with young people.
Experience of or a willingness to develop and to lead in at least one of the following specialisms: Education, Training and Employment; Substance Misuse; Criminal Justice or Adolescent Mental Health.
An understanding of the methods that could be used to develop life skills and involvement in meaningful ETE activity.
A good understanding of the possible issues involved in working with looked after children in a residential setting.
An ability and willingness to work a rota that includes on call shifts and that may include early, late and occasional waking night shifts and covers public holidays, weekdays and weekends.
A good level of numeracy, literacy and comprehension to support young people with welfare benefits, rent and service charge payments, as well as an ability to be self-servicing in the use of computers to create letters, minutes and upload key work records.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £27,000.00-£29,500.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Health & wellbeing programme
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Gateshead NE8: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (preferred)
Education:
- GCSE or equivalent (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
