Unpaid Young Carer Support Officer
Location: Irvine
Contract Type: Full Time (35 hours per week) - Fixed Term for 1 year- including some occasional weekend and evening work (plenty notice is given beforehand)
Salary: £26,863 + 5% employer pension contribution
21HSC are recruiting on behalf of Unity to recruit a Young Carer Support Officer.
Unity is a highly regarded and long-established charity that provides a range of services to support vulnerable and disadvantaged people across the West of Scotland. In North Ayrshire, they have supported unpaid carers for more than 20 years and have been contracted by the local Health and Social Care Partnership to introduce a vastly enhanced service.
The Young Carer Officer works to improve the health and wellbeing of young carers in South Ayrshire. Working in schools and other community settings they identify young people aged between 5 and 18 who have caring responsibilities and support them to access a range of services and activities. The Officer raises awareness of the challenges faced by young carers amongst education, youth and health professionals, encouraging earlier identification of carers and a multi-disciplinary approach in support them.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
- Proactively identify and engage young carers across the local community.
- Respond to referrals and enquiries, providing tailored emotional and practical support.
- Assess individual needs and develop support plans using the appropriate assessment tools.
- Deliver one-to-one, group, peer support, and activity programmes, including residential trips.
- Support young carers to understand and access their rights, entitlements, Young Carer Statements, and short break opportunities.
- Advocate for young carers within schools and other settings, ensuring their voices are heard.
- Build and maintain effective partnerships with schools, health and social care services, community organisations, and other stakeholders.
- Promote the Gateway service through networking, outreach, and awareness-raising activities.
- Access local funding to enhance services and opportunities for young carers.
- Maintain accurate case records, prepare reports, and monitor service outcomes in line with organisational procedures.
- Represent young carers at local and national forums, contributing to service development and policy awareness.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of carers' legislation, strategies, and benefits.
- Participate in an out-of-hours support rota (3–4 sessions per month) and undertake other duties as required.
Essential/Desirable Skills and Attributes
- It is essential to have standard grade general level or equivalent in a minimum of four subjects one of which should be English.
- It is essential to have a driving licence and access to a car for business use.
- It is essential to have previous work experience with unpaid carers, lived experience or relatable voluntary experience.
- It is desired to understand Carers Rights, Benefits and Local Strategy.
- It is essential to have experience of managing a Caseload, good note taking and follow up.
- It is desirable to have an SVQ in Social Care or equivalent qualification.
To Apply
To apply for this role, please click apply and send an up-to-date CV in support of your application in the first instance. For more information about the position available and a detailed job description and person specification, please contact Danielle Frame at 21 HSC. Suitable applicants will be contacted asap with a view to securing a formal interview with the Senior Management Team. Short-listed applicants will be invited for an initial face to face/teams interview with one of our recruitment team.
21 HSC Limited is an equal opportunities employer.
Pay: £26,863.00 per year
Work Location: In person
