Asn Family Liaison Worker

ASN Family Liaison Worker

Responsible to: ASN Family Coordinator

Hours: 10 Hours Per week

Rate of Pay: £13 per hour

Location: Scottish Borders - office base The Focus Centre Galashiels

**About Borders Additional Needs Group SCIO and Branching Out Transitional Youth Project.**

Borders Additional Needs Group or ‘BANG’ is an OSCR registered Charity dedicated to supporting families who have children with additional, complex or rare conditions living in the Scottish Borders.
BANG provides information on resources, benefits, training and works in partnership with a variety of partners across the Scottish Borders.

BANG ensures our community of families have access to the right support, information, and advice to help them manage the changes that are involved in raising an additional needs child. We are also committed to providing support to siblings and caregivers by providing them with training and peer support.

Families deserve to be empowered and to feel engaged in their child's journey and BANG aims to support the best possible outcomes for all families in the Scottish Borders who are raising a child with additional needs. You will work across all Borders Additional Needs Group supportive projects including referrals to BANG and take a key lead in working with ASN Parent Carers.

**Purpose**

The aim is to expand our weekly ASN Peer Support Hubs within other local areas supporting ASN Parent/ Carers to access peer and community support, information, signposting Improving Mental Health Well-being and Social Isolation and place-based support led by lived voices of Parent Carers. This offers ASN Parent Carers an opportunity to manage their own ASN Peer Hubs with the wrap around support and resources from BANG’s lead team and establish a regional network of ASN Parent carers.

The focus of this model will be Peer support and providing ASN Parent Carers the opportunity to meet fortnightly/ weekly/monthly in their area to access Peer support. The role of the Staff engaged within the project will be self-led support, offering ASN Parent Carers opportunities to lead on and deliver sessions, access Volunteer accreditation and connect with local and national supports in a peer lead and supported environment. Key Parental Leads will be identified for each Hub who will meet twice per year as a region to access and share support with other parent groups.

Parent Carers will lead on their weekly sessions providing access to peer and social support, friendships and information. ASN Parent Carers highlighted Mental Health, social isolation and loss of their career as three contributory negative impacts on their lives. Parent Carers feedback indicated that meeting other parents in a similar position made a positive difference to their mental health and social lives.

**Responsibilities**
- To work with ASN Family Coordinator and Manager to deliver ASN Peer Hub funded project
- To update the ASN Family Coordinator on aspects of the project relevant to ASN Parent support
- To support the ASN Family Coordinator with recording information including project evaluation and any reports
- To support the development and training of Peer-to-Peer Support for ASN Parent Carers
- To facilitate the delivery of ASN Parent Carer peer hubs across towns in the Scottish Borders
- To work with partners and stakeholders to promote the needs of ASN Parent Carers
- To represent BANG and ASN Family Liaison Support Service to further the aims of the organisation and the Branching Out project
- To keep informed of development in policy, practice, services and supports impacting on ASN Parent Carers

**Person Specification**

**Essential**

**Desirable**

**Qualifications**

**Y**

**Knowledge and Experiences**

Project coordination and management of project finance

Success at delivering, managing and evaluating a project

**Y**

Knowledge of the issues impacting on ASN young people and their families

**Y**

Familiarity with services, supports, and policies which impact ASN young people and their families

**Y**

Line management of staff

**Skills**

Highly skilled communicator - verbal and written

**Y**

Confidence in using social media

**Y**

Ability to listen with compassion to the needs of young people and their families

**Y**

**Personal Attributes and Qualities**

Ability to motivate and inspire colleagues, participants, and stakeholders

**Y**

To be solutions focused

**Y**

Ability to work with autonomy and independence

**Y**

Ability to make good decisions, even when under pressure

**Y**

Respect for equality, diversity and children’s human rights and dignity

**Y**

**Additional Requirements**

A willingness to work flexibly, including frequent work in evenings and occasional weekends

**Y**

A driving licence and access to a vehicle for work purposes is required

**Y**

**How to apply**

**1stMarch at 5pm**

**Further Information**

**Interviews **will take place on **Thursday 21stMarch between 1-3pm. Alternative days