Caseworker (Missing From Home & Child Exploitation)

Company Description

At Catch22, we are proud of our reputation as a modern and progressive employer. Our 1,300 colleagues and 300 volunteers work at every stage of the social welfare cycle, supporting over 60,000 individuals from cradle to career. Our work spans education, social justice and rehabilitation, children's social care, family support, social action and getting people into work.

Our Pan Merseyside Child Exploitation Service responds to and fully supports young people who are currently involved in child sexual exploitation (CSE), child criminal exploitation (CCE), gangs and trafficking, through both one to one and group work

Comprehensive screening and assessment of young people is conducted to identify CSE or CCE risk and incidence, followed by programmes of intervention which enable young people to reflect upon and recognise CE.

Long-term support for young people affected by CE is provided, ensuring that they are fully supported to recover and reduce any further risk.

Building on the success of our nationally recognised youth violence prevention work, the service also supports young people to exit gangs.

Child exploitation (CE) is recognised in the UK and defined as; “a form of child abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person.

Job Description

We currently have one vacancy for a full time Child Exploitation Case Worker in our Pan Merseyside Child Exploitation Service

To undertake one to one work with children and young people vulnerable to CE to inform a risk reduction plan.

To work in partnership with Children’s Social Care to facilitate support where CE is highlighted as a risk.

To work with Merseyside Police Missing from Home Co-ordinators and Local Authority Stakeholders to contribute towards the collation of soft intelligence / information on CE issues / trends.

To offer Educational Awareness Raising within local authority Inc. placement providers, education, parents and young people and to co facilitate CE Awareness Training in partnership with LSCB.

To work with the Local Authorities and their Local Safeguarding Children’s Board to ensure positive media messages and marketing of the service to young people

To work in association with and support the CE Pan Merseyside Protocol.

Plan and deliver support interventions in accordance with Catch22 policies and procedures and local authority guidance, to ensure effective use of resources and targets are achieved.

Identify and support access to additional or specialist services for young people and parents where necessary to ensure their needs are met and risks factors are reduced.

Develop and sustain productive working relationships with referring agencies to ensure the regular and appropriate referrals are received.

For full job description please click here.

Qualifications
**Essential Qualifications**
- Minimum 5 GCSE’s or equivalent, grade “C” or above

**Desirable Qualifications**
- Relevant professional qualification in Youth/community work, Social Care, Health or Education

**Essential experience**
- Experience of working directly with young people on level 2- 4 on the continuum of need presenting a variety of support needs
- Experience of planning, delivering and evaluating support activities for and with young people and their carers
- Experience and understanding of case management including assessment, action planning and reviews.
- Experience of working in partnership with a variety of agencies to achieve agreed outcomes.
- Experience and understanding of Child Protection including Safeguarding processes and procedures.

**Desirable experience**
- Experience of working with people from a variety of ethnic groups, cultural and social backgrounds.
- Experience of working with and supporting volunteers
- Experience of working in a multi-agency team

**Essential knowledge**
- Knowledge of the issues affecting young people at risk of CE.
- Knowledge and understanding of Equality & Diversity issues.

**Desirable knowledge**
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation e.g. Children’s Act, Every Child Matters etc

**Essential skills/abilities**
- Able to communicate effectively at all levels, orally and in writing.
- Ability to engage young people their parents or carers within the community
- Able to work on own initiative within given boundaries and to an agreed action plan.
- Able to organise your own work routines effectively with a minimum of supervision and support.
- Able to handle sensitive and confidential issues with tact and diplomacy.
- Able to evaluate and monitor progress against targets to ensure that they are met.
- Ability to promote equality, diversity, rights and responsibilities of individuals.
- Able to write concise reports and meet deadlines.

Additional Information

You will need to be willing to work flexible hours and if required to work evenings, weekends and anti-social hour