Young Persons Senior Support Worker

**“We are committed to safeguarding and protecting our children and young people at Focus Futures UK.**

**Our safeguarding system is underpinned by policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across Focus Futures UK. On joining you will be required to maintain safe working practice and to safeguard our children and young people.”**

**Job title**: Senior Support Worker

**Location**:Swindon/Wroughton

**Pay**: £29,500

**Hours**: 40 hours: shift work may be required including sleep in.

**Overall Purpose**: Ensuring all children are effectively safeguarded in accordance with all relevant policies and procedures. Dedicate weekly 1:1 time with children and young people to empower them to achieve their personal outcomes set within their Pathway Plans.

**An exciting opportunity has arisen to join Focus Futures UK as a senior support worker for UASC and care experienced young people aged 16-18 in supported accommodation who are developing skills and independence for adulthood.**

**Feedback from young people previously in care is a fundamental part of our service development and has highlighted the need for support with mental health, housing, finance, employment, education and training.**

**Responsibilities**:

- Supporting a young person living semi-independently in the community; you will be responsible in structuring key work sessions consistent with the independent living programme.
- Monitoring the young person’s ability to engage with everyday living and develop skills where necessary by supporting their identified needs.
- Supporting the young person in settling within the community and accessing local resources.
- Supporting and assist the young person around budgeting money, grocery shopping and administer a weekly subsistence allowance.
- Encouraging the young person to engage and take part with positive activities within the community, building on relationships and developing social networks.
- Maintaining accurate record/ log keeping and capable of completing comprehensive reports.
- Maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of the accommodation.
- Promoting safe, consistent, and understandable boundaries with the young person in conjunction with a 'Young Person’s Agreement’.
- Preparing high standard monthly progress reports regarding the young person’s progress which are submitted to the placing authority.
- Completing required paperwork/ administration.
- Working in partnership with other agencies and support the young people to attend meetings with other professionals. You will be required to attend admission and planning meetings; and attend Looked After Children’s Reviews ensuring all relevant paperwork is complete.
- Carrying out weekly Health and Safety checks within the accommodation. You must record and report any repair work or damage to the property to ensure it is kept to a high standard.
- Maintaining confidentiality of young people and report any concerns regarding young person’s welfare to your line manager.
- Attending staff meetings and training sessions as and when required.
- Contributing and attending structured supervision sessions at least once a month.
- Ensuring all children are effectively safeguarded in accordance with all relevant policies and procedures.
- Referring young people to appropriate services with your professional opinion considering the most effective team/services.
- Supporting a group of young people, providing 1:1 and weekly groupwork sessions.

**Management, organisation, and administration**:

- To monitor objectively the quality of relationships between young people, between staff and young people and between staff with the constant aim of improvement.
- To plan and prioritise the shift, alongside the Area Manager.
- To deputise for the Area Manager in his/her absence.
- To ensure that full and complete casework records of young people’s progress are maintained and that sound decisions are made and carried out for all young people.
- To perform any other reasonable task that the Area Manager may require.
- To support young people to and from school, on shopping trips and activities.
- To perform sleeping-in duties as required.

**Work experience**:

- Experience of working with adults or young people with complex needs, neurodiversity, and trauma.
- Experience of working within a team and completing tasks with adults of young people on a 1:1 basis.
- Experience where your current or previous role demonstrates examples of transferable skills suitable for this role.

**Personal attributes**:

- Working individually and within a team
- Empathetic and a good listener and reflective
- Patience and calmness
- Self-motivated and a positive nature
- Ability to engage with young people in a positive and proactive approach.
- Sense of humour
- Self-organisation
- Excellent communicator and ability to read the room
- Honesty and reliability
- Self-aware with boundaries
- Ability to assess risks.

**Senior Support W