Child Sexual Exploitation

**Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Branch Worker**

West Mercia Rape & Sexual Abuse Support Centre (WMRSASC) is a specialist sexual violence support service that has operated within Worcestershire since 1986, Herefordshire (2011) and parts of Shropshire (2019).

We deliver a range of services for survivors of all forms of rape, sexual violence, abuse, harassment and/or exploitation. We work with women, men, and children & young people (age 5+) and their families.

This current vacancy is 21 hours per week based in Shropshire but with travel to Worcester and Herefordshire when needed. The successful applicant must have the ability to travel throughout both counties.

**Main Responsibilities**:

- Provide psychosocial and practical support for children and young people who are impacted by CSE.
- Provide practical and emotional support to children and young people and their carers through the criminal justice process.
- Advocate on behalf of children and young people to access their rights.
- Advocate on behalf of children and young people to access health, education, and other services they require.
- Listen to and accept children and young people for who they are, no matter what issues they might be facing.
- Empower** **children and young people.
- Believe children and young people.
- Advocate on behalf of children and young people
- Carry out risk and needs assessments and implement risk reduction and protective behaviour strategies.
- Consider and respond to child safeguarding issues when engaging with all children and young people.
- Contribute to projects relevant to the role.
- Promote the principles of equal opportunities and anti-oppressive practice.

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**Service delivery**:

- Manage an agreed client caseload, reviewed quarterly, or dependent on demand.
- Contact all clients allocated to you from the Advocacy Navigator, if possible, within 48 hours, and subsequently as necessary until other support is identified or at the client’s request.
- Undertake initial needs and risk assessments and support needs analysis with clients, review these regularly with the client.
- Develop an individual support plan to address risks/support needs of client.
- Provide psychosocial one to one support, tailored to the needs of the client.
- Contribute to Risk Management Plans put in place by Children’s Services.
- Empower clients to consider their perspective of what constitutes CSE.
- Help clients to understand the dynamics of CSE online and off-line and the impact it can have.
- Help clients to develop their own support network.
- Explain criminal, legal and if relevant, civil remedies and housing options to clients/parents/guardians.
- Provide support in the context of criminal justice including pre-court visits, explaining process and procedures, and acting as an advocate for client.
- In accordance with information sharing policies, and where relevant, keep other agencies informed about important changes in client’s situation.
- Consider child protection issues and follow child protection policies whilst keeping the needs of the child/young person paramount.
- Assess and establish competence using Fraser guidelines.
- Refer client to other WMRSASC support services where appropriate.
- Support services users’ equal access to West Mercia Advocacy services.
- Follow procedures and protocols with other services so that the safety of the client is kept central to any process.
- Contribute to safeguarding and risk management decisions and actions where appropriate.
- Be alert to any prejudices and assumptions that may arise and work to ensure that the needs of all service users are met sensitively.
- Note and feedback to other agencies any consistent difficulties clients are having accessing their service.
- Raise awareness of support available and referral pathways to external agencies.
- Work closely with the CSE Leads within Children’s Services and the Police to ensure a robust referral pathway is maintained.
- Contribute to the development of service policies, protocols, guidelines, and strategies within area of practice, as necessary.
- Provide an update to the local CSE operational groups in all localities.
- To develop and maintain effective communication systems with key partners including the police, social services, education, primary care trust (mental and sexual health), voluntary sector organisations and Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (CAFCASS).
- To provide specialist advice to other workers and agencies, including participation in delivery of training sessions.
- Participate in group work facilitation.
- Provide information about the impacts of sexual violence and signposting to specialist support services.
- Attend external meetings, seminars, and conferences as appropriate on behalf of the organisation and feedback relevant issues.
- Provide support to the WMRSASC wider services where needed.

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**Administrative**:

- Ensure that all adequate records are kept for all