Senior Floating Support Worker

**Senior Floating Support Worker - Hemel Hempstead/St Albans/Shenley**

**Full time - 37.5 hours per week - £27,828pa**

**About the role**

We are seeking a compassionate and dynamic Senior Floating Youth Support Worker to join our team. In this role you will provide flexible and responsive support to the young people across various locations, adapting to their individual needs and circumstances. Your work will be guided by the principles of PIE, ensuring that all interactions are trauma-informed and empathetic.

The young people’s semi-independent services are a dedicated team committed to providing supporting and empowering environments for young people aged 16 - 18 years who are under the care of the Local Authority. Our approach is rooted in the principles of psychologically informed environments (PIE), ensuring that our services are tailored to meet the psychological and emotional needs of those we support. We believe in creating safe, welcoming spaces that foster growth, resilience and positive change, whilst adhering to Ofsted regulations.

**Key responsibilities**:

- Provide trauma-informed, person-centred support based on a strengths-based approach.
- Co-produce support plans with young people which meet their needs and support their aspirations.
- Complete risk assessments and agree risk management plans to minimise any identified risks with young people.
- Support the young people to make decisions about their own lives by working within the guidelines of the Association’s person-centred approach.
- Assist the young people to live independently and maintain valued friendships and family networks. Reporting to appropriate professionals where this is not possible.
- Signpost young people to receive appropriate advice when necessary. (e.g. health care, benefits, housing etc).
- Create opportunities and enable the young people to develop and widen their social, educational work experience and leisure networks.
- Keep up to date records of support provided to the young person.
- Ensure each young person is assisted to manage and maintain their accommodation.
- Support the young people to attend appointments with other agencies and the Home Office, promoting the use of public transport or transporting the young people in their vehicle if the appointment is not accessible by public transport.
- Undertake lone working, as required.
- Act as a mentor to less experienced staff

**Qualifications and experience**:

- Qualified to NVQ Level 3 in Children & Young People/equivalent or willing to work towards achieving the qualifications within the workplace.
- Experience working with young people, particularly those facing complex challenges such as family breakdown, challenging behaviour, complex mental health issues or substance misuse.
- Understanding and commitments to the principles of psychologically informed environments (PIE).
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to adapt communication to the individual needs of the young person with the view to engage and motivate.
- Flexibility and adaptability to work across different locations within the community and respond to varying needs.
- Knowledge of or willingness to understand Ofsted regulations and standards, with experience in ensuring compliance in a youth support setting.
- ** The senior youth floating support worker will need to be a car driver with business use insurance and be willing to use their vehicle to transport young people as per their support plan or in case of an emergency.**

**Hightown Benefits**:

- Generous annual leave allowance of 33 days per year, including statutory bank holidays, rising to 35 days with service
- £27,828 pa for a 37.5 hour a week contract
- Workplace pension scheme and life assurance of three times your annual salary
- Mileage paid for car usage
- Fully paid DBS
- Annual bonus based on satisfactory performance
- Monthly attendance bonus and annual salary and cost of living review
- Ongoing professional development and training to help you deliver outstanding support
- Employee assistance helpline

We are an Equal Opportunities & Disability Confident Employer.