Children's and Young Persons Worker

**Job Description/Person Specification**

**Children & Young Person Worker (C&YP) - Refuge and Community Based.**

**Area of Work**:Knowsley

**Location**: Women and Children’s Refuge and Community Based

**Responsible to**: Senior Children’s Worker

**Hours**:Full Time (35hours per week), covering 5 days, including alternate Saturdays.

**Salary**: £22,422.40

**Primary Responsibilities**
- Undertake assessment, safety plan and identify children’s and family’s needs and provide direct support to non-abusive parent.
- Assisting children with basic hygiene and toilet training as required.
- Advocate in statutory meetings, court settings and with other agencies, on behalf of survivors and children who have experienced domestic abuse.
- Work with children and the non-abusive parent in a therapeutic and trauma-based approach to help them reach their full potential.
- Develop and deliver training to raise awareness and understanding of the dynamics of domestic abuse to both internal and external colleagues.
- Maintain accurate child and or family case files, sharing relevant information and reports with other agencies to work towards integrated assessment and service delivery.
- Work in partnership with parents, either individually or in groups, to develop their parenting skills & confidence, improve self-esteem and encourage self-reflection.
- Develop and maintain links with internal services and external agencies, sharing information and actively contributing to relevant meetings as required.
- Contribute to the research and development of new programmes to promote the overall development and well being of children using the service.
- To work in line with The First Step’s safeguarding policies and to ensure compliance with safeguarding procedures at all times.
- When working at Refuge, ensure compliance with building management such as health and safety compliance and reporting any defects and maintenance requirements.
- An awareness of the Refuge policies and procedures when on site for the women and children in residence.

**Education/Qualifications**

**Essential**
- NNEB, NVQ Level 3 e.g., working with C&YP or equivalent.
- Domestic Abuse Training.
- Paediatric First Aid Training.

**Desirable**
- Helping Hands.
- You and Me, Mum.
- IDVA Qualification.

**Work Experience**

**Essential**
- Direct experience of working with children/young people.
- Experience of organising and providing play and other activities.
- Direct work experience of working with families impacted by domestic abuse.

**Desirable**
- Experience of working in a residential setting, refuge, children’s centre or other relevant agency.

**Abilities/Skills/Knowledge**
- An understanding of the nature of domestic abuse and its effects on survivors and children.
- An understanding of the effects of deprivation, trauma, and the environment on survivors functioning.
- Able to develop appropriate, professional, supportive relationships with abused survivor and their children, maintaining professional boundaries with users of the service.
- Able to initiate, promote and engage meaningful activities for service users.
- Good written and communication skills.
- Experience of risk assessment and support planning.
- Understanding of safeguarding children and adults’ policies and procedures.
- Skills on delivering group work to children and young people.
- An understanding of the additional possible needs of children from BME communities.
- Able to work in a reflective manner.
- The ability to communicate clearly and concisely, including the ability to listen actively and match communication to the needs of the recipients.
- Ability to take responsibility for own actions and behaviour being able to reflect on previous experience to improve practice.
- Demonstrable ability to work effectively within a team setting and within a line management structure.
- Ability to work flexibly and positively within a demanding environment.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office (word, excel, outlook etc.)
- A commitment to follow the policies, procedures and principles of The First
- Step and be committed to empowerment, support and equality.

**Personal/Attitudes/Qualities**
- Non-judgmental approach to clients and other professionals.
- Flexible attitude to day-to-day tasks and be able to move from one task to another easily.
- Reliable and punctual.

**General**
- A driver with a clean driving licence and own car.

**Salary**: £22,422.40 per year

**Benefits**:

- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Employee mentoring programme
- Free parking
- Gym membership
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday

Ability to commute/relocate:

- Knowsley, Merseyside: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

**Education**:

- Certificate of Higher Education (preferred)

**Experience**:

- working with children and young people: 1 year (preferred)
- working with domestic abuse survivors: 1 y