Community Support Worker

This is an incredibly exciting time to be joining Halton’s Children’s Services as a Community Support Worker. We are embracing improvement and innovation, and working together to achieve the best outcomes for our children.

We are ambitious, tenacious, and committed to working with children, young people, and their families/carers.

If this sounds like you, we invite you to join our team as a Community  Support Worker. This is an exciting opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of children and young people.

We have 2 positions available within our Family Network and Contextual Safeguarding teams, further details can be found below:

Contextual Safeguarding Team - Key Responsibilities:

• Assessment and planning: Contribute to thorough assessments incorporating social contexts influencing the child's life. Develop comprehensive support plans with families and agencies.
• Peers, people, and places mapping: Utilise mapping techniques to identify and address risks and strengths associated with peer networks, community locations, and people of concern.
• Direct support: Provide practical and emotional support, addressing risk factors and needs identified in the community. Implement support and intervention programs, to mitigate identified risks.
• Intensive response: Provide intensive support in crisis situations when children’s needs escalate and they are at risk of coming into care. Contribute to immediate risk assessments and develop safety plans.
• Collaboration and coordination: Attend and contribute to multi-agency meetings (including strategy meetings, CIN meetings and CSOG) to develop plans that reduce and manage risk and identify and disrupt those involved in exploitation of young people.
• Training: Deliver training sessions to other professionals in relation to contextual safeguarding. 

 

Requirements:

* A strengths-based approach and the ability to remain resilient and solution-focused even when addressing complex and challenging issues.

* Significant experience working with children and young people at risk due to issues relating to contextual safeguarding.

* Passion and commitment for working directly with children and young people.

* Knowledge of legislation and guidance related to contextual safeguarding.

* Ability to work effectively in a multi-agency environment.

* Strong communication skills with children, young people, and their families.

Family Network - Key Responsibilities:

* Supporting Children’s Social Work teams, working alongside Social Workers to co-ordinate and identify key family network members.

* Working alongside families to meet the needs of their children through family network meetings.

* Empowering parents and carers, and those important wider family members and friends, bringing them together to ensure the well-being and care of children and young people.

* Helping families to implement safe plans for their children and help them be creative about the support they need.

* Improve outcomes for children and young people keeping them safe and enabling them to thrive.

Requirements:

* You will be passionate about the challenges and ambitions in consistently safeguarding children & young people in Halton.

* Hold an NVQ Level 3 in social care

* Have a proven track record of delivering high quality support to children and their families.

* Possess the skills to work with children and young people who are returning to live with their own family.

* Be comfortable providing support, advice, encouragement, and empowering families to increase their internal resilience.

Why Join Us?

* Be at the forefront of shaping and implementing strategies to address exploitation.

* Work alongside professionals from Local Authority, Police, Education, and Health services.

* Continuous professional development and training opportunities

* Make a real impact in the community in addressing issues in relation to contextual safeguarding.

 

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS Disclosure.

To arrange an informal discussion about this post, please contact the following recruiting managers:

Family Network Position: Lisa Riley - Service Manager for Duty and Assessment at 07768558397 or via email at Lisa.Riley@halton.gov.uk 

Contextual Safeguarding Position: Andy Jones - Head of Service for Children in Need via email at andy.jones@halton.gov.uk.

At Halton Borough Council we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce and a vital part of this is to encourage diversity in all respects. We are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and tailored to best suit the needs and strength of the individual. This includes making adjustments for people with a disability, neurodiversity or with long-term health conditions. If you require accommodations, please reach out during the recruitment process so that we can make this the best possible experience for you – resourcing@halton.gov.uk