Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading (Hybrid)
Contract, Part time
Enhanced DBS check required
£35,000 - £44,999
Brighter Futures for Children
Specialist Youth Worker
Reconnect team.
30 hours (4 days) per week
12-month fixed term contract (potential to be extended)
Salary: £36,648 - £41,418 per annum
About us
Brighter Futures for Children is a not-for-profit company, owned by, but independent of, Reading Borough Council. Although we are independent, we are very much part of the Reading Family. Our people enjoy all of benefits as other Council employees including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme and continuous service.
We work closely with partners in the local community and key organisations including Reading Borough Council, policy, public health and voluntary groups. We are responsible for the delivery of children’s social care, early help & prevention, education services (including SEND). This also includes fostering and adoption, the Youth Offending Service and traded services with schools.
Our main aim is to protect and enhance the lives of the children of Reading. We help families find long-term solutions to ensure children lead happy, healthy and successful lives.
About the role
We have exciting opportunity for you to join our Reconnect team. Reconnect work with children of all age groups and families where there are identified risks in relation to extra familial harm, including substance misuse, family breakdown or where there is a need to support families where children are being reunified following a period in care.
Reconnect is an innovative and evolving multi-disciplinary team including keyworkers and Specialist Youth Workers. Our practice is led by a systemic therapist, and we are closely aligned with the specialist Extra Familial Harm (EFH) Social Worker. We operate a ‘team around the worker’ model with case formulation, group reflective supervisions alongside individual case and personal supervisions. We attempt to develop positive relationships and deliver effective evidence-informed interventions with families including trauma-informed, systemic, restorative, and motivational practice to support young people and their families in achieving positive outcomes and in addressing issues in order to mitigate the risks associated with extra familial harm and increase safety.
As a Specialist Youth Worker will provide effective tier 2 and 3 drug & alcohol education and information and assist and support individuals to reduce and minimise the harm associated with their drug and alcohol use and/or other risky behaviour.
You will ensure the voice of the young person is heard and directly influences the design and delivery of services. The role is busy and varied and includes working with a caseload of young/ families people who exhibit a range of challenges and who may resist engagement – there may be a requirement to work intensively and responsively over a period of time with some young people.
For more information about the role, please read the job description and person specification.
About You
You will-
- Be a qualified Youth Worker or can evidence significant relevant experience of working with young people and families.
- Have experience of working with substance misuse
Are you keen to learn new and use different ideas and approaches? Are you happy and confident in working in a community setting including working flexibly and responsively in people’s homes and the places and spaces young people spend their time?
Do you have a passion for working with vulnerable groups and individuals within diverse ethnic communities, including the ability to work with those in pressured situations, and to work with high levels of risk and anxiety?
If the answer is YES then we’d like to hear from you
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
- A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
- Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution
- Incremental holidays starting with 26 days plus public holidays (rising to 33 after 10 years’ service)
- Discounted Childcare (on site nursery)
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Season train ticket loans.
- Salary Sacrifice Car Lease Scheme
- A range of local shopping discounts
Inclusion and Diversity
We want Brighter Futures for Children to be a great place to work and to ensure that our children, young people and families are represented in leadership roles and positions of power. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of Other Ethnicities, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our children, young people and families so that equalities and justice remains at the heart of everything we do.
Asking for Adjustments
Brighter Futures for Children is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions.
If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please let us know.
Closing date: 29/09/2024
Interview date: 08/10/2024 and 10/10/2024
We look forward to hearing from you!
BFfC_Specialist_Youth_Support_2019.pdf