The posting
PURPOSE: To provide a range of support to children and young people who are unable to live within their own family and require short term or long term residential care. To provide a safe and stimulating environment, ensuring high quality provision and maximising life chances of children looked after. In line with relevant legislation and corporate parenting levels of responsibility.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Please note decision making must be included within the Principal Accountabilities
1.To promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and/or vulnerable adults. Within the context of individual care plans or instructions from the Line Manager to assess the needs of children in need and children looked after in order to provide care which is responsive to their individual needs.
2.Statutory Obligations As per statutory requirements as specified in the Childrens Homes Regulations and Quality Standards.
3.To use systemic practices to prepare, implement and review effective programmes for individual children and families/carers to ensure that their needs for development and/or independence are met. Work in partnership to assess needs and in consultation with Senior Care Officers, Childrens Home Manager, Social Workers and other Managers, plan appropriate packages of support.
4.Under delegation/supervision assume responsibility for specific issues i.e. for the health and safety of colleagues and children by identifying areas for improvement and responding to deficiencies in the workplace to ensure a safe working environment or for Quality Assurance to enhance the performance and effectiveness of service delivery. With a requirement to have the ability to stay calm when faced with confrontational situations.
5.Acts as a nominated Shift Leader as required responding to the need of the service.
6.Provides an efficient and responsive service to children for their admission into and discharge from residential care to ensure their needs are met during these transition periods.
7.Assist children with a range of tasks including primary care and, where necessary, carries out tasks on their behalf whilst at the same time promoting independence within individuals capabilities.
8.Acts as a designated worker in respect of individual children, including attending meetings/case conferences and dispensing medication as required, to ensure their safety, well being and quality of life.
9.Contributes to an efficient administrative system by preparing information for the Childrens Home Manager and quality assurance systems to ensure effective communication. Provides accurate reports and where appropriate, assessments to inform packages of support and care with special consideration to the transition period of admission and discharge.
10.Participates in budgetary tasks i.e. pocket money, purchasing of groceries, clothing, stationery etc, to ensure value for money within budget provisions.
11.Assist children to deal with complex needs or particular vulnerabilities to ensure their physical and emotional well being which will include implementing Therapeutic Crisis Intervention techniques.
12.To work and liaise with voluntary services, statutory organisations and colleagues within other parts of the Local Authority with the focus of providing up to date knowledge and working practices for intervention and service delivery to children in need and their families.
13.Works flexibly to meet the assessed needs of children and their families, by offering support to families and carers, sometimes in their own homes. Assist in providing day care and outreach as required, and work in partnership with schools and alternative educational provision to support and maintain an educational placement.
14.Refers to Line Management upon any concerns, suspicion, evidence or allegation in relation to child protection in accordance with the Safeguarding Board guidelines to ensure the safety and welfare of the children.
15.To be aware of and participate in own personal development by attending and contributing to supervision sessions, training courses and other departmental forums. To keep abreast of development with the profession.
16.In the absence of a Senior Care Officer, makes decisions relating to the safeguarding and care of children as well as responding to the needs of families and staff on duty.
17.Under supervision uses professional judgement to determine the needs of children balanced against risk to children and staff.
18.Under supervision, makes day to day decisions around the implantation of policy and procedures of the Department.
19.The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and associated legislation places responsibilities for health and safety on Hull City Council, as your employer and you as an employee of the council. In addition to the Councils overall duties, the post holder has personal responsibility for their own health & safety and that of other employees; additional and more specific responsibilities are identified in the Councils Corporate H&S policy.
GENERAL:
The above principal accountabilities are not exhaustive and may vary without changing the character of the job or level of responsibility. The postholder must be flexible to ensure the operational needs of the Council are met. This includes the undertaking of duties of a similar nature and responsibility as and when required, throughout the various work places in the Council.
DIMENSIONS:
All sections should be completed if there arent any state none
1. Responsibility for Staff:
The post holder will not provide formal supervision to other staff.
Responsible to contribute to individual and group supervision and working alongside team members. Has a requirement to act as a nominated Shift Leader as required responding to the need of the service.
2. Responsibility for Customers/Clients:
Contributes to the assessment of needs within the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families. Participate in reviews and planning meetings and any other relevant forum to promote positive outcomes for children, young people and their families.
3. Responsibility for Budgets:
Responsibility for petty cash in conjunction with shift leader.
Provide management information to contribute to performance management reporting.
4. Responsibility for Physical Resources:
Delivery and monitoring of Care Programmes, Individual Crisis Management Plans and Risk Assessments. Responsibility for maintaining up to date, accurate and quality data on CareFirst data base with reference to case recording and all other relevant information.
WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:
All sections should be completed if there arent any state none
1. Within Service Area/Section:
Care Officers need to maintain communication on a daily basis with Residential Care Assistants, Senior Care Officers, Childrens Homes Manager, Group Manager, the Social Worker for the children and young people accommodated within the Home and out of hours service workers. They will also work together with Family and Friends team, Fostering Social Workers and Foster Carers. Care Officers need to be able to contribute to investigations carried out by the Complaints Officer when responding to concerns raised by children and their families, Adoption Team, Virtual School and LAC Health.
2. With Any Other Council Areas
Liaise with relevant educational professionals as well as Teachers in schools, Education Coordinators and other professionals to ensure the appropriate educational opportunities are available to the children in need and in the looked after system.
Liaise and work in partnership with any other agencies within the Council such as complaints officers, advocacy workers, to co-ordinate and network in the provision and delivery of services to children and young people.
3. With External Bodies to the Council
Care Officers need to maintain communication with Officers from the Police, Health, independent visitors and voluntary and independent organisations to fully implement the care plan of the children in need.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications:
The post holder should have NVQ 3/Level 3 C&YP Workforce Diploma or to complete it within 2 years from appointment.
The post holder should have QCF level 4 awards working with challenging children and families or the ability to complete the course within 2 years from appointment.
Hold a GCSE in English and Maths grade C and above or the equivalent.
Relevant Experience:
The post holder must have experience within a care setting.
Direct work experience in an independent to family care work setting, with vulnerable adults or children, disabilities that is a regulated setting adhering to safe guarding policies.
Experience of working with Looked After Children and Children in Need
Experience of giving medication
Skills (including thinking challenge/mental demands):
Motivation to work with children and young people and/or vulnerable adults.
Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people and/or vulnerable adults.
Ability to work within a rigorous legislative and departmental framework whilst being able to use professional skills, experience and knowledge to assess a situation and make factual decisions, recommendations which impact on the life of a child.
Ability to maintain a high level of practice and demonstrate this to all staff whilst working in a pressurised environment.
Ability to work as part of a team.
Knowledge:
A knowledge and commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and/or vulnerable adults.
General knowledge of child development and understanding the effects of trauma, change and loss with children.
Interpersonal/Communication Skills:
Verbal Skills
Ability to establish professional, effective working relationships with a range of partners/colleagues and children and young people and/or vulnerable adults
Ability to stay calm when faced with confrontational situations.
High levels of motivational and negotiation skills.
Good communication skills
Influencing skills, caring, negotiating and training skills are required
Written Skills
Care Officers must have the ability to write wide ranging, sensitive information and submit reports to others for discussion on key issues.
Ability to use IT systems to maintain up to date and accurate records
To maintain children and young peoples case files in line with regulatory requirements
Other:
Able to participate in physical activities, outings, excursions, holidays etc.
Able to carry out physical intervention as part of the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training.
Able to safely lift and handle children and young people.
Competencies:
The competencies listed below are all essential requirements for working at Hull City Council in any post; however, those that have been ticked as essential have been identified as key competencies for this role and will be measured as part of the selection process. They are not required to be addressed in the candidates application form.
Leading forward
Improving services
Analysis and decision making
Making things happen
Communicating with impact
Collaboration
