Job title: Waking Night Parental Support Worker Location: Windmill Centre, Widnes, WA8 6ET Hourly rate: £11.50 unqualified - £12.50 Qualified per hour plus £60 per night additional sleep-in allowances Working hours: Full-time, 30 hours per week, 10pm - 8am Qualifications required: Qualified to NVQ Level 3; Children and Young People (or equivalent), or willingness to achieve this within 18 months of taking the post. *qualification bar in place based on achieving NVQ Level 3 Children and Young People Workforce*

Company information: 

Anda House is a parental support provision for looked after children/families who are pregnant or who have a child in their care. We aim to deliver bespoke packages of support to the parents to develop their awareness and abilities to deliver care to their child. Anda house is set up to accommodate 4 young people/families and the staff team will work closely with professionals from various sectors to ensure the young people receive a wraparound service and the best chance to be successful as parents.

Role Description: 

To assist and support the manager and the staffing team, in the delivery of responsive, consistent, and effective support to young people, in line with their individual needs, within a supported and assisted living service setting. To actively promote the rights of each young person and assist in developing and maintaining an environment which is proactively anti-oppressive/discriminatory, and which acknowledges and values diversity which includes safety and quality. To assist and support the Manager in ensuring all Statutory and Regulatory requirements are met and, through the implementation of effective working practices, maintain the Safeguarding and Wellbeing of each young person resident in the unit. To operate within Policies and Procedures as defined by Omega Care Group and to support the Manager in ensuring that internal Quality Assurance Standards and objectives are met. To assume appropriate day to day responsibilities within the unit when the manager is not present and act in a professional role when representing Omega Care Group as a support worker in the Semi-independent services. To be confident in the multi-agency liaison and the documentation of such matters. Sharing of information within the staffing team and amongst professionals whilst adhering to data protection and confidentiality.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Contribute to and assist the Manager and Senior in the development and maintenance of an inclusive, anti-oppressive/discriminatory and supportive living and working environment for which there is no exhaustive list.
• Support the maintenance of a safe and healthy, living and working environment.
• Promote positive, trusting, and meaningful relationships with young people, your immediate staff team.
• Direct, face-to- face work with young people singularly or group facilitation.
• To support the young person in the application processes for identification documentation, bank account applications and the benefits process and all other related needs.
• To possess and develop a knowledge of local services and support our young people with matters such as sexual health and domestic abuse.
• To assist with the introduction of new staff by providing them with shift shadowing opportunities and contribute to staff development by supporting and monitoring.
• To undertake regular supervision and monitoring of practice standards within the staff group. To attend and participate in regular staff meetings and development session. Implement agreed action plans if needed to support and encourage improvement within the team or for your own personal and professional growth.
• To work as part of a staff team ensuring the best outcomes for our young people.
• Delivery of the Independent Living Programme and the Positive Parenting Program alongside compass, providing effective guidance and support to young people to ensure an accessible, person centred and holistic process.
• Effective collaboration with all professionals, family members and others relevant to the individual young person including incorporating attending. Ensuring all correspondence and interaction is effectively recorded.
• Function within a key working role and maintain all appropriate records.
• Contribute to the maintenance, evaluation, and oversight of all relevant administrative systems.
• Assist and support the Manager in ensuring all Statutory and Regulatory requirements are met or exceeded, to understand the group living specifications and DPS contractual obligations and the framework we work within.
• Maintain accurate financial records and maintain an effective oversight liaising effectively with finance officer to upload spending via mobile app.
• Contribute to the ongoing development of Risk Management strategies and protocols for individual young people and maintaining accuracy of these as and when necessary.
• Ensuring all Safeguarding/CE issues are addressed effectively and in line with policy, best Practice and regional protocols.
• Ensuring Confidentiality and effective compliance with the GDPR.
• Ensuring a timely response to issues of maintenance and all other factors impacting on the day to day running of the unit through reporting, recording and maintenance requests.
• Ensuring compliance with Omega care’s Policies and Procedures, including Professional Boundaries/Code of Conduct.
• Ensuring all Health and Safety and Risk assessment checks are completed, recorded, and any identified issues addressed and reported.
• Completion of generic cleaning tasks as is appropriate.
• Contribute to maintaining currency of information and resources (including changes or addenda to legislation).
• Contribute to the development and delivery of effective working practices which promote the best outcomes for the individual young person.
• Collation of relevant data and delivery of appropriate reports.
• Attend and contribute to team meetings, development days and training opportunities and group supervisions.
• Undertaking training/professional development opportunities as determined through the supervisory process and the needs of Omega Care Group.
• Promote, safeguard, and maintain the wellbeing of each young person within the unit.
• Assist the Manager in working to ensure that all Quality Assurance Standards are met.
• To prepare all written materials as determined by the needs of Omega Care Group.
• To operate within a Lone Worker context (dependent on setting and organisational needs) and to participate in the risk assessment of such expectations.
• To work within the Rota framework operating across 7 days and including sleep-in duties.
• To assume appropriate and necessary levels of responsibility in the absence of the manager.

Experience: essential

• Experience of the professional support and guidance of colleagues.
• Experience of the delivery and maintenance of Safe working Practices.
• Experience of working with positivity within a staff team.
• Experience of collaborative, multi-agency working.
• Experience of direct, face to face work with young people including positive conflict resolution.
• Experience in, and an understanding of, managing risk, including YP Risk Assessments.
• A demonstrable commitment to anti-oppressive/discriminatory practice which values diversity and the qualities of the individual.
• Experience of operating administrative systems.
• Experience of planning to achieve agreed outcomes.
• Experience of reporting and recording processes and of their application (including Safeguarding).

Experience: desirable

• The promotion of informal learning and the acquisition of relevant life skills.
• The promotion of the active participation of young people.
• Work within a parental support/family support role.

Knowledge: essential

• Relevant Professional Qualification –minimum Level 3 Working with Children and Young People or equivalent (working towards a qualification will be acknowledged).
• An understanding of young peoples’ Rights and how to promote these through effective working practice.
• Knowledge and understanding of the range of factors impacting on the lives of young people leaving Care.
• Knowledge and understanding of current legislation and of its impact on young people.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Safeguarding/CSE issues and current Best Practice in relation to this.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant Policy and Procedures and of their application to safe and effective working practice.
• An understanding of relevant processes and their application, including reporting processes.

Knowledge: desirable

• An understanding of and familiarity with Quality Assurance systems.
• An understanding of the benefits and grants applicable to young parents.
• An understanding of the practices required to support the young parent in meeting the needs of their baby.
• An understanding of sexual abuse.

Competencies/Abilities: essential An ability to offer effective guidance and support to the staff team.

• An ability to manage developing situations effectively.
• Effective communication skills-verbal and written.
• Ability to contribute to the development and implementation of strategy.
• Possess effective reflective and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage and support a changing and diverse workload.
• Possess effective IT skills and competencies.
• Possess a range of administrative skills.
• Possess a range of inter-personal skills.
• Ability to work in an inclusive, empathic, and aware manner, and which values each individual.
• Ability to work collaboratively and to maintain and manage working relationships.
• Ability to support and maintain professional boundaries in all aspects of the work.
• Ability to operate within a Person-Centred framework.
• Ability to act creatively and to respond fluidly to evolving situations.
• Able to operate within a Lone Working context, and to maintain safe and effective working practices.
• Ability to take on the additional responsibilities of acting up in the absence of your line manager with the support of senior management.

Experience:

• Support Work: 2 years (preferred)

Licence/Certification:

• Driving Licence (preferred)
• Level 3 Health and Social (preferred)
• Early Childhood Studies Qualification (preferred)

We invest in our staff in the same way we invest in the children in our care, that is why we offer our staff: 

• Additional leave
• Company pension
• Referral programme
• Sick pay
• Store discounts
• 2 year continuous service bonus
• Access to health care support
• Qualification incentive
• Training 
• 28 days annual leave pro rata (inclusive of bank holidays)

The post holder will be expected to carry out any additional duties or tasks commensurate with their role, as identified by their line manager or management team. All posts within Omega Care Group are subject to the Safer Recruitment process. This includes receipt of a satisfactory enhanced DBS and two appropriate satisfactory references.  This post is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.