North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

Specialist Dynamic Support Keyworker

The closing date is 15 April 2026

Job summary

Band 6 Specialist Dynamic Support Worker - Part time 22.5 hours per week - 9 Month Fixed Term (commencing 5-Jun-2026 earliest) ending 05-Mar-2027

An exciting opportunity has arisen to appoint a part-time band 6 Specialist Dynamic Support Keyworker to support our established Keyworker Team, based at Dragon Square, Chesterton.

The Learning Disability and Autism Keyworker Team, works with Children and Young People 0-25, with a Diagnosis of a Learning Disability and/or Autism who are on the Dynamic Support Register due to being at risk of Tier 4 Hospital admission or care package breakdown.

The purpose of the Keyworker role is:

  • To understand and promote the needs of the child/ young person and their family.
  • To ensure that local systems are responsive to meeting their needs in a holistic and joined up way
  • To improve outcomes for children and young people with learning disabilities, autism or both.
  • To ensure that that the relevant services are in place and providing adequate support for a young person that is being discharged from a Tier 4 Hospital to ensure successful outcomes and prevent readmission.
  • To deliver the following competencies as part of their role

Please see the job description for a full understanding of expectations within the role.

Main duties of the job

Band 6 Dynamic Keyworker:

Provide support to the Team Lead and deputise for them when required.Support colleagues within the Keyworker Team.

Actively hold cases on the DSR that are Blue/Red/Amber RAG rated. Attend DSR Meetings

Act as a regular and consistent contact for active caseload, including attending MDTs, LAEPs, CETRs,section 117 meetings by exceptions.

Initiate, facilitate and chair MDTs for the caseload where appropriate. Follow safeguarding policies and procedures.

Provide information and support to CYP, families/carers and practitioners to ensure that personalisation approaches are embedded in CYP plans to meet individuals' needs.

Troubleshoot on behalf of CYP, families/carers where required, to ensure the necessary support is in place to enable them to remain within, or discharged into the community and promote joined up, consistent care.

Create and encourage a culture which prioritises keeping CYP within the family home and local community by communicating with a range of teams, services.

Raise awareness and educate the wider system on how to change the conversation so the focus is much more positive for CYP and their families/carers.

Promote the development of multi-agency risk management plans and ensure procedures for managing risk of significant harm. Seeking appropriate advice and authorisation from your Team Lead.

Attend and support Care Education & Treatment Review (CETR) recommendations/actions where the need is identified.

About us

As a Trust we remain bold and ambitious with plans for both service and system collaborative transformation over the coming years to improve the health and wellbeing of our local people through high quality care.

We pride ourselves onensuring our team has their wellbeing put first and as such provide a range of wellness opportunities including flexible working.

We are committed to the Greener NHS national ambition to becoming the world's first 'carbon net zero' national health system by 2045 (Greener NHS (england.nhs.uk). As part of this, sustainability is embedded in our strategy as one of our four key enablers. In order to deliver on this commitment, we recognise that we need a workforce that is as passionate as we are about achieving these goals, for the benefit of our service users, workforce, local communities and the planet alike.

The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels. We would very much welcome applications from all under-represented groups including women, people with disabilities, people from global majority backgrounds, and those from the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities.

The Trust is committed to the Step into Health scheme and actively encourages applicants from the Armed Forces Communities to apply.

Details

Date posted

01 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

232-SPL-7879014

Job locations

Dragon Square

Newcastle under Lyme

ST5 7HL


Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Duties/Responsibilities

To listen to CYP, taking time to understand their strengths and agree with them a plan to build on those strengths to support the child or young person, and to keep them safe and well

To communicate complex or sensitive information to CYP and their carers, overcoming barriers to understanding such as language or impairment. This may include highly emotional situations where the CYP or carer is hostile or unwilling to receive the information.

To provide a single point of support to help make the connections between children; young people; families; carers and the array of services & support available signposting & supporting to gain access to services in timely way

To work with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure planning is focused on the individual child or young person, & that teams are working together & being challenged when this is not happening in a way that supports the child or young person effectively

To build resilience with children; young people; families and services by connecting with training; prevention & self-help approaches

To advocate for children and young people when services and support are not meeting needs effectively

To support planning for adulthood.

To support the multi-agency identification of required early assessments and support a joined up, co-ordinated and responsive approach to completion

To support multi-disciplinary assessments and CETRs at an early stage

To help to ensure gaps in professionals knowledge of what is available for this cohort is reduced and inform needs led future commissioning including post diagnostic support.

To support improvement in quality of care and reduction of inequalities of CYP in the youth justice system, including the over-representation of BAME in that system.

To assist the family to navigate the support needed to meet EHCPs already in place, or to enable EHCPs to be developed if young person out of education

To assist CYP and families navigate services to support prior to crisis, or when needs not meeting Care Act criteria

To support CYP and families access direct payments & personal health budgets

To support CYP to understand the roles of different professionals involved

To build on existing Combined Healthcare good practice examples of multi-agency working and communication, flexible family support & access to psychological interventions.

To support teams and services to develop and share their knowledge of examples of best practice across the Combined Healthcare system and thereby reduce inequalities

To work co-operatively and responsively with Children and Young People who are on the Dynamic At Risk Register.

To support CYP and their families at, and be actively involved in, multi-agency meetings e.g. Care Education and Treatment reviews (CETRs), Care Programme Approach (CPA) Meetings, Mental Health Act (MHA) Tribunals, Child in Need and other Multi agency meetings if applicable, demonstrating a high level of professional practice.

To support production of needs and outcomes-based action plans with timescales, support update of existing CETR Action Plans, education health care plans (EHCPs). Where applicable be part of Child Protection Strategy discussions, Initial/ongoing Child Protection Care Conferences, Core Groups, as well as supporting any Youth Offending meetings and processes as applicable, demonstrating a high level of professional practice.

To increase the skills of front-line professionals, work alongside them and challenge the system.

To co-produce personalised pen pictures which are strengths based

To work with partners in the area of Integrated Personal Budgets / Personal Health Budgets to develop creative solutions to individual needs.

To be part of the Dynamic At Risk Register team as required

Drive and implement appropriate national and local approaches in the working model e.g. AMBIT.

To work with partner agencies to identify CYP who would benefit from being on the Dynamic At Risk Register.

To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality keyworking service.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Key Duties/Responsibilities

To listen to CYP, taking time to understand their strengths and agree with them a plan to build on those strengths to support the child or young person, and to keep them safe and well

To communicate complex or sensitive information to CYP and their carers, overcoming barriers to understanding such as language or impairment. This may include highly emotional situations where the CYP or carer is hostile or unwilling to receive the information.

To provide a single point of support to help make the connections between children; young people; families; carers and the array of services & support available signposting & supporting to gain access to services in timely way

To work with multi-disciplinary teams to ensure planning is focused on the individual child or young person, & that teams are working together & being challenged when this is not happening in a way that supports the child or young person effectively

To build resilience with children; young people; families and services by connecting with training; prevention & self-help approaches

To advocate for children and young people when services and support are not meeting needs effectively

To support planning for adulthood.

To support the multi-agency identification of required early assessments and support a joined up, co-ordinated and responsive approach to completion

To support multi-disciplinary assessments and CETRs at an early stage

To help to ensure gaps in professionals knowledge of what is available for this cohort is reduced and inform needs led future commissioning including post diagnostic support.

To support improvement in quality of care and reduction of inequalities of CYP in the youth justice system, including the over-representation of BAME in that system.

To assist the family to navigate the support needed to meet EHCPs already in place, or to enable EHCPs to be developed if young person out of education

To assist CYP and families navigate services to support prior to crisis, or when needs not meeting Care Act criteria

To support CYP and families access direct payments & personal health budgets

To support CYP to understand the roles of different professionals involved

To build on existing Combined Healthcare good practice examples of multi-agency working and communication, flexible family support & access to psychological interventions.

To support teams and services to develop and share their knowledge of examples of best practice across the Combined Healthcare system and thereby reduce inequalities

To work co-operatively and responsively with Children and Young People who are on the Dynamic At Risk Register.

To support CYP and their families at, and be actively involved in, multi-agency meetings e.g. Care Education and Treatment reviews (CETRs), Care Programme Approach (CPA) Meetings, Mental Health Act (MHA) Tribunals, Child in Need and other Multi agency meetings if applicable, demonstrating a high level of professional practice.

To support production of needs and outcomes-based action plans with timescales, support update of existing CETR Action Plans, education health care plans (EHCPs). Where applicable be part of Child Protection Strategy discussions, Initial/ongoing Child Protection Care Conferences, Core Groups, as well as supporting any Youth Offending meetings and processes as applicable, demonstrating a high level of professional practice.

To increase the skills of front-line professionals, work alongside them and challenge the system.

To co-produce personalised pen pictures which are strengths based

To work with partners in the area of Integrated Personal Budgets / Personal Health Budgets to develop creative solutions to individual needs.

To be part of the Dynamic At Risk Register team as required

Drive and implement appropriate national and local approaches in the working model e.g. AMBIT.

To work with partner agencies to identify CYP who would benefit from being on the Dynamic At Risk Register.

To undertake any other duties of a similar nature consistent with the responsibilities of this post in order to provide a quality keyworking service.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Experienced registered practitioner (e.g. social worker, Therapist, Learning Disability Nurse, Mental Health Nurse) with experience in the field of Autism and/or Learning Disability. Must be able to show evidence of continual professional development and be registered with the appropriate regulatory body (e.g. HCPC, NMC). OR Experienced professional who holds an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject with significant experience of working in health, education and social care, and in the field of Autism and/or Learning Disabilities and can evidence continual professional development. OR experienced practitioner with significant experience of working in health, education and social care and directly in the field of Autism and/or Learning Disabilities (Undergraduate degree not essential if significant knowledge, training, experience and continual learning and development.)

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience of working within the field of Autism and/or Learning disability. Significant experience of working with children and young people across health, education and social care Evidence of continued professional development.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Legislative knowledge and awareness of locally available provision and the ability to identify safe, effective and creative solutions for individuals with complex needs Sound knowledge around safeguarding of children and young people Ability to coordinate an effective team around the C&YP and their family/carers linking health, social and education work more effectively
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Experienced registered practitioner (e.g. social worker, Therapist, Learning Disability Nurse, Mental Health Nurse) with experience in the field of Autism and/or Learning Disability. Must be able to show evidence of continual professional development and be registered with the appropriate regulatory body (e.g. HCPC, NMC). OR Experienced professional who holds an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject with significant experience of working in health, education and social care, and in the field of Autism and/or Learning Disabilities and can evidence continual professional development. OR experienced practitioner with significant experience of working in health, education and social care and directly in the field of Autism and/or Learning Disabilities (Undergraduate degree not essential if significant knowledge, training, experience and continual learning and development.)

Experience

Essential

  • Significant experience of working within the field of Autism and/or Learning disability. Significant experience of working with children and young people across health, education and social care Evidence of continued professional development.

Knowledge

Essential

  • Legislative knowledge and awareness of locally available provision and the ability to identify safe, effective and creative solutions for individuals with complex needs Sound knowledge around safeguarding of children and young people Ability to coordinate an effective team around the C&YP and their family/carers linking health, social and education work more effectively

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

Address

Dragon Square

Newcastle under Lyme

ST5 7HL


Employer's website

https://www.combined.nhs.uk/working-together/join-our-team/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare Trust

Address

Dragon Square

Newcastle under Lyme

ST5 7HL


Employer's website

https://www.combined.nhs.uk/working-together/join-our-team/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Interim CYP LD/A Keyworker Team lead

Jade Burt

Jade.burt@combined.nhs.uk

03001231535

Details

Date posted

01 April 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 6

Salary

£39,959 to £48,117 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

232-SPL-7879014

Job locations

Dragon Square

Newcastle under Lyme

ST5 7HL


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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