Job summary
We hope that you will join us as our Youth Support Worker, supporting the delivery of the new Young People's Specialist Support Team (previously known as the Intensive Therapeutic Short Break Service) across the Pennine Care footprint.
This is a Youth Support Worker role within a new multiagency team comprising clinical psychology, learning disability nursing, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and support workers. The Young People's Specialist Support Team sits alongside the Community Learning Disability and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services across the footprint, consisting of community learning disability nursing, clinical psychology and psychiatry.
The team will be working with a small number of children and young people who have severe learning disabilities and who have been identified as having complex needs including autism and/or behaviour that challenges, that require intensive support. Working alongside the local respite and short breaks services, the Young People's Specialist Support Team will work together to create, instigate and support trauma-focused, person-centred, positive behaviour support plans with the aim of improving the quality of life for this group of children and young people and reduce any restrictions or restraints (in accordance with NICE guidance).
Main duties of the job
The post holder will have experience working with children and young people with a learning disability and/or autistic young people and have developed good communication and engagement skills. In addition, the post holder must have skills in assessment, and interventions appropriate for this group of children and young people, including an understanding of Positive Behavioural Support. The postholder will have experience of working in multi-agency settings. Due to the level of independent working and management of risk, the postholder is expected to have experience of working with this client group and a keen interest in working with children with learning disabilities and complex needs and their families.
About us
This is a chance to be involved in helping to deliver a service based on the principles of the Ealing Model, including positive behavioural support and trauma informed interventions, whilst drawing on your knowledge and expertise of the needs of this population. It is an exciting and transformational project. You will support the Team with the mobilisation of this model across our five localities, linking to the dynamic risk register and working alongside families.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This is a role that will truly enable you to make a system wide difference to children with severe learning disabilities and complex needs. Work with us and put your passion into practice. Please see the job description for details of the role and duties. This can be found in the documents to download section.
Application tip. When making your application, we want to see how and when you have demonstrated each of the criteria on the person specification. Use each criteria as headings and give your examples. Your examples can be from any point in your life for example at home, work, caring for someone etc. This is ultimately what you'll be shortlisted against.
Job description
Job responsibilities
This is a role that will truly enable you to make a system wide difference to children with severe learning disabilities and complex needs. Work with us and put your passion into practice. Please see the job description for details of the role and duties. This can be found in the documents to download section.
Application tip. When making your application, we want to see how and when you have demonstrated each of the criteria on the person specification. Use each criteria as headings and give your examples. Your examples can be from any point in your life for example at home, work, caring for someone etc. This is ultimately what you'll be shortlisted against.
Person Specification
EDUCATION / QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- National Youth Agency accredited Youth Work qualification plus experience
- Diploma in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Practice
Desirable
- BA in Youth work or Youth and community work
EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Experience of working with children, young people (CYP) and/or families in varied contexts
- Experience of working with young people with a learning disability and/or autistic young people
- Experience of offering advice and support to CYP and families to enhance quality of life
- Experience of carrying out behavioural observations
- Experience of family work/ group work
- Experience of Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression
- Experience of working with other agencies
- Experience of working autonomously and managing own workload
- Experience of supporting and working as part of a team
- Experience of working with IT systems
Desirable
- Experience of multidisciplinary working in the care of children and young people with complex needs
- Presentation/ teaching and training skills in mental health/behaviour that challenges
- Experience of working in a community and/or residential setting for young people with learning disabilities and complex needs
KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Understanding of positive behavioural support
- Awareness and understanding of mental health and emotional problems in children and young people with learning disabilities and complex needs
- Ability to communicate with children, young people with complex needs and their families around sensitive issues
- Knowledge of child development.
- Awareness of stigma and discrimination of people with learning disabilities.
- Ability to support CYP and families with emotional and behavioural issues
- Ability to engage children and young people in recovery focused, resilience building, therapeutic activities
- Thorough knowledge of safeguarding legislation and responsibilities.
Desirable
- Knowledge of evidence based assessments and interventions with this population
- Working knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation
SKILLS AND ABILTIES
Essential
- Skills in supporting young people with learning disabilities and complex needs and their families in understanding and managing emotional and behavioural issues
- Skills in creatively engaging children and young people in recovery focused, resilience building activities
- Skill in understanding and managing complex presentations within complex systems.
- Skills in communicating empathically and effectively even when young people and families are highly dysregulated and potentially abusive.
- High level of emotional resilience to be able to keep thinking and performing skilfully under pressure, remaining calm and displaying patience and empathy
- Able to respond sensitively to emotional distress
- Well-developed organisational skills
- Ability to work as part of a team and use initiative.
- Ability to work across agencies and within a multidisciplinary context
- Belief in child centred, trauma focused, needs led, recovery focused values base of the service.
- Computer literate
- Able to prioritise work delegated by a senior professional
- Ability to create innovative solutions alongside young people and families to help them meet identified goals
- Able to collect, record and organise information and data systematically
- Able to report observations accurately and concisely
- Ability to develop cooperative networks with external agencies
- Evidence of commitment to user and carer involvement
- An ability to uphold good practice in a non-judgemental way in difficult situations
- Ability to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging behaviour
- Display a positive attitude to role of supervision and to supporting colleagues
- Highly motivated and professional approach
Person Specification
EDUCATION / QUALIFICATIONS
Essential
- National Youth Agency accredited Youth Work qualification plus experience
- Diploma in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Practice
Desirable
- BA in Youth work or Youth and community work
EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Experience of working with children, young people (CYP) and/or families in varied contexts
- Experience of working with young people with a learning disability and/or autistic young people
- Experience of offering advice and support to CYP and families to enhance quality of life
- Experience of carrying out behavioural observations
- Experience of family work/ group work
- Experience of Prevention and Management of Violence and Aggression
- Experience of working with other agencies
- Experience of working autonomously and managing own workload
- Experience of supporting and working as part of a team
- Experience of working with IT systems
Desirable
- Experience of multidisciplinary working in the care of children and young people with complex needs
- Presentation/ teaching and training skills in mental health/behaviour that challenges
- Experience of working in a community and/or residential setting for young people with learning disabilities and complex needs
KNOWLEDGE
Essential
- Understanding of positive behavioural support
- Awareness and understanding of mental health and emotional problems in children and young people with learning disabilities and complex needs
- Ability to communicate with children, young people with complex needs and their families around sensitive issues
- Knowledge of child development.
- Awareness of stigma and discrimination of people with learning disabilities.
- Ability to support CYP and families with emotional and behavioural issues
- Ability to engage children and young people in recovery focused, resilience building, therapeutic activities
- Thorough knowledge of safeguarding legislation and responsibilities.
Desirable
- Knowledge of evidence based assessments and interventions with this population
- Working knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation
SKILLS AND ABILTIES
Essential
- Skills in supporting young people with learning disabilities and complex needs and their families in understanding and managing emotional and behavioural issues
- Skills in creatively engaging children and young people in recovery focused, resilience building activities
- Skill in understanding and managing complex presentations within complex systems.
- Skills in communicating empathically and effectively even when young people and families are highly dysregulated and potentially abusive.
- High level of emotional resilience to be able to keep thinking and performing skilfully under pressure, remaining calm and displaying patience and empathy
- Able to respond sensitively to emotional distress
- Well-developed organisational skills
- Ability to work as part of a team and use initiative.
- Ability to work across agencies and within a multidisciplinary context
- Belief in child centred, trauma focused, needs led, recovery focused values base of the service.
- Computer literate
- Able to prioritise work delegated by a senior professional
- Ability to create innovative solutions alongside young people and families to help them meet identified goals
- Able to collect, record and organise information and data systematically
- Able to report observations accurately and concisely
- Ability to develop cooperative networks with external agencies
- Evidence of commitment to user and carer involvement
- An ability to uphold good practice in a non-judgemental way in difficult situations
- Ability to act calmly in emergencies and to respond in a professional manner to stressful and challenging behaviour
- Display a positive attitude to role of supervision and to supporting colleagues
- Highly motivated and professional approach
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
