Job info	Job info details
Job title	Leaving Care Personal Advisor
Strategic team/Directorate	Childrens Services
Service	Safeguarding
Business unit	Leaving Care Team
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Team Manager – Care Leavers
Accountable to (line manager)	Team Manager – Care Leavers
Salary grade	G
JE ref	CS05

1. Key purpose of job

• The post has been integrated into a Children’s Service Authority in line with Every Child Matters and the Children Act 2004. Emphasis will be on delivering practical social work support services to Service Users and their families, meeting the five outcomes in a way which exceeds standard performance indicator targets.
• The objectives of the post are in line with the requirements of :
  • The Children Act 1989.
  • The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.
  • The Children and Social Work Act 2017.
  • The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations, Vol 3: Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers, revised January 2015.
  • Care Leavers Charter, DfE, 2012.
  • Applying Corporate Parenting Principles to Looked After Children and Care Leavers, DfE, 2018.
  • The Children Act 2004.
  • The Children and Young Persons Act 2008.
  • The Housing Act 2004.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• To provide a high standard of support to young people of 16-25, living in and leaving care, in order to improve their life chances, safety, accommodation needs, education and employment, finances and independence skills.
• To improve safeguarding arrangements, assessments, preparation and planning for Care Leavers.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• To ensure that care-experienced young people are placed at the heart of the service, are treated courteously and fairly, and are consulted on all aspects of their service provision.
• Assessing the needs of young people in order that they achieve higher levels of independent living skills.
• To formulate a Pathway Plan for every care leaver allocated, and to review that Pathway Plan every 6 months or sooner if required.
• To assist young people in a range of practical, personal, social and financial help to enable independence and help young people to become fulfilled and actively contributing citizens within their community.
• To provide consultation and specialist information to Children and Family teams, Fostering, Housing and accommodation providers, Torbay Youth Trust, YOT, Health professionals, Adult Social Care and Community Mental Health Teams, education and training providers, Police and all other statutory and voluntary providers as required.
• To support young people to reach their potential and have a positive identity as an care-experienced young person; to include support with (safer) relationship-building with birth family, if this is their wish.
• Responding appropriately in crisis situations which may necessitate re-scheduling of planned work and may require immediate decision taking and creativity.
• Accompanying young people to various appointments if the Leaving Care worker / PA feels such support is necessary.
• Liaising with and developing partnerships with other agencies and services in order to provide a full range of choices and options for young people.
• Carrying out the full responsibilities of the post with due regard to the Council’s Diversity and Equal Opportunities policies, and to ensure all needs of BAME, LGBT and care-experienced young people with disabilities are identified and met.
• To undertake 1:1 and group work with young people aimed at practical support and preparation for leaving care.
• To work intensively with a mixed case load of Eligible, Relevant, Former Relevant and Qualifying Clients
• Encouraging young people to increase their educational attainments to give greater chances of employment and achievement.
• Liaising with housing providers landlords and RSL’s and determining the most suitable needs lead accommodation options and supporting the young person in moving and equipping the home with basic essentials.
• Participate in the daily Duty and Drop-in provision as rostered.
• To ensure that all records of work, paper and electronic, are up to date and comply with legal and departmental requirements and are of a high standard, containing proper recommendations and analysis.
• In conjunction with the manager, to monitor and evaluate the service and where appropriate make suggestions for modification and new approaches via supervision or the Team Meeting.
• Attend statutory departmental Children Looked After reviews and multi-agency meetings, which may require the preparation of detailed reports and assessments.
• Undertake regular face-to-face visits to young people throughout their time with the Care Leavers team, which may involve long distance travel.
• Being responsible for identifying financial support for care-experienced young people and liaising with your supervisor, internal finance teams, Job Centre Plus and Housing Benefits etc. in order to secure funding entitlements.
• Ensure good, regular liaison between tutor, trainers and support staff from schools, colleges and universities.
• To undertake other duties and responsibilities commensurate with the post and departmental requirements.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• Ensure that necessary funding is identified within care leavers’ entitlements, make appropriate request to Manager for authorisation, and complete relevant paperwork.
• Keep a running record of all Setting Up Home Allowance / leaving care grant purchases, supporting young people to make the most effective use of the budget.
• The Leaving Care Torbay Operational Support purchasing checklist must be used for equipping homes with the basic requirements, i.e. furniture and bedding, and orders placed and delivered.
• Ensuring that all benefit claims if required are in place at age 18 and changes in circumstances are dealt with urgently so that loss of funding or tenancy is avoided.
• Support young people to apply for Education Bursaries and other funding to support education and training in a timely fashion.
• Budget planning and funding must be considered in each Pathway Plan and additional funding for specific actions and aims must be flagged up in good time.
• Emergency funding must be negotiated with Manager and young person. Recommendations may be made by worker in cases of wilful damage to property, to use some of the Leaving Care Grant as compensation to landlord/owner.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• There is no direct line management responsibility. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Working from Health and Safety assessed workplace/ office. Office base or on computer / telephone from home.
• Often working alone outside office and outside office hours. Staff must adhere to the lone working arrangements.
• Driving or travelling with young people to appointments, moving home etc. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. Work is undertaken in a variety of environments including office, college or school, young peoples’ own homes or other community resources / venues as appropriate / necessary.
• Supporting young people to clear flats is exceptional and will be risk assessed re. potential risk from rubbish, needles etc. Flat clearing, listing and moving lot of personal items is usually done by local and preferred DBS-checked removal firms.

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Computer / laptop, telephone office base and mobile. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

External:

• Leaving Care Personal Advisors in other areas / regions.
• Adult Social Care providers and enabling teams.
• Community Mental Health Teams.
• Housing and health organisations.
• Police and Probation.
• Torbay Youth Trust.

Internal:

• Care Leavers PAs and SWs.
• Torbay Children’s Services teams.
• Housing Department.
• Adult Social Care.
• CAMHS.
• Supported accommodation providers.
• Job Centre Plus.

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children's Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• This post is office based at Electric House but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Leaving Care Personal Advisor
Strategic team/Directorate	Childrens Services
Service	Safeguarding
Business unit	Leaving Care Team

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Ability to engage and communicate effectively with young people and form positive working relationships with them, their families and carers, specialist services and colleagues.
• Ability to initiate, negotiate and maintain partnership-working relationships with young people, their support networks, and professionals.
• Willingness to learn effective use of IT.
• Ability to compile concise, timely and accurate assessments and reports.
• Commitment to anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.
• Willingness to undertake training in areas of skill and knowledge that require enhancing.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Partnership working with Children Looked After, care leavers and care providers.
• Partnership working with Care Leavers, young people, parents and other agencies. 
• Experience of using Word, Excel and the Paris or Liquid Logic data bases.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Understanding of child and adolescent development and the needs of young people, including physical, emotional, cultural and social needs.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
• Self-awareness; own strengths and limitations.
• Knowledge of Torbay / resources for young people.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety issues.

Desirable knowledge

• The Children Act 1989.
• The Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.
• The Children and Social Work Act 2017.
• The Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations, Vol 3:
• Planning Transition to Adulthood for Care Leavers, revised January 2015.
• Care Leavers Charter, DfE, 2012.
• Applying Corporate Parenting Principles to Looked After.
• Children and Care Leavers, DfE, 2018.
• The Children Act 2004.
• The Children and Young Persons Act 2008.
• The Housing Act 2004.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Experience of working with young people and adults.
• Working autonomously and as part of a team.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Working effectively with other professionals, disciplines and agencies. 

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Evidence of consistent pattern of learning from education, training and experience.
• GCSE pass in English at Grade C or above or equivalent.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Relevant qualification in social care, youth work, youth justice, benefits or housing. 

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
• Ability to accommodate on-call working.
• Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.