Job info	Job info details
Job title	Young Carers Project Worker
Strategic team/Directorate	Learning and Partnership Hubs
Service	Youth Hub
Business unit	Children’s Services
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Youth Hub Project Manager
Accountable to (line manager)	Youth Hub Project Manager
Salary grade	F
JE ref	CSERV024

1. Key purpose of job

• To assess the needs of young carers living in Torbay and to support them providing or helping them to access appropriate services.
• To undertake all statutory functions in accordance with Young Carers legislation.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• To support young carers to ensure that they are able to be healthy, be safe and to achieve.
• To ensure that young carers are not undertaking a level of care that would be considered inappropriate or unsafe.
• To increase partnership knowledge and understanding of Young Carers. 

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• To carry out young carers assessments and ensure that an appropriate plan is in place to meet identified needs.
• To co-ordinate and run groups and activities for Young Carers, organising transport and assisting with Health and Safety management and oversight.
• To provide individual support to young carers, in schools or in the community.
• Hold a caseload of young carers and offer targeted support to meet their needs.
• Undertake a whole family approach to support for young carers and their families, including home visits and attending TAF meetings.
• Attend meetings, write reports and perform advocacy for young carers both in the TAF around the family and statutory safeguarding processes.
• To provide a range of support service in the schools for young carers, including 1-2-1 appointments, and group support e.g., a lunchtime or after-school club.
• To support and signpost young carers and their families around all identified needs.
• To maintain records of referrals, contact and interventions / support delivered to all young carers.
• Include young carers in the design and delivery of the young carers service including but not limited to feedback and quality assurance.
• To deliver awareness sessions around young carers and their associated needs to partner agencies.
• Organise and deliver holiday programmes and activities for the Young Carers.
• Work to increase the knowledge of the partnership around the existence and delivery of the service.
• To work flexible hours as befits the needs of the service. This will include working outside of normal office hours, including some weekend and evening work.
• Provide support to families with complex and multiple needs, providing a balance between support and challenge.
• 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.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• Adherence to financial regulations when handling petty cash or booking activities for young people.

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• Supervision of sessional staff when required, no line management responsibilities.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Lone working.
• Home visits.

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands.

8. Specific resources used by the post

• None. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

• Young carers and their families, Young Adult Carers, health services, police, probation, education the community and voluntary sector and any agencies that may be involved with or could support young carers and their families.

Internal

• Social Care, Early/Targeted Help, Community Safety, Housing, IYSS, Youth Offending Team, Youth Homelessness Prevention Services.

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.
• 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 is eligible for hybrid working.
• 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2017 (part 7) the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.

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	Young Carers Project Worker
Strategic team/Directorate	Learning and Partnership Hubs
Service	Youth Hub
Business unit	Children’s Services

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• A proven ability to engage positively with young people who have challenging behaviour patterns and attitudes.
• An ability to assess and deliver individualised programmes of work that respond effectively to the needs of young people from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities in the 5-18 age group.
• Experience of working individually and in a group-work setting.
• Excellent negotiation skills and the ability to handle sensitive issues and people with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to work on your own initiative to an agreed action plan.
• Ability to organise your own work routines effectively with a minimum of supervision and support.
• Ability to work in partnership with a variety of agencies.
• Good verbal and written communication skills and the ability to write accurate reports.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Experience of working with parents/families.
• Effective Presentation Skills. 
• Ability to use solution focused practice.
• Demonstrable ability to adopt a range of practice methodologies appropriate to the needs of the young person e.g., support and challenge, person-centred, systemic, CBT, advocacy, mediation etc.

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Understanding of how the Care Act 2014 and Children and Families Act 2014 impact on young carers.
• Awareness of issues affecting young people in Torbay.

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge of legislation affecting children and families.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Experience of youth or community work.
• Experience of the use of formal assessment tools.
• Competent in ICT at a basic level.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience working with Young Carers.
• Experience working with young people within the care system and those on Child Protection plans.
• Experience working alongside other agencies.
• Experience presenting to groups.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• NVQ level 3 qualification or equivalent in related field.
• Willingness to develop skills as required.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Professional qualification relevant to the role i.e. Dip SW.
• Relevant Degree such as Social Care, Health, Education, Children and Youth Work, Probation or Criminal Justice.

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 in order to carry out duties.
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
• Ability to be flexible with work hours to meet the needs of the service.
• Ability to accommodate occasional homeworking.