Ability to Facilitate Groups in an Inclusive and Empowering Way

Job Title: Community Outreach Worker / Directorate:
Adult and Community Wellbeing
Post Number: / Division: Community Wellbeing
Grade: 6 / Business Unit/Section:
Children’s Universal Prevention Service
Overall Purpose of Job:
The post holder will develop, train and coordinate parent and community led groups & activities to build the capacity of universal locality services, ensuring that the needs of the service are met. The post holder will also work with other agencies and services to offer direct support to families both in the Children’s Centre and home environment.
Main Responsibilities:
1. / To work in a locality under the supervision of the Team Leader to develop & facilitate universal services through the recruitment of volunteers and parents.
2. / Signpost families to access established community voluntary and statutory services, as appropriate, facilitating support/buddies for families where necessary
3 / Contribute to effective planning and evaluation of services so that outcomes for children and their families will improve
4. / To ensure better co-ordination of services across the voluntary and public sectors to ensure a range of universal services that are available acceptable and accessible to local families
5. / To undertake direct work with families who have children between 0-11 years in their own home or other agreed suitable venue.
6. / Visit families in their homes to undertake assessments, prepare implement and review interventions in partnership with individual clients /families and other professionals.
7. / Attend Child Protection, Child in Need and CWAN meetings, and take the role of Lead Professional when this is required.
8. / To undertake relevant training appropriate to the role either internally or externally
9.
10 / Complete routine case administration tasks e.g. up-dating all records, dealing with correspondence, communicating with other agencies and departments.
It is an expectation of the role that the post holder use IT systems, databases and equipment effectivelyas a core part of duties.
Knowledge, Skill and Experience:

Ability to facilitate groups in an inclusive and empowering way
Understand the role of existing universal services and have a knowledge of the range of services and support available for children and families across all levels of need
Experience of working with, and engaging families and children
Ability to communicate effectively with parents and recognise the need to empower families
An awareness of the impact of social exclusion on children and families
Excellent communication/interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
Knowledge of child protection and child in need frameworks and procedures.
Knowledge of child and adolescent physical, social and emotional development and parenting skills
Ability to recognise and take appropriate action in safeguarding processes and child protection issues
Knowledge of the Common Assessment Framework and role of Lead Professional
Ability to deliver parenting programmes to groups and individual families (or undertake training to do so).
Ability to make assessments and analyses of circumstances and information in order to develop effective intervention plans in partnership with families
Create and maintain recordsusing agreed IT systems
Produce reports as required and maintain confidentiality
Be able to plan effectively, work to deadlines, prioritise needs
Knowledge of relevant childcare legislation.
Ability to work as part of a team or independently
Able to work proactively with colleagues both internally and externally
The ability to be able to transport themselves across North Lincolnshire.

Creativity and Innovation:

Ability to work creatively in the engagement of parents and local groups to build capacity in universal services through the development of parent/ community led services.
Where possible, to effect changes and recognise where other services are required.
Contribute creatively to ideas for improving the quality of the work conducted by self and others
Capacity to ensure that ongoing case involvement is responsive to the needs of children, and their families and enables effective planning and positive parenting
To establish and deliver a range of programmes to parents including parenting support groups and other identified group activity.
Contribute to and fulfil the requirements in the preparation OFSTED inspections in Children’s Centres.
Participate and contribute as a member of the parenting support services; make contact with statutory services as and when necessary; make safeguarding or child protection referrals in line with local safeguarding procedures.
Identify external funding sources to support the ongoing sustainability of groups
Encourage groups to register with the LA for access to grant funding
Support groups in the development of their governance arrangements

Decision Making:
Initiates dialogue regarding the development of universal services in the community.
Contributes to the decision making on the most appropriate interventions required to achieve required outcomes for individual cases.
Makes day-to-day decisions on families receiving additional support but can identify appropriately when to discuss with line manager for further advice and guidance.
Ensures children ‘stay safe’ and that all North Lincolnshire Council policies and procedures are adhered to.
Contacts and Relationships:
Children/Parents/Carers

Encourage and empower parents in the development of community services and in the role of volunteer

Acts as a positive role model, working in a professionally inclusive and non-judgemental manner.
Enables and empowers children and their carers, engaging appropriately in matters of service delivery.
Acts as an advocate to enable access to universal services.
Undertakes home visits and will hold a small caseload cases.

Centre Management Group

Supports community and parents’ groups to initiate their own groups and support arrangements

Other Staff

Leads and supports members of the team.

Supports other staff/agencies in the team around the setting approach
Able to cover for other staff as required.
Promotes an open, honest and inclusive environment for working.

Other Professionals & Settings

Liaises with all sectors of the locality.
Shares information on a need to know basis respecting confidentiality.

Liaises with other settings/agencies as appropriate.

Responsibility for Resources: (to include approximate value, sole or shared responsibility and for what percentage of their working hours)
Mobile phone – sole responsibility daily -£50 max
Camera – shared responsibility 2/3 hrs per month -£50 max
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work Demands

Work routine subject to interruption/workload fluctuation.

Working at short notice, including evenings and weekends, as required.

Providing practical support to Children young people & families

Physical Demands:
Work requires normal physical effort.
Working Conditions:

Working in the community and within service user’s homes, in variable conditions and in Office base.

Post holder may work alone with Children young people & families.

Working in service users homes exposed to potentially unhealthy/hazardous environments, public and pets.

Postholder will be expected to work evenings and weekends as required

Work Context:

To develop a network of parent led and community led groups operating from the existing children’ centres to enable the delivery of a a sustainable universal service accessible to families in their localities. The post holder is largely expected to work with clients on a one-to-one basis. There will be some individual work with families There is the potential risk of contacting contagious diseases/viruses through contact with families.
A lone working policy is in operation, all staff are provided with a mobile phone and a daily logging off system is in place. Risk assessments are completed on each element of the service and are reviewed on a regular basis for their worth.

Position in Organisation:
Indicate how many staff the post is directly accountable for:

Does the post holder manage the posts - the postholder may be required to co-ordinate a small number of volunteers

Are posts in more than one location? N/A
Is the supervision/management shared with another post in the structure? N/A
Please indicate which post(s)

Note:

Post holders will be expected to be flexible in undertaking the duties and responsibilities attached to their post and may be asked to perform other duties, which reasonably correspond to the general character of the post and are commensurate with its level of responsibility. This job description is provided for guidance only and does not form part of the contract of employment.

Date of Job Description…………………………….

Date copy sent to Post holder…………………………….

Created on 9/6/2011 10:43:00 AM