Children’s Support Worker – Mobile Children’s Service

Job Description

Job Title

/

Children’s Support Worker

Responsible To / Service Manager
Responsible For / ·  Providing services to children in all Sonas services, on a one-to-one basis, in families and in a group setting.
·  Ensuring best practice in the delivery of services to children in the service.
·  Ensuring the needs of service users and their children are central to the work of the children’s service.
Location / Various locations across Dublin region and Wicklow town
Terms & conditions / Salary scale starting at €33,367 per annum
Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week
26 days annual leave

Main Duties

·  To ensure that the needs of clients are central to the work of the organisation.

·  To work to all Sonas Domestic Violence Charity services practices (quality standards), policies and procedures to ensure the delivery of quality, effective and safe services to clients.

·  To work as part of a mobile Children’s Support service, providing support services to children; one-to-one support, work with mother and child, work with families and structured activities with the children.

·  To carry out needs assessments, risk assessments and develop safety plans/ support plans to address these needs through the use of relevant Sonas tools.

·  To refer children to other services and accompany them, with their mothers, to such services as required.

·  To advocate for clients when appropriate and by agreement.

·  To team-work with the Women’s Support team and other team members to ensure that women and children are provided with an integrated domestic violence service.

·  To ensure best practice in the delivery of children’s services.

·  To work in consultation with mothers and provide them with support, including referral to other services, as required.

·  To provide a flexible childcare service to mothers to allow them to meet with support workers and other services.

·  To participate in the review and evaluation of the services for children in Sonas services.

·  To involve children in decision-making as appropriate to their age and understanding.

·  To assist in the management of the outdoor and indoor play facilities and ensure they are maintained to a high standard and adhere to health and safety policy.

·  To adhere to Sonas and Tusla policies on child protection.

·  To liaise with the Designated Liaison person in the implementation of Sonas and Tusla policies on child protection.

·  To keep informed of developments in the area of support work with children and child protection including new methods of work, changes in policy, legalisation, additional supports etc.

·  To keep informed of developments in the area of domestic violence including new methods of work, changes in policy, legalisation, additional supports etc.

·  To liaise effectively with statutory and voluntary agencies as part of the delivery of the Sonas service.

·  To ensure that the IT system is used for the accurate collection of service data.

·  To maintain all records and files according to the agreed standard.

Person Specification

Essential Requirements

·  Childcare specific degree.

·  Minimum of 2 years’ experience working directly with children in a social care setting to include a minimum of 1 year post qualification experience.

·  Ability to assess the support needs of children.

·  Ability to develop individual child support plans.

·  Clear understanding and analysis of social justice, domestic violence and other gender-based forms of violence against women and the impacts it has on women and children’s lives.

·  Clear understanding of child welfare and protection issues and structures.

·  Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, to include IT.

·  Demonstrated ability to use own initiative.

·  Effective in working as part of team.

·  Knowledgeable on children’s rights issues.

·  Good understanding of the issues in relation to domestic or gender based violence and the impact on children and young people.

·  Maintains appropriate boundaries with service users.

·  Full driving licence and access to car.

Desirable

·  Experience of working with women and children affected by Domestic Violence.

The above Job Description is a guide to the general range of duties and is neither definitive nor restrictive and will be subject to periodic review.