The Fostering Network
Every child. Every carer. Every day
Job Description
Job title / Project Worker, Step Up, Step DownAccountable to / Deputy Director, (NI)
Objectives / To work effectively with the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust to develop and deliver the “Step up, Step Down” Project, ensuring overall outcomes are met.
Hours / 36 hours per week
Location / The Fostering Network Offices, Belfast (occasionally and as necessary co-located at Grove Centre, Ballynahinch, SEHSCT)
Status / 36 hours per week
This is a fixed term contract from 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2021
Requirement
Does the post involve contact with children and/or access to confidential information about children and families / Yes
Access NI Disclosure required / Yes
Key Responsibilities
1.Develop effective working relationships within the South Eastern Health and
Social Care Trust and, in partnership with the Social Worker, develop
relationships with other key organisations, liaising with them as required.
2.To co-ordinate, organise and deliver training to meet the aims of the project.
3.Work with the Step Up, Step Down Social Worker to promote the
programme, recruit and train specialist preventative foster carers on an ongoing basis.
4.To be aware of the targets and outcomes required by the project and
establish and implement evaluation frameworks to monitor, review and evaluate progress to ensure the project is successful.
5.In conjunction with the Social Worker to establish and build relationships
with families and foster carers in order to design and deliver programmes of activities that will contribute to meeting identified needs.
6.In conjunction with the Deputy Director to manage and be responsible for
such budgets as may be delegated, including monitoring expenditure against
budgets set.
7.Develop resource materials and information to allow the “Step Up, Step
Down” model to be promoted across all Trusts and Fostering Providers in NI
to support potential of the extension of the model on a regional basis.
8.Provide information and support to access support programmes for alcohol,
addiction, domestic abuse etc.
9.Assist in the identification of a programme to integrate families into their
Communities.
10.To co-ordinate and take part in six monthly reflective learning sessions and
quarterly steering group meetings involving appropriate key stakeholders.
11.To develop and deliver a model of peer support activities for foster carers
delivering the service.
12.Signpost foster carers to sources of independent support where necessary.
General Responsibilities
13.To ensure positive co-operation and effective working arrangements with external individuals and agencies to promote Fostering Network in Northern Ireland.
14.To be cognisant of the Regional Child Protection policies and procedures. To
be aware of the requirements for reporting and recording to meet the needs
of the Trust and TFN safeguarding policies.
15.To report as required to the Deputy Director, the Steering Group and to the Big Lottery on operational activity.
16.Maintain personal and professional development.
17.To represent the organisation externally as required.
18.Undertake any other responsibilities as directed by the Director for Northern Ireland.
19.To work collaboratively with other Fostering Network colleagues across the UK.
Additional Duties
It is the nature of The Fostering Network that tasks and responsibilities are in many circumstances unpredictable and varied. All employees are therefore expected to work in a flexible way when the occasion arises and undertake tasks that are not specifically covered in their job description.
Values
As an organisation, we believe that we make a difference to foster care and our people values are expressed in the work that we do:-
- Passionate
- Leading
- Catalyst for change
- Collaborative
Person Specification
Project Worker, “Step Up, Step Down” project
Important note
Candidates are assessed on their ability to meet the criteria listed in the person specification.
It is essential that you refer to the person specification below and demonstrate how you meet each of the criteria listed when completing the application form.
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
1.Third level qualification in youth work or community work or the equivalent experience.
2.Significant experience working within a community context to provide activities and resources to families.
3.Knowledge and experience of developing, providing and delivering training, information and support to vulnerable individuals and/or groups.
4.Experience of project co-ordination including the use of computers to gather and analyse project and evaluation data together with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office software including Excel.
5.Knowledge and experience of encouraging the engagement and participation of vulnerable families in accessing support services.
6.Experience of handling confidential information in a professional manner.
7.Experience of supporting or representing others and accessing services on their behalf.
Desirable
8. Knowledge of foster care services and issues relating to looked after children.
Skills and Abilities
Essential
9.Excellent communication skills both written and oral.
10.Self-motivated with the ability to, prioritise, plan and undertake work in an effective manner, with the minimum of supervision.
11.Proven ability to work effectively within a team by demonstrating cooperation and flexibility.
12.Proven ability to network with others and be influential on behalf of foster and kinship carers, as well as children and young people in care.
13.Ability to exercise sound judgement.
14.Proven ability to work with children and their carers in a sensitive and empathetic manner.
15.Good computer skills and experience of word processing
16.Ability to develop and deliver an accredited programme of training.
17.Ability to work effectively with groups of vulnerable young people
18.Willingness to travel throughout Northern Ireland.
19.This post requires extensive travel, applicants should have access to a car and a full driving licence.
20.Ability to work outside of normal working hours if and when required.
Attitudes
- Commitment to working within The Fostering Network’s equal opportunities and diversity policies and practice.
Additional Information
Pay and conditions of service
Grade / The Fostering Network Band 3 – salary points 26-32Salary / £23,720-£28,884
Annual Leave / 25 Days plus 5 Fostering Network days .
Probationary period / 6 calendar months.
Notice period / 6 working weeks
One week during probationary period.
Hours of work / 36per week
This is a fixed term contract from 1st April 2016 to 31st March 2021.
Pension / Optional. Money-purchase scheme and salary sacrifice option is available with Aegon:
Employee’s contribution 6%, employer’s contribution 8% of gross salary or employer’s contribution 4% and employee’scontribution of 3% of gross annual salary.
Trade Union / The Fostering Network recognises the trade union Unite
and members of staff can join if they wish
Appendix 1 – Information for Candidates for Project Worker on the “Step Up, Step Down” Project
The Fostering Network
The Fostering Network is Northern Ireland’s leading fostering charity with 100% membership of all foster carers and kinship foster carers, over 2000 in total, and all statutory and independent fostering service providers as corporate members. Children and young people are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in their potential and by working with their foster families and the services that support them to achieve the very best they can.
We are passionate about foster care and the difference it makes. We recognise and champion the vital role that foster families play in transforming children’s lives and work with fostering services to ensure they get the help and support they need.
As the essential network at the heart of foster care, we bring together everyone who is involved in the lives of children and young people who are fostered. We lead, inspire, motivate and support them to make foster care better. Together with our members and supporters we are a powerful catalyst for change leading the fostering. We deliver a range of services including advice and information to all foster care members and projects including “Fostering Achievement” and “Fostering the Future.”
“Step Up, Step Down” extends our range of services. It is an innovative five year funded programme under the Big Lottery’s Reaching Out, Supporting Families programme. This is a new service for Fostering Network in NI and will be delivered in partnership with the South Eastern HSCT. The project has two staff, the Project Worker, managed by the Fostering Network and a Social Worker, located within the SEHSCT and managed by a Trust senior manager.
The Project Worker will be responsible to the Deputy Director for developing this programme of work, agreed with the Big Lottery. They will be managed in line with the Fostering Network’s performance and development management framework. This will involve formal supervision every six weeks. Staff meetings are held six times per year in Belfast.
Travel is involved in the job and the applicant will need to have a full, driving license as well as access to a car. Induction training will be offered by the Fostering Network and may involve at least one day in the London office.
Fostering Network – “Step Up Step Down - Family Focused Fostering” in partnership with the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.
The five year ‘Step Up, Step Down’ project aims to prevent children, who are on the periphery of the care system, from being taken into care and instead support them to stay within their own homes. This will be achieved by creating a pool of four foster carers, who are highly trained and experienced in dealing with children with complex
physical and emotional issues and who will work intensively with families for up to 18 months to help build their skills, knowledge and capacity. They will help the families to, for example, establish routines for bedtime, bath-time and getting ready for school; understand the importance of healthy eating, nutritious meals and having a breakfast, including helping the family to plan, prepare and cook appropriate meals; and recognize the importance of ensuring their children are properly presented. If the family experiences an emergency / crisis situation, the child would be able to stay with the foster carer they know for a short period of time, rather than being placed with strangers.
The project will operate within the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT) area and approximately 120 families with children aged under 12 who will be referred to the service and we hope to have a 75% success rate, i.e. children not placed into care. It will therefore benefit approximately 90 families (360 individuals including 110 parents and 250 children under the age of 12).
The project will be delivered by The Fostering Network (lead partner) and SEHSCT. The Fostering Network will employ the Project Worker and manage and monitor the project, and deliver and / or arrange appropriate tailored training opportunities. The SEHSCT will employ one Social Worker who will exclusively work on the project and will be responsible for recruiting, assessing and supporting foster carers as well as identifying families who could potentially benefit from the project. The support provided will depend on individual family needs and will primarily be delivered by project staff and specialist foster carers; activities include:
•Home based activities focused on key family times e.g. getting to school, healthy meals, budgeting and establishing routines
•Programme of activities focused on learning and achieving as a family using Incredible Years and Dynakids
•Programme of learning and play activities for parents and children together that are age and stage appropriate
- Intensive support at times of family crisis
•Short breaks from caring at times of family crisis
•Support programme for alcohol, addiction and domestic abuse issues
•Sign-posting and support to access additional services, e.g. domestic violence, benefits and training
•Regular programme of home visits to plan and review support
•Develop and deliver a model of peer support activities for foster carers delivering the service
The project will be delivered in Fostering Network’s premises in Montgomery Road in Belfast and across the SEHSCT.
A project steering group will be established and will include representatives from both partner organisations (Fostering Network and SEHSCT), foster carers and service users who have successfully used the service (from year two). The project is
new to Northern Ireland and has been based upon the Support Care fostering model that has been successfully used in Wales. The project has been specifically designed to reduce the high number of children in Northern Ireland who do not live with their birth families (3,000 at March 2014) by embedding childcare knowledge. This is a pilot project that could dramatically change the approach to caring for children who are at risk, including reducing the number of children who are taken into care. The project meets the Supporting Families programme outcomes by helping parents develop appropriate childcare skills and support networks, so that they can ask for help and advice without fearing that the child will be taken into care. This will result in improved parenting skills, improved relationships between parents and children and enable children to remain with their birth families, where possible.
1 January 2016