HOME-START CENTRAL & WEST CHESHIRE

Job Description–Coordinator / First Response Worker

A Coordinator / First Response Worker reporting to a senior worker

Employer: Home-Start Central & West Cheshire, Ludlow Close, Winsford, Cheshire CW7 1LX

Responsible to: The Senior Coordinator / Deputy Manager

Hours of work:37 hours per week (Could be a job share). To be worked flexibly as required by the needs of the project and in consultation with the manager.

Purpose of the job

  • To assess new referrals to establish the family’s needs and agree the focus for Home-Start support.
  • To review and monitor families progress, focusing or ending support appropriately
  • To provide immediate First Response support for parents and children in need.
  • To maintain high standards of practice in supporting families within the ethos of Home-Start.
  • To recruit, train and support volunteers in line with policies and requirements
  • To ensure inclusion and diversity in all aspects of the scheme’s operation and work.
  • To work in accordance with the Home-Start Governing documents, Standards and Methods of Practice, Home-Start Agreement and Quality Assurance Standards.

Main Responsibilities

Support for children and families

  • Visit families at home following referral to carry out assessment of needs.
  • In some cases, providing intensive First Response support to meet short-termneeds of children in and around their own home and community.
  • To support / in some cases lead CIRCLE group parenting sessions with a team of volunteers.
  • Engaging in play and development activities in and outside of the home and modelling good parenting skills.
  • Accompanying parent and child/ren to children’s centres to attend activity sessions and support groups such as breastfeeding peer support.
  • Modelling play activities to parents.
  • Assisting / accompanying parent and child to access child’s health, social work or other appointments.eg speech therapy / onward practice of speech with child.
  • Supporting parents with child weight management; helping to ensure children eat healthily.
  • Help to safeguard children who might be at risk of harm, neglect or abuse.
  • Encourage and assist the family to access additional support outside of Home-Start for their child where necessary.
  • To contribute to ongoing assessment of the family’s needsand assist them to move ontolonger term volunteer support if or when this isappropriate.
  • Ensure adequate records are kept of support offered to each family.

Working in Partnership

  • Liaising with referrers.
  • Attending Team around the Family meetings or Child in Need meetings as required to work to support the family as part of a multiagency team.

Managing the Wider Context

  • Promoting the scheme, its profile, ethos and practice.
  • Contributing to the development of Home-Start locally, regionally and nationally.

The post holder will:

  • Be expected to drive around the borough as part of their day-to-day work.
  • Work as an effective member of the team focused on the desired outcomes identified by the family and the scheme coordinators.
  • Work in a flexible manner.
  • Have good communication skills.
  • Undertake appropriate training as agreed with their line manager.
  • Work to project targets as agreed in supervision/appraisal.
  • Work within the ethos of Home-Start, have high standards of practice and respect confidentiality.
  • Carry out their work with due regard for the health and safety of themselves, other employees and the public.
  • Undertake any other duties that fall within the nature of the role and responsibilities of the post as detailed above.