Job Description

Post: ‘You Choose’Project Worker

Location: Birmingham (Main) and West Midlands (As directed)

Hours: 37 hours per week – flexible hours (may include evenings and weekends)

Funding in place until March 2016

Salary: £18, 576

Accountable to: Family Services Manager

Responsible for:

The successful completion of evidenced based outcomesset by the Family

Services Manager.

Main purpose of job:

To inform and empower families in the process of transition and Education, Health and Care Plans using person centred practices on both an individual and group basis.

The post holder will also in the near future provide as part of the wider Family Carer Servicembrokerage support for families to plan their own short break solutions on behalf of Forward Carers Consortium.

Primary duties:

Under the direction of the Family Services Manager:

  • Complete a successful induction
  • Manage a pre-planned work load
  • Engage with schools and other professionals to identify where support is needed for families in relation to Education, Health and Care Planning process for young people planning for adult life.
  • Ensure actions identified in planning process are agreed and completed
  • Work with Person Centred Practice and Development Manager to develop and use person centred approaches to engage and plan with families
  • Ensure that responsibilities are carried out in accordance with Health and Safety legislation, and Midland Mencap’s lone working, Equal Opportunities, Child & Adult Protection Policies, confidentiality and data protection policies.
  • Ensure appropriate professional boundaries with children young people, parents and carers, staff and volunteers are maintained across the service
  • Take part in a duty rota to ensure all referrals are appropriately prioritized and managed
  • Maintain appropriate records and highlight concerns and difficulties with line manager
  • Complete exit interviews with individuals and their families
  • Develop and maintain sound professional relationships with other agencies
  • Collate data to enable robust monitoring and evaluation of the service
  • Maintain records & provide periodic reports as required
  • Ensure the work programme addresses the needs of and reflects the diverse population of Birmingham
  • Participate in planned regular meetings with line manager and other Midland Mencap colleagues
  • Attend planned training

The post holder will be expected to utilise Midland Mencap bases across the region as appropriate

Additional duties:

  • Participate in the overall development of Midland Mencap’s service delivery
  • Engage in continuous professional development in order to enhance skills and develop best practise
  • Provide data and information to the line manager and Head of Service for to enable the service to be maintained and developed

Person Specification

General Background:

  • Be willing to undertake an enhanced DBS
  • Be self motivated and able to work using own initiative
  • Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, parents, carers, children & young people both verbally and in writing
  • Confidence to lead group sessions
  • Be flexible to work evenings and weekends when needed
  • Ability to use and further develop IT skills

Essential Experience and knowledge:

  • Awareness of and willingness to develop and use person centred practice and tools
  • A minimum of one year’s experience of working with people with learning disabilities.
  • Experience of working with families
  • Knowledge of safeguarding & child & adult protection procedures
  • Knowledge of Birmingham geography, agencies and links
  • Demonstrate willingness to work across local authority boundaries & develop new networks & links
  • Demonstrate an understanding of health and safety and lone working principles and practises

Essential Skills and abilities:

  • To work as part of a team as well as on own initiative
  • To work remotely using appropriate IT resources
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and oral
  • To maintain appropriate professional boundaries with young people, their families and volunteers
  • Flexible approach to work
  • To plan and manage own time and prioritise workload

Desirable additional skills:

  • Have a current driving licence with access to own transport

Midland Mencap staff are expected to adhere to the organisation’s Equal Opportunities Policy, appropriate professional codes of practise and ethics.

February 2015

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