Family Support Worker

Family Support Worker
Islington
£26/hr
Start Date: ASAP

AKTON recruitment is working closely with the local authorities and we are looking for a Family Support Worker in the Islington area. 3 - 6 months contract. Enhanced DBS is reuqired, please aplky if you have a valid DBS in place.

PRIMARY JOB FUNCTION
The Disabled Children's Family Support Team supports disabled children / young people and their families through their child in need plans. Their role is to act as allocated worker reviewing the child in need plans and ensuring that they meet the assessed need.
In between reviews FSRPs act as a point of contact when issues arise with their personal budget, or in the event of a difficulty or crisis. FSRP's support parents in poverty, with mental health problems, victims of domestic violence and where English is a second language to access their rights to benefits and appropriate housing.
The FSRPs hold a caseload of disabled children and their families to ensure that they have the right support in place to meet their needs, that the child, parents, support provider and the professional network are working towards agreed SMART goals linked to their EHC plans.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Organise child in need reviews for children and young people, which are usually in the schools where the professional network can attend.
2. The review process begins with gathering information from the child, parents and professionals about the current needs and progress towards the goals in the last CIN plan.
3. Where there has been a significant change in needs or more than two years since the last assessment the FSRO would gather information to inform a reassessment led by a Deputy Team Manager.
4. FSRP's attend and contribute to Team around the Child meetings and Child in Need Reviews. They are responsible for completing minutes, uploading these to LCS and circulating to the attendees.
5. After the review the FSRPs would work with the child, parents and the professional network to develop new goals and identify the affordable support in the individual budget to meet the family's needs.
6. The FSRPs will ensure that goals are SMART and personalised to the child/young person and their family. They usually including access to leisure, at least one developmental goal and a regular short break for the carers.
EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE
E1 Relevant vocational qualification to diploma or HNC level
E2 Significant experience of working with disabled children and their families and an understanding of the barriers they face in a culturally diverse urban environment where there are significant deprivation issues.
E3 Significant experience of implementing a range of interventions to support families with disabled children.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITY
E4 Displays an awareness, understanding and commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children and young people.
E5 Ability to identify risks and follow appropriate processes to manage and reduce risk to disabled children at home and in the community.
E6 An understanding about a range of complex disabilities and the ability to identify their support needs and utilise their strengths.
E7 The ability to offer support and advice to parents regarding behaviour interventions, strategies and specialist communication with their child.
E8 Knowledge of theoretical models of intervention, relevant legislation, policy, research and good practice in the provision of services for severely disabled children and their families.
E9 Ability to identify priority outcomes, and ensure that children and young people are reaching their potential
E10 Ability to understand the needs of siblings and parents of disabled children, and to support these families using a motivational practice / relationship-based approach.