Sessional Project Worker (Portadown)

A voluntary organisation that has been working for over 50 years to reduce crime and its impact on people and communities across Northern Ireland. In 2022/23 we supported 5,581 individuals and families across 27 projects, working with:

• Children & young people: believing that early interventions can help children and young people to make positive life choices and avoid risk-taking behaviours.
• Families affected by imprisonment: believing people in prison and their families have the right to maintain (or not) relationships and helping families to access services strengthens their ability to cope, achieve effective resettlement and desist from crime.
• Adults in prison and in the community: believing that supporting people who have offended/who are at risk of offending to make positive choices contributes to from crime.

Job Title: SESSIONAL PROJECT WORKER - Early Intervention Support Service (EISS)
Accountable to: SENIOR PRACTITIONER - Early Intervention Support Service
Salary: Grade 4 (£27,852 FTE - 35hrs). Pro rata for PT hours.
Hours: Flexible. Between 14-35hrs per week depending on the employee's availability.
Duration: Required for a minimum of 12 weeks. Please do not apply if you cannot commit to 12 weeks or more.
Key Responsibilities

• To work with families on a one-to-one basis using a variety of interventions to identify needs and achieve positive outcomes.

• Work in partnership with parents/carers to empower them to achieve better outcomes for their children.

• Complete initial assessments of family's needs using a strengths-based approach to identify and plan the support required.

• Mentor and motivate families to understand the benefit of relevant activities.

• Manage own workload, administration and diary commitments, maintain records, including reports of all interactions.

• To work in partnership with other service providers and a range of stakeholders to provide an effective service for children and young people.

• Maintain knowledge of local service provision for appropriate sign posting and referrals.
• Implement appropriate methods of assessment and action plan for each individual family.
• Promote and represent the project within the communities it serves.
• Ensure the efficient and effective use of project resources.
• Report directly to the EISS senior practitioner, exchanging information in relation to practice and safeguarding, and ensure all necessary reports are made available within appropriate timescales.
• Keep up to date with and adhere to current relevant legislation (including Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion), and appropriate regional strategies which underpin/inform early intervention, including NIACRO's policies.

• Use a range of applications and databases, to contribute to demonstrating outcomes and impact, along with fulfilling general administrative duties.

The postholders will, from time to time, be required to undertake any other reasonable duties which may be requested by the line manager including co-working with relevant projects; they will be required to be flexible and where appropriate provide cover during periods of staff absences to ensure continuous service delivery.
Person Specification.
For each of the essential criteria, candidates are expected to evidence how they meet the
specific requirements. The panel cannot draw inferences from the material supplied so clear
evidence must be stated if the candidate is to be deemed to have met the essential criteria.
Essential Criteria

• A certificate level qualification in a relevant discipline (minimum NVQ level 3 or equivalent). For example, Health & Social Care, Working with Offending Behaviour, Youth and Community. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/qualifications-what-different-levels-mean#toc-1

• At least two years of post-qualification experience working in a multi-disciplinary team providing services to families.

OR

• At least five years' experience working in a multi-disciplinary team providing services to families and children between 0-18 years in a home or community setting.

AND

• Good interpersonal, communication and listening skills.
• Ability to work in partnership with parents and children.
• Ability to act as an advocate for children; this includes both children engaged directly with services and their siblings.
• The ability to maintain accurate and concise case note records.
• Understanding of and ability to apply safeguarding and child protection procedures.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel Outlook and databases.
• Hold a valid driving licence and access to a car to carry out the duties of the post. Consideration will be given to candidates, who because of a disability, cannot hold a driving license but can access transport that enables them to fulfil the duties of the post. Applicants must clearly state if this applies.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of evidence informed approaches to working with children and families e.g., the Solihull Approach.
• 3rd Level qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g. social work, education, childcare).

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