Senior Support Worker
Location: Bognor Regis
Hours: 37.5
Salary: £24,700
We are seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Senior Youth Support Worker for our
Young People's Services in Bognor Regis providing care and support for vulnerable
young people aged 16 and over.
The Senior Support Worker will provide first line management and lead a small team
of support staff. You will be responsible for ensuring all current and newly referred
individuals receive high-quality, person-centred support. You will lead and support
practice development within the team and will provide coaching and mentoring to
team members.
To ensure the Senior Support Worker can establish and maintain direct contact and
involvement with those we support, an element of the role will be direct support
provision.
You will be responsible for preparing and maintaining up to date support plans, risk
assessments and co-ordinating the provision of high quality, individualised support
by support staff. You will ensure good joint working practices are established and
maintained.
Key to the role is adopting a proactive approach to build a positive and engaging
relationship with Local Authorities and all other stakeholders.
You will ensure the well-being of clients and promote their development. A key
component of this role is to assist young people in their development of physical,
social, emotional, and daily life skills. This increases their independence and allows
them to function appropriately in the community.
Your role will include the planning, development and implementation of services
provided and evaluating these services, including the recreational, social and/or
educational activities provided for clients.
Senior Youth Support Workers will:
1. Be able to work on their own initiative and be able to plan and organise daily
activities and routines for themselves and the team.
2. Provide direction and support to junior members of staff and assist the Service
Managers in the overall management of the service.
3. Specifically take account of the choices, needs, and wishes of each young
person, involving them with their support plans and associated documents.
4. Develop person-centred working relationships with young people, carrying out
any Key Worker responsibilities in a professional manner.
5. Actively encourage and support leisure and other meaningful activities, both
inside and outside of the home, in accordance with individual young people’s
interests, choices and needs.
6. You will strive to create a fun and enjoyable atmosphere to encourage young
people’s participation in our house meetings.
7. Liaise with external agencies to establish the best interests of the young
people.
8. Supervise specific members of staff, students, or volunteers, in conjunction
with management, always ensuring that confidentiality is upheld.
9. Participate in any grievance, complaint, or disciplinary action, in accordance
with the organisation’s procedures, in conjunction with the Service Managers.
10. Attend and participate in all meetings as required, including your own and
other supervisions and appraisals. You will maintain a vocational portfolio
which demonstrates your continuing acquisition of skills, knowledge, attitudes,
understanding and achievement.
11. Take responsibility for a particular administrative area, e.g. petty cash, rotas
etc. as directed and guided by the Service Manager.
12. Deputise for the Service Manager in the event of his/her absence with
appropriate support from another managers/Director.
13. Work with managers to identify training needs and access relevant learning
and development opportunities and share that learning with others.
14. Work as part of a team, sharing responsibility fairly and being supportive of
others.
15. Provide lay counselling support and life skills training to clients.
16. Adhere to the service’s smoking policy, dress code, policy on use of mobile
telephones and code of conduct and policy on drugs & alcohol, ensuring that
any staff believed to be breaching any of the policies, procedures and code of
conduct are reported to management.
17. Supporting young people to make appropriate choices regarding their
nutritional needs.
18. Reporting to managers any concerns regarding a young person’s welfare,
including health and safety issues.
19. Ensuring that the service environment is secure, clean, and well presented.
Undertaking weekly room checks and ensuring that maintenances and fire
checks are completed. Ensuring that domestic chores are completed by staff
on shift daily.
20. Understanding the importance of a young person’s working file and plans and
using these effectively and professionally whilst ensuring they are kept up to
date.
Key Responsibilities:
1. To oversee the day to day running of designated services.
Assist the manager in ensuring rotas are in place to meet contracted hours
of provision and effectively support the individual.
Ensure records of support provision are accurately maintained.
Ensure weekly returns are completed and sent to the appropriate section.
Implement and monitor service systems according to policy and
procedure.
Manage all finances relating to the service in accordance with financial
policies and procedures.
Ensure that all significant information relating to safeguarding or multi-
agency working is reported to the correct people in a timely manner.
Provide direct supervision to support staff. Provide onsite coaching and
mentoring to staff.
Lead staff in writing, implementing, and reviewing support plans which
reflect the interests and wishes of the young people. Identify staff training
needs and plan to meet these in conjunction with the Service Manager.
2. To support staff in delivery of service
Provide direct supervision to support staff.
Provide onsite coaching and mentoring.
Reviewing support plans which reflect the interest and wishes of young
people.
Reviewing risk assessments make sure that there is minimal risk to the
young person and that they are individualised to their needs and support.
Identify staff training to improve progress.
3. To contribute to the service provision and development
To work on shift as agreed per service, providing support to both staff and
young people.
Overseeing our pathways to independence, ensuring they are completed
every month by staff to include 2 key work sessions which are outcome
focused and provide quality achievements to evidence outcomes towards
independence.
Checking that allocated jobs have been achieved.
Making sure that all young people’s health needs are followed up and kept
up to date.
Making sure that when young people have recourse to public funds it is set
on their 18 birthdays, or when their leave has been granted if over 18.
Make sure clear exit plan are put in place and worked to.
Request information from outside agencies concerning the client’s
wellbeing.
4. To maintain effective communication
Develop and maintain effective communication systems within the service.
Hold daily handovers which are clear and factual and have actions to be
completed.
Hold monthly house meetings with the young people ensuring that the
Young Peoples voice and participation is heard.
Ensuring relevant parties involved in planning or placements are regularly
kept up to date and all paperwork providing the information is kept in
Young People’s files.
5. Additional duties
Senior support worker is required to participate with on call duties across
the service on their weekend on, covering absence and sleepovers if
required and supporting other services if an issue arises.
Undertake other duties as required.
Promote the organisation in a positive manner.
