Project worker required for Barnardo's Children's Services in Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton

Barnardo's Young People is based in Milton Keynes City Centre and provides services for over 250  children and young people from both Milton Keynes and Bedford Borough Council. Our established team is looking for a flexible person willing to help develop existing services in both localities.

Our services have been running for over eight years and the desire to continue for a further eight years is shared amongst all who work here. Do you have a desire to support young people and begin to make a difference?

The current services we deliver are:

Supervised Contact: (Family Time)

1. Supervising visits between young people and family members
2. Writing and recording family time in a factual manner

Independent return interviews:

1. Supporting children who are looked after to feel confident enough after missing episodes to speak about their experiences.
2. Providing a service within 72 hours of safe return.
3. Providing written reports to the local authority

Independent visiting:

1. Providing children who are looked after with a volunteer who visits them regularly for fun days out.
2. Working alongside our Volunteer Coordinator, assisting with recruitment and retention of volunteers.

Advocacy:

1. Meeting young people to record their wishes and felling's and provide support throughout their care journey.
2. Attending meetings and reviews where necessary to feedback the wishes and views to professionals.

Shortbreaks:

1. Providing respite to young people and their families with additional needs.
2. Joining our dedicated team in school holidays to ensure all young people attending are safe while having fun.

A good grasp of safeguarding procedures will underpin the successful application, as providing a safe and stable future to all young people is an integral part of the role.

Being able to travel across all regions is essential, all our services require the successful applicant/worker to meet with young people in their surroundings whether that be at home or school or any other recognized place. Please explain in the application how you will achieve the travel needs.  

This is an as and when role, we cannot guarantee work, the majority of availability will be Saturdays, being able to work Saturdays is essential. 

This role will require flexible working patterns, working from home and remotely will be required, so the applicant must be self-aware and able to work on their own initiative, with an ability to work digitally when required.

The worker must have experience of working with young people, including those who are difficult to engage. A minimum of Health and Social Care level 2 or similar is desired and will underpin the workers knowledge.

The successful applicant will be expected to provide a range of skills to all services with a focus being given to the Supervised contact service; however support to all services when required will be an expectation of the role.  

Do you have what it takes to join our team and begin making a difference to young people in the community?

Please read the job listing and attached forms, use these to answer the questions, providing as much detail as you can for each answer, these answers will form part of the shortlisting process and not providing enough detail will result in applications being withdrawn.

The shortlisted applicants will be expected to complete a face to face interview, need further assistance? if you require any adjustments please let the recruitment team know as soon as possible so we may ease individual needs.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

Need further details?

Please contact Tony Sleight on 07584 206572 to discuss this role in more detail.