Childrens Agency Shift Coordinator in Harrogate

About the job

The post holder will drive forward delivery of the No Wrong Door and Supported Accommodation Services Core Offers. No Wrong Door provision includes a residential service for complex young people, emergency residential placements, out of hours Edge of Care, Activity Services, Supported Accommodation and Bespoke placement arrangements. Supported Accommodation Service includes accommodation provision for NWD and UASC young people and an emergency Safe Stay bed. The post must ensure staff provide all aspects of care and support needs and interventions, utilising clinical specialist input in line with the young peoples Core Assessments, Care Plans or Pathway Plans.

Key characteristic requirements of this post are effective management skills, effective deployment of a significant staff group, flexibility, commitment, building effective relationships, resilience, persistence and the ability to progress plans. The post requires an enhanced DBS. This role involves spoken communications so a confident use of English language is required.

The core purpose of this job is to be responsible for the provision of a quality service area as directed by the Registered Manager or Registered Service Manager (AP/SA). This includes management oversight for work with young people and families on the edge of care, in care and leaving care including post 18 where required. This role proactively provides support and supervision to a multi-disciplinary team dedicated to delivering the support and interventions to complex young people. The post holder will be involved in the quality assurance of services, systems and delivery and manage significant resources including deployment of staff across the NWD and Supported Accommodation services.

Deputise for the Registered Manager/Registered Service Manager in his/her absence (including registration with Ofsted should this be beyond 28 days). Ensure services are effective to keep young people safe in their own community not doing so has a very high-risk financial impact on the Local Authority and Poor outcome impact on young peoples long-term outcomes.

This post will provide dedicated support to a key portfolio area as follows:

• Deputy Manager (Residential) will have key responsibility for the residential home including compliance with national guidance, standards and regulations.
• Deputy Manager (Alternative Provisions/Signs of Safety) will have key responsibility for placements outside of the residential home and be the dedicated safeguarding lead within the hub area.
• Deputy Manager (Alternative Provisions/Supported Accommodation) will have key responsibility for NWD/UASC/Emergency supported accommodation placements, be the dedicated safeguarding lead within Supported Accommodation and lead on outreach provision to young people known to NWD/Childrens Social Care at risk of homelessness/tenancy breakdown.

All deputy manager posts provide cover for each other and participate in an out-of-hours standby rota which requires dynamic and complex decision making.

Job purpose

The core purpose of this job is to be responsible for the provision of a quality hub area service as directed by the NWD Registered Manager. This includes management oversight for work with young people and families on the edge of care, in care and leaving care including post 18 where required.

Operational Management:

• To be responsible, along with the Registered Manager (residential lead and AP/SOS) or Registered Service Manager (AP/SA), for delivery of a range of dynamic care/Support placements across a service area for adolescents with complex and challenging behaviour and Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (AP/SA Deputy).
• Drive a defined culture and intervention practice model and promote a solution focussed and restorative approach across practice.
• Lead and manage a significant staff team and deploy according to the complex requirements of the service.
• Manage complex plans and resources to reduce risk and maintain young people safely within their family and community.
• Manage effective partnership working through a strategic outward facing role whilst overseeing a broad range of operational services and support.
• Manage high levels of complex risk within a 24hr environment including being a lead decision maker on key issues.
• Responsible for a significant budget.
• Responsible for the decision to accept a child in to care our supported accommodation out of hours.
• Manage a multi-agency team including supervision, direction, and management of embedded clinical specialist roles.

Resource management:

• Provide leadership, guidance and management to the service.
• Report malpractice, or evidence which may suggest it, to the line manager or other appropriate person by the whistle blowing procedure.
• Be aware of best value and ensure prudent resource management including decision making for complex expenditure.
• Be involved in the recruitment, monitoring, appraisal and disciplinary of staff as necessary.
• Be involved in leading the development of the learning and development plan for the hub, including induction and on-going training, whilst auditing and managing training compliance.
• Ensure services are effective to keep young people safe in their own community.

Partnerships:

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, managers, partners and stakeholders.
• Deliver practice in a professional manner in keeping with North Yorkshire Councils (NYCs) Values and Behaviours and professional codes of conduct.
• Ensure effective information sharing across teams/services.

Communications:

• Ensure effective and timely information sharing with professionals, families and young people.

Systems and information:

• Be accountable for a service requiring complex budgetary planning, expenditure and monitoring with a high degree of financial risk.
• Manage the effective co-ordination, completion and quality assurance of organisational and regulatory systems across the service.
• Manage the auditing, collation and analysis of information to provide regular reports as required.

Safeguarding:

• Be committed to safeguarding; promote the welfare of children, young people and adults and raise concerns as appropriate.
• Provide additional support and comfort to young people and staff under stress and understand the impact of GDPR and confidentiality issues.
• Give young people the opportunity to participate in decisions affecting them, as appropriate to their age and ability and taking their wishes and feelings into account.
• Ensure that young people are monitored and protected using agreed approaches and utilise Signs of Safety as the key assessment and child protection approach to practice.
• Provide out of hours decision making regarding the support of complex young people, safeguarding issues and agreement for whether children and young people need to become looked after out of hours.
• Chair, when required, multi-agency RAISE (Risk Analysis Intervention Solutions Evaluation) meetings to keep our most complex young people safe from exploitation.

Person specification:

Knowledge and Experience

• Substantial knowledge of safeguarding & child protection (including LADO requirements).
• Understand Signs of Safety as an assessment and child protection tool.
• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023.
• Direct contact/working with people with social care needs.
• Understanding of and ability to analyse the wider care perspectives of people with social care needs.
• Liaising within the Directorate, with other agencies, professions, families and young people.
• Understanding of and commitment to Restorative Practice.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety at Work Act 1989.
• Knowledge of IOSHH and willing to undertake subsequent responsibilities.
• Understand the role of Ofsted and their inspection framework including Childrens Home Regulations 2015 and Supported Accommodation Regulations 2023.
• Understanding the management of change and your role within it.
• Understand best practice in the care of adolescents.
• Understand confidentiality and GDPR within the role.
• Substantial experience of working with young people aged 13-18 and their families.
• Experience and resilience in working with young people with complex and challenging behaviours.
• Experience of supporting staff working in challenging situations.
• Experience of working with established systems and procedures to ensure secure and accurate recording of information.
• Understand Therapeutic Crisis Intervention.
• Have awareness of best value and effective use of resources in line with NYCs budgets and service plans.
• Knowledge of pathways for young people at key transition points and post 18.
• Substantial experience of working in a residential/Supported Accommodation (AP/SA) setting.
• Experience of developing and deploying complex rotas and resources.
• Knowledge of needs of UASC (AP/SA).

Occupational Skills

• Good communication, interpersonal and advocacy skills.
• The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
• Risk management and assessment skills.
• Numeracy and literacy skills.
• IT skills to effectively use systems for practice.
• Ability to use computer systems such as MS Office and Intranet/Internet, and LCS system (or similar).
• Effective recording/report writing skills.
• Problem solving skills and the ability to find innovative solutions.
• Ability to drive forward plans for young people.
• Supervisory and appraisal skills.
• Ability to drive quality practice within a team.
• Ability to effectively manage resource and performance issues.
• Ability to safely recruit staff.
• Demonstrate effective communication skills (nonverbal communication, active listening, self-regulation, emotional competence).
• Demonstrate ability to direct clinical specialist resources to meet service needs.
• Experience of auditing systems and recording.
• Experience of petty cash systems and compliance with auditing processes.
• Experience of deployment of staff resources to meet need.
• Experience of supporting/supervising sessional staff.
• Experience of Signs of Safety and its implementation.

Professional Qualifications

• Level 3 in Children and Young People (or equivalent such as a Level 3 Diploma for Residential Child Care) or a willingness to work towards this within 1 year of commencing in post.
• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare or, a willingness to work towards this within 1 year of commencing in post.