Caseworker (Missing from Home & Child Exploitation)

Overview

Catch22 is a modern and progressive employer with 1,300 colleagues and 300 volunteers working across the social welfare cycle, supporting over 60,000 individuals. Our work spans education, social justice and rehabilitation, children\’s social care, family support, social action and helping people into work. The Knowsley Missing From Home or Care Service works alongside young people, their families and the police to understand causes of running away and prevent recurrence. Help is provided for young people who have run away and are at risk of issues including involvement in crime, drug and alcohol misuse, mental and sexual health issues, and school exclusion.

Child exploitation (CE) is recognised in the UK as a form of child abuse where an imbalance of power is exploited to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person.

Role Overview

We currently have three vacancies for full-time Missing from Home and Child Exploitation Case Workers in our Knowsley Missing From Home or Care Service and Liverpool Missing from Home Service. You will support children and young people aged 10 to 18 years identified as being at risk of exploitation, whether they perceive themselves at risk or not.

As a Caseworker (Missing from Home & Child Exploitation) your main duties will include:

• Undertake return interviews for all notifications within 72 hours
• Determine appropriate support plans and pathways for all young people, including the provision of interventions and direct work
• Undertake one to one work with children and young people vulnerable to CE to inform a risk reduction plan
• Work in partnership with Children’s Social Care to facilitate support where CE is highlighted as a risk
• Offer educational awareness raising within local authority residential homes for young people in care to enable others to manage and reduce risks associated with CE
• Co-deliver CE awareness training as required by the Commissioner
• Work with the Local Authorities and their Local Safeguarding Children’s Board to ensure positive media messages and marketing of the service to young people
• Work in association with and support the CE Pan Merseyside protocol
• Plan and deliver support interventions in accordance with Catch22 policies and procedures and local authority guidance to ensure effective use of resources and to achieve targets
• Identify and support access to additional or specialist services for young people and parents where necessary to meet needs and reduce risk factors
• Develop and sustain productive working relationships with referring agencies to ensure regular and appropriate referrals
• Record all intervention, contacts and multi-agency correspondence in accordance with the service specification within prescribed Management Information Systems
• Complete all required monitoring information by set timescales to produce feedback reports to funders and stakeholders to track progress against outcomes and KPIs
• Support and supervise volunteers and student social workers on placement as required

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications

• Minimum 5 GCSEs or equivalent, grade “C” or above

Desirable Qualifications

• Relevant professional qualification in Youth/community work, Social Care, Health or Education

Essential experience

• Experience of working directly with young people at level 2-4 on the continuum of need, presenting a variety of support needs
• Experience of planning, delivering and evaluating support activities for and with young people and their carers
• Experience and understanding of case management including assessment, action planning and reviews
• Experience and application of Health and Safety and risk management procedures
• Experience of working in partnership with a variety of agencies to achieve outcomes
• Experience and understanding of Child Protection and Safeguarding processes

Desirable experience

• Experience of working with people from diverse ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds
• Experience of working with and supporting volunteers
• Experience of working in a multi-agency team

Essential knowledge

• Knowledge of issues affecting young people at risk of CE
• Knowledge and understanding of Equality & Diversity issues

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation e.g. Children’s Act, Every Child Matters

Essential skills/abilities

• Able to communicate effectively at all levels, orally and in writing
• Ability to engage young people and their parents or carers within the community
• Able to use a variety of IT applications effectively
• Able to work on own initiative within given boundaries and to an agreed action plan
• Able to organise your own work routines effectively with a minimum of supervision
• Able to handle sensitive and confidential issues with tact and diplomacy
• Able to evaluate and monitor progress against targets to ensure they are met
• Ability to promote equality, diversity, rights and responsibilities
• Able to write concise reports and meet deadlines

Additional Information

Salary: £26,096

Contract: Permanent, 37 hours

You will need to be willing to work flexible hours and, if required, to work evenings, weekends and anti-social hours.

Driving is essential for this role.

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check

See the benefits of working for Catch22

Interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified; early application is strongly advised.

Catch22 is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do daily, working to deliver a vision of a strong society where everyone has support, purpose and a good place to live.

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; every individual within the organisation is checked. If you are applying and are care experienced/care leaver, Catch22 offers a mentor to assist with the application process. Please contact cath.forshaw@catch-22.org.uk for more information. This information will not be passed to the recruitment team. For details about the Propel Programme and a candidate guide, please see the information here. You can also watch an animation about the programme here.