Caseworker (Missing from Home & Child Exploitation) in Knowsley

Full-time, Contract type: Full time - permanent, Service type: Pan Merseyside

At Catch22, we are proud of our reputation as a modern and progressive employer. Our 1,300 colleagues and 300 volunteers work at every stage of the social welfare cycle, supporting over 60,000 individuals from cradle to career. Our work spans education, social justice and rehabilitation, children's social care, family support, social action and getting people into work.

Our Liverpool Missing from Home Service works alongside young people, their families and the police to find out what has caused them to run away and prevent them from running away again in the future. Help is provided for young people who have run away who are at risk of:

• becoming involved in crime to survive, from stealing to criminal gang involvement
• drug and alcohol misuse
• mental and sexual health issues
• exclusion from school and failure to meet educational milestones

Child exploitation (CE) is recognised in the UK and defined as: “a form of child abuse. It occurs where an individual or group takes advantage of an imbalance of power to coerce, manipulate or deceive a child or young person.” You will be supporting children and young people aged 10 to 18 years who are identified as being at risk of exploitation whether they perceive themselves to be at risk or not.

Responsibilities

• 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 who are cared for to enable others to manage and reduce the risks associated with young people being exposed to CSE
• 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 targets are achieved
• Identify and support access to additional or specialist services for young people and parents where necessary to ensure their needs are met and risks factors are reduced
• Develop and sustain productive working relationships with referring agencies to ensure the regular and appropriate referrals are received
• 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 assist the production of feedback reports to funders and stakeholders to track and monitor progress against outcome targets, KPIs etc.
• Support and supervise volunteers and student social workers on placement as required

Essential Qualifications

• Minimum 5 GCSE’s or equivalent, grade "C" or above

Desirable Qualifications

• Relevant professional qualification in Youth/community work, Social Care, Health or Education
• Experience of working directly with young people on 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 agreed outcomes
• Experience and understanding of Child Protection including Safeguarding processes and procedures
• Experience of working with people from a variety of ethnic groups, cultural and social backgrounds
• Experience of working with and supporting volunteers
• Experience of working in a multi-agency team

Essential Knowledge

• Knowledge of the 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 etc

Essential Skills / Abilities

• Able to communicate effectively at all levels, orally and in writing
• Ability to engage young people 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 and support
• Able to handle sensitive and confidential issues with tact and diplomacy
• Able to evaluate and monitor progress against targets to ensure that they are met
• Ability to promote equality, diversity, rights and responsibilities of individuals
• Able to write concise reports and meet deadlines

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.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live. Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.