Childrens Emotional Wellbeing Practitioner in Swansea

To provide 1-2-1 and group interventions for children who require extra support with understanding and managing strong emotions, processing traumatic events, attachment difficulties, anxiety, self-esteem, and family relationships. Our approach is trauma informed and works with the understanding that behaviours and emotions, especially difficult ones, are often an understandable response to a challenging situation. We focus on the strengths of young people and the small things we can do every day to support our wellbeing. The project supports children and young people to not only understand their emotions but to regulate them. Through support, children can communicate their emotional needs as well as use various proven emotional regulation tools to soothe themselves in times of distress. Children then feel more confident once support has ended to take on any tough life experiences without the help of services.

To provide a high-quality service for children and their families in the communities we serve. To this end provide positive connections, proven intervention, in a warm safe environment that will enhance the physical, emotional, and educational development.

Full time and Part time options:

• Full time - 37 hours per week
• Part time - 20 hours per week
• Fixed term - until 31st March 2027 and subject to future funding

Main tasks:

• Provide targeted non-intrusive therapeutic 1-2-1 and group support for children and young people with low level mental health and emotional wellbeing concerns.
• Deliver a trauma informed approach, recognising the signs and symptoms of trauma in children and young people and their support networks.
• Develop positive relationships with children and young people and where appropriate their families and support network, encouraging active engagement and participation.
• Act as an advocate for children and young people to ensure their voice is heard.
• Motivate, encourage and work creatively to engage children and young people and where appropriate their families/support network to improve outcomes.
• Manage and maintain a case load.
• Undertake initial assessments, jointly identify goals and develop personalised plans with individuals, identifying support needs to ensure maximum engagement in improving health and well-being.
• Coordinate delivery of interventions and positive activities at times and in places that are accessible for young people and their families/support network.
• Maintain accurate records and produce regular reports for the monitoring requirements.
• Actively promote the services of the Community Cwtch's and act as a link for children, parents and/or their carers.
• Assist with the delivery of universal and targeted services for children, their parents and carers.
• Encourage children/parents to become involved in the Cwtch activities by identifying services they might benefit from and actively promote the opportunities at the Cwtch's.
• Signpost, and where appropriate refer, parents to other services delivered by other agencies.
• Record and retain appropriately all contact and activities with service users as required for monitoring and evaluation purposes, ensuring at all times confidentiality and professional boundaries are maintained.
• Work in partnership and build and maintain relationships with internal colleagues and external agencies to fill the gaps in provision for children and their families who find it difficult to access services.
• Share information and concerns with their line manager and/or other appropriate staff, or with parents as appropriate to support children and their families and to adhere to safeguarding and child protection policies in all aspects of their role.
• Promote a positive image of Faith in Families, representing the organisation and the projects to increase professional and public awareness of all the organisations work and of the views and needs of service users.
• Work flexibly as may be required by the needs of the service and carry out any other reasonable duties as required especially in regard to our community events and holiday sessions.
• Attend meetings that involve service users, partner agencies and our staff, ensuring appropriate preparation to represent the views and needs of service users and Faith in Families.
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusive practices, including listening to seldom heard voices.
• Ensure that Faith in Families Human Resources practices and policies are applied.
• Be prepared to use and contribute to regular supervision and be committed to personal development of skills and abilities.
• Be able to have fun.
• Use initiative and support all Faith in Families Teams to create an inclusive and supportive environment.
• Take responsibility for keeping own work space clean and tidy and helping with the wider housekeeping tasks.

The job description is indicative of the current duties and responsibilities of the post holder; it is not comprehensive. It is inevitable that the duties will change to reflect organisational development.

Essential:

• Educated to at least A Level standard or equivalent.

Desirable:

• Psychology degree
• NVQ 3 Advice and Guidance
• QCF Level 5 Diploma in Leadership for Children's Care, Learning and Development (Advanced Practice) Wales and Northern Ireland (or equivalent)
• Therapeutic play/intervention qualification.

Technical Competence:

• Proven IT skills, use of social media and engagement tools.
• Experience of using databases and data collation tools.

Experience:

• Direct experience of delivering one-to-one intensive support/therapeutic interventions.
• Direct experience of working with families in need.
• Experience of working with children who have experienced trauma and adverse childhood experiences.
• Experience of working with disadvantaged/marginalised families and knowledge and understanding of the barriers they may face.
• Developing and leading fun child-centred activities.
• Direct experience of organising, co-ordinating and managing your own workload.
• Experience of delivering group interventions.
• Experience of delivering proven 1-2-1 therapeutic interventions.
• Experience of collaborative work with service users, colleagues, and partner agencies.

Skills and abilities:

• Good understanding of issues relating to the specific needs of individual children.
• Ability to work within the framework of the Children Act in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
• Demonstrate empathy and have self-awareness, be able to listen and be respectful.
• Ability to prepare and complete concise, clear reports and records on work undertaken.
• Ability to work with parents and referrers to plan effective services.
• Proven skills and experience of working with children and families in need, including issues of Child Protection.
• An understanding of UNCRC.
• Ability to plan interventions, work to deadlines and work unsupervised within the agreed framework.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to use initiative.
• Ability to prioritise work according to need.
• Resilience and capacity to deal with demanding and challenging situations.
• Ability to work as a positive and constructive team member.
• The ability to motivate others.
• Facilitation and presentation skills.
• Negotiation and mediation skills.
• A commitment to Health and Safety at work, including lone working.
• Good understanding of issues relating to the specific needs of children and young people with disabilities.
• Experience of multi-agency working.
• Commitment to equal opportunities.
• Awareness and understanding of multi-cultural and racial issues.
• A commitment to equal opportunities, adopting a non-judgemental approach and be able to work professionally with people who hold different views, and have different lifestyles from your own.
• Knowledge and understanding of the impact of poverty within areas of material deprivation.
• A strong commitment to anti-discriminatory practice.

Special Requirements:

• A qualified driver with use of a car for work.
• Holiday entitlement that increases with length of service to a maximum of 33 days plus 8 bank holidays (based on full time equivalent of 37 hours per week).
• Sickness pay that increases with length of service to a maximum of 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay.
• Stakeholder pension scheme, with 7.5% employer contributions.
• Learning and Development opportunities.