Support Worker - Chance to Change project in Bath

Avon and Somerset Police has commissioned us to deliver Chance to Change, a new informal out of court resolution (OOCR) Deferred Prosecution for 18-24-year-olds in Avon and Somerset. The Support Worker is key to the successful delivery of the Deferred Prosecution Scheme, and will manage cases from the point of referral, tracking progress and compliance. The Support Worker will act as a single point of contact to secure the offenders' engagement, working alongside other partners to address the offenders' needs, with the aim of eliciting behaviour change and reducing reoffending.

Key Accountabilities

• Manage cases with a range of complex needs and behaviours.
• Deliver a range of short interventions which include group work, one-to-ones, embedding a multi-agency approach in Avon and Somerset.
• Undertake holistic assessments that identify risk and protective factors, and develop bespoke support plans.
• Work collaboratively with the Chance to Change partnership, including attendance at multi-agency meetings where required.
• Track service users' progress and compliance against their individual Support Plan, reporting back to the ASCEND team.
• Adhere to relevant group work programme manuals and deliver programme sessions to ensure the integrity of programme delivery, which is overseen by the Team Leader.
• Apply specialised materials to support delivery to consider diverse needs, working proactively to provide a non-discriminatory service.
• Be responsible and accountable for working with Team Leader to ensure risk is reviewed on a weekly basis.
• Use motivational interviewing techniques and strength-based approaches in building a range of therapeutic skills to engage with offenders to address their behaviour.
• Encourage and facilitate learning with participants on a group, including proactively working to elicit behavioural change and acceptance of their behaviour.
• Work closely with other professionals to ensure appropriate steps are taken to protect where there is an imminent risk to another person.
• Apply RISE's escalation procedures.
• Be personally accountable for the completion of the initial needs assessment, support plans, and end of intervention reports, and ensure they are to a high standard.
• Ensure effective planning for the delivery of each intervention in advance of the session.
• Participate in and pass the necessary training to be able to deliver all interventions.
• Deliver a range of OOCR short courses online and in person.
• Ensure delivery is in accordance with the RISE OOCR course manuals and process mapping.
• Adhere to course manual sessions and materials and ensure the integrity of programme delivery is always maintained, overseen by the Team Leader.
• Apply specialised materials to support your delivery to racialised and marginalised groups and adjust materials according to meet neuro-diversity needs, agreed by the Team leader.
• Use motivational interviewing techniques and strength-based approaches in building a range of therapeutic skills to engage with service users online and in person.
• Encourage and facilitate learning with participants online using a variety of techniques like break-out, noticeboard etc.
• Ensure timely and accurate recording of all relevant data (needs assessment, support plan compliance, attendance, feedback, mid-way and end of intervention reports) using systems provided and in line with performance standards.
• Ensure regular contact with the ASCEND team, recording and reporting back offender compliance.
• Maintain an accurate audit trail of all relevant communication with partner organisations involved.
• Ensure completion of pre and post questionnaires in line with the partnerships Social Impact strategy.
• Contribute to the evaluation and evidencing of social impact, including questionnaires and service user case studies.
• Develop excellent relationships with customers and respond positively to their needs.
• Be a strong advocate for RISE interventions, representing RISE and its interventions at key stakeholder events.
• Attend Clinical Consultancy to support safe practice and develop resilience during the delivery of demanding work as directed by the Team Leader.
• Adhere to the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts and comply with the terms of RISE's Privacy, IT and Data protection policies, and that of our partners where relevant.
• Comply with security measures in accordance with RISE policies and our partners' E-mail and Internet use.
• RISE is committed to keeping children and vulnerable adults safe. Post holders with direct offender contact are responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and vulnerable adults they come into contact with.
• Post holders not in direct offender contact have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Undertake other duties as may be required which are commensurate with the grade and nature of the post.
• Cover for other posts as appropriate, and willingness to be trained in new interventions.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Experience

• Effective interpersonal skills and communication skills in person and online.
• Minimum 1-year experience working with hard-to-reach individuals.
• Ability to effectively undertake risk assessments.
• Ability to write high quality reports.
• Understanding of offending behaviours, needs and issues, particularly for young adults.
• Experience of delivering domestic abuse and/or trauma interventions or case work.
• Good understanding of race and equality issues and impact on communities.
• Experience and knowledge of multi-agency liaison risk management.
• Experience of working with both Families, Children and Service Users.
• Ability to motivate and engage a difficult client group while undertaking interventions.
• Openness to new ideas and ways of working.
• Ability to relate positively and empathetically but without collusion.
• Ability to appropriately challenge negative attitudes, thinking and behaviours.
• Willingness to learn and develop from feedback about performance.
• Experience of effective team working.
• Ability and willingness to use new technology.
• An Enhanced DBS Check is required for this role.

Desirable

• Ability to develop new interventions.
• A relevant qualification, e.g. social work, probation studies or cognitive behaviour therapy or family therapy.

Corporate responsibilities

• Work towards our vision of transforming lives through innovative rehabilitation solutions.
• Demonstrates our values every day, in relation to: People, Change, Innovation, Diversity, Excellence, Evidence-led, Collaboration, Social impact.
• Helps to achieve the RISE's Strategic Objectives.
• Promote RISE's Equality Policy and Code of Conduct and carry out duties and responsibilities with due regard to these policies at all times.
• Promote anti-discriminatory practice in ways that are consistent with professional legislative frameworks and RISE policies.
• Embed considerations around diversity and inclusion into RISE's engagement with customers and stakeholders.
• Ongoing review of marketing and communications strategies aimed at staff, customers and stakeholders in order to ensure they reflect the needs and interests of different groups in society.
• Undertake health and safety responsibilities specific to the post and be accountable for health and safety matters in accordance with RISE and commissioners' policies.
• Always abide by RISE's Code of Conduct.
• Consider issues of Value for Money in all aspects of their work, always striving to realise and demonstrate cost-effectiveness, sustainability and social impact.