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Job Description: Child Play Therapist -ADAS Child & Family Team
Title of Post: ChildPlay Therapist
Purpose: Provide assessment and therapeutic services to children that are affected by parental substance misuse. Working in an outcomes focused way and working with parents/ carers and other professionals to improve the overall care and well-being of children.
Reports to:Chief Executive
Line management responsibility: N/A Budget responsibilities: N/A
Location: 118-124 The Stow, Harlowandin outreach areas across West Essex
Hours of duty:15 hours/ week- As agreed with management
Salary: £28,000 pro-rata
Annual leave:Annual leave period - 1st January to 31st December pro-rata
Other details:Full clean driving license (preferably)
Key responsibilities
1. Service delivery
  • Provide regularly and consistent play therapy for children who are affected by another family members/carerssubstance misuse.
  • Develop therapeutic relationships with children that enhance their well-being;facilitates change andgives them the time and space to process any emotional distress.
  • Deliverappropriate interventions based on needs based assessment of the child and their carers; and review the work regularly with all those involved.
  • Work individually with children but also offer joint work involving parents/carers as appropriate.
  • Assess the emotional needs of children in consultation with other professionals in schools, hospitals, clinics, social service teams and other agencies.
  • Proactively co-ordinate and manage the waiting list.
  • Promote effective communication within families, facilitating supportive relationships that help to create understanding, boundaries, constructive challenge and relationship repair.
  • Continually assess risks and proactively manage any identified risks in-line with agency, regional and national safeguarding policy.
  • Ensure that work is outcomes focused and continually reviewed in-line with service users’ needs.
  • Sign-post and make referrals to other appropriate services for further specialist support/ interventions.
  • Develop close working relationships with key partnering agencies within Essex.
  • Promote the child and family service within the agency and to other partnering agencies in order to gain appropriate referrals.
  • Promote good communication and awareness of child safeguarding within the agency.
  • Contribute to ADAS’ weekly child safeguarding review meeting and co-ordinate any follow-up actions/ interventions that are necessary.
  • Liaise and reportinformation on any safeguarding issues to the Designated Safeguarding Lead, Clinical supervisor and in-line with ADAS policy and procedures.
  • Help to promote child safeguarding practice within the main adult services at ADAS, through provision of in-house training and awareness raising activities.
  • Liaise with ADAS Designated Safeguarding Lead and supervisors on family work and safeguarding issues.
  • To undertake full assessments with families and individuals and create appropriate care-plans based around identified needs.
  • Feed into child protection and child in need processes, providing briefing to ADAS’ designated safeguarding lead and to other professionals/ agencies.
  • Provide regular feedback on outcomes to evidence the success of our intervention.
  • Contribute to the creation of reports to funders in a timely way, ensuring reporting against agreed KPIs and areas identified by funder.
  • Actively seek service users’ views on the service they receive and feed this in to the continual development of our service provision.
  • Support the development of ADAS’ service in-line with the agencies strategic direction and evidenced best practice.
  • Undertake administrative tasks relating to client work including making up client files, case note recording, children safeguarding forms, telephone and written correspondence with clients, filing of current and closed case files and completion of relevant forms.
  • Ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information in line with ADAS policy.
  • To work within ADAS’ Policy and Procedures, and to adhere to BAPT Ethical Framework and Professional Conduct Procedure.
  • To maintain accurate up to date client notes.
  • To attend all mandatory and statutory training in accordance with the role as required by ADAS.
  • Ensure that all clients are provided with both written and verbal statements summarising ADAS’ Confidentiality Policy, Equal Opportunities and Data Protection Act.

2. Support and supervision
  • Attend regular supervision.
  • Attend any mandatory training.
  • Attend ADAS’ Child & Family Team meeting and the Annual General Meeting.

3.Member of ADAS core staff team
  • Support senior management at ADAS to implement new systems, embed new practices and collate management information, particularly with regards to child protection/ child in need processes and our obligations to funders.
  • Co-ordinate annual surveys of children, parents and schools and collection of outcomes data.
  • Support the C.E. to complete funding reports and applications.
  • Assist junior members of the ADAS team with management of crisis calls and situations, and to manage these any safeguarding concerns in-line with ADAS policy and best practice.

Child Play Therapist - Person Specification
Qualifications:
  • BAPT accredited Diploma or Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy, MA Art Therapy or equivalent creative therapy qualification.
  • Minimum of level two in child safeguarding.
  • Knowledge and understanding of risk assessment and care planning.

Related Experience:
  • Experience of conducting comprehensive needs assessments for children and their families/carers.
  • At least 100 hours of clinical practice.
  • Experience of working with children at risk.
  • Recording good quality client notes and maintaining client files in a clear and professional format.
  • Working in a multi-disciplinary team and contributing towards child protection meetings.
  • Joint working and liaison work with social care, schools and other relevant agencies.
  • Report writing.

Skills and attributes:
  • Effective counselling skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proactive approach to case management.
  • A strong ability to engage and form therapeutic relationships with children and family members affected by alcohol misuse.
  • Ability to use supervision effectively.
  • IT skills – Good working knowledge of Word and use of emails.
  • Ability to organise and prioritise workload.
  • Ability to demonstrate a supportive, cooperative and effective approach to team working.
  • Commitment to continuing professional development.
  • Able to compile comprehensive client records and employ an organised and thorough approach to administration.
  • Have excellent team and client communication skills.
  • Work independently, organise and prioritise work load effectively.
  • A committed and flexible approach to work.
  • Able to work flexible hours, including evenings.
  • Car owner and have a full driving licence.
  • Team player.

Knowledge:
  • Child Safeguarding.
  • Adult Safeguarding.
  • Child mental health.
  • Children’s Act and Looked After Children legislation.
  • Relevant legislation and policy.
  • Have an in-depth knowledge of child development theory.
  • Applying theoretical approaches to practice.
  • Understanding confidentiality and maintaining professional boundaries with children and their families/carers.
  • Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires, and other relevant outcomes monitoring tools.
  • Effective practice and evaluation techniques.
  • Other local support services for children and their families/carers.

Other:
  • Understanding and valuing equality and diversity.
  • Demonstrable ability to effectively work with people from a range of different backgrounds.
  • To support the promotion of ADAS services for people affected by substance misuse.

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