Job Description

Job TitleChildren and Young Peoples Enablement Officer(IAG & FM)

LocationAtherton House, Old Trafford

Salary£10.10 per hour / £7352.80 per annum

BandH6

Hours per Week14 (12 month initial contract with potential extension if funded)

Annual Leave25 days plus 10 Statutory holidays (pro-rata for part time roles)

Reports toCommunity Services Manager

DBS Check Enhanced Check with adult and child barring list

Job Summary

To implement our Henshaws Children and Young People’s Pathway with specific focus on, delivering Information, advice and guidance (IAG), developing personal plans to ages 0-7 and planning and delivering our Frienship Matters activity program for age 0-18.

Our Pathway to Independence ensures that visually impaired people of all ages receive the information and support they need to lead full lives. By providing IAG right at the beginning of their sight loss journey, children, young people and their families are better equipped to cope and put in place necessary support to enable the child to flourish.

Our Friendship Matters (FM) activity programs provide CYP and their families opportunity to take part in fun, social and leisure activities and challenge themselves to take part in new experiences while meeting and making friends and develiping their self esteem and confidence, ensuring CYP have the same social and leisure opportunities as their sighted peers.

This is a unique opportunity to work with sight impaired and severely sight impaired children and young people and their families. Your role will be to support CYP through the intial stages of sight loss at point of referral as well as supporting, where relevent, to access FM activities, providing sessions to encourage CYP to challenge themselves and go beyond expectations. The role will involve the assessment of CYP needs and goalsetting as well as monitoring progress throughout.

Key responsibilities

  • Manage and prioritise referrals for ages 0-7 from the First Steps Team, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and other sources, completing an initial holistic assessment of needs and personal plan via telephone or resource centre visit, listening to concerns and where necessary making referrals to other relevant services to bridge the gap between hospital, community services and education.
  • Provide on-going support, information, advice and guidance to families as their needs change to ensure families continue to receive the help they need beyond the initial assessment.
  • Inform CYP and their families/ carers of Henshaws Independence Matters and Friendship Matters programs available for CYP and support their progression onto these programs.
  • Plan, risk assess, deliver (recruit & manage sessional workers where required) and evaluate Friendship Matters programs, including Early Years activities for sight impaired and severely sight impaired children aged 0-18yrs with a range of needs, providing social opportunities, practical experiences to develop their independence and confidence.
  • Produce a termly newsletter and ad hoc fliers and information where required to promote events and activities for CYP and their families and work with Marketing to ensure effective promotion of events and activities including through social media.
  • Maintain accurate up to date records and systems to input CYP activities and interventions and enable effective reporting mechanisms are in place, including through our internal database and scorecards.
  • Monitor and report on programs and statistical data to ensure specific outcomes and objectives of the project are achieved and ensure funders are updated on progress and outcomes at regular intervals.
  • Support the Community Services Manager to manage the projects budget.
  • Promote and engage in a multi-disciplinary and holistic approach; including working alongside statutory and voluntary agencies, specialist eye health professionals, health visitors and social workers as well as other relevant professionals to maintain effective relationships and partnership working to maximise opportunities for CYP and their families/ carers, keeping an up to date multi-disciplinary professionals contact list.
  • Raise awareness of Henshaws profile and services on offer to ensure the service is well promoted and referral routes are maximized.
  • To participate and contribute to regular supervision and performance appraisal meetings with the Community Services Manager andattend Henshaws multidisciplinary and service meetings.
  • To complete all administrative tasks in relation to the role and keep confidential detailed written records of all interventions provided using relevant IT systems and programs.
  • To adhere to Henshaws Policies and Procedures ensuring the safety and security of everyone who uses the service.
  • To ensure the wellbeing of all CYP and families and be aware of Henshaws child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures and raise any concerns to Community Services Manager (who is safeguarding lead).
  • Undertake all mandatory training and any other relevant training related to the role.
  • Offer a flexible approach to working hours to meet the needs of the project and Henshaws.
  • Have knowledge of the various backgrounds of the local service users, maintaining a positive anti-discriminatory, anti-racist and anti-sexist approach to services whilst carrying out duties with full regard for Henshaws Equal Opportunities Policy.
  • Comply with any other duties, which may be required to enable the smooth running of the project.

Person Specification

In order to be shortlisted you must demonstrate that you meet all the essential criteria and as many of the desirable criteria as possible. Where we have a large number of applications that meet all of the essential criteria, we will then use the
desirable criteria to produce the shortlist.

All disabled candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria will be included on the shortlist.

Criteria / Essential or Desirable / How Identified
Application form / Interview / Selection test/copy of certificates.
Skills and Experience / Experience of working with and supporting children or young people aged 0 to 18 years or working with orsupporting parents, families and carers including group activities and/or one to one activities
Experience of supporting children and young people and/ or adults with disabilities
Able to demonstrate sensitivity towards diverse needs and difficulties faced by children, young people and families where disability has impacted on their lives
Able to observe and have an understanding of need for confidentiality
Excellent time management skills.
Proven experience in meeting and reporting on specific outcomes. / Essential
Desirable
Essential
Essential
Essential
Desirable / Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
General &
Specialist Knowledge / Knowledge of disability, in particular visual impairment
An understanding of the main eye conditions and the issues surrounding sight loss, including the impact on people’s daily lives.
A knowledge of the services available to people with sight loss
Understanding of effective multi-agency partnership working and an ability to relate to and communicate in a professional manner with a variety of people
Good understanding of official requirements of care for children and young people i.e. CAF and EHC plans
Awareness of issues relating to health and safety and ways to reduce risks when working children and young people.
An understanding of the risks of harm for children and young people and the protocols in place to safeguard people against harm / Desirable
Desirable
Desirable
Essential
Desirable
Essential
Essential / Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Education &
Training / Childcare qualification/ youth work/ Rehab or habilitation qualification/ social care etc.
Good interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
IT Literate / Essential
Essential
Essential / Certificates at Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form
Special
Requirements / Positive approach and desire to work with children and young people with and without disabilities in a non-judgmental and person-centred way, providing inclusive and high quality opportunities and using a ‘whole family’ approach to encourage learning and independence.
Available to work flexible hours including evening and weekends if necessary
Access to vehicle for business purposes / Essential
Essential
Essential / Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview
Application form/ Interview

Henshaws will make every endeavor to make any reasonable adjustments for applicants who require assistance in carrying out their duties due to a disability.

Henshaws is committed to safeguarding vulnerable adults and children. The post holder may be required to complete an enhanced DBS disclosure check including barring lists for Adult and/or child barring services.

Henshaws is committed to equal opportunities and positively welcomes applications from all sections of the community.