Directorate of Children and Family Services
Personal Advisor
Salary £18,453 - £21,519
Job reference: REC01740
Contents
1. Letter from the Human Resources Manager
2. The council’s vision and objectives
3. Job description
4. Person specification
5. Conditions of service
6. Pension contribution rates
7. Information on exempted posts
8. Equality and diversity sub groups
Dear Applicant
Post of Personal Advisor
This post is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act which means you must provide details of any convictions (including those which are ‘spent’), in addition to any cautions and bindovers orders that you have received in the last 12 months.
Thank you for your enquiry about the post at Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council.
Please find enclosed further details about the post and an application form for you to complete and return by the 4 June 2010. You can find out more about Knowsley Council from our website at www.knowsley.gov.uk.
Interviews are likely to take place on 28 June and the 29 June 2010. If you have not heard by then you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful. If you would like receipt of your application to be acknowledged, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope with your completed form.
The council places great importance on maintaining high levels of attendance at work and all Directorates operate under well-established guidelines to monitor and control absence. If you are successful at interview, the council will be seeking references and your present or last employer will also be asked to give details of your sickness and attendance record over the last three years.
If you require any assistance during the selection process due to a disability, please contact us as soon as possible on telephone number 0151 443 3434. For example you may need a sign language interpreter, require an accessible interview room, or need help completing a written application (taped applications may be submitted by prior agreement).
The council is working jointly with the trade unions to implement a fair and equitable pay and grading structure in line with the 1997 Single Status Agreement. This will be achieved by reviewing every post within the council through the job evaluation exercise which is currently being conducted. All posts are subject to the review and therefore advertised grades are provisional and will not be confirmed until the outcome of this exercise. You should note that you are applying for posts with the council on this basis.
You should return your application to: Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council,
Directorate of Corporate Resources, Westmorland Road, Huyton, Merseyside, L36 9GL, or by email to:
I look forward to receiving your application and thank you for your interest in this post.
Yours sincerely
Jaci Dick
Jaci Dick
Human Resources Manager
Job descriptionJob title / Personal Advisor
Grade / SCP 20 - 25
Directorate / DCFS
Section/team / Young Persons Team
Accountable to / Team Manager
Date reviewed / 23 April 2010
Purpose of the job
To help support young people who have left or are leaving care realise their
potential and make a successful transition towards independence
Duties and responsibilities
This is not a comprehensive list of all the tasks, which may be required of the post holder. It is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the work to be undertaken.
1. To continue developing pathway plans with young people and other relevant professional staff and to review such plans as appropriate in line with the Leaving Care Act 2000.
2. To attend Social Services Department Planning and Review Meetings, as appropriate.
3. To take responsibility for a given caseload of young people and to assist other young people who may not be allocated.
4. To work with such young people in a ‘young person centred’ fashion, involving them at all times in planning and decision making, and seeking at all times to maximise each young person’s potential.
5. To ensure individual young people are fully informed and consulted about the service available to them, and that they are empowered and able to complain about the service is they so wish.
6. To work with young people across a range of leaving care issues:-
a. Accessing and maintaining the most suitable housing options.
b. Maximising young people’s income by assisting them to access both the State Benefit and Social Services financial systems, and help and encourage them to budget their money.
c. Helping young people with their employment/training/further education options - to liaise with Employability Officer.
d. Ensuring young people make use of their right to primary health care; give consideration to issues such as healthy eating and healthy living; have access to physical and sexual health promotional information; and are supported fully were issues such as drugs, alcohol and mental health become a significant issues and to refer them to mainstream services if required.
e. Encouraging young people to access, re-access or develop an interest in social and leisure opportunities.
f. Individually supporting young people to help them talk through past issues, and gain confidence and self esteem to address current and future issues.
g. To directly assist the young people to gain the necessary skills to have a clean and tidy property.
h. Helping individual young people, as appropriate, to address their racial, cultural, religious and linguistic needs.
7. To take co-responsibility, with either leaving care workers/employability workers or workers from other agencies in running groups for young people leaving care.
8. To keep abreast of the services provided by other relevant agencies within Knowsley which could benefit young people leaving care, and in turn ensure they know of the work of the leaving care service.
9. In conjunction with young people, to act as an advocate with, or on behalf of, individual young people to get the best possible service from benefits agencies, utility supplies, health agencies, accommodation providers, agencies providing counselling or personal support etc.
10. To especially work positively and constructively with staff of Knowsley MBC, be they Social Workers, Residential Workers, Foster Carers, Family Placement Workers, Youth Justice etc.
11. To maintain a regular and accurate records of work with individual young people.
12. To maintain files and other client records in keeping with Knowsley MBC both manually and/or on computer.
13. To write summaries and/or reports on individual young people, or particular pieces of work, as required, including in certain specified instances reports for the court, child protection conferences etc.
14. To work positively and collaboratively with other members of the Leaving Care Team.
15. To participate fully and constructively in team meetings.
16. To participate fully and constructively in personal supervision sessions and to bring issues of relevance to such meetings.
17. To ensure that all matters of concern on individual cases, especially such issues as child protection matters or serious risk, are quickly and appropriately discussed either with the line manager or service manager.
18. To participate fully in any training opportunities deemed necessary or desirable to enhance service delivery, and to bring back to the service as a whole any relevant issues.
19. To be prepared to raise ideas, opinions and suggestions as to the service’s improvement with colleagues, managers and at meetings.
20. To contribute, as requested, to the overall evaluation of the work of the leaving care service.
21. To assist managers within the service, in whatever ways are felt most appropriate, to ensure that the collective voice of young people leaving care is expressed and used to influence existing and future service design and delivery.
22. To promote equality of opportunity and anti-oppressive practice in all aspects of work, whether with individual young people, colleagues or the service as a whole.
Health and safety
· To use equipment as instructed and trained
· To inform management of any health and safety issues which could place individuals in danger
Person specificationPost title / Personal Advisor / Grade / SCP 20 – 25
Directorate / DCFS / Section/team / Young Persons Team
Criteria /
Essential requirements
/ * M.O.ASkills, knowledge, experience etc
1 / Experience of working with young people who have been in Local Authority care. / I,A
2 / Experience of managing a caseload of young people. / I, A
3 / Experience of liaising with a range of internal/external agencies / I,A
4 / Experience of the differing cultural needs and backgrounds of individual young people who are leaving care / I,A,P
5 / Knowledge and understanding of the issues affecting young people leaving care / I,A,P
6 / The ability to demonstrate knowledge of the Children Act 1989 and the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 as they affect care leavers / I,A
7 / Ability to work in a collaborative way with colleagues and other agencies / I,P
8 / Ability to organise and prioritise workload and manage time effectively / I
9 / Good written skills, including the ability to write reports and record work closely / I,A
10 / Ability to listen to and communicate well with young people and reflect their views in practice in work undertaken / I, P
11 / Willingness to participate in training opportunities to enhance personal and professional development / I,A
12 / To participate in the practical tasks involved in setting up and maintaining a young person in a variety of types of accommodation / I
Health and safety
13 / Ability to use equipment as instructed and trained
Ability to inform management of any health and safety issues which could place individuals in danger / I
Personal attributes and circumstances
14 / Willingness to work flexible hours between 7.00am – 10.00pmincluding weekends and bank holidays. / I
15 / Willingness to travel by public transport with young people on occasions when required / I
16 / To have access to own car as this post carries essential care users allowance / I, A
*Method of assessment (*M.O.A)
A = Application form C = Certificate E = Exercise I = Interview
P = Presentation T = Test AC = Assessment centre
Where the post involves working with children, in addition to a candidate’s ability to perform the duties of the post, the interview will also explore issues relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including:· Motivation to work with children and young people
· Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people
· Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours
· Attitudes to use of authority and maintaining discipline
We have a positive attitude to the employment of disabled people and guarantee an interview to those who meet all the necessary criteria of the person specification.
Conditions of service
Directorate of Children and Family Services
Post / Personal AdvisorGrade / SCP 20 - 25
General / The conditions in the National Joint Council for Local Authority Services (Green Book) will apply.
Hours of work / 36 hours per week
Salary / £18,453 to £21,519
Basic annual leave / 22 Days
Medical / The successful applicant will be required to complete a medical questionnaire and may also be required to undergo a medical examination.
Training / The Council is a recognised ‘Investor in People’ and encourages training and development for all employees.
Pension / You are automatically entered into the Local Government Pension Scheme, unless you elect not to join. Employees with contracts of employment of less than three months are not eligible to join the scheme. Contributions rates are dependant on salary as per the contribution rates shown below.
Childcare vouchers / The Council is in partnership with a childcare voucher provider which offers employees a salary sacrifice scheme. Further details are available from Human Resources Division.
Car status / Essential
Disclosure
/ The post is subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check. You must ensure that you complete Section 8 of the application form. If you fail to do so your application will not be considered. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from being appointed to the post.Pension contribution rates
With effect from 1 April 2008, contribution rates will be on a sliding scale based upon a scheme member’s full time annual pensionable pay. Part time employees’ percentage contribution rates will be based upon the pro rata full time pensionable pay.
From 1 April 2009, the new contribution rates will be as follows:
Table 1
Band / Pensionable pay range / Contribution rate1 / £0 - £12,600 / 5.5%
2 / £12,600.01 - £14,700 / 5.8%
3 / £14,700.01 - £18,900 / 5.9%
4 / £18,900.01 - £31,500 / 6.5%
5 / £31,500.01 - £42,000 / 6.8%
6 / £42,000.01 - £78,700 / 7.2%
7 / More than £78,700 / 7.5%
From 1 April 2008 for those employees who were paying 5%, the changes to contribution rates are as follows;
Table 2
Year commencing / Contribution rate1 April 2008 / 5.25%
1 April 2009 / 5.5%
1 April 2010 / 6.5%
Exempted posts – Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) disclosure
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council aims to promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential. We welcome applications from diverse candidates.
Certain posts are subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check due to the nature of the work being undertaken. All candidates who are successful at interview for one of these posts will be asked to complete an application form for a ‘disclosure’ check by the Criminal Records Bureau before the appointment is confirmed.
Whilst the council supports the rehabilitation of ex-offenders, it is obliged in the recruitment of all employees to use an Exemption Order of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 in order to ensure safe recruitment to posts where working with children, vulnerable adults or other positions of trust are involved. If you apply for a post that is subject to a disclosure, you will be advised in the recruitment job pack.
Having a conviction or a record of some type of unacceptable behaviour would not necessarily bar you from being appointed to the post as any decision to employ will be considered on the individual circumstances of each case.