Job Description Andparticulars of Employment

Job Description andParticulars of Employment

Specialist Residential Childcare Worker – Drug and Alcohol

About The Keys Group

The Keys Group has a long history in child protection – and our years of experience have shown us that high quality therapeutic childcare helps children and young people learn to deal with their past experiences and prepare for the future.

Children first: Vulnerable children and young people who have experienced trauma through significant abuse deserve the very best help to put their lives back on track.

At The Keys Group, we are committed to providing the quality of care that will accomplish this. Residential care is for 5 to 18-year olds, and our focus is centred on the needs of the child.

Meeting the challenge: Challenging behaviours are often the result of significant abuse and negative earlier experiences. But no matter how difficult the behaviour, we don’t give up.

Keeping it positive: All our children and young people are respected with a positive regard—we support and help them build safe and appropriate attachments and relationships with others.

It’s the individual: An all-embracing therapeutic model meets the needs of each child in all aspects of their life. Skilled care supported by therapists, clinical psychologists, health and education professionals help us support our young people to deal with their past experiences and prepare for the future.

They are encouraged to become involved with local communities and learn how to make life choices that help them fulfil their potential.

Making it happen: Successful outcomes depend absolutely on the quality of our people. We demand a high level of commitment from our team of course—with an emphasis on experience, qualifications and training to guide their professional development.

Short term, long term: We take children either on a same-day placement, or a planned longer term basis.

The Keys Group acknowledged:The Keys Group is a growing organisation now with homes across the North West, The South West, The South East and the North of England. We are one of the biggest independent provider in the UK with over 70 homes, 13 schools, 4 Crisis Intervention Services, a team of Therapists and Psychologists, a Family Assessment Centre and a 16 Plus Division.

The Role of a Specialist Residential Childcare Worker – Drug and Alcohol

The children and young people that we care for demonstrate a wide range of challenging behaviours and can be very demanding of time, attention and emotions. The focus of every staff member is to work actively to meet the needs of the children and young people in our care. This can onlybe achieved through a dynamic and active team.

The Specialist Drug and Alcohol Worker role is to support the Home Manager and staff team in providing the best quality childcare in a safe and care focussed environment for the young people.

As a drug and alcohol worker you would help our young people tackle and recover from their dependence on illegal, prescription and over-the-counter drugs, alcohol or solvents.

You would help them to access services such as counselling, healthcare and education and you would help, advise and support the staff team to develop their skills to deal with the issues presented by the young people.

General Residential Responsibilities

Childcare Provision

• To contribute to the normal development of the young people through the provision of a healthy lifestyle, a variety of appropriate activities and a consistent caring adult role model.
• To work closely with the manager, staff and young people who are suffering from substance misuse issues devising plans for intervention and methods of and work.
• To liaise with your manager on best course of action for specific young people and work with the staff team to promote and develop proper interventions as deemed necessary
• To provide clear plans for the staff team on how to manage the behaviours associated with Drug and alcohol use
• To work with the staff team to develop their skills in identifying and helping to treat issues presented by the young people.
• To be sensitive to the needs of individual young people, taking account of race, language, religion, sexuality and culture.
• To talk and listen to young people, monitoring their behaviour and recording significant features.
• To contribute to and implement care plans in particular in regards to their substance misuse issues, participate in reviews and other meetings as required and ensuring LAC documentation is up to date and changed when appropriate i.e. after a statutory review.
• To promote working in partnership with parents, carers, social workers and any other appropriate persons important to that young person.
• To provide additional support and comfort to young people who are under stress or suffering from anxiety.
• To identify and implement boundaries necessary to modify unacceptable behaviour of young people.
• To be alert to signs of distress, abuse or substance misuse and to ensure that the young people are monitored and protected.
• To encourage young people when appropriate to carry out physical tasks i.e. washing, shopping and budgeting.
• To contribute to the development of service provision.
• Undertake any other duties that may be required.

Support of Staff

• To promote professionalism and standards to the team in line with policy and procedures.
• To participate in regular staff meetings which are informative, produce action and are minuted.
• To participate in the induction of staff.
• To work in accordance with The Keys Grouppolicies and procedures.
• To report to a manager/director or other appropriate person, malpractice, suspicions or evidence which may suggest it.
• To train staff in proper interventions for young people suffering from drug or alcohol misuse
• To support and advise your manager on issues that are affecting the young people and how best to support them

HomeAdministration

• To contribute to the effective management of the homes resources, keeping within the devolved budgetary constraints.
• To record budget activity in line with financial procedures.
• To be responsible for the security of monies kept on premises in line with procedures.
• To follow all administrative and financial procedures.
• To ensure personnel related administration is processed accurately and in line with procedures/guidelines.

Health & Safety

• To implement the Health & Safety policies and ensure that all staff are aware of all Health & Safety procedures.
• To undertake risk assessments as appropriate.
• Ensure that all incidents/accidents are recorded and reported according to procedures.
• To undertake fire drills and tests in accordance with procedure and record the necessary data.

Physical Environment

• Ensure that the condition of the premises is maintained and report any physical deterioration or repairs.
• To ensure the security of the premises, furniture, equipment and the personal belongings of the young people.

Training and Team Development

• To identify individual staff training needs and participate as appropriate in the development of staff with agreement and support from your manager.
• To develop/participate in training initiatives specifically in regards to substance misuse.
• To develop own and colleagues skills in direct work with young people.

Communication

• To observe and actively promote lines of communication with staff and senior management, and ensure they are made aware of serious or potential serious situations.

Personal Development

• To take responsibility for continuing personal development and remain up to date with relevant child care legislation and practice, both locally and nationally.
• To attend training sessions, courses or qualifications based on identified areas within supervision for development.

Supervision Received

• To receive supervision from the home manager in line with The Keys Groupsupervision policy.

Person Specification

• Ability to engage with young people in a positive and proactive approach
• Self motivated and a positive nature
• Self organisation
• Sensitive and reflective
• Calmness
• Honesty and reliability
• Ability to listen and empathise
• Ability to assess risks
• Flexible
• Commitment to ongoing training

• Motivate others
• Influence others and persuasiveness
• Positive leadership skills
• Develop innovative solutions
• Coaching skills

• Knowledge of; National Minimum Standards; Childrens Homes Regs. 2001; The Childrens Act 1989 & 2004; Childrens Rights
• Experience of direct work with a drug and alcohol Service User group (or comparable)
  An understanding of the needs of drug users and a commitment to young people’s rights.
• . Basic skills in counselling.
• Ability to organise duty routine, undertake informal work and motivate Service Users in a range of activities

• Every Child Matters (England) or Children and Young People Rights for Action (Wales)
• IT literate
• Delivering training
• Supervision
• Driving licence

• Working within residential childcare or substantial experience of working within the area of substance misuse
• Work individually and within a team
• Experience in developing interventions for people who are dependent on drugs and/or alcohol

• Therapeutic work
• Child protection
• Experience in developing interventions for children who are dependent on drugs and/or alcohol
• Work with children who have drug and alcohol issues

• NVQ 3/ QCF (Understanding Substance Misuse) or equivalent.

• Qualifications relevant to a drug and alcohol worker
• Be committed to completing an NVQ level 4 award (Management or Care)

• Openness and commitment to personal development, identified training and professional development

• Track record of developing training programmes

• Cover Registered Manager during absence and annual leave
• Sleeping in duties
• Willing to work additional hours to cover sickness and holidays and to work in other homes within your area.
• Willing to work Bank Holidays and Christmas Holidays

Conditions of Service

• Salary range is starting £8.00per hour – however, additional qualifications and experience will be taken into consideration. The rate is dependant upon your level of qualification and experience and is calculated at a base rate of 39 hours per week.

• The post is Specialist Residential Childcare Worker – Drug and Alcohol

• Your contracted hours will be 39 hours per week - (full time) is or 16 hours per week (part time). Actual hours are determined by the monthly rota and will include weekend-work, sleep-ins (see below) and one full weekend off per month.

• Basic annual leave is 20 days per annum pro rata
• You will be required to work bank holidays and Christmas and New Year holidays, enabling the children and young people in our care to be supported through, essentially, family orientated occasions.
• In recognition of your commitment around these occasions Christmas Day and Boxing Day and from 8.00pm New Years Eve to 8.00 am New Years day will be paid at normal rate plus £6 per hour.
• If you are not required to work during a Bank holiday you will receive a payment of 7.8 hours calculated at your basic hourly salary rate.

• You will be based and work at any of the homes within the area where you are employed and as advised by your line manager or regional manager. On occasions you might be asked to work in a location outside your area of employment.

• You will be subject to a 6 month probationary period.

• We will observe our obligations under auto enrolment.

• In line with our Equal Opportunities, Anti-Oppressive and Anti-Discrimination policy contained within our Employee Handbook every effort is made to ensure that individuals are treated fairly and equitably, and decisions on recruitment, selection, training, promotion and career development are based solely on objective and job related performance criteria.

119/11/2018