Child Support Worker, Family Homeless Action Team, Dublin & Surrounding Areas (Full Time)
Dublin, Ireland
Description
Child Support Worker, Family Homeless Action Team (FHAT)
Location: Role covers Dublin, Kildare and Meath
Contract: 2 Year, Full-Time Fixed-Term Contract
The purpose of this role is to work as part of a team to reduce the impact of childhood traumatic experiences that can occur while a family is experiencing homelessness. The Child Support Worker (CSW) will work alongside Case Managers in the wider Family Homeless Action Team to support families in exiting homelessness.
What you will do:
* Work within the framework of the overall objectives of Focus Ireland.
* Undertake assessments of children’s developmental needs and strengths.
* Develop and review appropriate support plans with parents and, as appropriate, with children, colleagues, and other professionals involved with the child/young person’s family.
* Undertake one-to-one work in the child’s emergency accommodation reflecting the support plan.
* Undertake group work in the locations where appropriate.
* Promote the development of positive parent and child relationships. To encourage and support parental responsibility and assist parents in meeting their children’s needs.
* Contribute to the promotion, creation, and maintenance of a high standard of child-led and child-focused practice in delivering a service to children and their families.
* Advocate for children and young people who use the service.
* Establish links with appropriate community services to address the needs of children and their families at a local level.
* Communicate and liaise effectively with professionals where relevant to the needs of the children/young person. To attend meetings concerning the children/young person, e.g. school liaison, case conferences, and reviews.
* Produce reports and information as requested and to keep up-to-date and accurate records.
* Be familiar with and comply with the agency’s policies and procedures pertaining to health, safety, and welfare of children and all other agency policies and procedures.
* Participate in reviews, evaluations, and development of the service.
* Work 39 hours per week at the appointed times.
* Work under the supervision and direction of the Manager/Team Leader and to engage regularly in supervision sessions with the Team Leader.
* Participate in relevant training and development courses as agreed with the Manager/Team Leader.
* Attend and contribute to team and any other meetings which are relevant to the work, as required.
* Adhere to any Health, Safety, and Welfare risks in the workplace and bring any concerns to the attention of your line manager or Health & Safety Representative.
* Undertake such other duties as might be reasonably assigned from time to time in consultation with the Team Leader/Manager/Service Manager.
What you will need:
* Relevant third-level degree, i.e., youth work; childcare; social care; psychology or other relevant third-level degree.
* Relevant experience of working with children and young people.
* Experience of working with families.
* Respect and value children as autonomous young people in their own right.
* Ability to communicate well with colleagues, parents, and other agencies and, above all, children, irrespective of their needs.
* Have a genuine liking for and sensitivity towards children.
* Ability to assess the support needs of children, develop support plans, and respond to their needs.
* Ability to engage with a variety of professionals and individuals to provide a holistic & integrated response to the needs of children.
* Be committed to working in partnership with parents.
* Report writing abilities.
* Ability to work alone and in a team setting.
* Experience of dealing with child protection and welfare responsibilities and responding appropriately to any concerns.
* Full clean driver’s license and access to your own transport.
Focus Ireland is an equal opportunities employer.
We are driven by the fundamental belief that homelessness is wrong. Wrong because it is a failure of society that creates victims out of ordinary people and robs them of their potential. Wrong because it can be prevented, it can be solved, but is allowed to continue and in doing so, undermines society.
Focus Ireland currently employs 435 people in various capacities that include permanent, fixed-term, full-time, part-time, and relief.
We aim to create continuous improvement and add value through partnership, integration, accessibility, and empowerment of all employees.
What we offer:
* Top up Maternity Benefit up to 22 weeks
* Top up Paternity leave up to 8 days
* Education Policy - provision of financial support for upskilling/qualifications
* Paid expenses
* Cycle to Work scheme
* Annual Leave – 25 days
* Defined Contribution – 5% employee contribution and 7% employer contribution
* EAP – Employee assistance programme – staff counselling
* Death in Service benefit – 3 times salary
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