Do you have relevant experience of working with children and young people with a disability/and or autism or relevant experience in a similar sector or work environment?

About Aberlour Options Fife - Respite and Outreach

Options Fife Respite and Outreach provides a range of flexible support through outreach and overnight short breaks at weekends, evenings and school holidays to children and young people with complex learning disabilities and autism. We offer a high-quality child centred service providing positive and enabling experiences for the young people, supporting them through the challenges and complexities that enable them to work towards their individual outcomes and personal goals. We work closely with families and other professionals in providing support tailored around the child’s plan.

What we are looking for....

We are looking to recruit two Young People’s Worker Nights, working four nights on (10 hours per night) every second week. You will play a fundamental role in ensuring that the young people you work with have the best possible experience in working towards their objectives in line with their care plan, supporting children to progress within their individual outcomes. Whilst not without its challenges and demands, this is a highly rewarding role, where the work we do has a demonstrable impact on each young person's progress. Using a person-centred approach, you will provide enabling support ensuring the highest level of physical, personal, and emotional care. We support young people who have epilepsy, need personal care and need gastrostomy feeding. Aberlour, in conjunction with NHS, provides all staff with training.

We are looking for candidates who have a passion for working with young people with disabilities. It is desired but not essential that candidates hold a relevant qualification at an SCQF level 7 or above. Due to SSSC requirements you may be required to gain qualifications after starting with Aberlour.

At Aberlour we want to make sure every child and young person has the love, support and opportunity they need to reach their potential. If you share the same vision, we want you to join our team.

What we offer...

As well as a supportive team and excellent training opportunities, we want all our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, an excellent employer pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts across various retailers. Find out more about our Employee Benefits and our commitment to Equality and Diversity on our website.

Benefits:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 29 days PLUS bank holidays
• Up to 5 more days leave for continuous service plus the option to buy and sell leave.
• Gain professional qualifications with excellent training, and development opportunities.
• Flexible maternity, adoption, and paternity packages.
• A pension with a up to a 7% employer contribution rate. Plus, if you pay in to the pension you will receive life assurance cover.
• Staff discount portal with your favourite brands.
• Blue Light Card eligibility with 15,000 discounts from national retailers.

Vulnerable children in the UK need your help

Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

Last year, we helped more than 670,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.

Why Action for Children?

Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It's the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.

A bit about the role

The aim of our Silverton Hub based in Blantyre, is to support children with disabilities. We ensure the child feels involved in their community and enjoys their childhood experience and builds their confidence whilst developing the family's resilience to deal with the day-to-day challenges of their care giving duties.

You'll provide support to a range of young people from the ages of 5 to 23. The support is personalized to each child's specific needs, likes, character and their personality. This is directed through an extensive and well researched care plan which is strongly led by the child's voice.

More specifically your role will involve going out and about in the community with young people introducing them to mainstream activities and supporting them to enjoy new experiences and to follow their own interests. This could include trips to parks, swimming, bowling, and the cinema. It may involve shopping trips, outings on buses and trains, visits to cafes, clubs, and museums.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

You'll work as part of a well supported and trained team who work extremely hard to achieve positive outcomes for our young people.

As a Community Short Breaks Practitioner you'll be;

• Managing cases, completing assessments, planning and reviews to ensure positive outcomes.
• Working within a multi-agency social care multi-agencies, early years or health environments.
• Helping young people with a learning disability have a presence in the community.
• Supporting young people by providing emotional support and keep the child and or young people as the focus and ensure their feelings and wishes are represented in meeting

Let's talk about you

• Experience working within a care environment - preferably working with children and young people with learning disabilities, their families, and carers.
• A HNC/ SVQ Social Care preferred – but candidates without this may have an opportunity to work towards a qualification.
• Confident delivering specialist interventions within young people and their families on a 1:1 basis, group or community setting.
• Easily establish and develop relationships with those young people and their families
• To register with the SSSC (Scottish Social Services Council) within 6 months of starting in post.

Good to know

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Application Process:There are five sections to complete: Personal Details, CV, Supporting Statement & Information, Equality & Diversity, Submission & Declaration.

Talent Pool: We know talent when we see it. But sometimes we find the right person but not for the right job. We'd love to keep your details for when the right job comes up. Let us know if you'd rather we didn't.

Contact: If, for any reason, you need support with your application, please contact Laura McCarthy at Laura.McCarthy2@actionforchildren.org.uk. We'll be happy to give you any support you require.

Diversity, equality, and inclusion

At Action for Children, we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. We actively encourage applications from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic, and disabled candidates as they are under-represented within Action for Children. We want to take deliberate and purposeful action to ensure equal opportunity to all groups in society and for Action for Children.

Don't meet every single requirement?

If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the job description, we'd love you to apply anyway. You might just be the perfect person for this role, or another role within the Action for Children family.

About Sycamore Fort William

Aberlour Sycamore Services- Fort William, is a residential care home for children and young people up to the age of 18 years old, helping them to live and grow in a community setting. We work using a Dyadic Developmental Practice model which means that we ensure that the child and their behaviour is understood and the child feels as safe as possible at home, in school and in social activities.

What we are looking for....

We are looking for a Residential Worker to work part time 26.25 hours per week (105 hours per 4 weeks), usual hours would be 10pm to 8am, 3 nights on 5 nights off. There may also be the opportunity to pick up extra hours covering holidays and staff sickness. You will have a knowledge and understanding of the importance of attachment, trauma and how this can impact on an individual’s development. At times our children express their distress through their behaviour and the role can be emotionally and physically challenging; we are therefore looking for someone who is resilient, understands that behaviour is a means of communication and is trauma responsive.

Sometimes children become unsettled or upset during the night and you will play an essential role, nurturing them and supporting them through this so that they can settle to a point when they can be soothed back to sleep. Being a wakened night worker is very much more than being a ‘babysitter’ for the children – the very precious relationships you develop with the children in the house are absolutely key to the children’s feeling of safety, wellbeing and happiness living with us.

You must have the ability to quickly build your relationships with the adults within the house. The nature of the role is such that you could be working to cover a shift or longer periods as required, including days and wakened nightshifts and you may also be supporting young people to attend school or participate in other learning programmes. You must therefore be able to quickly adapt to the working environment within each house.

Undertaking the role of Residential Worker will afford you the opportunity to develop and build on a range of transferrable skills which are valued in a range of employment: you will be able to demonstrate excellent flexibility and adaptability with exceptional interpersonal skills, ability to work with different teams and different children, young people and young adults living within our Houses.

For an informal discussion please phone Zuzana Mandakova, House Manager on 07803495521

What we offer...

As well as a supportive team and excellent training opportunities, we want all our employees to feel valued and rewarded for the vital work they do. When you work with us, we'll recognise your efforts with generous annual leave, an excellent employer pension scheme and a range of deals and discounts across various retailers.

If you have any queries please e-mail: jobs@aberlour.org.uk

Aberlour is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all our service users and uses a thorough and rigorous recruitment and selection process including PVG Scheme checks to ensure this commitment is not compromised.