Senior High Needs Supported Accommodation Practitioner
Salary:From £38,220 up to £42,839 per annumGrade:JK
Contract:Permanent
Hours:Full-time, shift-based
Are you ready to take the next step in your career and help shape an expanding service supporting young people with complex needs?
Were looking for a Senior High Needs Supported Accommodation Practitioner to join our expanding Supported Accommodation Service. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking team thats building something new, meaningful, and transformative for young people.
As a senior practitioner, youll play a key role in delivering high-quality, trauma-informed and relational support to young people aged 1617 (but at times up to 25). Youll help guide and mentor staff, lead best practice, and ensure our service meets the highest standards.
Main duties of the job
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and support a team of High Needs Supported Accommodation Workers.
* Be a role model for best practice.
* Work directly with young people to build resilience, life skills, and independence including delivering group work sessions
* Provide oversight and complete quality assurance tasks relating to young peoples Support plans, risk assessment and missing from home action plans for the accommodations you are responsible for.
* Lead group supervisions and training/practice sessions in team meetings
* Support the induction and development of new staff and promote a learning culture.
* Collaborate with professionals across services to ensure integrated support.
* Contribute to service development and help shape the future of supported accommodation.
Youll be someone who:
* Preferably has experience working with young people with complex needs in residential, housing or supported accommodation settings.
* Is confident, compassionate, and committed to making a difference.
* Can lead by example and support others to grow and develop.
* Has strong communication, advocacy, and problem-solving skills.
* Is flexible and able to work across different locations and shift patterns including a share of evenings, weekends and bank holidays as well as sleep-in duties
* Holds or is working towards a relevant Level 3 qualification (or higher).
About us
Why Join us
Generous Annual Leave: 28 days of holiday pro-rata, increasing to 34 days after 5 years service plus public holidays.
* Pension Scheme: Save for your future with our generous Local Government Pension Scheme.
* Fitness Discounts: Discounted Gym memberships at various gyms across the county.
* Lifestyle Savings: Enjoy a wide range of discounts at hundreds of popular high-street and online retailers.
* And more: Additional wellbeing support, employee assistance, and development opportunities.
Job responsibilities
Job context
The post holder will support young people through thesupported accommodation Core Offer.
The post holder will provide all aspects of caring supportand interventions, in line with the young peoples Core Assessments, Care Plansand Pathway Plans and develop effective Individual Progress and Support planswith a focus on reducing risks, building on strengths and preparing for adultlife. Mentoring and supporting Key workers is integral to the post, workingwith staff and young people to develop their resilience and life skills toenable them to successfully manage the transition to independence. Keycharacteristic requirements of this post are flexibility, commitment, buildingeffective relationships, resilience, persistence and the ability to supportworkers to deliver best practice. The post requires an enhanced DBS. This roleinvolves spoken communications, so a confident use of English language isrequired.
Job specifics
This role will have a designated group of accommodations forwhich you will be the senior worker and lead on the delivery of the servicesCore Offer. The Core offer areas are:
Health and Emotional Wellbeing
Education, Training and Employment
Staying Safe
Preparing for Adult Life (Life Skills)
Self-Care
Social and Recreational Opportunities
Creating a Family, Social and Community Based SupportNetwork
Senior Workers will lead and support High Need SupportedAccommodation Workers and other support workers in day to day practice drivingsupport planning, interventions and case progress for young people in theirdesignated accommodations through effective communication with a range ofprofessionals working together to improve outcomes for young people
Job purpose
The core purpose of this job is to proactively take a leadrole in providing the support and interventions young people need so that theycan achieve the best possible outcomes in life. The post holder will beresponsible for the direct day-to-day support of young people within supportedaccommodation accompanied by other supportive tasks and duties. Additionally,the post holder will also provide at times care and support to young people invarious residential placements, and to care leavers (including post 18). Thepost holder will work within a defined culture and intervention practice modeland will adopt a solution focussed and restorative approach.
Operational Management:
Develop understanding of and strive for excellent practicein line with quality standards, regulations and the Ofsted frameworks.
Support young people in all areas of their lives includingphysical/mental health, forming relationships, developing life skills, keepingsafe, education, training and employment and engaging in community basedactivities.
Understand the principles of child development and supportdevelopment through promoting a healthy lifestyle, providing a variety ofappropriate stimulating activities and being a consistent and supportive adultrole model.
Understand the impact of trauma, neglect and early adversityon adolescents.
Be sensitive to the needs of the individual young peopleregarding race, culture, language, religion, gender, sexuality andculture-specific events.
Develop effective key working relationships with youngpeople and maintain relationship throughout key transition points and post 18if required.
Share in the practical activities necessary to maintain awarm, welcoming and safe accommodation
Participate in assessing risks and producing action plans inrelation to challenging behaviour, safeguarding, missing from home and generalhealth and safety using a risk managed (not risk averse) approach.
Provide for young peoples physical needs as necessaryforexample by cooking, washing, ironing, shopping, budgeting, making appointmentsand equip them with the skills theyll need to be able to carry out such tasksthemselves in preparation for adulthood.
Deliver support to young people across all supportedaccommodation placements and services i.e., floating support, 24/7 High needssupport, supported lodgings and some housing options.
Demonstrate a flexible, persistent and resilient approach toworking with and supporting young people with complex and challengingbehaviours utilising Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and Restorative Practiceprinciples.
Ensure young people are kept informed of their circumstancesand rights and promote young people taking an active role in planning theirlives and taking as much control and responsibility as is appropriate.
Actively promote the development of an integrated cultureand intervention practice model across supported accommodation.
Ensure links between service areas are developed andmaintained and work collaboratively with a range of professionals to provide anefficient service.
Contribute to and participate in case progress meetings,statutory reviews and all other meetings as required and assist in theformation and implementation of care plans, pathway plans and action plans thatmeet individual need.
Support the process of transition in a timely way by helpingyoung people achieve and promoting their attainment of life skills.
Proactively support young people to return to theirfamilies, where appropriate
Adopt a solution focussed approach to working with youngpeople and families in order to help them rebuild relationships, increase theirachievements, reduce their risks and build on their strengths.
Promote, participate in and lead Group work sessions
Produce accurate, informative and timely written andIT-based records.
Support the effective induction of new and sessional staffand help develop and promote a learning culture within the organisation.
Regularly reflect on practice (both your own and generaloperating practices) and take full advantage of professional supervision andIPM.
Fulfil commitments when trained as a trainer in specialistskills, e.g., Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and Restorative Practice
Develop specialised knowledge and skills and then act as achampion to drive forward good practice and share your expertise with othersacross the team.
As senior worker be responsible for effective planning,interventions, practice and utilisation of resources across the supportedaccommodation properties you are allocated to lead.
Be a positive role model for colleagues and provide support,encouragement and guidance to staff when dealing with complex situations,including debriefing of staff post critical incident.
Deliver supervision to sessional workers (and SupportWorkers once you reach Advanced Practitioner status)
Deliver group supervision as required (once you reachAdvanced Practitioner status)
Contribute to the development of in-house recording systems,and perform auditing tasks related to the systems, to encourage qualityassurance.
Be aware of staffing needs across the supportedaccommodation service and deploy staff according to best value
To work as required across the No Wrong Door/SupportedAccommodation Service if requested by the Head of Service for Placement Supportor the Group Managers for No Wrong Door or Supported Accommodation
Resource management:
Provide support, as required, to the staff team and helpensure that the service runs effectively and within budget.
Report malpractice, or evidence which may suggest it, to theline manager or other appropriate person following the whistle blowingprocedure.
Lead staff in your designated accommodationsoverseeing/supporting delivery of day to day practice/tasks of support workers.
Partnerships:
Develop and maintain effective working relationships withcolleagues, managers, partners and stakeholders.
Deliver practice in a professional manner in keeping withNorth Yorkshire Councils (NYCs) Behaviour and Skills Framework andprofessional codes of conduct.
Communications:
Develop and utilise effective communication skills(nonverbal communication, active listening, self-regulation, emotionalcompetence)
Ensure effective and timely information sharing withprofessionals, families and young people.
Understand confidentiality and data protection within therole.
Systems and information:
Be accountable for monies allocated for specific purposesand maintain accurate financial records including the effective receipt,recording and accounting of petty cash systems.
Provide the effective co-ordination and completion ofday-to-day recording systems within the service.
Requirement to use computer systems such as MS Office andIntranet/Internet to complete certain tasks
Safeguarding:
Be committed to safeguarding; promote the welfare ofchildren, young people and adults and raise concerns as appropriate.
Report malpractice, or evidence which may suggest it has taken place.
Be alert to signs of distress or abuse and take appropriateaction.
Provide additional support and comfort to young people understress and understand the impact of data protection and confidentiality issues.
Give young people the opportunity to participate indecisions affecting them, as appropriate to their age and ability, and taketheir wishes and feelings into account.
Ensure that the young people are monitored and protected,using agreed approaches, and utilise Signs of Safety as the key assessment andchild protection approach to practice.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries andrelationships with young people and adults in accordance with NYCsprofessional codes of conduct.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Hold NVQ 3 Caring for Children and Young People or QCF Level 3 Diploma Caring for Children and Young People (or equivalent)
Experience
* Knowledge of principles of safeguarding & child protection
* Supported Accommodation Regulations and Quality Standards 2023
* Children and Social Work Act 2017 in relation to care leavers Childrens Act 1989 & 2004
* Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023
* Common Assessment Framework
* Direct contact/working with young people with social care needs
* Knowledge of pathways for young people at key transition points and post 18.
* Understanding of and ability to analyse the wider care perspectives of people with social care needs.
* Liaising within the Directorate, with other agencies, professions, families and young people
* Understanding of and commitment to Restorative Practice
* Knowledge of Health and Safety at Work Act 1989.
* Experience of working with young people aged 16-25 and their families.
* Experience and resilience in working with young people with complex needs and challenging behaviours.
* Experience of working with established systems and procedures to ensure secure and accurate recording of information.
* Understand best practice in the care and support of adolescents.
* Understand Therapeutic Crisis Intervention and Signs of Safety.
* Understand the role of Ofsted and their inspection framework.
* Have awareness of best value and effective use of resources in line with NYCs budgets and service plans.
* Experience of working in a Supported accommodation, residential care or housing setting working on a shift basis.
* Some experience of supporting staff in challenging situations.
* Experience and confidence lone working with young people
Occupational Knowledge
* Good communication, interpersonal and advocacy skills.
* Risk management and assessment skills.
* Ability to work flexibly.
* Numeracy and literacy skills.
* IT skills to effectively use systems for practice.
* Effective recording/report writing skills.
* Problem solving skills and the ability to find and implement innovative solutions.
* Personal resilience and the ability to develop it in young people.
* Ability to drive forward plans for young people.
* The ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
* Experience of auditing systems and recording.
* Experience of petty cash systems and compliance with auditing processes.
* Experience of deployment of staff resources to meet need.
* Experience of supporting/supervising sessional staff.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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