Our Staying Close Project has been successfully running for two years and we now have additional external funding to strengthen the offer to Care Leavers age 16+ leaving residential care and transitioning to independent living. You will be working with the existing team around care leavers, building on our current offer of appointing a range of multi-agency professionals who have the diverse skill set needed to support this vulnerable group of young people. Our workbase is at Sharrow Community Forum however you will be able to work and support care leavers at any location across the city.
We are looking to appoint a full-time Personal Advisor as an Education, Employment & Training (EET) Transitions Coach fixed term up to July 2027 who will work on this project focussing specifically on increasing numbers of young people in employment, education and training, including through support gaining work experience, with application forms and advice and guidance. The postholder will perform the following duties, working to a clear performance framework and sustainability and reporting to the Senior Fieldwork Manager Staying Close project:
1. Provide expertise in overcoming the barriers that care leavers face in accessing education, employment, and training.
2. Support and bridge care leavers through specialist support interventions as part of the local Care Leaver Offer, and as part of a holistic approach embedded into the care leaver service.
3. Up-skill peers towards a broader understanding of education and employment pathways; provide specialist input into Pathway Plans in relation to career planning.
4. Deliver a tailored EET support package which prepares care leavers for the world of work and provide in-work support for care leaver and employers, liaising with external employment providers and lifelong learning services in Sheffield City Council and other key stakeholders who can provide career opportunities and/or apprenticeships.
5. Provide additional emotional health and wellbeing support to care leavers, supporting with mental health wellbeing to progress and sustain both engagement in employment, education and training and stable housing outcomes. Utilising existing resources in service, including CAMHS and voluntary sector services.
6. Coach for resilience development especially around confidence in care leavers’ abilities, workplace relationships, behaviour expectations, protocols, processes, and systems.
7. Provide support and advice to care leavers around financial management and budgeting. A lack of sufficient finances directly correlates to difficulties in maintaining accommodation and housing and EET status, e.g., incurring rent arrears and struggling to pay for basic work-related costs such as transport.