Senior Outreach Support Worker

The office base for the role is Woodhatch Place in Reigate, however the position covers the west of Surrey more widely; this can be discussed further at interview.

Are you interested in making a real difference to a child with a disability and their family? Could you inspire others to do the same? We're looking for a Senior Outreach Support Worker who has passion and dedication to join our fantastic Children with Disabilities Outreach Service and help to ensure that children with disabilities are enabled to reach their full potential.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

The Children with Disabilities Outreach Service is countywide and our aim is to provide a quality assured service as part of the child's care plan, with the overall mission of improving outcomes for disabled children in Surrey. We are now looking to develop our team, predominantly across the West of Surrey and have introduced this senior role to ensure we are able to meet current demand and level of complexity of referrals to our service.

As a service we have significant expertise in supporting children and young people with complex needs, including autistic spectrum conditions, behaviour that challenges, profound and multiple learning disabilities and associated complex health needs. The team is currently made up of the Team Manager, three Coordinators, three Senior Support Workers and a number of experienced Bank staff.

About the Role

In this role you will be supporting children and families in their homes and in their communities, following referrals from Social Workers in the Children with Disabilities Team. Senior Support Workers are matched to support children based on their skills and experience, ensuring we provide a consistent service that is specially tailored both to the child's care plan and your strengths.

We offer flexible hours of support which includes (but is not limited to): before and after school, weekends, school holidays and some office hours included during the day.

The Senior role is very varied but on a day-to-day basis you will be involved in the following:

• Both hands-on work in the community and office-based work
• Providing support and direction to junior and new members of the team
• Assisting the Coordinators in the smooth running of the service
• Partnership work with other professionals
• Supporting the service to meet the essential standards of the Care Quality Commission

This is a challenging but genuinely rewarding career where you will play a key role in supporting children to reach their full potential. We will ensure that you receive a comprehensive training package and support, including regular supervision to make sure you feel confident and competent in your role.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will need to clearly evidence:

• NVQ Level 3 Diploma in Children and Young People, Workforce Diploma Social Care Pathway or similar qualification
• Good written English and verbal communication skills
• Experience of working with children with disabilities, complex health needs and behaviours that challenge
• PBS Practitioner, or willingness to work towards this qualification
• Competent IT ability including MS Office and database management
• Ability to plan and prioritise workload in the context of conflicting priorities
• Ability to work effectively and flexibly as part of a team

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and Outreach Workers will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel across a wide geographical area. Reasonable adjustments where needed will be made for successful applicants who have a disability or long term health condition to enable them to fulfil the requirements of the job.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 22nd September 2024 with interviews to follow.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form