Missing From Home Worker

Job Purpose

• To safeguard and protect the children, young people and adults that we work with by adhering closely to We Are With You’s policies and procedures at all times and sharing any concerns immediately.
• Provide specialist knowledge and support to young people aged 0 -18. 
• Work with local authorities in collaboration with the region’s constabulary and social care to offer support to other partner agencies on the issues affecting young people and their families, namely; missing from home but also wider issues such as substance use, mental health,  child sexual exploitation (CSE), child criminal exploitation (CCE).

Main responsibilities 

Delivery

• To undertake return interviews (RHI) for all missing from home / care (MFH) notifications received from the Police/ social care within 72 hours
• Assess young peoples needs and provide harm reduction advice, information and signposting; encouraging engagement into specialist services
• To determine appropriate support plans and referral pathways for all young people, including the provision of interventions and direct work
• Manage a caseload of one to one work with children and young people around MFH and those vulnerable to Exploitation to inform a risk reduction plan.  
• To work in partnership with Children’s Social Care to facilitate support where MFH is highlighted as a risk and contribute to relevant planning meetings / social care meeting. 
• To offer educational awareness raising within local authority residential homes / foster care providers, for young people who are cared for to enable others to manage and reduce the risks associated with young people who go missing from home / care.
• Collect and report on information from RHI / direct work completing all monitoring information by set timescales 
• Record all intervention, contacts and multi-agency correspondence in accordance with the service specification within prescribed Management Information Systems
• Develop and sustain productive relationships with all agencies involved in a young persons care.
• Support colleagues, volunteers and sessional workers providing advice and guidance, ensuring care standards are maintained and young people receive the most appropriate care 
• Support the voice of the child  
• Ability to travel around the local authority to see young people in their chosen location (school, home, placement)

Information Governance

• Ensure We are With you information governance policy and procedure is adhered to at all time 
• Ensure timely (within policy) recording of case notes and that sharing of information is within GDPR and We are with you policy.
• Attend regular supervision and appraisal sessions for continued personal and professional development to identify strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly to enable all duties to be carried out effectively.
• To carry out such other relevant duties, as may be required and as are commensurate with the nature and grading of the post.

General responsibilities

Confidentiality: Ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential or personalised information externally with consent from a line manager.

Data Protection Act: Comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act and amendments to ensure integrity and security of our information.

Safeguarding: Remain vigilant at all times to any safeguarding concerns within the day to day performance of your job role, sharing and learning from these experiences to ensure our statutory and organisational responsibilities are met in respect of safeguarding children & vulnerable adults.

Conflict of interest:  Declare any involvement either directly or indirectly with any firm, company or organisation that has a contract with We Are With You.

Equal Opportunities and Diversity: Ensure that all service users, partners, carers, and colleagues in We Are With You and partner organisations are treated as individuals within our Diversity and Equality framework.

Health and Safety: Compliance at all times with the requirements of the Health and Safety regulations and We Are With You’s Health and Safety Policy and Procedures, ensuring reasonable care is taken with regard to yourself as well as any colleague, service user or visitor who might be affected by an act or failure to act by yourself.

Quality Assurance: To ensure all activities are delivered in a way that supports and maintains We Are With You's registration with the Care Quality Commission and appropriate agencies in the devolved administrations.

Any Other duties: To undertake any other duties that are reasonable and are commensurate with the role as directed by the Executive Director of Operations  in line with the changing needs of the service and legal requirements.

Self-development: Ensure you take responsibility for development and keep learning in your role.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

Education / qualifications

• NVQ level 3 in Health & Social Care or equivalent (or willing to achieve within 12 months)
• Or relevant qualification in youth work/ education 
• 5 GCSE’s grade C or above

​Experience/ Knowledge

• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of working with young people and the issues they face and current trends 
• Experience of planning, delivering and evaluating support activities for and with young people and their carers
• Experience and understanding of case management including assessment, action planning and reviews
• Experience and application of Health and Safety and risk management procedures
• Experience of working in partnership with a variety of agencies to achieve agreed outcomes
• Experience and understanding of Child Protection including Safeguarding processes and procedures and understanding of the issues children in care face
• Strong ability and demonstrable experience of building effective relationships with partner agencies

Skills and abilities

• Strong written and verbal communications skills
• IT skills and awareness
• Ability to build rapport quickly 
• Able to work on own initiative within given boundaries and to an agreed action plan
• Able to organise your own work routines effectively with a minimum of supervision and support
• Able to handle sensitive and confidential issues with tact and diplomacy

Personal circumstances

• Able to meet We Are With You’s safeguarding requirements of a satisfactory enhanced DBS/PVG certificate
• Ability to work flexible and unsocial hours as required
• Must have a driving licence and access to own vehicle 
• Commitment to the organisation’s Guiding Principles and Behaviours

DESIRABLE CRITERIA 

Experience/ Knowledge

Understanding of solution focused brief therapy and / or motivational interviewing, and other relevant young person interventions 

Knowledge of the on line support available to children and young people 

Knowledge of national networks for professional development and access to resources