Team Manager - Feltham YOI Independent Children's Rights and Advocacy

Team Manager - Feltham YOI Independent Children's Rights and Advocacy (8707)

Location: Feltham

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 32

Salary: £26,966 - £37,414 plus £1885.27 OLW (FTE)

Closing Date: 11 July 2021

Interview Date: Tuesday 27th July 2021

Barnardo's is seeking an empathetic and child led Team Manager who can work within a dynamic, fast-paced and reactive environment using their strong organisation, communication, people and time management skills to support children in the secure estate.

The position is based within Feltham Youth Offender Institution which accommodates children aged between 15-18 years, who are in custody either sentenced or on remand.  Barnardo's refers to Young Offender Institution's (YOI) and Secure Training Centres (STC) as the Secure Estate (please note, the location of some secure establishments may mean they are not easily accessed by public transport and may be in a remote area).

Your Rights Your Voice hold ‘voice' at the heart of all we do, therefore we feel the role is best described by someone who is currently working in this service:

“The role is a Children's Rights and Advocacy role, which means it is our job to empower the children we work with and help them to understand that what they think, what they feel and what they want really matters. We can speak on behalf of children to ensure their voice is heard and we also have the opportunity to help them to find the tools and confidence to raise their voices for themselves.  Advocacy and Children's Rights support is particularly crucial in the secure estate because children are away from home, family and champions, and also because children in secure estate are some of the most vulnerable children in society; they have often faced considerable adversity, disadvantage and discrimination prior to arriving into custody and they might not therefore be equipped with the skills needed to articulate their concerns.  Through the work you do with a child from simply helping them make contact with friends or family on the outside, to helping them with concerns they may have for example; discrimination, resettlement or safeguarding. You may be the one person telling them they matter for the very first time.”

The post holder will need to be able to manage a small team to work autonomously, and to the requirements of the contract and the regime of the YOI. The secure estate is a highly structured environment; as a Barnardo's service working within this environment, we are delivering support whilst still having to follow and adhere to this structure. There are a considerable number of both secure estate and Barnardo's regulations which have to be followed and can at times make the function of the job challenging.

This role includes lone working in this challenging environment. It is therefore critical that the successful candidate in this respect is able to follow guidance and policy, and is able to take proactive and individual responsibility to understand and access the support mechanisms in place and encouraged by the service as required.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document. This should demonstrate an understanding of the context of the service described.

About Barnardo's

At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers. We actively encourage applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and male candidates as they are under-represented within Barnardo's.