Community and Family Support Programme Family Mentor (Full Time)

 ROLE PROFILE

Job Title:               Community and Family Support programme Family Mentor (Full time)

Accountable to:    Project Manager

Salary:                    £24,472

Location:               Skainos Square, 239 Newtownards Road, Belfast

Hours of work:     37.5

Leave:                    20 days plus 12 statutory days

Pension:                National Employee Savings Trust (NEST) Pension Scheme

Health Care:          An employee health care plan is available after successful probation

Probation:             This post is subject to a 6 month probationary period.  The Company reserves the right to extend this probationary period. 

Contract term:       End March 2018 subject to funding

Closing date for applications Monday 7th December 2015 @ 5.00pm

Job purpose

The CFSP Family Mentor is responsible for delivery of:

• Family support elements of the Community Family Support Programme
• Designing and delivering needs-led programmes to develop family relations and communications as well as health and social inclusion programmes with demonstrative positive outcomes. 
• Employability mentoring, job search activities and supporting members of families over the age of 16 years to avail of opportunities in education, employment and training
• Mentoring and support to young people 13-16 years who are at risk of disengaging from school, focusing on positive punctuality, attendance and behaviour outcomes. 

Main Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Family Support

1. Recruit eligible families onto the programme focusing on engagement and retention of families, and achievement of positive family outcomes.
2. Carry out a detailed risk and needs assessment on the needs and issues affecting individual families.
3. Based on risk and needs assessments; create and agree a family support plan outlining support to address issues, actions and timescales to achieve positive change and development within a family.
4. Engage and consult with parents, family members and young people to promote early intervention, high quality parenting and identify where there are needs.
5. Undertake direct work with families in their homes and the community which safeguards and promotes the positive development of children, young people and parents using a solution focused approach.
6. One-to-one support and interventions on health, and social issues.
7. Signpost parents/carers to the range of specialist agencies, support services and activities on offer to develop solutions to barriers.
8. Effectively manage caseload of families and provide professional focused advice to families referring to other agencies/organisations as required as part of family support plan.

 Employability for 16+ and Mentoring for 13-16 year olds

 1.  Undertake initial assessments of barriers to employment/education/training undertaken and registrations completed with assessment and diagnostic tools. 

 2.  Develop and implement individual action plans to overcome barriers to employment, outlining goals, actions and outcomes.

 3.  Deliver one-to-one employability mentoring and group sessions with all participants over the age of 16 years as required to remove barriers to employment, providing a safe, relaxed environment underpinned by a community development approach with a structured and developmental process.

 4.  Provide one-to-one support and interventions with participants 13-16-year-old at risk of disengagement from school and other family members on employability, education and training issues/barriers.

 Programme Delivery

1. Design programme delivery based around family action plans, establish a budget with Co-ordinator and ensure the purchase of interventions/services/goods within agreed budget.
2. Deliver group programmes based on identified need to whole families, NEETs, parents and other siblings.

Other

1. Work in a confidential and professional manner that ensures family welfare and safety is of paramount importance.
2. Undertake ongoing evaluation of outcomes and impacts of both specific interventions as well as the programme overall in terms of progressing both families and individual family members.
3. Work in an integrated manner and develop and maintain excellent working relationships with schools and relevant statutory, community and voluntary organisations.
4. Carry out risk assessments and manage risks as required.
5. Maintain accurate records of work undertaken with families that contain detailed up-to-date engagement notes, full details of specific interventions, evidence of positive outcomes etc.
6. Provide statistical reports to assist with the monitoring and evaluation of the programme in a timely manner.
7. Ensure the accuracy and completion of all administrative forms, reports etc is provided in a timely manner.
8. Review with line manager outcomes against performance targets and reflect on practice.
9. Undertake staff development activities that shall enhance individual and organisational performance. 
10. Maintain and develop relevant skills and work to the highest professional standards.
11. Comply with relevant policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety, Child Protection, Data Protection etc.
12. Ensure consistency of quality of delivery and reporting issues as they arise.
13. Develop forward job plan for the post and achieve targets set for entering and sustaining employment.  This shall include production of monthly reports.
14. Undertake staff development activities that shall enhance individual, team and organisational performance.
15. Undertake regular, formal supervision to measure performance against targets and reflect on practice.
16. Attend and participate in team meetings.
17. Any other reasonable duties assigned by the organisation.

This job description is not prescriptive and may change with the needs of the organisation.

Personnel Specification

1. Qualifications

Essential:

Minimum of NVQ 3 or an equivalent level qualification in Health & Social Care, Family Support, Youth Work, Education, Social Care, Adult Learning Support or equivalent.

AND

NVQ 3 level qualification in Advice & Guidance or equivalent.

2. Proven Competence and Experience

Essential:

• A proven competence and experience of at least two years or other relevant field, delivering interventions within either health and social care or employability, for example delivering sessions on health, social or employability-related issues.
• Demonstrable experience in undertaking assessments of needs.
• Experience of working to and understanding Child Protection policy, procedures and legislation.
• Proven experience of carrying out home visits.

 Desirable:

• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment responding to needs of children, young people and families.

3. Skills/Abilities

Essential:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Sound knowledge of ICT including all Microsoft Office applications (word, excel, PowerPoint, outlook, internet etc.)
• Motivating others and excellent interpersonal skills
• Using own initiative and working positively within a team and building good working relationships
• Being non-judgmental in approach to dealing with families
• Excellent organisational skills
• Commitment to the development of people in the community
• Information management and report writing
• Mentoring skills and facilitation/group-work skills

4. Circumstances

Essential:

• Ability to work flexible hours (including evening work)
• Willingness to undertake training required for the post.
• Subject to Access NI clearance.

 Vetting

Appointment to this post is subject to successful applicant declaring all pending prosecutions, convictions, cautions and bind-over orders and their name will be submitted to Access NI for a check to be carried out.

References

Appointment is also subject to the return of Complete and satisfied references obtained from previous and or present employers  

Additional Notes

This Role Profile is an accurate reflection of the job as at the time of review.  As with any position, the role may be subject to change to meet the needs of the post.  All prospective changes will be discussed with the post-holder as part of the organisation’s performance management arrangements.

East Belfast Mission is an equal opportunities employer