Personal Advisor Bexley08

Leaving Care Main purpose of the job: Young People/Care Leavers • The leaving care team works with young people aged 18-25 who were previously in care. Following ongoing assessments, the team provides information, advice, guidance and support to enable young people to make a successful transition into adulthood. • To hold an allocated caseload. To signpost and support young people that are leaving care to access direct appropriate services according to departmental policies and procedures and statutory guidance. Major Duties and Responsibilities: • Personal Advisors will be responsible for delivering high quality practice in all allocated cases to improve outcomes for young people 18+, ensuring where possible a multiagency approach is facilitated to safeguard and support all care leavers with particular regard to those with complex needs and vulnerabilities. Work to national legislation, policy and guidance within the London Borough of Bexley procedures and team/service plan objectives and standards. • To be responsible for recording all activity on Bexley’s Information database accurately and in a timely fashion. Ensure that departmental records are consistently correct and all activity can be properly accounted for. • Carry out assessments of need and provide practical and supportive services based on those assessments. • Provide individual personal support and advocacy to young people based on an assessment of their learning and personal development needs.

The key roles of a Leaving care Personal Advisor are to: ✓ To provide information, advice and guidance; based on the individual needs of the young people ✓ To complete assessments of need to inform the Pathway Plan ✓ To take a lead role in the preparation and completion of the Pathway Plan; ✓ To regularly monitor the progress of the young person’s Pathway Plan; ✓ To facilitate the reviews of the Pathway Plan; ✓ To liaise with various agencies, including other local authorities in the implementation of the Pathway Plan and to advocate for the young person; ✓ To coordinate the provision of services under the Pathway Plan and take steps to encourage and support the young person to access such services; ✓ To build and maintain supportive, professional relationships with all care leavers ✓ To maintain regular contact with young people wherever they live. This may mean travel throughout the UK and overseas depending on the young person’s individual circumstances ✓ To complete full and concise records of contact with the young person within timescale and using Signs of Safety model (training given). ✓ To provide support cover as part of the office duty rota Job Activities: • To manage a caseload of young people, prioritise workload, manage diaries, and visit and record all contact using Signs of Safety model (training given) and within set deadlines. • Actively engage young people in decision making about their future providing structured, individual and impartial support, advice and guidance using the Pathway Planning tool, to help guide and enable SMART personal development outcomes and transition into successful adults, • Ability to attend Signs of Safety training and thereafter use the model in a range of ways including (but not limited to) to support direct work with young people and develop suitable, strength based pathway plans • To regularly visit and have contact with young people in line with a regular assessment of their needs and with policies and procedures. This may involve travel throughout the UK and overseas depending on the young person’s individual circumstances. This may also involve overnight stays. • To have an understanding of the legislation relating to and the needs of young people who have unresolved immigration issues; for example, those who were unaccompanied young people, those who have been given limited leave to remain or those who have had their immigration claims refused in order to support them appropriately. • Where required, to complete Human Rights Assessments to help find next steps for young people whose asylum claims may be refused. • To have a knowledge and understanding of the Voluntary Returns Scheme, in order to support, guide and assist completion of the NASS 95 & 4 applications in accordance with social care policies and procedures. • To support care leavers to manage formal meetings. This could include supporting their attendance at court, in a tribunal hearing, placement meetings or mental health and medical assessments. This may also involve arranging translators. • To support care leavers to attend meetings with external agencies such as; Health, Probation, Solicitors, Job Centre, College and University appointments • To work closely with young people and partner agencies including Job Centre+, colleges and employers to support young people to access suitable employment, education or training opportunities • To support young people to access appropriate college and university courses including attending interviews, open days and graduation ceremonies as appropriate. • To complete risk assessment, referral and application for appropriate social housing. To liaise with the Housing Team within Bexley and other authorities nationwide and to support young people to move into appropriate accommodation • To manage and formally monitor young people’s setting up home grant. • To utilise a Purchasing card where required ensuring that expenditure is undertaken with the agreement of a manager within the service in accordance with a young person’s assessed needs and to input financial data onto Purchasing Card account receipting system (Smart Data- training given). • To manage and formally monitor the allocation of a young person’s leaving care university bursary. • To have an understanding of the benefit system in order to offer information and advice to the young person if required and liaise with the appropriate Benefits agencies within the local authority of Bexley and local authorities outside of the borough. • To have an understanding of the referral for early years assessments process, to support a young person preparing for parenthood and to ensure the safety of the child. • To offer advice and guidance with budgeting, and if applicable, signpost to appropriate external agencies for financial advice and support. • To have an understanding of substance misuse, domestic abuse and mental health issues to enable appropriate support, advice and guidance to the young person in these areas and to complete risk assessments, safety plans and referrals to relevant organisations for further support where necessary • Identifying the appropriate manner in which to communicate with young people, their parents and carers, specifically where a young person has additional needs. • Where it is in the best interest of young people, work with their parents, carers and families to ensure that they are appropriately engaged and are supporting the young person into a positive and successful young adulthood. • Develop a thorough understanding of available local provision and make appropriate referrals to meet the needs of the young person. Respect professional boundaries within specialist support services, monitor and track their progress providing additional support as necessary. • Develop areas of expertise with respect in particular to young people’s needs or circumstances as appropriate and in line with guidance from managers. • Act as an advocate and identify individual and group needs, help develop and lead imaginative learning programmes and link with social support agencies aimed at those not in work or education. • To be available for supervision and appraisal with line manager in order to assess the progress of work, make decisions about the management of cases, plan future activity and provide information about work undertaken. • To undertake any other duties deemed appropriate for the role. • In order to deliver the service effectively, a degree of flexibility is needed and the post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above. Such duties, however, will fall within the scope of the post.