Adolescent Practitioner

The starting salary for this position is £32,512 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.

The role is offered as a 12-month fixed term contract or secondment opportunity. This role is open to hybrid working and as a team we split our time between working from home and collaborating together in the office.

This is an exciting opportunity for an Adolescent Practitioner to join our brand-new Adolescent Service in Surrey, bringing together a range of services for young people including those who go missing, are involved in gang culture and who are vulnerable to exploitation.

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 dependents 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 Role

The Central Hub Missing Team provides support to young people across the county who go missing. A key part of your role as an Adolescent Practitioner will be to support a family while their child is missing and then make contact with the young person and their families once they have returned home to complete a Return Home Interview (RHi) within 72 hours. Following the RHi you may then need to provide some additional short-term support based on any identified needs. This role will also include an element of cover for other functions within the Central Hub as needs arise.

If you want to find out more about how we respond to missing young people please look at our Missing Protocol.

The Adolescent Service is built on the belief that relationships are the key vehicle for achieving change. The service is underpinned by 'Relational Practice' principles, an intentional way of working where establishing, attending to, and maintaining empathetic and honest interpersonal relationships are prioritised. This approach includes our relationships and how we work with each other. Adopting this approach supports us to create systems that can be trauma-informed and respond appropriately to individuals' different needs and experiences. It supports everyone's ability to work restoratively to resolve conflict, repair harm and support change.

As an Adolescent Practitioner in our Central Hub Team you will:

• Support whole families through a strengths-based and trauma informed approach, utilising motivational interviewing skills and effective relational approaches
• Undertake Return Home Interviews
• Provide support through short term interventions
• Work with partners including the police to ensure effective support is in place for young people who go missing and to understand any wider contextual concerns
• Ensure RHi's are completed to a high standard and are recorded as per the team policy and procedures, including timely and accurate case notes, assessments and reports
• Support the wider 'missing process' within the team which will include triaging and managing missing contacts as they come into the Central Hub

Shortlisting Criteria

We are looking for skilled and passionate Adolescent workers who are dedicated to working positively with young people in sometimes challenging and complex situations, and who have the confidence and emotional intelligence to engage others.

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, you CV and personal statement will clearly evidence the following:

• An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of Practitioners working with vulnerable children and young people, with experience of working in a social work, youth justice, youth work, teaching, or probation environment
• Appreciation of best practice approaches when supporting children and young people
• Basic awareness of relevant legislation affecting working with children, including the Children Act (1989) and the Children and Adoption Act (2002)
• IT skills, including use of databases, email, Word and Excel
• Ability to prioritise and manage under pressure with minimal supervision
• Willingness to learn and undertake training relevant to the role

Transferable skills and experience from a youth work, youth justice, education, residential children homes, social work background would align well to this role, where you will have the opportunity to gain further skills and experience in a dynamic and innovative environment.

Surrey has both urban and rural areas and you will be expected to have a valid driving licence to drive in the UK, access to a vehicle and be willing to travel to your contractual base and 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 19th January 2025,?with interviews to follow.

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

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.