Individual/Support Worker

Job content

Salary: Up to £21,000 per annum Working Pattern: Full Time, 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9:30am-6:30pm but needs to be flexible. Blue Sky Fostering has an exciting opportunity for an Individual Worker to join the team in the Devon area. This position is full time and holds a requirement to travel to placements and visits in and around Ivybridge. Who are we? BSN Social Care is the parent company of Blue Sky Fostering. Blue Sky Fostering is an established Independent Fostering Agency, operating across the south of England, to provide foster placements to children and young people. We have been rated ‘Outstanding’ for four consecutive inspections since 2008. We provide a number of different services including mainstream fostering for children aged 0-18 and Parent and Child Placements. We also have an established and well regarded Therapeutic Led Care (TLC) service where our team of experienced clinical practitioners work alongside specialist foster carers to provide therapeutic care to children to prevent them moving to residential care. Our ethos is to provide the best service possible for children, and for all children placed with us to achieve their full potential. We work hard to ensure children experience love, care, nurture and stability with our carers. The Role Blue Sky Fostering has a brilliant opportunity for a dedicated and dependable individual, with relevant experience of working with children and young people, to join the team as an Individual Worker in the Devon area, working in conjunction with our hub in Ivybridge. We are looking for someone with energy and drive to assist our social workers and foster carers in delivering the Blue Sky + Therapeutically Led Care Service (TLC). The Individual Worker will be responsible for supporting the young person’s progress in the TLC Programme by engaging in direct, focussed work with them in the community, in leisure activities or at school. As an Individual Worker, you will be there to provide one to one support to young people on the programme. You will be expected to build positive relationships with the child and help them to trust and feel safe with adults. You will also be expected to model acceptable behaviour, promote pro-social behaviour and practice problem solving skills. The Individual Worker will be responsible for undertaking observations and providing information to the clinical team about the social functioning and skill development of the young people in community settings. The successful candidate will work closely with members of the clinical team to offer support and provide vital assistance for a variety of tasks that contribute to ensuring children’s care and development needs are met. As directed, you will be responsible for planning, facilitating and delivering a range of support services. This includes implementing group activities for carers, children and young people, undertaking visits to placements and supervising children at Blue Sky social events. Location For this role, willingness to travel and use of a car is essential as the successful applicant will be required to travel to a range of appointments across the Devon area. What we’re looking for To apply for this position, it is essential you:

Hold a full UK Driving Licence and have a vehicle

Are willing to undertake an enhanced DBS

Have experience in working with children and young people, including managing challenging behaviour

Have a good understanding and awareness of child protection issues

Able to communicate clearly and effectively, verbally and in writing with a wide audience

Are willing to travel as and when required to a range of appointments

Are willing to work flexible hours, including non-office hours, in order to meet the needs of supporting young people socially outside of school hours

Share a commitment to Equal Opportunities in all work practices and to improving the lives of Looked After Children Why work for us?

Generous Annual Leave – 28 days PLUS your Bank Holiday Entitlement

Annual Leave increase after 3 full years of service by 1 day - up until a max of 12 years

Birthday Leave – a paid day off for your birthday

Good Health Days – no sickness in a 6 month period and get an additional day off!

Refer A Friend Scheme with a monetary incentive

Comprehensive Employee Assistance Platform that provides access to advice and support 24/7

Auto Enrolment Pension

Learning & Development Opportunities

Optional Private Healthcare Scheme

Eyecare Vouchers

Cycle to Work scheme Everyone is welcome Diversity and inclusion are the principles for how we build our teams and Blue Sky Fostering strives to create an inclusive culture where all forms of diversity are valued and celebrated. We want a workforce which represents the communities we serve and work, to ensure no applicant or employee is treated unfairly on the basis of race, gender, age, disability, religion or identity. We recognise and value the individual differences and contributions of all employees and believe that by working together we can achieve equality for all