Herfordshire Keyworker

Job Title: Herfordshire Keyworker
Starting Salary: £38,220 progressing to £41,771 pa per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 37.0 (Min 30 hours or job share considered)
Location: Stevenage with travel in and out of county
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Childrens Services

About the team

Hertfordshire’s Keyworker Offer are pleased to be able to recruit a Learning Disability and Autism (LDA) Keyworker to join the first approved and established keyworker offer, joining an award-winning team of innovative practitioners.

We offer personalised, informed-consent approaches, to children, young people, and young adults up to age 25, who are on Hertfordshire’s Dynamic Support Register, due to being deemed at risk of an admission to a mental health hospital or already in a mental health hospital.

Keyworkers are not led by statutory duties but of course work within the statutory system. We have time to build relationships with those who may be described as ‘disengaged.’ The child, young person, or adult, may be in crisis and as such will need a unique and personalised approach to enable them to make progress.

The keyworker role is dynamic, personalised, and led by the goals of the matched child, young person, or adult. We walk alongside the child, young person, or adult, and always aim to ‘do with, and not to.’

About the role

Keyworkers plan their own weekly diaries and visits, and co-produce ideas and approaches with children and young people, working alongside a range of social care, health, and education professionals, to bring those who we work with ‘into the room.’
No day is the same, and you will have matched children, young people, and adults, some of which you will see at the same time every week or fortnight, others whenever you are able.

The journey with all the children, young people, and adults is unique, as you walk alongside them to gather a better understanding of individual needs. Although we are not a crisis team, we are dynamic and responsive.

Having the skill to build trust with our children, young people, and adults, is key to the role as you will often find yourself lone-working and flexing to meet the needs of the individual.

Main Areas of Responsibility:

• Personalised work with Children, Young People and Young Adults (up to 25) who are on Hertfordshire’s Dynamic Support Register (DSR).
• To co-produce ‘All About Me’ and outcome-based goal personalised plans which are strengths and evidenced based and linked to the DSR personal budget, alongside the existing CETR Action Plan.
• Drive and implement innovative personalised approaches, coordinate Integrated Personal Planning, and s.117 discharge plans encouraging creative solutions to support individual needs.
• To support Children, Young People and their families at Care Education and Treatment Reviews (CETR’s), Care Programme Approach (CPAs) Meetings, and Mental Health Act (MHA) Tribunals, and ward rounds.
• Be part of Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) where applicable, and be part of Child Protection Strategy discussions, initial/ongoing Child Protection Care Conferences, Core Groups, if applicable, as well as Child in Need Meetings and other multi-agency meetings. As well as supporting with any youth offending meetings and processes, if applicable.
• To work collaboratively and challenge the system, while demonstrating a high level of professional practice.

Please see the attached ‘Hertfordshire Keyworker Learning Disability and keyworker offer/ additional information for applicants’ for further details about this innovative and exciting role.

About you

This is an exciting opportunity for the right person, and we are accepting applications from those who have a professional qualification and/or alternative qualifications and skills.

Keyworkers may be a Social Worker, Mental Health Nurse and or Learning Disability Nurse, Clinical/Counselling/Educational Psychologist, Teacher, Family Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Child Psychotherapist, or other relevant equivalent qualification.

Keyworkers may also be alternatively qualified professionals, who have significant relevant skills and experience for this challenging dynamic role and are also welcome and encouraged to apply.

This role calls for innovative ways of working and to show an ability to work in a personalised way.

The role also involves a significant amount of lone working, although it is not clinical or statutory, the LDA Keyworker is often the professional the matched CYP/Adult confides in. Although risk(s) are held by statutory teams and networks, LDA keyworkers often hold the relevant information and need to share all safety information with networks and follow all statutory processes.

As the professional with the positive relationship with the CYP/Adult, this role can be satisfying, as well as intense, and sometimes, frustrating. You'll need to be resilient, be able to share information and seek support from the team through the various support systems in place within the team.

Essential:

• Hold a Professional Qualification or be alternatively qualified with significant relevant skills and experience in personalised approaches and working with CYP/Adults & their families with a diagnosis of Autism from age 9 onwards.
• The ability to demonstrate high levels of professional practice, be resilient, reflective, and be open to positive risk taking with CYP and young adults.
• LDA Keyworkers need to be able to build relationships and trust with those who may struggle to engage with professionals.
• Experience of chairing and minuting multi agency meetings.
• Hold a UK driving licence, have access to a vehicle for work purposes with the relevant insurance as this role includes driving countywide with some out of county driving, as required.

Desirable:

• Some awareness of locally available provision and how to apply for this.
• A level of understanding of the education, health, and care process and system.
• Some understanding of children’s mental health and human rights and a willingness to learn and undertake further training, as required.
• An understanding of child development, Autism, learning disabilities, attachment, trauma, and personalised and co-produced care planning.
• Knowledge of children’s related legislation, DOH guidance, including Children Act 1989 and 2004, disability and carer’s legislation, Working Together, Assessment Framework, Adoption and Children Act 2002, Leaving Care Act 2000.
  Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1989.

To apply for this role please ensure you outline in your application:

• How you meet each of the essential criteria, and how you meet the desirable criteria.
• Tell us why you would make a dynamic and innovative LDA Keyworker and what you will bring to the team that is dynamic.
• Give a full rounded overview of your current experience.

We will be shortlisting based on how you evidence meeting the essential criteria and the points above, so please ensure you make this clear with the use of headings.

We welcome applications from all groups, particularly males, ethnic minorities and young adults who are underrepresented in our service.

This job role is within the Health and Social Care Services, level HSC10 job profile. Please locate this via:

Job profiles - Health and social care

The main aim of this role is pulling networks together, chairing meetings and or taking minutes. Identifying themes, blocks and gaps in service offers and bringing these to the attention of the DSR. Whilst at the same time ‘thinking together’ to overcome these and provide a personalised approach to meet need, reduce risk, prevent crisis, and further escalation.

Keyworkers are unique, and do not replace or emulate a support worker or carer role. They navigate statutory systems for both children, young people, and adults, and offer support, personalised planning, and communication support, and in most instances advocate for their matched individual.

They need to be skilled in relationship building, ‘thinking together’ with multidisciplinary teams to problem solve and reduce risks and improve support for their matched young people and adults. The role offers variation and is always interesting and challenging.

Previous LDA Keyworkers have moved into Senior Keyworker role, moved on to manage other keyworker services or completed their social work apprenticeship. If this sounds like the right role for you, we would welcome your application.

To hear more about this opportunity please contact Vicki Jeffery – Team Manager

Vick..jeffery1@hertfordshire.gov.uk Telephone: 01438 844069 for an informal discussion about the role.

Interview Date: 3rd February at our Stevenage offices.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive sufficient applications - please apply early to avoid disappointment.

Benefits of working for us

How to apply

As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.

To apply for this role please ensure you outline in your application:

• How you meet each of the essential criteria, and how you meet the desirable criteria.
• Tell us why you would make a dynamic and innovative LDA Keyworker and what you will bring to the team that is dynamic.
• Give a full rounded overview of your current experience.

We will be shortlisting based on how you evidence meeting the essential criteria and the points above, so please ensure you make this clear with the use of headings.

Additional information

We welcome applications from all groups, particularly males, ethnic minorities and young adults who are underrepresented in our service, who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.

Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.

English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.

Available documents

• Keyworker Additional Information Jan 26.pdf