Position: Case Officer - Substance Misuse (CRO)
Location: Gloucester
Salary: £33,898 - £36,501
Type: This is a fixed term contract until March 2025
The Role
Case Responsible Officers (CRO) participate in the Youth Support Team structure that has responsibility for meeting the needs of vulnerable, at risk young people and young people with complex needs. The service has statutory responsibility for youth offending and aims to provide a range of preventative services aimed at improving outcomes for all young people. It will include a cohesive and joined up approach to meet specific needs, provide good quality information, advice and guidance and implement effective referral processes where required. Specific targeted support is provided to those most in need including, young offenders, NEET young people, care leavers, young people who are homeless, missing young people and young people with emotional, mental health and alcohol and substance misuse issues. The Youth Support Team is a flexible service that can respond to young people's needs with creativity and dynamism.
Essential:
_You will have: _
- Graduate or equivalent professional qualification (Level 4 NVQ, Social Care, Education, Youth Work, Advice & Guidance, LDSS, Criminal Justice, Health), see Work Assignment requirements. Applicants that do not hold an appropriate Level 4 qualification but have substantial experience of working with young people can apply for a Trainee CRO post. Trainees must complete their training within 18 months of starting their training
- Experience in a relevant area of work, eg Youth Work, Social Care, Family Support, Youth Offending, IAG
- Experience of working with young people, their families and communities, particularly those at risk of social and educational exclusion
Main Duties and Responsibilities
- Establish positive relationships with young people and their families, encouraging active engagement and participation in all aspects of the process
- Undertake comprehensive assessments of young people using an appropriate assessment process including the analysis and assessment of risk within a required time-frame
- Manage and maintain a caseload of young people and be responsible for ensuring their needs are assessed and effective interventions and programmes are in place to meet needs
- Lead in the development and implementation of agreed intervention plans for young people and their families taking into consideration complexity of need, level of risk, age and ability
- Design, manage and deliver interventions to young people (1:1 and groupwork), their peers and families in the home, community and educational settings including co-ordinating allocated staff, eg Programme Officers to ensure effective programme delivery.
- Oversee and co-ordinate delivery of interventions through a variety of engagement strategies including detached and street-based work, formal and informal issues-based sessions and positive activities at times and in places that are accessible for young people
- Undertake regular reviews of intervention plans and identify progress and gaps or changes required to assist transition
- Work with a range of partners to deliver effective services and negotiate and agree working Partnership Agreements and/or SLAs with employers, education providers, VCS and health services as required
- To act as a thematic lead for a specific area of work within the team and contribute your specific skills and knowledge
- Effectively manage competing priorities and workload including meeting required quality standards and statutory responsibilities
- Participate in a multi-disciplinary environment and work in a supportive and collaborative manner with colleagues and partner agencies to deliver cohesive services to young people
Skills & Experience
- Experience in a relevant area of work, eg Youth Work, Social Care, Family Support, Youth Offending, IAG
- Experience of working with young people, their families and communities, particularly those at risk of social and educational exclusion
- Experience of undertaking thorough assessment of need and risk and the development and implementation of suitable plans and interventions in response to need
- Experience of partnership working and development of multi-disciplinary approaches to work with young people
- Experience of working in informal arenas and being accountable for decisions and actions taken
- Knowledge of safeguarding requirements with the ability to make sound judgements in relation to risk and protection
- Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation that impacts on vulnerable young people and the ability to interpret and apply information
- Work under own initiative and take responsibility for decisions taken
- Ability to plan, assess and evaluate work undertaken
- Accurate, timely record keeping and ability to produce written reports
- Ability to develop programmes and interventions designed to engage young people and to meet needs
- Have up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with children and young people
- Ability to involve young people and families in the design and delivery of services, interventions and programmes
- Resilience and capacity to deal with demanding and challenging situations, young people and their families