Community Support Practitioner - Employability Mentor - Temporary

Information

The successful candidate will be able to develop and deliver appropriate learning experiences, enhancing our education and employability programme by:

• Improving core Literacy and Numeracy skills in our pupils.

• Improving self-esteem and confidence in our pupils, to reach positive and sustained destinations. For example, training or FE College.

• Building capacity in our young people to gain and maintain employment, beyond the first year after school.

 

The context for building pathways to employment for our pupils will be the Education Service at Erskine Waterfront. The successful candidate will be able to contribute effectively to the school's information systems and timetable, work in partnership with the education team and seek out the opportunities within the wider context for learning off campus making use of partnerships there.

This is a temporary role for one year.

#Crossreach

Main Function

All those employed within the CrossReach Children and Family Services will, with a commitment to our Christian values, work as part of a holistic team to deliver a service that ensures that the needs of the children, young people and their families, whom we support are fully met.

You will be expected to work to the highest professional standards of those working within the Children’s workforce and adhere to professional codes of practice of SSSC, ensuring that the aims and objectives of CrossReach and those specific to Children & Family Services and the section within which you are based are met

All adults within our services, regardless of specific job remit and role, have a responsibility to promote a Therapeutic Environment and contribute to the Relational Health of children and young people in our services and have an understanding of how their role contributes. The following values and attributes are applicable to all those employed within Children & Family services and not solely to those whose primary role is to support the direct care and education of children and young people.

In undertaking your role you will be expected to demonstrate, from an asset/strengths based approach the following core principles

1. Inclusion: Understanding that our role is to ‘include’ those who, for whatever reason, have been ‘excluded’ from the mainstream of our society through
   • Including Children, young people and families in decisions that affect their lives
   • Listening to Children and Young People and to give them opportunities to be accepted, understood and to give them a life free of stigma across all communities in Scotland.
   • Using positives experiences and strengths to overcome difficulties and barriers face
   • Taking an active role to ensure that everyone is included within their immediate and wider community  
2. Relational Health: understanding the impact of our relationships and interactions with those around us, including 
   • The impact that past experiences have on how individuals understand themselves and the world around them
   • Understanding that our role is to provide positive experiences which can start to heal past harm and build trust through positive and genuine relationships with children, young people and their families
   • Being mindful in all our interactions of language used – both words and tone; body language of stance & facial expression and how this may be perceived by others, based on their past experiences
   • Being aware that your own past experiences has had an impact on who you are
3. Advocating: Understanding that our role is to ensure that all needs are met
   • Explaining all decisions that affect individuals, in a way that they are able to understand these and the implications of these decisions
   • Being aware of who else and what other agencies can support individuals to have their needs met
   • Supporting children, young people and their families to be able to communicate and express their emotions, feelings and needs in a constructive approach

The above core attributes takes cognisance of

• CrossReach Values
• CrossReach Children and Families Services Values and Ethos statement
• Getting It Right For Every Child
• Curriculum for Excellence
• Common Core of Skills, Knowledge and Understanding and Values for the ‘Children’s Workforce’ in Scotland

Main Duties

The Employability Mentor role is required to enhance our education and particularly our employability programme.

The role also provides the opportunity to develop and deliver appropriate learning experiences that support our pupils to become more employable.

The post is based at the Education Service at Erskine Waterfront which provides the initial educational context for building pathways to employment for our pupils. Travel and outside partnerships could be explored to enhance the learning.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Work in partnership with the education team, helping to seek out the opportunities in the wider context of learning off campus. This could include linking with employers in the community, colleges and other youth training providers.
2. Support the young people to overcome personal barriers in planned employability lessons where careers are discussed and children plan for life after school. Children may have no role models or low self image.
3. Promote core skills in our pupils. For example, communication and problem solving.
4. Help to raise awareness of creative employment opportunities, based on resilience and talent.
5. Target positive and sustained destinations beyond the first year after school, aspiring to long term employment.
6. Contribute effectively to the school's information systems, routines and timetable.
7. Undertake core training which will enhance your skills in meeting children and young people’s needs, strengthen relationships, and enable you to confidently manage challenging events and behaviours:

• Ethos & Values
• Child Development and Attachment
• Child Protection
• Assessment
• Therapeutic Crisis Interventions

GENERAL

• Have respect for all aspects of Christian worship
• Facilitate service users to attend Christian worship (or worship of choice as required by the role).

Qualifications

Essential

• Education Support Worker will be required to be registered with Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and have or attain within the registration period the minimum qualification of HNC Social Care or equivalent.
• Full driving licence

Desirable

• Knowledge and understanding of Attachment Theory informed Practice
• Further education certification in Education, Learning or Social Services

Personal

As we do our work in Christ’s name you must be respectful of our Christian Ethos and be able to work within it.

This post requires you to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme and undertake the necessary vetting checks.

This post requires you to be registered with SSSC and it is your professional responsibility to ensure that you meet the standards and criteria for registration.

Skills and Abilities

Essential:

• To have the ability to work collaboratively with the care team and the school to offer alternative learning opportunities to the children and young people out with the school setting.
• Good communication skills combined with good planning, reporting and recording skills whilst effectively using current IT systems.
• Skills and interests that would enrich the learning environment.