Service Leader - New House

Information

"More than just a job”

Part of CrossReach Children’s Services, our Community Team in partnership with local agencies, supports young people to be a part of community life. By adopting a child-centred approach our team works with the ‘whole-child’, focusing on improving relationships, enhancing personal development and attending education.

 

As Service Leader you will be responsible for overall management of a cluster of community based houses and will work with the Head of Care to undertake regular reviews of service and planning, ensuring priorities are met within allocated timescales.  You will also work with your team leaders to ensure the implementation of care and education plans for each child.  You will be required to be registered with Scottish Social Services Council [SSSC], be willing to attain within the registration period the minimum qualification of HNC Social Care and SVQ Level 4.  A commitment to attain a management qualification within the registration period is also required.  In fact, we’ll make sure that you have all the training and development you need, not only so you can do a great job, but to help you build your career with us too.  You will need a full driving licence or a commitment to achieving this within an agreed time scale.

You can also look forward to a benefits package that includes an employer contributory pension and generous holiday allowance.

If you would like to talk to someone about the types of opportunities we have, or have any other questions, please contact recruitment.team@crossreach.org.uk.

Main Function

All those employed within the CrossReach Children & 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 that 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, GTCS and other relevant professional bodies; 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 & 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
   1. Including Children, young people and families in decisions that affect their lives
   2. Listening to Children and Young People and to giving them opportunities to be accepted, understood and to give them a life free of stigma across all communities in Scotland.
   3. Using positive experiences and strengths to overcome the difficulties and barriers faced by Children and Young People
   4. 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 
   1. The impact that past experiences have on how individuals understand themselves and the world around them
   2. 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
   3. 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
   4. 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
   1. Explaining all decisions that affect individuals as well as the implications of these decisions in a way that they are able to understand.
   2. Being aware of who else and what other agencies can support individuals to have their needs met
   3. 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 & Families Services Values & 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

To implement and uphold the aims, objectives, policies and procedures of CrossReach and Children & Family Services.

As Service Leader you will be responsible for overall management of a cluster of community based houses, in general a cluster will comprise of two houses and a maximum of three.

As Service Leader your main responsibilities will include:

1. Ensure the principles of Playfulness Acceptance Curiosity Empathy [P.A.C.E.] is embedded in everyday interactions between all.
2. Promote and strengthen Relational health through actively developing and role modelling positive and genuine relationships.
3. To ensure that children & young people’s primary care needs are fully met:
   • Safety
   • Health
   • Active 
   • Nurtured
   • Achieving
   • Respected
   • Responsible
   • Included
4. Monitor the health, wellbeing, safety and security of children and young people and their environment. This includes following policy and protocols such as
   • Shift Planning Protocols
   • Communication Protocol
   • Significant Adverse Events Protocol  
5. Understand and manage challenging events and behaviours.
6. Child Protection Policy.
7. Monitor and evaluate the implementation of strategies that support care and education plans.
8. Monitor and Contribute information for Assessment, LAAC Reviews, Children’s Hearings reports and any other relevant meetings.
9. To ensure the effective delivery of service including
   • Ensure Assessments & Re-assessment process is adhered to  
   • Monitor & Evaluate individual and service outcomes in line with GIRFEC and CFE guidelines
   • Safe working environment through balanced staff rotas
   • Significant Adverse Events are recorded & monitored, including absconding & physical interventions [TCI]
   • Provide a quarterly Management report for Head of Care     
10. Promote equality for all individuals.
11. Support children and young people when they are emotionally, psychologically and socially isolated and distressed.
12. Promote communication with children and young people where there are communication difficulties.
13. Empower children and young people to make use of available services and information.
14. Implement and monitor CrossReach policies relating specifically to
    • Attendance Management
    • Health & Safety
    • Child Protection
    • Safe Recruitment
    • Staff Supervision & PQDP
    • Staff rota ensuring a safe working environment
15. Promote the health and well-being of all children, young people and adults within a professional Christian framework in a sensitive and caring manner affording them dignity and respect.
16. Accompany children and young people to various events and meetings off site i.e. family visits, activities, health appointments, review meetings, etc.
17. To line manage Team Leaders.
18. To cover the Service ‘on call’ rota, providing out of hours support.
19. To demonstrate and share Christian love and support including sharing with others the leading of worship in accordance with CrossReach policy and by ensuring all staff meetings are opened with prayer and Bible reading.

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

To assist the Head of Care in the regular review of services and planning, ensuring priorities outlined are met within timescales allocated.

As part of the staff team to play an active part in the formulation of a yearly plan. Thereafter to be committed to working towards meeting the objectives identified.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

Ensure that all services are delivered in accordance with the CrossReach Policies and Procedures providing quarterly management reports which will contribute to annual Standards and Quality report in line with National Care Standards and Care Inspectorate Quality Standards.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

To register with the Scottish Social Services Council and be committed to ongoing professional development in line with the requirements of the SSSC Codes of Practice.

To participate in staff development programme and attend meetings, training courses and seminars as required.

To maintain professional standards & responsibility for ensuring that you meet minimum standards required for SSSC registration.

FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT

To assist the Head of Care as required in the preparation, management and monitoring of the annual operating budget, for cluster of Houses/services for which you are responsible.

To ensure daily management of operational budget.

To ensure that client records are maintained in line with CrossReach’s policies.

To contribute to the maintenance of systems, to gather, record and store data/information.

To be responsible for monitoring the quality & accuracy of reporting and recording of information contained within

• Daily logs i.e. individual case notes; journal; individual work record (care & SW); record of work (education)   
• Individual Crisis Management Plans (ICMP)
• Assessment; LAAC reviews and Children’s Hearing Reports
• Reports relating to significant adverse event e.g. TCI where physical intervention has occurred

To monitor and ensure that all communication is accurate and timely with

• Children and Young people
• Colleagues
• Duty manager in adverse events or changes to agreed plans
• Parents and carers
• External colleagues and agencies

To ensure that all information relating to service users is kept strictly confidential in line with CrossReach Policy and the Data Protection Act 1998 and to ensure that the staff that you manage also maintain this level of confidentiality.

PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

To assist in the recruitment and selection of staff as required.

To be responsible for the direct supervision of Team Leaders.

To ensure that CrossReach’s personnel policies are implemented and understood by all staff and hold responsibility within delegated powers for the discipline of staff when appropriate.

To undertake and facilitate the assessment of staff for SVQs and/or the supervision of students through Practice Teaching.

To be responsible for the allocation of work carried out by team members.

To assist in induction training and ongoing training for the team and be accountable to the Head of Care for the training and development of team members.

To convene regular team meetings, with an agenda and minutes.

LIAISON

To assist the Head of Care in the promotion of services and to maintain close working relationships, as required, with all relevant professionals involved in the care of children, young people and their families, maintaining effective communication and co-operation with relatives and friend of children and young people.

Qualifications

Essential

Willing to attain within the registration period the minimum qualification of HNC Social Care and SVQ Level 4 and a commitment to undertaking Management training as required.

Desirable

Desirable qualifications will include Degree level study in Social Work, Education, and/or Psychology.     

Additional qualifications include:

• Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy [DDP] Level 2 or equivalent

Personal

As we do our work in Christ’s name the job you have applied for requires you to have a Christian faith and be able to work within and uphold our Christian Ethos.  This is an Occupational Requirement under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.

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

In addition to significant skills in the field of care, education, and leading people.

• A reflective and person centred approach with the ability to restore & strengthen relationships through relationships
• Excellent communication skills combined with good planning, reporting and recording skills whilst effectively using current IT systems
• Commitment to providing learning opportunities for children and young people and a dedication to the best possible outcomes for children and young people
• Full Driving Licence
• Knowledge and understanding of Attachment Theory informed Practice
• Counselling Skills