Return Home Worker

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Job description

Split between Wolverhampton and Walsall

Ref: RHM-211

Are you a proactive, organised and compassionate individual with a proven track record of providing support, advice and advocacy and communicating effectively the needs of clients to other professionals? Do you have experience of assessing the needs of children and young people who are at risk of significant harm?

If so, join St Giles as a Return Home Worker, where you will use your expertise to support Walsall and Wolverhampton's Missing teams to improve their return home process from a lived experience perspective after a young person has been reported missing. A Return Home Interview (RHI) is a conversation between a child or young person and a trained professional when they return from a missing episode.

About St Giles Trust

An ambitious, well-established charity that helps people facing adversity to find jobs, homes and the right support they need. Central to our ethos is our belief that people with first-hand experience of successfully overcoming issues such as an offending background, homelessness, addictions and gang involvement, hold the key to positive change in others.

St Giles is now a kickstart employer, so we are part of the scheme which provides job opportunities for 16-24-year-olds who are currently on Universal Credit and are at risk of long-term unemployment.

About this exciting opportunity

Working for this service, you will co-work and co-locate within the Missing Teams across the areas, supporting RHI workers to provide an immediate response to young people after a missing episode. You will mentor intensively a small caseload of young people that are reluctant to engage with statutory services, as well as conducting and supporting an evaluation of the current RHI process to develop learning from a lived experience perspective.

You will be expected to produce support and risk management plans based on assessments of your clients and to deliver a holistic support service that provides a practical service, including social and housing support, education, training and employment options, debt advice and benefits. Developing and maintaining relationships with agencies providing services to the client group is a key aspect of the role, as is delivering training around county lines and exploitation to the Missing Teams, supporting families reluctant to engage in the RHI process.

St Giles Trust is committed to safeguarding and protecting the wellbeing of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share their commitment. An enhanced DBS with barred list check is required for all successful applicants.

What we are looking for:

Personal experience of the criminal justice system, lived experience of the issues facing this client group and/or experience of working with 'high risk', vulnerable children and/or families
Experience working as part of a multiagency team in a high intensity environment
Knowledge of, and commitment to, safeguarding practices and policies, and the ability to promote safeguarding among vulnerable clients and colleagues
A relevant qualification to a good standard or to be working towards one
Impressive relationship-building and communication skills, both verbal and written
A flexible, proactive and professional approach to your work

In return, you can expect a competitive salary, generous leave allowance, staff pension, flexible working, a mentoring programme, an advice and counselling service, childcare vouchers, season ticket loan and much more.

£19,847 - £23,350 p/a (Successful candidates should expect to be appointed at the starting point of the salary scale. A higher salary will only be considered for exceptional candidates with strong evidence of relevant experience.)

Full-Time (35 hrs p/w) - FTC ending 31 March 2022, potential for extension dependent on funding

For further information, or to apply, please visit our website via the 'Apply' button.

Closing date: 11pm, 8 December 2021. Interview date: 17 December, 2021.