Senior Children & Families Caseworker

Are you a proactive, compassionate and highly motivated individual with a proven record of working with Socially excluded children, young people, and adults?  Do you have strong experience of providing advice and guidance and/or mentoring to young people?

If so, St Giles Trust is looking for a collaborative Senior Children & Families Caseworker to join our team and work on our 12-month London Edge-of-Care (L-EDGE) project, which will see you support and create positive outcomes for 40 children and young people who are on the ‘edge-of-care’ through holistic whole-family specialist support.

Fixed Term Until 31st March 2025

Ref SFC-227

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

As well as providing specialist support to these 40 children and young people (including 20 from Westminster), you will supervise and support staff, Peer Advisors and volunteers who are delivering one-to-one mentoring support offering regular professional guidance and case supervision, plus develop and maintain relationships with Local Authority teams and other relevant agencies, ensuring a steady flow of referrals to the project.

We will also count on you to complete initial needs assessments with clients, supporting them to develop individual action plans and regularly reviewing them to assess progress, and to provide a client-led support service that responds to individual needs, such as supporting with housing, finances, parenting, health, ETE and criminal justice.  Promoting inter-agency collaboration in the assessment and planning process and to involve other agencies in the delivery of the services and delivering the service in a timely and targeted manner are also both key elements of the role.

What we are looking for

• To have lived, personal experience of the Criminal Justice System, and/or care system
• An understanding of the UK care system and the experiences faced by those who enter it
• Experience negotiating and networking with partner agencies to establish links to further a project’s aims
• Experience of successfully engaging with challenging families and young people
• Mentoring Level 3 qualification (or be willing to work towards this)
• The ability to manage a small team of Peer Advisors professionally representing St Giles Trust
• Impressive IT, interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written
• A flexible, collaborative 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.

Closing date: 11pm, 04th December 2023.       

Interviews: 12th December 2023.

Previous applicants need not apply.

As an equity and inclusive employer, we welcome all applications, but we would particularly welcome applications from Global Majority People (Black, Asian, Brown, Dual Heritage), those living with a disability, those from Neuro Diverse group, or have another protected characteristic. We value the positive impact and diversity that your lived experience can bring to our organisation.

Successful candidates must undergo an Enhanced DBS check, on the basis that the post involves contact with vulnerable participants and colleagues.