Keyworker Assistant
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen to appoint 2 full time band 4 Keyworker Assistant’s to support our established Keyworker Team, based at Dragon Square, Chesterton.
The Learning Disability and Autism Keyworker Team, works with Children and Young People with a Diagnosis of a Learning Disability and/or Autism who are on the Dynamic Support Register due to being at risk of Tier 4 Hospital admission or care package breakdown.
The Keyworker Assistant role is varied and the postholder experience may be as a result of:
- Direct experience of caring or living with a child or young person who has either a learning disability, autism or both
- Experience of being a Parent or carer for someone with a learning disability, autism or both
- Experience of working to support people who present behavioural challenges in the community
- Please see the job description for a full understanding of expectations within the role
Main duties of the job
The NHS Long Term Plan (LTP) includes commitment that ‘by 2023/24 children and young people with a learning disability, autism or both with the most complex needs will have a designated keyworker, implementing the recommendation made by Dame Christine Lenehan.Initially, keyworker support will be provided to children and young people who are inpatients or at risk of being admitted to hospital. Keyworker support will also be extended to the most vulnerable children with a learning disability and/or autism, including those who face multiple vulnerabilities such as looked after and adopted children, and children and young people in transition between services.
This role will offer the step-down service from the keyworker team, to extend our pathway by offering support to clients moving down to amber and/or those flagging as green on the Dynamic Support Register (0-25 age range)
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare are hosting half of the Keyworker Team working in partnership with MPFT and liaising across all relevant agencies to support the client and their families/cares (as required).
Working for our organisation
As a Trust we remain bold and ambitious with plans for both service and system collaborative transformation over the coming years to improve the health and wellbeing of our local people through high quality care.
We pride ourselves on ensuring our team has their wellbeing put first and as such provide a range of wellness opportunities including flexible working.
We are committed to the Greener NHS national ambition to becoming the world’s first ‘carbon net zero’ national health system by 2045 (Greener NHS (england.nhs.uk). As part of this, sustainability is embedded in our strategy as one of our four key enablers.In order to deliver on this commitment, we recognise that we need a workforce that is as passionate as we are about achieving these goals, for the benefit of our service users, workforce, local communities and the planet alike. For 2024/2025, we have launched our “Proud to be Green” engagement campaign which is aligned to the targets set out in our Green Plan.
As a Trust, you can be assured that we will commit to supporting you in working towards our net zero ambitions, set out in our Green Plan, through our sustainability programme”.
The Trust is committed to ensuring that a diverse workforce is representative and inclusive at all levels. We would very much welcome applications from all under-represented groups including women, people with disabilities, people from global majority backgrounds, and those from the lesbian, gay, bi and trans communities.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
A Keyworker Assistant will receive step-down clients from the CYP LD/A Keyworker Team at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare to address those moving down to amber and those flagging as green on the Dynamic Support Register. The Keyworker Assistant should have the ability to bring the Parents or Childs viewpoint into every care discussion, either from their own personal experience or on behalf of the family they are representing. Keyworker Assistant experiences are varied though may come from:
Direct experience of caring or living with a child or young person who has either a learning disability, autism or both
Experience of being a Parent or carer for someone with a learning disability, autism or both
Experience of working to support people who present behavioural challenges in the community.
The Keyworker Assistant functions will be supporting families to achieve:
- A voice to ensure families and CYP are sewn into all discussions around them and have a high level of empathy and tact.
- Gather information and feedback to further support their ongoing stabilisation
- Gather the right information to ensure the right services are engaged with and are involved
- Offer practical solutions
- Emotional support, to be able to offer that support whilst maintaining resilience.
- Escalate to keyworkers if there is a change in need and requires a change in rag rating.
- Establish and maintain good relationships with the CYP, their Family and carers and with the providers supporting the CYP (For example Social Care, NHS, Education and the Voluntary Sector Colleagues)
- Advocate for the families and CYP in keyworker team meetings, and Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings and also Meetings by Exception DSR)
- Highlight with your Team Lead any issues that you are aware of where services fail to deliver agreed care packages to children and young people with learning disability/autism or both.
- Proactively work with step-down ambers and those flagging as green on the DSR- as directed by the Team Lead. The Postholder will hold own caseload.
- The post holder will work closely with the Keyworker Team and Team Lead to ensure safe transition of clients stepping down from key working and in the safe discharge and/or stepping up of clients as appropriate.
- The post holder will be able to use tact and persuasive skills and have experience in situations that require these.
Need tact and to be able to think on the feet.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria- A minimum of a NVQ Level 3 / BTEC National, Certificate/Diploma, Vocational A-LEVELS/ An ONC (Ordinary National Certificate) / OND (Ordinary National Diploma) qualification in one of the below:
- • childcare,
- social work,
- youth work,
- counselling or
- education
Experience
Essential criteria- Good understanding of the pilot and of the needs of LD/A children, and young people, including their parents/carers
North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust is an equal opportunities employer and values diversity. We offer a variety of flexible working opportunities for both full and part time staff. Job Share applicants will be fully considered and applications are particularly welcomed from current and previous service users
All correspondence at each stage of the process (including any offer packs) will be sent to you via the email address you applied from, please ensure you check your emails regularly.
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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING POINTS- In the event of exceptionally high levels of response, we reserve the right to close the post before the date stated above in order to prevent the number of applications received being unmanageable. You are advised to submit your completed application form as soon as possible to have the best chance of being considered.
- Priority will be given to NHS staff across the region who are at risk of redundancy, where the vacancy is at the same band or one below their current band and candidates meet the essential criteria for this post.
- All employees new to the Trust will be subject to a 6 month probationary period.
- All clinical staff bands 2-4 that are new to the Trust will be required to complete a Care Certificate.
Canvassing of members of the Trust or of any Committee of the Trust directly or indirectly for any appointment under the Trust shall disqualify the candidate for such appointment. The Trust does not pay travel expenses for candidates attending interviews.
ALL POSTS INVOLVING ACCESS TO PERSONS IN RECEIPT OF HEALTH SERVICES WILL BE SUBJECT TO A DISCLOSURE & BARRING SERVICE DISCLOSURE.
Please provide full contact details for all referees, especially their email addresses where possible. Failure to do may result in significant delays in your application. There may also be a requirement to provide additional referee details.