Caseworker; Missing from Home & Child Exploitation

Job Description

Every three minutes a child runs away from home or care; they could be forced out by parents or carers or be fleeing conflict or abuse in the home. As a Caseworker (Missing from Home & Child Exploitation) you will work alongside young people, their families and the police to find out what has caused them to run away and prevent them from running away again in the future.

• Undertake return interviews for all notifications within 72 hours
• Determine appropriate support plans and pathways for all young people, including the provision of interventions and direct work
• Undertake one-to-one work with children and young people vulnerable to CE to inform a risk reduction plan
• Undertake any work with parents/carers to enhance their knowledge around exploitation
• Work in partnership with Children’s Social Care to facilitate support where CE is highlighted as a risk
• Offer educational awareness raising within local authority residential homes for young people who are cared for to enable others to manage and reduce the risks associated with young people being exposed to CE
• Co-deliver CE awareness training as required by the Commissioner
• Work with the Local Authorities and their Local Safeguarding Children’s Board to ensure positive media messages and marketing of the service to young people
• Work in association with and support the CE Pan Merseyside protocol
• Undertake relevant training
• Plan and deliver support interventions in accordance with Catch
  22 policies and procedures and local authority guidance, to ensure effective use of resources and targets are achieved
• Identify and support access to additional or specialist services for young people and parents where necessary to ensure their needs are met and risks factors are reduced
• Develop and sustain productive working relationships with referring agencies to ensure the regular and appropriate referrals are received
• Record all intervention, contacts and multi‑agency correspondence in accordance with the service specification within prescribed Management Information Systems
• Complete all required monitoring information by set timescales to assist the production of feedback reports to funders and stakeholders to track and monitor progress against outcome targets, KPIs etc.
• Support and supervise volunteers and student social workers on placement as required

• Minimum 5 GCSEs or equivalent, grade “C” or above

• Relevant professional qualification in Youth/community work, Social Care, Health or Education

• Experience of working directly with young people on level 2‑4 on the continuum of need presenting a variety of support needs
• Experience of planning, delivering and evaluating support activities for and with young people and their carers
• Experience of case management including assessment, action planning and reviews
• Experience and application of Health and Safety and risk management procedures
• Experience of working in partnership with a variety of agencies to achieve agreed outcomes
• Experience and understanding of Child Protection including Safeguarding processes and procedures

• Experience of working with people from a variety of ethnic groups, cultural and social backgrounds
• Experience of working with and supporting volunteers
• Experience of working in a multi‑agency team

• Knowledge of the issues affecting young people at risk of CSE
• Knowledge and understanding of Equality & Diversity issues

• Knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation e.g. Children’s Act, Every Child Matters etc

• Able to communicate effectively at all levels, orally and in writing
• Ability to engage young people, their parents or carers within the community
• Able to use a variety of IT applications effectively
• Able to work on own initiative within given boundaries and to an agreed action plan
• Able to organise your own work routines effectively with a minimum of supervision and support
• Able to handle sensitive and confidential issues with tact and diplomacy
• Able to evaluate and monitor progress against targets to ensure that they are met
• Ability to…