Fixed Term Full-time Staying in Touch Project Worker 1

Job Description - Fixed Term Full-time Staying in Touch Project Worker 1

* Are you looking for a new challenge within the changing field of adoption? * Would you like the opportunity to support adoptive parents, birth relatives and young people and positively impact on their lives? For a fixed term of 1 year, we have an exciting opportunity for a Project Worker to join our small, friendly and dedicated team at CAFIS on a full-time basis. We welcome applications from those with diverse backgrounds to reflect the service users that we support. About the service: CAFIS is a service which has been commissioned by Adoption Partnership South East (covering Kent, Medway and Bexley) to provide the Staying in Touch Services for adopted young people. We support adoptive and birth families to stay in touch and meet the ever-changing identity needs of their children. Location & Working pattern: This post is an office-based role for 37 hours a week, Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm. Some hybrid working considered following completion of the probation period for the right applicant. Our office is in Faversham, Kent but you will need to be able to travel throughout Kent, Medway and Bexley. Therefore the successful candidate must be able to drive and have access to their own car as this is essential for service delivery. Project Worker responsibilities include but are not limited to: * Supporting with and setting up new referrals from local authority * Supporting birth parents whose child is to be adopted in understanding the changes to their role and how their support is important to their child. * Facilitating direct staying in touch arrangements between adopters and birth family. * Reading, checking and processing updates sent between birth families and adoptive families. * Helping to facilitate birth relative support groups with CAFIS social workers and to develop resources to support birth relatives and adoptive parents. * Reviewing and renegotiating current staying in touch arrangements * Responding to duty calls and emails * Supporting with training for adoptive parents, birth relatives and local authority. * Closing cases when children reach adulthood. Essential Requirements to evidence in your written application: * An ability to work collaboratively as part of the team as well as being able to competently work on your own. * Excellent communication skills with colleagues, other professionals and service users. * To be able to remain independent, regulate your own emotions in challenging situations and seek appropriate support within CAFIS when needed. * To be able to work in a professional and non-judgemental way with all service users. * Awareness of factors impacting our families e.g. separation and loss, attachment and identity. * Significant experience of working with vulnerable adults or children in a formal setting. * An ability to multitask and cope with a challenging and unpredictable case load. * Excellent IT skills with confidence in using Word, Excel and other data entry programs. * To competently maintain accurate and non-judgemental paper and electronic records. * Awareness of safeguarding and child protection procedures. * Understand the importance of the need for safe and confidential exchange of information in line with GDPR regulations. * To be able to contribute to whole service development e.g. delivering training, running supports groups. * Have GSCE English and Maths, or equivalent qualifications. Benefits Workplace Offer: What it means for you The world of work has changed. We are understanding of what works best for our colleagues both current and future as we look to embrace this new way of working. Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or any combination of these. Barnardo?s believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements. Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo?s service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo?s service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo?s service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our HolidayPlus scheme A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options Service related sick pay from day 1 Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo?s. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension Cycle2work scheme Interest free season ticket loans Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal 20% discount at Barnardo?s stores Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support Access to Barnardo?s Learning and Development offer *T&C?s apply based on contract