Community and Family Support Programme Family Mentor

ROLE PROFILE

Job Title:               Community and Family Support Programme Senior Family Mentor*

Accountable to:    Employability Team Manager

Salary:                    £25,688 p.a.

Location:                Skainos Square, 239 Newtownards Road, Belfast (currently remote working in line with Government guidance)

Hours of work:      37.5 hours per week

Leave:                    22 days plus 12 statutory days  

Pension:                National Employee Savings Trust (NEST) Pension Scheme

Health Care:          An employee health care plan is available after successful probation

Probation:             This post is subject to a 6-month probationary period. 

Contract term:      March 2023

Closing Date:        Wednesday 14 April 12 noon

*Full-time Family Mentor position including job share (3 days per week) of Senior Mentor responsibilities.

Job purpose

The CFSP Senior Family Mentor is responsible for:

• Delivering family support elements of the Community Family Support Programme
• Designing and delivering needs-led programmes to develop family relations and communications as well as health and social inclusion programmes with demonstrative positive outcomes
• Assisting CFSP co-ordinator to plan, implement and oversee delivery of CFSP within EBM Belfast, ensuring that targets are achieved.

Main Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Family Support

1. Recruit eligible families onto the programme focusing on engagement and retention of families, and achievement of positive family outcomes.

2. Carry out a detailed risk and needs assessment on the needs and issues affecting individual families.

3. Based on risk and needs assessments; create and agree a family support plan outlining support to address issues, actions, and timescales to achieve positive change and development within a family.

4. Implement the family support plan and record outcomes when achieved.

5. Engage and consult with parents, family members and young people to promote early intervention, high quality parenting and identify where there are needs.

6. Undertake direct work with families in their homes and the community which safeguards and promotes the positive development of children, young people and parents using a solution focused approach.

7. One-to-one support and interventions on health, and social issues.

8. Signpost parents/carers to the range of specialist agencies, support services and activities on offer to develop solutions to barriers.

9. Effectively manage caseload of families and provide professional focused advice to families referring to other agencies/organisations as required as part of family support plan.

Programme Delivery

1. Design programme delivery based around family action plans, establish a budget with Co-ordinator and ensure the purchase of interventions/services/goods within agreed budget.

2. Deliver full group and smaller group programmes based on identified need to whole families, NEETs, parents, and other siblings.

3. Design, develop and facilitate training programmes wrapped around needs.

4. Work with and coordinate with other CFSP mentors to agree and to deliver a high-quality programme.

5. Support employability mentoring, job search activities and supporting members of families over the age of 16 years to avail of opportunities in education, employment, and training.

6. Mentoring and support to young people 13-16 years who are at risk of disengaging from school, focusing on positive punctuality, attendance, and behaviour outcomes.

Senior Mentor Role

Oversee EBM Belfast delivery:

1. Assist CFSP co-ordinator to plan, implement and oversee delivery of CFSP within EBM Belfast, ensuring that targets are achieved.

2. Ensure effective caseload management and manage caseloads of mentors on leave.

3. Ensure quality standards of mentoring practices are consistent throughout the team and referring issues in mentoring to CFSP co-ordinator as they arise.

4. Line manage mentoring staff including attendance and leave management, staff development and monthly supervision that measures results against targets, maintaining a motivated and committed team within a target-driven environment and resolving issues should they occur. * please note due to the small team structure, the line management responsibilities are currently managed by the Employability Team Manager

5. Assist CFSP co-ordinator to undertake reviews of delivery within EBM and devise an operational plan for the programme.

Communications and Information Management:

1. Manage communication and information flows between CFSP staff including, CFSP co-ordinator, Training Officer and Quality Assurance Officer.

2. Act as the point of contact with the Training Officer to plan training calendar for programme delivery in EBM.

3. Act as the point of contact with the Quality Assurance Officer to co-ordinate audits.

4. Ensure effective implementation of ESF information management systems which includes ensuring information is continuously updated and accurate pertaining to delivery in EBM Belfast.

5. Collate, prepare, and work with colleagues to verify monthly claims, evidence, and reports.

Other

1. Work in a confidential and professional manner that ensures family welfare and safety is of paramount importance.

2. Undertake ongoing evaluation of outcomes and impacts of both specific interventions as well as the programme overall in terms of progressing both families and individual family members.

3. Work in an integrated manner and develop and maintain excellent working relationships with schools and relevant statutory, community and voluntary organisations.

4. Carry out risk assessments and manage risks as required.

5. Maintain accurate records of work undertaken with families that contain detailed up-to-date engagement notes, full details of specific interventions, evidence of positive outcomes etc.

6. Provide statistical reports to assist with the monitoring and evaluation of the programme in a timely manner.

7. Ensure the accuracy and completion of all administrative forms, reports etc is provided in a timely manner.

8. Comply with relevant policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety, Child Protection, Data Protection etc.

9. Ensure consistency of quality of delivery and reporting issues as they arise.
10. Develop forward job plan for the post and achieve targets set for engagement and positive health, social and employability outcomes including entering and sustaining employment.  This shall include production of monthly reports.
11. Undertake regular, formal supervision to measure performance against targets and reflect on practice.
12. Undertake staff development activities that shall enhance individual and organisational performance, maintaining and developing relevant skills and work to the highest professional standards.

13. Attend and participate in team meetings.
14. In addition to the tasks and duties outlined above, the post holder will be required to undertake any duties which are identified as being generally compatible to the post.

15. Actively comply with EBM policies and procedures

Person Specification  

Note to Applicant:  When completing your application form you should demonstrate/evidence the extent to which you have the necessary education, experience, knowledge, and skills identified as required by the application criteria for the post.

Important: Applications must be completed using computer and not in handwriting any handwriting applications will not be considered for short listing

Personnel Specification

1. Qualifications

Essential

Assessment Method

• Minimum of NVQ 3 or an equivalent level qualification in Health & Social Care, Family Support, Youth Work, Education, Social Care, Adult Learning Support or equivalent.

Application form

2. Proven Competence and Experience

Essential

• Experience of at least two years delivering a family programme or other relevant field, delivering interventions within health and social care directly with families on a one to one or group basis.
• A minimum of one years’ experience of managing & supervising staff to ensure effective team working, high standards of practice and positive outcomes for clients.
• Demonstrable experience in undertaking assessments of needs of families
• Experience of working to and understanding Child Protection policy, procedures and legislation
• Proven experience of carrying out home visits

Application form/interview

Desirable

• NVQ 3 level qualification in Advice & Guidance or equivalent.
• A proven competence of delivering employability interventions for individuals on a one-to-one basis or in a group setting
• Qualified or experienced in delivering programmes such as cook-it, sexual health, parenting skills, conflict resolution, assertiveness, stress management, Life Coaching etc.
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary environment responding to needs of children, young people, and families

Application form/interview

3. Skills/Abilities

Essential

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Sound knowledge of ICT including all Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, internet etc.)
• Motivating others and excellent interpersonal skills
• Using own initiative and working positively within a team and building good working relationships
• Non-judgmental and committed to support and develop families and communities
• Excellent organisational skills
• Information management and report writing
• Mentoring skills and facilitation/group-work skills

Interview

4. Circumstances

Essential

• Ability to work flexible hours (including evening work and weekend work)
• Willingness to undertake training required for the post
• Hold a full driving license with access to a vehicle to carry out the role, including business insurance.  This criterion will be waived in the event of disability and if the postholder can demonstrate the effectiveness of alternative transport arrangements

Self-assessment

Application form

Vetting

Appointment to this post is subject to the successful applicant declaring all pending prosecutions, convictions, cautions and bind-over orders and their name will be submitted to Access NI for a check to be carried out.

East Belfast Mission is an Equal Opportunities Employer