Closed: Link Worker (Children and Young People)

The purpose of the Link Worker is to respond to the unmet needs (anxiety, social isolation etc.) of children and young people in the North Bristol area.  Working with young people (age 7-12 years) and their parents / carers you will work to connect them into a broad range of local activities, groups, services and interventions which will provide them with long term, sustainable wellbeing support.  Led by the wants and needs of the young people themselves, you will take a holistic and creative approach in helping them to make links and increase their active involvement within their local communities, enabling them to take control of their health, wellbeing and lives, while also reducing health inequalities.

Location: Greenway Centre

Salary: £21,094 – £25,210 (pro rata)

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 22.5

Holiday: 33 days annual leave (inclusive of Bank Holidays)

Benefits: Occupational pension, free membership to Greenway Gym and classes

Contact: Dawn O’Shea is our Recruitment Partner, contact her on dawn@cvelite.co.uk 

How to apply: Please email your CV to dawn@cvelite.co.uk putting the job title in the subject box. If your CV is short-listed, you will be contacted by telephone in the first instance, to discuss your application in more detail.

Deadline: Midday – Thursday 20th January 2022

 

About you

• Educated to a minimum of Level 3 (e.g. A Levels, NVQ3 etc.)
• Experience of working with children and young people (ideally on a one-to-one basis and preferably with some experience of supporting those with poor mental health or wellbeing and eliciting and maintaining changes in behaviours).
• The ability to listen to and empathise with children and young people, respecting lifestyles and diversity, inspiring trust and confidence and providing support in a non-judgmental way.
• Experience of working in a relevant environment e.g. health, wellbeing, education, social care, community work, voluntary work etc.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to have difficult conversations.
• Highly organised with excellent administrative skills and the ability to work to, implement and evaluate processes and procedures.
• A strong networker and relationship builder, with the ability to work both creatively and collaboratively.
• A genuine passion, empathy and desire to support and motivate children and young people in leading healthier, happier lives and to reach their full potential.
• A willingness to champion the values of the Trust; positivity, integrity, excellence, welcoming and entrepreneurial.

 

Responsibilities

• Provide personalised support: use play and creative art techniques and support children and young people in accessing appropriate activities and services to meet their needs and preferences. Work alongside them to address barriers to their participation (e.g. health, education etc.) and to maximise their wellbeing. Empower participants to assess their own abilities, identify goals, take charge of decisions and improve their ability to self-care, co-producing action plans and facilitating their follow-through. Physically introduce children and young people to community groups, activities and services, ensuring they are comfortable, happy, able to engage, included and supported.
• Manage and prioritise a caseload of participants; ensuring ambitious performance targets and project objectives are met, in accordance with the needs, priorities and any urgent support required by children and young people.
• Referrals and networking; promote social prescribing, its role in self-management and the wider determinants of health. Build relationships with key staff in GP practices, develop links with all local agencies to encourage effective partnership working and referrals, raising awareness of how social prescribing and partnership working can reduce pressure on statutory services, improve health and wellbeing outcomes and enable a holistic approach to care. Connect with all communities, particularly those that statutory agencies may find hard to reach and encourage self-referrals.
• Develop links and support local voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and groups; utilise existing networks and facilities and create a map of community groups or assets. Promote micro-commissioning and small grants amongst these networks and support community and neighbourhood groups to access them. Work with local partners to identify gaps in community provision and develop new groups and services where needed. Encourage local children and young people to volunteer in order to build their skills and confidence and strengthen community resilience. Facilitate groups as required and support volunteers.
• Administration and Data capture; Work to agreed processes and protocols, ensuring confidentiality, adhering to data protection legislation etc. Keep accurate records relating to interactions and service delivery, enabling monitoring and the production of progress reports.
• Professional development; undertake continual personal and professional development, developing the roles and responsibilities and supporting and being supported by other teams within the Southmead Development Trust.

 

About us

Southmead Development Trust is one of Bristol’s leading, independent, community led organisations.  It is a multi-purpose charity providing much needed services for all ages and ethnicities and is made up of staff, volunteers and residents, working together to achieve a thriving community, improving health, wellbeing, local pride, and employment and bringing business and investment to the area.  Their three sites (Greenway Centre, Southmead Youth Centre and Southmead Adventure Playground) are much-loved local venues that provide inspiring spaces for a wide variety of experiences, including sporting events, local groups, festivals and much more, where customers enjoy a fun, welcoming community with a large café and newly refurbished gym.

 

To view and download the full job description, please click here.

 

We are committed to building a staff team which represents the diverse community we work in. We encourage and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Southmead Development Trust is a Disability Confident employer.

Please tell us if there are any reasonable adjustments you’d like us to make when you attend for interview or start work with us.