Short Breaks Practitioner - L2Z3

3 months contract with a Local Authority

Job Summary:

• Provide opportunities for vulnerable children and young people with disabilities to achieve good outcomes in life, spend time away from their primary carer, taking part in positive activities, while also providing much-needed breaks for the parent/carer.
  
• The purpose of the Short Breaks Practitioner in the Children and Young People's Disability Service is to carry out high quality and strengths-based short breaks assessments and reviews of social care packages of vulnerable children. and young people with severe to profound disabilities and/or complex health needs. The Short Breaks Practitioner works with the child and their family to ensure positive outcomes and enable the child to reach their full potential. The post holder will facilitate and capture the views of the child / young person they work with to inform future service development and any changes in local procedures.
  
• The role of the Short Breaks Practitioner works closely with a wide network of agencies, negotiate and facilitate support and adequate use of resources within the organisation. The post holder will work closely with Children s Health service, processing new referrals and decide on the appropriate interventions of care and support.
  
• They will be responsible for an allocated caseload of disabled children aged between 0-18 years with complex health, educational and social care needs. They will assess, be involved in the decision-making and make recommendations for resource allocation for the provision of holistic care and support to meet the individual requirements and aspirations. They will take the lead in ensuring the coordinated delivery of a planned package of services.
  
• The post holder has to be creative and innovating in exploring all resources in the community to meet the needs of families and young people, before they request for funding. They will share information about resources, services including short breaks to families and sign post them to appropriate provision as outlined in the individual care plan.
  
• It is essential for the role to work with SEND colleagues and local educational establishments to ensure that the aims and objectives of the disabled child and young person's EHCP are met consistently. It will also be essential for the role to work in an integrated way with both children and children/ adult health colleagues as part of a systemic approach to meeting assessed need.
  
• The Short Breaks Practitioner will align the short breaks reviews of social care packages of support with the EHCP Annual Review and deliver the Preparation for adulthood conversation from Year 9 onwards. Short Breaks Practitioner will also focus on increasing the voice of disabled children, better evidence their views and wishes and lived experiences and manage parent's/ carers expectations, increased family resilience, and avoid escalation of need.
  
• The role will require close liaison and positive working relationship with other statutory, private and voluntary organisations to ensure that the holistic needs of the individual are addressed, and outcomes achieved. The role will involve positively working as part of an integrated member of the Children and Young People Disability Service 0 - 25, providing both practical support and assistance to about families each year, working closely with the Short Breaks. Operational Lead and CYPDS Social workers and the Children's Integrated Health staff.
  

Key Duties/Accountabilities (Sample):

• To act as a lead professional/ care coordinator for a caseload of disabled children with complex needs and their families. To facilitate a co-ordinated team around the child approach for those families ensuring that there is an appropriate support plan in place to meet the child's educational, health and social care needs.
  
• To undertake reviews of Short Breaks that are analytical, person centred and based on evidence.
  
• Ensure children are regularly seen and to undertake assessments of disabled children in their homes, that are multi-disciplinary.
  
• To provide advice to families about services and benefits available to them and assist them in making claims for benefits referring to the Specialist Welfare Rights Adviser and the Children's Information Service where necessary.
  
• To support and encourage families to take part in the decision-making process enabling families to become as independent as possible in meeting the needs of their disabled child.
  
• To work in collaboration with staff in statutory and/ or voluntary agencies. Attend and positively contribute to network, professionals' meetings, EHCP reviews and care plan meetings when required as part of systemic multi agency working
  
• Identifying quickly and taking appropriate action when a child's needs warrant a change in their support, preparing reports before Panel, attend Panel and follow up actions agreed in Panels.
  
• The promotion of the child's continued health and wellbeing, including the promotion of independence and choice where appropriate. To promote awareness of the range of services on offer for disabled children, young people and their families.
  
• Have a good understanding of services available to disabled children and young people and their families and complete referrals on their behalf if required.
  
• To promote multi-disciplinary working and contribute to the development of integrated service delivery for disabled children and assist colleagues who are non-designated lead professionals
  
• To help ensure that services offered meet the needs of the multi-racial and cultural community in the Borough. To ensure that these services meet the needs of disabled children, young people, adults and their families.
  
• To maintain case files, records of consultations, contemporaneous notes of visits, interviews and telephone conversations, to complete appropriate forms and documents, reviews and correspondence according to Departmental Codes of Practice.
  

Skills/Experience:

• Good working knowledge of the pressures faced by families with children living in socially deprived neighbourhoods, the issues faced by/needs of disadvantaged families with children, including discrimination and in particular the issues faced and needs of disabled children and their families
  
• Experience of working with children with disabilities and of providing support to disabled children and their families in multi-cultural communities
  
• Good Knowledge of the legislative framework relating to children, particularly the Children Act 1989 and the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND framework.
  
• Knowledge of the factors affecting family and child outcomes e.g. attachment, play and learning, resilience, emotional well-being, transitions, parenting capacity, parental health, poverty, alcohol and substance misuse and domestic abuse
  
• Experience of undertaking assessments of individual needs and/or risk; of designing and implementing care/transition plans; of monitoring and reviewing such plans over a period
  
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships at all levels internally and externally to achieve set objectives
  
• Collaborative approach demonstrating mutual trust and support, within the council and with partners facilitating integrated working with a wide range of professionals including Health, Social Care and Education.
  
• Ability to take responsibility for own work consistently achieving and delivering to time, and quality despite tight timescales and conflicting priorities.
  
• Proficient in using Microsoft Office Packages and IT systems.
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  
• Demonstrate resourcefulness, innovation, and creativity and be open to ideas and challenges and committed to individual learning and development.
  
• Ability to identify and respond to risk to support the safeguarding and protection of children, young people and adults.
  
• Able to establish positive and effective working relationships with children, young people and families to ascertain their wishes and engage them in decision making processes.
  
• Experience of delivering evidence-based parenting programmes/ behaviour interventions.
  

Additional Information:

• The closing date: 13/09/24 @13:00.