Adolescent Service Specialist Support Worker

London Borough of Sutton; London; On-site; GBP 46,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate Adolescent Service Specialist Support Worker to join their dedicated team. This role focuses on supporting young people aged 11-17 who are on the edge of care, helping them and their families navigate complex challenges and reduce risks. The ideal candidate will have experience in youth work and a strong understanding of the needs of vulnerable adolescents. You will be responsible for creating tailored intervention plans and working collaboratively with families and agencies to foster positive outcomes. If you are innovative, compassionate, and ready to make a difference, this opportunity is for you!

Benefits

28 days leave

Flexible working hours

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience with vulnerable adolescents and complex needs.
• Ability to create intervention plans and manage caseloads.

Responsibilities

• Support young people at risk of exploitation and care.
• Develop holistic plans for families to improve outcomes.

Skills

Youth Work

Family Therapy

Trauma-Informed Practice

Restorative Approaches

Contextual Safeguarding

Social Care

Multi-Agency Collaboration

Time Management

Education

Experience in Youth Work or Social Care

Job description

Adolescent Service Specialist Support Worker

Employer: Sutton Council

Location(s): Sutton

Contract Type: Fixed Term

Length of Employment / Contract End Date: March 31st 2026

Working Hours: Full Time

Grade: 7

Salary Range: £37,068 - £43,299 (£45,510 unconsolidated maximum)

Salary Basis: Per annum

Leave Entitlement: 28 days

Application Deadline: 06/01/2025, 23:55

Anticipated Interview Date(s): 14th Jan 2025

About the Role and our Ideal Candidate

About the role: The Adolescent Team works with young people that are 'edge of care', aiming to support young people and families to overcome barriers and prevent young people from going into care. Workers will support a caseload of young people (aged 11-17) who are potentially at the edge of care and/or at risk of exploitation which is leading them to display risky behaviours. You will create a plan of interventions to support the child and their families which leads to better outcomes and reduces risks. You will need to think holistically about working with children and families with complex needs using restorative approaches to support families to stay together. Some flexibility is required as visits to families may be needed outside of regular office hours and you may be required to work a weekend every 6 weeks.

Our ideal candidate: You will be passionate and experienced in understanding the needs and complexities around vulnerable adolescents. Ideally, you will have experience of working with caseloads of young people and carrying out assessments, intervention plans, and direct work with families. You will be able to think creatively around support packages for families, meeting their needs and being innovative with your approaches. You will have experience of being part of multi-agency meetings and representing your organisation in formal situations, being confident with a range of partner agencies. You will be able to manage your own time effectively and be able to evidence outcomes, completing tasks within tight deadlines. Quality assurance is very important to us and we are keen for all staff to collect feedback from the young people and families they work with. While no formal qualification is needed, we would be keen to hear from people with experience in youth work, family therapy, trauma-informed practice, restorative approaches, contextual safeguarding, and social care.

Application Process: Please apply online outlining what skills, abilities, and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please ensure you refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application. To support our diversity agenda and reduce the risk of bias in our recruitment activities, our shortlisting process completely anonymises personal information that can identify job applicants e.g. name, title etc. Our hiring managers review and shortlist applications based on the information provided as part of your application as to how well you meet the requirements and criteria for the role, as outlined in the job profile. The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications have been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.