• Suffolk County Council, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2DH
• £24,496 per annum (pro rata for part time)
• 37 hours per week
• Permanent

We welcome applications from all, but particularly welcome applications from disabled people because they are under-represented in this directorate.

We are committed to flexible working, so please read the Job and Person Profile (docx) to find out about the types of flexible working available for this role.

• Do you have experience working with UASC or Care Leavers?
• Would you like to work in an incredibly varied, challenging and rewarding role?
• Are you passionate about making a positive difference in the lives of young asylum seekers trying to rebuild their lives in the UK?

Job Details

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Suffolk County Council, Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC) and Leaving Care Team as a Persons Advisor, working from Ipswich.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work within a newly formed specialist UASC and Leaving Care team. We support UASC from their point of entry into Suffolk as well as supporting them through their leaving care journey as young adults.

Your role and responsibilities

You will:

• work with over 18-year-old unaccompanied care leavers who will need ongoing support with their Asylum application, housing, training and/or employment.
• hold case responsibility for these young adults and carry out Pathway Plans until at least their 21st birthday
• undertake regular welfare visits and chair Pathway Review meetings to manage and assess risk or any unmet needs, relating housing; education/employment; finances, health, and asylum application. Advice and guidance on all these subjects will help your clients form secure foundations in their local community and increase their chances of living independently
• receive regular supervision from a manager/senior social worker
• work collaboratively with team members
• attend regular team meetings
• be offered shadowing opportunities to broaden your understanding of UASC/care leaver protocols.

You will need:

• suitable practitioner-level qualification at Level 3 or equivalent experience in the relevant area of work
• excellent communication skills with a commitment to listening to young adults around challenging topics such as family loss, mental health difficulties, substance misuse and criminality
• a thorough understanding of safeguarding concerns and specific risks associated with UASC and adult care leavers
• good organisation skills and competency with computer systems; paperwork and case recordings.

You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (docx). If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this role, even if you don’t meet all the requirements, please apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

The team

We are a newly formed team with a specialism in Immigration matters. Our mission is to help vulnerable people overcome adversity and trauma. We also facilitate our client’s asylum applications in hope of gaining their legal status to remain in the UK.

Everyone in the team is passionate and driven to help young people rebuild their lives after experiencing atrocities abroad. Our clients arrive here unaccompanied and often without the ability to speak English. This makes them particularly vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination.

We will offer you:

• access to training/courses specific to UASC and care leavers
• regular supervision and opportunity to shadow team members
• contribute and develop processes for our UASC/carer leaver cohort
• grow your expertise in Immigration matters relating UASC.

Travel and workplace requirements

We positively encourage the use of technology to communicate, but in this role, you will need to travel to locations away from your contractual base, so you must either hold a full and current driving licence and have access to personal transport or meet the mobility requirements of the role through other reasonable and suitable means. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability to meet the travel requirements of this role, please speak with the contact detailed below.

This role supports hybrid working, a broadly even balance between working from home and working from an office base. If you wish to discuss how that might impact your working arrangements, please contact the recruiting manager listed above. #LI-Hybrid

For more information

For an informal discussion, please contact Chris Jay at chris.jay@suffolk.gov.uk or Kathryn Sidoli at Kathryn.sidoli@suffolk.gov.uk

Please read the Job and Person Profile (docx), before applying for this job opportunity.

In your application, please ensure your statement indicates how you meet each of the criteria in the ‘Person Profile’ section of the JPP.

Closing date: 11.30pm, 27 April 2023

This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts.

We offer a fantastic, inclusive working environment including diverse and active staff networks, great flexible working options and many benefits, as well as the opportunity to improve the lives of Suffolk residents.

Benefits include:

• Performance-related annual pay progression, in addition to an annual cost-of-living pay increase
• The opportunity to join a large, diverse organisation, with career opportunities across our services
• A supportive culture, underpinned by our WE ASPIRE values
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Up to 28 days annual leave entitlement, plus UK bank holidays and two paid volunteering days
• An occupational sick pay scheme
• Learning and development opportunities, including a range of work-based apprenticeships
• Flexible working options, with the right to request flexible working from your first day
• A range of staff networks centred around equality groups
• Plus more

If you would like to know more about our benefits, values and equality commitments please visit our Working for Suffolk County Council pages (www.Suffolk.gov.uk/careers).