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Are you a parent, kinship carer relative or friend of a child who is involved with, or who needs the help of, children’s services in England? We can help you understand processes and options when social workers or courts are making decisions about your child’s welfare.

Our advice service is free, independent and confidential.

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To speak to an adviser, please call our free and confidential advice line 0808 801 0366 (Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3pm, excluding Bank Holidays). Or you can ask us a question via email using our advice enquiry form.

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Our online advice forums are an anonymous space where parents and kinship carers (also known as family and friends carers) can get legal and practical advice, build a support network and learn from other people’s experiences.

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Our get help and advice section has template letters, advice sheets and resources about legal and social care processes. On Monday and Wednesday afternoons, you can use our webchat service to chat online to an adviser.

 

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Lifelong Links Coordinator – The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

Job reference: RBKC617737
Salary range:
£41,967 – £50,088 per annum
Work location: London
Hours per week:
36
Contract type:
Temporary until 31st March 2025
Vetting requirements:
Enhanced DBS Check
Closing date: 1st August 2024

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea places huge emphasis on providing every child and young person with a safe and supportive home environment. This is an ethos that is shared with our partners at Westminster City Council, and as such we have joined forces to deliver the newly-created Lifelong Links Service. This service works with young people who are in care, helping them find support through a variety of relationships. As such, we connect young people with everyone from their immediate family members, through to former teachers, and in doing so, we strive to help them build informal support structures. And with you playing an integral role in bringing these people and a broad variety of organisations together, we are confident that we can go even further in our work.

The Role:

In this fixed-term contract, you will be encouraged to explore your boldest ideas to put children and young people on a great life trajectory. Working with both those who are currently in care and those who are on the cusp of leaving care, you will deliver focused interventions that will hopefully help them find connections, and where feasible, rebuild relationships with their families and care-givers. We know that children and young people of this age are often resistant to accepting our support, but the rewards that come from helping them build systems of support is immensely rewarding. You will therefore work directly with children and young people to help them connect with the people who could make a difference to their lives. Providing specialist consultation and support to Social Workers, you will play a vital role in creating long-term plans for young people who are using our service. With plenty of variety in every day, you will work across the two boroughs, going to see children and young people in their current home or community environments. Whether providing training to foster carers or working with teams within Family Services to promote the value of Lifelong Links, this is a uniquely interesting role in which you will ultimately help young people navigate a complex time in their lives.

Please refer to the Job Description for more information.

About You:

There is immense scope to do something great for some of our most vulnerable young people, so to succeed in this fascinating role we will expect you to have experience of working with Looked After Children and Care Leavers, with a good knowledge of childcare legislation and the relevant policies and procedures. With an FGC Accredited Training and Qualification in a relevant field such as social work, health, teaching, youth or community work, you will be required to have an ‘Enhanced’ Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. A comprehensive knowledge of the issues faced by young people who are living in care and unaccompanied minors will be essential, and it goes without saying that you’ll have exceptional communication skills with plenty of patience and the ability to build relationships quickly. An understanding of Family Group Conferences is important, and you will be a motivated self-starter with the ability to manage your own workload.

Aside from the chance to be involved in a genuinely rewarding initiative, we can offer you a competitive benefits package and plenty of support to explore your most innovative ideas. With guidance from a friendly, inclusive and ambitious department, we are confident that you will find much to enjoy in our exceptional team.

Application process:

Please do not upload any documents, including CVs/Covering Letters or supporting statements, as these documents will not be reviewed and could result in your application not being shortlisted.

You should describe how you meet the person specification requirements for the position you are applying for in Section G of the application form.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.

Apply now

Additional information:

The council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

We make sure all our staff are vetted to a high standard by conducting pre-employment checks to assess and assure the trustworthiness, integrity, and ability of prospective employees. This includes validating identity, right to work in the UK, qualifications (where applicable), work history (including the investigation of gaps) and referencing. They may also involve criminal record checks (UK and overseas).

We promote equality, welcome diverse applicants, and ensure inclusivity in our recruitment and selection process.

This post is covered by the Fluency Duty, as outlined in the Code of Practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers.

Information about the safeguarding of children and support for families: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/children-and-education/safeguarding-children

Information about protecting and safeguarding yourself and others from abuse and neglect: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/adult-social-care/safeguarding-adults

We do not accept speculative CVs.

If you have any queries, please contact: recruitment@rbkc.gov.uk

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