The closing date for completed applications for this position is 9am on Friday 03 January 2025 and it is anticipated interviews will take place on Friday 17 January 2025.

Hours: 37 hours per week.

Salary: £38,890 - £42,002 (SCP 35 - 38)

JOB DESCRIPTION:

To assist the Service Management Team with the effective and efficient management of the service, in accordance with the Rossie values, behavioural expectations and ethos.

A Senior Practitioner is a member of the operational management team with responsibilities for the team and the House and must work to ensure the successful delivery of the main duties and responsibilities of the role. A Senior Practitioner will have a lead role in supporting and supervising the shift team, promoting a safe and nurturing living environment where the dignity and the rights of young people are respected and their physical, emotional, social, health and educational needs are met.  Plan, prioritise, organise and review the care and support offered within the house and to each young person in line with their specific needs, vulnerabilities, and strengths.

Lead the delivery of care and support to young people in a safe, secure, nurturing and positive environment:

• Contribute to the management of the service, meeting the best possible outcomes for the young people in accordance with policies and procedures and participate in a teamwork approach to childcare practice.
• Demonstrate leadership and support to staff on a shift-by-shift basis, ensuring that the safety and wellbeing needs of the young people.
• Lead in the shift planning, staff deployment and management of the House.
• Establish regular supervision, debriefing, individual learning, and personal development plans and annual performance appraisals for staff.
• Attend and contribute to service team meetings and keep relevant colleagues fully informed of service developments and organisational changes
• Provide vision, direction and leadership for staff, motivating staff to achieve their full potential
• Work flexibly and respond to the exigencies of the service, balancing priorities to meet deadlines and team objectives.
• Promote and maintain collaborative working and effective communication between all staff, families and outside agencies.
• Provide oversight of incident management, recording and reporting to key stakeholders in accordance with the organisation’s Behaviour Management Policies.
• Demonstrate the ability to reflect on professional practice and adjust accordingly.

Ensure that the quality of care and the living environment is in keeping with legislative, organisational, procedural regulatory requirements, and good practice and guidance:

• Promote the highest standards of care, education, specialist intervention and welfare of young people
• Assist in delivering the Promise agenda, the Secure Care Pathways and Standards and/or National Care Standards and respond to National guidance pertaining to the sector.
• Safeguard and promote the rights of young people and positive care at all times.
• Ensure staff sensitively meet the needs of young people and take account of their gender, sexual preferences, race, culture, language and religion.
• Coordinate the transition planning and risk assessment activities for young people.
• Monitor systems for the recording, administering, and storing of medicines
• Positively promote the care and wellbeing of young people through multidisciplinary teamwork, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
• Develop key relationships and partnerships with parents and stakeholders to promote the best interests of young people.

Ensure the Formulation and Implementation of Assessments and Placement Plans:

• In conjunction with practitioners, ensure all administrative tasks, casework and record keeping is up to date and reports are completed to a high standard, through quality assurance and auditing processes.
• Demonstrate the necessary support; motivation and mentoring to ensure the staff team achieve good outcomes and goals for the young people.
• Contribute fully to a collaborative team approach to the assessment activities, risk management, pathways and placement planning outcomes of young people in our care.
• Assist practitioners to effectively carry out and fully understand the role of key worker and associated duties.
• Monitor and track the progress of outcomes within placement planning ensuring essential key working is completed through the Team Around the Child framework.
• Assist in the development of Psychological formulations and Positive Behaviour supports, monitoring the strategies being delivered in practice.
• Attend/lead all review meetings and Team Around the Child meetings for young people in the House
• Promote young peoples’ participation, to ensure young people are actively involved decisions affecting them, in the day-to-day activities of the House, school and in service improvements
• Effectively use person-centred approaches to support young people’s emotional wellbeing, build their strengths and social skills in preparation for adulthood.

Lead, supervise and support individual staff members and the team to achieve agreed work plans and shift objectives:

• Provide a supervisory and mentoring role to practitioners and ensure that the care team have the skills, knowledge and ability to care for our young people effectively
• Promote safe practices, and child protection in collaboration with the service management team.
• Challenge practice, show professional courage, drive, and support change.
• Actively promote, support and participate in learning and development initiatives relevant to the organisation and the development of systems and processes.
• Ensure appropriate opportunities are given to enable individuals to maximise performance
• Promote and contribute to Rossie’s Restraint Reduction programme
• Assume delegated financial responsibility and accountability.
• Ensure that the fabric, furnishings, security and standards within House are well maintained.
• Comply with the Codes of Conduct as required by the Scottish Social Service Council and ensure young person, staff and organisational confidentiality is maintained at all times.
• Undertake other reasonable activities as requested by the Service Development Manager / Deputy Service Manager

Please note this job description is to provide a clear and concise statement of the main tasks and activities of the post, and it is not intended as an exhaustive list of every aspect of the post holder's duties.  All the above duties will be carried out in line with Rossie policies and procedures. 

PERSON SPECIFICATION:

Qualifications (Essential):

• HNC/SVQ Level 3 or higher
• Willingness to undertake SVQ Level 4 within 2 year timeline
• CALM Accreditation
• SSSC registration

Qualifications (Desirable): 

• SVQ Level 4 in a care related discipline
• Supervisory qualification

Experience (Essential):

• 3 years in a relevant care related environment
• Multidisciplinary working to promote positive outcomes for young people

Experience (Desirable):

• In a secure or residential setting
• Team leading or supervisory

Knowledge base (Essential):

• Care Inspectorate Quality Framework
• Health & Social Care legislation
• Quality Care Standards Framework
• Secure Care Pathway & Standards
• Child protection & Safeguarding policy and procedures
• National policy/research/legislation relating to wider Child Care agenda
• Care Planning
• Trauma Informed Practice

Knowledge base (Desirable):

• The Promise

Skills (Essential):

• Effectively support staff to deal with young people in crisis
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong presentation skills
• Ability to ensure child, staff and organisational confidentiality maintained at all times
• Report writing and quality assurance
• Delegate effectively
• Effective judgement to balance competing risks

Skills (Desirable):

• Highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills
• Effective change management
• Intermediate understanding of ICT

Personal Attributes (Essential):

• Ability to work as part of a team to achieve team objectives
• Ability to form excellent working professional relationships
• Demonstrate professional ambition
• Empathy and understanding
• Flexibility, understanding and hard working
• Respectful, open and honest

Full Clean Driving Licence - Essential.