Youth Worker – Emergency Department & Social Prescribing at QA (18 hours)

✨ We’re looking for someone who will provide direct support to children and young people, both in the emergency department and in the community. By helping the young person to connect with specialist support and other community services through Social Prescribing.✨

As a Youth Worker – Emergency Department & Social Prescribing, you will provide information, advice, and guidance to children, young people and their families admitted to emergency department through their discharge back into the community where social prescribing will be optimised to help the young person connect with community support

Your key responsibilities will include: 

• Engage and build relationships with any children and young people who have come into the Emergency Department (ED) and may need advice and support to avoid further admissions. 
• Work with the young person’s presence in ED as a ‘reachable moment’, providing appropriate support around the issues that have brought them to ED. This may include mental health, self-harm, overdose, substance misuse, being a perpetrator or victim of crime or engaging in risk-taking behavior.
• Support ED staff with children and young people who are particularly anxious or struggle with the environment.
• Having assessed their ongoing need, link them with further support through referrals and signposting in order to reduce future admissions.
• Provide children and young people with ongoing support, offering information and advice, signposting and referring them to community-based interventions, over an agreed period time (Social Prescribing).
• Working within the YIACS model address the wider practical and social issues that may be affecting a young person’s wellbeing such as relationships, healthy behaviours, sexual health, housing, benefits, attendance and attainment in education.
• Use appropriate tools to measure children and young people’s wellbeing at set points along their journey with No Limits.
• Use this data along with feedback and observation to evidence the impact of interventions.
• With the Lead Youth Worker / Operations Manager, develop and maintain key relationships with hospital staff ensuring that the service is promoted, well-used and adapted appropriately to any changing needs.
• Act as an advocate for children and young people and refer them on to other relevant agencies and services, as appropriate, to ensure their needs are appropriately met.
• Provide quality up to date information, advice and support which supports young people’s personal and social development and promotes healthy lifestyles.
• Promote the involvement of young people in planning, delivery and evaluation of services.
• Improve the lives of children and young people by minimising the impact of their difficulties through the delivery of excellent services to promote well-being.
• Comply with the information sharing agreement which forms part of our standard operating procedure with the hospital.

We are committed to making a difference in the lives of the children and young people we work with, and as such, you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the No Limits ethos. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is paramount. 

We particularly welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and those who have had experiences similar to the young people we aim to support. We are committed to creating a diverse environment where people can be their authentic selves, where their experiences and opinions are valued, and we are all open to learning from each other. 

As part of our team, you’ll receive a comprehensive induction and access to learning and development opportunities relevant to your role, supporting your ongoing growth. 

You’ll have the essentials of: 

• Experience of successfully engaging young people with challenging behaviours and/or complex needs, young people who may be reluctant to discuss their needs or be angry or confused
• Proven experience of working in a high intensity environment, with an ability to effectively manage your own wellbeing
• Experience of working with people on a range of issues such as mental health, crime, family and relationships, education and discrimination
• Knowledge of child development and of mental health issues and services
• Effective communication, organisational and time management skills
• Able to build trusting relationships with young people, enabling them to develop new skills and make their own informed choices
• Demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
• Efficient computer based skills, showing competence with record keeping and time management

You may also have:

• Level 4 qualification in mental health, youth work, social work, or equivalent
• Experience of assessing risk and implementing safety procedures when thinking about children and young people’s emotional and mental wellbeing or those at risk of violence or exploitation
• Experience of case holding clients and maintaining individual client files, and recording/reporting data

Please let us know if we can support you with any reasonable adjustments at any point prior to, during or after the selection process, such as access arrangements, flexible working, or a suitable place to pray.