Children Support Worker

Key areas of responsibility Sonas Domestic Violence Charity
Childrens Support Worker Childrens Support Worker Service Manager The
Children’s Support Worker provides services to children in all Sonas services
on a one-to-one basis in family and in a group setting. They will ensure best
practice in the delivery of services to children within the service ensuring at
all time that the needs of clients and their children are kept central to the
work of the children’s service.

Hours: Dublin 40 hours per week. Monday – Friday 9am to 5pm

Salary: 

• Maintaining the highest standards of professionalism in
supporting and providing services to children. Ensuring that an environment is
created which is conducive to the well-being of the children.

• Ensuring that the needs of clients are central to the work
of Sonas.

• Working in compliance with Sonas quality standards,
policies and procedures and ensuring the delivery of a quality, effective and
safe service to clients.

• Ensuring adherence at all times to the Children’s First
policies on child protection.

• Liaising with the Designated Liaison person in the
implementation of Sonas and Tusla policies on child protection.

• Working as part of the Children and Young People’s Support
service, providing support services to children; one-to-one support, working
with the mother and child, working with families and structured activities with
the children.

• Undertaking and implementing needs assessments, risk
assessments and develop safety and support plans to address client needs using
relevant Sonas tools.

• Referring children to other services and accompanying
them, with their mothers to such services as required.

• Keeping the Service Manager abreast of changes to client
needs or any significant issues relating to them.

• Where working on Sonas sites, ensuring that a high
standard of cleanliness, housekeeping and hygiene is maintained.

• Advocating for clients when appropriate and by agreement.

• Ensuring effective teamwork with the service areas to
ensure that clients are provided with an integrated domestic violence service.

• Ensuring at all times best practice in the delivery of
children’s services

• Working in consultation with mothers and providing them
with support, including referral to other services as required.

• Providing a flexible childcare service to mothers to allow
them to meet with support workers and other services.

• Participating in the review and evaluation of the services
for children in Sonas services.

• Involving the children in decision-making as appropriate
to their age and understanding.

• Assisting in the management of the outdoor and indoor play
facilities and ensure they are maintained to a high standard and adhere to
health and safety policy.

 • Keeping informed of
developments in the area of support work with children and child protection
including new methods of work, changes in policy, legalisation, additional
supports etc.

• Keeping professionally up to date and being informed of
developments in the area of domestic violence including new methods of work,
changes in policy, legalisation, additional supports etc.

 • Liaising
effectively with statutory and voluntary agencies as part of the delivery of
the Sonas service.

 • Ensuring that the
IT system is used for the accurate collection of service data.

• Ensuring that accurate and legible records and case files
are maintained and filed in accordance with agreed standards. Preparation and
delivery of reports and statistics as required.

• Attending education and training programmes as may be
required. Participating on committees as necessary.

• Contributing to the co-ordination and development of
strategies to combat domestic violence at a local level in order to effect
political, social and cultural change.

• Maintaining the highest standards of confidentiality in
respect of work related issues.

• Maintaining a high standard of work performance,
attendance, professionalism, appearance and punctuality at all times.

• Ensure good working relationships are maintained with
colleagues at all times.

• Participate in supervision and performance management
processes.

• Any other duties as may be assigned by the Service Manager

Essential Requirements

• Third level Social Care, Youth Work, Early Childhood
qualification, to degree level (Level 7)

 • Minimum of 3 years’
experience working directly with children in a social care setting to include a
minimum of 2-year post qualification experience.

• Full driving licence and access to car.

• Ability to assess the support needs of children, parents,
and families.

• Ability to develop individual child support plans.

• Clear understanding and analysis of social justice,
domestic abuse and other gender-based forms of violence against women and the
impacts it has on women and children’s lives.

• Clear understanding of child welfare and protection issues
and structures.

 • Excellent
interpersonal and communication skills, to include IT.

 • Demonstrated
ability to use own initiative.

 • Effective in
working as part of team.

• Knowledgeable on children’s rights issues.

• Good understanding of the issues in relation to domestic
or gender based violence and the impact on children and young people.

• Maintains appropriate boundaries with service users.
Desirable

• Experience of working with women and children affected by
domestic abuse.

 • Experience of
working with Salesforce database If you are interested in applying for this
position,

The above job description is not intended to be
a comprehensive list of duties and responsibilities and consequently the post
holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post,
which may be assigned, to them from time to time and to contribute to the
development of the post when in office.