Support Team Leader

Reporting to: Cambridge Service Manager

Contract type: Permanent

Location: Baca office, Cambridge, England. The role requires regular travel where Baca’s services are delivered

Working hours: 37.5 hours per week, including some evening and weekend hours

Salary: £30,763 - £35,500 per annum for full time hours.

Overall purpose

• To be a leader in the support and care given to the young people so they become empowered with dignity, strength and hope inspiring them to become change makers for good in the communities around them.
• To partner with social workers and representatives from other agencies, for the benefit of the young people.
• To provide support, guidance, motivation and be an example to support workers inspiring them to be fully invested in the young people whilst developing their own skills and passions.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead the support team service, ensuring it is of the highest quality, in line with Baca’s Theory of change to enable young people to achieve the following outcomes – Improved Physical Wellbeing, Improved Emotional Wellbeing, Increased engagement with Education, Employment and Training, Increased Social engagement and Increased Personal Safety.
• Be an active member of the Service Delivery team, working across teams effectively in a coordinated manner, to ensure holistic day to day services are delivered in line with Baca’s values and policies, for the best interests of the young people.
• To take the lead for management and development of Support Workers to deliver a high-quality service, ensuring effective communication and coordination across teams.
• Lead on ensuring safeguarding culture and practices are embedded in the core of all services delivered.
• Ensure the continuous development of our service to young people by working constructively with all internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Engage and prioritise activities, meetings, appointments and support work involved in the delivery of the support work to young people, wherever necessary.
• Work collaboratively with the Cambridge Service Manager to ensure all Local Authority relationships are strong and effective, so that best practice is shared and partnerships are built.
• Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with relevant external stakeholders with proactivity, effective communication and problem solving initiative, reflecting Baca’s values, to provide holistic support for each young person enabling them to become independent.
• Regularly review and manage risks associated with young people in line with established policies and processes, and work closely with the Management and Leadership teams to respond and mitigate against key risks.
• Lead, organise and coordinate meetings & events for internal and external stakeholders as required, ensuring all relevant actions are followed through and promote the best interests of the young people.
• Playing an active role in developing knowledge and understanding in areas relevant to the role, especially in the areas of emotional wellbeing, asylum and refugee law, trafficking, supporting separated children and the cultures of different nations relevant to Baca, by learning from the young people themselves and other key partners.
• Actively facilitate the research and identification of the most appropriate provisions for education, leisure activities, community facilities, local amenities, taking into account the - physical, emotional, safety, social, cultural and religious needs of the young people.
• To be proactively available to cover as a support worker, in all instances necessary, to ensure the young people are cared for with compassion and to ensure they are progressing towards independence.
• Ensure the Senior Support Worker is ready to take on all management duties for the support team in the absence of the Support Team Leader.
• Ensure the Support Team work in adherence to organisation’s policies, procedures and guidance’s, including all the administrative tasks associated with their respective roles.
• Manage budgets, working closely with the finance team, necessary for delivering young people services.
• Be part of the On-call team and deliver On-call support outside of work hours on a rota basis, which comes with additional pay per night.

General

• Be a role model, leading by example in practicing the Values of Baca.
• Play an active and supportive role within the organisation
• Take ownership of all administrative aspects of the role.
• Maintain strict confidentiality in relation to work undertaken and ensure all confidential material is stored according to Baca’s Confidentiality statement and Data Protection Policy.
• Treat all staff and young people fairly and without prejudice, in line with Baca’s Equality and Diversity policy
• Be adept in employing the correct procedures for dealing with any safeguarding incidences or concerns, in line with Baca’s Child, Vulnerable Adult Protection & Safeguarding Policy
• Adhere to all Baca’s policies and procedures.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, in line with the needs of the team.

Personal specification

Baca is looking for someone who can take the lead in Baca’s holistic and therapeutic young people services, delivered by the Support Team. The young people supported by us are refugees aged 16 to 18, some of whom are victims of trafficking. The successful applicant will have the ability to ensure the support we provide to the young people is of the highest quality and strives for excellence. They will be passionate about our work and be able to lead by example in building an empowering environment to enable each young person to be their best, being both a supportive leader and one that brings challenge where necessary. They will the first point of contact for local authorities and be able to work with them to ensure allocated support hours match the needs of the young people. They will be a great people person who can develop key external relationships and work well with the staff team, linking in with the culture of family that exists within the organisation. The successful applicant will have the ability to ensure the project plan is followed in line with Baca’s vision, values and strategic goals. This is a frontline role that will need the successful applicant to be working closely with young people in their houses from time to time. The role will require the successful candidate to complete an enhanced DBS check. The ability to travel across the UK when required, include overnight stays, is essential.

Applicants may be asked to provide further information and will be interviewed as and when applications are received. Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship to overseas applicants for this role.