Young Carers and Young Adult Carers Team Leader

 

Job description

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter to our email address.

Your covering letter should outline why you feel you are suitable for the role, using the job description as a guide. Unfortunately, unless we receive these, we will not be able to take your application any further.

The closing date is midday on 23rd October 2024.

We particularly welcome applicants from the underrepresented and diverse communities we support in Buckinghamshire/ Milton Keynes.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title: Young Carers and Young Adult Carers Team Leader

Job aim: Our carers, aged between 5 and 25, provide support to a parent, sibling or other family member due to disability, a long-term illness, poor mental health and/or addiction. You will lead and provide day to day operational management to the Young Carers (YC) and Young Adult Carers (YAC) team so that they can effectively provide support to these young people, whilst also raising awareness of Carers Bucks services across Buckinghamshire.

Location: Hybrid. A minimum of 2 days a week from home with the other days working flexibly from home or in the community, as agreed by your line manager, with attendance at our Aylesbury office as and when required.

Annual Leave: 25 days annual leave (which increase with long service) + bank holidays.

Benefits: 3 Christmas closure days

               Up to 5 days paid Carers Leave

               Employee Assist Programme

               Free annual flu jab

               Free annual eye test

               Work equipment (laptop/phone)

Salary: £27,918/ annum

Hours: 37 hours per week (you will need to have flexibility to work on occasional weekends and the evenings for pre-planned events for which you will receive TOIL

Duration: Fixed Term for 1 year, with possible extension.

Responsible To: Young Carers and Young Adult Carers Service Manager

Main Responsibilities:

These include, but are not limited to:

• Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead and attend regular training and refesher courses.

 

• Day to day management of the YC/YAC team- establishing and maintaining a positive and effective working environment and dealing promptly with any interpersonal issues

 

• Day to day operational responsibility for the effective running of the YC/YAC services.

 

• Ensure that all new referrals, and all queries from current registered YC/YAC, are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner, and to the highest possible standard.

 

• Carry a caseload, both individually and alongside your team.

 

• Ensure that staff have the support and resources they need to run targeted sessions, clubs and activities which effectively meet the needs of YC/YAC.

 

• Ensure there are enough staff to cover the service at all times and assist with recruitment when required.

 

• Ensure that staff work in an integrated way with their colleagues in the Adult Carer Team, and at our sister charity Carers MK, in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for carers of all ages across the region.

 

• Ensure that all data relating to carers is stored correctly using our internal database, Charity Log.

 

• Create and review reports using Charity Log, for the purposes of monitoring and to help identify gaps in the service.

 

• Work with the Service Manager to develop services and maintain an in-depth understanding of the needs of the YC/YAC who are accessing our services.

 

• Actively promote inclusive practice.

 

• Lead and facilitate team meetings.

 

• Provide staff with feedback regarding their individual performance via quarterly supervision sessions and annual performance reviews.

 

• Provide staff with information relating to the organisation’s performance against operational targets during your regular team meetings.

 

• Work with the team to support and supervise volunteers recruited on behalf of the YC and YAC service.

 

• Ensure the team have had all the training they require to perform their duties and liaise with the Service Manager to source external training (or deliver internal training) where appropriate.

 

• Be proactive in assessing your own training needs and undertake relevant training accordingly.

 

• Be committed to representing and supporting the diverse communities in the local area and actively promote our services to those communities and groups who may not currently be accessing them, ensuring that our offer is in line with their specific needs.

 

• Develop and maintain relationships and referral pathways with Health and Social Care, Education and other voluntary sector organisations, and ensure staff have a good understanding of these.

 

• Check and authorise staff expenses, supplier invoices and credit card spend and liaise with the Operations Manager on these matters as needed.

 

• Manage activity budgets in line with Service Manager’s requests.

 

• Represent Carers Bucks at promotional events, conferences and relevant networking meetings, and actively participate in activities that we run ourselves e.g. our AGM, Carers Week and Young Carers Action Day.

 

• Work cooperatively with the fundraising and communications team in order to maximise donations and ensure that our website and social media presence remains relevant and up to date.

 

• Deputise for the Service Manager when required.

 

• Any other duties as reasonably required by Carers Bucks.

 

Person Specification

Qualifications and Experience

• Experience of managing a team (E)

 

• Experience of working with young people (D)

 

• Experience of working with educational and social care professionals (D)

 

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally with both professionals and service users (E)

 

Knowledge and Understanding

• A clear understanding of the issues affecting YCs and YACs and their support needs (E)

 

• Demonstration of a commitment to, and a good working knowledge of, equality, diversity and inclusion (E)

 

• Experience of Children’s and Adult’s Safeguarding policies (D)

 

Competencies

• Excellent verbal, listening and written communication skills (E)

 

• Experience of report writing, record keeping and monitoring systems (E)

 

• Ability to manage own workload and have proven time management skills (E)

 

• Ability to lead, support and motivate a team, including a working experience of basic HR processes (E)

 

• Good general level of office IT skills (E)

 

Personal Attributes

• Highly self-motivated with ability to use own initiative (E)

 

• Creative, forward thinking and ‘can-do’ approach to the support of carers (E)

 

• Empathic, with the ability to deal with confidential issues in a professional manner (E)

 

• A willingness to actively participate in training and development opportunities (E)

 

• Ability to work flexible hours, occasional evening/weekend work if required (E)

 

• Ability to promote the needs of carers and the work of Carers Bucks (E)

 

• A positive can-do attitude and a commitment to team working (E)

 

• Commitment to the values and ethos of Carers Bucks (E)

 

Other

Access to and the ability to use own car for work purposes (E)

 

E = Essential

D = Desirable