Job info	Job info details
Job title	Project Worker Young People Substance Misuse
Strategic team/Directorate	Childrens Services
Service	Safeguarding and Family Help
Business unit	Family Help
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Youth Hub Manager
Accountable to (line manager)	Youth Hub Manager
Salary grade	F
JE ref	CSERV051

1. Key purpose of job

• To carry out assessment and to deliver substance misuse interventions to young people in Torbay, providing a comprehensive and flexible assessment service.
• Taking a whole family approach, undertake assessments, design and implement substance misuse treatment plan in partnership with the young person and their family in Torbay.
• To work with individual young people who misuse substances and their families, including young people identified by the Youth Justice Service, and to act as a consultant to other professionals who may require specialist advice and support.
• To provide accessible information, advice and support on issues related to substance misuse and contribute to the overall provision of services for young people who misuse substances in the Torbay area.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Young people in Torbay have their substance misuse identified and receive a timely assessment and comprehensive treatment plan delivered in partnership with their families and other professionals.
• Through early intervention, education and delivery of specialist treatment, young people are enabled to make informed choices and reduce the impact of substance use on their lives and build their personal resilience.
• To prevent and reduce harms associated with substance use including physical, social and psychological harm.

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• To be accessible as a specialist practitioner/offer consultancy to allied professional and voluntary agencies.
• To ensure that all young people in contact with the service are assessed and treated for identified drug/alcohol problems.
• To involve young people and their parent/carer every stage of the case management process including in the assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of the service provision.
• To develop, deliver and monitor the Young Person’s Substance Misuse Treatment Plan and Risk Management Plan.
• To deliver individually tailored and evidence-based harm reduction and psychosocial interventions.
• To lead on and work in partnership with adult drug and alcohol treatment services where a prescribed intervention is required.
• To assess, deliver and monitor a needle exchange programme intervention for a young person as required.
• To assess, coordinate and monitor requests for inpatient detoxification and/or residential rehabilitation placements.
• To deliver education, training and groupwork to a range of audiences, including young people and professionals.
• To actively pursue equality of access to services and operate within a framework of anti-discriminatory practice and equal opportunities policy.
• To use a variety of creative and innovative approaches to effectively engage young people and their parent/carers.
• To work closely with partnership agencies and referring on as necessary to ensure positive outcomes for young people.
• To provide advice, support, consultation and training to relevant staff.
• Collate and monitor relevant data in line with local and national requirements and maintain accurate records.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• None. 

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions.
• Working independently within the Community.

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands.   

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal Resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

External

• Schools, Health, Police, Young People and their parents, Voluntary and Community Sector and other relevant multi-agency partners.

Internal

• All colleagues within Children’s Services, specifically Youth Justice, Youth Hub and Vulnerable Pupils.
• Staff at all levels within the Council.

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job.

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures and is aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council. 
• This post is office based at Electric House, Torquay but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Project Worker Young People Substance Misuse
Strategic team/Directorate	Childrens Services
Service	Safeguarding and Family Help
Business unit	Family Help

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Demonstrate a successful track record of intervention work with children, young people and their families.
• Committed to, and able to demonstrate, anti-discriminatory practice.
• Have excellent organisational and communication skills.
• Effective at dealing with conflict and challenging behaviour.
• Effective ICT and case recording skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues in a range of organisations.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• Effective assessment skills.
• Effective monitoring, reviewing and evaluating plans.
• Delivering psychosocial interventions.
• The ability to work in partnership across agencies and disciplines.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

• Skills in delivering substance misuse treatment and harm reduction planning.
• Skills in delivering evidence based psychosocial interventions for young people experiencing problems in relation to their substance misuse. 

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Knowledge of substance misuse (drugs and alcohol) and awareness of national and local initiatives.
• Knowledge of psychological and physical dependence of substances and the risks substance misuse may post int the short and long-term.
• Knowledge of relevant policy. government drug and alcohol strategy documents and relevant NICE guidance.
• Knowledge of the criminal justice process, specifically in relation to young people.
• Knowledge of child/adolescent development and young person-centred interventions.
• Understanding of child protection and safeguarding young people.
• Significant knowledge of effective age-appropriate techniques to engage young people.
• Knowledge of challenges impacting young people such as social emotional and mental health, bullying, exploitation and additional needs.

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge of local area and organisations.
• Knowledge of dual diagnosis.
• Knowledge of the identification and responses to the harms of substance use.
• Knowledge of Gillick Competence and Frazer guidelines in relation to substance misuse treatment.

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Experience in supporting and engaging young people and their families and delivering interventions.
• Experience of undertaking holistic assessments with young people and their families.
• Experience of working 1:1 with young people.
• Experience of delivering interventions to young people.
• Experience of multi-agency working.

Desirable experience and achievements

• Experience of delivering evidence-based drug and alcohol interventions.
• Experience in design and delivery of training. 
• Experience of working in groups with young people.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Educated to GCSE/Level 2 standard or equivalent. 
• Evidence of continued professional development.

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Relevant Level 3 qualification such as health and social care, youth work.

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/Southwest/UK in order to carry out duties.
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
• Ability to accommodate occasional homeworking.