Project Worker (23457)

Are you looking for a new challenge?
Would you like to make a real difference to children, young people and families in Bridgend?

We're looking for two motivated, compassionate and skilled individuals to join our Bridgend team as Project Workers. These are key roles aimed at supporting children, young people and their families across Bridgend County Borough who are experiencing difficulties accessing education due to Emotional Based School Non-Attendance.

Our approach is strengths-based, child-centred and trauma-informed. Working alongside children, young people, families, schools and wider professionals, we aim to improve wellbeing, build resilience and confidence, and develop tailored plans that support sustainable re-engagement with education. Through direct support, family interventions and multi-agency collaboration, we help families identify solutions that meet individual needs and promote positive outcomes.

What will the role involve?

As a Project Worker, you will support the delivery of interventions offered through our Service by:

• Working directly with children, young people and their families to understand the factors contributing to emotional based school non-attendance
• Designing and delivering tailored interventions that promote emotional wellbeing, resilience, confidence and positive engagement with education
• Working collaboratively with parents, carers, education settings and wider professionals to develop and implement support plans that facilitate successful reintegration into education
• Supporting neurodivergent children and young people by promoting understanding of individual needs and advocating for appropriate support and reasonable adjustments
• Facilitating group-based programmes, workshops and activities that enhance wellbeing, social connection and engagement
• Contributing to co-production activities, ensuring the voices of children, young people and families shape service delivery and development
• Maintaining accurate records, monitoring outcomes and demonstrating the impact of interventions
• Applying safeguarding and child protection procedures consistently and confidently

This role requires flexibility to meet the needs of children, young people and families and will involve working across community, education and office settings. Occasional after-school and early evening working may be required to support family engagement and service delivery.

What are we looking for?

• Experience of working directly with children and young people facing emotional wellbeing challenges
• Experience of supporting families using a strengths-based and child-centred approach
• Knowledge and understanding of emotional based school non-attendance and the barriers children and young people can face in accessing education
• Experience of working with neurodivergent children and young people, including an understanding of autism, ADHD and sensory needs
• Experience of delivering one-to-one and/or group-based interventions
• A sound understanding of safeguarding and child protection procedures

Additional information:

We have two 22.2 hour positions available on a fixed-term basis until March 2027 as this is funding to pilot a new approach within the service.

Please include clear and detailed examples within your application demonstrating how you meet the requirements outlined above and within the Job Description/Person Specification. Relevant experience may come from paid employment, volunteering, training or education.

If you have any questions or would like an informal discussion, please contact: Sarah Rowe, Children's Services Manager – 07712 403 922.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's . We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.

Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's