Independent Visitor Coordinator

at  National Youth Advocacy Service

ABOUT THE SERVICE

Children and young people who are looked after don’t always have a trusted adult that they can rely upon for support, with many young people not having someone that they can talk to or trust.
Our independent visitor service provides looked after children and young people with an adult volunteer who spends time with them, offering support and friendship whilst being a positive role model to enable young people to build on their confidence and self-esteem, whilst helping learn new skills and raise their aspirations.

In your application, you will need to evidence, using specific examples, how your skills and experience meet the criteria laid out in the person specification, within the job description attached. Requirements include:

• Proven experience of face-to-face work with children and young people in a social care setting, particularly children in care.
• Knowledge and experience of the recruitment and training of staff and/ or volunteers.
• Experience and an understanding of child protection and safeguarding procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively

We are looking for a passionate and enthusiastic IV Coordinator, who will be responsible for the day to day running of the independent visitor service in Slough and West Berkshire.
You will be responsible for managing and developing a pool of volunteers which includes the recruitment, training, and induction of new volunteers to become volunteer independent visitors, before matching them with a young person who has been referred to the service.
You will provide continuous support to volunteers to ensure that the service is being delivered to a high standard, and that children and young people are safeguarded at all times.
You will also be responsible for monitoring volunteer visits, budgets and ensuring that risk assessments are undertaken as required, whilst acting as a link between NYAS and the local authority by liaising with social workers, carers and other professionals.
For more information, please view the attached job description below.
This role is a home-based role however to meet the requirements of the role you must live within the geographical area.

In your application, you will need to evidence, using specific examples, how your skills and experience meet the criteria laid out in the person specification, within the job description attached. Requirements include:

• Proven experience of face-to-face work with children and young people in a social care setting, particularly children in care.
• Knowledge and experience of the recruitment and training of staff and/ or volunteers.
• Experience and an understanding of child protection and safeguarding procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively.

NYAS operates robust safe procedures to ensure the protection of the children, young people and adults at risk we work with. To comply with NYAS’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, references and a Digital Risk Assessment.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early once we receive a high number of applications.
As an established leading rights-based charity, NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service) is well positioned to ensure that children, young people, and adults across England and Wales are fully respected, represented, and supported in expressing their views and having their rights upheld.
We work with care-experienced children, young people, and adults who are often reliant on statutory services suffering the negative impact of the cuts in public expenditure. Our combination of social care and legal services places us in a unique position to ensure that they receive the services they need and that their voices are heard.
We are an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment which means NYAS welcomes applications from all individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or belief, or any other protected characteristic.
NYAS is proud to share that we are a Disability Confident Employer and we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies.
Work with us to help change young lives.
Telephone: 0151 649 8700
Email: recruitment@nyas.ne