OPTION 1: Practitioner in Children's Residential Care

You could be working in a number of settings e.g. a children’s home, a residential special school or a secure children’s home. The children might be living on their own or in a larger group. You will take the lead in developing and delivering the child's placement plan and will work with the child to support their health, education, social and day to day needs, playing a significant role in helping them to thrive and fulfil their potential .

OPTION 2: Children, Young People and Families Practitioner within the Community

You will understand the importance of and be skilled in, early intervention and safeguarding work. You will manage risk across the spectrum needs for children, young people and families'. You may work in settings as diverse as family homes, youth centres, early years, youth justice, children's centres, educational settings and the community. You will play a significant role in working across agencies to improve outcomes. You may work with particular age groups, across the full age range or specifically with families. By supporting the confidence and skills of children, young people and families you will help them to overcome barriers and maximise their independence.

Duration: Typically 24 months for new entrants. For those with relevant qualifications and experience in the health and social care field, 12 to 18 months

Level: 4

Entry Requirements - Undertake the Disclosure and Barring Service process and provide the result

Behaviours

The values and behaviours expected of a Children, Young People and Family Worker

Care: Respecting and valuing individuals to keep them safe, being affirming and working with them to help them make a positive difference to their lives

Compassion: Consideration and concern for children, young people and their families, combined with an understanding of the perspective of those you work with

Courage: Honesty and a positive belief in helping children, young people and families. Being confident when faced with confrontation, holding a safe space to manage and contain really difficult behaviours and working with children, young people and families to challenge and enable them to fulfil their potential Communication: Your work is based on building effective relationships, being perceptive and empathic and building good rapport

Competence: The relationships you build to effect change for children, young people and families will be informed by social care ethics and values and will be developed through reflective practice.

Commitment: Creating sustainable change in others by working alongside children, young people and families and being authentic, consistent, patient, persistent and resilient

Core Requirements – knowledge and skills

These are based on the kind of statements we would typically expect children, young people and families to make about the work that the practitioner has undertaken with them

'You listened to me, understood what has happened to me and how I feel about my life, and I am confident my voice is heard '

Knowledge and understanding of:

Communication that enables the voice of the child, young person or family members to be heard

Multiple factors that contribute to uncertainty in the lives of children, young people and families

Equality, rights, diversity and cultural differences, and the values of the organisation in which you are working

Skills

Communicates in way that enables the voice of the child, young person or family members to be heard

Encourages individuals to engage positively with their community and relevant agencies and actively participate in the way their care and support is delivered

Actively promotes respect, equality, diversity and inclusion

'You helped me to identify risk, you made me aware when things were unsafe '

Knowledge and understanding of:

The range of potential safeguarding risk factors (e.g. domestic violence, membership of gangs, missing children, online activity, radicalisation and Prevent agenda), the different forms of harm to children and vulnerable adults (e.g. neglect, child sexual exploitation, physical abuse, emotional abuse) and the local and national thresholds for safeguarding

the safeguarding requirements contained within mandatory local safeguarding training or nationally accredited equivalent

Skills

Works together with children, young people and families to keep them safe and manage risk and promoting the development of skills the family need to successfully manage risk themselves

Works with and supports other professionals to respond to safeguarding concerns

'You identified my/our strengths and difficulties and helped me learn about myself/ourselves. We prepared and made plans where we agreed the next steps together'

Knowledge and understanding of:

Child, adolescent and adult development

The spectrum of needs and how they may be met

The principles of effective assessment and the importance of analysis and professional judgement

Skills

Identifies the influences on the individual and the family and supports them to make informed choices

Leads on the development and recording of holistic plans, delivery of interventions and evaluates their effectiveness

Identifies and addresses barriers to accessing resources

'You supported me through the changes, stuck with me and checked how things were progressing and asked whether things were better for me '

Knowledge and understanding of:

Models for monitoring changes in a child, young person or family member’s wellbeing

A range of evidence based interventions and their strengths and weaknesses

Skills

Identifies and manages evidence-based approaches and evaluates their effectiveness

Contributes to the development of a resilient, consistent and persistent approach to practice

'You weren't afraid to make difficult decisions when you thought it was the right thing to do'

Knowledge and understanding of:

The duties, responsibilities, boundaries and ethical nature of the role

Theories and guidelines underpinning sound practice

Skills

Models clarity of purpose, clear expectations and a professional approach to decision making

Appropriately challenges and/or offers alternative perspectives with the children, young person or family

Contributes to own professional development

'You knew what you were doing - you understood the law and knew where to find other information and helped me to form creative ideas about how to make things better'

Knowledge and understanding of:

Systems and policy frameworks for work with children, young people and families. e.g. education, health, care, employment, criminal justice, special educational needs and disabilities, first aid, safeguarding

Skills

Applies knowledge of legal, economic and social justice systems and implements policy frameworks in support of positive outcomes for children, young people and families

'You thought about things'

Knowledge and understanding of:

The role of professional judgement and analysis in complex situations

The importance of considering ethics and values, challenging self and the systems in use

Skills

Demonstrates critical evaluation of practice and insight into own emotions, behaviour and feelings, and uses these insights to challenge own practice

Takes an active part in continuous professional development

'You included people who were important to me or could help me'

Knowledge and understanding of:

Techniques for establishing shared goals and outcomes when building relationships with others

Skills

Sharing and agreeing goals and outcomes when building relationships with partner organisations, other workers, children, young people and families, to ensure appropriate and timely support

Children, Young People and Family Practitioners will need to supplement the CORE standard programme with specialist skills and knowledge, by choosing ONE of the following options:

OPTION 1: Practitioner in Children's Residential Care

1a. Working with families, carers and children to devise, deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for the care and support of individual children and young people in residential care

Knowledge and understanding of:

Skills

The legislation and compliance requirements for residential care

The aspirations for a child in residential care

Group living and group dynamics

Legislation and the Code of Practice for Special Educational Needs and Disability

Assumes the role of professional parent

Contributes to creating and reviewing placement plans based on individual need

Is able to support traumatised children and young people to live together and make progress

1.b. Work within a team to promote the ethos of the home

Knowledge and understanding of:

The ethos of the home and how to create and promote it

Team dynamics and collaborative approach in residential environment

Skills

Develops and promotes the ethos of the home

Models collaborative team working and the ability to support and appropriately challenge each other

OPTION 2: Children, Young People and Families Practitioner within the Community

2a. Forge networks with other agencies and the community, within a specific working context (e.g. early years, youth, youth justice, family work, special educational needs and disability etc.) and build sustainable solutions together

2.b. In depth understanding of a particular age group, context or family system

Knowledge and understanding of:

Skills

Contemporary social issues that affect family life and the care of children and young people

Detailed understanding of working with a particular group e.g. U5, 5-11, 12+, young adult, parents, families, children with special educational needs and disabilities

Key ethical and professional aspects of role

Engages effectively with child, young person and/or family members

Supports children, young people or vulnerable adults to identify and take action to deal with safeguarding risk

Qualifications: Apprentices without level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking their end- point assessment.

Option 1. Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare

Option 2. Certificate in Higher Education in working with Children Young People and Families