Personal Advisor

Overview

Are you a highly motivated and confident person committed to improving outcomes for young people preparing to leave care? Do you have the experience and knowledge to know what works when supporting young people through the difficult transition between childhood and adulthood independence?

This is a rewarding, challenging and essential role, in our support of young people Leaving Care. As a Personal Advisor, working with the Corporate Parenting Service you will carry a caseload of young people aged 16-25 years and support them through individual direct work, group-work and activity programmes, which may require some flexible working. You will assess their needs, create and review Pathway Plans and be a consistent support to them into adulthood. You will motivate them to make the very best of the resources available listening to their voices and encourage them to play a part in improving services, by co-producing services, changing and policies with them. You will advocate with partner agencies to ensure their corporate parenting responsibilities and duties are understood and provided to young people. You will be part of a Leaving Care Team working alongside Social Workers, Senior Social Workers and Team Managers.

Key Requirements

• Knowledge of the relevant legal and regulatory frameworks relating to care leavers and the role of the Personal Advisor
• Knowledge of the areas of education, training, employment and housing in relation to young people and leaving care
• Knowledge of local procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people
• Good knowledge of the challenges facing young people leaving care
• Ability to engage and motivate young people from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to write succinctly and maintain accurate electronic records.

There are a number of permanent, full time positions available.

You will:

• Build trusting, supportive relationships that place each young person’s voice, needs and aspirations at the centre.
• Carry out assessments, coordinate support, and signpost individuals to relevant services.
• Ensure casework is accurate, timely and reflective of each young person’s journey.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Council, as well as external partners such as health services, education providers, housing teams and emergency services.
• Take part in duty work, team development and reflective supervision.
• Maintain high standards of safeguarding, record keeping, and professional conduct.
• Promote best practice, support continuous improvement, and contribute to a culture of learning and development.
• Balance your caseload and plan your work effectively, ensuring statutory responsibilities are met.

This is a mobile role, requiring visits across the county and beyond and flexible working to meet the needs of young people.

Please see the job description for a full list of requirements for the role.

Take a look at our Children's Social Care Candidate Pack to find out more about working in Children's Services at Buckinghamshire Council.

Other information

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 29th March

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled ‘Exceptions Order’).

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/