Job Description
Job title:
‘Choices’ Caseworker
Responsible to:
Choices Manager and/or allocated local manager, depending
on location
Location:
Holloway Road Office
Salary:
Band 2
Hours:
35 hours a week
Background
Our new expanded Choices project will build on our current provision for young people. It
will engage very disadvantaged young people who are not in employment, education and
training and who face many complex barriers that are hindering their progress, such as
homelessness, family breakdown and a history of offending. Choices will provide one to
one support to help young people access education, training, apprenticeships and
sustainable employment, and build a positive future. St Giles Trust is known for our peer
led approach and the project will be offering opportunities for young people to use their skills
and first hand experiences as Peer Advisors. Over the next 2 years we will be looking to
develop and pilot other creative and new approaches that enhance services and improve
opportunities.
Overall Purpose:

To be responsible for engaging, motivating and supporting a caseload of young people
and achieve set targets;

To develop activities and identify training, apprenticeship and employment opportunities
that motivate clients and help them progress; and

To be part of an energetic and highly motivated team
Duties and responsibilities:
1. Work face to face with clients developing professional and constructive relationships and
managing a caseload.
2. Achieve set individual targets for engagement, training and employment outcomes.
3. Undertake outreach and promotion to engage clients including liaising with staff and
relevant referring agencies to generate referrals.
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4. Assess and register clients onto the project in line with programme eligibility criteria and
carry out individual assessments. Support clients to develop individual action plans and
regularly review to assess progress.
5. Provide a client led support service that responds to individual’s needs and aspirations.
Key elements will include motivation and engagement activities, IAG, personal
development, support to secure training, apprenticeships, employment, volunteering and
work experience, advocacy.
6. Work with colleagues to set up and run group activities e.g. motivation workshops; visits
and excursions; short courses.
7. Set up progression routes into training, volunteering, apprenticeships and employment
by engaging training providers and employers and building strong links. Share
information across team members
8. Find work placements for clients and ensure there are positive and supportive
relationships with host employers and that service level agreements are adhered to.
9. Provide ongoing support to clients, particularly at set back and transition times to help
them progress.
10. Promote the use of the client facing end of our database and developing digital platform
and utilise a range of means of communicating with clients and sharing experiences and
information (texts, on-line forum).
11. Provide services in accordance with Matrix standards and comply with quality assurance
measures.
12. Maintain accurate and timely records of work on the database system and provide stats
and reports as required.
13. Supervision and support Peer Advisors and volunteers working on the project, assisting
with day to day queries and workload.
14. As directed, attend and contribute constructively to internal and external meetings and
represent the Trust and funder positively at all times.
15. Carry out other similar tasks as directed by the manager and work at all times in
accordance with the Trust’s code of conduct.
Person Specification
1. Substantial experience of successfully supporting very disadvantaged young people to
progress into education, training and employment.
2. Excellent awareness of the needs and concerns of very disadvantaged young people not
in education, training or employment including those with convictions; experiencing
homelessness or family breakdown; lacking in motivation.
3. Significant experience of managing a caseload of clients and achieving set targets for
training and employment progression.
4. Experience and ability to recruit, engage and keep the target client group motivated.
5. Proven ability to design and set up a range of interventions that support clients to make
progress.
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6. Good track record of successfully engaging with training and apprenticeship providers,
and employers that has led to achievement of progressions.
7. Openness to new ideas and innovative approaches and ability to adapt to meet the
changing needs of the service.
8. Strong IT skills including Word, Excel and Outlook. Ability to set up and maintain timely,
accurate and detailed records on databases and paper files.
9. Good written and communication skills and ability to use a range of communication
methods with clients.
10. Understanding of Matrix standards and ability to implement quality assurance measures.
11. Ability to work within a diverse staff team of paid staff, Peer Advisors and volunteers, to
be an enthusiastic team player and work collaboratively to deliver organisational goals.
12. Ability to travel occasionally.
13. Awareness of and commitment to equal opportunity and diversity practices and policies.
14. Knowledge of and commitment to safeguarding practices and policies, and ability to
promote safeguarding among vulnerable clients and colleagues.
15. Awareness and commitment to working in line with sustainable working practices and
environmental best practice.
16. Advice and Guidance qualification, Youth Work or equivalent at Level 3.
17. Successful candidates must undergo an Enhanced CRB check, on the basis that the
post involves contact with vulnerable clients and colleagues.
Desirable
18. Experience of working with young ex-offenders
19. Training experience and/or PTLLS qualification
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