Trauma Informed Project Worker – Bawnlea, Tallaght, Dublin 24
Tallaght, Dublin 24
General Information
Why work at Barnardos?
At Barnardos we seek to ensure that we have the best people working with us to support our work with children and families. The benefits of working with Barnardos are designed to promote continual professional development and a work-life balance for the most rewarding working experience.
- Barnardos offers a competitive salary – recognising the experience you bring to the role
- Generous annual leave entitlements plus discretionary Company days
- Positive working environment with family friendly ethos and work – life balance policy
- Tax saver and bike to work schemes in operation
- Employee pension scheme with employer contribution
- Company Sick Pay Scheme
- An opportunity to help improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families by working in a trauma informed way
- Access to regular trauma informed support and supervision
- Ongoing support and access to training and professional development opportunities
- An opportunity to be part of a supportive team
- Access to the Employee Assistance Program for employees and their immediate family members
- Regular Breath, Body and mind sessions to support staff well-being
Address/Location: 31 Bawnlea Green, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 T2HF
Contact Details: Project Administrator – Tori Walsh Phone: 01- 403 2080
Would you like to work with children and their families in an evidenced based and trauma-informed environment?
Barnardos is Ireland’s leading children’s charity and has been working in the Tallaght area since 1980.
Barnardos’ mission is to deliver services and work with families, communities, and our partners to transform the lives of vulnerable children who are affected by adverse childhood experiences.
The Barnardos Child & Family Centre, Bawnlea provides a trauma-informed family support service, which operates a keyworker system for children and their families, assigned by the case manager.
The Centre mostly provides services for families presenting with complex needs, impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the majority of referrals are from the Tusla Child & Family Agency, although parents and can also self-refer.
Barnardos works in close partnership with families, statutory bodies and voluntary agencies, to bring about better outcomes for children, using a mind, heart and body approach.
Families can access services at the warm, calming and comfortable environment of the Bawnlea Centre, or within their homes.
Service interventions include:
- Just Right State Programme: An intervention to facilitate children to learn how to self-regulate their emotional states and actions, and also to enable parents to provide an enriched environment in their home in order to promote connected parent-child engagement.
- Non-Violent Resistance (NVR): An evidence-based programme to facilitate parents to address in a safe way: incidents of aggressive, violent or controlling behaviours from their child or young person.
- Partnership with Parents (PwP): An evidenced based and home-based, individual parenting programme to support parents to develop healthy relationships with their children.
- Solution Focused / Brief Intervention: A solution focused approach to facilitate positive change for parents and their families.
- This Is Me: A one-to-one programme for children aged 6 to 12 years of age, to promote resilience, well-being and the capacity to grow and develop in the context of adverse events.
- Advocacy support: A time-limited process to facilitate parents to access supports and provisions within their community in order to address their own unmet needs and / or to access services and resources on behalf of their child, to address their child’s needs.
- Practical Family Support: A time-limited provision of support, advocacy work and crisis intervention focused on improving the living environment and if required, practical parenting inputs, to facilitate the development of home management skills for parents.
Where we work
Services are provided in our Centre in Jobstown (Tallaght, Dublin 24), in the homes of participating families and in local community settings as appropriate to the needs of the child and family. The Centre’s current catchment area covers Dublin 12 and Dublin 24. Services are also provided on-line, as required.
The service is a key participant with the Tusla Child & Family Agency’s ‘Comhar’ process, which seeks to provide accessible and focused interventions to children and families, not involved with the Social Work Department The Centre is funded by the Tusla Child & Family Agency, the HSE and Barnardos voluntary funds.
Job Description
Post: Project Worker
Location: Bawnlea Child and Family Centre, Tallaght.
Responsible to: Project Leader, Bawnlea Tallaght
Works with: Other staff, Service Users and other agencies
Job Purpose
To develop and implement programmes that respond to the needs of children and families referred to both services working in partnership with families and other organisational, community and voluntary bodies.
Core Job Requirements
- To assess the needs of the children and the families engaging with the projects.
- To plan, implement and review programmes for children/young people/carers/families based on an assessment of their individual and group needs.
- To be vigilant for signs of physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect and any concerns regarding the welfare of children. To record concerns promptly and accurately. To consult with the Designated Person and take appropriate action in accordance with Barnardos Child Protection policy.
- To work with children/young people/carers/families in a variety of ways, including group work, individual work and family work, centre based and outreach work.
- To key work individual children/young people/carers/families in order to meet their needs and to advocate on their behalf.
- To liaise effectively with families and other statutory, community and voluntary bodies and to attend and contribute to reviews and case conferences as required.
- To work in partnership with other Barnardos services to best meet the needs of children and families by collaborating resources with planned interventions targeting groups/families of shared need.
- To keep regular records in relation to all aspects of work and prepare reports as required.
- To gather information statistics and prepare reports as required, including administration of databases as appropriate to the role.
- To identify and document to the line manager any unmet needs of children/young people/ carers / families within the service and to participate in the advocacy work of the agency.
Requirements Specific to this Post
- To engage with children and their families and deliver services within a trauma-informed context with a focus on promoting regulation and enhancing parent –child attachment.
- To deliver evidenced based and / or evidence informed interventions at individual and / or group level.
- To encourage and support the participation of fathers in their children’s lives wherever appropriate.
- To lead / participate in Meitheal processes as required.
- To maintain an awareness of relevant services available within the catchment area and to make and support referrals as appropriate
Note: This Job Description will be reviewed and updated in line with the needs of the work.
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Person Specification
Personal attributes
- Commitment to the delivery of quality services to children, young people, families and carers.
- Ability to act on own initiative and consult where appropriate.
- Ability to work under pressure, make decisions in consultation with the line manager when appropriate.
- To be committed to adhering to best practice in the work and be innovative and open to change.
- Flexibility and adaptability are essential for this post.
- Ability to form objective relationships with children, young people, families/carers, colleagues and other agencies.
Experience
- A minimum of 2 years’ post-qualification experience of working with children and families impacted by trauma.
- Experience of planning, implementing and reviewing programmes with children and / or families.
- Experience of using evidence based or evidence informed methodologies.
- Training in and experience of parenting programmes.
Qualifications
A recognised third level practice qualification[1] (minimum Level 7 on the QQI) in one of the following:
- Early Childhood Care and Education
- Social Care
- Education
- Social Work
- Youth Work
Or related discipline (Nursing, Psychology, Early Years’ Education).
Full driving licence and access to the use of a suitably insured car essential.
The post-holder is initially assigned to work in the Bawnlea Tallaght, area but may be required in the future to work in other locations in Dublin area in line with Organisational needs.
[1] Course content should include relevant student placements
Barnardos is an equal opportunity employer.
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.
Application Procedure
Vacancy Details
LOCATION
Tallaght, Dublin 24
Employment Type
Part-Time (35 hours per week) and Specific Purpose Contract (expected duration approx. 6 months) Work days: Monday to Friday
Salary
€32,363 - €50,024 D.O.E. (This is the pro-rated salary for 35 hours)
Contact Person
Tori Walsh on 01- 403 2080
Closing Date
Interview Date
First Week in October - TBC
