Locations: Bristol, Milton Keynes, South Gloucestershire, Birmingham

An Independent Visitor is an adult volunteer who befriends a young person in care and develops a long-term friendship with them. This often involves helping young people develop new interests, skills and hobbies or going on outings such as to the cinema, bowling or just a walk in the park.

Each volunteer is carefully matched with a child or young person in care in their local area who shares similar interests.

What do Independent Visitors do?

• Visit a child to befriend them
• Provide looked after children with someone to talk to who is independent of the local authority
• Provide a consistent and reliable adult with a view to building a trusting and positive relationship with the child
• Provide a child with the opportunity to try new activities and spend time with them away from their placement. This in turn can enhance progress and resilience of children, by building self-esteem, strengthening mental health and opening new social relationships outside of the care system.

What skills and experience do you need?

• Interpersonal Skills – Ability to easily build rapport an identify with children and young people
• Committed – Willing to commit to a child for at least one year and preferably two years
• DBS Check – We will carry out safer recruitment checks and you will be required to have an Enhanced DBS check
• Communication – Excellent communication skills, good report writing skills and a high level of critical analysis
• Role Model – A good role model for a child or young person who may have experienced difficult times during their childhood

Remuneration

We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to join our team as an Independent Visitor. Full training and support will be given, and expenses reimbursed.

Other benefits of the role include:

• Make a lasting difference to the life of a child or young person
• Share fun activities and creative hobbies with a young person
• Be a positive role model
• Develop a long term trusting relationship
• Gain experience of working with a young person in care
• Excellent training, support and being part of an ethical and caring organisation

You must be 21+, available for flexible working and able to commit to a minimum of 1 year. As a volunteer, you would spend about 3-4 hours every month with your allocated child.

As part of the recruitment process, candidates will be required to attend necessary training for the role.

If you are interested in volunteering for Reconstruct, if you complete this form, one of the team will be in touch to have an initial call

Are you looking for a rewarding role, making a positive difference in children’s and young people’s lives? Are you passionate about upholding children’s rights and helping them to speak out?

Reconstruct – Direct Children’s Services are looking for people to join our team of advocates covering the following areas:

Locations: Bristol, Gloucestershire, Milton Keynes, Reading, South Gloucestershire, Surrey

You will be working for an organisation whose focus is on enabling the voice of children & young people to be heard, improving their lives and ensuring they have the best possible outcomes.

As an advocate, you will empower children and young people to have a voice throughout their journey within the care system, and feel listened to, safe and cared for. You will support them to share their views, wishes and feelings about decisions being made regarding their care and education by the Local Authority, and ensure that these are actively considered;

The aim of this service:

Our aim is to provide high-quality, independent advocacy to enable improved outcomes for looked after children including leavers up to the age of 25; children subject to child protection planning; children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); children & young people who wish to make a complaint about the service they receive.

The role of a Children’s Advocate:

• To empower children and young people feel heard and to grow in confidence
• To support children and young people to actively participate at their Child Protection Conferences and Child in Care review meetings
• To have the ability to build a rapport with a child or young person
• To assist children with raising complaints if they feel they need to
• To advocate on behalf of young people in different care settings
• Flexibility to fit in with the young person’s availability alongside your own commitments
• To be calm and confident in how you communicate with children & young people and with other professionals
• Some understanding of children’s social care and children with disabilities would be desirable but not necessary
• Part-Time Flexible hours – hours required are based upon hours needed with the matched child. We are totally transparent with each match as to how few or how many hours you can and are committed to – Ranging from 2 hours per week up to 12 hours per week.
• Office/School working hours, with occasional weekend requirements
• Paid Holiday allowance
• Generous salary £14.00 per hour + travel expenses paid, increasing to £14.42 after a years service
• Full Training and Ongoing support provided
• Social and fun company to work with
• Develop new skills to further enhance your personal or professional aspirations
• Hugely rewarding role with children and young people
• Matched Advocacy opportunities
• A chance to make a real impact on the lives of children & young people.
• Personal development plans
• Regular supervision, team meetings and peer support.

What we are looking for:

• Previous experience of working with children and young people / adults is essential
• A clean driving licence and access to your own car or good links to public transport
• Basic computer skills are necessary
• An enhanced DBS check will be undertaken if applicant is successful
• Effective organisation of time, responsive and able to accurately record/report

As part of the recruitment process, candidates will be required to attend necessary training for the role.

If you are interested to find out more about this role, send a CV and covering letter detailing your experience to recruitment@reconstruct.co.uk

Locations: Nationwide
The role is a freelance associate who can conduct Return Home Interviews for children and young people who are reported missing from home or care across England! Experience is not essential but would be a benefit.

The main areas but not limited to are

London….. NW4

Romford… RM6

London… SW20

Aylesbury…

These need to be face to face for children and young people who have been reported as missing!

Travel will be required as these are not to be undertaken on the telephone. We will attempt to allocate referrals on a geographical area.

The requests for RHI’s must be responded to and conducted within 72 hours of the referral, so this a fast-paced piece of work, but is as and when required.

What we require:

• Flexibility with working hours
• Prepared to travel
• Work evenings if required
• Have experience working with children and young people
• Can write a comprehensive report to submit back to the LA
• Individuals with a good understanding of Section 13 of the Children Act 2004 and understanding of safeguarding procedures. (This will also be covered in the training
• An understanding of what Advocacy as this is something we offer to the CYP if the reason they are going missing can be supported by having an Advocate (This will also be covered in the training). You will not be required to be undertake the advocacy if you are not experienced but would be good to have an understanding if the CYP would benefit from an Advocate.

What we offer:

• Rate of pay is £15.00 an hour for the RHI and £10.42 per hour travel time.
• Full training to undertake the role
• Peer to peer group sessions
• Enhanced DBS

Experience:

Working with children and young people: 1 year (preferred)

Work Location: On the road

If you are interested to find out more about this role, send a CV and covering letter detailing your experience to recruitment@reconstruct.co.uk

Locations: Nationwide

We are looking for professional experienced Freelance Independent Regulation 44 Visitors with a minimum of 2 years’ experience of undertaking Regulation 44 visits to join our team on a freelance basis.

You will be required to be a “critical friend” and provide thorough and impartial independent Regulation 44 visits to Children’s Homes and Services which are consistent with the National Quality Standards for Children’s Homes.

As a Regulation 44 Visitor you are required to have the following:

• Understanding and Knowledge of regulated services and their inspection frameworks and also knowledge of current legislation and statutory guidance relating to children, young people and adults at risk particularly those in residential care
• Have experience of working within a social or health care organisation, safeguarding and experience of managing complex relationships across a diverse field, e.g. social workers, OFSTED inspectors, residential care workers and registered managers, health care professionals
• Experience and knowledge of child protection and safeguarding children and young people
• Ability to easily build rapport an identify with children, young people and staff teams
• Ability in the long term to commit to visiting homes on a monthly basis.
• Excellent communication skills, good report writing skills and a high level of critical analysis
• Provide detailed reports and action plans
• Excellent time management in order to provide detailed reports in a timely manner
• Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Preferably professional qualification in a related field, i.e. social work, residential care, health care professional, advocacy or youth work.

At Reconstruct we provide:

• Professional support and supervision
• A set template and Reconstruct methodology for undertaking visits

If you are interested to find out more about this role, send a CV and covering letter detailing your experience to recruitment@reconstruct.co.uk