Project Worker

Introduction

Haven Project Liverpool is a service that provides support to parents who are involved in public care proceedings initiated by Liverpool Children's Services. The support offered includes attending court hearings and key meetings with parents and acting as an advocate where needed; accompanying parents to the first and follow up meetings with specialist services i.e. drugs/alcohol, mental health, domestic abuse; providing prayer support; meeting parents regularly in the community to provide the emotional and practical support they require; linking parents in to relevant community groups to develop positive support networks.

Though our work provides an element of advocacy for parents we do not provide legal advice at any stage of the process. All parents involved in public care proceedings automatically qualify for legal aid. We work closely with a parent’s solicitor and barrister to ensure they are accessing the necessary legal guidance and advice throughout the court process.

In circumstances where children don't return home our Next Steps service offers parents a further 12 months support. The focus of the service is to support parents in coming to terms with their loss and to make plans for their own future, ultimately aiming to reduce the number of parents who will go through the court process again.

Haven Project Liverpool is an organisation which seeks to demonstrate Christian faith in practice. The service we offer is open to people of all faiths and none and is guided by the principle that all people, whoever they are, however they live, whatever they've done, should be treated with equal dignity, care and respect. The work is motivated by the belief that no person or situation is beyond hope.

Purpose of the role

By providing intensive one-to-one support to a small case load of parents you will help:

• reduce parents' sense of stress and isolation

• enable parents to participate fully in the court process

• promote positive, lasting change

• shape the provision of support available to parents nationally through an external evaluation of our service model

Suitable candidates must have at least two years experience of direct work with adults or families in a voluntary or statutory setting, particularly in working with people who have difficulty engaging with services. As we work closely with parents' solicitors, but do not provide legal advice ourselves, prior knowledge of the court process is not an essential requirement for the post. Full training will be provided.

For a full description of the role requirements please see the attached job description