Sessional Project Worker 3

Better Futures Service provides direct assessment and intervention to children, young people and young adults, from ages 5 to 21, where there is a harmful or complex sexual history. The role of the sessional project worker will be to support the service in working with individual children on an As and When basis. The role includes carrying out comprehensive assessments and undertaking bespoke programmes of intervention across all areas of sexual abuse. The role involves direct work with children and families, multi-agency working and report writing.

The successful candidate will have experience of assessing and providing direct work to children and families. Knowledge of social work systems and legal frameworks is important. The ability to communicate well, write to a good standard and have excellent analytical skills will be required for the role.

All staff will have training around working with this specific group of children, including using risk assessment tools.

If you would like to discuss this role before applying, please contact Kathryn.Lawrence@barnardos.org.uk

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values.  We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. 

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay. 

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours.  More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application. 

Sessional Service Practitioner – Better Futures

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual to join a well- established Barnardo's Service as a Sessional Service Practitioner undertaking assessments and direct therapeutic work with children and young people.

About Better Futures Service

Better Futures Cymru is a specialist service which provides assessments and longer-term therapeutic interventions for children and young people who display problematic or Harmful Sexual Behaviour; and young people who are at risk of or who are abused through Child Sexual Exploitation.

Salary: £29,206- £35,728 pro-rata per annum

Hours: Sessional (As and When)

Location: The post will be based in Barnardo's Better Futures Offices, in Pyle, Bridgend, with options to work in other locations where needed.

Job Role

You will undertake specialist assessments of risks and needs and provide therapeutic interventions for children and young people who display Harmful Sexual Behaviour or who have experienced or are at risk of Child Sexual Exploitation. You will do this by working directly with children and families. Your duties will also include:

• Writing comprehensive, structured assessments reports which outline young peoples needs, risks and protective factors in relation to referring concerns.
• Completing therapeutic interventions with children and young people referred to the service.
• Completing regular reports to update referring agencies of progress, and outstanding needs/risk.
• Offering specialist advise to referring Social Workers around case management issues and safety planning
• Representing the service at multi agency meetings
• Delivering training
• Undertaking direct work with parents/carers
• Working within the court arena (Family and Criminal)

Essential Criteria

The attached job description and person specification are standard documents relating to Project Worker 3 posts across Barnardo's. In addition to the criteria outlined in these person specification applicants should also give particular consideration as to how they meet the criteria below:

• A Social Work or equivalent professional qualification, i.e. a probation degree, Psychology or therapeutic qualification with registration with the relevant professional body.
• Ability to undertake structured, complex assessments of children and young people who may have experienced trauma
• High level of analytical ability, and ability to apply research to practice.
• Ability to write complex reports.
• Experience or knowledge of delivering therapeutic interventions with children and young people to support them to recover from trauma.
• Experience of assessing and managing risk.
• Experience of working in partnership with young people, their families, carers and professionals.
• Demonstrable experience of working within a safeguarding environment.
• The ability, on occasion, to work remotely which will involve overnight stays.

 

• Experience of working sexual abuse/sexualisation is preferred but not essential, as training will be given.

 

 

What we can offer you

• A supportive working environment which includes clinical supervision, access to consultant psychologists and monthly case management supervision.
• Opportunity to work within a planned yet innovative/creative manner
• Specialist training and access to research

 

Need more information?

If you require any further information about this opportunity, please contact Kathryn Lawrence, Children's Services Manager, Kathryn.lawrence@barnardos.org.uk

 

 

About Barnardo's

At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Barnardo's is committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce for staff and volunteers.

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

*T&C's apply based on contract

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

• Reference number:22705
• Job Title:Sessional Project Worker 3
• Location:Barnardo's Better Futures
• Contract type:As & When
• Hours:0
• Salary:£32,142.24 FTE
• Closing Date:28 April 2026

Benefits

Vacancy Alerts

Additional Info

• Information Sheet for Applicants Applying for Positions Working with Children and Vulnerable Adults (updated July 2021).pdf (107.00 KB)
• Barnardo's Workplace Offer Visual Summary.pdf (27.58 KB)
• Project Worker 3 - Children's Services - Job Description and Person Specification.pdf (0.55 MB)
• Recruitment of Ex-Offenders Policy Dec 2024.pdf (164.07 KB)