Salary £38,237 to £41,025
Permanent, Full time
Based in Centenary House, Durrington, but covering the whole county of West Sussex
37 hours per week
Interview date: 10th July 2017

This position is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (formerly Criminal Records Bureau check)
Following the Council's agreement to expand the Independent Visitor Scheme, this is an opportunity to manage a successful, growing project, which matches volunteer Independent Visitors with children and young people looked after by West Sussex County Council. Through these volunteers, the scheme offers young people access to community activities which would be otherwise unavailable.

Based within the Customer Relations Service, the Independent Visitor Scheme (IVS) supports the Council’s priorities as Corporate Parent. The scheme matches volunteer Independent Visitors with children and young people looked after by West Sussex County Council. Children will have little/no contact with their birth families or it will be considered in their best interests for them to have an adult outside of the professional network working with them, to provide a supportive relationship in line with the provisions set out in the Children Act 1989 and Children and Young Persons Act 2008.

The IVS Manager is responsible for delivery of all aspects of the service as well as the planned expansion of the Scheme over a 4 year period. There are 6 key distinct areas of work that this role will be responsible for; overall strategy and planning to meet agreed targets and address unmet need; recruitment, assessment and training of prospective Independent Visitors; overseeing the matching of Independent Visitors to children/young people; supervision of and duty of care towards staff and Independent Visitors; safeguarding children and young people through the processes, procedures and monitoring that is undertaken in all areas of the Scheme; and adhering to health and safety policy and procedures at all times with a robust management process in place to support this activity.

The successful candidate will have considerable relevant experience with children who are looked after and will be responsible for growing the scheme from the current 37 matches to 150+ over the next 4 years, recruiting and managing new scheme staff to work alongside the current Independent Visitor Scheme Co-ordinator as well as managing their own caseload of volunteers.