Job title: MST Clinical Support Worker
Salary: SO1 £34,434 - £36,363
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Technorth
As an MST CAN Clinical Support Worker, you will thrive in working in a team that directly engages and supports families, and wider social supports, in the community, to help the family create a safe and nurturing environment, ensure the child's safety and promote their well-being, health, and development.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As an MST Clinical Support Worker, you will bring to the role:
- Hons Degree in psychology or related subject area/relevant clinical qualifications. Nursing, Social Work etc would also be considered as relevant to this post in the absence of a psychology degree.
- Demonstrable experience of working with families with complex presenting needs, e.g. child protection, mental health, substance use
- Demonstrable experience of working with families in a community-based setting
- Ability to use own initiative to plan and complete tasks to meet the needs of the role
- Possess a valid driver license and have reliable transportation to travel to client homes and possibly transport multiple clients at once
About the role
MST CAN is an adaptation of MST that was developed to support families who have come to the attention of Children's Services due to physical abuse and/or neglect and who have one or more children aged 6 to 17 years who are subject to a child protection plan. You will receive ongoing team support, training, and supervision in the Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST CAN). As our next MST Clinical Support Worker, you¼ have the opportunity to thrive in a supportive team environment.
The MST CAN, an evidence-based, model works holistically with families, children, their communities, and other key members of their ecology. The role is integral to our team in assisting with, and supporting, the MST CAN Therapists in assessing and conceptualizing referral behaviours, emerging problems and developing and implementing interventions; performing safety checks in collaboration with the MST CAN Supervisor or Therapist, respond to emergencies and support the collection of urine drug screens. You will actively participate in all MST CAN training, supervision, consultation, and development activities.
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:
- a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
- membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
- flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
- a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
- a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
How to apply
Please complete the online application form.
Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact Emmal Lemdani, MST CAN Supervisor. Call 07891 274126 or email emmal.lemdani@leeds.gov.uk
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check against the Children or Adultsbarred list as applicable will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.
We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Please ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job Description
Job purpose
An exciting opportunity to join the MST-CAN as a team Clinical Support Worker. We are looking for someone with a passion for working with children and families; compassionate, dedicated to supporting and empowering parents and their children by creating strength-based behaviour change that will be sustained.
The role affords the opportunity for you to thrive in a supportive team environment, learn and grow. Working with a team of therapists to support their work with families. As the Clinical Support Worker, you will assist MST-CAN Therapists in assessing and conceptualizing referral behaviours, emerging problems and developing and implementing interventions; perform safety checks in collaboration with the MST-CAN Supervisor or Therapist, respond to emergencies and support the collection of urine drug screens.
You will receive ongoing team support, training, and supervision in the Multisystemic Therapy for Child Abuse and Neglect (MST-CAN) model as you work holistically with families, children, their communities, and other key members of their ecology to implement MST-CAN and actively participate in all MST-CAN training, supervision, consultation, and development activities.
Responsibilities
- The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.
- Assist therapists in gathering information about resources for clients through a proactive stance of working to anticipate the need of clients and families
- Engage primary caregiver and other key participants in active change-oriented treatment by identifying and overcoming barriers to engagement
- Assist therapists in the implement a problem conceptualization, treatment planning, intervention implementation, outcome review and strategy revision procedure using the MST Analytic Process
- Maintain clear and concise documentation of treatment efforts that promote peer and supervisory review and feedback, and that demonstrate compliance with the nine MST Principles and the MST Analytic Process
- Perform safety checks at the direction of the supervisor or therapist, respond to emergencies, and implement crisis plans
- Obtain drug screens and/or breathalyzers for parents or youth who are abusing substances
- Participate in all MST-CAN training, supervision and consultation activities
- Build a relationship with community stakeholders (i.e., child protection services, Guardians ad Litem, judges, schools, etc.) to ensure cooperation among service providers
- Assist clients in practical needs such as housing, budgeting, job attainment, and pro-social recreational activities
- Assist the clinical team and parents with children school adjustment
- Develop a resource book for the team of activities and services available in the community that support the clinical interventions
- Assist in CAN-TAM-R collection by connecting families with the interviewer
- Be available to clinicians and engage in activities to support clinicians in their work with families
- Work within existing policy and procedures in all areas in particular child protection policies and procedures.
- Work flexibly to meet he needs of children young people and families. This will mean working regular evenings and occasional weekends.
Qualifications
Hons Degree in psychology or related subject area/relevant clinical qualifications.
Nursing, Social Work etc would also be considered as relevant to this post in the absence of a psychology degree.
Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.
- Demonstrable experience of working with families in a community-based setting
- Demonstrable experience with child protection and court systems
- Ability to work as a team member
- Demonstrable experience of working with families with complex presenting needs, eg, child protection, mental health, substance use
- Working experience of behavioural therapy targeting behavioural change in children at home and school
- Implementation of interventions within or between systems in the youth natural ecology that affect or influence the behaviour of youth (i.e., family, peer, school, and neighbourhood)
- Experience of working with vulnerable families.
- Experience of using evidenced based therapeutic interventions.
- Must possess a valid driver license and have reliable transportation to travel to client homes and possibly transport multiple clients at once
- Able to gain a clear overview of complex issues and quickly identify possible course of action based on a sound analysis of the information
- Create, maintain and develop relationships with Young People, carers, and other professionals
- Resilient in challenging circumstances
- Able to work autonomously
- Self-disciplined; ability to manage own time to prioritise workload and to achieve results.
- Ability to work within a team and maintain professional boundaries
- Commitment to anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Able and willing to work flexible hours including evenings and some weekends.
- Must demonstrate an ability to use IT Systems
- Capable of expressing information and ideas orally and in writing in a manner which is appropriate, meaningful to the audience
- Ability to use own initiative to plan and complete tasks to meet the needs of the role
- Adaptable to change
- Resourceful
- Belief in the ability of others to change
- Ability to work in partnership with others
Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics
- Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
- Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
- Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
- Carry out all duties having regard to an employee responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
- Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up, to date knowledge and skills.
- Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
- Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
- Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
- The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.
