SHIFT Guide (social worker)

We are offering a £3,000 annual market supplement for this role!

The Kingston and Richmond SHiFT Team aims to break the destructive cycle of children who are caught up in, or at greatest risk of, cycles of crime so that they make a positive contribution to our society and build better lives for themselves.

SHiFT works with children and young people who are, or are at risk of, repeatedly committing crimes. We do not defi­ne them by the criminal offences they have committed but treat each as an individual.

A SHiFT team is made up of 5 highly experienced SHiFT guides and one team coordinator supporting all aspects of SHiFT activities.

The team works tenaciously, collaboratively, and systemically with SHiFT participants and everyone in their world, identifying the right moment to intervene with tailored and fl­exible interactions that suit each person. One SHiFT Guide takes on a lead role within the team however a SHiFT team is not traditionally hierarchical; making decisions as a group, taking collective responsibility for SHiFT delivery, and sharing knowledge and experience to maximise good practice is important.

SHiFT is a new way of working which you will help shape and develop. We need your experience and input to ensure it develops the impact we believe it can. You will need to be flexible and collaborative; ready to share ideas and take risks to change the lives of SHiFT participants.

We are looking for experienced social workers from a wide range of backgrounds to support the development and delivery of SHiFT at this exciting time. This is an ideal role for practitioners who want to invest in meaningful, skilled and direct work with children who may present with some of the most challenging behaviours, which can create professional anxiety but requires a robust and relationship-based approach to break the cycles of crime and harm.

In Kingston and Richmond’s SHIFT Practice our Guides are all qualified social workers because this enables the Guide, who is developing the relationship with the participant and delivering the intensive intervention, to also carry out the statutory functions of assessment and planning within social care. We aim to break down barriers of hierarchy and previous experiences or perceptions of social care to create meaningful change with the children caught up in cycles of crime and harm and with their families. 

Within the youth justice system in the UK children and young people from minority groups, particularly black males, are acutely overrepresented. Therefore, we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups to apply for SHiFT roles - bringing the experience, skills and knowledge needed to support children and young people to break the destructive cycles which lead to them committing crimes.

About the role

At the heart of SHiFT’s approach will be the relationship the child or young person has with a SHiFT Guide. Participants will typically spend 18 months with their SHiFT Guide who will have the time, skills, experience and support to do whatever it takes to get alongside each child and young person - helping them to change their life so that, one day, they will no longer be needed.

Through the SHiFT journey, participants will develop strengthened foundations on which they can build a future that benefits both them and society, including improved literacy, numeracy and communications skills. These are the stable, strengthened foundations on which they can build a future that benefits both them and society.

• Guides will hold no more than 6 children to enable the capacity to work robustly and tenaciously with them and their network. 
• The team receives nominations or referrals from other teams, which are reviewed in regard to the criteria for SHiFT intervention.
• Guides will need to have experience in social work practice, including s47 investigations and delivering child protection or court proceedings.  

For further information about this role, please contact Emma Crawford by email emma.crawford@achievingforchildren.org.uk for an informal discussion.