Social Worker

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

The Youth Development Centre reaches out to latch-key young people from low to middle income families to guide them towards a more purposeful life.

As an outreach centre, the staff and volunteers engage the youth with a variety of sports, music and social activities to impart life skills that will help them build a strong foundation for their future.

The centre also has organised activities such as Arts & Crafts workshops, music classes to various sporting activities to engage the youth. Guest speakers who are accomplished and have excelled in their area of expertise are occasionally invited to conduct training and interactive activities for the young people.

We also function as a drop-in centre to provide young people in the community with a safe and conducive place to study. The youths that visit the centre mostly live or study in the Kallang or Geylang Bahru area.

With a holistic programme, Youth Development Centre aims to bring out the young people's leadership qualities and hone their life skills so as to empower them to live their dreams and contribute to society.

RESPONSIBILITIES

About the Job

The Youth Development Centre currently provides a drop-in centre service for children and youth from low-income latch-key, or with higher needs and also incubates the Befrienders For Families (BFF), a programme to support the safe preservation and reunification of vulnerable children with their families.

As a Social Worker in the BFF and YDC team, you will be key in facilitating change and improving lives of our vulnerable children and youth and their families. You will also be instrumental in growing and implementing this befriender’s programme to support the preservations/reunifications of children who are at risk or have been in fostering or children’s homes to their families.

 You will need to

• provide professional services to assess, plan and execute interventions for clients through the support of volunteers;
• grow our volunteer pool;
• ensure safety of the vulnerable children, their families, volunteers and staff through good risk assessment and management. You will also support in programme development, management and evaluation, as well as other services in the Children and Youth Group (CYG) as and when required, such as providing access supervision for families referred by Child Protective Services (CPS).  

 We are looking for someone with a “Can Do” spirit who is creative in problem solving, with a passion for making a difference vulnerable children and families and have that special ability to connect and inspire volunteers. Experience in working with clients with child protection/family violence risks is preferred.

Job Responsibilities

1. Case Management/Supervision

• Provide case management to support cases allocated to you, including assessment, case planning, intervention and review.  
• Coordinate and facilitate internal case discussions and networking and case conferences with other agencies.
• Build up a strong network with the community to enable access to help for our clients.
• Assess safety risks for clients, families and volunteers and do safety planning for cases.
• Manage crisis and provide de-escalation when needed.
• Advocate and represent the rights, needs and welfare of our clients through various official platforms, to address service gaps, concerns or issues that will promote and enhance the service delivery for our beneficiaries.
• Maintain proper documentation of cases.

1. Volunteer Pool Development and Management

• Grow our pool of befrienders to enable the preservation and reunification of children with their families.
• Assess, screen and prepare befrienders for working with our target groups. 
• Develop and execute training for befrienders. 
• Activate, bridge and support befrienders to enable them to support children and families matched to them. 

1. Community Resources and networking

• Establish close working partnership both internally and with other stakeholders and institutions so as to maximise our community resources and support systems.

1. Programme development and management

• You will support your supervisors in the development and evaluation of our programmes where needed.
• Assist to maintain and formulate standard operating procedures.

1. Professional Development

• Maintain professional knowledge, ethics and skills, and initiate personal responsibility, self-development and education.
• Keep up to date with the current trends of the social service sector as well as the needs of the client group.

1. Administration

• Undertake report writing/editing or proposal submission as and when required.
• Contribute strategic inputs at a macro level for YDC with the support of the Centre Manager
• Support in staff orientation/ appraisal/training when required.
• Ensure all outcomes and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are achieved at all times.
• Ensure the accuracy of reporting to funders (e.g. MSF) by working closely with the Administrative Assistant.
• Undertake any other duties as and when required and in consistent with the position.

Degree in Social Work from an accredited institution.

 Job Requirements

• Accredited as Registered Social Worker with SASW.
• At least 1-2 years in direct social work is preferred.

Core Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Understands the principles of engaging and working with vulnerable families and individuals.
• Case management and casework knowledge and skills.
• Risk assessment and risk management.
• Good report writing skills.

Working Hours

5-day work week

Mon – Fri: 10am to 7pm

Working Location

The Salvation Army Children and Youth Group - Youth Development Centre

Address: 65 Kallang Bahru, #01-305. Singapore 330065

Website: https://www.salvationarmy.org.sg/