JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Resettlement Caseworkers
Reporting to:
Eastern Region Manager /Team Leader
Grade:
Grade 2
Hours:
Full time 35 hours per week/Part time 17.5 hours per week – with
some flexibility around hours possible to fit around prison
schedules
Location:
The posts are based at various locations, as assigned, across The
BeNCH or Norfolk & Suffolk Areas. Some occasional cover of work
or in the other area may be required.
BeNCH includes local CRC offices across the region and HMP
Bedford, HMP The Mount, HMP Peterborough, HMP Woodhill.
Norfolk & Suffolk includes local CRC offices across the region and
HMP Wayland, HMP Norwich, HMP Hollesley Bay.
Overall purpose:
The post-holder will be part of a Community Integration team
which will work both sides of the prison gates. Working in
partnership with the local CRC, they will ensure the co-ordination of
a full resettlement service to those eligible offenders referred by
the CRC including those based in custody.
Duties will vary and range from ensuring all custodial offenders
have a resettlement plan both on arrival and at least 12 prior to
release to providing advice, information and support around issues
such as housing, ETE and Finance, Benefit and Debt.
The post-holder will also be expected to support and work closely
with our Peer Advisors (offenders who have been through our Peer
Advisor programme in prison) to maximise the support and impact
for the offenders we work with.
JD Resettlement Caseworker Eastern Region – Mar 2015
Duties and Responsibilities:
Community activities:
1. To work with a caseload of offenders in the community agreed with the local CRC
including those who have been released from custody, agreeing and reviewing
resettlement plans
2. To provide resettlement support to eligible offenders being released from prison
including where appropriate meeting them “at the gate” on the day of release.
3. To continue supporting the clients in finding accommodation including sourcing the private
rental sector in utilising financial assistance and accessing specialised financial advice. In
obtaining ID and claiming welfare benefit, and to look for opportunities and support clients
in relation to Education, Training, Employment and Voluntary Work placements and to
support clients in accessing any other services or interventions which will support their
rehabilitation, including health, substance misuse, family relationships, mental health
services etc .
4. To offer support of a practical nature when clients have been placed into suitable
accommodation or returning to a tenancy in regards to utilities, furniture, benefits and
grant applications.
5. Support clients to adhere to any conditions or restrictions set out by their Licence to
prevent them from breaching their license or supervision conditions.
6. To support clients to access services and activities in the community which will help them
build a life away from criminal activity including social, activity based, skill building
programmes.
7. To work with and support volunteer Peer Advisors who will be working with offenders
being released to ensure the activities and duties carried out do not duplicate existing
casework and provide a co-ordinated service which supports the needs of the CRC and
offenders.
Pre-release custodial activities:
8. To manage and maintain systems that provide a full, comprehensive resettlement
planning service to prisoners. To review resettlement plans at agreed stages of a
prisoner’s sentence and either provide information or assistance (both 1:1 and as group
sessions) based on identified need or to make referrals to the appropriate services as
required.
JD Resettlement Caseworker Eastern Region – Mar 2015
9. To lead on the delivery and coordination of resettlement plan interventions across all
pathways for service users in co-operation with prison staff, Peer Advisors, Case
Managers and other providers.
10. To provide casework support and supervision, including coaching when appropriate, to
the Peer Advisors on a regular basis.
11. Negotiate and work closely with departments and external organisations within the
prisons, supporting constructive working and contributing where required to prison
inspections and self-assessment reports.
General:
12. Develop and maintain a strong working relationship with CRC staff and in particular the
Responsible Officers who will be supervising and managing the offenders in the
caseload.
13. Develop good relations with other teams across the Eastern Region, and contribute to
the development of a positive and successful team
14. To fully co-operate with prison/ probation security requirements in all the
establishments that the project may access.
15. Developing and maintaining working relationships with a range of key agencies, housing
providers, mental health teams, drug and alcohol teams, education providers and other
specialist services across the region. especially those providers who have been
contracted by the local CRC to provide specialist services to offenders.
16. To attend meetings as directed by the team manager including team meetings and
relevant prison service meetings.
17. To maintain accurate and appropriate records of work done and outcomes achieved on
our database, as directed by the manager and provide on a monthly basis reports both
qualitative and quantitative on progress against agreed outputs/outcomes. performance
management – contributing to our contractual targets. Also ability to use data inputting
systems such as OASYS, N-DELIUS etc.
18. To contribute to the implementation of St Giles Trust policies and procedures.
19. To carry out other similar tasks as directed by the manager.
JD Resettlement Caseworker Eastern Region – Mar 2015
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential:
1. Understanding of issues facing individuals, who have multiple and complex needs, whilst in
prison and on release.
2. A capacity to develop a constructive relationship with ex-offenders including good listening
skills.
3. An awareness of options for support for this client group in these areas:
- welfare and housing rights;
- anti-social behaviour legislation
- education, training and employment (ETE); as well as
- finance, benefit and debt (FBD).
Some knowledge of available options for these areas would be beneficial
- health, including mental-health
- domestic violence
- substance misuse
4. An ability to organise own time and workload to cover the requirements of the service.
5. Strong IT skills including proven experience of using Word, Excel and Outlook in a similar
work environment. Ability to work with case databases on a day-to-day basis.
6. Ability to be flexible and develop positive working relationships with other staff, volunteers,
managers and partners and resolve any conflicts professionally.
7. Ability to work both in the community and in a prison environment to develop constructive
relationships with different teams, agencies and providers.
8. Ability and commitment to work as part of a multidisciplinary team and a readiness to take
responsibility to adapt to meet the changing needs of the service, at times with very little
notice.
9. Awareness of and commitment to safeguarding practices and policies, and ability to
promote safeguarding among clients and colleagues.
10. Awareness of and commitment to equal opportunity and diversity practices and policies,
and to promote diversity and treat colleagues and clients fairly and with respect.
Desirable:
11. Level 3 Advice and Guidance
12. Experience of working with offenders
JD Resettlement Caseworker Eastern Region – Mar 2015
13. Experience of supervising volunteers
14. Experience of using OASYS, PNOMIS and/or N-DELIUS
15. Prison clearance or the ability to be cleared to work in prison
JD Resettlement Caseworker Eastern Region – Mar 2015