Child Health Engagement Officer

Child Health Engagement Officer Employer: Medway Council Salary: Range 4 - £29,793 - £35,410 per annum / pro rata Location: Hybrid – Works part in the office (Gun Wharf) and part from home Contract: Permanent Working Pattern: Full Time Hours: 37 hours per week. DBS Check: Enhanced Closing Date: 10/05/2024 at 23:59 Reference: REC3135VR

We are currently recruiting for a Child Health Engagement Officer to support participation work around young people’s mental and emotional health and well-being. They will work with young people and colleagues to gather views and opinions of young people related to support services and to involve young people in decision making processes about those services, embedding youth participation in all aspects of their work.

Responsibilities of the role include supporting the commissioning of children’s and young person’s mental health services and supporting the implementation of THRIVE including supporting expansion of the thrive champions group to include Medway children and young people.

To work with stakeholders to plan and deliver a Childrens Mental Health event to be held during mental health awareness week.

There will be a requirement to attend meetings such as Local Transformation Plan (LTP), Mental Health Leads Network and to provide ad hoc support to projects, such as the evaluation of mental health support teams or particular topics or themes related to children and young people’s health and wellbeing.

Working in partnership with Medway Parents and Carers Forum (MPCF) and other participation workers (Kent, lived experience lead/s, service partnership workers), the youth service.

There will be ongoing work to understand how children and young people experience mental health and emotional wellbeing and the services that support them. Looking to capture voices from a variety of groups including seldom heard voices or those who do not attend a state funded school.

The work will involve working flexible hours to meet with groups of young people in various locations, including schools, youth and sports clubs and places young people meet. Weekly timetables will be agreed in advance but may need to change to accommodate young people.

To promote a safe, friendly, and supportive atmosphere; developing an imaginative programme of activities that meets the needs of young people attending the project, whilst ensuring that young people are actively involved in the delivery and evaluation of the youth service.

All staff working in the department have a responsibility for promoting and supporting the Councils policies and procedures for safeguarding. You should ensure that you carry out your duties and work at all times in a way that ensures the safeguarding and welfare of service users.

In return we offer you:

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Generous local government pension scheme package
• Access to wider training and development qualifications
• Flexible working scheme
• Travel plan discounts
• Car Benefit Scheme from Tusker
• Access to CAREFIRST advice & counselling service
• Employee discount scheme for national and local retailers
• The Government has introduced new ways of supporting parents with childcare costs. Further details are available here: - https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Were committed to making Medway carbon neutral by 2050. We have developed an action plan to ensure we play our part in addressing the climate emergency. Our declaration fits into our Council Plan priority of making Medway a place to be proud of. The main outcome being a clean and green environment. All Medway Council staff can access an additional day’s paid leave to undertake a volunteering activity which supports climate change.

Our organisation:

Medway is a unitary authority in the South East of England, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham and more rural areas, including the Hoo Peninsula.

Situated in Kent in the South-East of England, the area has plenty of green spaces, excellent facilities and easy access to the national motorway and rail networks, facilitating superb transport links to London.

We provide all local Government services for a quarter of a million people, looking after education, environment, social care, housing, planning, business and much more - everything from frontline services such as rubbish collection and events like the Dickens Festival to work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure services in Medway run smoothly and cost effectively.

Working at Medway Council means that you get to be part of this journey working alongside talented, professional colleagues to drive forward change to transform the lives of our residents and the communities they live in.

If you would like to have an informal discussion with the recruiting manager, please e-mail Sofie Wheeldon on sofie.wheeldon@medway.gov.uk

Important Information-

fixed term contract until 30 August 2025

If Fixed Term Contract - This opportunity is currently being offered on a fixed term contract until 30 August 2025; however, if budgets allow the contract length may be extended, though this is not guaranteed. If an internal council employee wishes to apply for this role, a secondment opportunity may be considered (please state this on your application).

Applicants must be able to demonstrate all essential requirements as listed in the job profile.

Equal Opportunities Commitment Statement

Medway Council is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All appropriately qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, marital status, family commitments, sexual orientation, age, HIV status, religious or political beliefs, social class or trade union activity or irrelevant spent conviction.

For further information please refer to the Medway information pack available as a download or to view online.

Please be advised that if you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted. All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email.

Please visit http://www.mindfulemployer.net/ for information on how Medway Council put good practices in place to ensure employees and job applicants who declare mental health issues receive the right level of support.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time prior to the closing date.

How to apply

Please be advised that we only accept online applications submitted through JobsGoPublic ATS

If you are not contacted within 3 weeks of the advert closing date then you have not been shortlisted.

All recruitment correspondence, including interview letters and contracts of employment will usually be sent out via email, if you require documentation/correspondence in different format such as braille or large print, please contact the Resourcing Team on 01634 332878.