Ireland’s leading children’s charity is recruiting:

Child and Family Development Worker – Finglas

Location: Finglas Early Years’ Service, Dublin 11

Contract: Fulltime (37 hours) and Specific Purpose Maternity Cover Contract
Monday – Thursday: 8.30am – 4.30pm. Friday: 8.30am – 4pm

Salary: €28,265 - €44,573 Depending on Experience

Why work at Barnardos?

At Barnardos we seek to ensure that we have the best people working with us to support our work with children and families. The benefits of working with Barnardos are designed to promote continual professional development and a work-life balance for the most rewarding working experience.

• Barnardos offers a competitive salary – recognising the experience you bring to the role
• Generous annual leave entitlements
• Positive working environment with family friendly ethos and work - life balance policy
• Tax saver travel and bike to work schemes in operation
• Employee Pension scheme with employer contribution
• Training and Development
• Health and Wellbeing initiatives including Employee Assistance programme
• Company sick pay scheme

Name of the Project: Finglas Early Years’ service (FEYS).
Address/Location: St. Oliver Plunkett Junior School, St. Helena’s Drive, Finglas, Dublin 11.
Contact Details: Telephone: 01-8644040

What does our Project do?

Finglas Early Years’ service seeks to maximise the capacity of families to meet children’s needs by offering early interventions to improve child development outcomes for children in the Finglas area. The service delivers targeted support for individual children and bundle of integrated family support services for their families, which includes transport to and from pre-school daily. Specific attention is given to those families where child protection or welfare concerns exist, working with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged families, specifically focusing on parenting skills and child-parent relationships in order to reduce subsequent difficulties.

Barnardos aims to improve the emotional well-being of children, and to improve their capacity for learning and development. Barnardos is committed to inter-agency working and a partnership approach with families.

Services in our Finglas centre include Early Years and Pre-school programmes for children based on the Tús Maith curriculum and High Scope approach, parent and child work, practical family support and parenting work.

We work to provide a response which involves interagency collaboration to maximise outcomes for families.

Barnardos work is needs-based and research-led to work with children for an outcome focus to help reduce negative impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on development.

Early Intervention is at the core of our work as we are strongly aware of the importance of intervening as early as possible for prevention of further impacts.

Possible reasons for early intervention

We work with children who experience one or more of the following challenges:

• understanding or expressing emotions
• managing conflict or demonstrating empathy for others
• playing in a co-operative manner
• sharing
• making positive choices
• understanding speech/language
• difficulties standing, walking, holding a pencil, picking up items or coordination due to poor gross and fine motor skills
• Changes in home or community which impact on their daily life and development

The Impact of Early Intervention

With Early Intervention children are supported to develop important life and education skills, such as the ability to make and sustain friendships, literacy skills, manage conflict, problem solving and self-regulate.

Who do we work with?

Referrals are accepted from Tusla, HSE, local community groups, schools, and other agencies and individuals as appropriate, including other Barnardos services and parents/carers themselves.
All referrals will be responded to and following Barnardos assessment, services will be offered in line with presenting needs, criteria and service capacity.

Job purpose

To provide quality services to children and their families who experience disadvantage in partnership with families/ carers and other agencies in order to support children’s development.

Personal attributes

• Commitment to the delivery of a quality service to children and families.
• Ability to assess the needs of children.
• Ability to design, implement and evaluate individual and group programmes for children.
• Ability to liaise with families and carers in relation to the welfare of their children.
• Ability to work as part of a team and liaise with colleagues and other agencies.
• Record-keeping - ability to keep clear records and prepare reports.
• Flexibility and adaptability are essential for this post.
• Ability to work on own initiative and to consult where appropriate.

Experience

• A minimum of 2 years’ post-qualification experience of working with children (young children if relevant) and families required.
• Experience of working with children who face disadvantage is desirable.
• Experience and knowledge of working in the Traveller Community is desirable.

Qualifications

• A recognised third level qualification minimum QQI Level 6, that is approved under the Early Years’ (Pre-school) Regulations.
  (Course content should include relevant student placements)
• Qualification in High-Scope is desirable.

For full job description and to apply please visit Current Job Vacancies – Barnardos

Closing date: 5pm 10th July 2024
Interview date: TBA

Shortlisting will apply (please note, CVs are not accepted on their own, candidates must complete and submit our application form through Barnardos website).

Barnardos is an equal opportunity employer.
We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.