Senior Sessional Worker - National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum

Catch22 exists to help build a society where everyone has a good place to live, good people around them, and a fulfilling purpose. We call these our '3Ps'.

We achieve this in two ways. First we improve lives on the frontline through delivery of public services. Secondly, we use our knowledge to change 'the system', to fix the complex web that can trap and disempower those it was set up to help. With the heart of a charity and the mindset of a business, we are uniquely placed to deliver on this challenging agenda.

National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum

NLCBF is made up of over 130 local authority leaving care teams and aims to improve services and support for care experienced young people. At the heart of our work is our Young People’s Benchmarking Forum – ensuring that the voices and priorities of care experienced young people shape our work.

NLCBF’s main activities include running 9 hybrid events each year for leaving care professionals and care experienced young people; facilitating online events and workshops throughout the year and working to influence policy and decision makers in government and other public bodies.

The YPBMF Sessional Worker will support the Catch22 NLCBF Co-production & Engagement Lead, Participation Officer and the wider team, to work directly with young people involved with Young People’s Benchmarking Forum (YPBMF).

Young People’s Benchmarking Forum

The Young People’s Benchmarking Forum (YPBMF) was formed in 2008 and involves young people 16-years-old and above from local authorities that are members of the NLCBF.

Members include young people who are employed by their local authority, undertaking a traineeship or actively involved with participation work and service delivery within their local authority.

The YPBMF works alongside the NLCBF to complete an annual work plan with the aims of improving understanding of children in care, improving services and producing advice, information resources and participation opportunities for other young people. The group prioritises issues they feel are important and campaigns to raise awareness of them and to try and achieve better outcomes for young people making the transition from care to adulthood. The YPBMF reports regularly to the NLCBF steering group.

The NLCBF brings together 130 local authority leaving care services for professional and practice development and aims to achieve the best outcomes for young people making the transition from care to adulthood.

The YPBMF Sessional Workers will support the Catch22 Co-production and Engagement Lead to co-ordinate and work directly with young people involved with Young People’s Benchmarking Forum (YPBMF).

This role involves: 

•    Assisting in recruitment of young people for co-production workshops

•    Support with administrative tasks related to organising meetings and events

•    Working with Co-production and Engagement Lead and young people to prepare for meetings, consulting with young people to gain views and develop presentations

•    Supporting and assisting in the development of the NLCBF & Young Peoples Benchmarking Forum  with young people

•    Attending & supporting young people to attend NLCBF & YPBMF events, workshops and meetings

•    Where directed liaising/communicating with outside agencies/organisations  or other local authority services/departments to support the work of YPBMF and NLCBF 

•    Attending and preparing appropriately for regular supervision with line manager
•    Being willing to work flexible hours, including evening and occasional weekend work

•    Being willing to travel nationally for events

•    To comply with Health and Safety and Safeguarding policies and procedures

•    To carry out such other relevant duties, as may be required and as are commensurate with the nature and grading of the post.

See job description & person specification 

Job title - Senior Senior Sessional Worker - National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum

Salary: Sessional £14.39 per hour 

Hours - Sessional – No guaranteed Hours

Reports to - NLCBF Co-Production & Engagement Lead

Location - Homebased and at national events (national travel expectation)

Other This role requires an enhanced DBS check.

This post will require a significant degree of flexibility in working hours.

Please apply for this role by Wednesday 2nd April at 5pm. 

Role information sessions on Monday 24th March 6 - 7pm and Tuesday 25th March 1 - 2pm. Please contact [email protected] to be sent an invite to these information sessions.  

Interview dates - Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th April (online via Microsoft Teams) 

See the benefits of working for Catch22 here.

Unless otherwise stated, interviews will be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, so early application is strongly advised.

At Catch22 we value equality, diversity and inclusion. We are wholeheartedly committed to the principle of equality of opportunity, both as an employer and as a provider of services. Diversity and Inclusion is part of what we do every day, working to deliver our vision to build a strong society where everyone has good people around them, a purpose, and a good place to live.

Catch22 is committed to rigorous safeguarding and safer recruitment practices; ensuring that every individual within the organisation has been safely and appropriately checked.

If you are applying for this role and are care experienced/care leaver, Catch22 offers a mentor to assist with the application process.  Please contact [email protected] if you would like to find out more about this support.  This information will not be passed to the team recruiting for this position. For more information about the Propel Programme and a guide for candidates who wish to join the programme, please see here. You can also watch an animation on the programme here.