NHSCT - Team Assistant/ Adolescent Worker - Band 4

Ref: 55749837
Branch: Northern HSC Trust Area
Location: Braid Valley Site: Main Building
Directorate: Women, Children & Families Division
Functional Area: Child & Family Care
Salary: Band 4 (£27,485 - £30,162)
Contract Type: Permanent
Opening date: 10/11/26
Closes: Tue, 24 November 2026 @ 5:00 PM
Interview Dates: Tuesday 15th December 2026

Notes: Online and manual applications accepted. If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage. A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week. Please remember to save or print a copy of the job description before submitting your application, as it will not be accessible afterwards.

Flexible Working
We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

Successful applicants have the opportunity to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of Flexible Working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations; what provisions are available depends on the role being undertaken.

Apply and Job Description
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Team Assistant / Adolescent Support Worker
Band 4
Intensive Support Services

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT) is responsible for the delivery of safe and effective health and social care (HSC) services to the population of the Northern Trust area in Northern Ireland.

We provide compassionate care with our community in our community. In order to do this we require the commitment of a highly skilled and professional workforce that meets the need of the service.

The diagram below outlines our values and our objectives which support the delivery of compassionate care within our community. The below diagram details the values and associated behaviours that we expect staff working within Health and Social Care (HSC) to display at all times.

HSC Values

• Working Together: We work together for the best outcome for people we care for and support. We work across Health and Social Care and with other external organisations and agencies, recognising that leadership is the responsibility of all.
• Compassion: We are sensitive, caring, respectful and understanding towards those we care for and support and our colleagues. We listen carefully to others to better understand and take action to help them and ourselves.
• Excellence: We commit to being the best we can be in our work, aiming to improve and develop services to achieve positive changes. We deliver safe, high-quality, compassionate care and support.
• Openness & Honesty: We are open and honest with each other and act with integrity and candour.

Job Description
Job Title: Team Assistant / Adolescent Support Worker – Intensive Support Services
Band: 4
Directorate/Division: Children and Young People’s Services
Initial Location: Braid Valley Hospital Site, Ballymena
Reports To: Team Leader
Accountable To: Director of Children and Young People’s Services

Flexible Working Provisions Available: A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance.

Job Summary
The Team Assistant will be primarily responsible for assisting social work practitioners in the provision of quality social work services to children and families. He/she will normally work within a social work team. The Team Assistant will undertake tasks allocated by the team leader to support social work team members in the discharge of their duties. The Team Assistant will also be expected to attend his/her professional development through training, supervision and learning in line with NISCC registration.

Key Result Areas / Main Responsibilities

• Undertakes work under the direction of the Team Leader or Social Worker and in keeping with the assessed Care Plan for the young person.
• To work collaboratively with the wider team, service and a range of professionals to ensure congruency in practice and effective communication at all times.
• Assessment and responding to the needs of young people and their families in crisis to prevent family breakdown and maintain young people safely in the community.
• Ensure responsibility for management of own workload and participate in identifying and addressing developmental need.
• Undertakes the arrangement and delivery of services, assessed by social work staff as needed to support children and families.
• Provide one to one support to young people, including in their relationships with their families and developing their personal, social and educational opportunities.
• Undertakes tasks which have been delegated which may include co-ordinating family support, diversionary and respite services, sourcing appropriate Family Support Services/Resources.
• Ensure appropriate records are maintained, particularly those details observations and / or assessment of each young person in accordance with statutory requirements and policies and procedures.
• Undertake duties in connection with the proper receipt, recording and safe custody of public and Trust monies.
• Contribute to and participate in reviews, team meetings, in service training, supervision and individual programmes of care for each young person.

Governance and Reporting Responsibility

• To report all identified Child Protection concerns or other areas of concern or risk identified in the course of undertaking tasks with children and families.
• Maintain clear records of all work undertaken.
• Provide reports on tasks undertaken on behalf of social work staff.
• Participate in supervision process with team leader/ senior practitioner.
• Ensure all information is treated with the utmost confidentiality.

Continuous Professional Development

• Maintain and develop knowledge and practice skills through supervision and training in line with the NISCC and employer requirements.

General Responsibilities

• At all times provide a caring service and to treat those with whom they come into contact in a courteous and respectful manner.
• At all times demonstrate practice the HSC values of Working Together, Excellence, Openness & Honesty and Compassion.
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in a manner which assures patient and client safety.
• Comply with all instructions in regard to Infection Prevention and Control.
• Demonstrate their commitment by their regular attendance and the efficient completion of all tasks allocated to them.
• Comply with the Trust’s Smoke Free Policy.
• Carry out their duties and responsibilities in compliance with health and safety policy and statutory regulations.
• Adhere to equal opportunities policy throughout the course of their employment.
• Ensure the ongoing confidence of the public in service provision.
• Adhere to the Code of Conduct for HSC Employees which aims to guide staff, managers and employers in the work that they do and the decisions and choices they have to make. Professional staff are expected to follow the code of conduct for their own professions as well as this code.
• The post holder will promote and support effective team working, fostering a culture of openness and transparency. The post holder will ensure that they take all concerns raised with them seriously and act in accordance with the NHSCT Raising Concerns Policy and their professional code of conduct, where applicable.

Records Management
All employees of the Northern Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, including patient/client, corporate and administrative records whether paper based or electronic and also including e-mails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the Environment Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant and to comply with the Northern Health and Social Care Trust policies on Information Governance including (for example) the ICT Security Policy, Data Quality and Data Protection Policy and Records Management Policy and to seek advice if in doubt.

Salary
Band 4 £27,485 - £30,162 per annum (pro-rata for part-time).

Hours
Normal full-time hours of duty are 37½ hours per week, exclusive of meal times. Flexibility to work evenings and weekends.

Medical
Appointment will be subject to a successful pre-employment health assessment.

Holidays
27 days each year; 29 days after 5 years’ service; 33 days after 10 years’ service and 10 statutory and public holidays.

Pension
The post-holder can participate in the Health Social Care Pension Scheme.

Northern Trust Benefits
You can explore the benefits on offer to you in the Northern Trust by clicking here.

Probationary Period
You will serve a probationary period of normally six months.

Waiting List
A Trust-wide waiting list may be compiled for similar permanent/temporary, full/part time posts which may arise within the next 12 months.

Pay Protection
Legacy Trust Staff who apply for a promotion after 1 April 2011 should be aware that they will lose their legacy protection arrangements and will be entitled to pay protection in accordance with circular HSS (JNF)(1) 2011. This circular will also apply to legacy staff who are currently in receipt of protection and who move post on promotion.

Completed application forms should be returned to the BSO Recruitment and Selection Shared Services Centre, on or before the closing date as stated in the advertisement. Canvassing, either directly or indirectly, will be an absolute disqualification. We will review this Job Description and it may include any other duties and responsibilities we determine in consultation with the jobholder. We do not intend it to be rigid and inflexible but rather to provide guidelines within which the jobholder works.

Personnel Specification
Title of Post: Team Assistant / Adolescent Support Worker – Intensive Support Services
Band of Post: 4

Essential Criteria

• Qualifications/Registration and Experience: NVQ Level 3 Health and Social Care or relevant equivalent qualification plus two years’ relevant experience, OR HNC/HND in relevant subject or relevant equivalent qualification plus one year’s relevant experience, OR four years’ relevant experience in working with children and families, AND either currently hold or be eligible for immediate registration with the Northern Ireland Social Care Council on the social care part of the register.
• Other: Hold a current full driving licence which is valid for use in the UK and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post. Flexibility to work evenings and weekends. Have a commitment to engage in supervision and development activity in order to ensure continuous professional development.
• Skills / Abilities: Effective planning and organisational skills with an ability to prioritise own workload; ability to demonstrate care and empathy towards young people and families; effective communications and engagement skills to meet the needs of the post in full; ability to produce clear written reports and records; ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team; ability to use own initiative; ability to identify solutions to problems and implement them effectively; demonstrate a commitment to the provision of high quality and safe services and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.
• Knowledge: Knowledge of relevant legislation as it applies across all Client Groups; knowledge of Microsoft Office products including at least one of the core packages i.e. Outlook (Email), Word, Excel, PowerPoint or MS Access.

Value Based Recruitment
Value Based Recruitment is a process adopted by the Northern Trust to attract and select employees on the basis that their individual values and behaviours align with those of the Trust. It focuses on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ people do what they do. Candidates who are short-listed for interview will need to demonstrate at interview that they have the required knowledge, skills, competencies and values to be effective in this new role.

Criminal Offences, Investigations and Charges
Having a criminal record will not necessarily debar you from working with the Trust. As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for the Trust to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.

The NHSCT is an Equal Opportunities Employer
Successful applicants may be required to attend for a Health Assessment, can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, and have the right to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment.