Leaving Care Personal Advisor

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

Want to make a positive difference to young people’s lives? Enjoy direct work with young people? Come and join our well-established Care Experienced Team as a Personal Advisor.

We support care-experienced young people to achieve the best possible start in their adult life by helping them develop their independence skills, including support with peer and family relationships, finding and maintaining suitable accommodation, fulfilling their plans and goals around education and employment, supporting them with budgeting, and keeping safe, well and healthy.

The role is primarily focused on working with 18-25 year olds, but you will also joint work with our children in care teams, supporting young people aged 16 – 18 who are still in our care, to prepare them for independent living and adulthood. Working directly with young people, their carers, support workers and colleagues in housing, education and health, you will be crucial in developing, implementing and reviewing personalised plans of support (Pathway Plans), agreed in partnership with the young person.

Many of our young people live in and around North Somerset but some young people live in other parts of the country; the ability to travel is essential.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Building strong, supportive relationships with the young people you work with, helping them to make positive choices in all areas of their lives.
2. Assisting in the ongoing assessment of the young people's needs and contributing to plans to meet these needs.
3. Supporting young people as they navigate the challenging transition from living with carers to living independently.
4. Working with young people to create ambitious, meaningful Pathway Plans, setting out their goals and supporting them to achieve these.
5. Maintaining accurate up-to-date records in line with our recording policy.
6. Advocating for care leavers in the local community and promoting good relationships.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Valid driving licence and own transport, or be able to provide alternative, suitable method of travel is an essential condition for this role.

This position is currently based at our Town Hall offices in Weston-super-Mare.

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Flexible Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

• 2-3 days in the office
• Works both from home and the office, depending on the task at hand.
• Training is provided to help balance work-life and manage time effectively, with an emphasis on communication for team touchpoints and planning in-office days for collaboration.

About You

We are looking for an individual who is passionate about Care Experienced Young People and who possesses the following skills and experience:

Essential Criteria:

1. You will have relevant training history e.g. Child Development, Drugs Awareness, Welfare Benefits, Direct Work Skills and Therapeutic models of support.
2. An understanding of the Children Act 1989 and 2011 Statutory Guidance. An understanding of the Equal Opportunities issues relevant to work with young people, and knowledge of the Children Leaving Care Act 2000 and its principles.
3. You will need to have experience of and be able to form effective relationships with young people.
4. Have clear communication skills, both written and verbal, and be competent in the use of IT systems.
5. A positive and empathic attitude towards young people who experience difficulty and disadvantage is essential, as is a commitment to challenging discrimination and promoting young people's rights.
6. This role requires flexibility, including the ability to work flexible hours and travel out of county on a regular basis.

Desirable Criteria:

1. A Social Work Degree, Counselling Certificate / Diploma in Social Work, CSS, Youth & Community Certificate. NVQ level 3 Childcare, Connexions Personal Advisor Diploma.
2. To have worked with care experienced young people.
3. To have experience of Statutory Child Care Services
4. To have worked with Asylum Seeking young people.

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible working arrangements
• Local Government Pension
• Opportunities for professional development
• Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums
• Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet.

How to Apply

If you share our vision and valuesand are ready to make an impact to North Somerset, please select the apply online button below. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application by 11.59pm on the application closing date. When completing our online application form, please detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact Karen McNally, Team Manager, at karen.mcnally@n-somerset.gov.uk or 07386665815.

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job role.

Interview Date: Friday 19 September 2025.

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK and are unable to provide Sponsorship for this role.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.