Practice Lead, 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)

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 NLCBF team is made up of a core team of six people, eight sessional workers and a wider group of ‘Champions’ who are care experienced volunteers.

The purpose of the Practice Lead role is to ensure that the National Leaving Care Benchmarking Forum remains up to date with the latest legislative, policy and guidance developments in leaving care, and stays at the forefront of best practice. The post holder will utilise this knowledge to share information, develop products and tools for members, and to deliver training, consultancy work and events to members, in order to achieve our aim of improving outcomes for young people leaving care..

The post holder will:

• Remain at the forefront of best practice and key trends in the leaving care sector.
• Work with the other Practice Lead and the NLCBF Manager to develop the policy and practice focus to support NLCBF members, leading on a number of topic areas.
• Support the running of engaging events for NLCBF member local authorities for sharing best practice, national updates and for networking.
• Work closely with the Co-production and Engagement Lead to ensure the voices of care experienced young people are shared throughout the work of NLCBF
• Actively research and develop a network of experts in the leaving care sector, fostering and maintaining these relationships so they can contribute towards achieving outcomes for the Forum.
• Actively engage with local authority members and non-members to understand their key successes and challenges, and develop strong relationships.
• Support the management of the day to day business of the NLCBF and work closely with the NLCBF Manager to ensure this provides value for money for members and makes the best use of resources.
• Provide expertise to NLCBF members, relevant Catch22 services and wider Catch22 staff and partners on practice issues and solutions for supporting young people leaving care.

Please see the Job Description & Person Specification for full details. 

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact Darren Bishton, NLCBF Practice Lead on [email protected].

Screening: Enhanced DBS

Location: Homebased, with regular national travel

Hours: 22 hours/week

Salary: £40,508 (Pro Rata, based on a 37 hour working week)

Closing Date: 9am, 14th October

Interviews: Online, 25th October

As part of Catch22's commitment to the Care Leaver Covenant, care experienced applicants who meet the essential criteria will receive a guaranteed interview and the offer of a mentor's support.  This information will not be shared with the hiring manager. 

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.