RACHEL SWEENEY
Maidens,South Ayrshire
Summary
Results-driven leader with knack for fostering team collaboration and driving project success. Led teams to streamline operations and enhance productivity, ensuring project delivery is aligned with commissioned outcomes. Known for cultivating supportive work environment, resulting in improved team morale and reduced turnover. Self-motivating, passionate and driven to met strategic priorities and commissioned objectives. Highly experienced in creating inclusive and accessible conditions that foster positive lifelong pathways for children, families and communities who have been impacted by trauma and adversity.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Team Leader
Children First
Mauchline, East Ayrshire
09.2020 - Current
- Monitor daily operations whilst assessing efficient and effective work to increase capacity within the service and reducing operational costs. Operationally leading team to achieve overarching outcomes and successfully meet commissioned objectives.
- Promote professionalism among staff to develop productive relationships and monitor through quality audits, reports and practical observations.
- Developed strategies for improved performance level across the team and foster positive employee relationships through communication, training and coaching.
- Professionally handled sensitive conversations whilst remaining curious around solution focused working and restorative approaches to co-work with multi-agency partnerships.
- Prioritised tasks according to urgency and importance, optimising workload allocation among team member.
- Safeguarding and child protection lead, operating under the national risk framework and quality recording. Trauma informed and recovery focused work with focus on service quality working within the equality, diversity and inclusion policy.
- Lead for the recording our work system and champion for quality assurances, reporting and evaluating data for commissioner.
- Reduced staff turnover with effective motivation strategy focused on wellbeing, individual stress risk assessments and understanding of trauma.
- Work alongside internal and external partners for strategic priorities and implementation planning for delivery of services which meets the children and family identified.
Fostering Support Worker
Excel Fostering
Burnley , Lancashire
07.2019 - 09.2020
- Supporting children and young people with their emotional and mental wellbeing during their time in care, building a relationship and working therapeutically to support trauma recovery.
- Providing direct support, training and workshops to children and foster carers with evidential impact on outcomes.
- Lead for recording and reporting information to gathering the reliable and specific data and work in a multi-agency team to share the views of the child.
- Event organiser for regional events for children and young people along with their foster families. Lead budget and tracking expenditures and lead in expanding appropriate and effective resources.
- Monitor educational challenges for the children and young people within the agency to feed into national statistics regarding looked after children and attainment levels.
- Work alongside internal and external partners to incorporate the data into the implementation and business plan reviews.
- Manage the monthly newsletter with all events, achievements and relevant information to share within the fostering community.
Child and Family Worker
Aberlour
Girvan , South Ayrshire
03.2015 - 04.2019
- Undertake parent capacity assessments as part of the wider multiagency team to assess child protection and safeguarding concerns.
- Identify children and family needs, providing direct support and develop individual teaching plans to empower each family to increase their knowledge, skills and resources.
- Work with children and parents as part of early intervention and rehabilitation through supervised contacts and support groups.
- Lead parenting classes such as Family Links Nurture Programme to support parents with intergenerational trauma and understanding triggers and coping strategies.
- Maintain a quality case files and share relevant information with other agencies in line with confidentiality.
- Develop effective relationships to enable positive experiences for families.
- Identify resources in the community to assist in meeting the family needs.
- Develop and maintain links with external agencies and actively contribute to relevant meetings.
- Contribute to research and development of programmes to promote the development of children using the service.
- Maintain accurate records and contribute to reports, monitoring and evaluation.
BSL Lecturer
Sign and Be Heard
West of Scotland , Glasgow
07.2012 - 08.2015
- Delivery of British Sign Language courses; introduction to level 1 and level 1.
- Signature registered following strict guidelines around assessments within a professional standard.
- Deaf awareness workshops for large organisation to work within an informed equality, diverse and inclusive approach to customer relationships.
- Delivering training in front of large numbers.
- Presentation skills and competent IT use.
- Monitor and evaluate feedback for continuous retention of pupils.
- Other duties included; money handling, regular meetings with line manager, IT skills and confidently speaking to groups and individuals.
Special Education Needs Support
East Ayrshire Council
Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire
10.2012 - 02.2015
- Work with 5 to 18 year olds, maintain EVOLVE (risk assessment software), organise delivery of Curriculum for Excellence.
- Complete health and safety reports; behaviour incidences and pool safety checklist.
- Support communication using Makaton, sign support English and speech.
- Assisting learning outcomes, gastrostomy feeding, personal care, moving and handling, hydrotherapy and swimming lessons, lunch time duties, liaising with parents and multi-agency professionals and contributing to Individual Learning Plan's and Getting It Right For Every Child framework.
Education
NVQ Level 2 - Team Leader
West of Scotland College
Ayr 12.2023 - 08.2024
Scottish Qualifications Certificate - Family Group Decision Making
Robert Gordan University
Aberdeen 01.2022 - 06.2022
Diploma of Higher Education - Business Management
BSY College
Holsworthy 01.2015 - 08.2015
Diploma of Higher Education - Advanced Counselling
BSY College
Holsworthy 01.2015 - 08.2015
Bachelor of Arts - Deaf Studies with Law
University of Central Lancashire
Preston 09.2008 - 06.2011
Higher National Diploma - Care
Craven College
Skipton 09.2005 - 06.2007
Skills
- Decisive decision-making
- Performance management system design
- Quality control procedures
- Real-time supervision
- Policy implementation and enforcement
- IT infrastructure understanding
- Stress management
- Effective communication
- Leadership skills
- Relationship-building
Accomplishments
- First for my Dissertation titled ‘Educational Achievements of Deaf Children: Overcoming Barriers.'
- NDCS volunteer of the year 2014.
- Advanced Trauma Training- Betsy de Thierry
- Restorative and Relational Practice - Mark Finnish
- PVG Adults and Children.
- 5 year's of volunteering for NDCS 2010-2015.
- PVG Adults and Children.
Affiliations
- Love the outdoors, walking and exercising with the dogs and spending time with family.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
NVQ Level 2 - Team Leader
West of Scotland College
12.2023 - 08.2024
Scottish Qualifications Certificate - Family Group Decision Making
Robert Gordan University
01.2022 - 06.2022
Team Leader
Children First
09.2020 - Current
Fostering Support Worker
Excel Fostering
07.2019 - 09.2020
Child and Family Worker
Aberlour
03.2015 - 04.2019
Diploma of Higher Education - Business Management
BSY College
01.2015 - 08.2015
Diploma of Higher Education - Advanced Counselling
BSY College
01.2015 - 08.2015
Special Education Needs Support
East Ayrshire Council
10.2012 - 02.2015
BSL Lecturer
Sign and Be Heard
07.2012 - 08.2015
Bachelor of Arts - Deaf Studies with Law
University of Central Lancashire
09.2008 - 06.2011
Higher National Diploma - Care
Craven College
09.2005 - 06.2007
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