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Keyworker Roles & Responsibilities
A keyworker will be appointed to each young person. This is to create a process where
we can facilitate the need to talk about, what are key issues for them with a special
one-to-one caring adult.
Keyworker sessions can also be used as a forum for bringing to their attention issues
that we, as adults, feel need addressing. Including life skills, hygiene, personal safety
and sexual health.
Keyworker sessions undertaken around issues of violence, bullying, non school
attendance or absconding are some examples of sessions that are not optional, and may
also need to be addressed by adults on shift – not necessarily the keyworker.
Practice
Keyworkers should be familiar with all aspects of the young person’s Care Plan, Risk
Assessment & Placement Plan, contact arrangements and restrictions, medical needs
and appointments, educational achievements and aspirations, plans made to care and
educate them as well as changes made to such plans through meetings, e.g. reviews.
In addition, keyworkers need to keep up to date with live issues the young person may
have, be aware of cultural needs and identity. This should be done by reading the Daily
Diary entries and records completed since their last shift concerning the young person.
Keyworker should make the School Tutor aware that they are the Keyworker for that
individual, and may take directives from him/her, should it be felt that a keywork
session would be of benefit.
Daily diary entries should be read and used as a basis for discussion with the young
person, for them to express how they are feeling…NOT to be used to drag up and nag
about events that have happened, but to be given the opportunity to talk, should they
want to. It is vital that the keyworker keeps themselves well briefed as to what is
going on in the young person’s life.
Keyworker sessions do not have to be formal discussions, for example, one-to-one in
the lounge, in the car, over a coffee. If a session is likely to be contentious, it may
need to be planned for formally, but most of all it must be Positive.
If a young person appears to be struggling, the keyworker should be sensitive to the
young person and increase the frequency of the sessions.
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