FSW - Family Support Worker

Family Support Worker

Low Martinfield Family Assessment Centre is looking to establish a team of flexible Family Support Workers. There is an opportunity for either permanent nights or a mix of days and nights.

The Family Support Worker role is pivotal within the assessment centre. Family Support Workers need to be able to form professional working relationships with families, have an understanding of risk and support families throughout their parenting assessment. Family Support Workers need to teach, upskill, nurture, provide evidence-based recordings of interactions and be able to have difficult conversations with parents in a kind way.

There is a safeguarding element to this role, by way of needing to make sure that any safeguarding concerns are escalated to the Residential Manager alongside the Local Authority and any other relevant agencies.

Low Martinfield Assessment Centre has recently had a staffing restructure. There is a full-time social worker on site throughout the week alongside a child psychotherapist, 1 Early Years Practitioner, 10 Family Support Workers and A Registered Manager who has a background in Child Protection social work.

The shift pattern is 8am- 8pm and 8pm – 8am, the night shift is a waking night. Pay £14.50 per hour, with an incentive for the night shift.

You will need to hold, or be willing to work towards, a minimum of level 3 in Children and Young People’s Workforce. An enhanced DBS is essential to the role

Driving is required for the role, car and business insurance is desirable.

We are unable to support right to work visas

As we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults, all successful applicants will be subject to fully enhanced DBS checks. This post is exempt from The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (c.53) as it involves contact with children and vulnerable adults. Please see attached for the Family Support Worker Job description.

Please send completed CV’s, or if you would like a further conversation about the role please contact [email protected] / [email protected]

Description of role

Some families experience a range of factors which place outcomes for their children at risk. These include poverty, parental substance misuse, domestic abuse, crime and/or anti-social behaviour, poor school attendance and worklessness. The aim of the Family Support Worker is to provide practical advice and support, in line with the assessment requirements of parenting ability, to enable these families to make significant and sustainable changes that will impact positively upon themselves and their children. To do this, the Family Support Worker will be part of the key working team within the Centre, working directly with families as is agreed as being necessary within the placement planning and assessment needs, reporting to the centre management.

Duties and responsibilities

Listed below are the responsibilities this role will be primarily accountable for:·

• Provide practical help and intensive interventions to families that contribute to meaningful positive change. This may include supporting families to make and attend appointments, modelling appropriate actions and behaviours and assisting the necessary day-to-day activities that enable families to progress and maintain positive outcomes
• Develop and use a range of approaches to engage and build an effective working relationship with parents and families, enabling positive change to take place for themselves and their children
• To work with parents, empowering them to enable them to identify, acknowledge and meet their own and their children’s needs, develop life skills, make and sustain effective change and reduce vulnerability
• To work within the Single Assessment Framework and recognised assessment processes, to contribute to whole family assessments and family plans and liaise with other relevant partners as appropriate
• To participate in and adhere to Safeguarding procedures as defined by the Local Children’s Safeguarding Boards Policy and Procedures
• To work with the family, and assessing Registered Social worker and other colleagues to develop planned interventions with a clear focus on outcomes
• To work in partnership with children, young people, and their families in contributing to plans which focus upon strengths and wishes
• To monitor and review progress against agreed goals and challenge where appropriate
• To contribute to a planned and timely exit strategy for the family including the appropriate use of Community and Voluntary organisations within the family’s localised area
• Provide support to improve relationships within the family, the family network and the local community
• Advocate on behalf of the family in engaging positively with and shaping the services and responses of agencies, organisations and other professionals who have a role in meeting the family’s needs
• Work with parents and families to develop confidence to engage with services and other support from the statutory, voluntary and the independent sector
• To plan and deliver innovative support and evidence-based intervention packages to parents, children and young people, including facilitating parenting programmes to support parents to develop their parenting skills and aspirations
• Providing opportunities for adults to participate in activities that improve their personal skills, education and employability
• Enhancing parents’ understanding of their responsibilities for their children’s safety and well-being
• Delivery of a range of evidence-based parenting programmes and interventions
• To ensure that accurate records are maintained which reflect decision-making and to prepare reports where appropriate
• To ensure that children, young people and their families’ views are at the centre of the service and promote their participation in all aspects of service delivery
• Be accountable for and review own practice using supervision, reflective practice and other opportunities for continuous professional development
• To work flexibly to meet the needs of children and families, including night and weekend working

Organisational responsibilities, Values and behaviours

• To demonstrate and be a role model for the Centre’s values and ethos to promote and encourage positive behaviours, enhancing the quality and integrity of the service we provide
• To seek new and innovative ideas to work smarter, irrespective of job role, and to be creative, innovative and empowered.
• Understand the operational impact of transformational change and service design principles to envisage new ways of working and to meet resident needs.·

Communication: To communicate effectively with our residents, managers, peers and partners and to work collaboratively to provide the best possible service. Communication between teams, services and partner organisations is imperative in providing the best possible outcomes to our residents

Health, Safety and Wellbeing: To take responsibility for health, safety and wellbeing in accordance with the Centre’s Health and Safety Policy and procedures

Equality and diversity: To promote a society that gives everyone an equal chance to learn, work and live, free from discrimination and prejudice and ensure our commitment is put into practice. All employees are responsible for eliminating unfair and unlawful discrimination in everything that they do

Confidentiality: To work in a way that does not divulge personal and/or confidential information during the course of their work and follow the centre’s policies and procedures in relation to data protection and security of information

Performance management: To promote a culture whereby performance management is ingrained, and the highest standards and performance are achieved by all. Contribute to the Centre’s Performance and Development Review processes to ensure continuous learning and improvement and to increase organisational performance.

The above is not exhaustive, and the post holder will be expected to undertake any duties which may reasonably fall within the level of responsibility and the competence of the post as directed by your manager.

Pay: £14.50 per hour

Expected hours: 36.0 per week

Work Location: In person