Family Support Worker (Families Plus 5-18)

at  South Gloucestershire Council

HOW YOU’LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

By using a strengths-based, whole-family approach, you will be supporting families with children aged 5 -18 to make and maintain changes in their lives.
Here are some comments from parents who have been helped by Families Plus workers:
‘The work we’ve done with you means our daughter is communicating her feelings more easily than before, which is helping enormously.’
‘After Families Plus worked with our son, he is a lot more confident with school and in himself..’
‘The parenting course we completed with Families Plus helped us massively… I can honestly say it has made us better parents.’

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU

• You must hold NVQ 3 or equivalent in a relevant discipline or be working towards an appropriate qualification related to the provision of services to children and young people.
• You must have considerable relevant experience of the use of evidence-based practice working with vulnerable and disadvantaged children, families or young people,
• You will have demonstrable experience of writing holistic, multi-agency assessments and plans with families
• You must have knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations and codes of practice; processes and procedures.
• You will have well-developed interpersonal and communication skills to build relationships and engage successfully with colleagues, service users and partner organisations.
• We seek applicants who are skilled at engaging families quickly, creating purposeful, professional relationships and agreeing realistic aims and objectives. Building on their existing strengths to get through difficult experiences, our support helps families to continue to use what they have learned once the Families Plus involvement ends.
• You will be required to travel widely within the authority so you must either have a current driving licence and provide a car or have access to appropriate means of travel.
  Please note that due to the nature of this role it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained for this post.

• You will carry out whole-family assessments of need (Early Help Assessments and Plans) providing advice, guidance and support for families; when acting as a lead worker, you’ll help to coordinate services for families.
• You will review and monitor plans, responding to changing needs and renegotiating, where appropriate, in accordance with safeguarding procedures.
• You will manage your own caseload of specific work to ensure specialist inputs and effective outcomes are achieved. You will maintain records and complete reports in accordance with professional and council guidelines.
• You will liaise and work with contacts from different sectors, including schools, health, social care and the voluntary sector, ensuring that communication is effective so knowledge and best practice is shared.