Family Time Worker (Newcastle)

at  Staffordshire County Council

ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO CHILDREN’S LIVES WHO ARE PLACED IN LOCAL AUTHORITY FOSTER CARE?

As a Family Time Worker, you’ll play a critical role in supporting children in understanding their birth identity and supervising their time with birth parents.
We’re looking for people to join us with the skills to encourage and help maintain positive relationships between children and parents. We work with very vulnerable children so we must ensure we maintain professional relationships whilst managing complex family needs and behaviours.
You’ll play a vital role in supporting families for them to spend quality time together. Our aim during family time is to promote a positive and meaningful time for children with their family. This could include offering support, guidance, and parenting advice or modelling positive interaction and behaviours. We also support children getting to and from school and family time in various locations. Our family time workers are required to transport the children around the county and further afield.
Hours of work will be Monday - Thursday 8.30am – 5pm and Friday 8.30am – 4.30pm.
However, flexibility is required as some family times involve working outside of contracted working hours, including evenings and weekends.
Main Responsibilities

You will:

• facilitate therapeutic family time between children and their parents or other family members.
• coordinate arrangements for Family Time for children and their parents or other family members as directed by court.
• transport children and young people to attend family time.
• provide parenting support and guidance during Family Time.
• support the completion of accurate documentation, reports, and records in relation to children, young people, and families.
• be available outside of traditional working patterns including evenings and weekends to provide support to children, families, and carers when it is needed.

The Ideal Candidate

As well as a passion for helping and supporting children and their families, you’ll need to have:

• A minimum NVQ 3 in working with children and families or equivalent experience of working with children and families.
• Experience of direct work with children, their families, and carers in a statutory or voluntary agency which provides services to vulnerable children and their families.
• Experience in the use of IT including Microsoft packages
• An understanding of child development and the effect of stress and trauma on child development.
• An understanding of the key pieces of policies, guidance, and legislation which govern children’s social care.
• Have unrestricted use of a car and a driving licence.
• Be flexible to work evenings and occasional weekends as needed.
• The ability to effectively communicate with children, their families, and carers.
• The ability to build relationships and deliver interventions to children, families, and carers.
• The ability to work effectively in conflict situations.

Interviews are expected to take place week beginning 14 November 2024
Our Recruitment Process: We anonymise applications during shortlisting to ensure only relevant information is considered. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight what you’ll bring to the role.
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