Early Help Support Worker | Children's Services Support Hub

Lancashire County Council; Accrington; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Generous annual leave entitlement

Local Government Pension Scheme

Learning and development opportunities

Employee wellbeing support

Career progression opportunities

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking an Early Help Hub Support Worker to join the Children's Services Support Hub across Lancashire. You will review referrals, gather information, engage with families and professionals, and help determine the right level of support to keep children safe and promote wellbeing.

Working with Early Help Social Workers and partner agencies, you will support Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments, signpost services, and participate in supervision and development

Qualifications

• Experience with children, young people and families.
• Excellent communication and partnership working skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-agency environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload relating to children, young people and families requiring early support.
• Assess needs and determine appropriate levels of intervention.
• Gather and analyse information to support decision-making within the Continuum of Need.
• Provide timely responses to referrals and signpost to early help services.
• Support Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA).

Skills

Experience with families

Communication skills

Multi-agency teamwork

Safeguarding knowledge

Equality & inclusion

Independent & team work

Job description

Job Description

| Salary £29,071-£33,119 Per annum | Permanent, Full Time, 37 hours per week |

Early Help Hub Support Worker

Children's Services Support Hub - Lancashire

Achieving the best outcomes for children and young people in Lancashire

Are you passionate about helping children, young people and families achieve positive outcomes? Do you have experience of working with children, families, education, health, social care or early help services?

We are looking for dedicated and motivated individuals to join our Children's Services Support Hub, working as part of a professional multi-agency team covering the whole of Lancashire. This is an exciting opportunity to support children, young people and families at an early stage, helping to ensure they receive the right support at the right time.

About the Role

Working alongside Early Help Social Workers and a wide range of partner agencies, you will play a key role in providing a personalised, whole-family approach to meeting the needs of children, young people and families.

You will be responsible for reviewing referrals, gathering information, engaging with families and professionals, and helping determine the most appropriate level of support and intervention. Your work will contribute to keeping children safe, promoting their wellbeing and ensuring families can access the support they need as early as possible.

The role also includes supporting Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA) by making initial contact with families, gathering information and ensuring statutory processes are completed effectively and within required timescales.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload relating to children, young people and families requiring early support.
• Make enquiries to determine the most appropriate early help provision and establish consent for support.
• Assess the needs of children, young people and families and determine appropriate levels of intervention.
• Gather and analyse information to support decision-making within the Continuum of Need.
• Provide timely responses to referrals received into the Children's Services Support Hub.
• Signpost and direct families to appropriate early help and support services.
• Work collaboratively with a range of professionals and partner agencies to achieve positive outcomes.
• Provide feedback to referrers where thresholds for intervention have not been met.
• Promote and evidence the voice, lived experience and participation of children and young people in assessment and planning processes.
• Support colleagues and partners by sharing information regarding available early help provision.
• Work within Lancashire County Council safeguarding procedures, policies and protocols.
• Participate in supervision, training and continuous professional development activities.
• Contribute to team responsibilities, including duty rota arrangements.

Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) Responsibilities

As part of this role, you will:

• Undertake the initial social care response when an EHC Needs Assessment request is received.
• Contact families promptly and gather proportionate information using established systems and assessment tools.
• Provide impartial information, advice and guidance on available services, including:
  • Early Help Services
  • Family Hubs
  • Short Break Services
  • The Local Offer
  • SENDIAS
• Offer parent-carer and child and family assessments where appropriate.
• Escalate safeguarding concerns to MASH where thresholds are met.
• Ensure all information is recorded accurately, consistently and in an auditable manner to support decision-making processes and statutory requirements.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking individuals who:

• Have experience working with children, young people and families.
• Have excellent communication and partnership working skills.
• Can work effectively within a multi-agency environment.
• Are confident gathering, analysing and recording information.
• Have a sound understanding of safeguarding and child-centred practice.
• Are committed to achieving positive outcomes for children and families.
• Can manage competing demands and work independently as well as part of a team.
• Demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

What We Offer

In return, Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, including:

• Flexible working arrangements.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Employee wellbeing support.
• Career progression opportunities.

Join us and help make a real difference to the lives of children, young people and families across Lancashire.

Lancashire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Together, we can help children and young people thrive and achieve their full potential.

The post you are applying for is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). If successful you will be required to apply to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for a 'disclosure'. Further information can be found on the 'Our Recruitment Process' tab.

In return Lancashire County Council offers a range of benefits, which can be found on LCC Vacancies website.

We reserve the right to close down a vacancy early, before the closing date, if we receive sufficient applications.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.