Family Help Support Worker

Walsall Council; Walsall; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Walsall Council is seeking a dedicated Family Help Support Worker to provide practical and emotional support to children, young people and families. You will work collaboratively with partners across education, health, police and social care to develop family-led plans and ensure coordinated, accessible help.

You will assess needs, deliver tailored plans, advocate for families, and maintain accurate records while safeguarding and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.

Qualifications

• Empathy, listening, and communication skills to support children, young people and families.
• Ability to assess needs, risks and family strengths using approved tools.
• Experience in safeguarding and working with multi-agency partners.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality, outcome-focused support to children, young people and families.
• Undertake person-centred assessments of family needs, strengths and risks.
• Develop, implement and review tailored support plans in partnership with families.
• Act as Lead Professional coordinating family-led plans and partners.
• Provide direct practical and emotional support through sessions, group work and community-based interventions.
• Support parents to build parenting capacity, resilience and positive relationships.
• Facilitate access to universal, targeted and specialist services and advocate for families.
• Work with multi-agency partners to deliver integrated support.
• Respond to safeguarding concerns and maintain confidential records.

Skills

Empathy

Active listening

Communication

Problem solving

Organisational skills

Safeguarding awareness

Team collaboration

Education

Foundation-level qualification or equivalent experience in children's services

Job description

As a Family Help Support Worker, you will provide practical and emotional support to children, young people and families to improve wellbeing, strengthen resilience and support positive change. You will work collaboratively with families to understand their strengths, needs and goals, and help develop realistic, family-led plans of support. You will work alongside colleagues and partners across education, health, police, social care and voluntary and community services to deliver coordinated support. The role includes direct work with families, assessment, intervention, advocacy, safeguarding activity, acting as the Lead Professional where appropriate, and helping families access universal, targeted and specialist services.

• Deliver high-quality, outcome-focused support to children, young people and families in line with statutory guidance and organisational priorities.
• Undertake person-centred assessments of family needs, strengths and risks using approved tools and frameworks.
• Develop, implement and review tailored support plans in partnership with families, ensuring goals are realistic, achievable and family-led.
• Act as the Lead Professional where appropriate, coordinating family-led plans, bringing partners together and ensuring support is joined up around the needs of children, young people and families.
• Provide direct practical and emotional support through structured sessions, group work and community-based interventions.
• Support parents and carers to build parenting capacity, resilience and positive relationships within the family.
• Facilitate access to universal, targeted and specialist services, advocating for families where needed to remove barriers.
• Work collaboratively with multi-agency partners to deliver integrated and coordinated support.
• Recognise, respond to and elevate safeguarding concerns in line with organisational procedures.
• Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records of interventions, assessments and casework.
• Experience of working with children, young people and families with a wide range of needs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The ability to listen, show empathy and build trusting relationships.
• Good problem-solving skills, including the ability to understand need, analyse information and identify practical solutions.
• Experience of developing effective working relationships and support plans with families and colleagues.
• An understanding of safeguarding, risk management, child development and adolescent development.
• Strong organisational skills, including the ability to manage your own workload and maintain accurate records.
• A commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, confidentiality and information governance.
• A relevant foundation-level qualification or equivalent significant experience in children's services.

We are looking for people who can build positive, professional relationships with children, young people, families, colleagues and partners. You will need to be empathetic, organised, flexible and confident in working with families who may be experiencing a wide range of needs, including distress, conflict or complex circumstances.

Special Conditions

You may be required to work evenings and weekends as needed. The role is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and requires the ability to travel efficiently across the borough. Basic digital skills are essential for accessing and using employee self-service systems.

Note: Applicants appointed to posts that require an enhanced DBS clearance must declare any periods of time that they have lived, studied or worked abroad and be prepared to provide an Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or a Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC) relating to anytime they were overseas. This post is covered by the Government's Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.

Do you want to be part of a service that is helping to shape the future of Family Help in Walsall? Being one of the Families First for Children pathfinders, Walsall is developing new ways of working that bring support closer to children, young people and families, with a strong focus on early intervention, partnership working and improving outcomes. This fixed-term opportunity offers the chance to make a real difference by providing tailored support and guidance to children, young people and families across the borough. You will be part of a developing Family Help service that values relationship-based practice, family-led support, safeguarding and the voices of children and young people. Are you passionate about supporting children, young people and families? Walsall Council is seeking dedicated and compassionate Family Help Support Workers to join Children's Social Care on a fixed-term basis until March 2028. This is an exciting opportunity for people who are committed to working directly with families, helping them to identify their strengths, address challenges and access the right support at the right time.

At Walsall Council, we appreciate that AI can be a useful tool for ideas or guidance. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. Over-reliance on AI can make responses feel less personal, and we really want to understand what makes you unique. Your experiences, skills, and perspective are what set you apart, so please ensure your application as a whole - particularly your 'Supporting Information' - reflects your own voice.