Family Intervention Worker

Somerset County Council; Taunton; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Somerset Council is recruiting for Family Intervention Worker to support children, young people and families across Somerset. You will build trusted relationships, assess needs, deliver evidence-based interventions, and coordinate the right support at the right time to improve outcomes.

Roles include managing risk, maintaining case records, and contributing to multi-agency planning. Some positions are fixed-term for two years as part of transformation.

Qualifications

• Minimum Level 3 qualification or equivalent.
• Experience working with children, young people and families.
• Experience with crisis, conflict and complex needs.
• Ability to build effective relationships with children, young people and families.
• Experience working with social care, education, health and other agencies.

Responsibilities

• Assess children’s and families’ needs with partners to support outcome-focused plans.
• Provide intensive support to keep children safe at home.
• Deliver strengths-based, evidence-led interventions and manage risks.
• Act as a key worker maintaining relationships with families and agencies.
• Evaluate progress and record outcomes for reporting and meetings.
• Promote and safeguard welfare of children and young people.
• Explain complex problems and offer practical, strengths-based solutions.
• Develop and review family plans adapting to progress.
• Coordinate whole-family support with professionals and partners.
• Participate in duty rota including evenings and weekends.

Skills

Child & family support

Risk assessment

Communication skills

Restorative approach

Relationship building

Education

Level 3 qualification

Tools

Case management software

Job description

Salary: £29,542 - £33,119 per annum, plus a recruitment allowance of £3,986 until 31/03/2028.

Hours: 37 hours per week.

Contract: Permanent and fixed-terms roles available.

Location: Multiple locations across Somerset

Closing date: 24/11/2026

Do you want to make a difference to children and families in Somerset?

At Somerset Council, we are proud to be on an ambitious journey to transform how we support children and families across the county. As part of our Families First Partnership programme, we are reshaping services to ensure families receive the right help, at the right time, in the right way working together with partners across social care, education, Police, health, and communities.

This is a significant and exciting period of change. We are developing a more connected, relationship-based system that puts children, young people and families at the centre strengthening early help, enhancing multi-agency working, and supporting more children to grow up safely within their families and communities.

To help us deliver this transformation, we are recruiting to several roles across Children’s Services, offering a unique opportunity to contribute to meaningful, long-term change and be part of a workforce committed to improving outcomes for Somerset’s children and families.

We have several permanent positions and several roles that will be offered on a fixed-term basis for two years, aligned to the delivery of our transformation programme. This is a fixed term position. During this time, you will play a key part in shaping new ways of working, embedding innovation, and helping us build a sustainable system that makes a lasting difference.

If you are motivated by improving outcomes, thrive in a collaborative environment, and want to be part of a service that is evolving and forward-thinking, we would love to hear from you.

Role Summary

As a Family Intervention Worker, you will act as a key worker for children, young people and their families, providing focused, child-centred support tailored to individual needs. You will build strong, trusting relationships to assess family strengths and challenges, deliver creative and evidence-based interventions, and coordinate the right support at the right time to improve stability and outcomes for children.

Working closely with families and partner agencies, you will help reduce risk, prevent escalation into statutory services, and support children to remain safely at home or return home when possible. The role includes managing risk, maintaining high-quality case records, contributing to multi-agency planning, and responding to crisis situations for young people to ensure timely and effective support when it matters most.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess children’s and families’ needs with families and partner agencies, supporting family-led, outcome-focused intervention plans.
• Provide intensive support to children and families with complex needs to keep children safe at home, support reintegration and prevent escalation into statutory services.
• Deliver strengths-based, evidence-led interventions, actively identifying and managing risks to children.
• Act as a key worker for children, maintaining close relationships with families and colleagues in social care, education, health and other partner agencies.
• Evaluate progress and record outcomes for children clearly, contributing to reports and multi-agency meetings.
• Promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young people.
• Help families understand complex problems and find ways forward using practical, strengths-based and solution-focused support and parenting approaches.
• Develop and review family plans, adapting interventions in response to progress and changes in children’s and families’ needs.
• Bring together coordinated support around the whole family in collaboration with professionals and partner agencies.
• Participate in a duty rota, working evenings and weekends to respond to the needs of children and young people outside normal office hours.

What You Will Bring

We are looking for professionals who have experience of working with children, young people and families, particularly those with complex needs and where there is a risk of family breakdown, care entry or safeguarding concerns.

You Will Have

• A good standard of education (minimum Level 3 qualification or equivalent) and a relevant qualification or experience in working with children, young people, parents or families.
• Experience of working directly with children, young people and families, including those experiencing crisis, conflict, challenging behaviour or multiple and complex needs.
• A sound understanding of adolescent risk, family functioning, safeguarding, and the factors that can lead to family breakdown or children becoming accommodated.
• Experience of assessing needs, identifying strengths and risks, and developing outcome-focused plans that improve safety, stability and wellbeing for children and families.
• The ability to build effective relationships with children, young people and families, using a strengths-based and restorative approach to achieve positive change.
• Experience of working in partnership with social care, education, health and other agencies to coordinate support and achieve improved outcomes.
• Confidence in managing risk, maintaining accurate case records, contributing to reports and attending multi-agency meetings.
• Strong communication, organisational and IT skills, together with a commitment to continuous professional development and high-quality practice.

About The Team

Our team works alongside children, young people and families across Somerset, providing practical, focused support when they are facing difficult or complex circumstances. Building trusting relationships and recognising each family’s strengths are central to our approach, helping children stay safe at home or return to their families where possible. We work closely with colleagues in social care, education, health, police and community services to bring together support that responds to the whole family’s needs, including during periods of crisis. As part of the Families First Partnership programme, we are developing more connected, relationship-based ways of working, with opportunities to help shape our practice and contribute to lasting improvements for children and families.

Why Join Us?

At Somerset Council, we're a progressive organisation committed to improving lives and shaping better services for our communities. Based in one of England's most beautiful counties, it's a great place to build your career and enjoy an excellent quality of life.

• Generous annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), one of the UK's most generous and secure pension schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance, where service needs allow.
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to confidential employee assistance services.
• Paid volunteering opportunities, helping you make a difference both inside and outside of work.

Find Out More About Working At Somerset Council

https://www.somerset.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/working-at-somerset-council/

Additional Information

• This is a full-time role working 37 hours per week.
• Alongside the annual salary, there is a recruitment allowance of £3,986 for this role until 31/03/2028.
• 28 days of annual leave (additional to bank holidays).
• You will need to be able and willing to travel, including travel outside standard work hours and to areas that are not currently serviced by public transport.
• An enhanced DBS check is required for this role.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for VISA sponsorship.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Stacey Davis via email at [e-mail].

Interviews for this position are currently planned for 1st December 2026.

We believe diversity makes us stronger and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, whose unique perspectives help us better serve the people of Somerset.

You can find a copy of the job description here: AG1003 Family Intervention Worker.pdf