Family Support Assistant

West Sussex County Council; Horsham; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer Pension Contribution 15%

25 days annual leave + Bank Holidays

Supportive, dynamic work environment

Job summary

West Sussex County Council is recruiting a Family Support Assistant to enable families to manage issues and access quick support, empowering parents for their child's development. The role uses a whole family approach to assess concerns and set goals.

You will support the Find It Out initiative, engage with young people, and work 37 hours weekly at County Hall North, Horsham. NVQ3 in related area and safeguarding knowledge are essential.

Qualifications

• NVQ level 3 in childcare, play work, family support or related area.
• Good knowledge of child development.
• Understanding of parenting skills and community development with challenges of family life.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures.
• Experience of working with families in a community setting.
• Experience of working within the early years, family support, family centre or child health sector.

Responsibilities

• Undertake direct work with parents to identify worries and goals using a whole family approach.
• Provide a safe and welcoming space for young people through the Find It Out (FIO) initiative.
• Speak confidently with young people, understand their needs and help them access appropriate support, including after school hours.
• Be a team player, engage with parents, and encourage families to access services.
• Organise workload and respond to unanticipated problems for families.

Skills

Clear communication

Interpersonal skills

Customer focus

Confidentiality

Time management

Education

NVQ level 3 in childcare, play work, family support or related area

Job description

About Us

West Sussex County Council is a diverse organisation that provides services to more than 850,000 residents' every day. Through our Early Help Service, we will work with children, families, and young people to help ensure that every person is supported to achieve his or her potential. The foundations for mental health, emotional control, doing well in education and parenting ability are all set in place in the early years; the home surroundings, family life and parenting are all important factors in determining positive outcomes for children as they grow and develop.

For more information about Children's Services, please visit our Education, Children and Familiespage and our WSCC Health and Social Care section of our website.

For more information about working for West Sussex County Council (WSCC), please visit our WSCC About Us page on our West Sussex County Council website.

The Opportunity

Salary: NJC Grade 6 £27,254 to £28,598 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: 37 hours per week, full time, Monday to Friday

Location: County Hall North, Horsham

As a Family Support Assistant, you will be committed to enabling families to manage their problems and access support and advice quickly, equipping parents to be the best they can be for their child, by increasing knowledge, confidence, and resilience. You will undertake direct work with parents to find out what they are worried about and what goals they want to work towards using a whole family approach.

You will help to provide a safe and welcoming space for young people through the Find It Out (FIO) offer. You'll be able to speak confidently with young people, understand their needs and be able to help them access appropriate support at a time that suits them, including after school hours.

You will be a team player with a passion for engaging with parents, providing direct support and encouraging families to access to our services. You will use your initiative to organise your workload and respond to unanticipated problems for families.

You must have experience of working with families along with a good understanding of the importance of parenting skills and community development, as well as the challenges of family life.

We are looking for someone who is NVQ level 3 qualified in Childcare, Play Work, Family Support, or equivalent related area.

Experience and Skills

Please refer to the key skills in your application form as these will be used for shortlisting criteria.

Key Skills:

• Good communication and interpersonal skills across a range of audiences, with an ability to present information verbally and in writing which is clear, concise and accurate. Able to provide specialist advice and guidance whilst maintaining trust with families who may otherwise not want to engage with services they may distrust.
• Strong customer focus with the ability to work as a key contact and provide a professional service to meet customer's needs, both individually and in groups.
• Ability to respond sensitively and flexibly to diverse groups of providers and families whilst maintaining confidentiality.
• Ability to organise/prioritise work, co-ordinate a variety of tasks in a clear and logical way and meet agreed deadlines.
• Ability to work within recognised procedures, able to effectively organise own workload. Can use initiative to respond to unanticipated problems.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• NVQ level 3 in childcare, play work, family support or related area and/or relevant experience working with parents, carers and children.
• Good knowledge of child development.
• Good understanding of the importance of parenting skills and community development with an understanding of the challenges of family life.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures.
• Experience of working with families in a community setting.
• Experience of working within the early years, family support, family centre or child health sector

For more information on the Key Skills, Qualifications and/or Experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

For a full list this can be found at our Rewards and Benefits page.

Upon joining us you will have access to a range of benefits including the following:

Employer Pension Contribution: 15% (this alters per annum on the 1 April each year)

Annual leave: 25 days holiday + Bank Holidays = 33 days

The reference number for this role is CAFHE06511.

Safeguarding statement

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, five years referencing, and an occupational health check.

Equity, inclusion, and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application please contact .

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.