Family Support Practitioner

Forward Trust; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family-friendly benefits

Pension scheme

Wellbeing days

Cycle to work

Job summary

The Forward Trust is seeking a compassionate Family Support Practitioner to join the Family Support Team within a prison setting. You will deliver specialist one-to-one and group interventions to clients and their families, addressing addiction, offending and mental health challenges, and promoting whole-family recovery.

You will work across a prison and local community, building safeguarding, equality and inclusion, developing coping strategies, and coordinating with external agencies to

Qualifications

• Experience providing family-related support to individuals affected by addiction, offending and mental health difficulties.
• Ability to deliver one-to-one support and facilitate group interventions.
• Commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Delivering specialist one-to-one and group interventions to clients and family members.
• Supporting individuals to recognise and develop healthy relationships and address relationship-related challenges.
• Providing direct support to families and affected others impacted by addiction, offending and mental health difficulties.
• Working with complex family dynamics and facilitating family meetings where appropriate.
• Supporting children and young people, where required, to promote whole-family recovery and rehabilitation.
• Building effective relationships with clients, families and external agencies to ensure coordinated support.
• Promoting safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of your work.
• Identifying individual and family needs and helping people access appropriate support and services.
• Contributing to the ongoing development and improvement of the service.

Skills

Empathy

Resilience

Group facilitation

Communication

Diversity & inclusion

Job description

We are looking for a compassionate, motivated and experienced Family Support Practitioner to join our Family Support Team within the Prison setting.

This is an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of individuals and families affected by addiction, offending and mental health challenges. Working across an allocated prison and the local community, you will provide specialist support to clients and their family members through effective one-to-one interventions and group work.

At The Forward Trust, we recognise that relationships play a vital role in recovery, rehabilitation and long-term wellbeing. In this role, you will help clients understand the impact of relationships on their lives, recognise healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns, develop positive connections and explore how relationships can influence their addiction, offending behaviour and wider support needs.

You will also work directly with family members and affected others, helping them to improve their own health and wellbeing, develop coping strategies and understand how they can support their loved ones to make positive changes.

Where appropriate, you may also work with children and young people, promoting whole-family recovery and supporting stronger, healthier family relationships.

Working collaboratively with colleagues across The Forward Trust and external partner organisations, you will help ensure individuals and families receive a coordinated, holistic package of care and support.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Delivering specialist one-to-one and group interventions to clients and family members.
• Supporting individuals to recognise and develop healthy relationships and address relationship-related challenges.
• Providing direct support to families and affected others impacted by addiction, offending and mental health difficulties.
• Working with complex family dynamics and facilitating family meetings where appropriate.
• Supporting children and young people, where required, to promote whole-family recovery and rehabilitation.
• Building effective relationships with clients, families and external agencies to ensure coordinated support.
• Promoting safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of your work.
• Identifying individual and family needs and helping people access appropriate support and services.
• Contributing to the ongoing development and improvement of the service.

This is a varied and rewarding role where you will have the opportunity to empower individuals, strengthen family relationships and help create positive, lasting change.

About You

You will be an empathetic, resilient and approachable individual with a genuine passion for supporting people and families experiencing complex challenges.

You will have experience of working with individuals affected by addiction, offending and mental health difficulties, alongside an understanding of the impact these issues can have on family relationships and wider support networks.

You will be confident delivering one-to-one support and facilitating group interventions, with the ability to engage people from diverse backgrounds and build trusting, professional relationships.

We are looking for someone who:

• Has experience providing family-related support to individuals affected by addiction, offending and mental health difficulties.
• Has experience supporting family members and affected others directly.
• Is confident working with complex families and facilitating family meetings.
• Has experience delivering group interventions and facilitating group work.
• Has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and build rapport with a diverse client group.
• Can demonstrate a flexible and adaptable approach, responding positively to the changing needs of the service.
• Has a proactive, solution-focused approach and can quickly identify and respond to key issues.
• Understands the voluntary sector and the importance of partnership working.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, with sensitivity to the different needs and experiences of individuals and families.
• Has a good understanding of adult safeguarding and safeguarding responsibilities relating to children and young people.

Experience of supporting and implementing service improvements would also be advantageous.

Above all, you will believe in the importance of family relationships and recognise that supporting the people around someone can be just as important as supporting the individual themselves.

If you are passionate about helping individuals and families overcome challenges, rebuild relationships and achieve positive change, we would love to hear from you.

Join The Forward Trust and help us make a difference to individuals, families and communities.

About Us

We are The Forward Trust, the social enterprise with charitable status that empowers people to break the often interlinked cycles of crime and addiction to move forward with their lives. For more than 25 years we have been working with people to build positive and productive lives, whatever their past. We believe that anyone is capable of lasting change. Our services have supported thousands of people to make positive changes and build productive lives with a job, family, friends and a sense of community.
We are committed to our cause and the work we carry out as a charity. Equally the wellbeing and the employees who work for us are also important. Joining us an employee, we will offer you the following benefits -

• Support for Families – We support our employees through every stage of family life by offering enhanced maternity and paternity pay for eligible employees who have completed 26 weeks' continuous service, alongside family-friendly policies and a supportive, inclusive workplace. If you'd like more information about our family-friendly benefits, please contact our Recruitment Team at [e-mail]
• Training and development opportunities
• Simply Health Cashback Scheme (optional)
  
• Season Ticket Loan Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Crisis Loan Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme
• 3 x Wellbeing Days (pro rata'd for part time employees)
• Access to Blue Light Card
• 25 days (rising to 30 with length of service) Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays
• Contributory Pension Scheme – Employer matched contributions of up to 6% in the first two years’ service and up to 9% thereafter
• Death in Service Payment (2x annual salary)
• Critical Illness Insurance (subject to qualifying criteria)

Please note that we may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Please note that remote roles may require occasional travel for site visits, training and meetings.

Diversity at Forward Trust

The Forward Trust commits to providing opportunities to everyone. We want to ensure we have a diverse team with a range of lived and professional experiences. This includes those with ‘Lived Experience’ of addiction, offending, or homelessness. Some of our roles may require a minimum period of sustained recovery (normally around years). This is assessed on a case‑basis, and exceptions may be considered depending on the role and individual circumstances.
When we recruit, we welcome applications from everyone. This is inclusive of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion and/or belief, marriage and civil partnerships, pregnancy and maternity and socio-economic background. Where operationally possible, we will consider flexible working requests and make reasonable adjustments for all roles.

Employee Screening and Eligibility to Work

Dependent on role you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, details of which will be shared with you at interview. If successful in your application, you will be required to provide eligibility to work evidence in line with the ‘Eligibility to Work in the UK’ requirements.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk. Forward Trust follow safer recruitment practices and support a culture of openness and accountability.