Family Support Worker

West Berkshire Council; Cold Ash; Hybrid; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Hybrid working

Training opportunities

Local Government pension scheme

Job summary

West Berkshire Council is seeking a dedicated Family Support Worker to join the Early Help and Family Hub Team in the West Berkshire area. The role focuses on delivering early help interventions that improve outcomes for children and families, working directly with families to assess needs and provide support.

Ideal candidates will have experience in a similar role, solid knowledge of child development, and strong communication and safeguarding skills.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting families and children.
• Solid understanding of child development and parenting challenges.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong assessment and observation abilities.
• Able to work independently and within a team.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and relevant legislation.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with families to identify needs and provide appropriate support.
• Deliver evidence-based interventions to promote positive parenting and behaviour change.
• Collaborate with professionals and agencies for coordinated family support.
• Run groups for children and families (antenatal, Stay and Play, family learning).
• Participate in team meetings and multi-agency planning.

Skills

Experience with families

Child development knowledge

Communication skills

Assessment & observation

Teamwork & collaboration

Safeguarding knowledge

Education

Relevant qualification in social care/childcare

Job description

Are you passionate about making a positive impact on the lives of families and children? West Berkshire Council is seeking a dedicated Family Support Worker to join our Early Help and Family Hub Team, providing essential support to families in the West Berkshire area. The Role As a Family Support Worker, you will be part of a dynamic team working to deliver early help interventions that improve outcomes for children and families. Your key responsibilities will include:

• Working directly with families to identify their needs and provide appropriate support and guidance
• Delivering evidence-based interventions to promote positive parenting, behaviour change, and improved family relationships
• Collaborating with other professionals and agencies to ensure coordinated support for families
• Running groups for children and their families, including antenatal, Stay and Play, and family learning groups.
• Participating in team meetings and contributing to information sharing and multi-agency planning

We are ideally looking to offer the successful candidate the full number of hours advertised above. We may however consider offering less hours than advertised providing they meet the requirements of the role and service which will be determined by the recruiting manager., This role has been identified as public facing in accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016; the requirement to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English applies. West Berkshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all its staff and volunteers to share these values. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. This role involves regulated activity with children. As such, appointment is subject to an Enhanced DBS check with the relevant Barred List(s). In this post you will be required to maintain continuous registration with the DBS Update Service for the duration of your employment. This privacy notice applies to job applicants applying for vacancies with West Berkshire Council AI in Applications We recognise that candidates may choose to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support the preparation of their job applications. When used appropriately, AI can be a helpful aid in structuring responses, checking clarity, and improving presentation. However, applications must reflect your own skills, experience and understanding. If an application appears to rely excessively on AI-generated content, it may not meet the required standard and could be rejected. We encourage all applicants to ensure their submissions are authentic, tailored to the role, and clearly demonstrate their own knowledge, experience and suitability.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and attributes:

• Experience working in a similar role, providing support to families and children
• Sound knowledge of child development, parenting practices, and the challenges faced by families
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with families and professionals
• Strong assessment and observation skills
• Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and Best Start in Life strategy, and safeguarding procedures

Why Work for West Berkshire Council?

West Berkshire Council is committed to supporting our employees and offers a range of excellent employment benefits, including:

• Flexible working wherever possible between the hours of 07.00-21.00
• Hybrid working wherever possible working 40% in the office
• Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities
• Generous Local Government pension scheme
• Family friendly policies
• A range of local discounts
• Wellbeing Programme including Employee Assistance Programme and employee benefits
• You will also be entitled to a generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days per annum (plus public holidays) Rising by an additional 5 days after 5 years' service.