Family Support Worker

North East Ambition; North East; Hybrid; GBP 27,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking Local Authority dedicated to Early Help and Prevention work. As part of the Early Help service, you will support vulnerable families by delivering effective interventions and strategies to improve their well-being and empower them to meet their own needs. This role involves collaboration with a range of partners and utilizing a holistic approach to family support.

Benefits

27 days holiday increasing to 32 days

Option to purchase up to 10 additional days annual leave

Flexible work arrangements

Local Government Pension Scheme

Learning and development opportunities

Wellbeing support services

Qualifications

• Experience in delivering planned interventions using evidence-based practice.
• Experience of group facilitation and responding effectively to safeguarding concerns.

Responsibilities

• Deliver practical interventions to enable significant changes for families.
• Contribute to whole family assessments and family plans.

Skills

Effective communication

Empathy

Group facilitation

Evidence-based practice

Education

Level 3 qualification in Children's Services

Job description

Are you passionate about Early Help and Prevention work?



Do you want to work in an ambitious Local Authority with strong leadership and partnership commitment to Early Help?



Durham County Council are on a continuous improvement journey in relation to its Early Help service.



Recent Ofsted Inspection highlighted “Children in need of help and protection benefit from a wide range of services delivered through well-established and well-coordinated early help hubs. There is a prompt response to meet the changing needs and risks of families through discussion at weekly early help meetings. A proactive culture of working in partnership with families leads to children and families receiving sensitive and proportionate early help support” Ofsted report (June 2022)



WHAT IS INVOLVED?

You will work alongside a Key Worker to deliver practical interventions at the earliest opportunity to enable families to make significant and sustained changes that will impact positively upon themselves and their children.



The successful candidate is required to develop and use a range of approaches to engage and build an effective working relationship with parents and families, to enable positive change to take place for themselves and their children; to work with parents to empower them to enable them to identify, acknowledge and meet their own and their children’s needs, develop life skills, make and sustain effective change and reduce vulnerability.



You will also use a Signs of Safety approach and ‘Team around the Family’ processes to contribute to whole family assessments and family plans and liaise with other relevant partners as appropriate.



We encourage you to contact Samantha Gill, Senior Key Worker, via email on [e-mail] or Natalie Corkhill, Senior Key Worker, via email on [e-mail] to arrange an informal discussion about the role.



WHAT WILL I NEED?

The successful candidate will require relevant experience and a passion to work with and support vulnerable children and families in the home and community settings; evidence of delivering planned interventions using evidence-based practice leading to improved outcomes; experience of group facilitation and responding effectively to safeguarding issues and concerns.



You will also require a Level 3 qualification in a relevant Children's Services field and evidence of continuous professional development.



Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria.



The successful applicant for this post will be required to apply for a Disclosure & Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure.



REWARDS AND BENEFITS

We offer generous rewards and benefits that are designed to help you perform at your best:

• Competitive salaries and 27 days holiday per year rising to 32 days after five years continuous local government service.


• Option to purchase up to 10 additional days annual leave per year.


• Excellent work/life balance through schemes including job sharing, compressed hours and flexi-time (allowing up to 13 flexi days per year).


• Hybrid working (home and office working).


• Excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Plus, top up options - Salary Sacrifice Shared Cost AVC scheme and standard AVC scheme for members of the LGPS.


• Wellbeing Portal and access to an Employee Assist Scheme.


• Wide range of learning and development opportunities including professional qualifications, coaching and mentoring.


• Employee Benefits Portal and Lifestyle Savings Scheme (discounts across a host of major retailers).


• Discounted DCC gym membership.


• Staff networks run by staff for our staff, including Race Equality and Diversity, Disability, LGBT+, Armed Forces, Carers, Menopause.


• Trade Union membership.


• A range of other salary sacrifice schemes such as car leasing.

Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.



Take a closer look at our Rewards and Benefits



EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and recognise that a diverse, talented workforce brings new ideas and new perspectives, which will facilitate growth and improvements to services.



We are committed to ensuring that our employment policies and processes are fair and equitable to all. We welcome job applications from everyone, and successful candidates are considered only on their skills and ability to do the job.



As a Disability Confident Leader, we encourage applications from disabled people and provide support throughout the recruitment process.



Take a closer look: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26899/Equality-diversity-and-inclusion-in-our-workforce



INTERVIEWS

Interviews will be held week commencing 14th July 2025.



We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.



HOW TO APPLY

In line with the County Council's Recruitment and Selection Policy, please note that we are unable to accept CVs. Applications must be submitted on-line via the Northeast Jobs portal.



Please use the ‘Person Specification’ section of your application form to demonstrate that you have the essential and where possible, desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. Candidates who do not evidence that they meet the essential qualifications and experience listed on the person specification will not be short-listed.



If you have any support needs or require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27 (option 2), or the Recruitment Team via email at [e-mail]



We collect personal information from you when you register with North East Jobs and make an application. Details on how we process your personal data is available in our Privacy Notice. https://www.durham.gov.uk/media/24645/Privacy-notice-human-resources/pdf/PrivacyNotice-HR.pdf



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