Family Support Worker (Patchway / West Hub)

South Gloucestershire Council; Patchway; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous annual leave

Wellbeing support

Staff discounts

Training and development

Job summary

South Gloucestershire Council in Patchway is seeking a dedicated Family Support Worker to work with children, young people and families from our WestTeam in Patchway. You will support families to recognise small steps of progress and develop independence, with the aim of enabling ongoing self-management.

The role is permanent full-time, office-based, with travel within the authority and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check required.

Qualifications

• NVQ 3 or equivalent in a relevant discipline or working towards an appropriate qualification.
• Experience of evidence-based practice with vulnerable and disadvantaged children, families or young people.
• Experience writing holistic, multi-agency assessments and plans with families.
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills to engage colleagues, service users and partner organisations.
• Ability to engage families quickly to sustain long-term involvement.

Responsibilities

• Carry out whole-family assessments and provide advice to establish appropriate plans.
• Regularly review and monitor early help plans and renegotiate as needed.
• Manage your own caseload and ensure specialist input and effective outcomes.
• Collaborate with partners across sectors to share knowledge and best practice.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Engaging families

Holistic assessments

Education

NVQ 3 or equivalent

Job description

How you'll make a difference

Working alongside children, young people and families, you will support them to recognise the small steps of progress they make and build confidence in their own abilities. Your role is to help families reach a point where they can manage independently, without the need for ongoing professional support.

What you will be doing

• It will be your responsibility to carry out whole-family assessments, providing advice and guidance to help establish appropriate plans. You’ll ensure that services are effective and supportive to meet the needs of families.
• Regularly reviewing and monitoring early help plans, you will respond to changing needs and renegotiate where appropriate, in line with safeguarding procedures.
• Managing your own caseload, you will ensure that specialist input is provided and effective outcomes are achieved. Records and reports will be completed in accordance with professional and council guidelines.
• Working collaboratively with partners across different sectors, you will ensure effective communication so that knowledge and best practice are shared.

What we need from you

• It essential that you are qualified to a level NVQ 3 or equivalent in a relevant discipline or working towards an appropriate qualification related to the provision of services to children and young people.
• You must have experience of the use of evidence-based practice working with vulnerable and disadvantaged children, families or young people.
• We are looking for someone with experience of writing holistic, multi-agency assessments and plans with families.
• Given the nature of this role, you will have well-developed interpersonal and communication skills to build relationships and engage successfully with colleagues, service users and partner organisations.
• You will be skilled at engaging families quickly, so our help continues to support families to use what they have learned once the Families Plus involvement ends.

What you need to know

• This role is a permanent full time position and will be office based.
• This role is based from our WestTeam in Patchway.
• You will be required to travel widely within the authority so you must either have a current driving licence and provide a car or have access to appropriate means of travel.
• Business insurance will need to be added to your current car insurance policy.
• Please note that due to the nature of this role it is a requirement of employment that an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is obtained for this post.

We anticipate interviews will be held week commencing 19th October 2026.

How a career at South Gloucestershire Council is different

• As part of our benefits package, you will receive generous annual leave (pro rata), employee wellbeing supportand you will have access to a range of staff discounts, including eye tests, travel, shopping and leisure activities.
• We recognise that our diverse team of skilled and dedicated people make us a great place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and ensure that individuals are selected, promoted and developed on the basis of their merits and abilities.
• We value our staff as individuals, investing in their careers and we are recognised for the quality, breadth and depth of our training and development offer, which helps make the greatest long-term difference in work.
• What is special here is the strength of the team ethos. We are a relatively small local authority, so managers know staff well. They can plan their services to ensure teams have manageable caseloads and have effective supervision so feel supported to make decisions which are right for the children and young people they work with.
• We are committed to safeguardingand promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. Ensuring all our staff are given right skills, knowledge and support to recognise and respond effectively to potential abuse or neglect.

Our teams at South Gloucestershire Council are making a real difference to the lives of people who live, work and learn here.

• We're building and shaping communities which people are proud of.
• We're working with the most vulnerable in our community to help them achieve what they want in life.
• We're investing in our schools to ensure every child and young person in South Gloucestershire achieves their full potential.

We've achieved a great deal, but we need talented and dedicated people to ensure we continue to make a difference.

We’re making a difference, be part of it!

To view the full job description, please click this link: Family Support Worker 2026 Job Description