Family Worker

Dorset Council; Dorchester; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset Council is recruiting a Family Worker (G8) for the Birth to Settled Adulthood Service. The post involves working with children and young people aged 0–25 with a range of needs, supporting families to build resilience and improve outcomes.

The role includes CiN and Early Help work, with potential involvement in Care Act processes and mental capacity assessments. Two localities are available (Weymouth & Portland; Dorchester & West).

Qualifications

• Experience delivering family support interventions.
• Strong safeguarding knowledge and practice.
• Excellent communication and report-writing skills.
• Ability to travel across the service area and work with diverse families.

Responsibilities

• Lead direct work with children, young people and families.
• Complete assessments (CiN, Early Help) and develop Family Plans.
• Coordinate support plans with partner services and professionals.
• Undertake preparations for adulthood planning as part of transition support.

Skills

Child & family work

Safeguarding knowledge

Communication skills

Report writing

Independent & team player

Education

Childcare/Family support qualification

Job description

About the role

Family Worker (G8) – Birth to Settled Adulthood Service

We are seeking an experienced, passionate, and motivated Family Worker (G8) to join our Birth to Settled Adulthood Service.

This is an exciting opportunity to work with children and young people aged 0–25 with a range of developmental and physical conditions, and those who are neurodivergent, supporting them to achieve their full potential in everyday activities.

As a Family Worker, you will take a lead role in supporting families with complex needs, helping them to build resilience, improve family functioning, and achieve sustainable positive change. The key focus of the role is working within children's social care legislation, particularly the Children Act 1989 and Children and Families Act 2014 incorporating Parent/Carer Assessments in relation to specialist short breaks, and undertaking Child in Need (CiN) and Early Help work.

You will provide direct interventions and coordinate support plans through completing Child and Family Assessments, Child and Family Plans and Reviews, Preparation for Adulthood Plans, linking with CYPCC, and working within appropriate frameworks. Whilst the primary focus is on CiN and Early Help, you may also be required to undertake direct work with children, young people, and families who are supported through Child Protection Plans.

We have two localities available: Weymouth and Portland (Chesil), and Dorchester and West. Please specify your preferred area on your application form. Both localities are based out of Dorchester.

Your role will include completing Preparation for Adulthood Plans with young people and their families/carers. A Preparation for Adulthood Plan focuses on how a young person is developing their independence. You will offer information, advice, and guidance to support this process and inform the plan.

You may also be required to complete adult Care Act assessments and undertake other adult social care activities, including Mental Capacity Assessments and Best Interests decisions.

Much of our work is multi-disciplinary and requires a coordinated response between services. This includes working alongside Health, Children and Young People's Continuing Care, SEN Case Workers, specialist schools, and other clinical and therapeutic practitioners. We also work closely with colleagues in Adult Services to ensure young people are supported to transition successfully into adulthood.

The cohort of young people we work with requires exceptional skills, including the ability to work with pre-verbal children and children who use AAC, alongside undertaking direct work using tools such as PEIC-D.

This role is full-time at 37 hours per week.

About You

• Has experience of working directly with children, young people, and families.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of safeguarding, child development, and family support interventions.
• Has experience of working with families facing issues such as domestic abuse, substance misuse, mental health difficulties, school attendance concerns, and parenting challenges.
• Is confident in building effective professional relationships and engaging families who may be difficult to engage.
• Has excellent communication, assessment, and report-writing skills.
• Can work independently while contributing positively to a supportive team environment.
• Is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for children, young people, and families.

Essential Requirements

• Relevant qualification in Childcare, Family Support, Youth Work, Social Care, Education, or a related field.
• Experience of delivering family support interventions.
• Sound knowledge of safeguarding legislation, guidance, and best practice.
• Ability to travel across the service area as required.

Further Information

If you are passionate about empowering families, reducing risk, and helping children and young people to thrive, we would love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Natalie Starr (Weymouth & Portland) or Katie Downes (West).

This role requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed.

See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

See our policy on safeguarding children and young people.

See our adult safeguarding policy.

The friends and family referral scheme applies to this post. If an employee recommended this post to you, mention them when asked on your application form. Employees can share this advert by using the button links alongside the job title.

About Us

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We:

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us.

Find out more about how to apply.