Family Worker

Blackpool Council; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 32,061 - 35,412; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Supportive team environment

Regular supervision

Training opportunities

Meaningful impact

Job summary

Blackpool Council’s Awaken – Wider Exploitation Team is seeking a dedicated Family Worker to support children and young people who go missing from home or care. You will lead on Missing From Home Return Interviews, explore experiences, identify safeguarding concerns, and help young people feel safe and heard within a strengths‑based, child‑centred framework.

Working in a multiagency context, you will produce clear RHIs, contribute to risk management planning, and build trusted relationships with

Qualifications

• Experience with children, young people or families in safeguarding settings.
• Strong communication skills and ability to build trusted relationships.
• Ability to engage young people around difficult experiences.
• Understanding of exploitation, missing from home risks, and contextual safeguarding.
• Ability to analyse information and contribute to safety planning.
• Good recording skills and attention to detail in written work.
• Commitment to strengths‑based, child‑centred practice.

Responsibilities

• Complete Return Home Interviews within 72 hours of a young person returning from a missing episode.
• Build trusting relationships with children and young people to explore experiences.
• Use strengths‑based practice to ensure the child’s voice is reflected and safety plans are co‑produced.
• Identify safeguarding concerns and share them appropriately.
• Produce clear, high‑quality RHIs for manager quality assurance.
• Attend Missing From Home Risk Management Meetings and support multi‑agency planning.

Skills

Child safeguarding experience

Communication skills

Engagement with children

Exploitation awareness

Info analysis / safety planning

Documentation

Strengths-based approach

Job description

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 37 per week

Salary: NJC Grade F SCP 19-24 £32,061 - £35,412 per annum

Closing Date: Thursday 30thJuly 2026 at 23:59

Awaken – Wider Exploitation Team

About the Role

We are looking for a committed and child‑focused Awaken Family Worker to join our Exploitation Team, supporting children and young people who go missing from home or care.

This is a vital role where you will lead on completing Missing From Home Return Interviews (MFHRI), helping to understand each young person’s experiences, identify safeguarding concerns, and support them to feel safe and heard.

You will work within a strengths‑based, relationship‑led approach, ensuring the voice of the child is central to all work, and contributing to wider planning to reduce future missing episodes.

Key Responsibilities

• Complete Return Home Interviews (RHIs) within 72 hours of a young person returning from a missing episode.
• Build trusting relationships with children and young people to explore what has happened and understand their lived experiences.
• Use Blackpool Families Rock strengths‑based practice, ensuring:
• The child’s voice is listened to and reflected.
• Safety planning is co‑produced with the young person within every return home interview.
• Identify any safeguarding concerns or additional support needs and share these appropriately.
• Produce clear, high‑quality written RHIs for manager quality assurance.
• Contribute to and attend Missing From Home Risk Management Meetings, sharing insight and supporting multi‑agency planning.

Multiagency Working

• Social workers and team managers
• Missing From Home Coordinator
• Request for Support Hub (RFSH)
• Other partner agencies
• Support the ongoing development of practice informed by feedback from young people and families.

Desired Experience

• Experience working directly with children, young people, or families in a supportive or safeguarding environment.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships.
• Confidence in engaging children and young people around difficult experiences.
• Understanding of exploitation, missing from home risks, and contextual safeguarding.
• Ability to analyse information and contribute to effective safety planning.
• Good recording skills and attention to detail in written work.
• Commitment to strengths‑based and child‑centred practice.

What We Offer

• A supportive team environment within the Awaken service.
• Regular supervision and guidance from experienced managers.
• Opportunities for ongoing training and development in exploitation and missing from home.
• The chance to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and young people.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children/vulnerable adults. This post is subject to satisfactory reference history of at least two years, Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check, medical clearance, evidence of any essential qualifications and proof of Right to Work in the UK in accordance with the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and amendments to the exemptions order, which mean that certain offences are ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed; guidance on filtering of offences can be found on New filtering rules for DBS certificates (from 28 November 2020 onwards) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).