Key Worker - Locality (Maternity Cover)

Nottingham City Council; Wigston; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is seeking a Key Worker to provide direct support in the home to children and families with complex needs, based in Blaby, Oadby and Wigston. The role requires DBS clearance and a commitment to evidence-based practice.

The post involves identifying appropriate interventions and working to protect children while supporting families, with flexible working options discussed during the interview process.

Qualifications

• Qualification in social care, health or childcare.
• Experience delivering direct support in-home to families with complex needs (e.g. mental health, substance misuse, domestic violence).
• Knowledge of evidence-based interventions such as solution-focused brief therapy, parenting programmes, brief intervention, and CBT-based approaches.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct home support to children and families with complex needs.
• Identify and deliver appropriate evidence-based interventions.
• Diffuse difficult situations and manage conflicts with empathy and professionalism.

Skills

Interventions

CBT-based approaches

Motivational interviewing

Parenting programmes

Education

Social care/Childcare qualification

Job description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: Bassett Street South Wigston LE18 4PE

Salary: £36,621 -£40,458 per annum (Pro rata for part time)

Working Hours:37 hours per week

Contract Type: Fixed (9 month Maternity Cover ) or Secondment (9 month Maternity Cover ) with Line managers approval

Closing Date: 13th October 2026

Interview Date(s): 23rd October 2026

About the Role

Targeted Family Help in Blaby, Oadby and Wigston are looking for Key Workers! Do you have experience of providing direct support in the home to children and families with complex needs? Do you have experience of identifying and delivering appropriate evidence-based interventions to families and experience of working with issues of conflict and confrontation and an ability to diffuse difficult situations? If so, we would love to hear from you.

An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

About You

To apply for this post, you must:

• Qualification in social care, health or Childcare or Experience of providing direct support in the home to children and families with complex needs which may include mental health, offending, substance misuse, domestic violence, and abuse, and/or educational issues.


• Experience of identifying and delivering appropriate evidence-based interventions e.g. solution focussed brief therapy, the Freedom Programme, parenting programmes, brief intervention, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy based approaches, motivational interviewing.


• Knowledge and awareness of issues which may have an impact on the lives of families such as domestic violence and abuse, mental health difficulties, substance misuse, poverty, housing.


• An understanding of the impact of discrimination on the lives of those from minority ethnic communities and others that experience social exclusion, and an ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds


• Awareness and understanding of ‘good enough parenting’ and relationship between poverty and social deprivation and to be able to hold a compassionate position but still hold protection of children as the priority. Be able to recognise ‘cumulative harm’ and risk indicators of different forms of harm – sexual, physical, emotional and neglect.


• Ability to work proactively, persistently, and persuasively with families who may not be willing to engage with services, using a range of techniques that encourage active participation.


• Ability to build professional confidence and resilience, good working relationships with families, ability to over-come barriers to them engaging, recognising reasons for resistance to change, where tensions can exist. Ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with children and adults, focusing on hearing and capturing the child’s voice.

In addition, we also expect you to shareour commitment to our valuesandto delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability.We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion,please contact:

Emily Food - Team Leader, Blaby, Oadby and Wigston

Email [e-mail]

Helen Coulter - Team Leader

Email [e-mail]