Parent and Families Advisor

West Sussex County Council; Horsham; Hybrid; GBP 16,000 - 18,000; Part time

Job summary

A local authority in the UK is seeking a dedicated individual to support parents and families in ensuring positive change within the youth justice system. This part-time role based in Horsham involves working closely with a multi-disciplinary team to provide assessments and guidance for families at risk of offending. The ideal candidate will have a degree or equivalent experience and strong interpersonal skills. Competitive salary and benefits are offered, alongside opportunities for professional development.

Qualifications

• Developed advisory, negotiation, advocacy and persuasion skills.
• Ability to record information, present reports and give evidence in Court as required.
• Ability to organise and prioritise work, meeting agreed deadlines.
• Perceptive, investigative and analytical skills with which to make assessments.

Responsibilities

• Provide pivotal support to parents and carers whose children are at risk of offending.
• Develop and facilitate evening group work programmes for families.
• Ensure access to appropriate provision for youth justice system participants.

Skills

Advisory, negotiation, advocacy and persuasion skills

Ability to record information and present reports

Ability to organise and prioritise work

Perceptive and analytical skills

Understanding of child protection issues

Experience of working with children and families

Experience of building effective working relationships

Education

Degree level qualification or equivalent

Job description

About the Role

Salary: £16,298 to £17,706 pro rata (£32,597 to £35,412 per annum)

Contract Length: Permanent

Working Pattern: Part Time, 18.50 hours per week (2.5 days) very occasional evening group work

Location: County Hall North, Horsham with countywide travel and hybrid working

I love the fact that I work as part of a multi disciplinary therapeutic team which includes Mental Health and Substance misuse specialists. We share a common hope and desire to support people when they are very often at their most vulnerable. We can help them navigate a really difficult time and make meaningful and lasting changes through a trusting working relationship.

• Are you passionate about supporting parents and carers to enable positive change?
• Do you have outstanding interpersonal and engagement skills?
• Have you the knowledge and understanding of the youth justice system and whole family working in preventing offending? Then we are looking for you!

In this role, you will provide pivotal support to parents and carers whose children are at risk of offending. You will undertake direct work with parents, carers and families through assessments and written court reports for particular cases, holding responsibility for any parents or carers subject to a Parenting Order.

You will play a leading role in the development of whole family working within the Youth Justice Service. You will ensure those involved in the Youth Justice System have access to the most appropriate provision to meet their individual needs. You will also provide advice, guidance, and support to colleagues to enable them to work closely with families.

We are looking for a motivated, skilled and tenacious advisor who can build strong relationships with carers, parents and families to enable positive change. With plenty of support, surrounded by a multi-disciplinary team and an encouraging workplace environment as well, you will be adaptable and flexible to meet the needs of children, families, and the services.

The role also entails being part of a new cross agency project with a particular focus on supporting families where 'child on parent' violence (CPV) is prevalent. It also includes an exciting opportunity to develop and facilitate very occasional evening group work programmes for families impacted by CPV in West Sussex, in order to prevent criminalisation and further police involvement, approximately 4 a year.

Please note you will also need to be able to travel independently around the county for all aspects of your work. Read our full job description for further detailed information on our role!

About You

Some of the experience and key skills you will need include:

• Developed advisory, negotiation, advocacy and persuasion skills
• Ability to record information, present reports and give evidence in Court as required.
• Ability to organise and prioritise work, meeting agreed deadlines.
• Perceptive, investigative and analytical skills with which to make assessments within guidelines.

• Degree level qualification, or equivalent qualification or experience.
• Knowledge and understanding of child protection issues
• Knowledge of parenting and family law
• Demonstrable history of working with children / families experiencing difficulties in order to achieve positive results.
• Understanding of parenting and family work in the context of the youth justice system and the relevant National Guidance.
• Experience of building effective working relationships with a range of clients and partnership agencies.
• Experience of working in a parenting and family role with youth justice or a related social care field.

For full list of keys skills and qualifications please refer to the job description attached.

Rewards and Benefits

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where you can achieve your full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work you do.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

About Us

West Sussex Youth Justice Service (YJS) is a high performing multi‑agency statutory partnership which provides services before and after court to meet the statutory requirements of the youth justice system. Its primary aim is to prevent offending and reduce reoffending by children. The service works in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure children are offered appropriate intervention to address their risks, meet their needs and build on their strengths. Further, the service seeks to repair the harm caused to victims and communities by addressing the root causes of offending and reoffending by children.

For more information about West Sussex County Council, please visit our WSCC About Us page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE05613.

To apply, please follow the links below to upload your CV and complete our short application form. In your application form please outline your motivations for applying and explain how you meet the key skills listed in full and the experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills) ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, 5 years referencing and a health check.

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran's Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.