Relief Bank - Family Liaison Worker

Social Interest Group; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A community support organization in Liverpool seeks a Family Liaison Worker to facilitate family visits in a prison setting. The role involves leading play sessions for children and ensuring smooth operation within the Visitors' Centre. You will promote supportive relationships with families and stakeholders, requiring strong communication and organizational skills. A background in working with children and an understanding of safeguarding practices are essential. Flexible weekend shifts included.

Qualifications

• Confident in working both within a team and in collaboration with various stakeholders.
• Possess a positive, non-judgemental attitude towards personal development.
• Understanding of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

Responsibilities

• Ensure visits are processed smoothly and maintain relationships with families.
• Lead structured play sessions with visiting children.
• Support the Visitors' Centre operation to meet quality standards.

Skills

Excellent communication

IT proficiency

Organisational skills

Ability to build trust

Experience working with children

Job description

At SIG Safe Ground, we understand that visiting a loved one in prison can be a difficult and emotional time. Our team helps to make a challenging time easier by offering practical and emotional support, clear information, and signposting — ensuring that the people visiting our service feel seen, heard, and supported.

Responsibilities

• Family Liaison Workers ensure visits are processed smoothly and efficiently, while building strong, collaborative relationships with families, the wider team, and key prison staff to help deliver a wraparound, person‑centred service.
• You will also lead structured play sessions with children of all ages who are visiting a parent or loved one in prison, ensuring they feel safe, engaged, and cared for during their visit.
• Work a flexible rota, mainly on weekend shifts.
• Support the Visitors' Centre service to appear, operate, and deliver to the quality standards of Safe Ground, Social Interest Group, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Welcome, book in, and share relevant information with visitors attending the Visitors' Centre, including those visiting a prison for the first time.
• Take an active role in planning, promoting, and delivering meaningful and memorable family visits.
• Develop and maintain child‑friendly spaces and play areas across the Visitors' Centre, Visits Hall, and other designated areas within the prison.
• Implement and supervise varied, age‑appropriate play activities, tailored to the developmental needs of children visiting the prison, ensuring a safe and engaging environment.
• Promote Safe Ground's programmematic work, and identify opportunities for collaboration with community partners via joint interventions, referral routes, or signposting.
• Work closely with the wider Safe Ground team to meet performance targets and objectives.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal and external persons and partners, including but not limited to Governors, Offender Management Units (OMU), Wing Staff, Education Staff, Family Services, Induction, Resettlement teams, and other key HMP and community stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively within the team to monitor, gain feedback, evaluate, and develop the service for continuous improvement.
• Complete safeguarding and other referrals where required.
• Participate in reflective practice, clinical supervision, and other arranged meetings.
• Undertake varied administration duties, including maintaining confidential records and handling information in accordance with relevant statutory and organisational policies.
• Other responsibilities than those described above may be required from time to time and will be expected to be performed to as long as they are within the capability and level of the position.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication, IT, organisational, and support skills.
• View relationships as central to personal development and approach work with a positive, non‑judgemental attitude.
• Confidence working both within a team and in collaboration with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience of working with children and their families.
• IT proficiency, ability to learn new software programmes, basic Microsoft experience.
• Ability to build trust, motivate others, and encourage positive engagement.
• Understanding of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

Desirable but not essential

• Understanding and/or practical knowledge of the social and societal stigma attached to people in the criminal justice setting and their family members.
• Experience within a prison or other criminal justice setting, and/or within a similar role.
• Holding, or working towards, an appropriate professional qualification.

Our Values

• Ambition – Eager to succeed and accomplish as much as possible for our people.
• Empowerment – Giving staff and the people we support the tools, training, and information they need to achieve their potential.
• Transparency – Upfront and visible about our actions and open to scrutiny from stakeholders, service users, and staff.
• Inclusivity – Listening to, understanding, and including all our stakeholders to ensure we make a difference and get things right.