Senior Family Support Worker

Buckinghamshire Council; Aylesbury; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking a Senior Family Support Worker to manage complex cases, mentor colleagues, and drive best practices in safeguarding and family interventions.

The role involves direct work with children, young people and families in homes or community settings, coordinating multi-agency support and leading team-based approaches. A driving licence and car access are essential, with a fixed-term/secondment arrangement for 12 months.

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or equivalent with a Level 4 qualification.
• Experience working with vulnerable children, young people, and families.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to influence, motivate and advocate effectively.
• Strong collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Resilient, reflective and empathetic in challenging situations.
• Organised, autonomous and able to manage workload independently.
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle for regular travel.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of families with complex challenges, conducting assessments and planning interventions.
• Act as lead professional in team-around-the-child meetings.
• Coordinate safeguarding efforts and multi-agency collaboration.
• Work with Social Work colleagues on complex cases.
• Provide on-duty support for urgent cases.
• Mentor Family Support Workers and contribute to training and development.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Influence & advocacy

Leadership

Case management

Empathy

Autonomy

Education

Degree level or equivalent (Level 4)

Job description

Come and join a fantastic hard-working service, who have recently transitioned to a locality working model combining level 3 and 4 services.

This is a fantastic opportunity to take on a senior role where you’ll not only manage complex cases but also mentor and guide colleagues, helping to shape best practices and drive continuous improvement in our service.

This is a Fixed Term / Secondment role for 12 months initially.

Buckinghamshire is an ambitious, rapidly growing county, and our economy is one of the strongest in the country. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty and ranks as one of the top rural areas to live in the UK and yet it is incredibly well connected– only an hour from London on the train. The county has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the international Paralympic movement.

We are looking for motivated, ambitious and inspiring people to join us on our journey. You will be entitled to a range of different benefits to make sure you are happy both at work and at home.

About the role

As a Senior Family Support Worker, you’ll work directly with children, young people, and their families—often in their homes or community settings—building strong, trusting relationships that foster positive change. You’ll manage a caseload of families facing complex challenges, conducting thorough assessments and planning tailored interventions that support long-term progress.

You’ll play a key role in multi-agency collaboration, often acting as the lead professional in team-around-the-child meetings, and will be responsible for coordinating support networks and safeguarding efforts. Your work will be guided by a whole-family approach, ensuring that every voice is heard and every need is addressed.

You will work jointly with Social Work colleagues on complex cases where a 2 person approach is needed to affect change. You will also work with Social Work colleagues when on duty where you will support urgent cases as they come in.

In addition to frontline work, you’ll support and mentor Family Support Workers, contribute to training and development, and promote a culture of learning and excellence across the team.

About you

We’re looking for someone who is:

Experienced: You’ll have a strong background in working with vulnerable children, young people, and families, ideally across public, private, or voluntary sectors.

Qualified: Educated to degree level or equivalent, with a relevant professional qualification (e.g., Level 4) and a commitment to ongoing professional development.

Skilled: You bring excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence, motivate, and advocate effectively. You’re confident in managing complex cases and making sound decisions.

Collaborative: You thrive in multi-disciplinary settings, working closely with internal and external partners to deliver cohesive support.

Resilient and Reflective: You’re able to navigate challenging situations with empathy and professionalism, always striving for the best outcomes.

Organised and Autonomous: You can manage your own workload, maintain accurate records, and work independently while knowing when to escalat concerns.

A full driving licence, and access to a vehicle for regular travel is essential.

Other information

If you would like to find out more about this role, please contact:

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 18th October 2026

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions
• All spent convictions and adult cautions that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2020 and 2023).

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.