Specialist Family Support Worker

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust; Great Yarmouth; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 31,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading community healthcare provider in Great Yarmouth is looking for a compassionate Specialist Family Support Worker. This part-time role involves working with children aged 4-18 who have learning disabilities and behavioral challenges within a supportive multi-disciplinary team. Responsibilities include assessing needs, implementing interventions, and liaising with families and professionals. Candidates should have NVQ 3 or HND qualification in relevant fields and experience in child welfare. Strong communication skills are essential, along with a valid UK driving license.

Qualifications

• Experience working with children with learning disabilities and challenging behavior.
• Ability to communicate effectively with children and families.
• Knowledge of legal requirements affecting child welfare.

Responsibilities

• Assist in assessing children's complex needs as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Implement individual intervention plans under supervision.
• Document assessments and monitor children's progress.

Skills

Communication skills

Knowledge of childcare and development

Time management

Client assessment and planning skills

Ability to engage with children

Education

NVQ 3 or HND in child/social studies or equivalent

Job description

Go back Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust

Specialist Family Support Worker

The closing date is 05 January 2026

We are seeking a compassionate, innovative, and enthusiastic Band 4 Specialist Family Support Worker to join our 'Outstanding' community Children's and Young People's Specialist services. You would be joining a friendly and supportive specialist multidisciplinary team and would contribute to the development within our Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Starfish).

The Starfish Team offers assessment and intervention for young people of school age (4-18 years) with a diagnosed learning disability who are experiencing significant behavioural and/or mental health difficulties.

The post is part time (30 hours per week), and will be based at Little Acorns, Great Yarmouth, but working across Norfolk, including Kings Lynn and Norwich. The Starfish team covers a large geographical area, so it is essential that you can drive and have access to a vehicle when pool cars are not available. Flexible working is supported and includes agile/home working where relevant.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will be a core member of the team, implementing interventions for children and young people in a range of settings, under the supervision of the Clinical Lead and other clinicians within the Starfishteam. The postholder will support other team members within their clinical roles and will work collaboratively with the team and wider professionals and agencies.

We are looking for someone who has experience of working directly with children and young people who have a learning disability and is able to work effectively within a specialist team. You will need to be able to form good relationships with children, their families and colleagues often when things are very stressful.

We are seeking a candidate who is passionate, child centred and family focused and who values the rights and the strengths of children and young people and their families.

About us

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

We would love to hear from candidates who have a passion for working with children and young people with Learning Disabilities. We encourage informal visits and discussion prior to application.

Find out more about working for our organisation here:

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/2565ae62eb.html

Please note, the selection processes at Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right values and skills, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain watchful of candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn't accurately reflect their skills.

Apply now to join an organisation that has been awarded an Outstanding rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest possible rating and the first stand-alone NHS community trust in the country to be awarded the title.

Job responsibilities

Clinical

To assist in the assessment of childrens complex needs as a member of the multi-disciplinary team.

To implement individual intervention plans to children, families and support services as directed by a senior member of the team.

The post holder will work on own, without senior staff present, but will follow therapy programmes and guidance provided by qualified staff.

Record and report back accurately and fully on assessments and interventions undertaken; to monitor childs progress and to alert qualified staff to the need to change therapy input.

To communicate relevant information to all involved parties where necessary during and following assessment and intervention.

To provide formal and individual advice, support and consultation to families and services as directed by senior members of the team.

Under supervision and in accordance with local priorities and need to work jointly with other organisations to provide parenting support and group work services.

To attend appropriate child review meetings. To contribute verbally and through written reports to these meetings.

To develop good working relations with colleagues and staff in statutory and voluntary agencies.

Use appropriate communication strategies with children with communication difficulties and/or sensory difficulties.

Work with families with children with severe challenging behaviour with or without underlying mental health needs

To deliver training to staff in settings and to families, as directed by Clinical Lead

Professional

Encourage, develop and maintain good working relationships with colleagues, parents and others involved in working with children with challenging behaviour.

Actively participate in the development of the Starfish service and encourage Best Practice amongst wider Children with disabilities teams locally.

Maintain accurate, contemporaneous records in keeping with NCH&C protocols and security policies.

Identify and request sufficient time to continue personal/professional development.

Organisational

To provide annual, monthly, weekly returns as required.

Manage diary in context of travelling to cover large mix of rural and urban populations.

Report workload pressures appropriately.

Effectively engage in group work activities with colleagues.

Regularly visit children and families in their own homes, frequently as Lone Worker.

Participate in annual appraisal.

Attend all mandatory training.

Participate in staff development and training as appropriate and use supervision to promote personal/professional development.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• NVQ 3 or HND qualification in child/social studies, Health Education or Social Services, or equivalent.
• Further qualification/ courses linked to job role (children with learning disabilities, behaviour that challenges etc.)

Experience

• Experience in working with children with learning disabilities and behaviour that challenges
• Experience of working with other professionals/agencies
• Experience of working with families
• Experience of working in Community Settings

Skills, Abilities and Knowledge

• Knowledge of childcare and development
• Knowledge of school and educational issues, and opportunities available to families
• Knowledge of legal requirements which affect working with children
• Able to take a person centred approach to clients and families
• Client assessment and planning skills
• Able to plan and prioritise own workload: good time management
• Personal confidence. Able to be assertive when advocating for self and patients

Communication

• Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English Language
• Ability to engage effectively with other agencies and professionals
• Able to convey information clearly to patients, carer and other professionals both in verbal and written form
• Ability to be able to communicate with children in a variety of different ways.
• Experience of use of communication methods (such as Signalong, PECS etc)

Personal and People Development

• Self-directed learning skills
• Ability to seek and engage in supervision
• Desire to develop person and professional skills further

Personal Attributes / Behaviours

• Enthusiastic approach to own personal development
• Able to identify with the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
• Caring, understanding approach towards staff, careers and children/young people who use the service
• Flexibility/adaptability to meet the needs of the service
• Able to work independently and as part of a team
• Team player
• Able to pass on skills/knowledge to others

Other

• Must hold full and valid UK driving licence and have access to a vehicle
• Able to work within Trust Moving and Handling guidelines e.g. to move patients and equipment

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust

£27,485 to £30,162 a yearpro rata per annum