Family Worker- Assessment

Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service; Navan; On-site; EUR 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service in Meath is seeking a motivated Family Worker to join our Assessment Team. This frontline role involves direct work with children and families in the community, including home visits and extensive travel across the service area.

Applicants should have at least two years of frontline experience, strong communication and report-writing skills, and a commitment to safeguarding children within the Signs of Safety framework.

Qualifications

• Degree in Social Work, Social Care or related discipline.
• Minimum two years' frontline experience with children and families.
• Experience with child protection and welfare assessments.
• Ability to travel extensively across the Meath service area.
• Experience using outcome evaluation tools.
• Experience using Salesforce or digital case-management.
• Strong communication and report-writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a multidisciplinary team.
• Commitment to safeguarding children.
• Full, clean driving licence and access to transport.

Responsibilities

• Conduct Child Protection and Welfare assessments per Tusla protocols.
• Engage with children, parents and families in homes and community.
• Travel extensively within the Meath service area.
• Record, analyse and evaluate assessment information within timeframes.
• Manage a demanding caseload maintaining professional standards.
• Work independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Maintain accurate digital records and comply with data protection.
• Participate in supervision and ongoing professional development.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Report-writing

Resilience

Flexibility

Professional boundaries

Driving

Education

Degree in Social Work / Social Care

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Hours: Full-Time – 35 hours per week

Contract Type: Fixed Term

About Us

Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service (DoCCFS) is a publicly funded, not-for-profit organisation providing therapeutic and supportive services to children and families across the greater Dublin region.

Our work is grounded in the core values of honesty, justice, fairness, respect and compassion. As a research-informed organisation, we place children, families and staff at the heart of everything we do and are committed to ongoing professional development, wellbeing and support.

Our services include:

• Early Childhood Development Service (ECDS)
• Therapeutic Family Centre Service
• Safer Families Service
• Assessment Services

The Role

We are seeking a motivated, resilient and experienced Family Worker to join our Assessment Team in Meath.

This is a frontline role involving direct work with children and families in the community and requires an individual who is confident working on the road and travelling extensively throughout the service area.

The successful candidate will be required to have a minimum of two years' relevant experience working directly with children and families. Experience should demonstrate the ability to manage complex family circumstances, build professional relationships, work independently and respond appropriately to challenging situations.

The role involves carrying out Child Protection and Welfare assessments on behalf of Tusla, working within the Signs of Safety (SOS) framework. Comprehensive training in the SOS model will be provided.

This position requires a high level of professional resilience, emotional maturity, flexibility and sound judgement, as the successful candidate will be working with families who may be experiencing significant challenges and at times difficult or high-pressure circumstances.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct Child Protection and Welfare assessments in line with Tusla protocols and procedures.
• Work directly with children, parents and families in their homes and community settings.
• Travel extensively throughout the Meath service area and work confidently in a community-based, on-the-road role.
• Engage with families in a respectful, professional and non-judgemental manner.
• Assess risk, identify strengths and needs, and contribute to appropriate plans and outcomes.
• Record, analyse and evaluate assessment information accurately and within required timeframes.
• Manage a demanding caseload while maintaining high professional standards.
• Work effectively both independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrate resilience when working with complex, sensitive or challenging family situations.
• Maintain professional boundaries and demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Participate in supervision, training and ongoing professional development.
• Maintain accurate digital records and comply with organisational policies and data protection requirements.
• A relevant Degree in Social Work, Social Care or another relevant discipline.
• Minimum of two years' relevant experience working directly with children and families.
• Demonstrable experience working in a frontline, community-based or family support role.
• Experience engaging with families experiencing complex or challenging circumstances.
• Ability and willingness to work on the road and travel throughout the service area.
• A full, clean driving licence and access to your own reliable transport.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and report-writing skills.
• Demonstrable resilience and the ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Commitment to safeguarding children and promoting their welfare.
• Knowledge or experience of the Signs of Safety framework.
• Experience undertaking assessments or working within a child protection and welfare setting.
• Experience using outcome evaluation tools.
• Familiarity with digital case-management and record-keeping systems, such as Salesforce.
• Experience working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

What We Are Looking For

We are particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate:

Experience – at least two years of meaningful frontline experience working with children and families.

Resilience – the ability to remain professional, calm and compassionate when working with complex, challenging or emotionally demanding situations.

Flexibility – the willingness to travel, work in family homes and community settings, and respond to the changing needs of the service.

Professionalism – the ability to maintain appropriate boundaries, exercise sound judgement and complete high-quality assessments and records.

Commitment – a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for children and families and working within a child-centred, strengths-based approach.