Job info |
Job info details |
Job title |
Family Support Worker |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children’s Services |
Service |
Specialist Services |
Business unit |
The ARC |
Responsible to (day to day issues) |
Practice Manager |
Accountable to (line manager) |
Practice Manager |
Salary grade |
F |
JE ref |
EI55 |
1. Key purpose of job
- To provide support to families/children.
- To work within statutory and departmental policies and procedures (e.g., Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and Families*, Children Act 1989). Undertaking assessment and contact for families in conjunction with care packages.
2. Anticipated outcomes of post
- To enhance the quality of family life.
3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post
- Responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children at all times.
- To respond effectively to children and families in crisis.
- To evaluate separation and attachment needs of Children.
- To intervene/manage a range of complex/difficult family situations e.g. substance misuse, domestic violence, mental health, learning disabilities.
- To work closely with case holders, children, families and carers and contribute to assessments as required.
- To intervene to ensure the safety of clients and self, where necessary.
- To hold a caseload and work from the Centre and in the community whilst undertaking observations of contact and family support in partnership with Social Workers and other relevant professionals.
- To work with difficult/complex cases as required.
- To work as part of a multi-skilled team.
- To devise, undertake and evaluate specific programmes of work to meet the identified needs of children and parents/carers.
- To work with families to undertake core/specialist work when necessary as part of a care plan and provide reports, as required.
- To contribute to care plans, participate in planning, attend review meetings and court hearings, as necessary.
- To contribute to decision making on client priority needs, using the CLA system.
- As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post
5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post
- To be involved as an individual and team member in monitoring and evaluating one’s own work and the work of The Assessment & Resource Centre.
- To be responsible for one’s own supervision, training and development needs.
- To participate in training and development opportunities when needs have been identified in consultation with Supervisor/Line Manager.
6. Working environment and conditions of the post
- Normal working environment and conditions.
7. Physical demands of the post
8. Specific resources used by the post
- Framework for Assessment of Families and Children in Need.
- Children Act (2004).
- PARIS computer system.
- The ARC’s Contact/Assessment Manual.
- Every Child Matters.
- Working Together to Safeguard Children.
9. Key contacts and relationships
- External:
- Liaison with Groups, Organisations, Statutory, Voluntary and Professional Agencies. To help and enable families to establish positive links with other Agencies, e.g., D.S.S., Housing, Health, Education etc.
- Internal:
- Liaison with Social Work Teams and other Child and Adult Services.
10. Other duties
Other Information
- All staff must commit to Equal Opportunities and Anti-Discriminatory Practice.
- Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
- The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. And are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children's Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
- This post is office based at [The ARC] but the post holder may be required to move their base to any other location within the Council at a future date.
- The post is eligible for hybrid working.
- As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
- The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement.
- The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
- The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
- The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
- If this post is a customer facing role and meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2017 (part 7) the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
- If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
- If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.
Person Specification
Note for Candidate
All Candidates
The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement.
In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.
Candidates who consider that they have a disability
Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.
If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.
Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.
If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.
Job info |
Job info details |
Job Title |
Family Support Worker |
Strategic team/Directorate |
Children’s Services |
Service |
Specialist Services |
Business unit |
The ARC |
Skills and effectiveness
Essential skills and effectiveness
- Ability to observe and engage with a child/children and adults on a 1:1 or group situation.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate clearly, accurately and positively with parents, children and colleagues.
- Ability to give advice and support to parents/carers on issues of child development.
- Ability to undertake supervised contact for children and their families and hold a caseload.
- Ability to work with families as part of a specified plan.
- Ability to work within departmental policies and procedures and supervision framework as part of a team.
- Ability to prepare clear and concise reports, e.g. child protection/legal/court reports.
- Ability to participate fully and effectively in planning and contact review meetings and case conferences.
- Ability to maintain professional relationships with staff, clients, carers and other agencies. Ability to collate and maintain records in line with departmental and Family Centre policy, e.g. diary sheets, planners, reports, files, etc.
- Ability to demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice.
- Ability to demonstrate a commitment to good practice and to challenge bad practice.
- As this post meets the requirements of the Immigration Act 2016 (part 7), the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
Desirable skills and effectiveness
- Planning, implementing and evaluating programmes of work.
- Participating in a range of meetings.
- Multi-disciplinary working.
- Supervising contact between children and parents/carers.
Knowledge
Essential knowledge
- Sound knowledge of child development.
- Sound knowledge of child protection.
- Awareness of confidentiality issues.
- Knowledge/awareness of the theories of ‘positive self-esteem’ and ‘attachment./separation’ task centred, time-limited work with children and/or families.
- Practising knowledge of the Children Act 1989 and the Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families*
- An understanding of the effects on ‘parenting’ where concerns involve disabilities/mental health/gender/abuse.
- Awareness of the concept of ‘quality protects.’
- Self awareness of own strengths and limitations.
Desirable knowledge
Experience and achievements
Essential experience and achievements
- Experience of work in a statutory, voluntary or private capacity with children/adults/parents/carers.
- A proven ability to undertake individual and family work with children and their families/carers.
- Experience of working with others and in teams.
- Experience of undertaking contact/assessment* work with children and/or families/carers.
- Experience of crisis intervention work.
Desirable experience and achievements
- Participating in a range of meetings.
- Multi-disciplinary working.
- Planning, implementing and evaluation programmes of work.
- Supervising contact between children and parents/carers.
Qualifications/professional memberships
Essential qualifications/professional memberships
- Evidence of consistent pattern of learning from education, training and experience.
- Educated to GCSE O Level standard or equivalent, English at Grade C or above.
Desirable qualifications/professional memberships
- Knowledge around attachment theory.
Other requirements
Other requirements of the job role
- Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people.
- Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties.
- Ability to accommodate unsociable hours.
- Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.